You Are Blessed to be a Blessing

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:18-20. It has happened. After two years of preparation, we are leaving for Tanzania! I wonder how many miles we put on the truck? How many phone calls we made? How many stamps we licked? How many business cards we gave out? How many people heard our vision for ministry in Africa? How many prayers were prayed? How many lives were touched? Our flight leaves Pittsburgh Wednesday April 4th at 6:10 am. We arrive in Tanzania Thursday April 5th at 2:40 pm. Rejoice with us!

*Our team has offered their homes and vehicle while they are on furlough this first year!
*Churches have doubled or increased their support!
*Friends have contributed faithfully for over 18 months!
*We have seen restoration of relationships!
*We have been able to minister to family!
*Our house went up for sale in September, by November we were in talks with our buyer!
*Someone has given their frequent flyer miles to purchase our tickets to Tanzania!

Is there need? “Wait for the LORD, be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm27:13-14. Joann

We hear the question alot when we see someone now “so what did you get for Christmas?” I have been considering the scripture that says every good and perfect gift comes down from above. And certainly we have been given the greatest gift of all. Jesus was born in the likeness of men!

The verse says every good and perfect gift. So, I like thinking about the good gifts I have received. You do not shop for them. They may not cost money. But how we wish for them! They are memories of special times shared~like listening to our niece Grace play carols on the piano, cuddling on the couch to watch Mr. Popper’s Penguins with our niece Hannah, tasting homemade chocolate with black walnuts from our friend Hans and SKYPING our teammate Heather in Tanzania. What are your good gifts? Joann

Mike and I just returned home from a nine day trip to North Carolina. What a special time! We spent Thanksgiving with my family. Talk about southern cooking at its’ best! We enjoyed it all from collard greens to made from scratch biscuits. The weather was mild so we spent some time down at the waterfront of my hometown. I am really proud of how the history of this area has been preserved. Plymouth and its’ waterways played a major role in the Civil War and the livelihood of its’ people. Since my home is so close to the coast, we were able to spend a couple of days at the Outer Banks also. We watched Cormorants fly overhead and White Pelicans feeding on the water. This was my first time to watch either. We also took advantage of the opportunity and spoke at a couple of area churches. And we did gain some new partnerships! Now back in Pennsylvania, I have lots of precious memories to draw from. Joann

God’s love sustains me. It gives me hope. And makes me glad. It is evident in the beauty of His creation all around me. We are having an especially beautiful fall in western Pennsylvania. The leaves are lovely shades of orange, red and yellow. Even the pumpkins are perfect this year. And the apples are just right!

It is evident in His people from all over the world too. I was privileged to meet my hero of the faith Gracia Burnham. Oh the testing of her faith and endurance in the Philippines! Then I was introduced to saints Bob Fu from China and Getaneh Getaneh from Ethiopia. These brothers have faced real persecution and not denied Christ. And we have mighty prayer warriors to call our friends. For all these things I am grateful. Joann

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We had a yard sale over Labor Day that gave us opportunity to share with many how God has been working in our life. I was asked if it was hard to sell all this stuff. In one sense it is exciting to be free from this stuff and yet I do not want to mislead that it is all easy. The thing that surprises us the most is the things that spark emotions. Many times it is not so much the value of the object but rather what it signifies in our life that causes the flood of emotions. We continue to say that God has given us the grace to part with these things easier than one might expect.

My attention has been drawn to the conversation Jesus had with the rich man in Mark 10:17-31. Before Jesus told him to sell everything and give it to the poor, the Bible said Jesus looked at the man and loved him. I have always concluded that this was a select incident and I did not have to consider this. I always thought I was not rich but I have recently realized like never before that from the perspective of two thirds of the world I am a wealthy man.
So where is the love in this I ask? I have started to reflect on how everything I own demands time and effort to maintain. Things have a way of controlling our resources, time and thought process. This leads me to wonder do I own them or do they own (control) me? I have started to realize that Jesus’ love was expressed to the rich man to sell all he had, give to the poor and follow Him. This was an invitation to be freed to live a life that would better glorify God. Glorifying God is why we were created and this will be the only way to have a fulfilled life. I am not saying we must sell everything to glorify God but I am saying we should not be so quick to pass by these verses thinking they have no application to our life. God has blessed us with many resources that He expects us to use to make his name famous throughout the world. YOU ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING! Mike

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Mike

Mike and I are now enjoying the cool, comfort of our home. We planned a five-day backpack fishing trip into one of the wild areas of northern Pennsylvania. Mike has fished for native trout here since the late 1970’s. I wanted to go there one more time before leaving for Africa.

 We decided to hike into a new spot this year.  It was high and flat. We passed through areas that included bog meadows and plenty of rocks. Both combinations perfect habitat for the rare wildflower known as Pink Lady’s-Slipper and for the Timber Rattlesnake. The one we were glad to see, the other we were hoping not to.

The flower was a pleasant surprise. What a delicate, lovely flower! One has to ask why God put such a beautiful flower in a place where most people will not likely see. The following day, I was hauling wood.  I was on the trail not far from our campsite when I heard a “buzz” and turned. Behind me was one of God’s most fascinating and feared creatures. It was a decent sized rattlesnake in the “black phase”.  Thankfully I did not panic. Mike later asked me did I notice the head. No, I had been fixated on the tail.

We have been pondering this experience.  Once again we are reminded that God is with us everywhere we go, no matter where we go. He is in the mountains of our state and He is in the faraway place of Tanzania. How thankful we are for His constant abiding presence! Joann