More New Beginnings
PLEASE PRAY FOR THREE INFAITH MISSIONARIES STRUGGLING WITH COVID Read the last story in this memo for details.
PRAISE GOD FOR NEW BEGINNINGS!
Pastor Seth Lewis of the Carver Church (Damascus) was privileged to baptize two new believers in the fresh, cold water of the Clackamas River this Sunday. Seth says both young men have been attending church services at Carver and were being mentored by members of church outreach group. He adds that both “have truly shown a change and devotion to Jesus.”
GROWTH KEEPS GOING AT HUDSON PARK BIBLE CHURCH
It was a privilege to speak Sunday at Hudson Park Bible Church (Rainier). The Hudson Park congregation joined in fellowship with InFaith: Northwest Oregon a little more than a year ago, as leaders of the new church plant began seeing rapid growth in attendance soon after they began meeting in an old country schoolhouse. Retired InFaith NW Field Director Jim Van Voorst and his wife Linda have made Hudson Park their church home, and Jim is now serving on the church steering committee. Even in the midst of difficult times in Oregon, the Hudson Park congregation was able to share the love of Jesus with about 50 children in their Vacation Bible School this summer, and reached out into the community by holding a weekend family Bible Camp, using the church and the adjacent Hudson-Parcher County Park.
TIME FOR BREAKFAST!
Pastors and leaders of InFaith: Northwest Oregon affiliated ministries will break bread again this Wednesday (August 18) at 9 AM at the Tollgate Inn in Sandy. Our monthly no-host breakfasts have been on-again-off-again during the pandemic, but the restaurant assures me they will be open and ready to serve us this week, as long as we all wear masks when we are not seated (as required by the current Covid precautions). This week we hope to be joined by Pastor Michael Olivares, recently installed at Garfield Community Church (Estacada). Don’t miss this chance to share what Jesus is doing in your fellowships with other faithful shepherds just like you.
NWXNW SEPTEMBER 11,12 OR 13?
After taking a couple months off during the summer ministry rush, some participants in our NWxNW fellowship have expressed an eagerness to get together again in September to share what God is doing in their communities and pray for one another. Time and date has not been set, so your response to this email will be very helpful. Could we consider September 11, 12 or 13? And to sweeten the pot – if there is a restaurant that can accommodate us in Clatskanie, Rainier or the area, InFaith: Northwest Oregon will pick up the tab for either breakfast or lunch for the group. Now – who is up for gathering? Please let me know, name your preferred date and offer venue suggestions by responding to this email to thiscox@infaith.org . I am looking forward to catching up.
YOU CAN HELP CARE FOR THREE OF OUR MISSIONARIES STRUGGLING WITH COVID 19
Three InFaith missionaries connected to our field are currently struggling with serious effects of Covid 19: missionary Elsie Beard of Salem and her mother, retired missionary Karen Beard, are currently quarantined in a hotel in Great Falls Montana. They took ill shortly after serving at a summer camp in Idaho, were hospitalized in Montana, and then released to care for each other at the hotel. Retired missionary Dale Cardwell spoke with both of them this morning, and said they are still struggling with difficult symptoms. Northwest Field Director Nathan Bath is also ill. Nathan is now in his third week of battling Covid symptoms at his home in Idaho. His dangerously high fever broke on Saturday, after 15 days, but he is still suffering other symptoms and has difficulty talking without bad coughing spells. He has lost 15 pounds since the disease hit. All three are expected to face some medical bills (and the Beards will have a big hotel bill when they get through with this). You may be able to help.
Dale Cardwell spoke to InFaith Chief Financial Officer Dan Shelton this morning regarding assisting the Beards. Dale says there are essentially two ways to donate through the InFaith Home Office:
Send a non-designated donation to the InFaith Benevolent Fund, either through www.infaith.org or by mailing a check to InFaith, 145 John Robert Thomas Drive, Exton, PA 19341, marked Benevolent Fund in the memo field. It is likely that the Beards will be receiving some assistance through this fund as the financial needs are more clear. If you express your concern for the Beards in a note to InFaith, it could help them in their decision. This method would be tax deductible. If you wish your donation to be anonymous, please indicate so in an enclosed note.
Send a designated gift to InFaith, with a note indicating it is specifically a gift for Elsie Beard. This method would likely not be tax deductible. But it would be guaranteed to go directly to Elsie, outside of her regular support funding. Again, if you wish to remain anonymous, please indicate in a note with the gift.
Another way to help Elsie and Karen might be to send a check directly to Elsie’s home address: 4941 Trail Inn Ct SE, Salem, OR 97317 . In this case, it should be considered a personal gift, and InFaith will not be involved in tracking these gifts.
A local method of assisting Elsie, Karen, and Nathan Bath is being explored, and I hope to have more information in the next week or two. As you may understand, it may take some time for any of them to truly know what medical bills they will have. Finally, and more importantly – Please pray for Nathan, Else and Karen, that the Lord will restore them to health and will protect those who helping them deal with this difficult sickness.
Tom Hiscox, NW Oregon Area Missionary thiscox@infaith.org