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Rejoice with us as I write to let you know that the Lord has provided the steering column we asked you to pray for. Actually it came with in a week … and was personally delivered to Mound Valley on Saturday December 23. Floyd Dowell of Tractors for Our Daily Bread donated it and delivered the part to Mound Valley. It has the same bolt pattern so we are confident that it will work. What a blessing!

Tractor work going well - Jerry was able to take off the old section without taking off the hood. Wasn’t easy but he did it! He has replaced all of the bearings on the steering column while he has it apart. Not taking any chances! With the sleet and ice storm we were not able to work on it last weekend as planned and with the cold and snow we are not getting much done this weekend. We have brought the column into the house and I am sanding on it so that it can be painted. Once painting it is ready to go back on the tractor, and have a few more parts put on about a ½ days work and it is ready to go again.

Answered prayer: Shelter for Jerry and the tractor: The Lord has provided a shed for Jerry to house the tractor while he works on it. It is about a ½ mile from our home. Dean Fouts a neighbor has allowed the use of an area in his big metal shop. Dean even came and hauled the little FORD out there with his tractor. Another blessing!

Brother King sent a short DVD that shows where the tractor will be used in Northern Ghana. If it is possible I will have the DVD loaded on the web site so you can see first hand what it is like in Tamale and Bethany Village in Ghana, West Africa. We ask that you please continue to pray for the implement trailer from Master Provisions, I measured the container and it needs to be less than 105 ½ inches wide.

Before the elders - A few days ago Jerry and I went before the elders at Tyro and were anointed with oil and prayed over. This was for our health and for decisions in the ministry. Repeatedly I heard the elders pray for open door. A smile came to our faces just thinking about all the open doors before us and what that will bring! We ask that you pray for our health!

Shipment may leave in March – As soon as we have a definite date we will share with you. Please be in prayer for this. Yes, you are welcome to come if you live close and would like to help. I will have stew and beans fixed for a meal that evening. We plan to send the supplies collected from Tyro Christian School for the FAME’s new clinic in Sudan with the shipment.

Added new colvert and building a loading ramp – The culvert work is done this will help Jim and Greg with getting into the yard with their trailers. The ramp work is going well. The first phase is done, we had plans to finish the ramp this weekend but it is delayed because of the ice and heavy snow. We do need funds to rent a skid loader, to purchase rail road ties, for another load of rock to help build the ramp. We also need two H or I steel beams or pipe about 6 feet long to brace the ties. Please ask God to bring them into our hands.

We were greatly disappointed that the part on the tractor broke and delayed the shipment. I cried over that tractor, as I was the one operating it when it broke. Then we began thinking okay Lord, this is not going as smooth as we had thought, have we made a mistake? You know those types of questions that arise when something you are working on does the unexpected! You question this open door, as why are things going difficult?

Quickly the Holy Spirit reminded me of my studies under Brother Chris DeWelt, as I studies Acts and Foundations for Missions under him. I can remember Brother Chris’s pouring out his heart on this subject to prepare us for just such a scenario. He reminded us what open doors were like for the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul sums up what he experienced in his open doors for the Gospel in 2 Cor. 1:23-28: " I have ...been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles: in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea: and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep: I have know hunger and thirst and have often gone with out food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." Some might questions if God was in it with Paul with all that he went through. Well it was God’s will and it was God's timing for Paul, however trials and hardships were part of the open doors.

What is a broken part on a tractor in comparison to what Paul went through? Remember what Missionary Marsha Relyea Miles wrote several months back, “It not always a bed of Roses.” That’s right there are thorns along the path and we have discovered a few working on the tractor farm project!

Something else I learned from studying the foot steps of the Apostle Paul was that “he pressed on.” So we press on with the farm project! We know that our enemy is hard at work as just look at where the tractor and farm project is going to go to work at, it is 95% Islamic! We covet your prayers and ask that you pray: For the Lord's will to be done on the Farm Project and for wisdom and protection as Jerry works to take the tractor apart and put it back together again.

Pictures: The tractor worked the soil great with the disk that was donated. I have attached a picture of Jerry disking with it before the part broke (2) a picture of Katie Rice painting GFTN logo on the hood it is a cross across the nations, as they may not understand GFTN but the cross speaks for its self. (3) a picture of where it will go help them work the soil. The Ford tractor is small and old but it is a huge blessing to these people and the new village named Bethany.

Sorry it has been a while since I wrote…I have been busy sending out letters, making visits, working on the Annual Financial Report, picking up supplies and working on many other tasks for the Lord. Jerry sends his love. He is working on a Ministry Financial report as I write this letter. I hope to be sending out several updates this week so you will know best how to pray. We are lifting you up in prayer as well.

