“Transformational leaders don’t start by denying the world around them. Instead, they describe a future they’d like to create instead.” – Seth Godin
I love this quote because it aptly describes what we are trying to accomplish in Italy.
How much does Jesus ask from his followers? Everything.
Meet Adoniram Judson. As Nathan Busenitz points out in The Cripplegate:
“Adoniram Judson and his family made enormous sacrifices for the sake of the gospel. From a worldly perspective, some might argue that they wasted their lives. They moved far away from the comforts of his North American roots; endured the pain of rejection, hunger, torture, and loss; and did all of this to bring good news to a largely antagonistic and indifferent audience.
Looking back, of course, we see that Judson’s efforts were not in vain. His translation of the Bible is still used in Myanmar today, and his spiritual legacy continues to bear fruit. In 1993, the head of the Myanmar Evangelical Fellowship stated, “Today, there are 6 million Christians in Myanmar, and every one of us trace our spiritual heritage to one man—the Reverend Adoniram Judson.”
What is God asking of you?
For the entire article read here: A Life Not Wasted: Adoniram Judson | the Cripplegate.
As we reach the half-way mark of our furlough, we are grateful to all that God has done through us and the blessings we have received.
We have re-cast the vision of all that God is doing in over twenty churches, plus visiting many individual partners.
One of the fun part of our travels has been to visit fun and interesting places. On our recent trip to Massachusetts, we made two interesting discoveries.
How could we pass off an opportunity to visit a town actually called Whitman?
It turns out that it is kind of a scary town (There was an abduction the day we were there!). But historically, it is home of one of the greatest American inventions: the chocolate chip cookie!
Wightman Family Graves. In the forefront, Timothy Wightman and his wife.
On our way from New York City to Massachusetts, we stopped at an old cemetery outside Groton, Connecticut, near where there used to be a Baptist church. The plaque on the cemetery claims that it was the first Baptist church in Connecticut.
The interesting thing is that this church and cemetery were founded by Valentine Wightman, a Baptist pastor whose father was an immigrant from England.
Monument to the Reverends Valentine, Timothy and John Gano Wightman
Valentine’s son and grandson also became pastors of the same church.
Their tombs and their lives remind me of the great heritage our family has had for many centuries in Christ. In Paul’s words: “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience” (2 Tim. 1:3 ESV)
Thank you for your continued prayers, and we look forward to sharing more blessings with you as we head into the second half of our time here in America.
Thank you for your prayers. Because so many have asked, I have thought it wise to let you know how God is working in our lives regarding the recently found carnoma.
The Plan
On Thursday August 23rd, I (Jon) met with my specialist in Grand Rapids.
Because the carcinoma was successfully removed, he suggests to continue regular checkups without doing unnecessary radiation therapy.
Please pray that I will be able to convince the doctors in Italy to have me seen more often. At the moment they are only seeing me every six months, but the doctor recommends I be checked every two months.
My speaking and playing engagements have all gone very well, despite the discomfort in the mouth. In fact, I dare say that the Sunday after my surgery, in Stevensville, MI was one of the more accepted presentations!
God is good!
Thank you for being willing to come along with us on this exciting (and frightful) ride.
God most often uses our weaknesses more than our strengths.
Thank you for your prayers regarding my recent health issues.
As many of you know, Monday I went in to have the sore in my mouth checked and the doctor decided to remove it on the spot.
Last night late we received the call from the doctor with the results of my biopsy.
The biopsy indeed found some cancerous cells, but by God’s grace they were removed intact, and they are considered “in situ”, which means that they were not yet a threat to the surrounding tissue.
Certainly we would have preferred a totally clean bill of health, but we thank the Lord for “good bad news”. There are more questions that will need to be asked regarding follow-up and possibly treatment, but we take the small blessings and trust God for the future.
Pray especially for us as we meet with the doctor to determine the next steps.
We will be on the road again next week to complete our visit of friends and supporters out east.
Pray that my tongue will heal enough to be able to speak this Sunday evening and in the following weeks.
Thank you for for your prayers and encouragement.
