Dear Co-laborers in Christ,
Despite repeated unfortunate delays with this update, we can only thank you and extol our God of all Grace for turning this Covid-19
“valley of Baca [weeping] into a well” of life (Psalm 84:6).
The promises of verses five and seven of this chapter further proved as true today as when first penned: “Blessed are they that
dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. They go from strength to strength…”
The year long closure of all three Cocopah reservations to any group ministries or Native pickups actually broadened and strengthened relationships through increased weekly personal visits. Parents were often happier than their largely foster children families for our constant supply of basic life needs, Bible DVDs and quizzes, school or activity packs, and tri-weekly live-streamed church services.
Bible studies and smaller group meetings with off-reservation Native families brought rich fellowship the world could never give those who looked elsewhere (1 John 2:17). Homebound Lydia S. blessed us similarly in town with news of her watching a Biblical Navajo evangelist after viewing our live-streamed services.
Salvador and Lorie were gloriously married March 5th in our church almost a year to the day of his conversion and Lorie’s re- surrender to the Lord the final night of our 2020 revival. They won custody of Lorie’s three nine to sixteen year-old children after his full time employment and both of their victory over longstanding substance abuse.
PRAY for the entire family’s huge health and housing needs as well as teenagers Lilly, Tyler, and Tyrus’s suicide attempts, gang activities, and lifetime imprisonment. Revival meetings late March at Heritage and Maranatha Baptist churches helped relieve these pressures and assuage the losses of Salvador’s probably unsaved aunt and Lorie’s last living Quechan sisters to the virus.
The re-opening of our tribe April 1st allowed us to take teens to the Bill Rice West Branch Teen Retreat, April 30th-May1st as well as to resume Jacob and Lydia’s monthly teen rally, April 9th. Dawn and I were blessed to update Central Baptist Church of Santa Ana, CA in person for the first time in ten years, April 7th and 8th!
Our dependence on your prayers and provisions for both physical and spiritual needs cannot be overemphasized or adequately recognized. Providential virtual miracles in recent weeks alone included:
- The spiritual hunger and joy throughout the teen retreat of Ayla and Phoenix, two girls from hardcore traditional and broken homes.
- Breakdown of our van before beginning the 720 mile round trip drive to the retreat.
- Protection from loss of control on mountain curves of the substitute van’s dangerously worn ball joints and steering components.
- Discovery of a bus fuel line leak spraying onto its’ hot manifold in time to prevent a fire.
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The means to cover a full set of tires and the myriad repairs of other vehicles for summer ministries.
Your prayers for “utterance and boldness in making known the Gospel” (Eph. 6:19) are tools we know and trust to turn these
petitions into eternal blessings.
PRAISES
- Parents increasingly sending children to Bible Clubs and church.
- Excitement of young people and parents about summer camps.
- Superb teen response to resumed Bible clubs and rallies.
- Jacob and Lydia’s completed full time deputation and help with the Cocopah beyond their recently begun Quechan work.
- Resumption of North Rez Bible clubs and church pickups (25 miles away).
- Michael’s good February cancer follow-up, a CDL physical, and successful March knee surgery. PETITIONS
- Young adult Casey’s salvation and huge physical and mental health needs.
- 12 year old Anthony, five siblings, and mother’s needs after the father’s fatal April heart attack.
- Souls saved and matured through Neighborhood Bible Time, June 14-18, and Bill Rice West Branch Junior and Teen Camps, June 21st-25th, and June 28th-July 2nd, 2021.
- Possible July Native Week at Apache Creek Deaf and Youth Camp in New Mexico.
- Each of our health, wisdom, and safety ‘midst summer’s grueling heat, sandstorms, and monsoon humidity. Heartfelt love and personal thanks for each one of your invaluable prayers and sacrifices. Sincerely In Christ, Michael and Dawn Veldhuis (II Cor. 9:8)