We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the folks at church in the morning and then with a collection of missionary families in the afternoon. The fellowship was so good that it lasted until nearly midnight. Each of us left encouraged and grateful to the Lord for the provision of friends who can understand the life we lead. Now plans are in full swing for the varying activities surrounding Christmas. House-to-house carol singing is still popular in PR. We hope to start dropping in on folks this weekend. Our church family will hold a banquet on the 19th. This is a highlight for us all as we share some terrific food and sweet fellowship.
Wanda and Wendy have attended Sunday morning services for several weeks now. A week ago they brought another family member. This week, we also had several additional visitors. It is exciting to see the Lord reward the efforts of different church members as they invite family and friends. We are hoping to see the Lord do great things through each of these contacts. Pray with us that the Lord would bring these souls to Himself and add them to His Church.
Pray also concerning some very important issues which will be addressed throughout this week. The Devil tries to get his toe in the door, but we are trying to keep him outside the fold. I cannot give details at present, but the Lord knows the need in the hearts of each person involved in these meetings. No discipline is pleasant at the moment, but we are promised that it can result in great blessing.
Many students are coming down with viruses and respiratory ailments. Though we don't have the drastic temperatures some of you enjoy at this time of year, the nights do get rather cold for PR. Whether the sickness is due to that or whatever cause, the effects are the same. Since we are in the final two weeks of the semester, the absences complicate matters, especially for students who have lagged behind their goals. Pray that our strength holds up so that we may avoid the down time.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Prayer Request Updates
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Prayer for Intervention
Have you ever felt like the Devil is working overtime to cause mayhem? Perhaps it is beginning to dawn on him that his time is nearly at an end. There is so much evil around. Here in PR a law was passed in 2006 which seemed relatively innocent, but is proving to be a tool for evil. The original law concerned domestic violence and authorized the approval of curriculum to help avoid this increasing problem. Under the guise of implementing that directive, the Secretary of Education has written a letter to all public school officials informing them that a new curriculum will be in place in January 2009 which provides a "perspective on gender." This material will inform children that sex and gender are not synonymous terms. According to this curriculum, gender is a matter of personal choice and self-discovery. In other words, this curriculum will be an indoctrination platform for homosexual and transsexual perversity. This requirement is going to be applied to all schools, including private, Christian, Catholic, and home-schools. Freedom of religion and conscience are in serious jeopardy and there may be little we can do about it.
Pray with us. Our elections are held on November 4 also. We need to see a landslide of support for those who have professed strong family beliefs. Three of the four parties are solidly behind this perverse agenda, so the choice is clear. However, even believers tend to vote by tradition instead of by conscience. Please pray that God will intervene directly to remove this horrendous material from even the public schools. Similar things have been tried before and they have been defeated, but since the Secretary of Education is not an elected official, the democratic process has been entirely bypassed. Still we know that God can defeat such crafty maneuvering.
The other night I was called to intervene in a family situation. Though I cannot give out many details, suffice it to say that there are many problems that only the Lord can work out. Pray that this couple would submit to Scripture completely. I have stressed to them the fact that divorce solves nothing. They will carry the problems with them unless they deal with them Biblically. Pray also that I would have wisdom to see through lies and self-deception to help them face and resolve their faults.
At 8:00 AM on Saturday, Julia was allowed to check out of the hospital. She had her left leg amputated on Monday and has recovered nicely. Teresa, Bethany, and I visited her on Friday and sang some choruses with her. A nurse came into the room and opened the door so that others could hear the music. We were singing Psalms, so the Word went out to more people than we thought it would. Praise the Lord!
Pray with us. Our elections are held on November 4 also. We need to see a landslide of support for those who have professed strong family beliefs. Three of the four parties are solidly behind this perverse agenda, so the choice is clear. However, even believers tend to vote by tradition instead of by conscience. Please pray that God will intervene directly to remove this horrendous material from even the public schools. Similar things have been tried before and they have been defeated, but since the Secretary of Education is not an elected official, the democratic process has been entirely bypassed. Still we know that God can defeat such crafty maneuvering.
The other night I was called to intervene in a family situation. Though I cannot give out many details, suffice it to say that there are many problems that only the Lord can work out. Pray that this couple would submit to Scripture completely. I have stressed to them the fact that divorce solves nothing. They will carry the problems with them unless they deal with them Biblically. Pray also that I would have wisdom to see through lies and self-deception to help them face and resolve their faults.
