Most of you are aware of the ongoing situation with our Son Tyler. You may
know that he left home last year and was living on the streets of Anchorage
all winter and recently moved to New Mexico.
A little over a week ago we got a call from him. He had left New Mexico and
was hitch hiking back and forth across the US. At the time, he was somewhere
near Springfield, Illinois.
Kris articulated it so well in one of our may prayers together for our
family "God we know he is running from you. But I pray he will run straight
into Your Arms!" Well, that's exactly what has happened - sort of.
The other day he called and told us that he was in Decatur, Illinois and
asked me "Which of Mom's family lives in Decatur?"
As it turns out, Kris' grand parents live in Decatur. They picked him up and
he spent the night with them and then also visited other family in the
Illinois area. We could think of no better place to run TO while he was
running FROM - - than straight into the arms of God in the form of two
loving Christian great-grand parents!
Please pray for a very important mailing that was sent out on our behalf
just today. Kris and I are members of Peninsula Grace Brethren Church, in
Soldotna, Alaska. There are several Grace Brethren Churches in Alaska and
about 260 nationwide. Well, several of the GBC Churches here in Alaska put
together a letter and sent it out to all 260 Churches, introducing Kris and
I and another GBC Family raising support to join us in the ministry. We will
be attending the Annual Conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren
Churches in July, and we hope to make initial contact with more Grace
Brethren churches Outside of Alaska. This will be our second real "push"
towards raising partners with us in Ministry from outside Alaska. We
believe that God has placed us here, as Alaskan residents before ABM ever
was in existence, in order to raise the awareness among road system churches
of what is needed in the remote areas in which we serve.
But we must also turn to churches and individuals outside Alaska. Please
pray that this mailing finds its intended audience. Also pray for a first
step in contacting some of these churches via this conference. Also, we
have purchased our Airline Tickets and have a hotel reserved, but we still
lack the funds we need to pay for the hotel room and car rental (The
Conferences is in Tennessee in mid July). Pray that God will provide the
funds, over and above our support funds, to help us make this trip. I have
been able to do some computer work on the side for some of it, and we are
confident that God will supply the balance needed.
We have had several missionaries in our home over the past several weeks and
have enjoyed this other side to our ministry with ABM - acting as hosts for
those who are traveling in from the bush, or back out. When you stop in
think about it, their time on the "road system" is a very busy time. So,
staying in our home or even just stopping by for dinner or a meal in town -
- as a very precious gift to us that we value highly.
Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf. I will be preaching at
a local church on the Kenai Peninsula this next Sunday, and Kris and I will
be sharing about our ministry several times in the coming weeks. That is
always fun - - it's neat to see others share in our burden - - and challenge
them (and us) towards ministry.
There or in the air!
Gary & Kris Harris
know that he left home last year and was living on the streets of Anchorage
all winter and recently moved to New Mexico.
A little over a week ago we got a call from him. He had left New Mexico and
was hitch hiking back and forth across the US. At the time, he was somewhere
near Springfield, Illinois.
Kris articulated it so well in one of our may prayers together for our
family "God we know he is running from you. But I pray he will run straight
into Your Arms!" Well, that's exactly what has happened - sort of.
The other day he called and told us that he was in Decatur, Illinois and
asked me "Which of Mom's family lives in Decatur?"
As it turns out, Kris' grand parents live in Decatur. They picked him up and
he spent the night with them and then also visited other family in the
Illinois area. We could think of no better place to run TO while he was
running FROM - - than straight into the arms of God in the form of two
loving Christian great-grand parents!
Please pray for a very important mailing that was sent out on our behalf
just today. Kris and I are members of Peninsula Grace Brethren Church, in
Soldotna, Alaska. There are several Grace Brethren Churches in Alaska and
about 260 nationwide. Well, several of the GBC Churches here in Alaska put
together a letter and sent it out to all 260 Churches, introducing Kris and
I and another GBC Family raising support to join us in the ministry. We will
be attending the Annual Conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren
Churches in July, and we hope to make initial contact with more Grace
Brethren churches Outside of Alaska. This will be our second real "push"
towards raising partners with us in Ministry from outside Alaska. We
believe that God has placed us here, as Alaskan residents before ABM ever
was in existence, in order to raise the awareness among road system churches
of what is needed in the remote areas in which we serve.
But we must also turn to churches and individuals outside Alaska. Please
pray that this mailing finds its intended audience. Also pray for a first
step in contacting some of these churches via this conference. Also, we
have purchased our Airline Tickets and have a hotel reserved, but we still
lack the funds we need to pay for the hotel room and car rental (The
Conferences is in Tennessee in mid July). Pray that God will provide the
funds, over and above our support funds, to help us make this trip. I have
been able to do some computer work on the side for some of it, and we are
confident that God will supply the balance needed.
We have had several missionaries in our home over the past several weeks and
have enjoyed this other side to our ministry with ABM - acting as hosts for
those who are traveling in from the bush, or back out. When you stop in
think about it, their time on the "road system" is a very busy time. So,
staying in our home or even just stopping by for dinner or a meal in town -
- as a very precious gift to us that we value highly.
Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf. I will be preaching at
a local church on the Kenai Peninsula this next Sunday, and Kris and I will
be sharing about our ministry several times in the coming weeks. That is
always fun - - it's neat to see others share in our burden - - and challenge
them (and us) towards ministry.
There or in the air!
Gary & Kris Harris
