December 20, 2007

Christmas greetings to you from our family! One of our favorite passages of Scripture about the incarnation of Jesus the Messiah is in Matthew 1. Verses 21-23 say

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

One of our special blessings this Christmas is to have Caroline (19) home with us! We thank the Lord for making it possible. Because of an outbreak of whooping cough on campus, BJU terminated the semester a week early which made it possible for Caroline to have her ticket changed to come a week early! Thank you for your prayers for her. The Lord has provided for her school bill in various ways and in answer to much prayer. She is a sophomore Youth Ministries major. Continue to pray for her as she trains to serve the Lord.

Mary (almost 17) will be graduating from high school this year. She is working on and studying for 5 CXC exams which she will take in the spring. Pray for her as she looks to the Lord for His next step for her. She may remain here in Carriacou for a year and teach in our primary school. She loves good music still loves to bake - we love her baking! Her home job is doing the laundry – a big job in our house! She produces the program “The World of Imagination” by reading good classic books on the air.

Anna-Helen (14) has been taking violin lessons from her grandmother. She is doing very well as a beginner and played a song in the HLCA Christmas program. She is in 9^th grade this year. She is a pretty good cook and helps in the house with various cleaning jobs. She produces one 30 minute Captain's Kids program each week. She is also the official baby sitter. She is as tall as Mary.

Katrina (11) is in 7^th grade. She loves to be silly and keeps us all laughing most of the time. She is growing up and out of some of her “childish ways” but it is hard when you are having so much fun being a “kid.” :) She is an expert sweeper/mopper – you know this because of all the advice she gives to her younger sister! She also enjoys cooking.

Angelia (10) is in the 5^th grade and is a good baby sitter. She has a very giving spirit and is generally a happy person. She loves to bake cookies and help her father by doing secretarial work at the radio station. She also loves to fix her sister's hair.

Peter will be 9 on the 30^th of this month. He loves school – especially his new teacher, Sister Ramdhanie. His best friend is Nathaniel Little. They like to build forts and watch Brother Richard butcher pigs. The rest of us just like to eat fresh roast pork! Peter likes to make things with his hands. He is a very animated person who makes his own “sound effects!” He is our “trash man” and likes to do things with daddy.

Micayla (7) has lost her baby fat but still has a slight lisp in her speech. She loves to tease as long as you don't tease her. :) She loves to play house and with her dolls. She is getting to be a good hair dresser like Angelia! She loves school and her teacher, Sister Ramdhanie.

Isaiah (5) is an intense person. He is very observant and loves to work with Peter building things down in the yard. He is in K-5 and has already learned to read! He can't wait until he is big enough to help daddy work at the station. He loves playing cars with his little brother, Joseph. Sometimes he and Joseph sleep together... when Joseph rolls off his bed onto Isaiah's. It used to be the other way until we had them switch beds.

Joseph (4) is in K-4 and has learned half of the alphabet! He enjoys discovering words that start with the letters he knows. He loves singing and knows many, many hymns and choruses. He and Suzanne make quite a duet in church! He is doing well and shows no side effects from his fall into the cistern a year and a half ago.

Suzanne (2) is talking up a storm minus a few letters of the alphabet. She makes a “Y” sound for her “L's” and an “R” sound for “F's” and leaves out “S” all together. Which sounds cute though it is a challenge to decipher what she is saying sometimes!

Sharlene and I keep quite busy: Sharlene in her roles as a good wife, mother, school teacher/administrator and student! Yes, she is working on a Masters in Education. Pray that she will be able to schedule in a regular time to work on those classes. She has not been able to do her girls class this year because she has been so busy with other things. And I am busy at the radio station as well as in my role as a good husband and father. I still take the children up to the rest home each Sunday morning to sing, read Scripture and pray with the folks there. It is a challenge to keep up with everything demanding my attention! Pray for wisdom for us to prioritize and good speed to accomplish what needs to be done each day.

