Sheep & Their Mamas

Dear Friends,

Spring Greetings!  Hopefully it is starting to warm up wherever you are after the cold spell we’ve heard about going through the States. So sorry that you have not heard much from us as of late. We have been in town for the last month unexpectedly but are very thankful for the Lord’s provision in the meantime. We came out to town for our regional meetings, an awesome time of connecting with our larger team here

and fellowshipping together along with hearing what God is doing all over this area of the island. Half way through the meetings Titus got sick and continued to worsen. Numerous times we took him to the doctor and also the ER trying to get relief for him from a terrible cough. Through x-ray and meds and advice from other health workers on the island it seemed that he had whooping cough. The symptoms were pretty clear after awhile that that is what we were dealing with . We stayed in the hospital for 2 nights with him and it wasn’t until 2 full weeks into the antibiotics and into a different phase of the whooping cough that he started to improve. It was a scary time as he often had a hard time catching his breath and would cough day and night with a very long hard cough. All that to say we are very thankful for the Lord’s direction as we were able to get help and then see the Lord work to heal his body. He still has a cough- they call it the 100 day cough for a reason, but he’s MUCH better and we are planning to head into the village on Monday(20th).

Thanks so much for each of you that followed us on FB or Breaking Strongholds and were praying for Titus through the sickness. We appreciate your emails and concern for us!!! Speaking of our weekly Breaking Strongholds prayer update, if you would like to receive these updates feel free to send us a note. We would love to add you to this more regular prayer update.

A few days before Titus got sick I had been reading in Isaiah and noticed a part of a verse that I don’t remember reading before. It talks about the Good Shepherd who cares for us, His sheep with such tenderness. ” He tends His flock like a shepherd, He gathers the lambs  in his arms and carries them close to his heart; HE GENTLY LEADS THOSE THAT HAVE YOUNG.” Isa 40:11. The last part struck me and encouraged me as a Mom with 3 little ones. He knows all the “mama” details of life, knows the sleepless nights, multitasking, homeschooling pressures, and sickness fears for your little ones. So as Titus got sick this verse continued to come to my mind and comfort me that he cuddles the lambs and leads the moms and dads to know how to care for their young!  I’m SO thankful for God’s Word that comforts and strengthens  and reminds us of  the Truth!

Tim has been working hard to revise and record our 51 evangelical lessons. These lessons in the heart language of the people we work among, tell the greatest of all stories. They follow the narrative starting in Genesis, God creating the heavens and the earth and continue through to the story’s conclusion of God again creating a new heavens and a new earth. There are many people in the area that we work that although they would not be willing to attend evangelical meetings, would listen to the stories on a recorder. Tim was able to get half of the lessons revised and recorded. Next time we come out to town we will try to finish that project.

We would like to ask you to pray with us about who God would be preparing in the village to begin meeting more consistently as disciples of Jesus. We are really burdened to draw near to those who are ready to grow deeper in their walk with Jesus. This is a further step towards training and equipping people who could one day be leaders among the body of believers here. Pray with us that God would give us a sense of who we should include (or exclude) from this initiative.

As we get back into the village we will begin the nightly evangelistic teaching meetings and gathering together with the believers. Pray for endurance and a daily resting in the Lord’s provision. It’s a privilege to extend the good news to those in darkness. We love seeing spiritually blind eyes opened. Like Zacharias reflected:

Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”