We hope our letter finds all of you safe and healthy. It has been a crazy time for the world and a historic time for churches. The Coronavirus has impacted all of our lives, but one thing we know for certain: God was not surprised and, no doubt, has a plan to accomplish something greater through all of the tragedy.
Having just started on deputation, we find ourselves in a strange situation. All of our meetings have had to be postponed, as churches have adjusted to online services. We know of missionaries who have been able to be part of churches’ services online; but, unfortunately, because we have to limit our online presence, we have not been able to do the same. We do have an online meeting scheduled in a couple of weeks, and because it will not be a public online service, we are able to share our ministry with a church in Chicago, Illinois.
We have enjoyed having some extra time at home. We’ve been using the time to reassess, reorganize, and prepare for when we get back on the road. Both my wife and son both have appreciated something of a more normal schedule while we’ve been home.
In the past, if we are in town for a little while, I have been able to earn some supplemental income driving a bus for a Christian school. The school has had to temporarily close, as students continue school from home. Even without the extra income and without meetings, God has continued to meet every one of our needs. We are so grateful for all of our supporting churches who give so faithfully and sacrificially. A few people have generously given gifts just because the Lord put us on their minds. We are lacking nothing and can give God all the glory for that.
Special Blessings
A particular blessing has been our new vehicle. After traveling for a few months, we realized that our small four-door would not have the space to fit all we needed to travel with. One thing we became aware of very early on was how our son needs more luggage than both my wife and I need. Our SUV will be completely paid off once we sell our old car, and we feel spoiled by our new ride. It only makes us more eager to get back on the road.
Special Prayer Requests
We hope all of you will join us in praying for pastors all over the world. They are carrying a new burden now as they struggle with making wise and biblical decisions about services. This has not been something churches have had to deal with in recent history, and there are no easy answers since churches are all different by city and situation. Pastors need encouragement now while they follow God’s leading.
We are praying as usual for the country of China. Things have been escalating for years now in China, and it’s been more difficult for missionaries to enter and stay. One way we are praying for God to use the Coronavirus pandemic is for there to be a positive change in the oppression of the Chinese government. A large foundation of their continued control is that they legitimatize their control by projecting the image that they know what they’re doing and that they do it better than any other country. The way the pandemic has been mishandled has definitely dealt a powerful blow against the Communist lie. We are praying for it to be part of God’s will to use recent events to grant more freedom for Christians in China.
Final Notes
In creating our list of emails and addresses, my wife and I are fearful we may have missed a few. On the road, we had several people give us slips of paper with email addresses; and, in looking them over, we think some are missing. If you would like to receive future prayer letters, you can always subscribe on the FBMI website. Our missionary number is 6013.
We will keep all of you updated as we continue to serve the Lord and trust that you will continue to pray. Thank you to all of our prayer warriors.
Here for Him,
Missionary #6013