Tuesday, June 30, 2015

short news going fast

Dear Friends, and it has been great getting reacquainted with and meeting new friends,

I had better write fast before the wonderful news is past and the kids have returned. Short version; Ruth, Hannah, and Seth are in Jerusalem, Israel right now. They are having a super time learning more about Israel and being where Jesus walked. They are witnessing and being a shining light for Christ to many people who do not know their own King.
How did this trip come about? Spur of the moment --within about 2 weeks, the kids heard about and were accepted for a trip to Israel! Ruth, Hannah, and Seth--left at night for NYC. Dan got them a bus --great trip, $30 each. They arrived safely to my brother Nate in NYC, and left for Israel Tuesday, June 16th. They got lots of tracts in Hebrew to pass out --that is weight in the luggage. God takes care of us all the time. We DO love to travel, we HAVE had some great trips, and we DO get tired at times. Mat Staver with Liberty Counsel made this trip possible for college kids --only $500 each for everything ---flight, tour, food, hotels, ALL. Our kids had wanted to go to Israel "someday." Well, "Someday" has arrived. How wonderful is that??
Our big prayer request ---PRAY, we really want to buy a house around the college for the kids to live off campus ---It is always better to buy than to rent. Anyway, we are praying for the right house, timing, and location. It would save us in room and board for sure.

Bye for now.
Love,
Joan and Dan

PS. Some have asked how they can help. These are DESIRES that would be very appreciated:
1. Costume jewelry that you are tired of that I could use as gifts for ladies' groups, women seminars, etc.
2. Keyboards to give to the churches we are starting and working with.
2. Guitars or accordions that you no longer use, or even if you want to buy one - smile. We are needing these for our own children who are progressing in music and moving off to life on their own.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

May 2015










May 2015
       So, what has been happening to the big family on the road? There are so many stories of God leading us and taking care of us—how could we ever doubt Him? We look to past victories to have faith to keep all our confidence in Jesus Christ and His power and wisdom for the future. Walking by faith is a steady movement forward.
      After New York City, we had a nice time in Michigan with Dan's mom and family. We enjoyed meeting with friends at the BWM board meeting.  It is just great to travel and get reacquainted with old friends and make new ones.  I really cannot name each group or church and how much we enjoyed being with them.  I don't know who is blessing whom more—the church or us? I guess it would be God blessing us all. 
      From Michigan to North Carolina, the water pump on the van completely broke down. Yes, we had prayed for a safe, uneventful trip, and yet God showed His hand mighty once again.  We saw all the water on the ground while we were getting gasoline; it did not break down on the highway.  So, we went to a garage at 5:30 p.m. and found out that it would be a three-hour job, they could do it the next day, and it would cost almost $300.  They figured they would have to order the pump and called the car parts store, but there was one in stock. We drove over there to buy it, and Dan also bought the necessary tools to do the job himself. He turned his shirt inside out and Isaiah, Stephen, and he worked in the cold and did the job in three hours.  Meanwhile, I was praying in the van that all would go well.  We were parked in the car parts parking lot and a Holiday Inn was right next to us.  A little way into the job, Dan realized that he needed a channel lock wrench for the job. By now, the car parts store was closed. I went to the hotel to see if I could call anyone who could bring us that wrench.  Even while I was calling, the fashionable lady behind the desk said that she thought the hotel maintenance room had one.  I hung up on the answering machine, the lady brought the wrench, and Dan was able to finish the job. On we went at 9:30 p.m., praising God that we hadn't had to spend the night at that exit.
      Ruth graduated on May 8. The commencement messages were challenging.  We again realized why we wanted our kids to go to Ambassador Baptist College—to hear great preaching.  Pray for Ruth as she is discerning the next step for her life. 
      God brought us through a small, difficult situation and plopped us down (spur of the moment—meaning, unplanned) at the Whitestone Country Inn resort in Tennessee. We had beautiful weather for our three-night stay (swimming in the Tennessee River, canoeing, and loving all our time together outdoors).
      I can give stories of God taking care of us all the time. We pray that we are examples of Godliness—follow my example as I follow the example of Christ. Am I an example that others would want to follow? Are you?
      After Tennessee, we went through Arkansas, Texas, and spent a day down in Mexico, then back to Texas and on to Arizona. We had a great time in Mexico (we parked the car and walked over). One funny thing that happened on returning was that we had forgotten that you can't come into America with fresh fruits with seeds. We had bought lots of oranges, peaches, and avocado. The customs people were going to throw it all away, and that would have about killed us.  Anyway, they let us go back out and around, eat all our fruit and come across the border again. I'm sure it was a funny site—a group of Americans having a fruit picnic on the bridge.
      We travel with fresh food and a rice cooker. With the rice cooker and microwaves that are available everywhere, we can cook almost anything we want to eat. It is very fun being creative and flexible.
      Praise the Lord for health and safety and a whole lot of fun. Serve God and have fun doing it. Walking by faith is not always easy, but God promises that it will be well worth it all. 
      Thanks for all your prayers. Please pray for the tract ministry as we distribute tracts everywhere we go, even Spanish tracts down in Mexico.  "The Bridge" booklet is very nice.  We pray that they will be read and that God will convict and save some.  Who knows who we might meet someday in heaven?  His Word does not return void. That is a promise to help us act by faith and distribute them.  Just pray that the Holy Spirit will work in their lives.
Keep us in your prayers. Thanks.

