From:
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 3:56 PM
To:
Subject: Prayer Update 12/15/05 Places to go, people to see
Thursday, December 15th, 2005
Dear Family
and Friends,
It has been
several weeks since I have last written, but this past month after our return
to
One month
ago yesterday, we left
After a
special meeting and words of encouragement from Dr. Gothard (Director of
IBLP), we were ushered into one of the IBLP staff houses. Tears again filled
our eyes as we saw a turkey dinner prepared for us by loving friends, and stacks
of groceries provided for our few days in
I remember
staring at the white floor and walls, and feeling the soft carpet under my
feet. I hadn't seen a microwave in months, and when you turned on the hot
water, hot water actually came out. Experiencing jet lag for his first time in
his seven years of age, I heard Matthew bounce out of bed at 3 AM the next
morning and run up the stairs. For the next several hours we heard him doing
summersaults across the carpet above us.
Even with
such short notice, many friends joined us the following evening for a time of
sharing and fellowship together. Staff from IBLP graciously allowed us to use
their staff dining room, even preparing refreshments and working with us to
design a simple program honoring Isaac's service to the Lord.
Greatly
blessed by the continued outpouring of love and generosity, our family drove a
few days later to our farm in Grantsburg, Wisconsin to prepare for the memorial
services scheduled to take place the week following.
Having
closed down the house for winter, we were not sure what to expect, but God
again went before us in the way of a kind neighbor. Tom Quimby started up the heating system in our house so that
we could come out of the cold, snowy night into a warm house. Loving neighbors
and friends brought meals and firewood as we worked to settle back in to our
farmhouse and get the septic system back into operation.
Holding the
memorial services in the church where Isaac and I had come to Christ at the age
of five, we were again greatly blessed by the love of family and friends that
came to be with us, and to witness the testimony of a
life lived for the Lord. The singing, sharing, testimonies and message
continued for over two hours. I don't think any person that attended could miss
how special Isaac was to so many, or the grace that God has given us to trust
Him through this time. There is a reason behind the hope that lies within us!
Since our
return home, Derrick has been encouraging me to write an article for our local
newspaper, sharing the testimony of Isaac's life. With the memorial services
behind us, I turned my focus to this new project. Isaac's homegoing
has brought many opportunities to give witness for Christ, and when God brings
these opportunities, I don't want to hide my light under a bushel, but place it
on a candlestick where it might bring glory to God.
The project
would have been easier, had I known a little more of God's incredible
providence in raising up a man for such a time as
this. Byron Higgin, the editor of our local newspaper
is a strong Christian and has often taken bold stands in acknowledging the Lord
through his work.
Yesterday
afternoon I saw my first copy of the newspaper, and found that the article was
not just tucked away somewhere, but a color picture on the front page leading
to my article, complete with pictures, on the second page! Byron had written
another article about our family, and included a third story, condensed from
one of my updates, filling the entire page. Only God could have worked out
something like that.
Traveling
to
One of the
families had offered the use of their cabin in Broken Bow,
There were
more tears as we sat down to dinner as a family without Isaac, and later as we
watched video clips of Isaac talking, leading music and playing his harmonicas
and trombone in Oklahoma City.
But there
were happy times as well. The Fahrenbrucks had left a
fishing rod at the cabin, so the younger ones were excited to get some tackle
and a can of corn to take to the park. While the older ones played volleyball,
I watched
I decided
not to spend the $25 to buy a license for a few hours of fishing, so the three
youngest were on their own. Words can hardly describe the moments of suspense,
everyone leaning forward and holding their breath as the bobber began dipping
into the water. Matthew's arms were almost shaking with excitement as he
earnestly looked over at me. "Should I pull yet?"
"No,
not yet," I said, my eyes fixed on the bobber. "Wait till the bobber
goes all the way under... Wait... Get ready... And...
Wait... Go!" Matthew's muscles flexed as all the minutes
of restrained suspense were unleashed in a single reflex that sent the
bobber, hook and line all flying clear out of the water onto the shore.
Needless to say, there was no fish, or corn, remaining on the hook.
After we
all had a good laugh, Rebecca put some more corn on the hook and Matthew coiled
for another cast. With a little practice, all three of them managed to catch
some small panfish. I was really glad that none of
the fish swallowed the hook. Step-by-step tonsillectomy lessons are not usually
on the list of most popular topics for beginning fishermen.
Spending
the weekend with friends in
The sun
rose on Monday morning to find our van already several hours underway on the
trip back up to the farm. Thirteen hours is a long drive, but we were all
relieved to arrive home that evening. A warm crackling fire in the wood stove
was a welcome sight as we worked to carry in the luggage from our trip.
This week
Rachelle and I have been working on a database of contacts and friends. This is
a project that we have been thinking and planning toward for the past several
years, but the many details in connection with Isaac's passing have made it
more of a necessity.
I am hoping
and planning to set up a simple Web site with my past updates, so that people
who may have just gotten a few forwarded e-mails can read the rest of the
story. I plan to send out an e-mail with a link and a few more details as soon
as I am able.
I also
wanted to express my gratefulness to each of you that have written to us in the
past month. With so many other things going on, I have not yet been able to
respond to most of these e-mails, but please know that each one has been a
special encouragement to us through this time.
Praise
Points:
- We are so grateful for the overwhelming love and care
of family and friends through this time. God continues to pour out His
grace upon our family, and we know that this is a result of so many that
are praying for us.
- Praise the Lord for health and safety through all of
the trips, meetings, and events of the past month. It has been a very
meaningful time of seeing many friends and loved ones of years gone by.
- We have been able to book tickets for our return to
Prayer
Requests:
- Please pray that the Lord would continue to pour out
His grace as we celebrate Christmas this year without Isaac. We are so
grateful for the twenty-five years that God allowed us to enjoy his
presence in our family, but we still miss him.
- Pray for the team in
Pictures:
During our
stay at the IBLP Headquarters, we were graciously allowed to stay in one of the
staff houses. It was an ideal setting to adjust to the 14 hour time difference
from
Matthew was
pretty excited to see some of the food that had been left for our family. - And
the pile on the counter was just for our ride back home!
My
Grandfather drove an hour and a half from his home to hang this sign to our
garage door, welcoming us back from
In our
travels we have had the opportunity to share at several churches that have been
praying for our family during this time. Here my Dad shares a testimony at
The fishing
rod flexes as Matthew's left-handed cast sends the line into the water.
Rebecca
giggles and squeals in her first experience taking a fish off the hook.
The Waller family, smaller in size, but deeper in message.
Words
cannot express how grateful we are for your prayers through these days! God
continues to show Himself faithful as He leads us each
day.
In Christ,
- Adam
"And
let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint
not." - Galatians 6:9