Happy New Year! Our last few months were packed with lots of ministry, a fair amount of clearing snow, and some travel. Winter came heavily around Thanksgiving with about 2 feet of snow, and we've had several smaller storms throughout December. This week, we've gotten hit with a few inches almost every day. We are grateful for the snow, as it will provide much needed moisture for the warmer months. But we would also appreciate your prayers for our safety as we travel back and forth to Cokeville during these winter months.
In November, we had our annual Pie and Praise fellowship in Cokeville, where we had 23 visitors from town. We also enjoyed our annual church Thanksgiving dinner in Kemmerer, with several visitors and many regulars. In December, besides our normal services and Bible studies, we had a special Song and Scripture service on Christmas Eve in both Kemmerer and Cokeville. In Kemmerer, we had multiple visitors attend the service, several of whom indicated a desire to attend regularly. In Cokeville, we had our regular attendees plus one who usually only participates in Bible Study.
At Thanksgiving, we were blessed to travel over to Shelley, Idaho, to spend time with our dear friends, the Sondergaards. We had a great time of fellowship with them and getting to spoil their kids a little. In December, amidst all the preparations for Christmas and the special services, James had the opportunity (thanks to his siblings) to travel to The Wilds in North Carolina to be with his family for a week. While there, he also made a short trip down to the Greenville-Spartanburg area to visit friends and our sending church, Faith Baptist in Reidville, SC. He got back home just in time for our Christmas Eve services, and then we enjoyed a relaxing Christmas at home together.
On the home search front, not much has happened... we offered on a property in the late fall, but it did not work out. We have pretty much paused looking during the winter, as many properties are off the market for the duration. Thankfully, we know that God's timing is best!
Healthwise, Elizabeth has continued to improve since her surgery this past September. However, her energy and immune system will take a hit this week as she has another infusion to keep the Wegener's in remission. We are hopeful that this might be the last one for a while, though that really depends on the doctors and lab tests. Pray for her to bounce back from this quickly, as she is a vital part of the ministry in both Kemmerer and Cokeville.
We ask for continued prayers for the salvation of J&C, B, BR, R&R, and the A’s, as well as the spiritual growth of RG. As we have been going through a survey of the Old Testament on Sundays and the book Gentle and Lowly on Tuesday night Bible Study, all of them have been hearing the Gospel and what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus. Please pray for God to work in them and bring them to salvation. We are also still praying for additional help in Cokeville, especially related to leading a children’s Sunday School.