Home for Christmas!

This past week flew by, but it was a good week. We finished decorating our classroom for Christmas. I made over 100 cookies, and with the help of two other girls, we got them all iced and decorated. On Friday, we had a simple program for my students parents. They quoted Paul Revere's Ride, the Village Blacksmith, and sang and quoted Psalm 1. I was able to give a simple plan of salvation, so please pray that the parents and students, who are not saved, will trust Christ.

Saturday, my friend Cassie and I flew home to Maine. We had a little turbulence throughout both flights but made it home safely. There is no snow right now, but I think some is expected this week.

Today was a good first Sunday back home. We had several visitors in church. There were people from five other countries in the service. There are also several new faithful attendees.

Please pray that all goes well with my plans while I am home, and please pray that I can get my computer fixed.

Thanksgiving and Revving up for Christmas

It has been a busy, but great two weeks. My friend and I were able to take another trip to Vieques. We spent the whole day at the beach just relaxing, swimming, and collecting shells and sea glass.  This past weekend, we went Black Friday shopping, and went to San Juan and visited El Morro, took a long walk back into town, and ate at an amazing restaurant.

The week off for Thanksgiving wasn't all play. I accomplished quite a bit in my classroom with lesson planning, and decorating for Christmas. I also worked on Christmas gifts for my students and my family.

Thanksgiving was a nice day. My friend and I spent the day with friends, and enjoyed desert with the pastor's family. The weather was a little rainy at first which kept the temperatures very nice.

Please pray as we finish out the next two weeks of school. I will have parents coming to hear their kids quote Scripture and sing for our Christmas party. I hope to have the opportunity to witness to them as well.

I will fly home on December 14, so please pray for safety and good weather. Pray for my family as several are going through illnesses. Please continue to pray for two of my students dealing with health issues.

A Time of Thanks

It is hard to believe it is already November. We have one more week of school, and then we have a week off for Thanksgiving. I am thankful to be spending most of the cold months in Puerto Rico this year. Most of my family has had snow and freezing temperatures, and I have been enjoying warm sunny days.

School continues on, and there aren't a lot of "big" events going on, but I'll share some stories and prayer requests. I am learning that some of my students have an aptitude for acting. We have been reading The Prince and the Pauper which is divided into parts like a play. The kids are loving playing their parts and even put on accents.

We began science class a couple weeks ago. One grade is studying bugs, and the other is studying plants. I asked the students to bring in bugs so we could see them. We ended up with three spiders one of which had an egg sack which hatched. I was not very excited about these creatures being in my classroom. The rest of the students brought in dead bugs.

I have three students who need prayer. One girl has been ill for most of the semester. One of the boys has a back problem which is giving him pain in other areas of his body, and another boy had a bike accident and broke his arm. The school is also in need of prayer for the reconstruction project to be finished.

Thank you to all who pray for me and support me, and for those who have supported me in the past. Without the prayers and support of you, I would never be able to go and help people as I have been. I am amazed at the opportunities I have had because of people who trust God enough to entrust me with bringing in fruit their account.

Fall, Winter? What are those?

After having heard from my siblings how cold it has already been in their states, and one reporting snow, I am rejoicing in the 90 degree temps here in Puerto Rico. The last two weeks have been busy. My friend Cassie has been here helping me in my classroom by grading, giving spelling tests, cleaning, and caring for the students.

The last two weeks have been very rainy. This past week, I saw four rainbows. That is the most I have seen since being here. The last one I saw spanned from somewhere in town all the way to the top of a mountain near the ocean, and and the arch was right over our property. These rainbows keep reminding me that God keeps His promises. The reconstruction is still on hold, but God is still doing a work here in the lives of the students.

We have had several great soulwinning weeks. One of the ladies I have been going with has had the opportunity to lead two ladies to Christ, and this past Saturday, another lady was able to witness to a girl who is very mixed up because she has studied many religions.  The young lady asked us to come again. Please pray for her. The pastor's wife was able to help a lady gain assurance of her salvation and the lady's friend trusted Christ the same day.

I already shared that two of my students have trusted Christ. A few Sundays back, another of my students trusted Christ in Sunday school, and this week a first grade student trusted Christ in Sunday school. That is four kids who have trusted Christ. Please continue to pray as I still have a few students to speak with.

With all the bad news in the world, I am thankful that GOd allows me to be part of making good news and giving good news. Please pray as I continue to teach here in PR. I have two students dealing with major medical issues, and another girl in the school is also dealing with major health problems.

Continue to pray for my mom's heart health, and for my two sisters who are pregnant.