The clothing collected and distributed at the National Missionary Convention has arrived safely in Romania. I spoke last week with Andy Baker the executive director of Remember the Children, and he said, "The ship arrived safely at port and they are working on getting the necessary paper work done to get the container cleared so they can get start distributing the clothes." Andy shared with me that it had been two months making its way. Please ask the Lord to guide the paper work and allow the container to be cleared. He said that he would take pictures and send them when he arrives over their. I have a few that we took of them loading the container that I will share.

Fruit from the Convention: Officially Gifts for the Nations has partnered with Remember the Children. We will collect winter clothes for them. Brother Rick Wolford of Fame has a partnership with Remember the Children as well. So our seed sacks filled with clothes will make their way to Remember the Children in Indiana when ever there is any left over space when the medical supplies go to FAME. We will add this ministry to our next brochure and to the web site. You can learn more now about their ministry by visiting their web site. You need to read the story about how God used the words from a missionary that asked Andy to REMEMBER THE CHILDREN to help him birth the ministry. It will touch your heart! They help orphans, widows and the elderly by giving them clothing and in helping abandon children. The winter clothes that we collect that are not sold for operation costs will be set aside for them. We will be including clothing with our CARE – Bag project. People that are interested can fill a clear bedding bag with good clean clothes (used or new) provide $5.00 to help our ministry with cost and mail them to GFTN or take them to a drop location.

Care-bags are making their way back into the hands of GFTN and FAME. Jerry and I handed out bags (clear bags like your bedding comes in) during the Missionary Conventions. Individuals interested accepted them and promised to fill them with needed supplies and return them with $5 bucks to help with ministry cost. PTL it is good to see these bags making there way home. Pray for this project as it is one of the ways we feel the Lord has opened to help us raise funds to run this ministry. The idea came from sending William a bedding bag full of medical supplies. The Lord allowed me to see just how much one bag filled with supplies can help a missionary and a child in need.

Missions Services – Please pray as I work with Cheryl and design the Care Bag Promotional hand out. Pray as I work with Jim to add Remember the Children to the Web-Site. This ministry is a blessing…if you have friends or family that are missionaries tell them about Missions Services as they serve missions ministries by doing our stationary, prayer cards, web-sites and all kinds of things at cost. If it were not for them we would not have many of the items that we need to market the ministry. I told you that the Lord is always thinking of everything!

VOM – Week before last I had the opportunity to travel to Bartlesville and visit with David Brakemyre, director of Voice of the Martyrs. We have a ling between our work and VOM as they are furnishing our ministry a steady supply of bedding bags. Continually we see God providing for even the smallest of His ministry needs. Give thanks to the Lord for VOM saving the bags for us it makes a difference. Pray asking God to direct the ministries of Gifts for the Nations, VOM and FAME as we seek the Lord’s will in how we can work together to help the persecuted church.

I was also able to visit a little with Sandy Earl the regional manager- west of VOM. Remember that she recently traveled to Egypt on a mission trip. It was good to see her. She has mailed me a journal type testimony of her recent trip into Egypt that I would like to share with you. Look for it this week in my many updates that I have to send you. I have copied it and will be sending it in a word document as it is large and that is the best way I know to send it.

We are at a point in the ministry where we are contacting ministries and individuals. Welcoming them to become involved in Gifts for the Nations Ministry and to help us, help missionaries and missions ministries. This last week I visited with churches and the Lord blessed the calls.

NACC- We have been in prayer and have decided to attend the NACC instead to the National Missionary Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio this year because Kansas City is in our home area and we think it is best to work in getting the word out in the four states through the NACC. Please pray for GFTN ministry to be accepted as an exhibit in the mission area of the convention. The North American Christian Convention is in Kansas City Missouri on July 3, 4, 5, 6.

I spoke with the Exhibit Coordinator today and have filled out the application. We are new and I don’t know that anyone there has heard of our ministry. So pray that we will be accepted and pray for funds to be able to attend. Costs are high but travel cost will be much less than going to the National Missionary Convention. The National Missionary Convention is in Tulsa next year and we plan to attend there.

With great enthusiasm I began a three day service project to earn funds to aid “gifts for the nations.” This project would conclude our fourth and final fund raising event through yard sales this year. I had planned for this to be my Service Project for Personal Evangelism Class as I had seen the Lord’s hand with the tremendous opportunity to evangelize that took place during the other sales.

Jerry loaded our truck with the pipe clothes racks that he had built, plywood and saw horses for tables on Wednesday evening so that on Thursday morning when Theresa Campbell arrived in Mound Valley we would be ready to load her truck and head for Coffeyville.

When she arrived we readied the truck and before noon her truck was packed. I lead the way, so off through the county we took with overly filled trucks! Yes the Beverly Hill Billie’s would feel right at home, riding along with us as we drove into town!

