September 5, 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings to you all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I write this month's update as I sit on the swing on the back porch of Pastor Glenn and Judy Archer's home in Kirksville, Missouri. The hummingbirds are playing, the mosquitoes are buzzing, and the heat is rising, but we are enjoying our stay. They have graciously agreed to put up with our family of five for the entire week as we minister in various ways to their church and community. We'll see how much patience the Lord has worked into their lives by the end of the week. Five-year-old Josiah is often filled with energetic exuberance.

We are thankful to our great God for many things, not the least of which is the loving generosity and hospitality of so many friends, pastors, and churches as we travel around this country of ours. But what is foremost in my mind as I thank God today is His gracious answer to prayer. We asked you all to pray for the sale of our house as I was planning to put it on the market in early September. Well, as it turns out, I decided to list a little earlier, on the 17th of August. Six days later, on the 23rd of August, we signed off on an offer that was made and the house was sold! Just six days, beloved! Our great God delights in answering prayers and showing Himself powerful in our lives. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. If He can create the universe in just six days, then selling my house in just six days is easy in comparison. This sale of our house is a great weight off of my shoulders and my mind. Please pray that everything goes well from now until closing on October 22nd. We need to be out of our house by the end of October, and with a very heavy travel schedule in September and October, there will not be much time left for packing. Pray also that God would give us wisdom and guidance on determining where to live until we leave for Africa in January.

This past month has also seen us cutting more ties to our United States home. We made the very difficult decision to put our fifteen-year-old dog to sleep. We'd had her since she was five weeks old, but she cannot come with us to Kenya and with our heavy travel schedule it just seemed like the right time. I asked God many times to take her from this world Himself and remove the decision from my hands, but He chose not to. Maybe He was testing my resolve to leave the world behind and follow Jesus. It was a very emotional time for the whole family, but we wholeheartedly believe Jesus' promise when He says, "There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." We also have two precious cats who will need loving homes. If anyone knows someone who would take one, please let me know. This also would be an answer to prayer.

Our travels this month have taken us to exotic and exciting far away places like Columbus, Cincinnati, and Ironton, Ohio. We have visited Emmanuel Missionary Baptist, Pastor John Lybrook; Cornerstone Missionary Baptist, Pastor Charles Lybrook; Gethsemane Baptist, Pastor Brian Anderson; Morningstar Baptist, Pastor Dan Ferrell; Storms Creek Baptist, Pastor Kenny Hurst; and East Keys Baptist, Pastor Cliff Presley. Thank you again to all the churches and saints that have helped us along the way. Anyone interested in having us come present the work to your church (or adopt a cat!) may contact me at 937-293-9987 or via email at rojuta@sbcglobal.net.

May God's peace and joy be with you.

Roger, Julie, Emily, Amy and Josiah Tate