Dear Friends in Christ,
After the New Year celebrations, things slow down until Easter. It seems the snow and cold temperatures keep people inside and close to home. This is a good time for us to take care of health needs: dental, eyes, hearing…and annual physicals. We were thankful to get good reports as health problems tend to slow us down and hinder us from serving.
At the end of January, we did have a concerning problem. The dentist saw a white spot on Janet’s tongue and wanted a biopsy done. When we looked into it, none of the local oral surgeons, accepted by our insurance, did biopsies-so we made it a matter of prayer and slowly that spot reduced and is now no longer visible! Janet has had more opportunities to speak this year and a sore tongue would have been a definite hindrance. It was also a good reminder that praying is effective as we saw the Great Physician healing! Though you may not have been aware of the problem-thank you for your prayers for us!
Now that spring is starting, our schedule is starting to fill up. Next month, Sam is flying to Thorne Bay, Alaska with 4 teens (and the dad of two of them) from Flagstaff to work on the radio station. They will help bring lumber & supplies for the men coming in late July-early August . After returning home to AZ., Sam is to speak at the annual Navajo Family Bible Camp for a week and then drive back up to Thorne Bay for the next work team. This time, he will be driving and using the ferry out of Bellingham, WA, as he has things to transport for the project and had planned to take up on the first trip, but the ferry is out of service for repairs and the ship taking on the extra passengers, doesn’t have space for the extra vehicles.
If you remember, last year he had planned to drive but the Lord had other plans. Not only did we have truck problems, but the ship was again in dry dock for repairs and his reservation was cancelled at the last minute. Please pray with us as we make plans for this summer that all will come together. We are so glad that God is the one in control and not men.
Also continue to pray for the radio station project:
-for costs of supplies to be reasonable and within our budget
-for the electrical needs
-for the future missionary to man the station
(We are not yet ready for this man, but still need to pray as God prepares him for this position, even now.)
It won’t be long and the students, at the Northern Arizona School of the Bible, will be taking final exams. This has been a great opportunity and we are thankful for the faithful attendance of most of the students. Knowledge of God and the Scriptures is beneficial –no matter where God wants you to serve. It may not be in the capacity of what we consider “full-time Christian ministry”, but in reality we, as Believers, are all in full time service to God. It is good to know the Bible and be able to serve Him in whatever place He puts us.
Janet is still visiting in the “Adult Residential Home”. Once a month, she is doing a Bible Reading time with several of the residents and on the other weeks visits with a lady that has been a help over the years as an interpreter for Janet. She also has some speaking engagements scheduled as a ladies’ tea in May and a bridal shower in June. Please pray for her as she prepares for these opportunities to serve.
Janet still teaches 2 piano students (though one plans to leave in the fall for Bible College), and Sam is still teaching leather craft to a couple of young men. Pray as we interact with them to talk to them about the Lord. One does not know the Lord as Saviour and we want to encourage the others to see their lives in service to Him.
Thank you to each of you for your prayers and help in our ministry.
II Cor. 2:11 “Ye also helping together by prayer for us.”
In Christ,
Sam & Janet Grammer