Once in town, we arrived at the perfect location, the home of George and Dixie Barnard who loaned us their front lawn for the sale. There we met up with Julie Rice and we began to unpacked Theresa’s truck so she could quickly return it to her husband Gregg. As after work he planned to return with his truck and his car hauling trailer to go back to Mound Valley to meet Jerry and pick up the rest of the supplies and bring them to Coffeyville..

I knew that I would be in the presence of those that needed the Lord, as well as in the presence of Christian’s that would come to support the ministry, so our hands were ready to greet, reach and touch lives. Some of the people had been to three of our sales and they remember that our sales were full of good clean gifts at good prices, and that our gifts helped the Lord’s work. Thinking I was more organized this time for the people I had signs ready to put up, my tables and the money box readily on hand in the truck just incase people came while we were sitting up.

Julie and I began to unload and set up and the people began to come, first one, then ten, then twenty and steadily they came. Around seven Jerry and Gregg arrived with the rest of the supplies. We began the task of unloading and sorting. This was not an ordinary yard sale, my estimate is the Lord provided as many as 5,000 to 7,000 items for this sale to help us earn funds for our first National Missionary Convention and to finish a tractor for a farming project that would ship out soon for His people in Ghana, Africa.

The next morning Jerry stayed at home to work on the tractor while I went to work the sale. So we planned to get an early start, as we still had several boxes to get out, items to uncover and we still needed to get our sign out as we had been so busy with people the previous day that we did not find time to put them out.

When I arrived much to my dismay I discovered that the devil has been about during the night. He was driving a white truck as I know this because they left their paint on the pipe clothing racks that plowed down and pushed over the plywood tables and shoved them into a pile near the edge of the street. I know it is a 1993 Ford, because they left their broken left signal light that gave us a description. They even attempted to bring down all of the tables holding the breakable items, but the saw horses did not fall! In all only one pair of shoes were ruined, a pallet box was destroyed, one clothing rack will need to be replaced and some bedding was left dirty. Amazing!

What a mess was before us and people began to come. Julie and I were trying to reset things, but I was too weak to help lift the heavy items. I was exhausted from the week and the day before. I begin to let the people know what happen, and a woman began to help us, then two, finally the Lord sent a man that attends Tyro and I asked him to help us, and he directed his friends do so as well.

People told their friends about the sale and more people came. It was so busy at times that even George and Dixie were helping by now. Eight hours later just before school let out, Julie and I found a few minutes of time, she hurriedly went to the two main intersecting streets and placed the “Yard Sale” signs. Lots more people came and they continued to come till dark Waiting patiently we covered things, prayed for protection and left for our home to rest.

On Saturday morning we arrived to find the place in good order and once again people began to come and continued to do so until we told them we were closed. In all when the three days were over hundreds of people came to the sale. Being prepared from what the previous sales had done. I had brought nearly seventy-five brochures with information about Tyro Christian Church, along with brochures about Gifts for the Nations ministry and set them at the check out table. As each person paid I was sure to thank them for giving to the Lord, and assured them that they were helping world missions with each item they purchased. That would many times open the opportunity for conversation.

One of the neighbor realized what our sale was about and she brought nearly twelve new women’s shirts for us to sell. Another lady I met at the sale partnered to give us supplies from the business that she works at. She took three of our seed bags to fill with work supplies. However, in an hour or so returned with a bag full of items for us to sell that she had gathered out of her home. And most of them did sale.

An older Negro lady by the name of Dorothy arrived on Thursday and purchased items, looking for shoes she returned back on Friday and found us swamped and running short on plastic sacks. As she left she said, “Ill bring you some bags back.” A short while later a car drove up and honked, sure enough it was Dorothy returning with a large sack of bags. “The Lord’s has provided!” Waving them from the car, she said, “I told you that I would bring you some” and we used nearly every one of them. She wrote me this week and let me know that she meets at the Lord’s house in Coffeyville. We have been blessed and we have another prayer partner!

The Lord brought Nova to our sale; she is an acquaintance of Julie. Through her, the Lord opened up an opportunity for Jerry and me to speak at the Lions club last night. Jerry opened with prayer and I was able to present our ministry needs. We asked them for supplies to aid medical missions and the container to Sudan this spring. We were blessed and look forward to what the Lord provide through them, as Nova and her husband have a passionate heart for the Lord.

The Lord brought Trisha on Friday, a new mother off on leave with her new baby. She partnered with us during the sale to gather medical supplies from her company as she is a nurse and has supplies that she can direct into our hands. She returned on Saturday to let me know that she made calls to her nurse friends to let them know of our needs. We have been blessed and look forward to what the Lord will send through her hands.

During the sales the Lord sent Cassie, she has partnered with us and donates children’s clothes as she has a business in Coffeyville named “Second Blessings.” There she has allowed for a box for people in Coffeyville to drop of their medical supplies to aid our work. The Lord has provided many items through her, as we have several bags of good children’s clothes because of her willingness to help us. She meets at the Lord’s house at Dearing at the Christian Church.

