Newsletter: Holiday Edition

HO! HO! HO! Merry Christmas!!! Enjoy our latest newsletter sent with a digital double portion of holiday cheer.

Winter Newsletter 2010

God's Perfect Rest

We received sad news this week: a church brother and friend died. The news was a shock. Our friend, Mr. Gutsmore, had recently undergone surgery in order to treat a long time illness that doctors were unable to pinpoint and address effectively. From all accounts, the surgery went well, and his strength seemed to be returning quickly. However, Tuesday night he felt ill and was short of breath. Not long after the troubles arose that night, Brother Gutsmore was with his Savior.

Kirsten and I met Bro. Gutsmore on our exploratory visit in November 2008 when we came as a members of an 18-person team to serve in Buff Bay. He drove me to my first preaching engagement. That would not be the last time he would give me a lift to teach. When we landed last year to begin ministering, Bro. Gutsmore was a great encouragement to us. His faithfulness and delight in the Lord was evident and through it was a blessing to many.

Brother Gutsmore was Buff Bay's tailor. There may be others, but everyone knows Bro. G. His shop is on the main road, so Kirsten and I would often make a point to stop in and chat. Gutsmore's health had been on the decline for many months. The illness he faced left him unable to eat and keep food down. Therefore, he was often depleted of energy and very weak and could not keep up his weight. A thin man to begin with, he lost decent poundage since we arrived. Despite the nagging persistence of sickness and fatigue, I never heard him complain once! His testimony and faith in Christ strengthened instead of decreased through his sickness. He trusted in the goodness in God even when the evidence said he should not.

Gutsmore was one of the few male voices in the choir, a deacon of the church, a husband, father, community bulwark, and friend. More importantly he was a child of God and has gone before us to be with Him, for which celebrate and praise the Lord!

It is Finished!...Almost

It is official. We are competent drivers according to the Jamaican government! We have both officially passed our driving tests with only a few scratches and bruises. Most of the bruising was to our egos, but we are thankful for the lesson in humility! All that is left is to wait for our actual licenses to come in the mail (hence the "almost").

Throughout the time of going and taking tests (note the "s"), we were able to get to know one of the driving officials pretty well. After discovering that we are Christians and work with Pastor Allen, he asked us to keep him in our prayers, which we have been. He is a pleasant man who seems to be misunderstood (as you can imagine if your job was to be a task-master and make sure people are not cutting the corners or breaking the standards). We were even invited to a cook-out on his farm next time he slaughters a pig to jerk!

This week has been a tough writing week. As we keep plugging away, the spontaneous and unexpected relationships are great reminders of what God cares about most - people. Jesus came to seek and save the lost - you and me. Kirsten and I often rack our brains over how best to meet address this issue and need (which is necessary and good), but we are ashamed to say that it sometimes leads us to being disconnected from the people of Buff Bay whom God loved so much He gave Jesus to save. When this disconnection occurs, we forget to see and love others the way Jesus does. The agendas, meetings, and Bible studies are great, but if we have not love, specifically the love of Christ (in us and offered to others), then we are forgetting the "royal law," which is to love as we have been loved. Pray with us that we will continue to build on these relationships and earn the privilege and the right to share God's good news of Jesus Christ and that he came to say, "it is finished!"