Author: Rick

Howard continues in Kelowna Hospital. Susan is very tired. She said to me two days ago this is the biggest trial of her life, and she’s had many. I can’t imagine how exhausting this is for her sleeping in a hospital cot next to Howard for months now. Unfortunately, they were just moved out of their private room and now share a room with others. Susan is hoping to find a small suite somewhere near the hospital where she can rent and go there to sleep at night.

The inflammation has gone down but only a little bit. If it goes down enough for Howard to not need to be in the hospital then they would return asap to Mexico to recover there. If that happened, they would be neighbors with us and we could help out too. As it is now, Howard can’t even sit up in a chair and hold up his body weight, nor is he able to be consciously present very much at all.

Here is a small update on Howard which was written by his brother Merrill yesterday,

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“Many of you have been asking about how Howard is doing so I’ll give you all a little update here. Let’s just say that since the last report, it has been somewhat of a roller coaster affair. Things are up and down, discouraging and encouraging. Some days, Howard is sort of bright eyed and bushy tailed, and the next day he spends the whole day asleep. One day, his little Howardisms rise to the surface and the next day there is nothing. He continues to eat well without choking for which we are thankful. And today was his third day of his second treatment of IVIG, so we are trusting that this treatment will bring about some good results. So yeah, the road is long and challenging, especially for Susan. Thanks so much for your prayers for her and Howard, and their two daughters. Yes, a crazy time for sure. This journey isn’t easy either for my 96-year old mom, especially since we already said goodbye to one of our brothers on October 3rd. So yes, thanks so much to all of you for your continued prayers and encouragement. We are weak, but our Lord is strong! Thanking God for all of you.”

Good morning from snowy and cold British Columbia. Wow we had a spectacular summer which blended into Indian Summer and then over night turned to winter last week. We had no fall so to speak and now the ground is covered in snow and the temperature is -14C. We are not sure if it’s the Spirit or the weather but something is saying, “it’s time to go”. Other than our sadness to leave family again, it wasn’t hard to convince Robin.

I just wanted to briefly update you on a few items below. We are truly touched that you care about us and are interested in what the Lord Jesus is doing through us. We really value your prayers and we feel them. How blessed we feel – truly – that we are given this great place of honor.

1. TRAVEL: We plan to depart over the snowy mountains on Monday, November 14th and arrive into Mexico on December 14th . Your prayers for traveling mercies, functioning car and wonderful fellowship in the car together are much appreciated.
2. ITINERARY: Clearwater BC – Courtenay BC – Salt Spring Island BC – Little River CA – San Jose CA – Pleasanton CA – Fallbrook CA – Prescott AZ – Cottonwood AZ – San Carlos MX.
3. MEETINGS: We are blessed to have meetings in these places. Thank you for your prayers that we might be filled with the Spirit of Christ in our thoughts and words wherever we go. I think of God’s words to Abraham to make him a blessing and also to be blessed. I think of Paul’s words to the Romans (1:12) as he wanted both encourage them and also to be encouraged by them through their mutual faith.
4. HOWARD: Sadly Howard took a turn for the worse and two days ago was admitted back to Kelowna General Hospital to be under the care of three neurologists that are familiar with his case. He’s unable to walk, limited to a bed, undergoing neuropathway therapy. Merrill says “He’s disappearing. He’s coming to the surface much less and then he dips down under and then he’s gone for a while. He just stares into space.”
5. JUNGLE WI-FI: I was blown away a few days ago when I got a random video call from a number I did not recognize. Lo and behold, it was a group of P’s way up river from the isolated village we used to live. To get to our village, you either had to fly in a Cessna airplane or take an 8 hour trip by truck and boat. To get to Berea, the village where this call came from, it would be another day upriver in a boat. I still shake my head to have learned that someone has installed a solar powered WI-FI Antenna out there and I now have contact with them. It was so weird to be looking at brown smiling faces on my phone who were all bunched together in a mud hut with candlelight. This extra contact will be a real blessing. Yesterday I got a text from them saying that G would be arriving to their village on the 10th for fellowship and teaching.
6. E: E is back in Colombia. What a blessing he is, as he has a deep understanding of the Scriptures and, together with his wife L, has a tender and dedicated heart desiring to serve Jesus with his life. It’s really nice to have E near WI-FI as he helps me with song lyrics, translation questions, and we are hoping to soon write a children’s Bible Story Book in P.
7. CEC: The Bible School in Mexico has asked me to teach a third class this year which I said I would. Thanks for your prayers for these classes that will take place sometime between Jan-April.
8. COLOMBIA: I have another opportunity to travel to the border of Venezuela. This time it is much closer to the border and would facilitate many more P’s. There would likely be around 200 for a week. Your prayers are appreciated for this somewhat dangerous trip through guerrilla territories. It’s a pretty amazing opportunity that Russell has offered me. We are wanting to be sure it’s the Lord’s will before we confirm. But if so, that would be during the last half of January and would be a 5 day conference there.
9. RADIO: Once back in Mexico, I will continue with radio programs recording them in my studio there.
10. OT TRANSLATION: There is a group of P’s currently translating the OT. Then, there is another younger group which also wants to translate another version of the OT. They’ve asked if I would help them. I was somewhat reluctant to be involved with this mammoth project but I did say that I would help them with difficult areas or with questions they may have.
11. PRIMER: We have two primers which have been written or modified by native speakers. They are still going through editing and revisions but they will soon be ready to be sent to the printers. The older generation really wants to launch a reading program for the children, so that they will be able to read their Bibles.
12. AUDIO NT: The dramatized audio version of the NT has been recorded. Faith Comes By Hearing did a wonderful job with about ½ dozen P’s (E, G and M were involved). The recording was then sent to FCBH headquarters in the US and is being mastered. We hope to see this completed sometime within the next few months. Once it is final, FCBH will upload it to their own devices and distribute it to the people. This will be wonderful once it is received by the people as they will be able to listen to the audio version while they follow along in their Bibles. This will also help improve literacy.

