It is with so much joy and excitement that we announce the engagement of our Sara to Eric! Eric is a godly man and we are so thankful for such a great guy for Sara. God has clearly led them together and guided them in their relationship, and when Eric got down on one knee and proposed to Sara, she said yes!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
It has been two years since we were in Pickle Lake! This year we went back to join our friends the Rassmussens as they and their church family hosted gospel meetings to reach the community. Here are some pictures!
it’s a beautiful drive through Ontario
designing a banner to hang in the community hall
the faithful sandwich makers
Mr. Rassmussen
the Rassmussen ladies sang beautifully
Gary Quequish was the speaker
Over the course of the weekend, we were aware of two people who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior! One of them does not live in Pickle Lake but was in town and came to the meeting that night. Praise God for the salvation of these souls! When people hear the gospel, you never know if a seed is being planted or watered, or if a harvest might happen!
The Rassmussens put so much of themselves into this weekend…they are such faithful servants. Pray for them as they minister in Pickle Lake.
and our time here almost wouldn’t be complete without a big game of Canadian bowling in Pickle Lake’s two-lane bowling alley
That wraps up our winter ministry travels. Now we are enjoying Minnesota spring…sunshine, warm temperatures, green leaves, and singing birds! So thankful for God’s goodness to us every day.
All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Psalm 86:9-10 NKJV
A report from our prison ministry opportunities earlier this year!
In Alabama, two of the prisons we went to were ones we’d never been to before. For one of those, we were paired up with the same evangelist we went with into our very first prison ever (which was a women’s prison). For the other, we went in with the evangelist who had gone with us into our very first men’s prison. It brought back sweet memories from the past. This year we also got to go back to a women’s prison and a women’s home we’ve been to in the past.
It’s always encouraging to see how God is working every night during the services, whether that is shown by tears, smiles, people joyfully singing along, or responding to an invitation. No two nights are the same.
lunch outdoors in January…we can’t do this at home!
Something that is always neat to experience is when inmates gather together with us and the other volunteers to pray before the service. What a testimony of the power of Jesus Christ…He changes people’s lives! Wish we could show you pictures, but cameras are not allowed.
volunteers gathering for worship, prep and prayer
One day in SC we girls were able to go into a women’s prison earlier in the day with the other volunteers to play volleyball with the inmates. It was the first time we had done anything like this and it was neat to be able to meet and interact with some of the women before the service that evening. We were going to have to go back to the gate when the rest of our family arrived, and by that time it had begun to rain…hard. It was pouring and blowing so intensely while we were unloading the van that one gust of wind blew enough rain into our clothes to be able to wring them out. Normally, protocol at prison is to calmly unload, but under these circumstances we were scrambling, getting everything inside as quickly as possible to save it from the torrents. (It’s one of those things we found amusing later.) The prison staff were so helpful and gracious, and although they didn’t know if we would be able to hold the service that night due to the severe weather, they gave us a room to wait in. And we prayed. After a while, the rain let up enough for us to make the move to the gym, and the service was able to happen. Many women responded to the message from God’s Word that night. We are so thankful the rain was only a delay!
what was left of our umbrella
After we were finished in South Carolina, we were heading to Mississippi and went out for dinner on our way back through Alabama. We got to talking with the waitress and told her what we had been doing the past couple of weeks, and she couldn’t believe it…she had once been in prison herself, but she had come to know Jesus and is working on starting a ministry for women. Needless to say, we were all encouraged by “running into” each other!
Praise God for all that He is accomplishing inside and outside prison fences.
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:7 NKJV