We assumed that June would be a “slower” month in our schedule and here I am writing this letter halfway through the month as this has been the first available day to do so!
God continues to amaze us again and again with His orchestration of our schedule. In June we had meetings in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia. We also squeezed in a family vacation somewhere along the way. We had our first breakdown of deputation, which turned into an opportunity to give the gospel to a Muslim mechanic and still make it to the meeting in time!
Another sign of God working through the schedule is found in our short trip to Georgia. We flew in for a Wednesday service and roughly twenty minutes prior to the service, the pastor became ill and had no option other than to go home. He told us later that had we not been there, he would've had to cancel their service. This may seem simple to some, but God is at work in every detail and orchestrated our trip all the way there so that a church service wouldn’t have to be canceled. Also, we praise the Lord that this church will be partnering with us financially! We are currently at 48% of our necessary support.
The few times we have been at our home base (Elgin) for Saturday soulwinning this year, I’ve been paired with a rookie each time. Although they are usually the silent partner with their limited experience, it has been a joy to have them interrupt and start to pour out their heart and testimony to the people we meet. One contact in particular stands out from this month. Chris is a disenfranchised Catholic who was close to accepting Christ but at least willing to come to church. Pray he can comprehend the simplicity of the gospel, because as with most Catholics, it’s difficult for them to overcome the complexity and burden of their religion. We also praise the Lord for a family of nine that has faithfully attended the past four months and all been saved and baptized. This comes as a result of my wife passing a Spanish-speaking prospect on to one of the bus captains at our home church!
Most likely by our next letter, our baby boy will be born. Pray for a safe delivery and quick recovery. We praise the Lord for His graciousness in providing a busy schedule throughout the summer.
God Bless,
Josh & Alyse Szwarga