Thanks for everything. We really appreciate you and feel so cared for. The hand of God upholds us through you,

t.

I just got off the phone with Merrill and also Susan (Howard’s wife). Merrill had just arrived. It was disheartening to hear Merrill say that Howard was worse than he had imagined. Merrill said Howard basically continues as an invalid, unable to walk, exercise, see, or think right. Susan said he thinks he’s in Mexico (he’s in Salmon Arm BC Canada). But Susan did say that he’s opening his eyes a little more which may indicate that the cerebral inflammation is going down some. Regardless, she said that she has heard of few other people who have had a similar case of viral encephalitis and it can take a year to recover (Merrill said in some cases 4 years). Susan said that barring a miracle, she would expect it may take another year from now.

So this puts Susan in a real tough spot as they are all trying to function in Merrill’s condo in BC. Howard’s bed is down stairs in the living room now which eliminates stairs, but with the winter now setting in and very little support network locally, Susan REALLY wants to take Howard back home to Mexico where they have a larger house and plenty of support on all sides for his recovery, not to mention being able to go outside in their yard. So the biggest pressing need is how to get Howard (he’s a huge man) back to Mexico.

The reason they were in Canada was to renew Canadian status. Susan has applied to the government to give an extension to their deadline so that Howard could first heal up and then they could come back to Canada to renew their Canadian status (this status, if lost, would affect their Canadian benefits which they have paid into all these years as ’employees of a Canadian agency’). So the prayer requests are: 1. to get government approval to return and 2. to find a way to get him back down there.

One thought that came up in the conversation was if there was someone with a motorhome that would drive Howard and Susan back to Mexico that could be a wonderful way to transport him as he can’t be climbing stairs to get into an airplane and it’s extremely hard to get him in and out of a wheelchair.

Robin and I are about to be heading down to Mexico. We (Lord willing) depart November 14th from here in Canada. We will be right next door to Susan and Howard’s house so we would also be close by them if they could return.

We all appreciate your prayers and thoughts regarding Howard’s trial which is also Susan’s trial. Please pray for her too, I can’t imagine how exhausting this is for her. Thank you.

t.

As you know the 20,000 P Bibles which made their way from Bogotá to the P nation ran out within about a month’s time. Boxes and boxes were dispersed and slowly made their way to their designated destinations. Here is a photo of a small church in one of the farthest P villages (Caño Tama Tama) which just last week finally received their portion. E took this photo and sent it to me when he got back to town. It has been extremely difficult in these days of crisis in Venezuela to obtain fuel and to travel the rivers. You can see in the photo E and his wife L on the left hand side. E has been such a force in the Lord tirelessly working in SO many ways. Who would have thought that he would have personally made it his responsibility to get these Bibles to TT.

