As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
So is good news from a distant land.
Proverbs 25:25

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, . . . "Your God reigns!"
Isaiah 52:7
good news from a distant land (all posts)
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Saturday, November 28, 2009

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

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Request for prayer: Jonatán

Jonatán’s surgery to remove the tumor is this morning (Tuesday) at 11 a.m. It is expected to last five hours. Please pray for successful surgery (if necessary, for God could heal him without it!), for complete healing from the surgery, and for no recurrence of the cancer.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Requests for prayer: 14 November 2009

Today we drive to Linville, NC, to spend time with Faith Baptist Church; we will return tomorrow evening.

Uruguay's run-off elections are scheduled for the last Sunday of this month (29th).

Jonatán's surgery is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, 24 November; his grandparents, Don and Pat Garwood, are visiting him from Uruguay. (You can read the latest update on Jonatán here.)

Effective ministry of Harbour Light of the Windwards and of Windward Bible Church.

Love for God with an undivided heart!