Servants of the most High God,
Dan and Joan and Twelve


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

short note - new news going fast

Dear Friends, and it has been great getting reacquainted with and meeting new friends,
I had better write fast before the wonderful news is past and the kids have returned. Short version; Ruth, Hannah, and Seth are in Jerusalem, Israel right now. They are having a super time learning more about Israel and being where Jesus walked. They are witnessing and being a shining light for Christ to many people who do not know their own King.
How did this trip come about? Spur of the moment --within about 2 weeks, the kids heard about and were accepted for a trip to Israel! Ruth, Hannah, and Seth--left at night for NYC. Dan got them a bus --great trip, $30 each. They arrived safely to my brother Nate in NYC, and left for Israel Tuesday, June 16th. They got lots of tracts in Hebrew to pass out --that is weight in the luggage. God takes care of us all the time. We DO love to travel, we HAVE had some great trips, and we DO get tired at times. Mat Staver with Liberty Counsel made this trip possible for college kids --only $500 each for everything ---flight, tour, food, hotels, ALL. Our kids had wanted to go to Israel "someday." Well, "Someday" has arrived. How wonderful is that??
Our big prayer request ---PRAY, we really want to buy a house around the college for the kids to live off campus ---It is always better to buy than to rent. Anyway, we are praying for the right house, timing, and location. It would save us in room and board for sure.
We have been listening to a great marriage seminar by Pastor Camp ---also reading great books, and have another family conference to listen to. We can use all the help we can get ---and still have a ways to go. But, we still have lots of little ones to raise and many more years to benefit from good teaching. With God there is hope and joy.
Bye for now.
Love,
Joan and Dan
www.cuthbertsons.org. Now you can look there for the latest letter ---and hopefully the presentation. Dan is figuring out how to put our 9 min. DVD on the blog. I hope people can go watch. He also put our old one there. People can pray, give, and be part of what is happening in Cote d'Ivoire. Like "Why would I want to volunteer for the VBS here in the states?" (in July) Because I want to be a part of God's team and share in the fruits!!! Kids are the easiest fruit to pick. Enough already.

PS. Some have asked how they can help. These are DESIRES that would be very appreciated:
1. Costume jewelry that you are tired of that I could use as gifts for ladies' groups, women seminars, etc.
2. Keyboards to give to the churches we are starting and working with.
2. Guitars or accordions that you no longer use, or even if you want to buy one - smile. We are needing these for our own children who are progressing in music and moving off to life on their own.