Prayer Update: June 22, 2008

Hi everyone,

 This makes two successful, back-to-back weekly updates… things are looking good! Praise God, our support level increased 2% this last week, so we are now at an even 40% of our needed pledges. The Lord is faithful, and we continue to wait on His provision for the remainder of our needs. It is such a boost to our spirits to see each little bit that He brings us closer to Congo.

 Moving a lot closer to Congo, I’d like to pass along some information that we just today received from the Harveys. Do you remember the newly acquired hospital in Kindamba that I spoke about last month? Dr. Harvey has been running the hospital, despite the questionable status of the local government’s approval of Global Outreach Mission’s doing so. A property was to be rented in Brazzaville (the capitol) as a base of operations for supplying the Kindamba hospital and housing staff moving back and forth between the two hospital locations. Kindamba was supposed to be taking over this rental from the former renters, Doctors Without Borders (who ran the hospital before). Now, it seems that the owner has decided to rent this property to someone else, without notifying anyone from Kindamba. According to Dr. Harvey, if there’s no base in Brazzaville, there’s no hospital in Kindamba. Please keep this whole operation in your prayers. Pray that God will reveal His will in this endeavor, and that everyone involved will have the faith and patience to rely on God to lead them through this very trying situation.

 As for us, there is always a feeling that things could take off any minute; but we are waiting as patiently as we can until the Lord releases us to go. This week, we took some boxes of stuff we need to lose out to the side of the road marked “free”. Some of it disappeared. The rest will go in the trash, hopefully by the end of next week. That will effectively conclude our preparations to move. Michael has been spending every bit of time that he can with friends and family, getting spoiled and having fun. He is acutely aware of the 4-year drought he will have to weather in that area. We enjoy the time alone, but we’re starting to miss him more each time he takes off with someone for the weekend. Starting this coming Friday, he will be gone for at least a week straight, camping with Art’s mom and step-father (along with their kids). Danielle is done schooling Michael for the summer, so she has a lot of free time on her hands! Art is continuing to work, adding some small side-jobs when the weather is good.

 In the coming weeks, we may visit a few churches in the area where we have contacts, just to get our faces out there and try to share what we are doing with some more people from our past (or anyone else who is interested!). Remember, we would love to get some pictures from you to put up on our prayer wall! Please send some to us, along with anything that we can be in prayer about, for you. Here are some of our prayer requests:
- please continue to pray about sharing this ministry with friends, family, co-workers
- please continue to pray that the Lord will provide for the remainder of our financial needs
- please pray for the sale of our house, in His timing
- please pray for our focus to remain on God’s will for us, and to be patient with His leading!
- please remember to lift up the Harveys and the hospital in Kindamba in prayer

We thank you so much for your continual prayers and thoughts for us. May God bless each of you!

Together in Christ’s service,

 Art, Danielle & Michael