Ramsey prayer update

 

THE ECONOMY – it’s affecting all of us in different ways on different days.  It saddens and concerns us when we learn of friends losing their jobs or dealing with reduced income in their retirement years…I now find myself more interested in the Business section of the Sunday newspaper than the Front Page.  It appears that THE ECONOMY is affecting short term missions as well; as we wrote in our most recent prayer letter, the number of applicants we have for our Discovery teams is way down….and we are hearing it is a missions wide trend.  A November article in Mission Network News quoted Jerry Meadows with CURE International as saying, "This fiscal year we will experience at least a 10-percent decline in our numbers. That's primarily university students, that I would categorize as going on these trips more to learn for themselves about their career path or their calling from God."  Remember a few months ago when we were puzzling over why we had less trips available this year?  Now the question is whether we will be able to fill what we’ve got!  So here’s a couple of prayer requests we invite you to join in praying with us:

 

·         That those people whom God is nudging to go this year on a Discovery trip will not give in to fear but will move forward, in faith that if God is calling them to do this He will provide.

·         Wisdom for John and our supervisors to know what we should do if we still do not have enough applicants to fill our trips at the end of the month.  (One option might involve eliminating a trip, enabling us to have full enough trips to be financially viable.)

·         Pray for Rachel, one of the leaders of the Tanzania trip.  Rachel lives with her husband in Tanzania, and last Wednesday night she was badly bitten by one of the dogs at their home. She was stroking the dog and without any warning he suddenly attacked her. Her husband rushed her to the local hospital where the doctor spent 5 hours treating her and stitching the worst wounds.. The doctor has done a great job stitching the wounds and they should heal over time without any major problems but this will take many months and will leave some scarring.  Rachel has asked that we would please pray that God will continue to strengthen them each day as the mornings and days are easier than the nights. Her stomach has been upset lately and she would like prayer that it would settle down.

 

Closing with a praise; our son Jordan came home unexpectedly between jobs in S Korea and Leanna, Mark, John and I are having a wonderful time all being together again.  He will be going back the end of February to begin teaching at a Public School in a different city; he is really looking forward to it.  We feel very blessed to have this family time together.

 

Thanks so much for your prayers and your gifts that are such an essential part of our work for recruiting future Bible translators and support personel!

 

Shevawn &  John Ramsey

 

Always be full of joy in the Lord.  I say it again-rejoice!  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.  Remember, the Lord is coming soon!    Philippians 4:4-5