Summer Report 2009

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers for us during this past summer! We are conscious of our need for God’s work to continue both in our own hearts and in the hearts of those with whom we have contact. We are aware of our inadequacy and of God’s unlimited power to answer our prayers and to meet each need. Please pray that we would seek the Lord alone, with a heart that is completely devoted to Him (2 Chron. 14-16). And if you have never sought God—trusting His Son alone for forgiveness and discarding all other idols in favor of Him—please come to Him now!

We are thankful for a good Neighborhood Bible School this past summer and for much seed that was sown during that week. We know of one sixth-grade girl (in Deborah’s class) who professed faith in Christ. Please pray for God’s continued working in these young lives.

Another recent encouragement has come from a young Guatemalan family that we have known for many years. This summer they began coming to Mount Calvary Baptist Church’s Sunday morning Spanish service. Please pray for continued interest and for the salvation of this family.

We continue to make contact with churches and will be visiting a number of them this fall, especially during September and October. Our desire as we visit is that the Lord would confirm our calling in the hearts of His people (Acts 13:2-4; Rom. 10:15) and that many would labor with us in prayer. We will need the Lord’s help in ministry and protection in travel during this time of preparation for work in Uruguay. Two other prayer requests include profitable devotional time and opportunities for witness, specifically in our current places of work.

In June our good friends Matías and Kristine Espinel were accepted by EMU International to serve alongside us and the churches in Uruguay. Their focus, like ours, will be the training of Uruguayan workers. Our desire is to see the development of a college-level program to serve the faithful churches and pastors in Uruguay. The Espinels have begun sharing this burden in churches and have a busy schedule of meetings planned. Please pray for them as you pray for us!

Some of you are aware of our nephew Jonatán Torres’ battle with aggressive osteosarcoma cancer. We are praying for his complete healing and for God’s glory. Jonatán lives in Greenville, SC, and his father pastors Iglesia Bautista Calvario (in Greer). But as a grandson of a long-time Uruguayan pastor (on his father’s side) and of a long-time church-planting missionary (on his mother’s side), Jonatán’s situation affects many of the people with whom we look forward to serving in Uruguay. Please contact us if you would like specific information on how to pray for Jonatán.

Thank you for your prayer and support. May we be faithful with the short time that remains to us!

John Mark, Deborah, and Elizabeth Steel