Dear praying friends and family,
Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord. We trust that this letter finds each of you enjoying the blessings of God upon your lives and ministries. It is hard to know where to start as we have seen so many answers to prayer and God’s moving in many different ways.
Our VBS season was a tremendous blessing! We were blessed to do a VBS with Pastor James Barton, a good friend of ours here in Pennsylvania. Next, we were in Ohio with a new friend, Pastor Bob Warnick and then we had one in Montana with Pastor Matthew Inboden and our last VBS with his brother Andrew in Idaho. All of them were blessings in their own way. I did not have an exact number for who was saved at each but I believe it was close to a dozen or more and many more who were dealt with on assurance. My own son Israel especially seemed as if God was working in His heart in a special way. We would appreciate prayers that God would continue to move in His life!
A great blessing we had was to do the VBS meetings, but also to assist in seemingly small ways throughout each week. One week, I helped the pastor who needed to castrate his cow and another week I helped a pastor who needed wood split. Another week, I helped a pastor who was installing new railing on his church ramp. Israel also helped some.
While we were out West, we made it a point to make more connections in some surrounding states as we have had a great burden for several years to be a help in that part of the country. Churches are more spread out and many of the pastors are bi-vocational and desperately in need of extra hands. God knit our hearts with a number of new pastors who have expressed interest in us helping them in the future someday. We are HOPING and praying that we might be able to do something every other year at a minimum.
In California, we were grateful to be able to organize an impromptu park ministry targeting families with kids. While it did not go the way I had initially envisioned, God definitely blessed and we were able to present the gospel, give out some small gifts to children, and hand out over 40 gospel tracts!
Because we were unable to find housing at times, we had taken our tent knowing it may be a necessity. Not only was camping a blast, with some family fun, but in itself, being outside of the normal arrangements ended up being a blessing as we made contact with a man at one of the campgrounds where we stayed who listened with interest as I shared the gospel. Sadly, he also seemed to have much confusion and unanswered questions about his life and eternal destiny. He wanted to keep in contact and so we have continued to have some since my return to Pennsylvania and praise the Lord he is currently reading a gospel of John. Pray for this man, Brad, who desperately needs Jesus that his mind would be enlightened and he would come to know Jesus!
We asked you all last year to pray about a new deaf ministry Karyn was burdened about starting in Pittsburgh at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. It was a great blessing to see that has come to pass! She was able to go to the first meeting on October 2. Currently, she has two other ladies who have volunteered to be a part and are able to also run it independently if needed. So far, there have been 2 meetings and 2 kids coming with more who plan to join. Praise God!!! The deaf community is truly an almost unreached people group within our country. Please pray that more deaf would come to these meetings and that God would give more volunteers who know ASL and can help with these meetings.
Looking into the future, we would appreciate your prayers for many unfinished tasks that we have here at home. Truthfully, we need much help to make it a reality, but God knows and we believe that if it is God’s will for the vision to come to be of making this house an additional avenue of ministry, somehow it will come to be. Right now, it seems completely out of reach, but God is the God of the impossible!
God has recently given me a number of opportunities to preach, and we also have a few pastors who have expressed interest in scheduling us for VBS or revival services this coming year. We know that we are just tools in God’s hands willing to be used however He would see fit, but we do want to let you know of our availability pretty much any time to schedule a VBS or revival if you feel that God would have us to partner with you in attempting to “go into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature” Mark 16:15
We genuinely appreciate the faithful prayers and financial support that has been given to make all of these things possible. All glory goes to God!
Joyfully Serving our Risen Saviour,
The Wrachfords
Micah 6:8