Dear Rope Holders,
Since our last mission status update, Deb and I have received huge encouragement. I hope you are encouraged as well.
A church that, at one point, felt it necessary to reduce our support, not only increased it a while back, but also sent a special gift for the Nepal mission trip. Also, one of our original supporters continued their faithful service by sending a financial gift as well. It isn’t easy for Deb and me to express how this calm, continuous, and consistent agreement, through giving to our joint Great Commission calling, strengthens us—I write this with tears in my eyes. But it even gets better.
Recently, a rural church in Cumberland, Iowa, also sent us a gift, accompanied by a brief note,
“ Dear Friends, Greetings from Iowa! In our recent missionary meeting, we read your letter that Bill will be making a trip to Nepal. We, as a ladies’ missionary group, would like to be “fellow workers” in sharing the gospel there. Enclosed please find a check….” Wow!
And then an email from a couple who attended a meeting we spoke at many years ago, and who have been receiving our prayer letter update ever since. (slightly edited)
Bill and Deb,
My wife sent out $300 to support the trip to Nepal a couple of weeks ago. She mentioned that you didn’t really know who we were.. lol. We heard you speak at ____________ Baptist church several years ago and I signed up for your newsletter. It’s so exciting to see what the Lord is doing through Interglo… amazing! This trip to Nepal, though, has really been on my heart since you mentioned it in an email at the end of August.
Encouraging rural churches in Nepal and bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to areas where a missionary has never been! I felt compelled to be a part of what the Lord is doing. As William Carey once said:
” I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope”.
Well, Bill, you are going down into the pit, and I am not being called to go, but at least I can hold the rope! I thought giving three hundred dollars to the gospel trip was what I was called to do, but your trip is still very much on my heart. Please let me know if there is anything else that I can do in spreading the gospel in Nepal….
Hoping to serve
Jim
We are so very thankful to God for all these folks who “Hold the Rope.” We wonder how it is that we are granted such “Fellow-Workers.” All we can say is, thank you, Lord, for allowing us to serve with these faithful saints.
Tomorrow or the next day, I hope to send you our response to Jim’s letter.
We love you,
Bill and Deb