As you read this update, I will most likely be in the air flying to Guatemala.
Flying in or out of Guatemala during the day, you get a great view of the volcanoes that surround Guatemala City. This picture I shot a couple of years ago as I flew home.
As I fly today, I have Patsy Jones on my mind. For over 36 years, Patsy has been my favorite (and only!) mother-in-law. She has blessed me with her prayers, love, and concern for every one of those years. And after 91 years on this earth, on Easter Sunday, Patsy got her heavenly promotion.
I took this picture on August 31, 2019, just a few moments before the family gathered to celebrate Patsy’s 90th birthday.
Patsy loved family get-togethers, and with six kids and many grandkids and great-grandkids, her birthday party was a lively occasion!
The first time that I met Patsy was a little over 37 years ago. I had arranged to meet her and her husband, Allen, to ask for their blessing and for the hand of their daughter in marriage.
She and Allen seemed almost eager to give me their blessing—even on such a short introduction. In fact, Nola thought they were too eager! To Nola, it was like, “Sure, we’d love for you to take her off our hands!”
From that day forward, I felt secure that Patsy was on my team. She made me feel special. And I know that all the other brothers-in-law could say the same. As a dedicated person of prayer, she has prayed diligently for me in all the various ministry roles I’ve had. And for the past 21 years, she has prayed fervently for our ministry in Central America. She loved to hear reports from the many trips, and often prodded me when I was slow to report.
The Fall That Threatened Her LIfe
A couple of weeks ago, Patsy had fallen and gotten a knot on her head. Then she fell again a few days later, and this time needed some stitches. After stitching her up, the doctor noticed the knot. Further examination revealed that a blood clot had developed and if it moved to the brain, it would kill her instantly.
So, with Patsy’s consent, surgery was scheduled, and they went into the brain to remove the clot. The surgery seemed to be a success and Patsy came out of it very sore, but apparently okay. We were grateful that there appeared to be no brain damage or personality change.
Here’s Patsy with her five daughters on July 4, 2019. From left to right are Annis Sanders, Allena Gimlin, Patsy, Carmi Davis, Nola, and Marilyn Rogers.
Trying to Wake Her Up
After a couple of days of recuperating in the hospital, she took a nap on a Saturday afternoon and unexpectedly went into a coma. For a week, each of her daughters took a turn in ICU to be with her and do things to try to wake her up. A week later, on Easter Sunday, Jesus woke her up when He called her home. Ironically, Patsy’s younger sister died 5 years ago on Easter Sunday as well.
The last time I talked with her, she had sent me a birthday card and wanted to make sure I had gotten it. In past years she liked to send gifts of chickens or water filters to a ministry that gave them to help the poor in various countries. Her cards would say that she gave in the name of a birthday person, whatever the donation was. This time she wanted to make sure that I didn’t miss her check by thinking she was going to send me chickens for my birthday!
She knew how important this trip was to me after a long year of being unable to travel to Guatemala, so she had decided to send extra money for the trip that I am on right now.
Patsy’s Legacy
I don’t believe I could have ever written an update on Patsy while she was living—not that I wouldn’t have wanted to—but because she was the kind of person who enjoyed working in the background. For over 60 years she taught two-year-olds at First Baptist Church of Stigler, Oklahoma. She baked her own special homemade bread for any visitors to her church. And she was always up-to-date in intercessory prayer for missionaries and family.
In fact, in my own recent commitment to have an hour-long conversation with Jesus every day of this year, I realized that Patsy had already been doing it for years with no fanfare. And that’s the way she liked it. So as I write this, I’m also dedicating myself to follow Patsy’s example of faithful prayer and daily conversation with Jesus.
Thankful for Your Prayers
Many of you have already expressed your desire to pray for our family. Thank you so much for that. It means more than you can know.
As Bill and I have continued to pray for many of you, we have been blessed by you with good reports of God’s work in your lives. Keep those cards and letters coming! You encourage us so much.
10:02 PRAYER
Please pray for me as well as Ray Gurney and Cesar Gonzalez on this trip. I hope to do at least one report to you while we are down there. Ray is scheduled to be there with us until April 22nd. I plan to come home April 29th. Pray for safety from any Covid-19 issues. More importantly, pray that this trip fosters the multiplication of more friends and followers of Jesus.
Also, pray for Bill Burrows as he holds down the fort while I am gone. We have gotten several “Be-the-Church” videos in both English and Spanish ready to be released. Pray that these are helpful and spur others on in following Jesus more wholeheartedly.
ENGAGE
We still have prayer magnets that we can send you. If you haven’t gotten one, we’d be happy to send it!
INVEST
Thank you so much for your continued partnership in this ministry.
CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.
Love y’all!
Steve