Jan 2019
Dear Friends in Christ,
The Week-end before Christmas, Sam was privileged to preach at Inscription House at the T’saa Biiliin church and then enjoy their special Christmas dinner and program. The songs were arranged by one of their own members and they did a great job. It was a joy to be invited to join them.
Sam makes and repairs saddles and tack and has various Scripture verses on the walls of his workshop. Most of the cowboys that come in already know he is a preacher but the need for his help brings them in anyways. Sometimes doors are open and sometimes closed to tell them of the Gospel of salvation or even give them a free Bible to read. Just before Christmas, one cowboy prayed and accepted God’s gift of salvation. A good way to end the year!
( Pray for Alonzo to bring his family to church and grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. (I Pet. 3:18) So far, holiday activities, bad weather and now sickness, have kept them away.)
The first week of 2019 has been a bit more difficult. On Jan 1, a dear brother in Christ, one of the leaders of the church when we were pastoring in Tuba City, had a heart attack and left us. On Jan 3, another brother in Christ (from the church in Flagstaff where we attend when we are in town) was involved in a road accident and went Home to be with our Lord.
Then, on Jan 7, we went to the hospital to encourage a couple as the husband went into surgery. Later that day, we received a call from one of our daughters that our grandson was going into surgery. His left index finger had an encounter with a table saw and severed the bone at the joint. They were told at the hospital that the best hand-surgeon just “happened” to be in the hospital at that time! It took 4 hrs of surgery but Nate’s finger was re-attached and the joint wired . He will never bend that finger again, but should have feeling in it and is now on the road to recovery.
We can focus on the emotional and physical pain of each of these events, or we can rejoice: #1-Both Charlie and Bob had “fought the fight and finished the course and kept the faith” (II Tim. 4:7) and now enjoying the presence of God in Heaven!
#2-There were several that responded at Bob’s memorial that they wanted Christ as their Saviour! Death is always a reminder to the living that we need to be ready and use this life to praise God.
#3-We are thankful for modern technology and skilled Doctors that God uses to repair damaged bodies.
#4- Best of all-We have a God who was not surprised by these events, but had a plan for each of these men. He is fully in Control! A very good reminder as we enter a new year!
II Cor. 2:11 “Ye also helping together by prayer for us.”
In Christ,
Sam & Janet Grammer