We praise the Lord for providing a bus several months ago for which we had been praying for a number of years. We thank the Lord for His many blessings as well as the difficulties that have come our way. It has been 6 years since our last furlough. The Lord has amazingly provided for tickets so we are planning a family furlough for this coming summer (2008). The Murphys have said we can use their motor home while we are in the USA. That depends upon whether they will still need it. We are praying that they will be here by the time we go up so they can help out in our absence and so the motor home will be free. Thank you for helping us by prayer.

We ask you to pray with us for the Lord to provide more adequate facilities for the school. The Lord has provided funds to buy or build something but neither is possible right now. Pray also for teachers for next school year. We will be losing two or three of our teachers. Sister Ramdhanie will be returning to Trinidad. She and her husband have been gracious to give us about 7 months to help at the station and school. Alice plans to go to Bible school in St. Vincent next fall, and Jane is praying about furthering her education at BJU. That just leaves Roxanne who would also love to go to Bible school if the Lord opens the door! Pray that the Lord will put it on the heart of some to come over and help us! Continue to pray for the registration of our school. We are “close” to it once again and, Lord willing, that will be in hand before next school year begins.

Thank you for praying for us! Thank you for your support! Thank you for the many expressions of your love for us that we have gratefully received. Merry Christmas and God's very best to you for 2008!

Spreading the WORD,
Randy, Sharlene, Caroline, Mary, Anna, Katrina, Angelia, Peter, Micayla, Isaiah, Joseph & Suzanne
Psalm 127

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Tuesday May15, 2007

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

Christian greetings to you in the Name of our loving and merciful Saviour, Jesus Christ!  We are so grateful to God and thankful to you for your faithful support – by prayer and giving.  On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalm 62:7-8)

First an apology:  I have recently realized that a number of you have not been receiving the prayer letters as you should have.  Something happened when we migrated data from our old database to a new one.  A number of addresses were somehow lost in the process.  Please forgive us for not noticing this earlier. It has been several months since we have done a family prayer letter, but you should have been receiving the monthly letters from the Harbour Light. If you have not, please accept my apology.  I've been working to get everyone put back in the database.  Also, we were extra short-handed at the station this past year, and many things either did not get done or were not followed up on like they should have been - I'm Sorry!

We have all been pretty well – apart from the occasional cold etc.  Caroline (18) has finished her freshman year at BJU.  She enjoyed her classes and the many extra-curricular activities both at school and at church.  She will be remaining in the USA for the summer to work and pay her school bill (she is on the 12 month plan).  Praise the Lord, her first year is paid for - thanks to a scholarship, work and the generosity of some of God's people.  Please pray for the Lord's provision for her next year at BJU.  Also pray that if it's God's will, she will be able to come home during her Christmas break this year. Mary (16) is vitally interested in what Caroline is doing at BJU. She is a great cook and enjoys trying new recipes. She loves music and is still an avid reader delighting in a surprising variety of good literature.  Anna-Helen (14) continues to be our baby sitter. The Lord let her use her baby sitting skills to take care of a toddler and baby while their mother was in a Bible study.  The mother was saved during one the study times.  She is also a big help to Sharlene around the house.  She is learning the violin and enjoys reading good books.  Mary and Anna followed the Lord in believer's baptism last October. Katrina (nearly 11) is still the fun-loving female live-wire in our house.  She is growing up in many ways, though, and demonstrated her desire to follow the Lord by being baptized recently.  Angelia (9) is sensitive and sweet.  She loves playing “morelle” (a local bounce-and-clap “sidewalk” game) and fixing her little sister's hair.  Peter (8) loves making and flying kites with his best friend, Nathanael Little. He also enjoys building things with scrap wood. He is our official “gopher.”  If we drop something over the balcony railing, he gets to “gopher” it! He is our “trash man” and even gets in on washing dishes!  Micayla (6) is big enough to set the table but sometimes needs help from her daddy when the job is too big for her.  She also is an avid “morelle” fan. Isaiah (5) and Joseph (3) are our “dirt dogs.”  If there is a bit of dirt somewhere, they will find it and get as much of it on them as possible – including mud etc.  They love playing with their trucks in the dirt. Suzanne (1) is taking dirt lessons from them.   She has just started talking so we can understand her.  She loves talking to “Nana” and Caroline on the phone. Well, you can't always understand her but that does not slow her down!  We are very delighted and extremely blessed with each of the children the Lord has given us.  Each one of them are a joy to have in our home.  Our deepest desire and prayer for them is that they will know God personally, love God wholeheartedly, and serve Him faithfully.  We are beginning a family project of drafting a family purpose and mission statement.  It is something we should have done long ago!

