On Sunday, Wanda and Wendy were in attendance. They heard a clear presentation of the Gospel, and though they gave no outward indication of the Lord's working, they seemed to enjoy the service and the folks at church. Keep them on your prayer list. God is working in them and drawing them to Himself. Four other people raised their hand in the invitation time to indicate a concern for their spiritual condition. No one came forward or sought us out after the service, but we praise the Lord for the Spirit's working.
Gary Jones (missionary to the Philippines) is recovering well from his quintuple bypass. He has been moved from ICU to a regular room and may be home by week's end. His recovery will take some time, so continue to pray for him. Dr Dreisbach will have some additional tests to determine whether he should have a catherization. For now he is resting comfortably and waiting on the Lord.
No news is yet available on the other requests. Thank you for interceding for each of these needs.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Various Prayer Requests
On Wednesday (11/12), I visited with some family members of Danny Santiago. While there, Wanda and Wendy (adult daughter of Wanda) came by. You may remember that I had several conversations with them during Danny's illness and subsequent death. They have heard the Gospel on several occasions, and Wendy seemed close to a decision but various interruptions came at the critical moment. Well, they both said they had been thinking a lot about coming to our church. I told them the subject of Sunday's message will be "Giving to God What Belongs to God," and they seemed eager to hear the message. They usually sleep-in on Sundays, so pray that they both awaken early (with or without an alarm) so that they will be able to be in attendance. The message will open with a strong salvation emphasis, so pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to their hearts and that they and others will respond to the Lord's leading.
One of our church members is in need of intercession. Anita served in our Christian school for 20+ years, retiring last year when her vision deteriorated due to complications from diabetes. She has recovered somewhat, but just a few days ago she awoke to find a blood stain on her pillow. The blood seems to have come from her good eye. She has not yet seen a doctor, as far as we know. This has been a tough year not only due to her condition, but also due to her brother Chu's battle with cancer. He is also a church member who loves the Lord.
Pray also for two fellow missionaries with GFA. Gary Jones is a veteran missionary in the Philippines. He had a quintuple bypass surgery on Thursday and is currently in ICU with absolutely no visitors allowed. Pray also for his wife Edie, their adult children and the various ministries under their care. Also, Dr. John Driesbach is in a hospital in Greenville, SC with chest pains. No further details are yet available in this case, but your prayers will be greatly appreciated. His wife went to be with the Lord a year or so ago. He has lead a full life of Christian service and continues to be a blessing to all who come in contact with him.
Some of you know my father, Elwood Sr. He and his ministry partner, Dr. Phil Kissinger, are in Africa to visit some national pastors and encourage them in the Lord's work. They will return to the States on November 25. Pray for their safety and for the opening of doors and hearts for their ministry.
One of our church members is in need of intercession. Anita served in our Christian school for 20+ years, retiring last year when her vision deteriorated due to complications from diabetes. She has recovered somewhat, but just a few days ago she awoke to find a blood stain on her pillow. The blood seems to have come from her good eye. She has not yet seen a doctor, as far as we know. This has been a tough year not only due to her condition, but also due to her brother Chu's battle with cancer. He is also a church member who loves the Lord.
Pray also for two fellow missionaries with GFA. Gary Jones is a veteran missionary in the Philippines. He had a quintuple bypass surgery on Thursday and is currently in ICU with absolutely no visitors allowed. Pray also for his wife Edie, their adult children and the various ministries under their care. Also, Dr. John Driesbach is in a hospital in Greenville, SC with chest pains. No further details are yet available in this case, but your prayers will be greatly appreciated. His wife went to be with the Lord a year or so ago. He has lead a full life of Christian service and continues to be a blessing to all who come in contact with him.
Some of you know my father, Elwood Sr. He and his ministry partner, Dr. Phil Kissinger, are in Africa to visit some national pastors and encourage them in the Lord's work. They will return to the States on November 25. Pray for their safety and for the opening of doors and hearts for their ministry.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Recent Developments
Election day was as intense here as anywhere in the USA. No, we could not vote in the national election, but we had some important issues of our own. One of the principal parties openly supports an aggressive homosexual agenda and has planned to impose a curriculum in January 2009 which will openly advocate homosexuality. This is to affect all schools, public, private, Christian, even home schools. Christian leaders informed other believers and encouraged them to vote according to Biblical principles; other groups of a conservative bent also worked to shed light on the issues of this campaign. The result was a decisive victory for the most conservative party from governor and legislature to the mayoral races. We must still be diligent to pray that these newly elected leaders will turn the tide and reject the curriculum which is set to be imposed by the whim of the head of the Department of Education.
On Sunday, November 2 at 5:14 am, Anna Pfaunmiller (Bill's grandmother) went home to be with the Lord. She had suffered a massive stroke about one week earlier, so we knew she would not last long. The Lord gave her 94 years in this life and the chance to see the work here in Ponce about 4 years ago. We are grateful that our furlough allowed us to visit with her on several occasions. Several family members need to trust the Lord, so pray with us for these souls.
Julia is doing very well following her leg amputation. She has recovered her joyful spirit and is doing well in the rehab program. Another of our members is also in need of your prayers. Felix has sickle-cell anemia. Periodically he has very painful bouts with the illness as his hemoglobin drops perilously and his joints become inflamed. Last Wednesday he drove himself to the hospital at 2 am and was admitted to the ICU. They gave him several transfusions, pain medication, and other appropriate treatments. He is now in a regular room as he continues his recovery. Felix is about 40. Pray for his complete healing and for God's direction in his life.
The recording equipment is coming together. We have done some test recording, but now that the digital recorder is on hand, we hope to get things really organized. A few details remain, but this new ministry is becoming a reality. We pray that it will be used mightily in many lives. Praise the Lord for the folks here who are burdened and excited for this means of reaching out to family, neighbors, and perhaps complete strangers. Another phase of this project will be uploading some messages to our website. This could allow some of you to download messages to share with Hispanic folks in your area!
Thank you for praying. May God give us each grace to stand for right and be the salt and light God has called us to be.
On Sunday, November 2 at 5:14 am, Anna Pfaunmiller (Bill's grandmother) went home to be with the Lord. She had suffered a massive stroke about one week earlier, so we knew she would not last long. The Lord gave her 94 years in this life and the chance to see the work here in Ponce about 4 years ago. We are grateful that our furlough allowed us to visit with her on several occasions. Several family members need to trust the Lord, so pray with us for these souls.
Julia is doing very well following her leg amputation. She has recovered her joyful spirit and is doing well in the rehab program. Another of our members is also in need of your prayers. Felix has sickle-cell anemia. Periodically he has very painful bouts with the illness as his hemoglobin drops perilously and his joints become inflamed. Last Wednesday he drove himself to the hospital at 2 am and was admitted to the ICU. They gave him several transfusions, pain medication, and other appropriate treatments. He is now in a regular room as he continues his recovery. Felix is about 40. Pray for his complete healing and for God's direction in his life.
The recording equipment is coming together. We have done some test recording, but now that the digital recorder is on hand, we hope to get things really organized. A few details remain, but this new ministry is becoming a reality. We pray that it will be used mightily in many lives. Praise the Lord for the folks here who are burdened and excited for this means of reaching out to family, neighbors, and perhaps complete strangers. Another phase of this project will be uploading some messages to our website. This could allow some of you to download messages to share with Hispanic folks in your area!
Thank you for praying. May God give us each grace to stand for right and be the salt and light God has called us to be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
