The Lord Establishes Our Steps
When we last wrote, we excitedly shared our plans for ministry for the month of March, but much has changed in the last few weeks. We are reminded of Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Although March has not gone the way we had hoped, we are thankful for God's many reminders and promises that He is in control and that His character never changes. We hope and pray that all of you have remained safe from Coronavirus and that you are seeing God provide for your needs day to day, whether through working or other means.
Suddenly, just like many others, our calendars are surprisingly empty.While the first two weeks of March were fairly normal, with hosting our regular community board game night, teaching children's church, and fulfilling our usual weekly commitments, our ministry took drastic changes in only a matter of days. Due to COVID-19 recommendations and restrictions, we have moved our Sunday service and Thursday evening Bible studies to online for the past 2 weeks and have been slowly trying to figure out how to do some of our other studies via zoom.This is new for all on our ministry team here, so we are learning day by day how we can most effectively serve our church from a distance. We are so thankful that ministry does not completely stop because of this virus, but rather is just done in different formats.
Jesse has continued to work for the school district, though his duties have changed due to classes being moved online. This has allowed him to interact with others he would not normally have had contact with, and had positive spiritual conversations with two new coworkers as a result. Baby Chapman due October 25, 2020Praising God for Pregnancy
We are excited to share with you that we are expecting another baby due in October of this year! Praise God for this gift of life and for giving us the privilege of being parents to another child. Please pray that this baby will grow to be healthy and strong and for us as we learn and prepare for becoming a family of four.
Additional updates
Many of you are probably aware that there was a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Salt Lake City a couple of weeks ago. We were pretty excited about feeling our first earthquake and live far enough north that we had no damage in our area. There have been several other earthquakes as a result since then, and tonight a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit southern Idaho and could be felt in our area, although we didn't notice it as we were going about our evening.
Please pray for the people of Utah as many experience fear and anxiety during these uncertain times and that it would drive them to trust in the God who is always in control. Jesse will be preaching again this Sunday (April 5th) and we are excited to be able to invite unbelieving friends to virtually come listen to him preach. Praise God for the unique opportunity to reach people with the truth of God's word who would not otherwise step foot in a Bible preaching church. If you would like to listen in, we will be live streaming from our Facebook Page at 10am MT. Jesse has also started a new study for Thursday nights on the "One Another's" in the New Testament, since we are unable to livestream the video series we had been doing.
We would appreciate continued prayers for:
Financial supporters to partner with us in ministry.
Jesse to be able to find work for the summer months.
Wise use of our time while stuck at home during this pandemic.
Praise the Lord for: Health and safety during this time of earthquakes and COVID-19. Providing for all our needs, even in this time of economical uncertainty for many. The technology he has given us to use to serve him as we all social distance. An enjoyable visit from Jesse's sister during her spring break.
If you would like to support us on an ongoing basis or with a one time gift, please go to https://www.biblicalministries.org/support/give/ or send a check to: Biblical Ministries Worldwide | 1595 Herrington Road | Lawrenceville, GA 30043. Please include on a separate sheet our name and missionary account number (#004417). Our home address is: 465 W 600 S Apt. 7 | Tremonton, UT 84337.