At 8:00 AM on Saturday, Julia was allowed to check out of the hospital. She had her left leg amputated on Monday and has recovered nicely. Teresa, Bethany, and I visited her on Friday and sang some choruses with her. A nurse came into the room and opened the door so that others could hear the music. We were singing Psalms, so the Word went out to more people than we thought it would. Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Getting You Up to Speed
Tuesday, we saw the Orthopedist regarding Nathan's back. He looked over the x-ray, examined Nathan, and pronounced that our son will not likely grow much more (due to something he noticed in his exam, but I didn't catch what that was) so the spinal curvature is not a serious concern. Still he recommended annual x-rays until Nate's growth cycle is complete. I think Nathan was pleased by the result.
Nathan drove us to Caguas. This 1 1/2 hour trip was his longest to date. He did well and learned a few things along the way. We arrived at the doctor's office at about 7:45 am. Here in PR you don't get a time-based appointment, only a day. Being a new patient, he was required to be on hand by 1:00 pm. Due to our early arrival, we had slot 18 out of 60+ patients to be seen that day. The waiting room was large and comfortable (Nathan thought it was cold). We settled down for a few hours of "boredom" (remember I asked for that). I had a book in my hand to keep me occupied, as did Nathan. Mine was Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges. This is a tremendous book that highlights our need to trust our sovereign God even when He sends adversity our way. Perhaps I'll jot a review later on, but it has been an incredible read filled with lots of preaching material. I marked the book and jotted notes all over the place and still managed to read 140 pages until Nathan's turn came up at 2:30 pm.
On our way home, we stopped to see Richard, a friend we met during our time in Salinas. We had a good visit in which I was able to share some thoughts from the book of Ruth concerning the providencial control of God over "everyday" circumstances. It's so easy for us not to notice the hand of God when life seems to chug along on Normal. Yet in each of the details of Ruth, God's hand placed the right people in the right places as He pieced together an unlikely series of links in the geneology of Jesus Christ! God works in the same quiet way in our own lives. No obvious miracles may be employed, but the plan of God unfolds without fail. We may fail, but His plan does not. Still, most of us complain and fret away our years as if we were in control, and all the while God is saying, "Trust me. I will see you safely through the storms of life. Cast your anxious care on me. I will work out the details while you rest in my love and wisdom." Richard found comfort in those thoughts since he has been struggling with many stressful issues.
Today, I was able to visit with Julia. Her amputation is very near the hip. She is still feeling a lot of pain, but it is subsiding. Her joyful spirit is still heavily taxed, but I was able to bring a bit of laughter to her. I shared the opening verses of James 1 concerning the believer's reaction to trials. The Word tells us to rejoice, not in the content of the trial, but in the fact that there is Divine purpose in the trial. God is in the trial accomplishing His perfect plan. Our duty is to cooperate with Him so that the trial may result in blessing. Julia's recovery is going very well. Tomorrow they plan to have her work on sitting. You don't think about the difficulty of something so basic until you don't have a left leg to rest on. So far, no sign of infection has been noted. Praise the Lord!
We are also working on acquiring the technology to record the messages in church so that those who are not able to be present can still benefit from the teaching of the Word. If you have any good information on recording equipment, whether CD or digital, I would appreciate your input. Thank you for your prayers. God is powerful, He is good, He is wise, and He is in control. Selah! (Pause, meditate, and worship Him.)
Nathan drove us to Caguas. This 1 1/2 hour trip was his longest to date. He did well and learned a few things along the way. We arrived at the doctor's office at about 7:45 am. Here in PR you don't get a time-based appointment, only a day. Being a new patient, he was required to be on hand by 1:00 pm. Due to our early arrival, we had slot 18 out of 60+ patients to be seen that day. The waiting room was large and comfortable (Nathan thought it was cold). We settled down for a few hours of "boredom" (remember I asked for that). I had a book in my hand to keep me occupied, as did Nathan. Mine was Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges. This is a tremendous book that highlights our need to trust our sovereign God even when He sends adversity our way. Perhaps I'll jot a review later on, but it has been an incredible read filled with lots of preaching material. I marked the book and jotted notes all over the place and still managed to read 140 pages until Nathan's turn came up at 2:30 pm.
On our way home, we stopped to see Richard, a friend we met during our time in Salinas. We had a good visit in which I was able to share some thoughts from the book of Ruth concerning the providencial control of God over "everyday" circumstances. It's so easy for us not to notice the hand of God when life seems to chug along on Normal. Yet in each of the details of Ruth, God's hand placed the right people in the right places as He pieced together an unlikely series of links in the geneology of Jesus Christ! God works in the same quiet way in our own lives. No obvious miracles may be employed, but the plan of God unfolds without fail. We may fail, but His plan does not. Still, most of us complain and fret away our years as if we were in control, and all the while God is saying, "Trust me. I will see you safely through the storms of life. Cast your anxious care on me. I will work out the details while you rest in my love and wisdom." Richard found comfort in those thoughts since he has been struggling with many stressful issues.
