Dear Praying Family and Friends,
“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (I Corinthians 15:34)
How responsible are we for the ignorance of people “Who worship the works of their own hands” (Isaiah 2:8)?
Have you ever wondered how the unsaved world views Christians caught up in the materialism of Christmas? Do they view us as hypocrites? Or are they completely unaware “That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself” (II Corinthians 5:19a)?
“I don't know much… I don't understand… It’s too hard… How could God love me enough to die for me?” exclaimed 84 year old Mr. Mike in broken Spanish. I'd given this Cocopah man Spanish tracts and as much of the Gospel in Spanish as possible for years, but now he'd lost too much eyesight to read. This time Brother Ulisis, Heritage Baptist’s Spanish ministries’ pastor, was with me. We prayed and reasoned for hours with Mr. Mike of sin, righteousness, and judgment over multiple visits. December 07/09 our Lord opened this forlorn man’s eyes and he bowed his head to receive Him as his Savior. Will you pray for this new Christian’s health and growth through weekly basic Bible lessons with Brother Ulisis?
We left Mr. Mike’s house as usual to witness to Mr. Robles, the 99 year old Spanish speaking widower across the reservation. Weeks earlier he'd categorically rejected Brother Ulisis’ pleas to trust the Lord’s atonement for his sins. Despite the witness of his converted foster children and years of Spanish tracts, this man adamantly argued that “Traditional Cocopah are good people who do not need a Savior.”
This final visit his care giver foster children told us he was asleep and was too tired to see anyone. We left them with tracts and promises to visit again only to learn of his passing into eternity in his sleep hours later. PRAY for the comfort and well being of Marissa, Martin, and Virginia, Mr. Robles’ adult foster children as well as for that of his four younger foster children.
Spiritual battles like these impress us with the urgency of the hour and challenge us to use our time and resources to their fullest in our Savior’s war of the ages. BLESS Him and THANK you beyond words for the prayers that brought answers to every request of our last letters. The investment of an entire month’s support in bus repairs more than paid for itself in the adults saved and the Cocopah of all ages exposed to the gospel or discipled through November and December’s revival, Christmas and New Year’s witnessing and meetings.
Weeks of calling tribal council members and Navajo evangelists wrought a miracle in our tribal council’s approval of an open air camp meeting on reservation land January 21-23, 2010. PRAY for wisdom working out details of the facilities, preaching, accommodations, music, and security with Pastor Ed Ware and True Vine Baptist Church’s Navajo evangelists. PRAY for protection from violence on a reservation where we’ve frequently been attacked as well as for the growth of Christians and the salvation of Cocopah who’ve never come to church.
THANK YOU Heritage and Maranatha Baptist Churches of Yuma, for your help with our November 8-15 revival meetings with evangelist Joe Doyel. P.T.L for the growth of Christians and the salvation of adults Bernice, and Lydia S. this week.
May our heartfelt thanks for each of your part in the following praise reports encourage you to remember the prayer needs.
Praise Reports
- The baptisms of Bernice, Darnell, Karen, and Silas, Dec. 06/09.
- Dawn and Silas’ recovery from their surgeries.
- Opportunities to give out the Gospel through our Christmas and New Year’s services as well as through Church fruit and small gift distribution to new unreached Cocopah.
- Daren’s healing and return to church after leaving the hospital against doctors orders.
Prayer Requests
- The comfort and needs of Jolie and her four children following the death of her saved approximately 30 year old husband in a car accident Christmas day.
- Bernice’s growth and deliverance from lifelong dabbling in the occult and self-destructive thoughts.
- Baptisms of Daren, Delsie, Kelsey, and Lydia S. January 2010.
- Lorie and Donald’s spiritual and physical needs.
- Dawn, Silas, and Brother Zakrajsek’s Cocopah work March 2010 while I make a one month deputation trip to finish our 2009 meetings.
May God enrich and prosper your every work in this New Year.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Michael, Dawn, Lydia, and Silas Veldhuis
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (I Timothy 3:16)
