Our weather has continued to act like the double-minded man from the Epistle of James, going from warmer days in the low 40s to windy snow storms that dump up to a foot of snow at a time, and back again. We are very thankful for the moisture all this snow means for our area, especially for the dry summer months; and we are equally thankful for the warmer days that let some of the snow and ice melt off of the streets and sidewalks.
Unfortunately, between bad road conditions and people not wanting to be out in the snow/cold, the storms have been bad enough to interrupt our Tuesday night Bible studies. Please pray with us that as the weather improves in the coming months, those who have been missing lately will return (specifically C and R&R). Also continue to pray for BR and RG, who have been very open recently to the Word of God. Pray for RG to trust God's Word over man's opinions, and for BR to find the truth they are searching for. Additionally, continue to pray for the salvation of J&C, R&R, B, and BR.
Shifting to our ministry in Kemmerer, we recently had two funerals. One was for a dear lady who came to church with her husband until her health placed her in the nursing home. Even then, she would faithfully attend our Bible Study on Wednesday mornings at the nursing home, which Pastor Hartman regularly leads and James assists with. The proclamation of hope at her funeral stood in direct contrast to the funeral the next day, for the mother of one of our church members in Kemmerer. This funeral was at the LDS ward, and was filled more with man's words than the hope we have in Christ. However, it did present an opportunity for the gospel! Our church member asked Mrs. Hartman and James, as her friends, to sing The Power of the Cross and the modern rendition of Beneath the Cross of Jesus. So even during the sadness of loss, Jesus was glorified and proclaimed as the only Redeemer in an LDS ward. We pray that those who attended the services would continue to think upon the truth presented in these songs, and that we might have further conversations with some of them about the gospel.
In other news, James recently had the opportunity to go to the men's retreat at Red Cliff Bible Camp with Pastor Hartman. It was a good time of recharging and being challenged from the Bible. And it was a blessing to see the new lodge in operation and see how far God has brought that project! Elizabeth has been laying low since her infusion, both to avoid catching the colds and sicknesses going around, but also to regain her strength. She has continued to go to Cokeville on Sundays, but even just a few hours out for that has been very taxing. Please pray with us that she will soon have her strength return. We'd also covet your prayers for a dear family member who has been facing some serious medical issues.
Our housing search has continued, but slowly. We looked at a few houses that came on the market over the last month, but every one of them has major issues that we simply cannot afford on top of the already-high housing prices (and interest rates). For instance, one was a flip on the higher end of our price range, and there were just too many questions about the work that had been done; another was on the small side for our current needs and would have needed major work for the driveway, garage, yard, roof, and basement. We know that God has a place for us to both enjoy and use for ministry, but this long wait has been discouraging at times. However, we are hopeful that more houses will come on the market as winter calms down over the next 3 months.
Looking ahead, we are planning special Easter services in both Kemmerer and Cokeville. Pray with us that visitors would come to both services, and be stirred by the good news of the gospel! We are also starting to plan for Vacation Bible School in both locations, trying to nail down the dates and figure out who can help. If you ever want to consider coming out to help for a week in Cokeville, we'd love the extra hands during VBS!
As always, we greatly appreciate your prayers! God is working, and we look forward to seeing how He continues to do so through your support.