Hello from Virginia. After driving 5,000 miles (8,000 km) we arrived safely at our temporary “home base”. We will be staying with Sarah’s father for the month of July while we visit with family, friends and churches around Virginia. Our travels here were marked by amazing scenery: the USA is a land blessed with stunning beauty and splendor, drawing our hearts to praise the Lord. Even more beautiful than the natural beauty of mountain and field has been the reunion with family and friends along the way. What blessing to reconnect through times around the table and on the way. Our souls were refreshed and encouraged by each visit. What a joyous privilege.
However one visit left us heavy of heart: a friend is dealing with glioblastoma, a brain cancer whose defeat is possible by a miracle of God’s grace and modern treatments. His faith is strong, his supporting family are fully engaged. We only had a short visit with him as we didn’t want to over burden him or his wife. His healing is our number one prayer request for you this time.
Pray for Joel to be healed such that the Lord is given glory and many people are blessed. May his wife, Kristen, and family are given the support they need during this most trying of experiences.
Pray for our times of sharing with churches around Virginia: We will be in Radford, Chase City, Blacksburg, and Richmond this month. May our words encourage prayer and worship.
Macau continues to face many challenges due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. May the church in Macau find special grace and wisdom for being the people of the Lord.
We leave you with this lovely benediction we heard at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Warsaw, VA:
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May God give you grace never to sell yourself short,
Grace to risk something big for something good,
Grace to remember that the world is now too dangerous
for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.
So may God take our minds and think through them,
May God take our lips and speak through them,
May God take our hearts and set them on fire,
Through Christ our Lord. — Amen
