October and November and What God Makes New

Tommorow Neil leaves for Papua. In recent years, the months of October and November have been full of intense emotions for our family: the burning of the village, waking with paralysis in Bangkok, terminal diagnosis of Rosaria, the horrific accident that nearly has scarred our family, a painful anniverary last year and now Neil returns to a place that has been the center of our lives, and your prayers for years. He arrives on the anniversary of at least three pivotal events in our lives. The last week of October and the first week of November have been so full, I feel that were I to write all the events down, it would seem so unlikely that as one friend said, "It sounds like a Frank Peretti novel".

We just returned from "Minister's Institute". It is three day and two night retreat for Southern New England Ministers and it was a time of prayer and worship unlike anything I have experienced in recent years. We stayed in an attitude of prayer for nearly three hours. There was again the reminder of the scripture, "I will restore the years the locusts have eaten".

No one doubts that past Octobers and Novembers have been marked by tragedy, setbacks, assaults, and more. But God has given us a promise. Believing that promise he returns. This time tommorow, Tony and I will be like all of you, holding the ropes for Neil, as he goes down to mine for "gold".

All of you have stood so faithfuly with us and with expectation in prayer for the Mesem people. There is a Bible correspondence program. Mesem people have professed that Jesus is the only way. There are schools for teaching not only reading, but the Word of God. This has happened only because you have stood on the promise of God to answer prayer. His Character is such that He has done just that.

Tommorow we say good-bye to Neil and we have little ability to stay in contact. (We have no email and we do not know who has our satellie phone making it unlikely Neil will be able to purchase a SIM card). By prayer, we are as close to Neil and our Lord, just as you have stood so closely by us. We are trusting that the Lord will make this October and November different than any other: we are trusting He will restore the years/months, that have been so difficult for us in the past.

"Faithful is He who has called us, Who also will do it".
Pace, Kath