Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

October 2009 – Praise and Prayer Update

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

This is a long post–it is the quarterly prayer letter we are printing and snail-mailing. :-)

October 2009

Thank you for praying for us and partnering with us financially as we help to plant churches among tribal groups around the world.  Click here to view an 8-minute video about God’s working in the Moi tribe of Indonesia!

Ministry News

The chairman of the NTM-US Information Technology committee, Tom Young, recently moved here to Sanford.  He is a proactive guy who is suggesting some reorganization and other positive steps to move things forward.  Jack likes his ideas and we are glad to have him in the Computer Services dept. here. 

 
 

 

Gravity, the new personnel system Jack and his partner Rodd have been working to develop, is nearly ready for release.  Also, NTM Computer Services has a new partnership with the computer department at Taylor University to jointly develop a student tracking program.  The goal is that this software will be compatible with Gravity.

Jack was asked to teach Phys. Ed. for Grades K-4 at Lake Monroe Christian Academy, NTM’s Christian school where our children attend.  Having a degree in Phys. Ed., he didn’t feel he could say no. :-)  So he has brushed up his old skills and teaches two classes a week.

While our children are in school, Alice is serving two mornings a week at the reception desk in our main building, answering the phone and assisting staff and visitors.  NTM had a need in this area, and it is a good fit for Alice’s personality and skills.

 Family News   

Jack’s parents, Art and June Corbett, have arrived to spend the winter near us! They purchased a mobile home less than three miles away.  It is GREAT to have them close by–makes Florida feel more like home.  Spending the holidays here, which we plan to do this year, will be much nicer now.

Alice’s parents,  John and Mary Jane Ames,  are doing fairly well!  Although health concerns are ever-present, we are grateful for Mom’s recovery from her aneurysm and that much of her speech has been regained.  God has provided family members who are such a help with errands and laundry . . . things Alice would like to do but can’t.  We do ask for prayer that their house in NH would sell in God’s timing. 

In August, we enjoyed a week with Alice’s sister Lois Tignor, her husband Chris, and their four children, who came to Florida for a visit.  They have since returned to Ecuador for their third term as missionaries with Baptist Bible Fellowship.

Jack’s involvement with the Orlando Professional Association of SQL Server (OPASS) continues to provide great professional development and networking for him.  In our last update, we asked you to pray about the possibility of Jack’s attending the national PASS summit in Seattle in November.  God has answered!  Jack received a complimentary conference registration ($1,500 value) due to his volunteer work with the local OPASS group.  NTM is covering the airfare, so Jack’s only cost is lodging, which he will share with another attendee. 

Our children are doing well. Danielle (10) is in Grade 5.  She is getting quite good at playing the electric guitar she was given, and has also written a few songs!  Her inquiring mind is curious about so many things–history, science, politics.  Evan (8) still enjoys sports and reading, and is our “dependable” child.  Regan (6) is in first grade, easily distracted, but very expressive and highly entertaining.  We are so grateful for the good health that we all have. 

We are planning our trip North next summer to visit you, our prayer and financial partners who make our work possible!  Approximate tentative dates are July 1 – August 8, 2010.  Please contact us as soon as possible as to when we might include you in our itinerary.

Praises:

  • God’s working to open tribal people’s hearts to Him
  • New partnership between NTM Computer Services and Taylor University’s computer department
  • God’s provision for Jack to attend the national PASS summit
  • Stable health for Alice’s parents currently
  • Jack’s parents joining us in Florida for the winter
  • Good health for our family

Prayer Requests:

  • For the salvation and spiritual growth of tribal people around the world
  • For Christians to be willing to give sacrificially, even in tough times, to enable the Gospel to go forth
  • God’s wisdom for Jack, Rodd and others working to complete and release the new NTM Gravity personnel system.
  • Safety as Jack travels to Seattle the first week of November, and that he would be a good witness for the Lord
  • Wisdom in teaching our children, and that we would model Christ
  • That Alice’s parents’ house in NH would sell
  • Several boxes that Alice’s sister Lois and her family shipped to Ecuador are caught in government red tape.  Please pray for a quick resolution, and peace in their hearts about the situation.

For more frequent updates, you can also find us on Facebook.  Thanks! 

Thought we’d share the kids’ recent school pictures:

Danielle  Evan Regan

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Did Someone Pray for Patience?

