February 2019 - My Missionary On-Line

Dear Team Members,

Our love to you across the many miles! We have been having rainy cold weather and it has been down in the 40’s at night. BUT not like many of you up North with frigid weather 🙁 May you all be kept safe!!!! It is raw and makes me feel chilled to the bone! For the first time in maybe 10 years down here in Florida I have worn my wool pullover sweater with a koala bear on it, so you know it is cold!!!

Our hearts are aching, as our friend David passed away Wednesday night. Having fell through their kitchen ceiling on the 21st, he had been in trauma ICU since then. David and his wife Veronica are part of our Bible Study, and with no family around, the Church members are their family. We rejoice that David is with his Savior Who he loved and faithfully served, but sad for Veronica– PLEASE BE PRAYING for Veronica!!

My Dear Friend Teresa, who has stage 4 cancer is on a roller coaster ride with her cancer with her tumor markers up and down like a Yo Yo:( She loves the Lord which is GREAT!! They have not at this point been able to pin point the extended problem. PLEASE BE PRAYING for Teresa and her husband Tim and family.

Thank you sooo much for the dollars you sent us last month. How thankful we are for this help and your prayers!!! God Bless and meet your needs also!!!

Lately it seems no matter where we turn, there are relatives and friends really sick and facing death, many with cancer or other illnesses. I am 74 and Charlie almost 74, and here at our retirement center there are folk even in their 90’s!!!!!! We rejoice when we know their faith is in Jesus Christ as their Savior! As a BELIEVER we know there is NO END, ONLY NEW BEGINNINGS AS THEY GRADUATE TO HEAVEN TO BE WITH OUR SAVIOR!

Over the past few weeks, no inmates at the detention center have come to the weekly Bible Studies some of our retirees are sooo faithfully involved in. Please pray for hungry hearts to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, and be able to FACE ETERNITY WITH HIM!!!

Our “SNOW BIRDS” or WINTER VOLUNTEERS, from all over the States and Canada are now here. They are SUCH A BLESSING, and we THANK THE LORD FOR THEM!!! Two main jobs they are working on are a retainer wall for one of our ponds, and a new duplex for more housing. There are so many other jobs that the men and their wives are working on like spreading mulch on gardens, trimming trees, cleaning windows, sewing projects for our retirees, even fixing our own oven door, and the list goes on and on!! Last year they re-sided the duplex we live in and this year, time permitting they want to reroof our duplex. PLEASE BE PRAYING for their safety in all they are involved in!!! During this time many jobs get done that are not able to be done during the year as we are sooooo short staffed here at our retirement center. PLEASE BE PRAYING for the Lord to raise up more staff. Having staff caring for our retirees means their children, who are serving the Lord overseas, can stay on the field and not have to come home and care for their parents!!!!

We have asked PRAYERS for our friend Mark Cain, who has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. At present he is going through chemo treatments, and the good news is that the cancer has not gone to his brain!!!!. We would covet your continued PRAYERS for wisdom for the doctors and that God would allow this cancer to go into remission and stay that way!! Mark is under good care and in good spirits. He continually has the goal before him to get to the finish line in Bible translation, going to Colombia in August of this year!!!! May God give he and his wife Joyce this burning desire of their hearts so that the Guahibo Bible can be printed. They count it a privilege and blessing to have A HOST of people behind them PRAYING in this challenging phase of our lives!!!” Mark and Joyce have worked in Colombia since 1973, the same year we first went to Australia. Thank you all for your continued PRAYERS FOR THEM!!

Thank you soooo much for your prayers regarding my health. From December 28th until January 31st there have been doctor appointments galore. My six-month cancer check-up went really well and my tumor markers are 13.6 which is excellent. I am still on Anastrazole for three more years as it is a hormone suppressor for the cancer. My thyroid is working well, though the thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies are high. That means I have Hashimotos, which we have suspected for years. That, plus the Anastrazole, we suspect, is why I feel lousy at times, but GOD IS GOOD and I thank Him for the strength He gives me day by day. I am soooo thankful for your PRAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We thank the Lord for EACH ONE OF YOU and trust HIM to ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL DAY BY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With our Love and Prayers,

Charlie & Cherrie

I know I put this song on a past letter, but it is an ENCOURAGEMENT to all of us, WELL or UNWELL, so I am sharing it again!!!!!!

“Just Be Held”

Sung by Casting Crowns

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you’re tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There’s freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You’ll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You’ll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you’ll understand
I’m painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you’ll find Me
And where you are, I’ll hold your heart
I’ll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won’t let go