6% Left!
You read that right! We are finally in the single digits and have just 6% of our support left to raise! At the time of our last letter, our support was at 88%. We still have not done any scheduled traveling since February, BUT GOD has allowed our support to grow regardless. We had two family members (Kellie’s grandparents in Kansas and my great aunt in Iowa) both pledge $100 a month, along with a family from Kellie’s home church in Illinois that has personally taken us on as well. We are blown away by the generosity of God’s people.
We have had our preliminary Exit Interview with Bro. Snipes and Bro. Bosje; and, Lord willing, we will be on a plane in January, heading towards Tanzania.
Derecho
Derecho: “A line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms, and sometimes thunderstorms, that moves across a great distance and is characterized by damaging winds.” Have you ever heard of a derecho? We hadn’t either until Cedar Rapids and Marion, Iowa, were hit with one on August 10, 2020. The land-like hurricane came out of nowhere, and the 140 mph winds left their mark. Kellie and Landon were at Menards when the storm hit, and the building suffered severe damage. I was doing house repairs for my grandma, and we had to seek shelter in her basement. Thankfully, nobody in my family was hurt, and none of their homes suffered severe damage. You can’t drive anywhere in the city and not see full-grown tress uprooted, power lines down and broken in half, and homes and buildings with roof damage. Restaurants and cafés that were struggling financially due to COVID are now permanently closed.
My dad is a local businessman, and his building took some major damage that day. He hired me to work overnight and guard his property for him. Across the parking lot from my dad’s company is another local business, and they had one of their employees guard the building overnight as well. His name was Richard. I had the opportunity to witness to him, but he was not ready to accept Christ as his Saviour. Please pray with me that he will come to know Christ. Kellie also had the opportunity to hand out tracts to two Menards employees who helped her with Landon during the storm.
This storm has reminded me that no matter what we are going through, our heavenly Father is our shelter in the midst of life’s storms. He may allow the trials to happen and the damage that is left behind may be devastating, but we do not have to face it alone. He can and will weather the storms of life with us.
Saying Thanks
We decided to take advantage of our downtime and visit some local supporting churches in July. We have four supporting churches that are within 70 miles of us. It was nice to see some familiar faces and give a verbal update on what has been happening in our lives. Landon was a big hit as well. The main reason for our visits was to thank the pastors personally. During my time in Tanzania back in March, I had some custom gifts made for our supporters. I loved being able to hand them to our pastors and say “Thank you” in person.
Stadium Crusade
The Tanzanian Stadium Crusade was held at the end of July. Over 5,000 Tanzanians were in attendance, and more than 650 people trusted Christ as their Saviour! We are so thankful that the group from New Jersey was able to fly over and participate. There was some uncertainly as to whether the Stadium Crusade would be able to be held because of COVID. Only God was able to make everything happen this year. We love this ministry and can’t wait to be more hands-on next year.
Shipping Container
We need to purchase a shipping container. Please pray with us as we decide on a size (either 20 feet or 40 feet) and finalize what personal belongings to send over. Most of our belongings have been in storage for over two years, and we now have to sort through everything. I have been seeking quotes for a container. Please also pray with us that we can get a good price for purchasing and shipping the container and that customs does not cost us an arm and a leg. Thankfully, we do have the funds to make such a large purchase.
Kellie has also been price-checking kitchen and laundry appliances to take over with us. She has found a reputable website that sells 220-volt appliances. So far, she has found everything she would like to have for under $4,100. We could buy most of our major appliances in country; but the quality is not nearly as good, and sometimes the prices are higher.
Fall Meetings
After being stationary for seven months, we are finally going back on the road! We currently have five meetings scheduled for September and October. This will be Landon’s first time traveling with us on deputation. We will be going to Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and revisiting a church in Iowa that has voted in a new pastor since our last visit. Landon has developed a love/hate relationship with his car seat. Please pray that he will adjust well to being on the road. He hasn’t done too much traveling since he was born at the end of March.
Your fellow laborers in Christ,
Montana, Kellie, & Landon Morrow