Dec 06- Jan 07
Val Kroeker asked for urgent prayer that 11 truck loads(about 95,000) of shoe boxes could be approved for tax and duty free entry into the country , they had recieved notice that they could not be released from paying this and there was no budget for it . God moved the mountain and the trucks came through duty and tax free !
January: 07
Albana Dujaka and the children's heart project patients returned safely to Kosova . All the children's surgeries went well and were successful.
Sherrill Ford's friend Bill is walking upright and without alot of pain since being added to our prayer list
February:07
Petrit Dujaka :Permission Granted by UNMIK for his travel to the USA.
Barbara Nitz's request for the little child Emily : Emily suffered complications from Surgery but it was a miracle there was no cancer found in the bone marrow tests . Undergoing chemo she returned home to rest.
Prayers for 9 SP truck drivers in Eritrea that had been arrested when relief organizations had been expelled from the country were answered as we found out on the 16th that they have been released. No Exact date of the release is known But thank God they are free! Currently there is no remaining SP staff in country.
Feb 16th : Petrit Dujaka arrives safely in Tn from Kosova
March
Petrit returns safely home to Kosova on March 2nd.
March 11th we received word about Mary Damron that she is cancer free!! Her sister Debbie is also doing much better ! To God be the Glory!
April
On April 17th we received photos from Kosova of the strawberries that were planted by the Samaritan Purse team during their missionary trip last October. We have been praying for a great natural harvest to help the widows and orphans but also for a great spiritual harvest. The plants were beautiful and healthy and some had blooms already! Continue to pray ! You are making a difference!
We received this update from one of our relay center coordinators: Sherrill Ford concerning her friend Bill who has been on our prayer list for some time with health problems: Sherrill Writes:Hi Karen, How are you all? I just wanted to let you know about Bill. You
may remember, Bill's doctor was puzzled by some of his lab work (he said it
was like a yo-yo), and he asked for a second set of biopsies. This is a
painful procedure. The doctor sent these biopsies to the Moffet Cancer
Center for evaluation--and guess what??? He does not have cancer. It is
some kind of infection caused by a virus (it does mimic prostate cancer) but
can be treated with a mixture of certain antibiotics. He will probably
require these drugs the rest of his life--BUT it's not cancer. Amazing!!!
The report also said they have found that this seems to be a common
misdiagnosis. There was two deaths in the family that brought Bill to
Tennessee on two different occasions, which delayed his treatments. He was
in the process of scheduling treatments when he received the good news.
Don't you just know those delays were part of "the plan?" Anyway, he wants
to thank everyone who prayed for him, and especially you for sending out the
requests. And I thank you, also.
Sherrill
Norris relay center coordinator , Katie Musgrave had requested prayer for a co workers brother who had been in Iraq and was suffering some difficulties with personal issues during his time there. We have faithfully Kept Ben on our prayer list . Katie sent us this update On April 24th:
Answered prayers! Steve's brother Ben is in Maine and will be in the US for a while (including Hawaii)!
Thank you for the prayers.
Katie
May
The soldier that we have been praying for (Steve's brother Ben ) Has arrived safely back in the US . His spirits are high and he recieved a big welcome home.
The family wishes to thank all of you for praying.
Prayer request for Bible fundraiser for some children in Namibia was answered and God provided the entire 600.00 needed for 80 bibles plus a little extra! To God be the Glory! Thanks for your prayers and support as well!
Prayer request for Shoe box distribution in Namibia was answered in a mighty way. Sister Fabiola had 263 children on this last day , she had received 250 shoe boxes but yet every child received a shoe box and the joy and excitement from the boxes were unimaginable! Screaming and laughing and crying with Joy they all were and rushed home to show their parents. It was a joyful day in Arandis!
We received an email from Val in Kosova and she was enjoying a "delicious " snack of strawberries from the field! To God be the glory!
Prayer For Fabiola Banda in Africa suffering from chest pains and had been rushed to the Hospital for tests on her heart is doing o.k/Tests revealed her pain and symptoms to be stress related
May 24th Jim Stephens came through his four bypass open heart surgery doing well.
June 15th: God always answers right on time! Katie Musgrave (Norris relay center coordinator) had asked us all to pray over her passport that had been promised to arrive by June 1st. When she hadn't recieved it the first week of June she started making phone calls and not having much luck , Finally on the tenth she spoke to someone from the passport office who told her they would try to have her passport to her by Friday the 15th(she is supposed to leave at 6:00 a.m the 16th!) but no gaurantees. She called congressmen and did all she could .On Wednesday the online service said her passport had been overnighted but on Thursday it had not arrived . Today(Friday, the day before her flight) Katie recieved her passport and many prayers were answered . She leaves tomorrow morning for El Salvador on a mission trip to do vbs with some children there. God has given another victory ! Praise his name for this!