Our school is in great need of more space and better facilities.  We have grown out of the facilities we have and are praying for the Lord to give us something bigger for next school year. We will have to give up one of the buildings we have been using this year.  Pray with us for a building that will give us 6 classrooms, two bathrooms, as well as room for assembly, lunch, and a library.  Doors of opportunity are opening for the school to minister to children beyond the HLW staff children.  Please pray with us for God's direction and timing along with the teachers and finances to proceed.  We are working on a website for the school which will help you keep up with what's going on at "Harbour Light Christian Academy."  The website is presently "under construction" at www.harbourlightacademy.org.

We have been enjoying the mission house now for over 9 months! It is becoming more and more like “home” each day as we have time to put pictures up, get arrangements of furniture right, put up shelves, etc. “Thank you!” to every one of you who has had a part in making it possible for us to have this beautiful home to live in.  Due to an unseen leak in the plumbing (which has now been fixed) we have nearly run out of water.  Pray that rains will come soon - Hurricane season begins June 1!  Joseph continues to be fine after his fall into the cistern last July, praise the Lord.

I continue to take the smaller children to the rest home each Sunday morning to sing, play the melodica, and read the scripture to the residents there.  I also serve as "Mr. Fixit" for them.

Bus report:  The Lord has provided above all we could ask or think in this regard.  We have not been able to find a good used bus for the money we had.  Instead, the Lord has added enough for us to buy a new bus!  We should have it in a few weeks.  Thank you for praying and giving toward this need!

Thank you again for your faithful support – both by your prayers and gifts. We appreciate very much the expressions of love you have shown to us in so many ways.  May God richly bless you in your work for Him!

Spreading the WORD in the Windwards,
Randy, Sharlene, Caroline, Mary, Anna, Katrina, Angelia, Peter, Micayla, Isaiah, Joseph, Suzanne & ... just joking! :)

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate. (Psa 127:3-5)

 

September 27, 2006

 

Dear friends and supporters,

 

Christian greetings to you from our family!  Thank you for being such a big part in what the Lord is doing here in Carriacou and the Windward Islands.  Your financial support and most importantly your prayers have been a great blessing to us.  They are making a big difference for the Kingdom of God here!  It is a special joy to hear from many, many listeners right here in Carriacou as well as other islands about how the Lord is using the Harbour Light in their lives.  May the Lord provide for all your needs as He has met our needs through you!

 

July was a busy month for our family.  Our oldest daughter, Caroline, graduated from the Harbour Light Christian Academy and then traveled to the USA with Sharlene and her parents who had been down for the graduation.  Sharlene took a course at BJU toward her masters degree and Caroline began working at Audio Services where I worked as a student. 

 

While they were away Joseph fell into our cistern and I jumped in to rescue him.  Joseph is doing quite well, praise the Lord and I am doing some walking without crutches now.  My feet are still tender and may continue to be for some time.  It is easy to overdo it.  But, praise the Lord, I am able to get around better every day.

 

The Harbour Light Christian Academy started very well this year and with some new students!  Our son Isaiah began K4.  Kerena's sister Delia and Hannah Louis make up the kindergarten level students.  (Continue to pray for the Lord to provide the rest of the finances for Kerena to go to BJU in January.)  We also added one local girl to the sixth grade.  There are 14 students in our school this year and 4 teachers including Sharlene.  Roxanne is our K4 teacher and has been doing an excellent job.  She has been teaching in our school the longest besides Sharlene.  Paula is teaching grades 1 and 3.  This is her second year teaching with the school.  Jane teaches grades 4 and 6.  This is also her second year teaching.  All three local teachers are special, love the Lord and bless us by their ministry with our children.  Pray that the Lord will provide some support for our teachers to supplement what we give them.

