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The Robinsons’ Herald
Email version for August Thru October 2005
Greetings from ‘Next to Heaven’ in
Carriacou, Grenada, West Indies!
Greetings once again from
‘Hurricane Alley!’ I hope we
are now over the hump of this record-breaking hurricane season.
Carriacou is green and lush all over from the rains we have had over the
last few months, and our tank is overflowing.
Praise!
As you may recall from the previous
“Robinson’s Herald” from back in August, our rented home had been
in severe need of its roofing materials being replaced. I am happy to report
that it was replaced about five weeks back with much sturdier steel. Each
sheet was put down with many screws and looks very strong. I also think the
contractor has eliminated our bat problem. We have had no leaks even though
we have had some heavy rain since then. There is only one small corner of
our veranda that still needs to be covered. The contractor ran out of
roofing materials right before he finished, but is hoping to get another
piece to finish this overhanging eaves section soon. In any case, we are
able to face the remaining six weeks of this hurricane with more confidence,
by God’s grace.
Please
praise God with us for this answered prayer!
You may recall from
earlier this year that Pastor Coy Rice, from Mississippi, learned of
specific Hurricane Ivan damage and needs on Carriacou and Grenada through
our website. In March of this year, he brought materials and laborers to
Grenada to build some homes for those suffering in the wake of last year’s
hurricane. Pastor Coy lived in an area that was devastated by Hurricane
Katrina a couple of months back. This past Saturday (October 15), I finally
managed to get through to him on a cell phone to learn that he and his flock
all survived, though some have suffered some real hardship from damage and
destruction. Their church still had three and one half feet of water
standing in it as I spoke with him. Even though his home was only one mile
from shore, it was fine. (PTL) I was happy to inform him that all the houses
and the church meeting place they had built earlier this year here survived
hurricane Emily back in July. I was amazed to hear him inform me that he is
already planning to bring more materials and another team to Grenada again
as soon as possible! This time he is planning to focus on ministering to
Carriacou. There is obviously much that needs to be accomplished before they
can come again.
Carriacou looks good
these days, though there are still a number of houses that remain in ruins
or shows signs of damage. If you look closely, you can still see some
remnants of damage from Hurricane Ivan last year too. Nevertheless, all
phone and power lines, including cable, are reconnected. Yet, some are now
living with relatives or friends since their homes were damage or destroyed.
Please
pray for Pastor Rice as he and the congregation of Gautier Baptist Church
recover from Hurricane Katrina’s damage. Also, pray for them as they make
plans to come to Carriacou sometime in the future.
News about Windward Bible Church
As mentioned in the
previous prayer letter, our meeting place in the Village of Windward
suffered much damage from Hurricane Emily this year. It lost all of it new
galvanized roofing material that was installed last year. Over half of our
sanctuary had several inches of water standing in it. The first of this
month (October) the landlord finally phoned to tell me the roof has been
repaired. We have inspected it and found that much work needs to be done
before we can hold services there again. Linda, Jeshua, and I got the small
lake out our sanctuary last week, and many from our congregation worked with
us on last Saturday (October 15) to begin the clean up. It looks better, but
we have much painting to do and we need to replace several sheets of plywood
on the walls. We are still holding services in the basement of our home
since the first Sunday after the hurricane.
Right after Hurricane
Emily, we had good attendance, but it has dropped off some over the last two
months. We still have at least one bus full most services, with attendance
in the high teens or low twenties. We periodically run both buses when
twenty to thirty attend. This past Wednesday (October 19) 31 were present!
We usually see a drop in attendance around this time anyway for various
reasons, but it is more noticeable this time. We have a few faithful that
are remaining so. However, no one from the Village of Windward has attended
since the storm even though we have visited some and told them that we would
be happy to pick them up for services. Before this last storm hit, a few
from this village would attend one of the night services each week. Many
that have promised to come from this village would never admit it. Yet,
there is still a spirit of fear at work in this community to keep people
enslaved in the traditional religion that has dominated it for over four
hundred years. It has been discouraging for us.
Please pray that those who are attending
will not get discouraged by the sometimes-small numbers (15 – 20). Pray for
us as well. Pray also for others to become faithful once again.
