Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like
the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence. Proverbs 27:9
Jiwan and Esther came to the States to visit their daughter Sophia for the summer and Jeff and I
went down to Jacksonville, Florida last week to see them. It has been quite a while since we spent
any time with them, and a “refreshing of the soul” doesn’t even begin to describe it. It was such a
sweet time of reminiscing and sharing stories of things that have happened since we last saw each
other. We laughed at all the crazy stories, and again I was convicted because we still haven’t written
that book.
Sophia’s husband, Madden, had his family come over one evening for a meal and fellowship, and as I remembered the first time I met his brothers it left me in tears at the goodness of God in their lives. You see I met a few of Madden’s brothers at a medical clinic we did about 18 years ago in India. Their family was living in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal at the time. Jiwan and Jeff had planted a church in the camp a few years earlier. Most of the boys were in their early twenties and late teens and spoke good enough English that they helped us with translation at several medical camps. They had lived in the camp for 12 years or so when the UN came in to resettle them into other countries. Their whole family came together to Jacksonville, Florida 8 years ago and have all done so well. To see them all in the house singing and worshipping the Lord was awesome, and to get to meet their children was the cherry on the top. The seeds you have helped us plant through prayers, encouragement, and financial giving continue to bear fruit in lives around the world!
Jeff leaves for Cuba again the end of this week with a team from Camden, Alabama, and again they are taking in much needed supplies. We keep saying, “things in Cuba are tough” and they are, I’m just not sure if that conveys the absolute devastation that our friends are facing. While trying to help with medicine, food, and basic necessities in Cuba, we are also helping Yaili in Miami with her medical expenses. She is facing yet another surgery to remove her adrenal glands, which is what’s feeding the pituitary tumor.
If you can help us serve and minister to them we would be so grateful. I was reminded by Jiwan, as he shared stories of all we’ve seen God do, that none of what TREC does is dependent on Jeff or Trudy. He is The Source of all our needs. The enemy loves to trick us into thinking that somehow we are responsible to do what only God can do.
I’m grateful for the people who surround us and spur us on. The Lord is using all of us to make a difference in the world. If you don’t already support us financially on a monthly basis would you please consider it? Or give a one time gift that the Lord can use to change a lives. Be a part of something bigger than yourself…something life changing!
Thanks for getting your faith dirty with us!
Jeff and Trudy
