prayerletteraug2014

 

                                                August 15^th, 2014

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank the Lord for His mercy, as we've been traveling a lot since our last letter.  April was very much like the first quarter, with many opportunities for teaching the Gospel to various groups of rural pastors.  April is an important children's ministries month here, so Ruth was in a couple of these.  I spoke in a Christian youth camp retreat, as well.

During May, June, and part of July, we were in the USA, visiting some of you all, in PA, OH, and FL, to make our missionary reports.  It was very good to visit friends and family as well, especially our dear parents.

Before returning to India last week, the Lord enabled us to spend time visiting our daughter Mary Ward and her precious family who two months ago began their overseas missionary service in Togo.  While visiting them, our Lord allowed me to contact several local pastors who preach the glorious Gospel in Togo and in neighboring Ghana, and I'm hopeful that perhaps next year we may be able to visit these places once more, and have a useful part in the proclamation of Christ and His Gospel in both countries.

Please Pray:

• For our health and strength.
• That Mary and Andrew would be increasingly used of the Lord Jesus Christ for the sake of His Gospel during all the years He may give them in Togo.  Please also pray for them to be kept safe from any Ebola outbreak which may soon edge closer to their area.
• That the calendar would fill up with excellent opportunities to teach the Gospel here in India. So far, in only a week back here at home, appointments for the next three months are multiplying.  As always, it is our only wish for Jesus Christ to be glorified as Lord.
• For Ruth and me as we plan to fly to Pune to teach in a Bible School in the coming few days.  I'm to teach the Book of Hebrews, and Ruth is to teach a couple of seminars as well.  I'm looking forward to many more such occasions in the months ahead, through your prayers.
• That our Lord Jesus would preserve Stephanie through all of her planned movements, from the visit to Togo, through all her flights, back to Greenville, SC, where she is to start her first year in Bob Jones University around August 29^th.  And that she would continually grow in understanding and in grace.

Chit-chat:            The Lord helped us cope with the fatigue and with the 100°^F, and above, temperatures which characterized the entire month of April.                               Stephanie managed to pack up her suitcases to depart from India for the last time, and to leave behind a lot of boxes containing stuff to be brought to her later on.  The apartment seems very different this time, for us.  We now have no kids living in our home—first time in the past 31.5 years.                               Everyone was so kind—the Lord's people always are—everywhere we've gone when traveling.  Now I feel a bit tired, but happy, and eager for the Gospel weeks to come.

 “Serving with the International Gospel Missions”  (note slight name change—still IGM)