Serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the Philippines

PRAISE ITEMS:

1.      HELPING FRIENDS IN CRISIS SITUATIONS –

When fire raced through the house of our church-mates on Dec. 11, Laine, Teresa, and their five children were safe at church. They lost nearly everything they owned but are grateful to be alive. Al has been helping them process this traumatic event and know step-by-step how to deal with the situation’s many details and challenges, and how to successfully move on with life. This is what Al does with Wycliffe and SIL as their Security and Contingency Coordinator for our teams in Asia. It has been a very practical way to show our home church what Al’s work looks like for the Bible Translation teams and to be of service to this dear family.

In addition to the fire, this month Al has also been called upon to use those skills to help several of our friends as they’ve found themselves in challenging situations. All are deeply grateful for Al’s wisdom, expertise and concern! We are blessed to be a part of this caring church family and use the gifts and skills the Lord has given us to serve them.

PRAYER ITEMS

1.      SEVERAL UNSPOKEN REQUESTS – We’d appreciate your prayers for several friends who are going through extremely challenging times right now. Pray for God to work in the hearts and lives of our friends and all who are involved in these situations, so He will be honored and they will be drawn close to Him.

2.      MOM AND DAD SHERTZER – On Thursday, Dec. 29, my (Mickey’s) mom will be moving to the Skilled Care section of the retirement home where she and Dad have lived for more than three years. This move means more nurses to help Mom with her daily life and care, but it also means Mom and Dad will no longer be able to live together. We are grateful that Mom will continue to receive the care she needs and that Dad will be allowed to join her for meals, visit her, and even take her to social events or church, but after nearly 60 years of marriage, this adjustment will be challenging for them. Please pray for God’s peace for them and grace in adapting to their new roommates.

3.      OUR NEIGHBOR, BILL – On Dec. 19, our neighbor Bill had to be hospitalized because his back pain had gotten to be more than he could handle. Pray for:

·      wisdom for the doctors to know how to help Bill achieve healing

·      peace for Bill and his wife Christine

·      provision for their daily needs. Bill has been unemployed for quite a few months because of his back pain, so finances are extremely tight.

4.      CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS MUSICAL –Due to challenging issues in several families in our church this month, it was necessary to postpone the children’s Christmas musical. Some of those issues are still unresolved, so please pray for God’s healing and peace. And continue to pray that the children and I (Mickey) who are involved in the musical know our lines and songs well so we will bring glory and honor to the Lord on January 8 when the musical is performed.

5.      AL IS HEADING TO THE PHILIPPINES – Al’s next trip to Asia will be to the Philippines - January 6-19. Pray for safety and good interactions with everyone he needs to see. And pray for me as I’ll stay in PA to help my parents as they adjust to Mom’s being in Skilled Care. 

You can write to Al and Mickey Williams at:

c/o SIL

P.O. Box 2270 CPO

1099 Manila, PHILIPPINES

or email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Al & Mickey Williams