November, 2024
Dear Friends and Family:
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”–1 Thess. 5:16-18
Thank you, Lord, for the everlasting mercies of David, thy “everlasting covenant . . . even the sure mercies of David.” Thank you for life and breath, for health and strength, family, friends and brethren, for “every good and every perfect gift [which] is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights . . .”
Thank you, Father, for all that you have so faithfully and graciously provided during the past year to bless us and all Thy people, especially Thy life-giving Spirit, Thy pardoning grace, Thy loving-kindness and tender mercies. We bless Thee, O Lord, for the inestimable gift of Thy only-begotten, beloved Son, born to redeem His people from their sins, to set us free from our chains of slavery!
Thank you, Lord, for that perfect righteousness and our Lord’s holy sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and deliver the humble from condemnation. Grant us, sovereign King of glory, the love with which to honor and serve Thee, the faith with which to pray and commune with thee according to Thy will, and the wisdom to walk with Thee in gentle peace and blessing, being filled with mercy and good fruits, with which to love and bless Thy people, the meek and lowly, and all our neighbors. In Christ’s blessed Name, Amen.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Are you missing the blessing of worship? Christ is present with His Church, to bless her, especially when we are gathered together in His Name to worship Him. “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God . . . Blessed are they that dwell in thy house . . . For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”–Psalm 84.
We praise the LORD also for you, dear reader, for your interest in us and in the work of the Gospel, for each of you who pray for us and the advance of Christ’s kingdom of true love, and each of you who give for the furtherance of His glory and the salvation of souls as you also serve Him daily according to His will. Thank you!
PRAISES & PRAYER REQUESTS:
As we survey the last few weeks and look forward to the coming summer in Chile (Dec., Jan. & Feb.), we also thank the Lord for the following blessings and ask you to place these matters before our Sovereign’s glorious throne of grace:
– for our children Isaiah (26), Josiah (24), Anna (23) and Sarah (20) as they travel to Guatemala (Nov. 27-Dec. 14) to help with Vacation Bible Schools at Montserrat and at Los Angeles. Praise the Lord, all their air travel costs have been covered by the special gifts that came in for this trip.
– for Emilio (13) and Sarah (8), who began attending our homeschool Monday through Friday in mid-October, and for their parents, Rubén and Jenny, as we speak with them of Christ and His grace and go over the Scriptures.
– for Isaac as he continues learning and growing with us.
– Julio and his continued ministerial preparation. He will be studying with Geneva Reformed Seminary.
– Josiah and his future studies and service.
– Joaquín and his summer work and future university studies. He plans to study kinesiology (physical therapy). It has been encouraging to have Joaquín attending services on the Lord’s day by himself when his parents have been unable to attend.
– for Paul’s mini-series of sermons on Raising your Children for Christ (Pray for them, Pray believingly, Pray with them, Teach them to pray, Use the means of grace diligently & Encourage and Discipline them), also his series on Romans and his current classes on Biblical Interpretation and on the Ten Commandments.
– our current special translation project: Andrew Murray–The Children for Christ (which Julio is helping to translate into Spanish and we are distributing).
– Rocio & José Luis, Abigail (due in December).
– Praise the Lord for a new deep well drilled for us in early November and the good supply of water found. Please pray that we’ll soon be able to complete the plumbing necessary and that it will be serviceable for our needs.
– Also making progress on some fencing which was needed.
– for new acquaintances, Alejandro and Pamela & their infant daughter Josefina; Victoria & her family; Pablo & his family.
– for our Bible studies with old acquaintances, Víctor and Conny; Daniel and Karen & their children; Rosita and Alonso.
– for Rosita’s son Alfredo as he undergoes an extensive treatment to relieve his physical handicap (with his legs & feet).
– for brother Bert Behlow from Greenville as he travels to visit us here, Dec. 23 – Jan. 18.
– for Elías and Juan as they study God’s Word.
– for welding class–10 of the young people and children learned how to weld during September with the help of a friend who taught the course.
– three water leaks fixed and future repairs still needed in one bathroom (leaks and wall reparations).
– we found an excellent presentation on “The Doctrine of the Preservation of the Scriptures” by James Bearss translated into Spanish which we were able to show to the congregation during our Lord’s Day Bible class.
Thank you for your prayers!
Joyfully through His Grace,
Paul and Cheryl Durand