Category: Personal

I want to thank all of you for your prayers over the last couple of weeks. I have been ill for the last two weeks. What I thought was allergies or a cold turned into Covid 19. I did get a positive test because some family members who had been with me at the beginning of my symptoms have other medical issues. I had what I consider to be a moderate case, and I was able to recover at my parents’ home in Michigan. I am mostly well now, but please pray that my energy will build back up to normal, and that the other symptoms will continue to lessen. I did have to cancel two meetings during the time that I was in quarantine. Please pray for me at I continue to visit churches in April.

I am traveling in Florida for the next few weeks. Florida is one of the few areas of the country that has not been effected by the cold front that hit so many states. I will be here until mid March, and I am hoping that the cold fronts will have moved on before I head up North for the last few months of my furlough.

My sister, Elisabeth Martin, is at home recovering from her complicated fracture of her leg. She is starting some physical therapy and improving every day. She still has some considerable pain and mobility issues from her three surgeries. Please continue to pray that she will recover her full strength and range of motion in her knee.

I have been back in the United States for just over a month now and I have already traveled in or through 9 different states. I am currently in North Carolina. I will be traveling around here for a few weeks, and then I will go back down to Florida until mid March. Please pray that I will have safe travels in these next few months.

Also, please pray for La Iglesia Bautista Calvario in Tacna, Peru. Tacna is considered to be a very high outbreak area for Covid 19 and so we are not allowed to have any type of meetings or gatherings at any time until the Covid 19 levels start to drop again. Please pray for the people of Calvary Baptist to be faithful and connected with the online services that we are limited to at this time.

I recently adopted a second dog from a family in the church who could not care for her. She is a Yorkshire terrier. Her name is Princesa. I wanted to share her pictures with you. It is fun to share some silly personal news sometimes also. Nena is happy with her little sister, but she does get jealous sometimes.

I just hosted a great group from New Heights Baptist Church in Grand Blanc Michigan.  The ladies stayed at my house and the young men stayed at our national pastor’s house.  The Stover family also had several of their family members visiting during that week.

It was a blessing to show the group around the city of Tacna.  We tried to give them a vision of the need here in Peru.  I also took the group down to Arica Chile for one day.  They were able to see Chile also.

The group was able to help with our teen ministries, bus visitation, Saturday kid’s clubs, and special music in our church services.  They also gave their testimonies in our Sunday school classes.  It is always my goal that visitors leave Peru forever changed by their experience.  I pray that this group also gained a new perspective of the spiritual need on the mission field and the need for more laborers for the harvest in missions.

I choose to trust

I do not know why I must suffer pain today.
I can not see how you will take it all away.
But I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

I do not understand where you are leading me,
Or if the things that I desire will ever be.
But I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

I pray for all that I desire and dream to do.
I know that your plan is perfect for me ‘tis true,
So I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

I forget to wait in patience for you to lead.
I try to plan my own way to have what I need.
But I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

I will not think of what I could do if only…
I seek your strength and wisdom to serve you wholly.
For I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

I do not have enough to serve you on my own.
I ask you for the strength beyond what I have known.
For I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

This world around me if full of evil and fear,
But you are by my side you will always be near.
So I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

In Heaven one day, I will see your loving face,
And I will praise your name for ever in that place.
For I choose to trust in you, Lord, I choose to trust.

A few months ago I asked for prayer for a young lady named Michelle.  They had discovered a cist in her lower jaw.  Michelle has since travelled to Lima for treatment.  They did some analysis in Lima took a biopsy of the growth and placed a drainage tube into the area to help reduce the size of the cist along with some braces to support her teeth as the cist moves away.  Unfortunately, the laboratory in Lima mishandled the biopsy sample and the doctors could not take a second sample because of the work they had already done.  We do not know exactly what the growth is, but the doctors have decided to wait until October to see how much the cist will shrink with the drainage tube in place, and then they will address with they need to remove it or not, and how to save her teeth.  Thank you for continuing to pray for Michelle.

Also please add Michelle’s mom, Rosa.  She fell a few weeks ago and broke her leg in several places.  She will be having surgery today to stabilize the fracture.  Please pray for her quick and full healing and that God will help this family through the financial and emotional burden of another medical issue.