Dear Family and Friends in Christ,
Warmest greetings from all of us back at work on our windy southwest Arizona desert reservations. Cloudless 75- 80 degree days invigorate us for ongoing Cocopah labors and encourage us in the work of preparing individuals, vehicles, and resources for summer’s critical camp and Bible Time ministries.
Your unity with us in our Lord’s work was never more vividly illustrated than in the humbling way churches and individuals from California to New York joined in prayer and support of our family and our church within hours of my March 24, 09 emergency heart surgery.
“For as we have many members in one body,… So we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Romans 12:4,5)
Recently met New York pastors and friends joined Pastor Lagoe, with whom I’d been staying, in supporting me through recovery from quadruple bypass surgery.
Brother Zakrajsek took over our services with the help of brother Ulisis, a local Spanish pastor. Silas moved in with his Christian teacher’s family for a week. Dawn was given tickets by Yuma churches to fly out and join me in Syracuse, March 30, the day of my hospital discharge.
A week later we saw Dr. N., the cardiac surgeon, for the last time. This April 6 visit brought the double blessing of witnessing to this spiritually starving Persian doctor at length and getting his approval to fly back to Yuma the next day. PRAY the Lord will touch this truly searching surgeon’s heart with saving faith just as He renewed my physical heart through surgery.
Dawn and I flew home problem free April 7th in time for our midweek service the next day and revival services at Maranatha Baptist church later that week. Thank the Lord for strength for our special resurrection Day brunch and services as well as for the new Catholic teens who heard the gospel that day.
I am as energetic and symptom-free for non-exertional activities as prior to the surgery, but cannot drive until May 5th/09. Thank you Brother Richard for driving our church van until then and thank you Brothers John, Jason, and Paul for driving our bus back from New York.
I can do no physical work until after June’s youth camp and July’s Neighborhood Bible Time evangelistic rallies. THANK YOU for praying for these, the year’s most costly and fruitful ministries, as I have always covered at least half of these expenses with landscaping income.
BLESS the Lord and THANK you all for your special gifts for travel and medical expenses. P.T.L. our Arizona health insurance promises to pick up expenses not covered by our Bankers Life policy!
God Bless you all for also remembering the following special prayer needs.
- Safe April 16-18th trip to Yuma in the Church bus.
- April 25th Ladies’ Bible study and tea party.
- Baptisms of Darnell, Kayla, Ralph, Xyntrice, and others as soon as I’m physically able to do so.
- Daren, Jessica, Lori and other young adults’ repentance and return to the Lord.
- The Lord stirring complacent souls to go to camp.
- The conversion of 99 year old self righteous Mr. Robles and of other indifferent Cocopah adults such as Connie and David.
Sincerely Yours In Christ,
Michael, Dawn, Lydia