June 19th: We recieved word that Sandy McRae will have a home for her west knox relay center after all. She will be able to continue to use the mission house at her church as reconstruction at the site will not begin in this area until After December 1st! We praise the Lord for yet another victory!
June: My mom who we had requested prayer for here on prayer team , that we thought would be having surgery , will not have to have surgery after all at this time. So far the Dr's home treatment seems to be working fine and she no longer feels surgery is necessary at this time. To God be the Glory!
June 21st: God has been busy in Whitesburg!
June 21st: We just recieved an update from Lee in Whitesburg this morning, we thank God for answering yet more prayer!
Lee reports:
*They do have a collection site again this year.
*They have one relay center in each surrounding county!
* Lee was able to sign one new relay center on this year!
*She has signed two team members in the last two weeks. One for collection site and one for Prayer team!
*Has had lots of people to volunteer to do whatever needed to be done.
* Recieved a call from a lady in her county this week that has recieved a letter back from a 9 year old boy in Zambia that had recieved a shoe box from her , she was very excited and said the child had been so blessed to get it.
~Only one relay center did not come back this year and is because the coordinator has cancer, please remember this lady but also that someone else in that particular church would catch the passion and vision for OCC to pick up where this lady can no longer serve.
June : Recieved a praise report from Katie Musgrave on her mission trip . 547 souls saved!
July 2nd : Jim Stephens , a prayer team partner recieved a clean bill of health from his Dr last week after recovering from Open heart surgery. Many prayers answered and his strenght is returning wonderfully. Also Louise and Jim's request for relief for their Daughter in law who had cancer was answered in God's way , she has went home to be with the Lord and her suffering is over. Louise thank you for the prayers
July 9th: Some of our North Knox prayer team members met at one of our members houses (Bill and Heidi Vella) on Friday night , July 6th. During that prayer meeting Heidi made a request for a young woman at a womens shelter that needed salvation . We included this woman in our prayers , on Sunday July 8th Heidi found out this woman was saved Friday night July 6th, the same night of our meeting and prayer for her and other requests . She was baptized on Sunday the 8th and Heidi said the woman is so changed and cannot get the smile off her face , she is such a different person. Praise the Lord ! Thank you God! Our God can do all things. To him be all the glory!
July 19th: Prayer for Robin McMillan in Kingston was answered as she has now secured and confirmed a relay center location for this year at a local hospital. To God be the glory!
July 23rd: Answered prayer for safety during our travel on vacation and also for the Maggard family's travel on their vacation.
July: Rex Mansfield now believes he has two good new volunteers who can fill the void left by Dave C in Sevierville, even though no one will ever be able to replace Dave in one sense , but as far as help goes I believe this prayer has been answered.
July 27th : I want to give God praise for an answered prayer for one of our team leaders. God is good and faithful!
July 28th : Robin has safely returned from her mission trip to Brazil.They had a harrowing trip with many close calls but are back safe and sound and Robin is making preparations for Contacting churches in Roane County about OCC.
July 29th: A prayer was answered for me and my family today : A prayer request I had made for guidance in certain situation , My family had been in transition after leaving our long time church home trying to follow God's lead on where he would have us to serve and worship him. He has led us to Union Missionary baptist church and we Joined the morning of July 29th. We thank God for your prayers for us through this difficult time . We rojoice for what God has done and where he has brought us . He he has led us to green pasture!.
October : Prayer request for Aaron Hemphill has been answered and he is safely back in the states after his tour of duty in Iraq. His Mom, Donna saves shoe boxes for us at the walmart and had asked us to remember him.
Prayers answered for safe travel during fall break. Thank you Lord!
Emily who had cancer continues to improve and do well after her surgery and treatments
George Savage is doing very well on his chemo treatments as well
We give praise for many prayer requests that we saw answered this year. Plus many unexpected blessings along the way. We thank God for 32,374 shoe boxes from our area this year! That is 373 up from last year!
We are very thankful to have been surprised to learn that we were in the top ten collection sites out of 2,204 Nationwide! This was God's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes!
We praise the Lord that there were over 1600 prayer miles walked this year for OCC!
We are thankful to hear that Bryson, Son of Jim and Krista was saved this year and baptized!
We are thankful to have been blessed with many opportunities with OCC this year , and we are thankful for some new volunteers this year and New Prayer team members, especially for some children that have joined our team
We are excited to hear that our own area manager ,Jim, Will be going on a shoe box distribution trip in Feb 08 to Lima Peru!
We give all praise to God for the things he has done!!Thank you also for your prayers and support as a prayer team!!We are looking forward to many more blessings God has in store for us in 2008! God bless you !! Your Prayer team coordinator~Karen
