Surprise at 75!

It was the morning of my (Steve's) 75th birthday, and Heather peeked in my office and asked if I could open my zoom account on my computer? "Yes, but what for?" I answered, still in wake up mode. I opened my zoom account and there on the screen were friends from the past zooming onto my screen. 

When we started a church in the Philippines 30+ years ago there were a number of young people just graduating high school that joined our fledgling youth group. Before my eyes several appeared in adult form. Humphrey, now teaches high school science in Brazil at a Christian high school. He said "you came to the Philippines and brought the Gospel to us, now we are bringing the Gospel to families in Brazil". 

Melo (upper right) joined the US Navy and has been deployed around the world. She recently married and lives in Northern Virginia, about a 6 hr. drive from us in Tennessee. Others still live in Gappal and attend the Filipino church we started.

Many others popped in from around the world to remind these aging missionaries that the Gospel is the gift that keeps on giving and keeps on reaching out into our needy world. Our hearts are full with the testimonies of those whose lives we have impacted. Thank you for all the birthday wishes that flowed in from all points of the globe! 

Prayer Requests: 

1. Pray for Alberta and her co-facilitators as there were some snafus in communication for the first session of their current training. They were able to adjust to meet the needs and begin anew next week. 

2. Pray for me (Steve) as I facilitate a new men's meeting here in Johnson City. We had three guys at our first get together and we hope to have 5 on March 22. 

3. Pray for Beth, our missionary house guest as she canvasses NE Tennessee - to possibly settle here after 42 years of missionary service with TEAM. Housing, social security, health insurance, moving from missionary support to other sources of income - all daunting tasks for someone who has lived outside of the US for long stretches of time. 

Serving Christ with You, Steve and Alberta