Cuthbertson Prayer Letter

Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year --plan steps to grow - smile.
I am sorry if you get this twice - I don't know what our computer is doing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 2012

 

I cannot miss giving thanks to God for all His wonderful gifts to us. Mercy and grace alone are sufficient, let alone all the blessings He has heaped upon us. I don't know if it is the church people who are changing or we, the leaders, who are growing.  We have a spirit of passion and growth and sanctification to catch the vision and see the need of where to put your hand to the task.  Look in God's Word, repent and change every day. How is that for a quick summary of the ministry here?  Yet, growth takes time, and we cannot jerk up the plants, or they will die.

 

Ruth and Hannah have made it to the East Coast safely.  Praise the Lord for that!  Think of two girls without much driving experience, having been out of the country for two years, driving across America.  My heart has been praying.  Thank You, Lord, for our friends who gave them a cell phone. How great is that?

 

Dan and Seth are leaving on November 28. Pray much for all of our people who are traveling and entering college. Those little words, "leaving" (means a lot of planning to do lining up preachers for the church and village work) and "entering college" (applications, preparation and clothes), have a lot of work behind them.

 

Meanwhile, the wall around our property was about to fall down. The ground has slowly been eroding over the years, and we knew we needed to build retaining walls. Every time we thought to use money for that, something else came up.  Something is always going to "come up," but now it became a huge necessity.  Who wants to put money on building a wall, let alone a wall that you can't even see?   But if the property wall fell down, we were going to be looking at a much larger expense and urgency. Then I thought of Nehemiah and Ezra, who spent all that time and effort rebuilding the wall. It was necessary.  That gave me some peace; some things just must be done -- maintenance.  This month, we are happy to say that the wall is almost finished.  We have been getting very heavy rains and are glad that the retaining wall is in place. 

 

We know you are all busy with friends and family.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! All good things come from the Father, and all things from the Father are good.  Sometimes I get in a "tizzy" to clean the house and to get rid of some of these pets! (Smile. Yes, even me.)  Is this a mole hill masquerading as a mountain? Or a tizzy masquerading as a crisis? Count your blessings, and it will keep you out of a pity party for sure.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

Love,

Joan and Dan

Congratulations Ruth and Hannah

Last time I wrote that "They Passed" someone at first thought someone had died - Ha! - far from that. Ruth and Hannah went to NM and passed another test to become licensed midwives --so now they are Certified Professional Midwifes, Licensed Midwives. CPM, LM. We are so happy for them.
Now they are driving across America to meet with Dan and Seth in NYC the end of Nov. to MI and then to Ambassador Baptist College in January. Please pray much for all that traveling, that God would protect them, and for us who are left here to carry on the work.
Have a great day!
Love,
Joan and Dan

Hello from the desert of Arizona

I know some of you get this twice --you are on both of our mailing lists and if I deleted your address, then it would mess up the mailing list ---does that make sense? Plus I would probably mess up something else as well --so just delete. I like the part ---Don't forget to smile.

Hi there!
Here is a short update of what's going on with us. :) Let me know if you can't open it.
Have a great day!
Don't forget to smile!

~Hannah

They passed

The subject line says it all. Praise the Lord that Ruth and Hannah both passed the NARM. They are now Professional Midwives. Keep praying for the next phase of their lives. We are so excited and happy for them.
Love,
Joan and Dan

Missionary Info

We wrote a quick summary of the ministry here in Cote d'Ivoire for one of our churches and thought you might like one as well. You already know everything I think - skim and delete.  That is what is so great about computers.  I can delete lots of stuff and feel good -  like I am cleaning house.

 

Name:

Dan and Joan Cuthbertson

Address where cards may be sent:

Evangel Baptist Church

16994 Telegraph Rd.

Taylor MI 48180-5108

 

Area of Service:

 

Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa

Length on the Field:

 

We started serving in Liberia, West Africa in 1987, and served there until the civil war broke out in 1991.  We have been serving here in Côte d'Ivoire since 1994.

Birthdays:

Dan ……….       Oct. 18

Joan ………       July 8

Ruth Marie ..      Mar. 26, 1990

Hannah …...       Oct. 1, 1991

Seth ……….      May 30, 1993

Lydia ……...      Dec. 4, 1994

Susanna …...      June 18, 1996

Isaiah ……         May 30, 1998

Stephen …         Oct. 11, 1999

Rebekah ...         May 18, 2001

Josiah …...        Oct. 25, 2002

Joseph …..         Mar. 22, 2004

Esther ……        Oct. 7, 2006

Gideon . . .        Feb. 16, 2010

Any interesting facts J 

  God has blessed us with such a wonderful family.  People sometimes think that just happens --it doesn't.  He has been growing each of us each step of the way.  I want to do an individual, personality, run-down on each of the kids, but that would take too long.  Someday I'll do it and include pictures.  

Most of the kids are heavily involved in the ministry here.  We love life, love the Lord, love the ministry and no one is anxious to leave.  Ruth and Hannah are midwives - having spent 2 years in the Philippines and have each delivered over 100 babies.  They are headed to Bible College and whatever God has in store for them.

Seth loves to witness.  He has a tender conscious, wants to keep himself unspotted from the world and wants to be used by God.  He has been preaching since he was 16 --in English and now in French.  Every Sunday he takes a taxi (costs $2.00) to a village where Dan and he are working on starting a church.  They both - along with Lydia (plays the piano) and Isaiah (plays the guitar)- go to this same village on Friday nights to preach and have a service.  Fruit is coming and people are growing.  Seth loves to play the piano, guitar and accordion --and maybe any instrument he can get his hands on.  

Lydia, Susanna, Isaiah, and Stephen play the piano and guitar both at the church here in Lac. and in the village.  They also take care of the nurseries for Sunday School and Church, as well as taking care of my own two little ones --Esther and Gideon.  They each have a vital spot to fill.

Rebekah - 11, is helping our "maid" learn to read French - wow.  Nadege can't grow much in the Word because she can't read.  She teaches Rebekah, Josiah and Joseph French; but I have her read to Rebekah since Rebekah can read French better (Does that make sense?).  This term, Nadege got saved and her two daughters.  Wow.  That is what I feel at a new birth.  Now we are trying to disciple them.  Since being saved,  Nadege has left the Catholic church and comes to ours with her daughters.  

All these new converts - in the village and here in San Pedro - are soon to be baptized; that is the next step.

  Dan preaches here on Sun. and Wed. and in the village on Friday nights.  He has many Bible studies using Rogma (a correspondence Bible course --though hand delivered) going on; goes out visiting on Sat. and Sun.; leads Bible studies at home; helps with the little ones and school; and is basically a great man.  I do the ladies' studies and the children's classes -  not counting everything at home.  I am also a midwife and help out with deliveries as I am needed.  

Maybe you can tell, we love our family and feel so privileged that God has let us raise them for these few short years. May God be praised and honored in all.  

You may have also noticed that we love animals and have many pets; even more are not in the picture.  All of us are healthy; no one takes medicine.  Thank the Lord for all His blessings.  We welcome visitors. 

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Love in Christ,

Dan and Joan