 

We just celebrated Suzanne's first birthday!  She is not saying any words yet(lots of sounds, though) but she has been walking for a few weeks and enjoys very much being taken out of doors.  She loves our black Labrador, Mercedes, and the little black kitty we recently got from a friend.  Joseph (2) comes up with quite the "quips."  He wore his "boat shirt" the other day because he was going to "get in a boat and go see Caroline."  Isaiah (4) is full of fun and teasing.  He is excited to be in school (K4) and learning letters.  He also likes to put on his "Pastor" shoes to go to church.  Micayla (6; first grade) is fast losing her "daddy's baby girl" look.  :)   She is enjoying school especially this year because she is learning to read - and doing a great job!  Peter (7; third grade) has his own tool box now and a few tools.  He is always begging me to help him build something.  So far we have only built a bird house.  Peter has helped me work on the truck and some other projects around the house.  We have even used some of his tools!  Angelia (9; fourth grade) is now the biggest girl in the little girl's room.  She loves to take care of Suzanne.  She even got up the other night to quiet Suzanne.  Katrina (10; sixth grade) has been moved up to the "big girls room."  She is learning to take on more responsibility around the house.  Anna-Helen (13; eighth grade) has really begun to blossom.  She is our "quiet" one and is growing in the graces of young womanhood.  She along with Mary was baptized a few weeks ago.  Mary (15, 10th grade) has really stepped in and taken a lot of responsibility around the house.  She still reads several books each week and is a great cook and baker!  She adds a lot of spice to our family with her passionate love for books and classical music.  Caroline (18) is a busy freshman at BJU majoring in Youth Ministries and minoring in Counseling.

 

Sharlene is a busy wife, mother and teacher.  She enjoyed her class at BJ this summer and is already putting things she learned into practice.  She will begin her girls class again next week which brings up our desire for a bus to pick them up with instead of the open bed of our pickup truck.  A bus world also be very handy for church pickup.  We are still waiting for the Lord to direct us to the right one.  The selection/price is not very good when it comes to good used buses.  We are working with a dealer who brings good used buses in directly from Japan.  Pray for this need to be met soon!  

 

I have been busy at the station trying to juggle a number of "hats" in the absence of the McPhersons & Mama C.  We moved into the mission house in mid July and have been enjoying getting settled in.  There was still a lot of finish work to do but with the help of Anthony Garland and Pat Murphy most of those projects have been accomplished.  I still have a number of things yet to do like putting up shelves in the office, making curtain rods (to replace "stretch rod") & hanging pictures.  We are really enjoying the additional space which somehow brings with it a calmer, more relaxed atmosphere.

 

Pray with us for the Lord to add to us new supporters.  Our support level has only slightly increased over the last 10 years and our family has doubled in size.  We thank the Lord for each of you who support us and ask that you pray with us that others will join you.  Pray that the school will be registered very soon.  Pray for our teachers that the Lord will bless them and provide for them.  Pray for Sharlene's girls class that the young ladies who come will respond to the Word of God and give their lives to Him in everything.  Pray for the safety of our children.  Pray for the bus need.  Pray for the Lord to provide for the Murphys to come which will lighten our burden greatly.  Pray that the Lord will be glorified in us and in His work here.

 

Praise the Lord with us for our new home at the mission house and for so many who helped make it possible.  Praise the Lord for the good Christian school we have here and for the godly teachers He has sent to us.  Praise the Lord for preserving Joseph's life.  Praise the Lord for His provision through precious people both in the USA and Caribbean.  Praise the Lord for a "quiet" hurricane season thus far.  Praise the Lord for many, many who have heard God's Word and responded to it.  Praise the Lord for the wonderful pleasure of...

 

Spreading the WORD,

Randy, Sharlene, Caroline (at BJ), Mary, Anna-Helen, Katrina, Angelia, Peter, Micayla, Isaiah, Joseph and Suzanne.

 

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