September 2015
Dear Friends in Christ,
God plans our schedule for us and often we travel on week-ends to minister in different Churches on the Navajo Reservation. For a few weeks, we found ourselves in Flagstaff and asked the Lord to provide opportunities to give out His Word. Recently, a Navajo lady brought her mom to Flagstaff to see a family member that had been air-lifted to our local hospital overnight with a stroke. They stopped for supper and we had time to visit and tell the older woman how salvation was freely offered her through faith in Christ. Much was interpreted by her daughter who has been praying for the salvation of her parents and this stroke has intensified her concern. The message was given, but as the younger lady said, “She doesn’t seem to understand the concept of her need yet.” We are still praying for her salvation. We were reminded that God does hear our prayers and He will answer, though not always as we expect Him to. God brought the opportunity to give out His Word right here at our kitchen table.
Col 4:3 “Praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”
We live in a city where folks from the Reservation often come for business, hospital visits, shopping, etc. and we never know when we will have surprise guests. One day this past month, we had 17 show up for a meal (total of 19 at the table) . They weren’t being rude. Saw them in town and invited them and then hurried home to see what we could feed them! We all laughed because this same family surprised us when we were living in Colorado almost 30 years ago, and we put them up overnight. Thankfully, we had a gym at the Bible School where we were working, so plenty of room for them to spread out sleeping bags. That time there were a total of 27 that joined our family of 8. At times like these, you just remember that God is in control and will provide what is needed, then you enjoy the time and the memories it will make. If they wait another 30 years, it may well be in glory with our Lord! Thank you to those of you who opened their homes to our family of 8-sometimes without much notice.
Please continue to pray as we wait to hear more information regarding the Bible Institute program that Pastor Billy wants to begin in Navajo churches. We are excited about this possibility and praying that it will come about.
At present, Janet has 7 piano students. 6 of them are Navajos that attend churches in need of piano players and we are training with that in mind. Most of them are already playing specials and offertories in the home church and hopefully, by the end of the year, we will have some of them ready to play for congregational singing as well. The 7th student is a neighbor girl (10 yrs ?) from a Mormon family, so the teaching is not geared to how to use your music to serve God. Please pray that this may be a door to talk to both the student and Mom about God. Pray for the right words to say at the right time and to be ready to recognize whenever the Holy Spirit opens the door with this young life.
Thank you to each of you for your gifts that you send so faithfully, but especially for your prayers. We know that many of you keep a list of our requests and pray with and for us throughout the month.
Thank you.
In Christ,
Sam & Janet Grammer
II Cor. 2:11 “Ye also helping together by prayer for us.”