Dear Co-Laborers in Christ,
“ I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not:”(Isaiah 65:1a)
Our Lord’s description of how He will save a remnant of His people in the last days could well be applied to His overwhelming grace in calling twenty-something more Cocopah young people and adults to Himself this summer. God’s hand in this is undeniable when one considers that every person left a culture given over wholly to idolatry and self-gratification at any cost to even visit the “White church”.
Frequent 16-18 hour workdays in 110° temps was the price the four of us, our N.B.T. evangelists, and helpers from area churches gladly paid for our Lord’s ingathering. To our shame, individual recognition of your equally sacrificial support bore the brunt of neglect from the exhausting load.
Rare e-mail updates to a minority few of you can not begin to adequately thank you. Your encouraging notes, prayers, and gifts saw us victoriously through three weeks of camp, Neighborhood Bible Time, pastor’s school, and tri-weekly services, despite destructive sandstorms and vehicle breakdowns.
Specific answers to prayer included foster teens, Carlos, Chauncey, Darnell, and Ralph’s return to church after months of indoctrination attempts in spirit worship by the late medicine man’s stepson. PRAY for their growth as well as for the salvation and or growth of adult relatives and friends who returned to church with them. Daren has been faithful all summer. Belinda, Irene, Karen, Lydia S., Nanny, and Valerie have attended or done Bible studies since Dawn’s September ladies’ Bible study and craft day.
PRAY for, the salvation of Valerye’s boyfriend, Chester, and his four children as well as the growth of Ruby, Belinda’s daughter. Teen and Junior camps in the “cold” mountains 500 miles away brought repentance and salvation or assurance decisions for some and rededication to the Lord or surrender to preach for others, June 15-27/’09. Ashley, Jonathan, Kelsey, Silas, Bernice, Darnell, and Delsie’s commitment and growth.
Neighborhood Bible Time, July 19-24, brought marvelous opportunities for growth to busloads of Cocopah. Angel, Cameron, Carla, Jessica, Jonissa, and Reina trusted the Lord as their Savior, while Faith, Jennifer, and several high schoolers surrendered their lives to the Lord.
Your prayers effected a miraculous change in our Tribal Youth Home’s demeanor. Social workers who'd not allowed any of their foster children to attend church, N.B.T., or earlier camps, ordered all of them to participate with us in Apache Creek Youth camp’s “Indian week”, July 27- August 1. Fourteen formerly incorrigible eight to fifteen year olds survived a bus fuel pump failure to complete the 18 hour drive to Apache Creek with Omar, Silas, and a Christian mechanic’s help.
To God alone be the glory for rewarding two huge individual and camp gifts toward our repairs with the conversions of ten more Cocopah through powerful Navajo and missionary preaching and genuine Christian love. Transformations in Michael C., a former agnostic, and in other young people were too evident for youth home staff to long deny there was anything to this “getting saved stuff”.
PRAY for the conversions of J.W. and Catholic social workers and the growth of Alyetha, Alexis, Cameron, Christopher, Corinthian, Ezequiel, Maria, Michael, Santana, and Yohan. Constant shuffling of these foster children from home to home leaves us with little or no follow-up opportunities.
Return trips from camp allowed us to introduce high-schoolers to International Baptist College in Chandler, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. Bernice and possibly others are looking into I.B.C. after high school.
Lydia miraculously completed the application process quickly enough after camp to gain admission and sufficient grants and scholarships to start her fall semester, August 24. She loves I.B.C. and Tri-City Baptist Church and is trusting the Lord for better health and a job or other income to complete the elementary education degree. We are selling our best van to cover remaining summer expenses and to help her.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated for Lydia’s full recovery from an early bout with Bronchitis as well as for the following needs:
· Silas’ uncomplicated hernia surgery, October 9/09.
· Successful laser treatment for Dawn’s clouded vision.
· Lori will improve as much from heart valve replacement in October as she did from brain surgery in June.
· Donald, Lori’s husband’s repentance from sin and return home.
· Adam and Cassi’s repentance and marriage after years of cohabitation.
· The baptism of all true believers this October.
· God’s desired increase through daily ministries and revival meetings with pastor Joe Doyel, November 8-15/’09
May God Bless and reward each of you for so faithfully furthering His Cocopah work.
Yours in Christ,
Michael, Dawn, Lydia, and Silas Veldhuis
