As I (Roger) look out the windows of the front parlor of Maplewood
B&B in Otis, MA our new
(1850) home, I can see the wind blowing
the leaves that have fallen in a frantic dance upon the wind. The leaves are
changing colors... beautiful reds,
pinks, yellows, the colors ranging from subdued to vivid, almost fluorescent
shades that grab your attention. The air is cold & crisp on this October
day, as I ponder the question, How did
we get here? And how could so much happen in such a short time? It can only be
by God’s hand & faithful direction of our steps even
when we were not aware of it.
It’s been a busy season of packing to move after returning
from Africa & unpacking while also setting up the B&B which opened in
June. Right as we were expecting our first guests, Roger’s dear sister, Nancy,
suddenly passed into eternity with Jesus & we travelled to Minnesota. Her departure has left a huge
hole in many hearts, as Nancy was like a 2nd mother to Roger &
caretaker for their mom & helped out many in the family in many ways. She
is greatly missed!
The B&B was busy most of the summer, but since fall,
we’ve had guests here & there.
SO COME VISIT US!
We are open year round & since it’s our home we can
welcome friends & family to stay with us as long as we do not bump out
paying guests. Our schedule is wide
open, so this slower season is the perfect time to come, catch up, enjoy some R
&R & sweet fellowship. Check out the new
updated website:
www.maplewoodlodging.com
We have talked and prayed with Jonathan almost daily since
late June. Then on July 8th civil war broke out in the capitol of
Juba (60 miles NW of Borongole). Jon & Joyce had hoped to go to Juba
on July 10th to get Joyce a passport. We have been on our knees crying out to our
Father on behalf of the dear people of South Sudan. We have never in our lives prayed as much as
we have in the past months, on so many levels, since our return from Africa!
Later in July, most of the women and children had fled from that area of So.
Sudan to Uganda to stay with relatives or to refugee camps, while a dozen
men, including Jon, stayed on in the village & William Levi & family
remained on the farmland working the fields and meeting with local officials
until their departure to the states Aug. 1.
[See the CBN report from the village after civil war broke out
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2016/september/in-this-war-torn-nation-meet-the-brave-souls-returning-to-rebuild
& be sure to view the VIDEO report from
Borongole during this time]
In late July, Joyce
bravely returned to South Sudan to join Jon in Borongole, as it became clear that a union sooner than
November was best.
A week later
, Jon & Joyce were married on July 30th with
only a few family members & friends
present, so we are looking forward to their home coming to the US when
we can really celebrate their marriage.
Jon & Joyce left So Sudan with the Levi’s as they departed Africa
& they were dropped off with family in northern Uganda where God provided
an abandoned “fixer-upper” hut for them to stay in so they can be together
while Jon is there in Uganda. Their hoped for honeymoon was interrupted by
Joyce having a serious bout with malaria that put her down for days. When she
finally came through & felt strong enough to travel, they spent a few days
in Gulu, Uganda where she had a thorough medical exam and has been on several
medicines since then and is slowly feeling “somehow” better, as they say in So.
Sudan.
During that time, the fighting in the area around the village
escalated & for a time all have left Boronogle . We are praying for peace so
that people can return soon before all is lost.
Meanwhile
, some staff men, including Jonathan, have gone back into
So. Sudan to stay on Gordon Mountain radio station south of the fighting,
in order to continue broadcasting the
Gospel to those remaining in So Sudan
& in Refugee Camps in Uganda.
Jon
preached daily for a few weeks on the book of Nehemiah, then returned to be
with Joyce in Uganda for a time, taking
her back for a medical re-check to find that her presenting symptoms require a
little more time & medicine. They
were blessed to have that time back together, but he recently returned to be on
the radio. It is very hard for them to be apart.
Talking & praying with Jon
has been so fruitful, as he & we see our daily need for His grace to have
hearts that recognize our need for the Father of tender mercy for ourselves, in order to extend mercy & grace to
others.
Many
times Jon confesses his own weakness, & we encourage him to hold onto the
truth that we ARE weak, but our
God is strong.
Very often Jon says, “But
God is there!” & “All I can do is pray.”
What better place to be, than to be hemmed in where our only source of help is
God.
