In just a couple hours I am going to be heading to the airport to pick up Kirsten and Trevor. As you know, they spent the last couple weeks in NJ/PA to be with her family after her sister's accident. The report of her sister as of last night is this: Katie is still in a tough spot but is showing signs of improvement. She is scheduled to have an operation on one leg today (a six hour procedure) and if all goes well a second operation is slated for later this week. They put off this surgery due to Katie's lung collapse and a subsequent infection, which to my non-medical mind caused to not heal and be strong enough to endure the surgery. However, the doctor's have decided that she is well enough to now handle the surgery for which we praise God! Please pray for Katie, Nate (her husband), the family, and medical staff as she goes into surgery today.
Since Kirsten and Trevor left, I have been in go, go, go mode. With Pastor Allen off the island for a week and a team arriving just a day after Kirsten and Vernon left I assumed more responsibility in organizing rides, schedules, and the like for the team. Therefore, I apologize for the delay in the updating. However, Vernon is now back, the second wave of the team is now here and I have some slightly more time to post this update. The team that is here are our dear friends from North Shore Baptist Church in NYC. The majority of the team members come every year and this year is no different. It has been a great blessing from God that even while Kirsten and Trevor have been away, I have been kept company and fed by dear, godly friends! Please pray for the teams ministry over the next two weeks that God would cause it to be successful and that the saints would be strengthened through their work.
Lastly, here is our latest newsletter. We wrote it awhile ago, but have yet to post it because of all the other more pressing news. So, without any further ado - here it is!
Winter 2012 Newsletter
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Soli Deo Gloria
Below is an email that was sent to those on our email list, and I thought it would be appropriate to post it here as well with some brief additional comments.
Hello Friends,
Last Monday we received news concerning Kirsten's sister, Katie. Katie had been in a terrible accident and needed to be rushed to the hospital. Katie sustained major injuries, is still in the hospital and will be for weeks to come. We praise the Lord that she has no injuries to her head, neck, or back! We also praise the Lord that she is alive! Her legs, however, were badly broken and will need both surgery and an extensive time of rehabilitation. We also praise the Lord that she is alive and that her recovery is underway! In addition to this, Kirsten's father had surgery Friday morning on his shoulder - a (scheduled) follow-up to a surgery he had over the summer. After prayer and thinking through how to love our family best, we decided that Kirsten should head up to the States to be with her family for a few weeks and serve (with Trevor) as the encouragement squad while I hold down the fort! Please pray for them as they are in NJ that it would be a sweet time together as family even in the midst of rough seas.
In addition to the news about Katie, on Monday we also received word that my grandmother suffered a mild stroke and was hospitalized for a few days to be monitored and have tests taken. She is home now and trying to take it easy.
Lastly, two young boys (15 or 16 years old) from Kingston drowned yesterday afternoon. One of the boys was from our sister church in Kingston and a regular at camp. Many of our young people are understandably shaken up and are mourning.
Please pray for these items with us. Particularly pray for Katie, the medical teams around her, her recovery, and the family as they stand with her. Pray for my grandmother that the doctors can regulate medicine and that she would take it slowly over the next couple of days and weeks. Lastly be in prayer for the family of these boys who drowned. Also be in prayer that even through this difficult and confusing time - God would be glorified. We are thankful that we serve a Sovereign God who is not surprised by any of this news. God is good even when we do not understand how all things are working together. Job said it well - "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Even in this we can say with Job, "blessed be the name of the Lord"!
Grace and peace,
Jon (for Kirsten and Trevor)
Last Monday we received news concerning Kirsten's sister, Katie. Katie had been in a terrible accident and needed to be rushed to the hospital. Katie sustained major injuries, is still in the hospital and will be for weeks to come. We praise the Lord that she has no injuries to her head, neck, or back! We also praise the Lord that she is alive! Her legs, however, were badly broken and will need both surgery and an extensive time of rehabilitation. We also praise the Lord that she is alive and that her recovery is underway! In addition to this, Kirsten's father had surgery Friday morning on his shoulder - a (scheduled) follow-up to a surgery he had over the summer. After prayer and thinking through how to love our family best, we decided that Kirsten should head up to the States to be with her family for a few weeks and serve (with Trevor) as the encouragement squad while I hold down the fort! Please pray for them as they are in NJ that it would be a sweet time together as family even in the midst of rough seas.
In addition to the news about Katie, on Monday we also received word that my grandmother suffered a mild stroke and was hospitalized for a few days to be monitored and have tests taken. She is home now and trying to take it easy.
Lastly, two young boys (15 or 16 years old) from Kingston drowned yesterday afternoon. One of the boys was from our sister church in Kingston and a regular at camp. Many of our young people are understandably shaken up and are mourning.
Please pray for these items with us. Particularly pray for Katie, the medical teams around her, her recovery, and the family as they stand with her. Pray for my grandmother that the doctors can regulate medicine and that she would take it slowly over the next couple of days and weeks. Lastly be in prayer for the family of these boys who drowned. Also be in prayer that even through this difficult and confusing time - God would be glorified. We are thankful that we serve a Sovereign God who is not surprised by any of this news. God is good even when we do not understand how all things are working together. Job said it well - "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Even in this we can say with Job, "blessed be the name of the Lord"!
Grace and peace,
Jon (for Kirsten and Trevor)
Despite the string of unwanted and troubling phone calls and breaking news, we see God clearly at work. For example, in order for Kirsten and Trevor to go back to the States and return to Buff Bay without any hassle they needed to get new visas. However, in order to do that, we had to wait on our work permit paperwork to go through. The paperwork had been submitted in early December, but with the recent election and other bureaucratic issues we were waiting, illegally, in limbo. Literally seconds before finding out about Katie's accident - we received the call from the Ministry of [Labour].
Additionally, we have seen the great joy of belonging to the local church. The people in Buff Bay have been fantastic in loving us through the storm. Not only is the support here, but it is State-side as well in so many kind words of encouragement and solidarity sent to us!
Times are hard and not how we would have planned them. However, God is good, and He wills for our sanctification - that is our growth in personal holiness, with which we may see and enjoy Him (1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hebrews 12:14)!
Soli Deo Gloria!
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