Dear Church,
Rain, rain, and more rain is what we are experiencing here in Clatsop County. It has been this way for months. Even Portland has clear skies in the forecast today as I write this letter, but Astoria started with snow, followed by rain, and (you guessed it) more rain! I don’t complain about the rain because I love the greenery here in this most beautiful corner of God’s creation. The trade is worth it! Thank you for praying for us, reading our letters, and supporting the work financially.
A young Coastguardsman returned to us after spending a few months at sea. Before he left, he coordinated with the Coastguard chaplain and volunteered to handle the religious services on the cutter under the authority of Anchor Baptist Church. He originally planned to be with us for a total of 4 years but recently received word that his cutter will be decommissioned. This means they are sending him somewhere else after serving here less than a year, and most of that time was spent at sea. I plead with you to plead with the Lord on his behalf, and ours! The Coastguardsman submitted a request to be assigned to one of two new boats that will be stationed here. He has a chance of getting that assignment, but not a good chance. Please pray fervently and frequently that God will keep him here with us at Anchor Baptist Church. This dear brother has been a great encouragement to us, and he says Anchor Baptist has helped him grow much stronger as a Christian as well.
We are thankful for the Bibles that were sent, and we have distributed them to some very gracious elderly people. One lady received a Bibles who has been attending for quite some time. She was taken to the hospital a few weeks ago, so I went to visit her, and she was in great spirits. A day later she was sent back to the care center, and I am sad to say that her prognosis is not good. Thursday evening, I went back to pick up some people from the care center for church and I stopped in to visit this dear lady. She apologized several times for not being able to attend church with me. My heart goes out to her, and I am so amazed at her strong desire to be in church despite her deteriorating condition. Please pray that God will comfort her. A few months earlier I had a great conversation with her, and I am confident she knows Jesus as her Saviour!
Winning souls, baptizing people, and adding them to the church so we can teach them is the formula we find in God’s Word for church planting. The Bible doesn’t mention an Old-Fashioned Gospel Tent Meeting specifically, but there are a lot of tents in the Bible, and the Gospel is certainly in there as well! I believe the Lord laid the tent meeting upon my heart and he has always provided a way for us. Last year we took a break because we expected to move into a store-front building and moved into the Shilo instead. We really want to hold the meeting this year and we have people coming from far away to help us. The problem is, I haven’t heard from the owner of the property yet. Time is running short for me to submit the paperwork needed for our permits. Will you please pray that I hear back from the owner of the property within the first week of March? Pray for God’s direction as we might need to consider another venue or even canceling the meeting. It’s still raining here so don’t forget to pray for some sunshine too! God bless you! -The Byers Family