Dear Praying Friends,
Lighthouse Baptist Church
We had a great time of ministry at Lighthouse Baptist Church, in Valdosta, GA. It was awesome to see so many young people with a heart for ministry! Our hearts were blessed by them as they took part in the different competitions at the Deep South Jr. Convention. It was a joy for us to minister during the rally times, and to help with some of the judging.
Sometimes, when we come to a Church, we are there to help “catch the fruit” as it ripens to harvest. Other times, we are there to plant the seed of the Gospel and to water that seed. A lot of seed was planted and watered at the Convention, as well as at the Family Conference. There were several hands raised for Salvation – please pray for those who still need to accept Christ as their personal Savior.
St. Augustine Road Baptist Church
The UPWARD Football Celebration, at St. Augustine Road Baptist Church, in Jacksonville, FL was another great time of planting and watering the seed of the Gospel. This area has a large Catholic presence and many of the players and their families attend the Catholic church. While Tim was preaching, a handful of adults left the auditorium, but we are thankful for the ones who stayed and heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. Again, many hands were raised; indicating their need of Salvation, but no one came to make that decision. We know that God’s Word will never return void – God’s sweet Holy Spirit will continue to work in their hearts. Please pray that those who need Christ will make that decision soon.
Update on Susan
We have been here at the Mayo Clinic, in Jacksonville, FL for three weeks now (except for the four days we were ministering at Lighthouse Baptist Church, in Valdosta, GA). It is amazing the number of doctors and specialists Susan has seen, and the number of tests and scans she has had in that amount of time (the Mayo Clinic is indeed an amazing place). More has been accomplished here at the Mayo Clinic, than has been accomplished in the last two years.
We were planning to leave for Clarksville, TN to spend Thanksgiving with Susan’s family (following our last doctor visit this afternoon). We have been asking God for wisdom and direction concerning when we were to leave. The decision seemed to hinge on our receiving the results of the biopsies Susan had on her thyroid two weeks ago. When we were here in the spring, the biopsy of one of the nodules in her thyroid came back “suspicious,” so the doctor wanted to repeat the tests this fall (since that time, another nodule has shown up).
We received a call from the specialist last night letting us know that one of the biopsies came back “suspicious” again. Because of the Hashimoto’s disease, Susan’s thyroid has not worked for many years – but apparently the disease also makes it difficult to get conclusive biopsies.
We have been praying that the Lord would let us know by Monday night whether we were to leave or stay, and He has answered that prayer. We have an appointment scheduled with the surgeon to go over our options, and to help us decide where to go from here. Susan also has an MRI scheduled of her pelvis on Wednesday morning (11-27-13) – she has endometriosis, as well as several fibroid tumors they want to take a closer look at (they have been causing her a lot of pain for quite a while).
Although a lot is going on right now, we are so thankful for how God is taking care of us. He has been so Faithful! He has also given us a peace concerning upcoming surgeries and tests. We have so much to be thankful for!
We are also thankful to St. Augustine Road Baptist Church, who has graciously allowed us to keep our 5th Wheel hooked-up on their property while we are here at the Mayo Clinic. Every service has been so refreshing and challenging – God has really used them to minister to us during this time.
It is also amazing the number of opportunities God has given us to be a witness for Him. While talking with one of the techs, I found out that she was a Mormon. She then let me know that she was open to “religion” right now. As I gave her a tract, I let her know that this was not a religious tract; it shares how you can have a relationship with Jesus, and how you can know for sure you are on your way to Heaven. She thanked me for giving her the tract and said that she would definitely take the time to read it. I hope to see her again on Monday to continue our discussion. Her name is Janice. Please pray that God will draw her to Himself and show her, her need of Salvation.
May you have a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends, thanking God for how He has blessed you!
Reaching Families for Him,
Tim, Susan, and Rachel Vermaas
