You may have noticed the absence of a prayer letter from us in September. Well, as mentioned in August, we were on the road going to visit Elizabeth’s mom and some of our supporting churches back east. It was an adventure with two big dogs in the back of the car; and even though the traffic in Massachusetts tried its best to cause several accidents, God protected us all the way - there and back again.
We are grateful that the strain of the trip is over, for God’s protection, and for the time we had with Elizabeth’s mom. We also were able to see Elizabeth’s brother, his wife, and several aunts and uncles while we were there. And while James was making his circuit around the country, traveling to NC/SC and then Salt Lake City and back, he also had some time with his siblings and parents. Like some foreign missionaries, because of the distance and expense of travel, we do not often get to go back to see family. We are privileged and grateful when we can do so, but at the same time content to live among the Rockies and minister where God has placed us.
Speaking of ministering in the West, James was able to attend and serve at our mission board’s annual fellowship meeting in Utah while Elizabeth stayed with her mom and the dogs. It was a good time of catching up with fellow ministry couples and meditating on God’s faithfulness, especially as we observed the official transitioning of our director from Ron Ehmann to Matt Murphree. We look forward to seeing how God will work through the new leadership, and continue to show His faithfulness to each one of us!
On a different note, we have a few health updates. The travel and post-trip busyness has taken a toll on James; please pray for his strength to increase, and for his vertigo to calm down some more. The bigger request is for Elizabeth. Shortly before our trip east, we found out she would need her yearly infusion when we got back, to shut down her immune system so it does not damage her body any further. The treatment is scheduled for October 21st. Pray for that day and the days after, that she would bounce back quickly. As usual, we are praying particularly that she will have energy to participate and play the piano for our Christmas services! But also, we are rejoicing in God’s goodness that she is down to needing these infusions only once a year. She has a few more appointments coming up after that, as well as a procedure to check her lungs and airway. That procedure used to be done in the doctor’s office, but with the complexity and how far down in her lungs they need to look, they are now doing it under general anesthesia in the operating room. When she has this done, she will still be recovering from the infusion, so it is a bit of a double whammy. Pray for a quick recovery from both things, and that there’s no need for any invasive work during the surgery.
As we move into fall, and are enjoying some of the colors in God’s creation, we are also starting to prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we will have our annual Pie and Praise outreach in Cokeville. Pray that people will come to that evening of fellowship, and that it will encourage more to attend and hear the word of God on Sundays. We also ask you to start praying for our Christmas services in both Kemmerer and Cokeville, for those who will be participating and for the lost people who will attend. Last year, at our Christmas service in Cokeville, we had a prominent LDS family come and attend the service and hear the Gospel. Pray they will return and be saved!
On the subject of salvation and Cokeville, keep praying for the salvation of BR, RG, J&C, CH, B, R&R, and R&B. Thankfully, while we were gone, James was able to use the livestreaming on Facebook to continue preaching to the people in Cokeville, and our regulars returned on Sunday after we got back.
As far as housing goes, we are still watching the market and interest rates, especially since we came home to several more trailers in the lots directly beside us. We don’t yet have neighbors in there, as the neighborhood is still getting everything set up, but we have lost most of the yard space for the dogs and most of our view. Those may seem like small things, but on top of our previously mentioned challenges, they are rapidly increasing our desire for our own home. Pray that we will continue to wait on God’s timing and that, if there is something, we will have the faith to follow Him even if it does not make human financial sense at the time.
We are thankful for your faithful prayers on our behalf, and look forward to sharing how God is working in and through them!