Winding Down and Counting Down

It’s interesting how two moves have come about at the same time.  It had been our most recent plan to be out of our house by the end of June.  Now it happened that my mother’s mobile home just sold recently and, as we had talked about for some time, she was to move into my sister’s home.  She will be 89 in July and we didn't want her to be alone.  Last year my sister’s husband converted two bedrooms and a bath in their home into a small apartment.  On Monday we all got together and moved my mom out, furniture and all.  She had been in that mobile home, originally with my father, for 23 years.  There was sure a lot of stuff.  So now a huge yard sale needs to happen..…. and now I can concentrate on getting “our” bags packed.  No boxes for us this time, just a bunch of suitcases.

At the same time, we have been counting down to meeting our financial goal.  On the 21st, we launched a 10 day campaign to reach 10K that our budget for Argentina was still lacking.  (We did a short home video that we posted to fb).  Thanks to those who have responded.  You are helping us chip away at this mountain (which is shrinking by faith every day) that is standing between us and Argentina!  This is the bigger challenge.  We’re also trying to reign in the last of the monthly pledges needed to complete our ongoing monthly support.  We only lack a few more pledges to wrap up this part of the fundraising.  If you’d like to make a donation to our ministry, here are a couple links.  For one time or occasional gifts, go to:  http://s1.ag.org/give2ech.  For ongoing monthly support, go to    https://secure3.ag.org/AGWMCommitForm. Any amount gets us closer to reaching our goal!
Also, we have a fairly new website that our daughter made for us.  Check it out:  eefamily.org.  From there it is easy to send us an email message and say hello.  Our hearts are committed to making our God known.  He has called us to do this by training up others who know Him and who also have a passion to make him known.  Like these 24 who graduated last December.  

Just think how many lives will be touched by each of these prepared servants of God.  80% of our graduates are actively involved in ministry.  Some are pastors, some are church planters, some are missionaries, and some are in ministry in their home churches.  

Thank you for investing in our ministry which, in turn, is an investment in preparing lives who will reach and disciple other lives for the Kingdom of God! 

Some Personal News

Eddie had his appointment at the Stanford Pain Clinic last week and was told that his situation was unique and that he may be a candidate for a surgical procedure.  The doctor referred his case to a neurosurgeon who was to review the case and then get back to Eddie.  We are thanking God that today Eddie received a call and an appointment was set to meet with the neurosurgeon at the end of this month.  At that time we will know more clearly what his prognosis is and whether a surgical procedure can be done or if he will remain on medication.  We are anxious to hear what the neurosurgeon will have to say.  In the mean time we will continue to work and prepare to return to Argentina as soon as we can.

Last Wednesday my mother and I made it back from our quick trip to Phoenix.  The home going services for my Aunt Lucy were beautiful.  There was much singing and even special songs sung by my cousins and other family members.  It was good to see family that we hadn’t seen in years.  My mom’s side of the family is very musical and my Aunt Lucy’s family is the most musical of them all.  I will miss her lovely, angelic voice.  I’m glad she recorded a couple of CD’s so she can still encourage friends and family through her music.

Yesterday, just ten days later, my Aunt Martha joined my Aunt Lucy in heaven.  While in Phoenix we visited her in the hospital and although she was weak, she was able to receive many guests and even laugh as stories were shared from their childhood.  Above, my mom shares a picture of her grandchildren with her younger sister.  There were eleven siblings in both my mother’s and my father’s families.  Several are no longer with us.  It is hard to believe we were just together with her last week and now she is gone.  Although I did not see my Aunts very often, their great faith encouraged my life and I will miss them.

Moving Near and Far

We are in the last weeks of our time here in the states.  This means preparing both physically and emotionally for the move that is just around the corner. . . again.  This means packing and preparing our hearts for another season of working and watching what God will do during this next term we will spend in Argentina.  As I write this, I smile looking to the future and knowing God is going to do great things.  What a joy it is just to think about all He has done already.  An institute has risen up on a beautiful piece of property and lives have been growing both intellectually and spiritually as young and old alike have obeyed the call of God on their lives to devote a period of time at the Patagonian Bible Institute.  And now we have been there long enough to see the alumni pastoring, planting churches, teaching, and even serving as missionaries in other parts of the world.

The Bible School is also providing ongoing education to our graduates, as well as to pastors (some of which are our graduates) and our professors (and again, some are our alumni).

This past weekend many of these have gathered for an educational conference at the Patagonian Bible Institute.  Above is a picture of the group who are leading and playing in the worship band . . . all previous students who are in the ministry.

In addition to those leading worship, seated are more who came because they want to be better equipped for the work they are doing wherever they are.  In total there were 52 in attendance. There is much hunger for learning among the believers in Argentina and it is great to be able to offer these ongoing educational opportunities to them.

Things Going OK and Things Unexpected

We continue to keep busy trying to raise the remainder of our funds so that we can be given the thumbs up and purchase our plane tickets.  Trusting it will be soon.  Jeremy was released from UCSF with the doctors not discovering anything during his stay.  Not what we wanted to hear but then that’s better than hearing they found something bad, like a tumor or some other illness.  Thank you, Jesus!  For now the doctors decided to change Jeremy’s medication, saying that the side effects, like weight gain, are not good and can lead to other negative consequences.  We are glad for that.

Yesterday, both Jeremy and Felicia left on a mission trip to Ireland.  They were very excited as this is their first trip to a region other than Latin America and they’ve been looking forward to it for several months. They will be ministering with Global Passion Ministries to the children of Cork, Ireland.  This morning they arrived in Amsterdam, where they enjoyed their all day lay over before flying out in the evening for Ireland.  Thanks to all those who have helped them raise their funds for this trip.  It truly is an investment in lives for the Kingdom of God.

On a sadder note, my Aunt Lucy, my mom’s sister, passed away last week and I (Diana) will be accompanying my mom to Phoenix tomorrow for Aunt Lucy’s celebration of life service and funeral.  Overall, in this area, it has been kind of a somber time at “home”.  My mom lost her second brother last year, her brother Jesse.  I accompanied her to Denver for his funeral.  This year my Aunt Lil passed.  She was one of my late father’s sisters.  Also, we just learned yesterday that my mom’s sister Martha is very ill with the last stages of congestive heart failure.  She lives in Phoenix so we hope to be able to visit her.  

The one thing I can say that makes all the difference is that these precious ones are believers in Jesus Christ and have the hope of heaven and we have the hope that one day we will see them again.  It is not a “Good-bye”, but a “We’ll see you again one day soon!”

One of my favorite passages of scripture is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  The first two verses say, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”