Report Cards Tomorrow!

It is hard to believe the first nine weeks of school are finished. We have had a busy and exciting few months with two near misses with the hurricanes. The last couple of weeks got very busy with finishing tests and putting in grades.

My friend Cassie from my church in Maine has been here week, and is planning to stay until Christmas break. It is a blessing to have her helping me in the classroom. It is also a blessing to have her in my house to chat with... We will be heading to Vieques on Sunday to spend Columbus Day with another missionary family.

Today, I was finally able to have my classroom set the way I have wanted since school started. There is a lot more space, and all the students should be able to see the board well. I have also decorated the bulletin board, and I will try to post a picture tomorrow.

My kids sang their first series of Bible verses in chapel last week. They learned most of the verses to the Roman's Road, and now we are working on Psalm 1. They have also memorized eleven other verses. Please pray that kids will continue to trust in Christ.

Please pray for me to have wisdom for the many different types of children in my classroom. If you teach you know that there are students who learn easily and quickly those who struggle to learn, and in a second language setting, you have those who do not always understand due to the language barrier. Balancing workloads can be tricky. Every time I teach, I learn something new about people.

Please pray for two of my sisters who are expecting. One is dealing with some leg pain, and we are praying is not a blood clot. The other is due in December. Please keep my dad's church in prayer as they continue to grow. They have seen many people saved in the last few weeks and many visitors in the services.

Storm Season

Here in Puerto Rico, we are in hurricane season. The last one passed by without anything but rain for us. There are more brewing. After a storm, there is always some rebuilding to be done. Life and ministry also have storm seasons. Please pray that God will use the current storms in life and ministry to help us and the ministry to grow. Please pray that the reconstruction can be funded and finished soon. Satan does not want this building finished, and he is doing all he can to throw a monkey wrench into the work.

I spoke to another student today about salvation. He told me he remembered trusting in Christ when he was in K4 or K5. He gave a very clear testimony of what the teacher said and asked and what he did when she asked who wanted to trust in Jesus. It is a blessing to know that At least four of the kids in my class are saved. Please pray as I continue talking to them individually.

Please pray as I continue to plan for next year's trips. Right now, plane tickets to England are pretty pricey. I'm looking forward to spending time with people I grew to love while I was there.

Praise: Wednesday night we had 14 young people in our church service. It is such a blessing to see teens coming to a midweek service. No special promotion, just good Bible teaching.

Please pray for a boy in my class who has some back problems. He is seeing an orthopedic. Please pray for my siblings as many of them are going through some financial changes and job changes. Please pray for my dad's church, Anchor Baptist Biddeford, ME, as they have a soulwinning marathon on Saturday.

Praises and Prayer Requests

Last week, our chapel sermon was on Heaven and Hell. The Pastor Bro. Harmon, a fellow missionary here, gave very vivid details about Hell and Heaven from Scripture. I know there are several students in my class that are not saved. One of my girls raised her hand during the invitation to show that she was not sure of her salvation. During our playtime, I had a high school student watch my kids, and I gave my student the plan of salvation. She has been in church, so she knew many of the answers and verses already. When we got to the end she prayed and asked Jesus to be her Saviour. When she finished, I asked her "If Jesus stood in front of you right now and asked you why He should let you into Heaven, what would you say?" She responded, "Because Jesus lives in my heart." Please pray for this little girl as she is very sick right now.

My students are learning many Bible verses, and I am excited that we are almost finished with the Roman's Road verses. We will be singing these in chapel in a few weeks. We have been studying the book of Ruth and I tied it in to the story Stay in the Castle. The kids held on to every word of the story, which we finished today, and have enjoyed learning about Ruth. Monday will be our last lesson on Ruth.

Please pray that I and my students stay healthy. I have already had a cold, and with a student who is very sick right now, I am praying no germs have spread. We do not have a lot of people who can substitute, so getting sick can create difficulties for staffing.

Please pray for an unspoken prayer request which is extremely important. Pray for wisdom for those involved, and for right to prevail.

Please pray as I work on my trips to England and Europe next year as well as my future plans. I am always waiting for God to open and close doors, so that I know what my next step should be. Please pray that God will give me wisdom.

Please pray as I continue to witness to each of my students. I have ten, and only four have given testimony that they are saved.

School is a learning process, even for teachers.

