Fall Report 2009

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Ps 103:2).

Dear Friends,

We trust that God continues to cause everything that touches your life to conform you into the image of His Son!

Our pastor has encouraged us to list God’s specific “benefits,” and we have chosen such a format for this report. We acknowledge these to be God’s work. (Ultimately we would not want to report on the work of anyone else.)

In September we made a brief trip to Ohio for our first two meetings. Since then God has continued to bless us with several encouraging services in churches here in the Carolinas. We sense in every case that these churches have given to us their commendation and that the Lord’s people desire to see us serving in Uruguay. This is a direct answer to prayer (Acts 13:1-4; Romans 10:15). We are thankful for this privilege of taking part in local church ministry and of sharing information about the ministry in Uruguay.

In October God graciously spared the life of Felipe, who survived a nearly fatal gunshot wound. He and María appear to be close to receiving the Lord Jesus. This family (with their young daughter, Brandy) regularly attend the Sunday morning Spanish service at Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

The Guatemalan family that we mentioned in our summer report continues periodically to attend.

God gave strength to Jonatán to undergo the first stage of chemotherapy this fall. He answered prayer this past week for successful surgery to remove the tumor and to partially replace the bone and shoulder.

Grandma Saberniak’s homegoing and Jonatán’s surgery provided extra time with our parents as they visited from Carriacou (Harbour Light of the Windwards) and Uruguay (church-planting in Pando).

The Lord has given us opportunity to begin short-term ministry in Uruguay during the month of February 2010. I will be preaching and teaching in the summer family camp and the EMU workers’ conference. We also hope to use this time to make as many preparations as possible for our upcoming permanent move.

We expect a year full of travel and of time spent with churches here in the United States and Canada. We thank the Lord for upcoming meetings scheduled and for those yet to be scheduled.

We continue our jobs in Greenville and are thankful for our employers. We look forward to the upcoming transition to full-time deputation and to ministry in Uruguay.

These blessings imply our need for God’s continued work. We thank Him (and you) in advance for your prayers! Please let us know how we might pray for you.

Assisting Uruguayan churches in evangelism and ministry training,

John Mark, Deborah, and Elizabeth Steel