"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God,
and Jesus standing on the right hand of God," Acts 7:55
"At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun,
shining round about me and them which journeyed with me." Acts 26:13
Our praying friends and family in the Lord,
I reckon Saul of Tarsus headed down the road toward Damascus, pondering the events of the previous few days. The stoning of Stephen had unnerved him, particularly that look on Stephen's face. What had Stephen seen that could cause such sublime tranquility while facing such satanic terror? A few minutes later and the maddened crowd was literally gnashing him with their teeth, and he seemed not to notice. Whatever he was looking at blinded him to everything occurring around him and to him. What object was so captivating that a riot in progress couldn't distract him? I reckon Saul thought to himself, "If I could only see what Stephen saw…" when, lo and behold, the object of Stephen's attentions stepped into view. All at once, Saul understood: His brightness eclipsed the sun in its strength; His glory exceeded everything else in view; His voice drowned out all other sounds; His words melted Saul's heart. What else could Saul do but happily surrender? He asked for a name, and received in answer the name above every name: "I am Jesus." What a change the "heavenly vision" made! Old things were passed away, and everything was made new. That same glorious spectacle is revealed to us today by the gospel. No wonder Paul, formerly Saul, said, "Preach the word." The preaching of the cross might be foolishness to some, but it's the revelation of the glory of God to all who believe. Hallelujah.
Well howdy, one and all. Let's jump into this prayer letter with a prayer request. Please pray for Pastor Demir's health. He's had several bouts of severe illness, and we're not sure whether the doctors are treating the symptoms or the cause. We're not even sure if the doctors here know the cause. Just pray. Demir's faithfulness and desire are humbling. The other day, at the close of our meeting, he excused himself and was sick outside. That evening, I dropped him off at home and told him I'd see him again on Sunday. Sunday rolled around and there he was, waiting for me outside his house. On entering the vehicle, his wife informed me he had been sick and in bed since I'd dropped him off three days before. He said he awoke that morning determined to go to church, and prayed for the Lord to strengthen him. He said, "What else do I have? This is my life; this is what I live to do." Asiye, his wife, worries over him constantly. She tells him, "We already lost Bro. Ralph this year; don't you even think about joining him!"
Our eleven churches are doing well. One of the indicators of spiritual health is how the members treat the pastor. Bro. Demir's churches love him. At most meetings, someone always gives him something, be it dried goods, something from their canning, bread, or a dessert, anything to minister to his needs. That does my heart good to see their care demonstrated. They might not be able to give money, but they give what they can.
We're now in Gypsy summer, and the temperatures are back up after the first serious cold snap of fall. Everyone is hurrying to get their wood cut and put up in preparation for the onset of winter. Our little family is doing well. We have made it through the first wave of seasonal sickness. I can't say we're looking forward to the next wave. Dixie Joy is attending pre-K here in the village, as well as doing A Beka at home. She calls the school that she physically attends "real school" and the DVD school "fake school." The boys only attend "fake school" but are prize pupils. Carrick excels in language and writing, where Christian does exceedingly well in math. It is amazing how much information their young minds absorb even when you don't think they are paying attention. The other day, their Aunt Verity held a history party, with the theme being Bible characters. Christian wanted to go as Moses. We asked, "What do you know about Moses? What would you say about him?" He then recited Moses' life story in rich detail. After the party, his cousin Levi told his mama, "Christian's story made us all look like wimps!" That means the world to me: knowing my little boy is learning the scriptures.
Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for our little children, for their physical and spiritual well-being. Pray for Hannah and me, that we'd be parents pleasing to the Lord. Pray for the work here. We seldom tell of opposition or problems we face, but know that there are plenty. Pray the Lord protects and keeps our hearts and minds. Pray for the work: We've got a ton, and we can't do it without the help and power of God. Pray for the national pastors; the Lord knows the things they face on a daily basis. Pray that we'd be strong in faith, not staggering at the promises of God; that our faith wouldn't be in word only, but in watching and waiting with joyful expectation. And, if you think about it, pray for our vehicle and home fund. I'm blessed to serve the resurrected Christ, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all I can ask or think. Not only is He able, but He wants to, as well. He delights in illustrating His care for us all. Bless His name. Believe for us when our faith wanes, and we'll do the same for you. The good Lord bless you all out of His abundant riches in glory.
Because of a living Savior,
The William LeFevre Family