Something I have learned about school, is that I have not learned everything there is to know about school. Why? because each year gives me something new to deal with. Each class has different abilities, and each student in that class has different abilities. All these challenges must be met using different techniques. For instance, I have a student who can spell orally, but not on paper. I have students who speak English fluently and others who can barely understand me. Learning to tweak the way I teach or test a student is not easy. Tweaking the schedule to make sure the students get the knowledge they need in each subject can be be stressful, but I am learning and growing through each test. One thing I can say for my students is that they are pretty obedient which helps with keeping the class moving through the day with very few hiccups.

I have been teaching on salvation over the first couple weeks, and I have taught about three missionaries. Each week, I ask questions to the students about the missionaries and about the sermons which have been preached in chapel. I teach the students Bible verses to song. So far they have learned 1 John 5:13, Romans 3:10, 23. They have also learned to quote three other verses which are set up by alphabet letter, Isaiah 53:6, Revelation 3:20, Jeremiah 33:3. By the middle or end of September, they will know all of the Roman's Road. Each week we cover a character trait, and a quote. Since we studied Jim Elliot last week, I will be putting his quote on the board. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Please pray for my students. Only three raised their hands that they were sure of their salvation. I hope to have time in the next couple of weeks to talk with each one individually about salvation.

Today we said goodby to Pastor Martinez's sons, Luis and Jose. They are attending Hyles-Anderson College. This is year two for Luis and freshmen year for Jose. Please pray for them. They both have a heart for Puerto Rico. Pray also for the Martinez family and the ministry because these two will leave some big holes in the deaf ministry and teen ministry.

Please pray for Puerto Rico this week. I have been told there is a hurricane brewing which could affect us this week. If it does, it could mean a delayed return for the Martinez family, and missed days of school as well as other worries. I'm not real excited about expierencing a hurricane down here. :-)

We had a good crowd in church today. I didn't get a count, but the auditorium was full. One visitor trusted Christ, and we had four or five other visitors. Please pray for the ministry that it will continue to grow. Pray also for the building which is still under construction. Over $40,000 is still needed to finish this phase. If you would like to help, please contact me or send any gifts to Pastor Martinez PO Box 215 Ceiba, PR 00735. Label the gift for reconstruction.

Please keep my family in prayer as several of my siblings are dealing with financial and health difficulties. Please pray as I continue to make plans for my England and Europe trips next year. I need to find good ticket prices for flights.

School-Late nights, Early mornings

A full week of school has passed, and I can tell. This week has been a busy one with trying to structure my 5th and 6th graders so they get the most out of each class. It isn't always easy to make sure there is enough work for the fast learning students and yet teach slowly for the  ones who struggle with English...

I am tutoring three students three days a week in spoken English and reading comprehension in English. I used to hate stundying English in high school and college, but now it is actually my favorite subject to teach.

This week, I began working in the after school care program. Some of the kids are here until 5-5:15 and trying to keep the littlest ones occupied after they finish their work isn't always easy. Thankfully, someone invented playdoh, coloring books, and bubbles.

Sunday, was a good day in church with almost 50 in the service. I had one little girl in Sunday school, and God must have meant it to be that way. I have been teaching through the Wordless Book, and had already passed baptism and growing Christ. This little girl wasn't in church that week, so I taught it to her this week. I asked if her if she ever remembered asking Jesus to be her Saviour. She said yes, and described where it happened and how. I then asked her if she had been baptized, and she said no. I told her that if she wanted, I could talk to the pastor and schedule a time for her to be baptized so that her family could come see her. She told that would be ok. Please pray that her baptism can be a tool to bring people under the sound of the Gospel who may never hear it otherwise.

Please pray that I will stay healthy, get rest, be prepared, and help my students to learn to the best of their abilities.

I have many missionary friends, pastors wives, and other friends going through difficult health situations. Please pray that God will heal them.

School Daze!

School started last Wednesday. I must say I have felt a bit overwhelmed with finding the right schedule for my 5th and 6th graders, and making sure everyone has work until the books arrive for new students. I am hoping things will settle in this week. I have a good class, and some of the students were in my second grade class when I taught before. I am happy to see them still in  Christian school.

The building project for the school lunch room, which was destroyed in hurricane Maria, is coming along quickly. I am amazed at all that has been accomplished since I came. Please pray that the funds will come in to cover the cost, which is $56,000 for just the building. This doesn't include doors, windows...

We had exciting news today. The license for an orphanage came today! I do not know what all this will entail for me, but I am excited to see what God will allow me to do and learn. We are allowed up to six children right now. There are many kids in need of a home especially since the hurricane.

Please continue to pray for the political situation here. A very conservative man was turned down as governor by the judges, and a woman was chosen instead. The political situation hasn't been good here for a long time, and the recent events only scratch the surface. Please pray that God will work in the lives of the politicians and that they will begin making good decisions which will help the people of Puerto Rico.

