Dear Family & Friends,
We are now one week into the precious life of Declan Rhys Basehore. He is definitely the MOST precious little guy I know. (No prejudice) ;)
Declan's big sister, Naomi has had, since birth, a condition known as PKU. It is a condition that requires the limiting of all the "protein" intake in her diet. Everything has to be made for her from special products that contain "a special protein" without 1 of the 7 amino acids. The result for these precious kids is, that if they are given regular food with regular protein, it causes brain damage. Since Debbie & Damian both carry the recessive genes for this the probability is high that Declan could also have this disorder. Of course we are all praying for a "good" report for him as he is being tested for PKU as we speak. We should have the results this coming Friday.
Declan is doing so well in every area, progressing along with strides and such a sweet personality. Grandma and Grandpa are really enjoying him. Debbie and Damian are very dedicated parents and are very loving with the children. Grandma has been enjoying listening to Naomi read nights, after homework. Damian, a Staff Sgt. in the Army and serving in S. Korea for a year, will need to return soon after our departure to finish his tour of duty. Please remember Debbie and the children as they get into a new routine without family nearby. She like so many "military family members" bravely and courageously offer this service to their country.
Last Saturday, Dale saw our son, First Sgt. Daniel Downs, and his assigned unit, off as they assumed their tour of duty in Afghanistan; we are all daily lifting then up for protection and wisdom as they serve in perilous places and during perilous times. After sharing a few and precious minutes of prayer and encouragement with Daniel, Dale headed out to Colorado to meet up with me and the family here to welcome Declan Rhys.
Our daughter Dawn & her husband Foursquare Chaplain, Commander Raymond Houk and their two children, Quinn (10) and Quincy (8) serve in Washington DC and are currently approaching retirement from the military and praying about full-time pastoring in the civilian world in the coming year.
Denise, our youngest, is serving with the Air Force, in Guam and is in her 7th year of enlisted duty. She is a Staff Sgt. and serves in the area of instruction for readiness, for all ranks and even on occasion other branches. She has been seriously busy during the recent typhoon scares that have threatened that island. She enjoys the local Foursquare Church on the island, pastored by Caesar & Anna Crisostomo, who have lovingly taken her under-wing in their church. :)
On the Brazilian front, we request your ongoing prayer concerning our future plans. We feel that this is God's direction for our lives at this juncture, and have had it confirmed in so many different ways, that it is hard to imagine that this would not be God's plan. Before we are able to return to Brazil for any type of ministry we must have an official letter of invitation to enter Brazil and lend ourselves to the ongoing ministry there. This letter must come from our elected President of the Brazilian Foursquare Church, Rev. Mario de Oliveira. It must be clear to him and the National Board that there is a need for our presence, and ministry gifts in the church, in Brazil. They must then officially request our deployment there, before we can return to serve.
It is certain that we do not want to be anywhere where God does not need or want us; so we are seriously praying that God will speak and move the hearts of the leaders, should it be His will for us to return to Brazil for this season. Our tenure there in the 80's, was for the specific purpose of walking the Brazilian Church through a "bridge-point" of change from North American supervision and leadership to national supervision and leadership. This we were able to accompany and then returned to the states, in Nov. of 1991; a new leadership team installed who were good men of great integrity. They led the Brazilian Foursquare Church for 4 of their most fruitful and spiritually dynamic years.
Following this administration a new leadership team took office and has lead for the subsequent 16 years. There are 2 remaining years in the current leadership's tenure. We are praying for God's direction for the Brazilian Foursquare Church and for His future selection of new leaders. Please join us in this prayer, it is a crucial time for them. Our presence this time would be mainly for the purpose of encouraging the pastors and leaders as they enter this new phase. The present model throughout many denominations, as well as our own church in Brazil, has taken on a seriously political "form" that matches closely with the nation's political model, and the majority of our spiritual shepherds not only in Foursquare, but many other Spirit-led groups, as well, feel that there is a Holy Spirit inspired wind of change calling for a less political church to emerge. We are praying for God's direction in all of this.
As we return to So. Cal, this coming week, heading for LIFE Pacific to be a part of the "Pilgrim's Quartet" 40 year reunion and concert, we are nearly speechless. This group of dear friends from the distant past, have come into our present, and with good-will in their hearts, full of generous grace, they have planned a benefit concert to help underwrite our need for self-support during this period of ministry to Brazil. Join with us as we continue to "ask, seek and knock" on all of these issues.
God bless you, dear family, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ,
Dale & Patti
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