Today, I was able to visit with Julia. Her amputation is very near the hip. She is still feeling a lot of pain, but it is subsiding. Her joyful spirit is still heavily taxed, but I was able to bring a bit of laughter to her. I shared the opening verses of James 1 concerning the believer's reaction to trials. The Word tells us to rejoice, not in the content of the trial, but in the fact that there is Divine purpose in the trial. God is in the trial accomplishing His perfect plan. Our duty is to cooperate with Him so that the trial may result in blessing. Julia's recovery is going very well. Tomorrow they plan to have her work on sitting. You don't think about the difficulty of something so basic until you don't have a left leg to rest on. So far, no sign of infection has been noted. Praise the Lord!
We are also working on acquiring the technology to record the messages in church so that those who are not able to be present can still benefit from the teaching of the Word. If you have any good information on recording equipment, whether CD or digital, I would appreciate your input. Thank you for your prayers. God is powerful, He is good, He is wise, and He is in control. Selah! (Pause, meditate, and worship Him.)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Julia Is Doing Well . . . Considering
At 7:30 AM Julia was taken to surgery. The doctors amputated her left leg well above the knee. Her surgeon said the procedure had no unexpected complications and that she should recover nicely. I stopped by to see her this evening. She was conscious and very uncomfortable due to the pain. They want her to be still which is difficult given the intensity of her pain. Medication was on the way as I left. Please, pray that she will recover without any infection and that the pain would subside quickly. She will face some substantial adjustments which would be daunting to a person half her age. Her family is supporting her very well which should help greatly. She loves to sing, so our church will get a group together as soon as possible to help her praise the Lord.
Nathan has his appointment tomorrow concerning his scoliosis. His back is tilted 20 degrees out of line. It is at that point that doctors seek to take corrective action. We do not know what to expect from the appointment, so we simply ask for your prayers. On our way home, Nathan and I hope to visit with Richard. He is a friend from Salinas whom we have not seen in three or four years. He knows the Lord, but has been facing some health battles. We hope to be an encouragement to him.
We also have word that the school teacher who has been in Florida helping her elderly mother will be returning to the island at the end of October. I look forward to having her back in the classroom, but another job already awaits me. Our math teacher has resigned, so I will need to fill in that gap for the foreseeable future. We also have a pile of paperwork to do for varying government agencies. It seems that our office building was never properly registered in the church's name (in 1997). The lawyer or someone dropped the ball. Once that is straightened out there is the matter of a tax lien to resolve. Our tax exempt status should eliminate the debt, but pray that this will indeed be done and quickly. Then we must secure a new occupancy permit. At the same time we are being required to change our electric meter since the electric service is set for an industrial application far above the voltage we require. This involves digging a trench, building a cement column at the corner of the property, making the connection with our current system, and securing the electric company's assistance in shutting down and resuming the electrical service at a time convenient to us. Each of these things is time consuming, patience draining, and some facets are quite expensive. I don't think anyone will hear me complain of boredom any time soon. In fact, I would love to be bored for a while. :o)
Thank you so very much for praying. You are our lifeline. Isn't it wonderful to rest in the confidence that God is truly in control!
Nathan has his appointment tomorrow concerning his scoliosis. His back is tilted 20 degrees out of line. It is at that point that doctors seek to take corrective action. We do not know what to expect from the appointment, so we simply ask for your prayers. On our way home, Nathan and I hope to visit with Richard. He is a friend from Salinas whom we have not seen in three or four years. He knows the Lord, but has been facing some health battles. We hope to be an encouragement to him.
We also have word that the school teacher who has been in Florida helping her elderly mother will be returning to the island at the end of October. I look forward to having her back in the classroom, but another job already awaits me. Our math teacher has resigned, so I will need to fill in that gap for the foreseeable future. We also have a pile of paperwork to do for varying government agencies. It seems that our office building was never properly registered in the church's name (in 1997). The lawyer or someone dropped the ball. Once that is straightened out there is the matter of a tax lien to resolve. Our tax exempt status should eliminate the debt, but pray that this will indeed be done and quickly. Then we must secure a new occupancy permit. At the same time we are being required to change our electric meter since the electric service is set for an industrial application far above the voltage we require. This involves digging a trench, building a cement column at the corner of the property, making the connection with our current system, and securing the electric company's assistance in shutting down and resuming the electrical service at a time convenient to us. Each of these things is time consuming, patience draining, and some facets are quite expensive. I don't think anyone will hear me complain of boredom any time soon. In fact, I would love to be bored for a while. :o)
Thank you so very much for praying. You are our lifeline. Isn't it wonderful to rest in the confidence that God is truly in control!
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