Probably half of the people use welfare, even young healthy men, and most families have been split with many of them now single parent homes. The need for more churches and good Christian schools is great for such a small island. The need for teachers and helpers is also great. While I am here, I will be teaching the junior age kids in Sunday school. Please pray that we can get more kids into church so that their families will come too.

Pray for the Martinez family as their two sons will be going to college in the States. This will leave a hole in the teen department and the deaf ministry. Pray that God will send more laborers to help in this work.

Please pray for my family. My nephew, Uriah, had eye surgery. Several of my siblings are dealing with some tough situations and decisions, and all are involved in ministries of some sort. Please pray for me that I will have strength, knowledge, wisdom, and compassion for my students. (Please do not pray that I have patience; that usually brings testing. :-) )

The most recent picture is the first one. August 8. The last picture is from July 15.

A week is gone!

How time does fly when you're having fun or when you're busy. My first week since returning to Puerto Rico was spent visiting the beach, shopping, and setting up my room. Yesterday, I painted two small rooms in the school, and today began the teacher's work days to prepare the classrooms for the start of school next week.Today, I got a lot of things organized. tomorrow, I will put up my bulletin board, finish getting the students books, tests... organized, and then I will begin the task of preparing lesson plans. I am excited to be teaching 5th and 6th grade. Some of the students I taught before will be in my class.

This past Sunday, we had friend day at church with over 100 people in attendance. I was able to play the piano and sing a special for the second service. I also taught the children's class, and one girl raised her hand for salvation, but she did not want to talk to me about it. I let the pastor know so he could talk with her family.

We have had heavy rains all this week which caused some flash floods. I did not mind it too much because when the rain would slow down, the Coqui frogs would come out and start singing. Today, some Greater Antillian Grackles were chirping away and chasing each other all around the yard. They too were happy the rain had stopped. Tonight, when we returned from shopping, I saw six giant toads who had come out to enjoy the dry night. This link has many of the Coqui frog sounds recorded. https://www.aza.org/frogwatch-usa-puerto-rico

Praise!
 First Baptist Church in Hammond Indiana, which I attended for eight years while in college, took me on for support this month. It is a blessing to see God continue to provide for me to continue to go to more places to be a blessing to more people.  Five churches now support me. Thank you for partnering with me as I gain fruit to your accounts.

Please pray for me that I will be prepared for the start of school. Please pray for my students that any who are not saved will trust Christ by the end of the year. Please pray for several people I know who are going through some tough situations.

Puerto Rico!

I waited until I arrived in Puerto Rico to write a new post. Since my last post, I went to camp with one junior age girl and two of our teen girls. The camp we attended had its own staff and counselors, so I was able to let the junior age girl be involved with her camp mates and the activities. I was then able to spend some time with the two teen girls. It was a blessing to talk with them and know that they want to serve God. Both come from difficult home situations, so please pray for them that they can overcome what is in the past and follow God's leading in their futures.

I flew to Puerto Rico yesterday and hit the ground running by playing the offertory last night. Today, I will probably do a little shopping, and then start working in my classroom. Please pray as that lives will be changed this year.

The school finally got the approval to start working on the fellowship hall/lunchroom that was destroyed during the hurricane. The building and labor together is going to cost $56,000. If you would like to help with this project, you can let me know by e-mail jenniferrarrick@gmail.com, and I will tell you where to send them. Right now, the kids are crowding into a tiny house on the property for lunch and Bible class, so this building is important.

My friends in Nepal sent a new update. Please pray as they continue working to build a larger school and children's home facility. They went from 30 something students to 51 this year, so they desperately need the new  building. If you would like to help them, please e-mail (above) me, and I will tell you how to send money to them.

I should be updating every week from now on.

Please continue to pray for my sister Janna and her tumor, my aunt Lydia  who is extremely ill, my mom's back, and Anchor Baptist church.

One month of summer!

I have been so happy with the warmer temperatures. My mom and I planted some tomatoes, squash, and peppers, and soon, we will have the first of the tomatoes on our table. We have stayed busy with church work and visiting my sister who lives a little north of us.

Last week, I went to NYC for a very fast trip. While there, I was able to update one of the churches who has supported me through love offerings. I also met a group of college students who travel to NYC in the summer to witness to the Jews. It was a blessing to hear about their efforts. One Jewish man spoke with them for an hour, then followed them to talk some more. Pray God can use them to see many Jews saved.

On my way home from NYC, I had a seatmate who was a Christian on my first bus, and I met another Christian on my second bus. We had some very good conversations. It was a blessing to spend time talking about God on my six hour journey.