Some of our formally
faithful older saints have physical problems that are only worsening over
time, and it hinders them from attending services regularly. Two of them
have severe arthritis that seems to be getting worse. A gentleman (in his
mid 50s) is still in New York where he has been working for over a year. He
had been one of the most faithful and helpful in our congregation. He is
working and saving to purchase tools and getting more experience so that he
can reopen his auto repair business when he returns to Carriacou sometime in
the future. We also have a teenager now attending a college in Texas.
Please
remember to pray for the health of Sisters Scott, Stafford, and Williams,
and also Brothers Clement and Alexander.
Jeshua and I spent many
hours installing all the new parts and reassembled our old 1987 Dodge Colt
Vista. However, I have a stubborn oil pan leak. I have had it off and on
about three times and it still leaks! I also have what I believe is a small
problem with the transmission. I believe a switch that controls a pneumatic
solenoids that changes gear range is either worn out or of adjustment that
cause the transmission not to go into reverse correctly at times. I still
intend to sell it as soon as I can. In the mean time, I have been giving
Jeshua driving lessons. He has been doing pretty good, and I believe he will
make a good driver with a little more time and experience.
Please
pray for me to have the wisdom, stamina, and strength to fix the oil pan
leak and correct the transmission problem. Also, pray that we will get a
good price for it when we sell it. Please praise the Lord with us for
getting the engine and transmission reassembled and put back into the car.
Changes for Jeshua
Jeshua on the Osprey
Leaving for the Mainland of Grenada
October 20, 2005
One
of the most difficult aspects of serving the Lord overseas is knowing that
one day we would need to say good bye to our beloved children. We said
goodbye to Tabitha in 1996. We have also known that there would be a time
when Jeshua would begin to search for the Lord’s will for him self. Linda
and I have shed tears over the past few weeks as he finalized his plans to
return to the states for this purpose. He going with our blessings, but the
tears have been coming because we began to really miss him once his plans
were made.
A couple of years ago, Jeshua had planned to
take some course here for a couple of years. After much prayer and
discussion, he decided that returning to the states to further his education
would be best. This past Tuesday, October 18, many of his friends gathered
here at our home to express their friendship and good wishes for him. There
were over 20 present and they all carried themselves well and respectfully.
He has some good friends that love and respect him very much. We also
celebrated his nineteenth birthday ahead of time (November 13 is his BD)
with a cake and various games geared toward middle teens on up in age. I was
a real good time that we all will cherish for many years.
Yesterday
at 3:30 PM, Linda and I hugged Jeshua and watched him live on the Osprey Sea
Ferry for the Mainland. As I hugged him goodbye, I could not speak a word
and could not hold back the tears, but simply held him tight and trembled in
silence until I finally let him board the boat. I constantly struggle with a
stinging lump in my throat and the need to wipe away tears. Every time I
think of him, the pain starts all over and I miss him terribly. Linda has
the same struggles.
He stayed overnight on
the mainland last night (October 20) and is flying onto the states today. He
is traveling through Puerto Rico, Boston, Cincinnati, then scheduled to
arrive at Charleston’s Yeager Airport (on Delta flight 494) at 11:52 PM
tonight (Friday October 21). His sister, Tabitha, and her family are
planning to meet him and stay overnight in Charleston.
Jeshua
is planning to live with his sister in the Beckley, West Virginia area, and
get a job and work until he can get into college, hopefully in January.
Eventually he hopes to get into a university and study to become a dentist.
Our blessings and prayers are with him. He is very gifted, intelligent, and
talented. Linda has done a very good job in home-schooling him and he
completed his last four years with a 3.0 average. He is now seeking to
discover the Lord’s perfect will so that he can prepare and serve the Lord
accordingly. Yet, with all the good mentioned, I must admit that it feels as
though part of our hearts left with him on the boat yesterday, and it hurts
very much to be separated from him.
Jeshua’s email address is
JeshuaRobinson@gmail.com. Lord willing, his mailing address will be: P.
O. Box 2, Crab Orchard, West Virginia 25827. His physical Address is to be:
148 Sutphin Street, Crab Orchard, West Virginia. (Tabitha’s addresses) The
phone number there is (304) 253-0395. He has a cell phone that should work
from now, but it will work better in Charleston because he will be roaming
while he is in the Beckley area due to his carrier. His number is
304-541-5773.
