We rejoice in “surviving” our first week of VBS for the summer and for the sixteen children who came and heard the Gospel. Last week, we had a five-day VBS in Kemmerer centered on Psalm 23 and the Lord as our Shepherd. By the end of the week, all the children in attendance knew that the Lord needs to be their own personal Shepherd. It was a blessing to see so many of the church body in Kemmerer involved in decorating the week before and in VBS itself. As we look forward to the next two VBS’s - three days in Cokeville, and one day in Manila, UT - we ask you to continue praying for us both to have strength and for Elizabeth’s energy to hold out.
Also continue praying for the upcoming special events in Cokeville. The IBCS team will be ministering to us in Kemmerer and Cokeville on July 5th, and then doing music in the park on July 6th, after they help James pass out VBS invitations around town. We are thankful that God has provided a keyboard for that event! One of the families in the church in Kemmerer had one in storage they did not use, and kindly gave it to us. The following week, July 12th, we will be privileged to have Mike, Stephanie, and Rachel Smith of Legacy Trade College ministering in both churches. The Smiths are coming up to present the college and to bring us a wooden podium to use in Cokeville, which is another answer to our prayers.
As our VBS in Cokeville approaches, pray that the ladies who started attending services with their children last fall will return. Also pray for us as we make preparations, and for others from the church in Kemmerer, including the Hartmans, who plan to come and help.
As always, the salvation of BR, RG, J&C, CH, B, and R&R lies heavy on our hearts, and we ask you to pray that God would move their hearts to faith. Pray also for RB, who moved away a few years ago but has been around visiting property they have in Cokeville and coming to church, as we are not sure where they stand spiritually.
We are continuing to wait on God’s direction for both our house search, as well as the building issues in both Kemmerer and Cokeville. We ask you to continue praying for God to give us wisdom and clear direction in those needs.
On the health front, Elizabeth has been mostly stable, and she does not need another infusion just yet. Pray for her sleep and energy with all the busyness of ministry we have this summer. Also continue to uphold James, as his neurological symptoms have been increasing again from the lower steady state they have been. There are also some other possible separate or related issues that he is having to get checked out, and we are hoping to find some things that can help ease the symptoms and improve his ability to minister and work.
And we have one more “fun” bit of news: it was a bit of a surprise for us, but we were given a second dog, a 5-ish year old German Shepherd. James has been occasionally taking McCoy to the dog park to socialize after his daily walks. During these visits, they have gotten to know some owners and dogs who come regularly around that time. One of them had been bringing another dog (the GSD), whose owners had moved away. Over a few weeks, they asked James if we were interested in taking the GSD, since she had bonded with McCoy. So now our house is filled with the sound of two 70+lb dogs playing. We have renamed her Kaylee (she did not know her previous name at all, or have any training that we can tell). Pray for our patience and for her to quickly learn our routine and be trained. We are thankful God dropped this new addition to our family/pack in our laps, and also for some of the doors it is opening in personal connections for the Gospel with the other dog owners, who see how well we take care of our animals.
We are thankful for your faithful prayers on our behalf, and look forward to sharing how God has worked through them over the coming months!