Pray that their sole dependence would be in God alone. That God would calm John’s heart that he wouldn’t fight the nurses that are trying to help him. He has Alzheimer’s and sometimes he can fight quite a bit.
Our pastor is being called to be a missionary with the North American Mission Board (NAMB) in Northeastern Iowa. For Thelma this reality causes fear because pastor Mike comes and visits her and John often. The next pastor that our church is praying for will be a bi-vocational pastor (Lord willing). There is fear that the next pastor won't be able to visit them. John doesn’t remember or know pastor Mike often times because of his disease, but Mike was reading Isaiah 55 with John recently and John picked up and started quoting the verse word for word as Mike was reading. What a sweet and gracious providence of God that he has truly written His word on John’s heart even when his mind is leaving him.
Pray that the church would surround them and support them in their need. Pray that they might be a witness to the glory of God to their neighbors, doctors, friends, and family.
We were at Thelma’s house the other night just talking and praying. We were looking at pictures of when they were young. It was great, amazing, and humbling. We are just as they were: young, smiling, vibrant, etc. How quickly time flies…and now she is 87 years old. When I was baptized a few months ago Thelma’s the one that was rejoicing with me and telling me that she was baptized at age 69.
Please pray for John & Thelma. They are beloved saints in the Lord.
In Christ,
Noah
In honor of John here is Isaiah 55:
The Compassion of the Lord
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” [ESV]
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