This Sunday, we will celebrate Independence Day. I am looking forward to what God has in store for us. Next week, I will go to junior camp with one of our girls. Two of our teen girls are also going as helpers. Pray God works in their hearts. I am very concerned about them and their future service for God.

Please pray for brother-in-law who has an important interview this week. Pray also for baby Dallas Penner. He spent the first 7 months of his life in the hospital. He just got home last week, but now he is back in the hospital. I leave for Puerto Rico July 23.

Where is Summer? Oh, it finally arrived!

We have had nine months of winter here in Maine. I am definitely looking forward to spending most of my winter in Puerto Rico. The last this week has been the longest warm spell we have had. We have spent  a few days during the last couple weeks fishing, but I only caught a couple pickerel. We went to a beach north of here, and watched about 100 seals drifting on the tide enjoying a tasty meal. It was awesome!

We just finished our Sunday school campaign. We have had many visitors. Please pray that they will come join the church. We have had a lot of people saved on visitation, and a few baptisms along the way. We are continuing one aspect of the campaigns focus which is reaching an individual or family who will join the church by the end of the year. The people are excited.

My time here is getting shorter. I leave for Puerto Rico on July 23 to teach for the school year. I have ordered a few things and been a given a few things for my classroom. Please pray that God will use me to help these kids and reach their families for Christ.

I now have two countries in Europe where I will be helping people. In Poland, I will be working with a family, and I believe that will be a homeschool situation. In Romania, I will be working in a home for unwed mothers. When I am not in a European country, I will be helping in my aunt's church in Blackpool, England.

Please pray for the ministry here in Maine. We need a youth pastor, some work done on the sound system, a pianist, and other renovations to spruce up the building. Please pray for my mo as she is suffering from severe back pain.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day has a lot of meaning for my family. Both sides of my family have longs lines of military men and women. Nathanael Greene is a fifth generation grandfather to my dad's family. My dad's father fought in WWII, and his brother, John Edward Rarrick, was killed in Vietnam. Most of my dad's brothers spent time in the military. Several of my mom's uncles were in the military, and some earned high ranks. Her brother was also in the military. We are proud to be Americans, and we are honored to have an American heritage like this. On this Memorial Day as you spend time with your family, don't forget the families, like my friend from college, who have lost their brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers. Remember the price of your freedom was the death of someone else.

This is also true of the price for sin. If we were to pay for our freedom to sin, we would have to die, but Jesus paid the price and died for us. Jesus said there is no greater love than if a man dies for his friends, but Jesus died for His friends and His enemies. Let us not forget that the freedom of our country was bought with the blood of those who believed in the saving power of the blood of Jesus.

Life is somewhat back to normal. I am in the preparation process of leaving for Puerto Rico to teach for the school year. I booked my ticket, and I have been packing my winter clothes away since I won't need them until Christmas. :-) I have already been working on themes for my classroom, and I ordered a few things for it last night. I will probably be teaching 5th and 6th grade this time.

I was able to speak at a Christian school here in Maine on Friday. It was a blessing to see several students who are already interested in missions with some going on missions trips this summer. A little girl who has been in the school for three years put her faith in Christ. Her older sister, who is about 4th grade, has been witnessing to her devout Catholic family members as well as her priest. When the older sister found out the younger sister had received Christ, she gave her a big hug. It was so sweet to see God working in these girls lives at such a young age.

I have been in touch with a couple in Romania. They have a home for unwed mothers. Currently, their are two expectant mothers there. They are need of help in the home, so I plan to go sometime next year. I will also be in Poland for at least a month, and I am working on other places to be of service.

The church here in Maine needs prayers as they look for a youth pastor and pianist. we are also in the midst of an Each On Reach One contest. Pray that many people will be saved, many people will come to church, and the members will grow in their service to God through tract distribution, soulwinning, and other areas.

Please keep my sister Janna in prayer concerning her pituitary tumor. Her husband also needs a job. I have many other family members going through illnesses and hard times. Pray for me as I continue planning and  putting money aside for next year's trips. Pray for laborers to go and be an extra set of hands to those serving in foreign lands.

Happy B Day to Me!

Today, as I celebrate my 35th birthday, I am spending the day at a missions conference for teens with an emphasis on short term missions. I shared my ministry this morning along with a few tips for serving God. What a blessing to see 100+ teens who have a desire to serve God.

