June 23, 2023
Psalm 90:1,2
Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Dear Praying Friends,
What a blessing it is to have the Lord who formed the foundations of all that exist be our special dwelling place! The last few days before we left Mexico were immensely heavy, but God was with us and allowed a lot to be accomplished in a “few” days. He is ever FAITHFUL.
Many have wondered what happened to us because this letter is late. We started trying to get ready for our departure from Guadalajara months before we left. When we saw the MAJOR problems with the physical building, we knew we had to correct some of the problems before we left. Our family spent an entire week doing repairing parts that were necessary for the church to function right. That involved new lighting, masonry repair, plumbing, roof repair, trimming trees, and a host of other jobs. Since we left, two friends have re-sealed the roof to stop leaks.
We towed a cargo trailer from Texas and decided not to try to run with the Interstate traffic. In Texas the speed limit is often 75 miles an hour. So, it took us a total of five days to arrive in West Virginia. Tired but happy to be back once more.
Please pray for Ann’s mother, Casey, who has been diagnosed with cancer. She is doing well with her immotherapy, but she is still concerned that she could suffer another stroke. She had a stroke a year ago and she lost much memory in the days that followed. She has done marvelously in her recuperation, but some of what she lost is gone. She has been our official financial officer, our clearing house for mail, our encourager, our assistant manager and our GG (to our kids). She is 95, but her doctor considers her to be 80. Please whisper a prayer for new strength for each day.
The church continues with the addition of a few more deaf attendees. They are averaging about 20 in the services but a few digress instead of going ahead with the Lord. Praise for Cheyenne, our daughter, who is simply overseeing the work to keep it going the right direction. She has grown up since age of five in the church and is considered a wise person to ask counsel. Obviously, she is not “in charge,” preaching, ordering, etc. but she gives them stability. She carries a very heavy load with her own accomplishments in life so this adds an additional pressure on her. But God is faithful.
Pray for us as we make contact with our supporters. This whole world has become massively mobile, so pray we can make contact quickly with those we appreciate so much. Pray for mercies as we travel to many different states. Most of all, pray that we can be a faithful witness in our travels. It used to be so nice because we could witness to the attendee all the time they were pumping gas. Now, one seldom sees anyone as we pump our own gas. Our sole desire on our furlough is to be a blessing as we travel, as we are in churches and as we meet people in our daily lives.
Thank you so much for your faithful support and prayers. Do they matter? After 40 years in a war-torn country with many dangers, we are thankful to say we are older but have never been the object of their attacks (as far as we know). That is because you pray. May God bless you as you are faithful to Him.
For DEAF souls in Mexico,
Gary & Ann Layne
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