Thankful that He forgives us when we fail, believing that God’s power is
perfected in our weakness. Those who are forgiven much, love much. Asking Him to
make us a people after His own heart.
Joshua finished his 3 years serving in the Army from Fort Drum, NY
and moved back to eastern MA in May, just a week before we moved to western MA!
He and his girlfriend Mary are doing well.
God has been very good to Josh,
as he got back the same job he had before he enlisted. He is looking into
schooling in 2017. Meanwhile, he takes every chance he can to enjoy his love of
fishing as he reaches out to veterans through Fishing Buddies for Veterans.
Emma is finding that the
Berkshires is a great area
to
pursue her love of art illustration & writing.
She is the resident baker for the B&B guests & everyone loves her
cinnamon swirl bread.
She is seeking
Nannying jobs to fill her time while the B&B has slowed down and to save
money toward courses and a car to get her there. Our Honda is no longer road
worthy so we only have our 3 seater manual truck. We definitely need a car for when Jon &
Joyce return so we can travel together and Emma can get herself to work & classes. PRAYING
about our need for a second vehicle?
PLEASE PRAY for South Sudan especially for those
displaced from their homes with family elsewhere or in Refugee Camps. Asking the Lord to shine His light in their
hearts and minds, bringing them closer to Himself, leading them to pray, just
as we need to gather to pray for our nation.
Pray also for the staff men of Operation Nehemiah, as they camp out at the radio
station. Pray also for the needed funds to put in a well at the radio station
& better housing. They are currently hand digging a latrine, as things are right now, water
& food has to be brought to the men who stay in two rooms on Gordon
Mountain along with all the radio equipment. Asking the Lord to knit their hearts together
in Him as they proclaim together the Good News. & pray together!
Pray for Roger who was on a heart monitor b/c his EKG
showed his heart rate was 39 beats per minute (normal is 60-100 & his
normal is in the 50’s) The results showed his heart rate was from 37 bpm to 75 bpm.
So they are doing a stress test to confirm ROGER’S NEED FOR A PACEMAKER.
This is actually good news, if this
helps Roger’s exhaustion problem as his need for sleep has increased to needing
12 to 13 hours of sleep a day.
Also, OUR ROLE WITH OPERATION NEHEMIAH has been scaled back
so that we will not be traveling extensively as we had been and will not be
putting out updates, but instead focusing on PRAYER & SUPPORTING JON &
JOYCE UNDER THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT of Operation Nehemiah. If Roger’s health improves, our hope is that he
could get a part time job that could supply what we need to live on and then the $800 of
monthly support that we share with Jonathan, could go exclusively to Jon &
Joyce and needs in So. Sudan.
Praying for Jon & Joyce believing that God is
ordering their steps, so that JON & JOYCE CAN COME HERE TO THE U.S. FOR MEDICAL
TRAINING & for rest and for us to celebrate with them their union as man
& wife! Jon looks forward to introducing Joyce to you! They just
found out that they can apply for a passport in Uganda instead of risking a
trip to Juba, So Sudan, but it takes 2 to 3 months to get it, whereas in Juba
it takes a week. It is the only door open to them right now, so we are praying
for a miracle intervention to get her passport & visa soon.
We also feel an urgency to gather together with others to pray for
our nation!!!
We are so thankful for all of you who have come along
side us & continue to remember us, Jon & Joyce, as well as, the dear people
who do the majority of the work on the ground in South Sudan. We really
do need each other in the Body of Christ.
We/they could not do what we do without your loving support &
prayers.
Praying that God will continue to
stoke the fire that is being fanned through trials, with an increasing
awareness of our great need for Him, giving us a listening ear, an honest
voice, a child’s simple trust & love.
Much Grace & Gratitude, Roger, Patty & Emma
To Donate to help Jon & Joyce come here for Medical Training and R&R
www.operationsnehemiah.org Scroll to the bottom & CHOOSE OPTION #2
PayPal onlighthouse@gmail.com
Mail checks to Operation Nehemiah PO BOX 502, Otis, MA 01253 (They get 100% of donations by mail, PayPal takes 3%)
COME VISIT US AT Maplewood B&B 266 North Main Road Otis, MA 01253
(Next to Brother Darryl's FISH MARKET)
To my faithful friends and
family,
