SHALOM!
We pray this finds you and yours all well and blessed and used by the LORD in wondrous ways! This Prayer Letter focuses on three “Ps”: Purim, Passover and Prayers!!!
Our youngest, Alyson, encouraged us to have a Purim Festival this year, focused on Children and their families. We took the challenge to heart, and brought Congregants “on board”, and rented a Bounce House, Popcorn Machine and Snow Cone machine and offered face painting, crafts, etc., and handed out lots of groggers (noise makers), horns, plastic jewelry and crowns, etc, and costumes, which we’ve acquired through the years, for those who didn’t wear their own!!! A big thunderstorm was coming, many prayed, and it went away by Friday, and that Shabbat was glorious!! – weather wise and spiritually, “PTL!”. Many people attended and participated, and we had a much different and shorter Service: under the direction of Alyson and others the youngsters presented their Purim Play, acting out the main characters of the Book of Esther! They were soooo superb!, “PTL!”. Then two older Congregants did their version: “Gerri” read a “tightened” version of Esther from a scroll as “Terri” acted out the story, changing hats, etc, as each main character was mentioned!!! It was ”a scream”!! The Service was only about 75 minutes, then all went outside to enjoy the festivities and a Purim Picnic, with grilled burger and hot dogs, salads, etc. What a wonderfully blessed day!!!, “PTL!”.
The Essenes had not a shred of Esther in their Scriptures, well known as the “Dead Sea Scrolls”, as they said God and prayer were not specifically named, yet, clearly the LORD is So at work in the history, and Mordechai and many others are certainly praying to the LORD. Yes, indeed, it is correctly included in the Bible, “PTL!.
The first night of Passover is Monday, April 10th, and our Seder Committee decided we had to have our Annual “Messiah in the Passover” Seder either catered or in a hotel, that it had become too large for us to do well, as we had 162 people at tables in the Sanctuary last year, “PTL!”. At a dear one’s suggestion, we connected with a hotel near the airport and arranged for a Ballroom and the Seder meal and Platters, etc. At $40. Per Adult and $22. for youngsters 10 and younger (3 and younger are free) the cost is almost twice what we’ve been able to charge in past years, yet already more than 110 folks have signed up for our Seder, “PTL!”.
A “repeat attendee” is bringing 6 or more of her “pre-believing” family members – please pray they will attend, hear the Gospel clearly, that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh will do His wondrous work in their hearts, and they would even be redeemed while at the Seder!
Please lift up our families’ members, too: Suzi’s step-Mother, Sally, 84, just died of cancer, having told Suzi she didn’t believe in God. Yet years ago she’d called us for prayer when going in for heart surgery…??… Typical and tragic.
A dear brother, “Fred”, only 18, needs prayer for huge spiritual battles and serious physical challenges to his skeletal structure; and please pray I am able to minister to him and find another local Pastor with proper expertise to become involved, also. “Fred” is transparent, serious about his love for and walk with God, and wants to be fully set free…we’ve ordered appropriate books, so please lift up “Fred” as we minister to him.
Please lift up Jose, 59, a brother desiring prayer: his transplanted kidney has failed after just 7 weeks, so he has to have dialysis 4 times a week – please pray that he would be a candidate for another kidney transplant, or, better, the LORD would supernaturally heal him. Yes!, in Yeshua’s Name. Amen.
I, Bruce, had a TURP surgical procedure on March 20th, and was homebound for 3 days. No pain, before or after, “PTL!”. This was a “rerun”, as I had this procedure in August 2012. I am looking forward to being able to lift and exercise again. Praising the LORD for all His blessings, for our Urologist’s expertise and for Suzi being such an excellent “Florence Nightingale”, “PTL!”.
A “fun” Divine Appointment occurred: I was on the phone with Chanah, a Congregant, walking to our car from the Post Office, and a man heard what I was saying and asked to interrupt me! I told Chanah I’d call her back, and the man, who is also named Bruce (!), wanted to talk about political issues and ideas, as he was so glad to hear what I’d said to Chanah! I told him we had the same name, and asked him to please read the two tracts I handed him and to call me, pointing out my name and number on the back of the tract. Please pray Bruce, a Jewish man in his late 50s/early 60s, will read the tracts, even look up the Scripture verses, and will call me to discuss them, that the Holy Spirit will do His work in Bruce’s heart and he’ll be redeemed. Yes!,
In Yeshua’s Name. Amen.