HOW THANKFUL WE ARE FOR YOU!
This is Cherrie writing, but all that is said is from Charlie also
Almost 54 years ago we started our journey together in June of 1963. Along with my cancer journey this past 17 months, we both have so much to be thankful for!!!!!! I love writing down parts of our life and journey, so this letter is on THANKFULNESS!!!!!!
Cherrie’s MUSINGS: MARCH 12, 2017 BEING THANKFUL:
I could write a book on how thankful my heart is! First of all for my Creator God and His Son Jesus Christ my Savior, without which I would have no reason to live! For them being so patient and longsuffering with me over the years – NEVER GIVING UP ON ME!!!!!!!!!! I am ever so thankful for my Godly husband Charlie – patient and kind – yet also firm and helpful, there for me 24 hours a day. For our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. For my sisters and their families and Charlie’s family. For Charlie’s Grandma Case, who prayed for Charlie all those years she hardly saw him after Charlie’s Dad died in WWII and Charlie’s Mom remarried. For friends the Lord has had our journey come together with. For our Church family. For those we have worked with over the many years, and for the students we have had a part in training and the lives they have touched. For our friend Jim Sparks, who went out of his way to share the Gospel with us in May of 1964 – our lives totally changed from that time onward as we trusted in Jesus Christ as our Savior! For those churches and individuals who have stood with us prayerfully and financially as we started living by faith back in May of 1969 when as we finished Bible School and headed into Missionary Training. Soooo many of them over the years and until this day!
For God supplying our needs through your love, care and prayers! Only once did I believe God had let us down and not meet our needs: We were on our first furlough and were to head back to Australia early 1981 and the money did not come in for the fare to fly back. I was not feeling well and our New Tribes Mission leadership said we could stay on furlough a bit longer. Well, Easter came and my older sister Bonnie came to Church that Easter Sunday and that day she put her trust in Jesus Christ as her Savior :o) Right after that all the finances came in for us to fly back to Australia :o) GOD HAD NOT LET US DOWN! SOMETIMES HE SAYS YES or NO or NOT YET! NO may be for our good and HIS BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thankful for each and every person the Lord has brought into our lives which means YOU!
We are thankful for the staff here at our New Tribes Mission Retirement Center, and also those on staff at our New Tribes Mission Headquarters, and all our Snow Birds – Volunteers! WE NEED YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!!!! There comes a time for us older retired missionaries need to be cared for and we are thankful for our staff, all our volunteers and even so many of our Retirees who are still able to help and care for the needs of our elderly missionaries, which now includes Charlie and me! We remember after the horrible BAD STORM we had, so many were outside clearing debris, raking, passing out ice creams to those working so hard and even to us onlookers, and checking on everyone – some of whom had lost electricity!
Thankful for all the staff we worked with in Australia and New Zealand, and for all the students we had a part in training who are being used both in their homeland and around the world! Plus all the ones we worked with teaching English as a Second Language and the students involved, and the retirees I have worked alongside of correcting Jail Ministry Bible Studies!
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE OF YOU WHO THE LORD HAS BROUGHT INTO OUR LIVES OVER THE YEARS! YOU HAVE ALL TOUCHED OUR LIVES SOOOO MUCH! YOUR LOVE CARE AND PRAYERS HAVE AND STILL MEAN SOOOOO MUCH! YOU ARE ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS!!!
Some say they are not missionaries unless they are overseas. That is not true – we as Christians are all missionaries either here or overseas, even if we are retired. Some churches say they will not support you unless you are overseas or in a remote area — SO SAD, because we need people to man our home offices, pilots, teachers, staff here at NTM Homes – you name it! We are workers together with our Precious Savior! We are so thankful for the body of Christ that work together!
I am thankful for all the good medical staff who have been there for me during this cancer journey and all the cancer patients He has caused our paths to meet!
BUT, in reality, I believe THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MY LIFE IS GOD’S WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!! HIS Word is TRUE and STEADFAST. IT NEVER CHANGES!!!! Hebrews 6:19 tells us “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast –” Numbers 23:19 I claim my life upon: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” THE MOMENT I claimed John 3:16 for myself, my life changed forever, and I KNOW one day I will spend eternity with my Lord and Savior “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
THANK YOU , YES YOU, for listening to my recent RAMBLINGS or MUSINGS, and being part of our lives!!!!!
ALL BECAUSE OF CALVARY,
Charlie & Cherrie