Dad, mom, and I spent a week in Puerto Rico. For the first time, Dad preached with an interpreter four times and once in English for chapel. He did very well, and the people really enjoyed his sermons. Mom taught the ladies Sunday school class, and I taught the girls Sunday school class. Mom and I also spoke at the ladies' tea. It was a blessing to be back with Pastor Luis Martinez and the church and school. Since they need teachers this next school year, I have decided to return in August to teach.

While in Puerto Rico, we were able to tour the rainforest, view of the ocean from several points, and swim with fish at one of the beaches that is on a reef. Dad came face to face with an eel, and on the last day, one dolphin came in to feed and swam around for awhile. We also saw a a beautiful double rainbow that day. Dad ate several types of seafood, and he really enjoyed it. He even ate conch and octopus.

We were supposed to leave PR at 3:55pm Tuesday, but our flight in PR was delayed two hours. We finally left, and arrived in Baltimore where our connection was also delayed two hours. We arrived in Boston at 1:30am. Due to mom and I needing to fly at 5:45 am Wed., we stayed in the airport. We then flew to Chicago, spent time with a friend and my aunt and cousin. My sister and a friend drove from  Iowa to pick us up, and we drove 5 hours to my sisters house. After a late night of preparing my mission display, we all got up and left the house by 7:30am to drive two hours to the Ignite Youth Missions Conference. Mom is coming today to pick me up, and we will head for Missouri where I will give an update at Agape Baptist in Stockton. We will also spend a couple days with my brother and his family, and I will hopefully get to see my sister. After that trip, we will head to Indiana to see another sister. This is a whirlwind trip, but it has been good so far. Please pray for our safety.

The Ignite Missions Youth Conference is an amazing idea. Harvest Baptist College in Fort Dodge, IA hosts this conference for teens who are interested in missions. I have met veteran missionaries who are reaching people in so many places. One missionary is   reaching people groups here in the US from Africa, Arab countries... The teaching and preaching has been intense. One man is involved with training missionaries to live in third world countries, jungles... He and his team have a boot camp that teaches, survival, medical, food prep including killing, skinning, and prepping the meat... I do not know if I could survive it, but it would be worth being able to observe. God is doing a work, and I pray that this idea of promoting missions to kids will catch on with more and more  churches.

In closing, the near future will include teaching in Puerto Rico for the school year, and next June, I will head to England and Europe for at least a year.

Exciting Days Ahead!

In just a few days, Dad, Mom, and I will be flying to Puerto Rico to visit my sending church. My Dad will be preaching, and my mom and I will teach and speak at a ladies meeting. This will be the second time  my dad has been on the mission field with me and the third time for my mom. Some may not know that the story of how Primera Iglesia Bautista de Ceiba became my sending church.

A year before going to Puerto Rico, I had planned to help Bro. Luis Martinez for three months. In January 2016, Bro. Martinez called me and told me that a teacher in their school had passed away. He was hoping I could come down earlier than planned, but was able to work out a different teacher until I arrived in March. The arranged time for me to be in Puerto Rico was three months. After being there just a couple of weeks, God was working on my heart to return and help the school for one year because they did not have a teacher for the class I was teaching. After much prayer and counsel, I decided to return to Puerto Rico.

I returned to Puerto Rico in August of 2016 and stayed until June of 2017. I had hoped that I would gain a sending church during the short time I was back in the States, God had other plans. I mentioned that I really believed I need a sending church for the accountability and the assurance it would give to other pastors when I requested the opportunity to share my ministry. Bro. Martinez told me he would love for his church to be my sending church because he had already seen my work ethic... I was not sure how pastors in the States would feel about my sending church being in place where I would not get to attend very often. I began praying about the idea, and I asked several pastors who had supported me already how they would feel about the situation. In the end, God gave me peace that I should accept Bro. Martinez's offer.

The day after I arrive back in Boston, my mom and I will fly out to Chicago so that I can attend a youth missions conference. The conference will emphasize short-term missions; so, please pray that I can encourage more young people to do what I do. After that conference, I will be speaking at a supporting church in Missouri and visiting several of my sisters and brothers.

Please continue to pray for our church to find a youth pastor and pianist.

Moving!

I apologize for being so long in posting. We are in the process of moving. God works in mysterious ways. A lady in our church mentioned in a prayer meeting at another church that we needed a house to rent. The pastor of the church contacted my parents. He is a real estate agent. He had just acquired a house that belongs to a man in the military. He needed to find someone to rent for  a year, and if things go well, there may be the option to buy it.

