Greetings from New Mexico!

It was refreshing to spend some extra time in Pennsylvania over the Holidays. Isaiah and I were happy to meet new people and see faces we haven’t seen in a while. It was a pleasure to be able to speak in three different churches while we were in Pennsylvania: Cedar Grove BIC, Free Grace BIC, and Messiah Village. We were also able to visit with some of my side of the family and visit nostalgic places I haven’t been able to visit since moving to New Mexico 12 years ago.

After we returned home to the Mission, we picked up where we left off. Isaiah returned to work at the Southern Ute Detention Center, and I returned to work in the Mission’s School. It was wonderful to be back in the school with the staff and students. One of the teachers at Nizhoni became sick with walking pneumonia and then later with double lung pneumonia part way through January. I was able to substitute for her until the school’s spring break this march. All praise to God for healing her and allowing her to come back to teach again!

Isaiah also had some health issues in the month of February which landed him in the hospital for almost a week. Isaiah was admitted to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning of the 13th of February with a massive lump of pneumonia in his lower right lung which was septic. The hospital staff were able to control the septic infection with I.V. antibiotics. We sent out prayer requests to whoever we could think of to pray for Isaiah’s health. A few of our friends and Isaiah’s family were able to stop by the hospital to visit and help make his stay more pleasant. Isaiah was unable to work for two weeks after being released from the hospital. He was sent home on oxygen but was able to wean himself off of the oxygen in two weeks after his release from the Hospital. Isaiah was itching to get out of the house and go back to work by the time the doctor ordered two weeks of rest and recouperation were over. He was released to go back to work but only on light duty which consists of desk work. I am so thankful to God for allowing Isaiah to recover as quickly as he has from this bout of pneumonia.

Youth Night has been going well. We have begun a book study of the kid’s version of “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyice Myers. So far, we have learned how to recognize who we are viewing as our role models and what kind of influence they can have on us. We have also begun to learn how to capture our thoughts and test them to see if they are from God or if they are not and, how to deal with our thoughts if they are not from God.

The Mission had the pleasure of hosting three different mission teams in the month of March to do work projects and community outreach events. Two of the teams have been able to assist in the school with tutoring students. The other mission team was able to hold a two-day vacation bible school for all ages along with completing a few projects around the mission campus during their spring break. I am excited to see what the summer will hold with the fullest summer of mission teams we have had yet!

The Men’s Ministry Isaiah leads has been re-established here in the month of March. It is being held on Saturday mornings at 8am with breakfast for the men who attend. They are starting a study by Max Lucado titled “You’ll Get Through This”. In this study, the men will be learning about the life of Joseph and how his story can teach us how to trust in God. It is based on the verse in Genesis 50:20 which states, “What has been intended for harm, God has turned into good.”

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are grateful for willingness to share in how God is working in our lives and the lives of the people in our community.

Prayer Requests

• Please keep Isaiah’s health in your prayers. He has been recovering well but is not up to full strength yet and he will need to see a pulmonologist before being released to full duty work.
• Some of the students in Nizhoni are going through rough times in their homes. Please pray that God will continue to protect them and draw them towards him.
• As the end of the school year approaches, please pray that each of the teachers and students will be able to stay focused on their tasks and end the school year well.

How you can support us

If you would like to support the Mission in any way, you can visit the Mission’s website at www.navajobic.org or scan the QR codes below.