Dear praying friends,
I suppose by the time this letter reaches you CHRISTmas will be over and the New Year will be upon us. The CHRISTmas season always holds great opportunity to reach people who are usually unapproachable concerning the things of the Lord. This year we have the opportunity to spend the CHRISTmas season in Tuktoyaktuk. We will be house sitting and will enjoy sharing Christ in the community by way of special services and hopefully some visits.
The 2040 window prayer initiative has already produced some results. Late October Bearing Precious Seed – Canada shipped a John and Romans to every household in the Northwest Territories! The staff emailed me in response to my last newsletter and was thrilled to be part of getting the truth to those NWT communities with little or no Gospel witness. Our efforts to evangelize the Western Arctic are always throttled by the exorbitant cost of travel. An adult return ticket to a fly in community such as Ulukhaktok (pop. 479) is $2,108.40. Paulatuk (pop. 341) demands $1,226.40 for return airfare and Sachs Harbour (pop. 135) a mere $1,526.00. Through the years Bro. Forney, myself and a few others have visited most of these communities and recently believers from our established ministries have delivered a witness in one form or another. But a consistent, faithful witness and church plant will most likely have to come from a God called local man. The 2040 window prayer initiative must include the prayer for laborers.
Lois traveled to Edmonton for an MRI to help diagnose her sensory input difficulties. A phone call from the Neurologist was good in that there were no tumors, cysts, blockages or evidence of stroke. We thank the Lord for this. She will meet with the Neurologist in January to see if there is anything else we can do to eliminate or at least lessen the debilitating results Lois experiences when she receives an overload of visual input or experiences something that taxes her inner ear when extra balance is needed. Travels on bumpy roads are a severe problem to Lois and we serve where bumpy roads, ice roads, and bumpy plane rides are a way of life. If this is the new normal for us, we will need much grace.
We have still not moved into the community of Tuk to live. I am waiting for the Lord to bring us there in His perfect timing. It seems no matter how long you have been a believer; waiting on the Lord is still a chore. Experience has taught me that waiting is still easier than undoing a bad choice. While we wait, I travel to Tuk each Sunday night and hold a worship service that is attended by around 20 people – give or take a few. The Lord has orchestrated some powerful services and I am absolutely positive the Lord is working. We shall reap if we faint not.
Thank you for the CHRISTmas offerings, gifts, correspondence and kindness. Our family is blessed and you are the vital part in His blessings being showered upon us. Your love for us is humbling and we thank God for such a faithful and engaged support family.
Steve and Lois Donley