You are also aware that since the 20,000 Bibles quickly ran out, E requested another 15,000 as there are still scads of villages without Bibles many of which spill over onto the Colombian side of the border. We have been collecting funds for those Bibles as they would have to be printed and shipped again down the river on a river barge and over the border again. More miracles will be needed. If the Lord blesses us again with the 50% discount printing, the cost for another 15,000 Bibles would be $60,000 USD. As of last week the tally sent in to SOM came to $28,000 USD.

However, today I received a phone call from SOM director David Witt. I couldn’t believe it when he told me that someone just sent in another $50,000 USD for the P Bibles! He couldn’t believe it when I told him I had no knowledge of this. We both stood in amazement at the provision of the LORD and what He is doing among the P’s and for that matter all over the earth.

I just thought you’d like to know this that you too may rejoice and give thanks to our heavenly Father as His mercy endures forever.

t.

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1

Hello! It’s Robin here. Many of you may have never heard from me but maybe some of you remember how I used to write all the letters and updates while we were living in Venezuela for 10 years. We are so thankful for all those who read, appreciate and pray for the things we communicate.

For many years, my main focus was feeding our family and raising our 5 children. I homeschooled one or several for 20 years! As the kids got older and I had more time, I found myself being drawn to the arts, and specifically oil painting. I have been developing and enjoying that for around 10 years. I find great joy in being creative and thank God that He made me an artist. We are made in the image of God and one great aspect of His person is that He is Creator. I consider it a privilege that I can enter into His creative activity, imagination and inspiration. Photography has helped me see in a new way and consider the beauty and wonders all around me. Recently, someone has made me aware that the first mention of someone being filled with the Spirit of God is in Exodus when God was calling the artisans to create parts of the tabernacle. The Lord spoke, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood”, “…I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are gifted artisans…” (Exodus 31:3-6)

As we have been in Mexico and Tim has been teaching the Bible at the school there, I have been filling the walls with paintings of local scenes. In recent years, I have focused on providing paintings for the nearby orphanage. Last year as I was delivering 4 paintings, I had a chance to speak to the kids living in the house and tell them how they are all beautiful creations of the Great Artist and that He may be making some of them to be artists. Also last year, I enjoyed bringing a daughter of one of the Mexican teachers into my painting room and walking her through her first painting. I loved seeing her incredible talent and joy. I loved gifting her with paints, brushes and supplies to keep painting.

I see many fellow Canadians and education systems realizing that music and art can be effectively used in dealing with trauma. Personally, I sense God speaking in the arts. I think we have all been touched in many ways through music, sensing realities that can not be communicated in other ways. I have been writing poetry, reading literature, dancing, painting and taking photos.

Another thing that I have been spending time on is being with my 9 wonderful grandchildren. We are blessed to have 5 of them living in the same town when we are in Canada. They are precious little people and one of my greatest joys in life is being in their lives and building them up with special memories and experiences. How important it is to do all we can for children who will become the future society. It is easier to build healthy, loved and secure people than to deal with all the problems that come from early harmful experiences. God help all people raising children in these strange and difficult times!

As I am writing this, I can hear Tim talking to several Piaroas on the computer. I can hear them sharing and laughing. Now he just came in and told me that he got this video call out of the blue and a group of Piaroas in a village in the jungle (up river from where we used to live) now have a satellite internet connection, solar powered and will be keeping in touch with him. He said that they want to be a connection for thousands of Piaroa believers in the area to be able to converse with him. Wow, you never know what a day will hold.

I can’t express how precious these people are, so humble and grateful and hungry to learn. They love God! I often imagine them, as I pray, in their homes and places of gathering, reading and hearing the words of the Scriptures in their own language. What realities is the Spirit of God waking them up to, what truths is He making them see? As these things are revealed to them, I pray for transformation. What an incredible part of the body of Christ they are! God fill and direct and provide for them all.

We appreciate each one of you and your partnering with us.
With love,

Robin