The house being available now was just in time. My mom went in the hospital again due to tachycardia from the music in the bar below us. This was third time. For the third time, the doctors told my mom her heart was fine, no fluid, no blockage, and valves... working properly. The resident doctor, without consulting my mom, put her on hepari , which she did not need, and over a two day period had been upping he dose. On top of that they were giving her 320 miligrams of asprin. When mom found out they had been upping the heparin instead of lowering it, she told them she was leaving. She also looked up the heparin to see what it does... Every site said it could cause blood clots and other heart issues, and not to mix it with aspirn. Mom told the nurse she was checking get out, and went home. Please pray for her that she can rid her body of the heparin, and that she can get her sleep patterns and heart rhythm in shape.

I have been busy helping the church here in Maine. This Sunday, we will have a simple choir cantata which I helped organize. My Sunday school class is going well, and the kids love earning points for prizes. The puppet ministry is also going well. Please pray that we can find a youth pastor.

Please pray as I continue trying to share my ministry with schools and colleges. Next month, my parents and I will be in Puerto Rico. My mom and I will be speaking to the ladies, and dad will get to preach several times. Please pray for safety as we travel.

I asked prayer for my baby cousin Mycah Turull. He passed away at 9 months and 4 days old. Please pray for his parents Trish and Mason, and for his sister as well as the grandparents aunts and uncles.

A childhood friend Ashley also lost a baby who it seems Jesus just wanted in heaven as the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with him.

If you know any missionaries in Europe, I will be staying in England next year and traveling to European countries to help missionaries. Feel free to give them my info.

Spring!

Yesterday was the first day of spring. As much as I like snow, this winter, I was inside most of the time. Maine is just too cold. Maybe my blood will thicken up before next year.

This month has been busy. We have had several visitors in church, and we have had some good contacts in the area. Please pray that some of thevery will begin attending regularly.

Our puppet ministry has been going well. I am enjoying trying to put the plays together as wells getting the volunteers together. Please pray that we will be able to use this ministry in the nursing homes in our area.

My parents and I have been to several preachingredients conferences in the last month. What a blessing it is to see men getting together and working together to build each other up. The men around this northeast area are dedicated to planting churches like no other group I have seen. Several churches and individuals gave over $30,000 to help seven men start churches. Through these meetings, I have been able to schedule speaking engagements at a Christian school and a ladies' Bible study. Please pray that God will use me to encourage others to serve their churches and missionaries.

I am working on plans to leave for England next January. From there I will reach into Europe. One of our missionaries in Poland has already made contact,  and I have two other leads in Romania. Pray that God will provide the funds and the people I am to help.

Please pray for my parents to be approved for a house. Pray for my baby cousin Mycah. They had to reverse all his previous heart surgeries and are prepping him for a transplant.

Time is Marching On.

I seem to never realize how short February is until a few days into March. The end of February wasn't too abnormal. Our puppet ministry at the church is going well as we tweak the time and how many puppets we use at a time. I try to keep the thought of the day simple, and the resource I am using for the bulk of the stories begins with the fruit of the spirit. My prayer is that the kids will learn simple truths that they will carry with them through their lives. Please pray that we can use this ministry to reach children and adults through Bible clubs, VBS, nursing homes...

March began with a snowstorm which we avoided by leaving early for a church planting conference. Seven men are starting churches here in the northeast. Over 100 adults were present at the meeting with at least 20 pastors. Those pastors gave over $29,000 in one time gifts to get all these church plants started. Several pastors also pledged monthly support. A tract printing ministry here in the northeast takes all their profit and gives it to church planters. That ministry was able to give $900 to each church planter. If churches all across America would catch the vision of working together instead of focusing on impressing others with big numbers... Don't misunderstand, each number is a soul, and God allowed the numbers being added to the church to be given in the Bible, but too many churches are focused on just building their church instead of helping build many churches. The churches in the Bible that were the most successful were the churches that gave to help other churches and sent out missionaries and pastors to start more churches.

I will be reaching out to some Christian schools which I have already contacted to set a time to come and share my ministry with their students. I will also be setting a date to speak at one Christian college, and I am waiting to hear back from two other colleges. Please pray that God will use my experience to encourage others to go out and help missionaries.

Please keep my baby cousin Mycah in prayer. His heart surgery does not seem to be working properly, and the doctors are not sure if he can hold up under any other surgeries right now. Pray that God will do a miracle to allow the oxygen saturation to stabilize.

Valentine's Day

Today is the day set aside for couples to express their love. I'm glad my parents have loved each other through the good and bad times for 37 years. Love isn't a feeling. It's an action. It is an on purpose choice of one person serving another's need. It is not always reciprocated, and that is where sacrificial love comes into play. Each person is created in the image of God. Goď is love. If we are to be like Christ, then we must love in all our relationships even when love is not returned.

