"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32
Our praying friends and family in the Lord,
Happy New Year to one and all. We trust everyone had a Merry Christmas and blessed holiday season.
I'd like to express my praise and thanks to our good God. For over a year now we've been praying for a new vehicle. Our present car, a Dacia MCV Logan (if you'd care to Google it) was purchased in 2011, right after arriving here. The years, miles, and especially the roads, have taken their toll, and we knew it was only a matter of time before something major happened. We made our petition to Heaven, trusted God to provide and to take care of us until He did. This last furlough I didn't emphasize our needs, choosing rather to uplift the Lord whenever and wherever I had opportunity to preach. Just before Christmas, and maybe even before then, the Lord began to move in people's hearts to help us. By New Year's we had all the money we'd need to purchase a new Dacia Lodgy. A week later we placed our order. Our vehicle will be ready, Lord willing, at the end of March. While we bless the Lord Jesus, and give Him all the praise and glory, we acknowledge that He uses men to accomplish His purposes. Therefore, we bless the Lord for every one of you who prayed, passed the word, and gave to meet this need. The Lord bless you all exceeding abundantly out of His riches in glory.
Pastor Demir sends his greetings to one and all. As many of you know, he has struggled physically, the result of two strokes two years ago. He has other health issues, and has been back and forth to doctors seeking relief and treatment. Just before Christmas an offering was taken to help him meet the needs of this expense. I was pleased to be the agent delivering that demonstration of love. When I explained a church filled with fellow believers he didn't know, and would likely never meet, loved him and sent help for him, he fought back tears, and said, "Please tell everyone 'Thank you.'" His wife, Asiye, didn't fight anything back, and cried at every meeting, testifying of God's good grace demonstrated through His people. Demir entered the hospital just before Christmas. His medicine has been adjusted, and he seems to be improving. A week ago he went in for a week of physical therapy. He was supposed to stay at the hospital, but as the therapy was only in the early morning and evening, he would escape during the day and come to meeting. Bless the Lord for a faithful pastor.
Bro. Larry Leach has been faithful in distributing to the needs of the poorest among our church members. "Coats for Kids" has been a blessing to hundreds upon hundreds of our believers. I heard a testimony today from a dear sister in the village of Detalina. She said her husband had been out of work for a long time. Finally, last week, the Lord opened a door for him to work in Varna, about thirty minutes away. She said, with no work, they had run out of money. They had no idea how they would make it until his first paycheck arrived. She personally went to a number of neighbors and relatives, asking for fifty leva to help make it through the week; no one had any money to spare. Then came the coat distribution. In spite of their lack, they were overjoyed to at least have a warm coat for their child, and thanked the Lord for it. When they got home, they checked the pockets and found them filled with socks and candy. The little boy noticed another pocket on the sleeve, too small for anything significant, and asked his mother to see if anything was in it. To her wonder, she found folded up, French Francs. Not recognizing the currency, she showed her husband, who upon asking a neighbor's advice, took it to a money changer, who exchanged the two French bills for the fifty leva they stood in need of. The real blessing is, that some time ago, someone, somewhere, by Divine providence, stuck some money in a pocket and forgot about it; that before this need was ever felt, our good and gracious God had already provided for its relief; and that burdened men were used by God to convey the blessing. Can anyone beat this? Can anyone anywhere find anything better than being in this good way? As the Psalmist said, "Who is so great a God as our God?"
I think of the verse that preceded this prayer letter. I thought of it the other day, and my heart smote me. Too often I've read that verse, and prayed that verse, claiming the promise of God's free provision of "all things". I've preached about the "blank check" that faith in a good God provides; and it does, I still believe that. I've viewed that verse through the prism of my own need, glossing over the expense to meet my need. "He that spared not his own Son", the verse says. But notice where God began. He didn't begin by providing everything else, then at the last, as a final demonstration of His great love, offer His own beloved Son. No, He first gave His most treasured possession, His only begotten Son. What is it then to give anything else, when He's already given His everything? How insignificant our little prayers are then to One who would give us everything. Oh for the boldness to believe the loving provision of God, and open our mouths wide!
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 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 other needs: our 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
