A Time of Waiting

We all find ourselves doing a lot waiting... waiting for the weekend; waiting for another semester of school to end; waiting for the weather to get nicer; waiting for your roommate/spouse/kids to get out of the bathroom.  You know the feeling.  


Some people are waiting on more urgent matters... waiting on a paycheck in order to pay that bill;  waiting for a loved one to come home from deployment; waiting on test results from the doctor.  Many of us have been in these situations too.  

In these times of waiting, the Lord often does a refining work in our lives.  
Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV) says, 

"I remain confident of this:

  I will see the goodness of the LORD

  in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

  be strong and take heart

  and wait for the LORD."

During a difficult point in my life, the Lord used these words to adjust my perspective.  I shouldn’t be waiting for others to come through for me, I needed to be waiting on the Lord.  The Lord told me that waiting on Him was not an easy place to be, but a wonderful place, all the same.  When we are waiting on Him, we are in His will and at His mercy, what a beautiful place to be.  

Phil and I are finding ourselves in a time of waiting right now.  As our May 14th clearance deadline* approaches, we are awaiting word from a number of individuals and churches regarding support numbers.  We do not know whether our support will come in on time, but we are being refined as we wait on the Lord.  

Please pray for us to learn patience and to walk in peace as we wait.  

“...be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait on the LORD!”

{Psalm 27:14 ESV}

*Date by which we must have 100% of our financial support pledged in order to leave for the field in July 2012.   

"Out of Sight, Out of Mind"

We certainly do not want this saying to be true in our prayer lives.  


We are committing to pray for you!

We value your prayers very much and do not want prayer to be a one-way street.  We are committing to be faithfully praying for you as well, our partners in the Lord's work!  

In order to do this consistently, Phil and I are putting together a photo album for our own use in prayer.  We are trying to compile photos and prayer requests of each of our partners.  

Help us out by sending a family photo and a few ways that we can be praying for you!

Please send them to: PKBookhamer@gmail.com


A favorite verse on prayer: 
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." 

{Ephesians 6:18}

Singing of Unsung Heroes

Don't worry, there's no real singing involved in this post. We would just like to say that we have been so touched by the joyful giving and generosity of those who have been partnering with us, and I wanted to tell some of their stories.  Without sharing too many details, here are some of the circumstances that have touched us deeply and have brought us to tears... 

• Instead of purchasing favors for their upcoming wedding, one couple decided to give toward our ministry.  
• A timely work bonus, which could’ve been used to pay off the unforeseen expenses they had recently accrued, a couple felt led to give toward mission work.  
• One family told us that their daughter wanted to give toward our ministry out of her babysitting income.  

These are just a few of the sacrifices that have moved us deeply.  We have been learning a lot from those who have been partnering with us.  Phil and I have been blessed and challenged by the sacrificial generosity of so many of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and our partners in ministry.  So, thanks, you are doing more than you know! 


Paul's words capture what is on our hearts:
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
  “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
  their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-13

We love you guys and appreciate your prayers and partnership in the Lord's work!