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

James 1:2-5 (NKJV)

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Since we arrived in Florida in July 2007 we have been able to take advantage of the Florida Healthy Kids and Medicaid programs for our children’s health insurance.  Having these programs available has saved us hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars even though our children have been healthy.  But, each year when it is time to re-apply for the program we question if the benefits are worth the hassle.  You would think that the process would get easier each year, as it should be simple process of re-submitting income information. Well, it never is.  First you fill out the original application and return everything that it asks for, then you receive a letter stating that you did not submit enough information (even though you included everything asked for).  Normally Alice handles all of this, for the following reasons:

  1. She worked with HICEAS in New Hampshire so she has experience dealing with Medicare, health insurance, and government agencies.
  2. She is home and “has more time” to fill out the forms and compile the information.
  3. She has more patience dealing with the process and people than Jack does.

So this year as usual in late July/early August Alice began the process, again assuming that it would be easier this time since it is our third year in the program and our income has not gone up.  Little did we know that it would take until almost October to get through process.  Combined we have spent at least 40 hours filling out forms, waiting on hold, and being passed from person to person and, sometimes, agency to agency trying to make sure our children have some form of health insurance.  To be honest, we really thought it was never going to happen.  Finally, we were told today that our children are covered, of course, we will really believe it when we actually have insurance cards and paperwork in hand since this is the second time we were told we were covered and the first time the person was wrong.

We can relate to Solomon when he says many times in Ecclesiastes that is all “vexation and grasping for wind”.  Thus the title of the post.

Seriously, thanks for praying.  And yes, there should be a prayer letter upcoming in October.

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Back in Florida!

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Mom and Dad Ames with Danielle, Evan and Regan

Thank you for praying for our family during the last few months of traveling, separation, and preparing my parents’ house in Gorham for sale! It has been challenging, and we couldn’t have done it without your prayers and help. God gave wisdom and strength when needed.  The house is 99% cleaned out, and family and friends have graciously agreed to finish the rest.

The children and I spent our last night in New England in Maine.  We stayed with Aunt Jane on the farm, but also spent time with Mom & Dad.  We talked about the important things–realtor info, and how Heaven is our real home.

We flew home to Florida on Wednesday evening, July 8. Evan & Regan sat in the last row of the plane, and Danielle and I sat in front of them. My seatmate, Bill, was a terminally ill alcoholic, thirsty to hear about God. Danielle and I read Scripture aloud to him for at least a half-hour, so the people in front of us heard it too!! :-) When we stopped he asked for more. He drank continuously throughout the flight, and by the end was quite fuzzy–he was sure that I was an angel. But he asked me to contact him with info on a good church in Daytona, where he would be visiting his daughter. Please pray for Bill.

My dad is battling cellulitis in his leg, requiring daily trips to the hospital for IV antibiotics. Mom feels she has to go with him, so she has missed many of her own appointments this week. It also means someone has to drive them. Dad is irritable about the whole thing, which is hard for Mom to deal with. So they need prayer too.

We are so grateful for the Lord’s constant love and care, and His promise of provision for all our needs!  He is worthy of all our praise.

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Where are the Corbetts?

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Where Is Alice?

Who knows for sure?  As of about 8:15 this morning Alice was in Derry, NH getting ready to head to West Paris, Maine, a 2-3 hour drive.  She will be visiting with her parents in their new home (assisted living apartment) and then will be continuing on to Gorham, NH (another hour) later today where she will be staying in her parents former home.  While there Alice will be cleaning out and cleaning up the house to prepare it for sale.  Pray that she will energy, enthusiasm, and wisdom as she determines the value of items.  She will be trying to determine what is worth having an antique dealer evaluate, what is yard sale worthy, and what should be discarded.  Alice will be there until at least late June and pray that she will be done by that time.

So Where are Jack and the Children?

Jack and children are still in Sanford, FL, as the Jack continues to work and the children finish up the last week and a half of school.  Jack’s parents (Art and June Corbett) came down on Wednesday night to help Jack with the children so that he can continue to work.  They all will be heading up to NH on June 9th with Mom and Dad Corbett remaining in Derry and Jack and children heading north to Gorham.  Jack will definitely be returning to Florida around June 23rd and, Lord willing, Alice and the children will be going with him.  It really depends on the status of the house at that time.  Of course we will have to make that decision a few weeks in advance so we can buy plane tickets for everyone.  We want to make sure we are traveling together.

Prayer Requests

-> Safe travel for Alice as motors around New England this week.  She wouldn’t mind seeing a few moose as long as they aren’t in the road and she doesn’t see them too close.

-> That Alice would be able to get much accomplished in the 3 weeks that she is alone in NH.

-> That Jack, children, and grandparents will survive until we get to be with Alice in NH.

-> For Jack’s Dad as he still needs to have surgery to remove a mass in/on his colon.  This surgery will be taking place shortly after they return to NH.

Praises

-> Safe travel for Jack’s parents to Florida.

-> A safe flight for Alice to NH.

-> That Jack’s parents were able to come down to help out and postpone his dad’s surgery until after the trip.

-> For those who have helped out to make the travels easier.

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