This month has been a little hectic because my mom went in the hospital twice. In the end, it was determined she has high blood pressure. We are thankful it is not more serious.

One of the girls in our church had brain surgery on a tumor. She is doing well, but please pray that the tumor does not grow back.

I have been contacted by two colleges about coming to share my ministry. I am now waiting for them to set the dates. Please pray that I can encourage more people to go short term to help missionaries.

Please continue to pray for our church, youth ministry, and puppet ministry. We are hoping to train our people in the puppet ministry so we can go to nursing homes...Pray also for the bus ministry. It has been so cold that we can only stay out a few minutes at a time. Pray that God will bless our efforts.

February!

January is already gone! How does time move so fast? I continue to stay busy with church work. I have 7 kids in my Sunday school class. We are beginning a prize earning contest, and the kids are excited.

We had our first puppet show on Sunday. This trial run showed us we need to have a microphone and a few other tweaks. Our goal is to get the kids ready to perform in nursing homes, VBS... We are also going to have the adults work with the puppets.

I have been in touch with several Christian colleges regarding speaking to their students and church members. Two colleges have contacted me back. Please pray that I can encourage more people to volunteer for short term missions.

My parents and I made an emergency trip to New York because one of my cousins was killed in a snowmobile accident. Please pray for the family and friends who were there and heard the Gospel. Pray especially for her husband who was responsible for the accident and has been charged with vehicular manslaughter.

This past Saturday my mom had an episode of tachycardia. She ended up in the hospital. Please pray that it is only stress causing this problem

Please continue to pray that we can find a house. Pray for my baby cousin Mycah. He finally had is Glenn heart surgery, but he is still having complications. He is 7 months old and has never been home yet. Our family also has several unspoken requests.

Holidays and a New Year

A whole month has passed since my last post. Christmas and New Year's were a busy time for my family. We celebrated Christmas with my sister and her family. I was surprised that even though I live in Maine, we did not have a white Christmas. Several of my siblings and I carried on the family tradition of quoting Luke 2:1-7. I hope we never forget to do this, and I hope that the next generation continues it.

After arriving home from my sister's in Iowa, I had one week to create scenes for our Christmas play, get the final script worked out... Although it was a simple, narrated program, with the kids walking on and off for each scene, the people seemed to really enjoy it. Hopefully next year we will have plenty of time for the kids to learn some of the parts, and we can create some more scenes.

We rang in the New Year with a night of games with our church people. It was a fun time of men versus women competitions. Afterwards, Mom, Dad, and I watched the ball drop in NY. It was a rainy night, so we did not have to worry about fireworks going off all night. New Year's Day, we watched the Old Orchard Beach Lobster Dip, basically a polar bear challenge, from our balcony. This is not something I will ever put on my bucket list.

Since December 1, we have been renting a nice apartment right on the coast. In the winter, the price of rentals goes down to affordable. It is a blessing to wake up every morning and see the beauty of the ocean. The colors change depending on the weather, and when it is warm enough, a walk along the beach ends up being a shell collecting trip.

This week, my sister and her family stayed with us for four days while her husband went to a church planting conference at Heartland Baptist College. I was able to take my nieces and nephew walking a few days, and my sister and I took a long walk as well. Mom and I drove three hours round trip to help drop them off. Tomorrow we will hopefully get back to a somewhat normal schedule.

We are prepping for a winter storm, and depending on the amount of snow, we may have to cancel church on Sunday. Pray for safety for all who will be affected by this storm. Pray that the contacts we make while soulwinning will come to church the next service we have.

We have had a number of visitors in church over the last few months. Some have returned, and a few families have joined. Pray that God will continue to bring the people He wants to build His church. We are working on several new programs for the kids ministry, including a puppet program. We also plan to start a couple of new classes. Pray for the spiritual growth of our church as well as the physical. Please pray for a new bus ministry push that God will provide workers and riders. There are several other needs for ministry leaders... for our church.

Just before Christmas, I sent out an email to several Christian colleges asking for the opportunity to present my missions ministry to their students. I have not heard back from any of them, so please pray that God will open the door for me to encourage more people to do what I do in helping missionary families.

My parents and I are hoping to make a visit to the ministry I helped in Puerto Rico. This is also my sending church. Please pray for good ticket prices and good weather when we go.

Prayer requests:

My sister Janna-pituitary tumor
Cousin Mycah- 5 mos. old getting ready for second scheduled heart surgery after a long series of infections which have postponed the surgery.