Archive for June, 2010

We’re in Notch Hill, a rural area just out of Sorrento, BC, three miles from Shuswap Lake and 20 minutes from Salmon Arm. We attend a small independent church in Chase, 20 miles west of Notch Hill. Lennie just retired from the medical clinic in Chase, so life is going to be a lot different for us. Pray for us, especially Lennie as she adjusts to the loss of a position she really enjoyed. Lennie is also responsible for the donations and receipting portion of the Canadian office and for processing the bulk of Village Missions mail, which now comes to our home. Praise God for answered prayer. We don’t take our safety on the road for granted; God grants us protection every day. Praise Him for His financial supply for VM. Pray for more missionaries – we have 6 fields waiting for leadership, which puts a burden on me (Roy) as I talk with these boards. Pray we would be godly leaders, ministering grace and encouragement to the missionaries we serve.

Executive Director, Brian Wechsler, shared these praises and prayers:

Praise God for the opportunity that Carole and I had to attend the 60th anniversary of Fernwood Community Bible Church (Fernwood, ID) being served by Village Missions. This is our home church, which we began attending as newlyweds and I (Brian) was a new believer. I hope to have a link to pictures on my blog soon.

Praise God for His financial provision for Village Missions. We will be ending our fiscal year (June) in the black. I praise the Lord for all those who are partners with us in keeping country churches alive.

Because of the improved financial position, The U.S. Board of Village Missions voted to raise the minimum base salary of Village Missionaries $50, to $1700 a month. At least initially, this may require approximately $5,000 per month in salary supplement provided by Village Missions. Please ask God to provide these additional funds.

“The Anniversary that Almost Wasn’t” is the story of how Village Missions helped Liberty Chapel in North Montgomery County, Indiana. You can find links to pictures of the celebration, as well as some video taken at Brian’s blog here.

Brian comments about what the oil spill reveals about morality in our world here.

Brian Wechsler shares these praises and prayers:

Carole and I praise the Lord for safety in travel over many miles and wonderful visits to fields and Village Missionaries. Over the last week we visited Allen and Diane Sparks and celebrated the 175th anniversary of Liberty Chapel in North Montgomery County, IN, visited with Village Missionaries from the Southwest District at their “Summer Connection” in Graeagle, CA, spoke at the Canadian Fund Raising Dinner in Red Deer, AB, visited Village Missionaries Sam and Mary Hayford at our field in Alder Flats, AB, and spoke Sunday morning at our field in Rich Valley, AB, where Chris and Naomi White serve.

We praise the Lord for a successful dinner in Red Deer; $18,100 was raised for Village Missions Canada. Although that is down from last year, it is still a substantial amount to help with our finances. Almost 100 people attended the dinner.

Carole and I will be visiting Fernwood, ID, this next weekend as the church celebrates its 60th anniversary of being served by Village Missions. Carole and I attended this church before God called us into the ministry. Pray for encouraging and strengthening time both of looking back and looking forward!

Tumalo is just a few miles NW of Bend, an area that is growing rapidly – at least it was before the economic downturn. We are between the Cascade Mountains and the High Desert, surrounded by opportunities for outdoor recreation. This brings lots of people to the region, creating opportunities to reach out. Tumalo itself has largely changed from rural to a bedroom community with everyone traveling to Bend or Redmond to work & play. This creates a community where people have few local social connections with one another; as a church we try to fill that niche. Pray that the new members and leaders in the church will continue to grow in the Lord and strengthen the church. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel in the community and to build relationships with the people. Pray that our recent fire in the Fellowship Hall will serve as an opportunity to be a witness to the community. Pray for my (Tim’s) health that I will be able to keep up with the ministry.

Southern VT is beautiful in the summer but has very hard winters. About 800 people live in West Halifax. Pray for our church family to grow together in the unity of the Lord and to learn to give Jesus Christ more & more of His rightful place of preeminence in their lives. Pray we’ll be a shining example of His truth and love in this community and that soon others will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Pray for our young people to not be influenced by the things of the world, but by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We would appreciate prayer for Brian and Carole Wechsler as they start a lengthy trip this Friday. Friday they fly to Indianapolis to help our field in Crawfordsville, IN, celebrate its 175th year anniversary. Read about the celebration at this link: http://www.jconline.com/article/20100605/LIFE07/6050308. Monday they then fly to Reno, NV, to attend the Village Missions Southwest Summer Connection at Graeagle, CA. They fly Thursday to Edmonton, AB, to speak at a Village Missions Donor Dinner in Red Deer and then Sunday Brian speaks at Rich Valley, AB, a Village Missions field. Please pray for safety, strength, and the ability to communicate.

Located in north central KS amid rolling hills, the primary occupation is farming, but as farms consolidate we have fewer and fewer people. There’s no industry in the county, so young people have to leave to find work. Formoso has lost 20% of its population since 2000. We praise the Lord that our people have a heart for the work here, and that we are “holding our own” in spite of the decline. Pray for our outreach ministry to the community. Praise the Lord that for 3 years in a row, the church has voted to increase the level of support for us.

Gold River is one of the most beautiful spots on earth! Really! When we first saw it 25 years ago, we were overwhelmed that God would privilege us to serve Him in such a glorious setting. Nestled in the Coastal Mountains, Gold River lies in a lush rain forest, receiving 100″ to 150″ of rain annually. That makes for lots of tall trees that supply the town’s main industry of logging. Some years ago we lost both the paper and pulp mills, and since then the town has struggled to develop a new financial base. We have hopes of a green energy power plant being built here which would supply a much needed boost to our economy, but the wheels of progress grind exceedingly slowly. Beneath the beauty surrounding our town lie a multitude of heartaches and needs, as most people here attempt to live their lives without knowing the God who created the mountains, rivers, trees, and lakes all around us. Over the years I’ve developed a very good relationship with most of our community and am looked on as the town’s unofficial pastor, being called on to officiate at numerous funerals, weddings, and events. I always make the Gospel crystal clear at these gatherings, and people respond very positively, but then most don’t go beyond that and actually get to know the God I talk about. Pray for a softening and convicting of hearts by the Holy Spirit, bringing many sons to glory. Also, please pray for our little congregation that sometimes struggles because of its size and limited resources.