Bits August

Would you care for a cup of tea? Sarah and Cindy Cook put on a couple of teas for the churches this month. Jeremiah and Cindy Cook visit us pretty much once a year and this last month they came for three weeks. Silverdale Baptist in Chattanooga, TN (where Cindy is on staff) holds an annual tea that reaches many in the community. She spoke on hospitality and used Ephesians, which we are preaching through in the churches. 

Jeremiah was able to speak four times at local police stations. He always prays for their protection and wisdom as they make decisions. It is neat to serve local law enforcement in some way. 

We also had another family, the Derksons, visit for a week at the beginning of the month. They take their kids on international trips once in their teens so that they get a different perspective on the world. It was fun showing them around and they were an encouragement to us. They participated in our first gospel prayer meeting. We had a good group in Tupanatinga, who seemed to enjoy the different format. Later in the month, we had one in Arcoverde as well. We plan on having them monthly.

Since returning we have worked on leadership development. Part of that is holding modules. This month we did the module “Processing Life Biblically.” We had a good group for that and significant interaction. We have also started book clubs this month. In a couple of days, we will have a meeting with most of our leaders in Arcoverde to do some vision casting for the future. Please pray as we shoot towards strengthening a team leadership culture. The Bible shows the need for a plurality of leadership and we want that to practically play out well. 

A couple of weeks ago I started experiencing some weird symptoms. Last week my face broke out and we discovered I have shingles. It has been painful and unfortunately, it is a virus that takes some time to get over. Please pray that they will go away soon! According to a lot of sources, they are a result of stress. That is disappointing for me as I don’t want to admit stress levels. Pray that I can find a good healthy balance here that doesn’t result in any more shingles!

The girls are doing well in school and church. Evie starts teaching another Bible study for Anna Claire and her friends next week. Thank you for your prayers and support! We feel very blessed!

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah and our tea photographer, and our kitty cat lover