Please
pray for the Lord to protect, lead, and provide for Jeshua and give him
ongoing good health. I wish we could do more to help now, but we simply are
not able to do so at this time. Please pray that the Lord will give Jeshua
wisdom as he gets re-acclimated to the cooler temperatures and the US
culture. Also pray for his mom and dad to get through this period of
adjustment as we still look for him around the next corner, in his bedroom,
at the table, here at the house chatting or playing games with his friends,
or in our services.
Robinsons Furlough Plans
As
mentioned in our last three prayer letters,
we had hope to take furlough in 2006 or
2007 if someone could take over for us. Our need for increased support is
even more so now due to a recent, tremendous, and sudden surge in the cost
of living here.
For nearly
ten years fuel had been about $2.40 (US $ for US Gallons) About three weeks
back it suddenly jumped to $3.45, and the gas station owner told me recently
that it is going to go up again probably this weekend, though he did not
tell me how much. This is affecting prices nearly across the board from
groceries to power, which was already two to three times what it had been in
the US. Because of this, we may need to take furlough very soon, even if
there is no one here to take over for us while we are away for about a year.
Perhaps
some of you know of someone that is considering overseas mission work as a
church planter or helper. Please put them in contact with us right away. We
need someone not only while we are furlough, but also on a permanent basis.
Perhaps some of you also know of a church or pastor that is looking for, or
is open to taking on the support of new missionaries – even if it is only
temporary – until we take our next furlough. If so, please send me their
contact information. Even better, you could put in a good word and recommend
us to them. They can find all the information about us they would need
through our website at:
www.windwardbiblechurch.org.
In the mean time, please pray
for the Lord’s chosen to have their hearts open to come to Carriacou and
work here at Windward Bible Church. We need one individual or couple to
work twelve months, or for two to work six months each. The immediate
need is to cover for us during the time for our needed furlough, and later
for someone to work with us permanently. Also, pray for the Lord to lead new
churches, individuals, and groups of like faith to support us to help meet
our current needs.
Last Chance Ministries Website
I still
have not done much to my website this year, except for a little maintenance.
Yet, we still get many visitors each day and notes from them from time to
time. Some (mostly from Africa) have asked me to send them the
MP3 Bible teaching messages in MP3 format on CDs. For many, internet
connections are still slow and expensive, thus the CDs make it possible for
them to listen to Bible teaching that have been given in over 90 services
over the last couple of years. Many have promised to copy them and pass them
around to others in their locations. We recently sent audio Bible teaching
CDs to South Africa, Serbia and Montenegro, Mauritius - Indian Ocean, and
Kigali Rwanda. I have also received requests for the teaching in Spanish in
Chili.
There is so much more that could be done with
the internet ministry if I had the resources, time, and help.
Please
remember to pray for the power and effectiveness of the Word of God being
broadcasted through LastChanceMinistries .com and LastChanceMinistries.org,
and WindwardBibleChurch.org.
Prayer
Requests and Praise for Answered Prayer
1.
(Praise.)
As mentioned already, the roofing material on our home has been replaced!
2.
(Revised.) Car is
running again, but I still need to correct an oil pan leak and a
transmission problem. I hope to
complete repairs and offer it for sell ASAP, Lord willing.)
3.
(Ongoing) We need
to sell our old bus or recondition it. We must constantly watch the
temperature gauge and add water to it because it needs a radiator. It must
be replaced soon or we could lose the engine.
(I now plan to fully restore this bus or sell it and replace it with the
money I hope to get for its sell and the sell of our car after I have gotten
it back in good shape. We need to get $6500.00 to $7,000.00 (US$) from
selling them both. This past May, we received a gracious gift of $9,000.00
to meet our targeted goal of 10,000.00 to purchase another bus! We found and
purchased another bus in June! This is a big praise and answer to prayer.
Please pray for us to find the exact one the Lord has for us.)
4.
(Ongoing.) The purchase
of welding tanks so that I can make repairs to our vehicles and the security
bars on our church building.
5.
(Ongoing.) We need
to have a sign made for our meeting place in Windward for
Windward Bible Church.
6.
(Ongoing.) Purchase
of several sheets of decorative plywood to replace paneling on the walls
that was damaged in our meeting place during the storms and subsequent
rains.
7.
(Ongoing.)
Completion of electrical wiring for our meeting place so that we can get our
own power meter.
8.
(Ongoing.) A small
desk and chair for my office in our meeting place.
9.
(Ongoing.) Paint to
repaint the concrete floor of our meeting place.