I was able to meet Spanish speaking people and share with them Jesus, I learned a song from Lyle Spring years ago. I can not speak Spanish so I would sing them that song Lyle taught me, it is about “a friend we have in Jesus.’ They laughed at my Spanish, but it gave me a chance visit with them about Jesus. Some of them tried to steel. I told them I had to be a good steward of the Lords things and that I would not allow that. If they were in need I would give them something from the Lord. The Spanish preacher at the SBC came as well as others pastors came and picked up brochures.

Julie and I work to see that all the children would receive a stuffed animal as “a gifts from Jesus”. Most of the people received one items free on Saturday. One boy about the age of twelve came with his parents. His parents were wise shopper and she was looking for things for him. She was not caught up in name brands. I could see that he needed a new coat. Waiting until they were the only ones at the sale, I brought the coats to their attention. He tried on one and said, “Daddy I sure do like the coat.” I said, those coats are brand new, they came as a donation, today ill take $5 dollars for the Reeboks jacket you have on. His dad said, well we can afford $5.00 and the boy smiled from ear to ear wearing his new coat. He said, “I know that it is Jesus that provided this coat for me!” I have been listening as you gave out the stuffed animals. I go to church in South Coffeyville and I’m a Christian.” What a blessing!

The Lord brought Laurie near the close of the sale while we were packing up. In visiting with us she let us know that they were heading on a mission’s trip on October 30 thou November 4, to aid those effects by the hurricane. They needed men’s clothing to send. Jerry and Tim were their to help us close so packed her a large sea sack full of men’s clothing and the guys loaded them in her car. We were blessed to be able to give the clothes.

The sales have been a chance to share the gospel, to share about this ministry and our work with FAME and our home meeting place at Tyro. We visited with an atheist, homosexual that believes in Jesus but not God, quite a conversation! I had a chance to visit with a couple living together that are expecting a baby, I gave them items for their baby, clothes for them to wear and talked to them about getting married and living for Jesus. A Mormon woman came that had visited at one of the other yard sales. In the past I talked about her religion being false. She came not to buy, she had seen that we were having another sale and she came to tell me she had been thinking about me and what I had said to her. A young single mother was counting change to pay me, when I closed her hand and said, “the items are gifts from the Lord, you don’t owe a thing.” She said, “You don’t mean it” she was a single mom and things were tight. We visited about her to coming to Tyro.

We have received medical donation, clothing, things and funds, formed partnerships, made friends, held hands, prayed with people, hugged people, listened to people, been encouraged and discouraged by the actions of the people. However, one of the most miraculously things to happen was at the close of the sale, as we were packing things back into the palletized boxes, I said to Julie. ‘What we need is a two wheel card” in a few minutes Julie looked up and said, “Debbie look at what is coming down the street,” I glanced over and she said, “look at what is in his hands.”

A big smile came to my face as here was a man meagerly on his way headed north down cline road and in his hands was a two-wheel card. I walked toward him and said, “sir, we been having a sale for items that support the work of our Lord. We sure could use your two wheel card to help us. He stopped and I saw that he appeared to be a drifter! He agreed and began to un-strap a box off. Oddly the box seemed to be empty. He asked us not to be too long and came up and leaned against the garage as he watched us work. I told him, “The Lord is always providing for us and today He provided for us through him.” When we had finished I gave him $10.00 and told him the Lord provided for him today. He told Jerry he had never had anything like this ever happen to him before. He loaded his box back on the two wheeler strapped it on and headed north. We were astonished laughing and smiling at yet another God thing the Lord had provided. I glanced north looking back to pray for him and he had completely disappeared, he came out no where and now he was gone, he must have turned off somewhere! Jerry worked for twenty years on that street and all of us agree that we have never seen anyone walking down the street with a two wheel card.

Greg and Theresa arrived a short time later, we told them of all that had transpired at the sale, we loaded the remainder of the supplies and went to eat at a restaurant. There we all joined hands and each of us prayed.

I’m thoroughly convinced, that yard sales are a wonderful way to evangelize. When the facility is built we are going to continue to include them as part of our evangelism ministry projects. We are praying seeking God if we should have a resale shop on site to earn funds to help us pay utilities, evangelize and let people know of our work and it will be a ministry for someone that for sure.

I picked up a staff infection from the sale, it is hard for me to fight off infections with my autoimmune diseases and yes my body is paying a price, but it was definitely worth it! We indeed touched lives, the Lord sent people to touch our lives. He provided funds to finish the tractor, to purchase more brochures, more prayer cards, and funds for our travels to our first National Missionary Convention as well as some extra funds to put back.

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