Hey, everyone!
Well, it has been an exciting week so far and it is only Tuesday! The past weekend John and Ruth Bloom went to California to promote the mission at a church that has supported us by sending a huge youth group every summer for years, maybe 10 or 11 years now. Anyway, they had a busy yet good time visiting friends. On the way home from the airport, Ruth became very sick. Yesterday around 11.30 am, John had to take her to the hospital. They thought it was appendicitis; however, some tissue had wrapped around the end of her colon. The surgery fixed it and she should be home today! What a relief. Please pray for a quick recovery for her.
When someone is seriously sick here, it changes everything. When something like this happens, the rest of us need to pitch in and help pick up the slack. Ruth is our bookkeeper, so this means she’ll have to play catch-up with her work. She also goes through boxes that are sent to the mission and writes thank yous to the senders; she invites singles over for meals…half of us on Monday nights, the other half on Tuesday nights. Ruth is married and takes care of her husband, their cat and dog, and herself. She has children and grandchildren. She prays with other missionaries in the morning. Ruth does a lot for all of us. Please remember, she is out here serving the LORD, not a contract. I’m not in any way trying to put down people who are not in “full time ministry”. Christians serve the LORD wherever they are and with whatever they are doing; on the other hand, it is different out here. We are an isolated community, living and working together. We are about two hours from the nearest town and hospital. Being sick or hurt, affects all of us.
Enough sermonizing! This week is short because our Spring Break starts Thursday afternoon. Enough teachers had plans that included leaving on Friday, so John decided not to have school on Friday. My friend, Kelli Wilson, and I will leave here Friday morning with my dogs and be at my mom’s house Saturday night, God willing! That means I’ll be in my home church for Easter Sunday. I am looking forward very much to being in the northwest and at the beach.
A couple weeks ago, a young man accepted Jesus as his Savior! Uryah is in tenth grade. He talked to Kathy, our school counselor, and said he was ready right then to become a Christian! It’s so exciting. Uryah hasn’t had an easy life, and he has made some bad decisions. He’s gone from a depressed young man to someone that looks happy. He and Kathy are doing a Bible study once a week. Please keep him in your prayers! Also last week, an old man, Ray accepted the Lord. This was three days before he died. His son, Roger, had been praying for him for years. Ray had been a crystal gazer and refused to learn about that “white man’s god”. Traditional ways were good enough for him. After his salvation, he urged Roger and his family to share the gospel with and pray for Ray’s wife and unsaved children. Because of this, I don’t think it was some fake conversion born out of fear, but a genuine acceptance of God as his creator and savior! Please pray for this family as it is hard to lose a loved one.
Well, it is time for me to go. I hope to see most of you next week.
Love, Megan Thurston
Immanuel Mission 