10.
(Revised)
Funds to pay for the purchase of two small window air conditioners and a
closet-shelving organizer arrived in April. We must keep one room in our
house with controlled humidity to protect precious books, electronic
equipment, and recorded media from the salt air and constantly high
humidity. We are currently using my office in our home for this. I estimate
the total cost at $250.00 (US$).
(We
received these items in April. So far, the church that purchased these items
and shipped them to us have not told us how much we need to pay, though I
have phoned the pastor and asked twice. I am currently waiting for his
response.)
11.
(Ongoing.) Funds to
build a restroom attached to our meeting place. We need a toilet, sink,
pump, and other plumbing necessities, construction of a septic tank, and a
small cistern (or tank) to store water caught from the roof.
12.
(Urgent and Revised.)
For a few additional churches or individuals to begin to support us
until we take furlough next year or in 2007. We would rather take furlough
in 2007, but may have to do it soon because of the pressing need of
additional support as explained above.
13.
(Ongoing and Urgent.)
As explained above, we desperately need another family to come and
work permanently with us in the work here. We need a man to work as both an
assistant pastor and youth pastor. A woman is needed to help in the ministry
to young children and help Linda with ministering to the ladies. They would
also help in our transportation ministry.
14.
(Ongoing and Urgent.)
We desperately need one or two families to take over for us when we
take a much-needed furlough soon. We will likely be on furlough for six to
twelve months. As explained above, we may need to take furlough soon even if
no one is provided to take over in our absence. This would not be good for
the church. One couple for twelve months or two couples for six months each
are needed as soon as possible.
15.
(Revised.) Ongoing
health and continued improvement for me (Walter). I have been doing much,
much better concerning the health issues that were treated last year. Linda
and Jeshua have also been doing well.
Myback has been doing much better the last month. There was a time a couple
of weeks back when I had to take it easy and not do much for about a week,
but it better now. When it acts up it ranges from being just a nagging
nuisance to being severe enough that I need to lie down and try to lay flat
until it gets better.
(Please remember to continue praying for this need,
and especially for the Lord to strengthen my back and heal it.)
16.
(Revised - Ongoing and urgent)
For guidance and provision as Jeshua seeks to learn the Lord’s
will for his life as he plans to further his education. He finished his
twelfth year and is now looking forward to attending college. He is
interested in medicine – specifically dentistry. He is considering a couple
of schools at this point, one located in Huntington, West Virginia, and the
other in South Carolina. His mind is not yet made up and he is still seeking
the Lord leading and provision. As related above, he is scheduled to arrive
in West Virginia tonight, Friday, October 21. He then hopes to get a job to
work and save, then begin to further his education in January, Lord willing
and providing.
17.
(Ongoing.) As was
predicted, this hurricane season has broken many records. Some on the
mainland and on Carriacou still had not yet recovered from damage and
destruction from last year, and now they are contending with damage and
destruction cause by Hurricane Emily. Please pray that all of Grenada will
be spared from another direct hit from hurricanes and tropical storms this
year.
18.
(Revised
- Praise and ongoing needs)
Proper repair of our meeting place for Windward Bible Church in the Village
of Windward. Roof is covered once again, but looks iffy with at least small
leak. We have much work to do yet by way of painting and some wall repairs.
19.
(Ongoing) We need
to replace our old standby generator (made in the 1960s). I prefer another
Onan RV twin-cylinder type rated at five or six KW, with remote start and
shutdown capabilities. Either LPG or gasoline will work. This type is built
to run for long periods and they are rather quiet and less likely to disturb
our neighbors. Our old one is worn out and burning one quart of oil every
one to two hours of operation. A used one in good condition would be great
and cost much less in duties to get it into the country. This is
not a luxury for us when the
current goes out for long periods after a hurricane or for other reasons. We
need it to keep our refrigerator cold and to
supply water to our house by the electric pump.
Thanks Very
Much!
We do
appreciate each of you that stand with us by your prayers, support, and
words of encouragement. Thanks for touching our lives by your sacrifices and
prayers. We thank God for each of you.
Still looking up for Him,
Walter Robinson II
Note: If you would like to have a shorter bimonthly or even a monthly prayer
letter (instead of the current quarterly ones), write and let me know. I
will consider it in the months ahead.
Copyright © 2000 Last Chance Ministries. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 10, 2006.
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