May Prayer Letter 2019
Dear Saints
I hope and trust this letter finds you well. We are all doing very well. Let me say a special thank you to all of you who have prayed for my back as I seem to be having a season of relief. The blessing of this relief can not be overstated, THANK! YOU! to all who prayed.
I have continued to bounce around all over the country attending meetings and trying to be a blessing to the churches. Several people have expressed concern about the need for us to be “getting more rest” while on furlough. Please be assured that just because I am traveling a lot doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m not getting the rest I need on furlough. It is still a privilege to sleep for an average of six to seven hours nearly every night somewhere on some soft mattress and in some safe environment. Although I do sometimes feel exhausted I remind myself that every man who is thirty-seven years old (who is worth his salt) is burning the candle at both ends in one way or another. Please pray for continued grace in all of our furlough responsibilities.
Many of you realize that a sending church for any missionary is their greatest resource and lifeline outside of the Lord himself. Although our sending church in Fairbanks Alaska is a little off the beaten path, even when we are Stateside, I was recently afforded the opportunity to participate at the ordination services for my younger brother Paul. A few years ago after several years of faithful service as associate pastor Paul courageously accepted the ministry of senior pastor at North Star Baptist Church in Fairbanks Alaska. Having the opportunity attend his ordination was such a blessing to me. I was amazed at how the church has grown and prospered since our last attendance in person in 2014. What a blessing it is to see men and women still offering their lives as a living sacrifice to serve others in the pastoral ministry of the local church!
On the home front we are thankful to be traveling again as a family. After attending a Christian school in the Portland Oregon for the past few months, the kids are happy to be on summer break and I am happy to have everyone together again. Currently we are still out west attending missions conferences and visiting churches. Please pray for us to be a blessing wherever we go, and that the Lord will use us for his glory. We truly serve a great God who truly deserves the love and worship of our whole heart and soul, and mind.
We continue to hear good things from Malawi from pastor Nyirenda and pastor Mwenekefungwe. I was recently encouraged to hear of new converts in Charity Baptist Church two of whom walked the isle at invitation in a Sunday morning preaching hour. One thing that I have emphasized over the years is the need for basic discipleship once someone is saved. I am glad to hear that discipleship courses for those who have been saved are still carrying on in my absence.
Aside from the church people I receive messages and emails almost every day from random people in the Mzuzu area and really the whole north of Malawi. To say that we have a good report among the people there would be an understatement. Many times I have felt like our work is invisible to these people and that if we fell off the planet tomorrow that they wouldn’t even miss a beat. The constant greetings and messages I receive tell me that even if the people don’t respond to the gospel the way I wish they would, they DO know that we are there for a purpose and that there has been at least a some influence in their lives by our ministry there.
Please pray for the elections in Malawi which take place on May 21 2019. Our hope is not in politics or politicians, but we also know that wicked and unreasonable men can hinder the work of missions. Pray that the outcome of these elections would enable us to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Pray also that we would be able to continue to make the right decisions for the remainder of our time in the states, and that the Lord would direct our decisions as to the timing of our return to Malawi.
I hope and trust this letter finds you well. We are all doing very well. Let me say a special thank you to all of you who have prayed for my back as I seem to be having a season of relief. The blessing of this relief can not be overstated, THANK! YOU! to all who prayed.
I have continued to bounce around all over the country attending meetings and trying to be a blessing to the churches. Several people have expressed concern about the need for us to be “getting more rest” while on furlough. Please be assured that just because I am traveling a lot doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m not getting the rest I need on furlough. It is still a privilege to sleep for an average of six to seven hours nearly every night somewhere on some soft mattress and in some safe environment. Although I do sometimes feel exhausted I remind myself that every man who is thirty-seven years old (who is worth his salt) is burning the candle at both ends in one way or another. Please pray for continued grace in all of our furlough responsibilities.
Many of you realize that a sending church for any missionary is their greatest resource and lifeline outside of the Lord himself. Although our sending church in Fairbanks Alaska is a little off the beaten path, even when we are Stateside, I was recently afforded the opportunity to participate at the ordination services for my younger brother Paul. A few years ago after several years of faithful service as associate pastor Paul courageously accepted the ministry of senior pastor at North Star Baptist Church in Fairbanks Alaska. Having the opportunity attend his ordination was such a blessing to me. I was amazed at how the church has grown and prospered since our last attendance in person in 2014. What a blessing it is to see men and women still offering their lives as a living sacrifice to serve others in the pastoral ministry of the local church!
On the home front we are thankful to be traveling again as a family. After attending a Christian school in the Portland Oregon for the past few months, the kids are happy to be on summer break and I am happy to have everyone together again. Currently we are still out west attending missions conferences and visiting churches. Please pray for us to be a blessing wherever we go, and that the Lord will use us for his glory. We truly serve a great God who truly deserves the love and worship of our whole heart and soul, and mind.
We continue to hear good things from Malawi from pastor Nyirenda and pastor Mwenekefungwe. I was recently encouraged to hear of new converts in Charity Baptist Church two of whom walked the isle at invitation in a Sunday morning preaching hour. One thing that I have emphasized over the years is the need for basic discipleship once someone is saved. I am glad to hear that discipleship courses for those who have been saved are still carrying on in my absence.
Aside from the church people I receive messages and emails almost every day from random people in the Mzuzu area and really the whole north of Malawi. To say that we have a good report among the people there would be an understatement. Many times I have felt like our work is invisible to these people and that if we fell off the planet tomorrow that they wouldn’t even miss a beat. The constant greetings and messages I receive tell me that even if the people don’t respond to the gospel the way I wish they would, they DO know that we are there for a purpose and that there has been at least a some influence in their lives by our ministry there.
Please pray for the elections in Malawi which take place on May 21 2019. Our hope is not in politics or politicians, but we also know that wicked and unreasonable men can hinder the work of missions. Pray that the outcome of these elections would enable us to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Pray also that we would be able to continue to make the right decisions for the remainder of our time in the states, and that the Lord would direct our decisions as to the timing of our return to Malawi.
