In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Eph 6:16
The month of January has been a tough month for me and I am glad to see February on the calendar in a few short days. You remember the 14 of January my apartment/flat was broken into. Well, the devil is still hard at work and still attacking me. The next week (I did not have courage to write this last week), my cousin wrote me an email stating there was a fire in Alaska.
Before I moved to PNG, I moved out of my one bedroom apartment and my cousin graciously allowed me to store many of my belongings in his basement. I moved many of my earthly treasures to his place and stored other items in my small trailer at another location. Friday the 13th, I got an email stating the house my cousin was living at had a 3am fire. The fire started in the basement and consumed everything there. The fire did not destroy the house but caused much smoke damage to the two story building. The newspaper story said the floor was hot and nail heads were showing through the carpeted floor.
It is hard for me to put words to my frustration and sadness. I cannot recall all items I placed there for safe keeping but do remember I had a twin mattress, desktop computer, and majority of my clothes. I do anticipate returning to Alaska later this year. At that time, I will have a final count of items lost.
Apart of me says I should not go back and count it all as lost. I should just stay in Papua New Guinea where my life exists now. Why go home to a life that once was? The good news is I still have many people there that love me and a small trailer with some treasures still left. I pray as my trailer which is probably buried under 6’ of snow that there is no major water leak causing mold.
As I review the month of January, I am aware that I am under spiritual warfare. I am being attacked by the ‘flaming arrows’ but I stand in the victory of Jesus Christ. I thank you for your prayers after the break in and now I plead again for your petitions. We serve a mighty God and a loving God who is gracious and a forgiving Savior.
Prayer Requests:
Protection again the evil one
Settling into a new house
Settling into a new community and surroundings
Emily who has left for furlough
Airfare and good flight schedules for my return in a few months
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12
Tyler, sorry we were not able to write after your last e-mail to us. We are still busy removing snow from our roof! But we have been praying for you. The Maxwell’s and our famiy are doing a family fellowship night Wednesdays where we have a meal, read God’s word, and pray. We are praying for you. You have a family of believers here that will help you with whatever is needed, when you arrive here, and many many people who love you here. It is so easy for us to only see what is tangible and in front of us at the time, but our bible verse for this morning (truly a verse of trust) was Romans 8:28. “For all things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” So though we can’t see the outcome, we still trust God.
Binget
Thanks Binget. I often quote Romans 8:28. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. It is encouraging to me to hear the church is lifting me up in prayers.
Thanks for sharing so tranparently. As I read this morning in my Bible study for the day, God shines through us as jars of clay and gives us the strength to be his servants. As you struggle with the things that have been lost may God continue to give you his strength to persevere. I had forgotten that that passage in II Cor. 4 is just before Paul mentions all the things that have hit them. May you feel God’s provision to continue on even when things have been so devestating and discouraging. We prayed for you today.
Ruth & Gerald
Tyler,
I am sorry that you are having to endure so much lately.
I hope that you will be encouraged to know that many are praying
for you. It is hard to understand why tough circumstances are allowed
to happen….but I know – you know that the Lord is by your side and will
help and strengthen you. Somehow, He will bring good from all of this.
Keep trusting. Praying for you……
Jill Haase
Dear Tyler,
So glad that you are safe after that break in and it sounds like no one was hurt in the house fire. We will pray that each need you have will be supplied and that the Lord will bless you…pressed down, shaken together and overflowing. The best is yet to come. God is doing good things in you and through you. We love you, are proud of you, and are praying for you.
Dan and Annette