Dear Family and Friends In Christ,
The majesty and scope of God’s unspeakable gift to each of us make any reflections on His workings inadequate but inescapable this Christmas season. Mighty answers to so many of our last update prayer requests, however, demand a recognition of God’s wondrous grace and the vital role of your prayers in taking the “tidings of good news to all people.” (Luke 2:10)
The urgency of reaching Cocopah with the gospel at the earliest possible age was shockingly illustrated in the murder of 42 year old Keith by his drunken neighbor last month. Keith and his brother Daniel attended our first Bible clubs at ages 8 and 10, but only Daniel trusted the Lord young. He and his family have lived for Him in Phoenix while Keith and his wife followed suit on our reservation only after his salvation years later.
Keith and Diedra had no children of their own, and so provided a loving foster home to nine and thirteen year olds Ayden and Evan, two of the five children saved at this summer’s Apache Creek Youth Ranch.
PRAY for Diedra and the boy’s needs in their new home as you REJOICE in all the other youth’s return to church after initial bitter opposition by their parents.
Critical repairs of the bedraggled camp bus were completed at home in time for our November 1-3rd Native Revival, while daunting work began on the long distance bus in Yuma, December 18th. Funds, materials, and techs for these jobs comprised a wonder equaled only by 73 year old Millie’s recovery from consecutive near death bouts with pneumonia and Covid 19. Both occurred while experiencing acute liver failure.
Untold numbers, sizes, and types of gifts from food or housing to mammoth one time provisions for revival speakers and Christmas ministries buoyed us beyond November’s blessed Native revival and through this month’s opportune outreaches.
Our gratitude for provisions “beyond all we could ask or think” is further multiplied by your crowning these investments with prayer and thanksgiving to our Savior for the following:
Praises:
-Gospel witness and Christmas fruit bags to almost all three Cocopah Reservations’ homes.
-Gifts, the Gospel, and a call to holiness with a Christmas meal for 44 souls.
-Colossal repairs of our camp and small bus for local use and funds to begin rebuilding the only cruising bus this month.
-Miraculous return to the church of largely saved Phillips young people and Golding parents and children.
-Faithfulness and growth of Ramirez and Thomas households despite health and other trials.
-Saved North Reservation Cocopah attending Jacob and Lydia’s much closer church, when not attending ours.
-Full enthusiastic house for New Year’s Eve preaching and meal for all three reservations.
Petitions:
-Treatment of Millie’s lung disease and signs of dementia.
-Salvation of Brown, Miller, and White households and revival of Lopez and Twist’s.
-Possible Cocopah winter revival to save lives from February’s massive casino handouts.
-Dawn’s healing from recurrent respiratory infections and associated diabetic problems.
-Wisdom, strength, and laborers for God’s harvest fields.
Sincerest Love and Prayers for our Lord’s every blessing this New Year,
Michael and Dawn Veldhuis