Dear Co-laborers in Christ,
Folded but unmailed updates as far back as June together with repeatedly delayed R&R of any sort or building and vehicle repairs bespeak the priority of Cocopah ministries over almost anything else in our lives. Thankfully, untimely correspondence on our part could not jeopardize your faithful enabling any more than it could detract from our gratitude.
Your grace and understanding in accepting these updates or e-mails as personal tokens of gratitude are doubly appreciated as that is how we view your truly sacrificial gifts and prayers!
Bless the Lord and each of you for the insurance coverage and advanced neuro / cardiac tests that easily surpassed new federal requirements and restored my C.D.L. just in time for Neighborhood Bible Time, June 12-17.
PTL for rewarding our N.B.T. evangelists and Heritage and Maranatha Baptist’s help with spiritually hungry natives of all ages despite closed doors at the tribal youth home and chaos in several families! How grateful we are for formally disinterested 13 year old, Jared’s profession of faith, as well as for Lilly, Tyler, and others’ assurance or rededication decisions. New contacts with Octavia’s 3 children and other grade schoolers swelled the ranks of Sunday school and Bro. Rick and Mary Francis Hastrich’s Wednesday King’s Kids club.
Spiritual victories, however, were not without great battles or casualties. Eighteen year olds Adolfo and Lyetha had to be taken home from the Bill Rice West Branch teen camp for misbehaving while 14 year old Tyrus spent the week in detention on drug charges. PRAY Tyrus will truly sell out to the Lord through rehabilitation in Nevada. PRAY Adolfo and Lyetha’s return to church will lead to true conversions for both of them.
All six West Branch junior campers surrendered different areas of their lives to the Lord during their July 5-9, 2016 camp week after earlier professions of faith here. BLESS the Lord for fruit and safety throughout the 300 mile trip there as well the 600 mile one to Apache Creek camp August, 1-5! Eric and Felipe, adult men, and I profited much from “Indian Week” with primarily Navajo preachers.
Pray for these Native evangelists’ time off work and their and our preparations for our annual camp meeting at our church, November 3-5, 2016. PRAY for true conversions or revival of Alex, Alexis, Arturo, Ashley, Bernice, Carlos, Daren, Darnel, Edward, George, Jessica, Laura, Lorie, Lydia S., Millie, Monique, Ricky, Tony, Wanda, and other Alvanez, Alvarez, Hayes, Phillips, Sereno, Soto, and Thomas family members.
PRAY also for remaining preparations for this fall’s most singular event to us: our daughter Lydia’s wedding to Jacob Jones, originally of Brawley, California. The wedding is at 3:00pm, October 15th at Faith Baptist Church here in Yuma. In the interim Lydia is staying with a couple from Jacob’s church in Gilbert, AZ. This allows her to help Jacob in his church’s bus ministry and to start her teaching job there prior to their wedding.
Time and work largely reversed the gains of Lydia’s April eye surgery and made teaching and driving more difficult. PRAY her neurologist and eye surgeon will correctly assess the roll of her cerebral palsy in this and determine the value of further surgery. P.T.L. the dangerous heart catheterization to monitor her Pulmonary Hypertension went well and showed cardio/pulmonary improvement. This was extremely encouraging in view of the termination of her therapy months ago and the difficulty keeping health insurance coverage for her enormously expensive daily meds.
Silas is also away from home, though living in Yuma while finishing his bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University and teaching welding at Arizona Western College. He still plays the piano for church and helps with church projects when his schedule permits. Pray for direction regarding a six month internship in robotic welding design near Chicago after his graduation from N.A.U., December 2016.
The Hastrichs added many of Silas and Lydia’s church responsibilities to their own, but cannot also monitor bus and van pickups. PRAY for Godly helpers from within the church and strength and wisdom for each of us.
Brother Rick and his wife Mary Francis will carry on Cocopah ministries here November 8-15 so Dawn can accompany me to Treasure Valley Baptist Church’s mission conference for the first time since Lydia and Silas were grade schoolers.
Your sacrifices and prayers for each of us and the needs mentioned are a lifeline and conduit of God’s blessings we never take for granted (Romans 15: 30).
BLESSINGS:
• Karen and several family members’ move back to the reservation and return to church.
• King’s Kids’ growth and excitement bringing cousins and friends to meetings.
• Successful repair of fuel pump and computer problems in our most used van and bus.
• Strength, safety, and provisions for summer’s grueling ministries.
• Better control of Dawn’s diabetes, vasculitis, and neck bone spur pain.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• The mental, physical, and spiritual health of Ashley, Bernice, Edward, Ricky, Tony and abused foster children.
• Tyrus and his mother, Lorie’s detention needs and return to the Lord.
• Comfort for the Evanston, Phillips, and Thomas families over deaths this summer.
• Lasting fruit from our November 3-5, 2016 native camp meeting at our church.
• The Hastrichs’ work here during our November 9-13 mission conference in Boise, Idaho.
Gratefully and Prayerfully Yours,
Michael, Dawn, Lydia, and Silas Veldhuis