Hey friends!
As we consider the last few months and those ahead, we wanted to give you a brief update and encourage you to pray for our family and Caribbean missions in specifics:
My husband, P. Julian has returned to the schedule of monthly trips to St. Marc, Haiti, after a brief semester break. In continuing the Bible Institute training begun by Pastor Bill Cannon about four years ago, there is great anticipation as several students will be graduating this May from the rigorous program they have received via extension school videos (many out of France) as well as live instruction. In May, Julian will be joined by our Mission Director, Pastor Steven Scibelli, GGWO as well as others for a convention and graduation celebration. It was our sincere desire to have some of our immediate family join them (including our children), but funds and schedule may prevent that from being possible. Please pray for specific provisions and guidance in this area.
We have had a nice momentum going in Mayaguez, PR in the last few months. One of the highlights was a Christmas concert in the chapel we are privileged to use. Two our our daughters are in an excellent choir and they performed a tremendous concert of sacred music. We were also able to share a clear, direct gospel message with a full house, as well as the students. Our daughters have several friends who commented on how they were touched by the message that evening.
We've been enjoying our Sunday evening Bible studies and the addition of some encouraging friends who share in Bible class and worship. Many new visitors have come to this service time, including a number of youth. We've been hosting a weekly ladies' study group as well as coordinating a Christian Homeschool support group. We have a vision to begin reaching-out in a nearby city and hopefully begin services there as well.
There are several from Puerto Rico and many from Haiti who are hoping to attend our International Convention for GGWO in Baltimore this June. Our family was unable to attend last year and we are praying that our children will be able to join us this summer for the convention and visits to churches, friends and family. Our trips to the states are expensive, as I'm sure is easy to imagine, but we have done our best to keep the expenses to a minimum. The family was reminiscing about our "crazy" adventures while traveling with limited funds recently. One very great challenge is ground transport in the states. There are some vehicles available to missionaries that friends of ours have used, but they need to be reserved greatly in advance. Convention is in Baltimore, and my family is in Vermont. My parents are now in assisted living and we would like to make it a priority to see them this year.
Our greatest heart-cry is for laborers in the Caribbean. The potential in Haiti is tremendous as well as Puerto Rico. We sincerely believe that the impact in Puerto Rico will be many-fold with the addition of team members, and that addition could also multiply Julian's freedom to be available to Haiti, since the balance has become a challenge to obtain.
Will you lift all of the above in prayer?
"...But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not hold back."---Jer. 20:9
