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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Open Letter to Three Churches


We wanted to offer our sincerest thanks to 3 churches who have really impacted us over the last 10 months here in the states. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty to care for us.
When we first arrived we were burned out, beaten and bruised. We were drained and emotionally exhausted and we were supposed to go to a Missions event called Go Celebration at FBC Broken Arrow, OK. I will be honest when I tell you that I think we both kind of dreaded it. because we were so tired, yet we had to be ‘on’ for a bunch of people interested in missions. We had no idea what we were in store for. The guys at Broken Arrow gave us just what we needed at just the right time. They cared for us and allowed us to truly find rest, physically, emotionally and even spiritually. Mike Croppers Sunday School class made us feel at home and we just felt like we belonged there. They showered us with gifts and their kindness. It was a blessing sent from the Lord through his people in Broken Arrow. The Fitzsimmons were like family to us and they made us wish we could stay a whole week just to get to know them better. I think you guys get the point, you guys are all very special to us and we thank the Lord for getting to meet you. Now, the ball is in your court, you are gonna have to come see us now! See you in Africa!
The people of First Baptist Springtown have been one of the constants in my (Jeremy) life since I was just a young child. I first learned about missions from Bill and Jolynn Dean, who were both from Springtown and sent out from FBC Springtown. I learned to walk with the Lord throught the discipleship that went on there and I preached some of my first sermons there. They supported us while we were in Peru, but since we have returned they have been energized by the new vision that the Lord has given us for Africa. Many have volunteered to come help us work in one of the most difficult places in Africa. They have helped us in so many ways I can’t number them. But most of all they made us feel like if we ever needed anything all we needed to do was call on them and they would sacrifice in order to care for our needs. I inherited my love for the nations from the people in this church and I am excited to see this heritage passed on to new generations even now. We love you guys and can not wait to partner with you in the next few years!
The mission house at Harmony Baptist has become our home away from home now for the last two times we have been on furlow. The house is beautiful and comfortable, it is perfect for our family, it is away from the noise and hurry of Weatherford. However, the real reason we return to the same house is our friends at Harmony Baptist. They took care of us while Susan was pregnant and threw her a shower. They loved on our kids and taught them about Jesus. We were able to share our experiences and our lives together. Brother Lynn is one of the most pastoral and caring men we have ever known and his example was a great encouragement to us. But almost everyone in this assembly of believers has touched our lives in one way or another. Thank you for looking out for us and sharing your lives with us.
For those of you who are not from these churches, I want you to know what an impact you can make on a missionary family who is passing through. These are just some examples of those who have cared for us over the years. We love them and pray the Lord will bless them and their ministries because of the mercy and love they showed us.  

--Jeremy & Susan

2 comments:

  1. J & Susan-

    Thank you guys for thinking about us in this post. It is a blessing to hear that God used us to touch and refresh you guys. It was really fun getting to meet you and your kids and spend some time together talking about your adventures! I think were the ones that were really blessed by the experience. We learned so much from you guys about what is possible with God. We so look forward to seeing you again. Now about this visiting you in Africa thing.... well, we will have to talk :-) Seriously, give me a shout when it makes sense to update us on your future endeavors. God Bless, Mike Cropper

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  2. Just wanted you to know that we are working on getting you a picture of Bobby's church's Faith for the supporters page. Thanks for being patient!

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