Dear Friends,
It has been far too long since we talked with some of you. Many of you had asked for us to keep you updated as we prepared for going on the mission field. Well, for these many months, it did not seem we had anything to report. God still seemed to be holding us here, preparing us. Nothing worth mentioning really seemed to be happening. Much like when you see children every day their growth doesn’t seem too remarkable, but when you see them after some months, it seems they have grown remarkably. So with us, it seemed we had nothing to report, until suddenly now, we do.
A couple of months ago it started to seem as if God were finally giving us the green light. And much to our surprise, He was not calling us to any of the places we had thought we would go to, but to India of all places. Before this, we had given India almost no thought at all, but suddenly a burden for India was weighing strongly on us. Now we look forward eagerly to where God is stationing us.
Opposition began almost immediately. We didn’t recognize it at first, but when once again we were seriously attacked this week, when one of our children had been in extremely serious danger, we realized that what had been happening was not merely the usual difficulties of life, but an attack that began when we began to get ready to move.
This is primarily why we are writing to you now. The most important thing we need, the thing we want more than anything, is to have friends back home praying for us. I cannot emphasize enough just how critical it is to have you praying for us over the coming months and years. If our enemy has already begun to oppose us, we know we can only look forward to more—and more dangerous—attacks in the future. Also, our mission cannot be successful without prayer. Only God can reach the hearts of the lost and draw them to Himself. We are going to an area that is truly, “white unto harvest, but the laborers are few.” We believe a rich harvest for the Kingdom can be won in this area where there are so many who have never heard the name of Jesus. But your prayers will be the difference between victory and defeat.
I know that it is no small thing I ask of you. I know that you have much in your own lives to pray for. I also know that our enemy will oppose you if you commit to praying for us. He will attempt to thwart your prayer times, he may even attack you and your families if you choose to support us. I have found the Lord to be faithful in His protection and shelter of us and believe that He will do the same for you. We will also be praying for those standing with us, and would love to hear about anything you desire prayer for. I also fully believe that there will be people you will meet in Heaven for the first time who will thank you for your prayers and that you will win jewels for the crown you will lay at Jesus’ feet.
Soon we will send another letter telling more about where we are going and who we are going to be working with in India. But some of you might not recognize all those people in the photos, so let me introduce us! From the left, you have Glenda then James. On the right is David (yes he’s actually taller than his mom now!) And front center is Angel (who is also taller than her mom). In the other photo, James’ sister Jeanette is holding Michaela on the left who is officially a Poteet and her sister Serenity whose adoption should be final any time now they keep telling us.
Our current plans are to leave in late April next year. Right now, preparations are ongoing for acquiring passports, visas, shots, and all the other thousand logistical details involved in moving to another country. And of course we’ve begun the spiritual preparations of prayer for ourselves and the people we’re going to serve. We are not going with any missionary organization. We have no problem with those organizations, but they require you to raise tens of thousands of dollars in support before you can go. In India we can live very comfortably on very little. We have no plans to do any fundraisers or to go around to churches drumming up support. We will pray and trust God to supply and to move on people’s hearts to give as He directs. The great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, once said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” We believe that and are counting on it. But we will be asking everyone who knows us, everyone who has ever called us friend, everyone who would like to see the Kingdom of God overtake the kingdom of darkness, to join us in prayer.
In Christ,
The Whole Poteet Gang! |
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