Dearest Friends and Family,
We just finished a really rewarding week-end doing a Marriage Retreat for two combined churches in the Gardiner, Maine area. The second church was one in Hallowell, ME. It was very special and we witnessed God do a lot of work in not only the participants but also in our lives. We ministered in the Faith Baptist Church of Hallowell, Maine on Sunday morning; this historic Maine church is pastored by LIFE Pacific graduates. We had a great time with Pastors Michael & Kelleen Longfellow and so enjoyed the fellowship and sharing we experienced.
The Gardiner, Maine, Foursquare Church joined together with the Faith Baptist Church for this retreat and each church had 9 couples. Teri Orwiler is the pastor of this church and also a very dear long-time friend. Kelleen happens to be Teri's daughter and that is how the connection of the two churches was facilitated.
The retreat was held in a the gorgeous "Sugar Loaf Lodge & Inn" a mountain ski lodge retreat center. The leaves were just breath-taking and the work of the Holy Spirit was even more impressive. :)
We are in the middle of the Northeast District of Foursquare Churches and next Sunday we will be with The Capital Church, of Pembroke, NH with Pastors Peter & Lisa Bonanno. We are really excited to see them and be with their congregation. The week-end of Oct. 17th we will be speaking in the Brockton, MA Portuguese Speaking Foursquare Church with Pastors Valdir & Sueli Facioni. We are equally excited about returning to this church to share and fellowship with them.
For those of you who are wondering about our deployment time we are waiting on God just as fast as we can! We are still in support raising mode and as soon as we reach our monthly budget and our start-up costs we will deploy. We are around 65% there.:) Please pray with us, for those who God touches and assigns to us; that resources will be released to them, so that they are able to participate.
In the meantime just so you will be clear on what we are doing; we are traveling around the US visiting our Churches and inviting them to participate in supporting our return to Brazil to help form "Pastoral Care" ministry for the pastors and their families. Our means of support during this period is not the "missions support" we are raising; but simply free will love offerings that are shared with us from each church where we minister. God has totally carried us along and these offerings have been meeting our travel needs abundantly. We also have very dear friends and colleagues who have freely opened their homes to house us and shared their hearts and housing; this is an incredibly huge gift!
Our house is being sold in a short-sale and is presently in escrow; please pray with us that the offer will be accepted by the bank and this burden will be alleviated from us. We are praying and ask that you will join with us for a speedy deployment; hopefully before the end of the year we will reach the 100% level and be on our way. Every day seems more "urgent" when you reach this age and time of life; and you feel that you "must be about Your Father's business" although we know we are doing His business even while we are in this "holding" pattern.
God bless you all and may His joy and hope fill you up and bubble over wherever you are!
Our love,
Dale & Patti Downs
