Archive for June, 2010
First Memory
To ensure the long distances we sometimes travel on deputation do not wear on our kids too badly, especially our one year old daughter, we try not to exceed six hours of driving time per day. As we left Dayton, Ohio for our first meeting on our trip out West we stopped for the night in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sandy’s first memory in life occurred in St. Louis. Her father was in the Army and was stationed in Kansas. At some point they had stopped in St. Louis when she was two years old and visited The Gateway Arch. Below the Arch is an underground museum about the westward expansion of the United States. In the main lobby of the museum is a bear mounted on a rock.
Sandy’s first memory is of a large bear at The Gateway Arch with claws extended and showing its teeth. She 
remembers being very scared of it. We were excited about going to the Arch to see Sandy’s bear. As we left the tunnel and entered the main lobby Sandy furrowed her brow in disbelief. “That can’t be my bear,” she said. She remembered it being much larger than the creature that stood before her. We asked an attendant about the bear and he confirmed that the bear in the lobby is the original from when the museum opened in 1967. Sandy later reasoned that the bear would seem much larger and intimidating to a two year old. Before we left the museum Sandy held Pearl in her arms for one last look at her bear.
Already on deputation our kids have been to so many places across the country and we’ve commented that Pearl will not remember any of what we’ve experienced so far. We wonder where her first memory will take place. Will it be somewhere here in the States or in Italy? Wherever it is we hope it’s a happy memory. Where did your first memory occur?
“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee…” – Deut. 8:2a
Apr/May Prayer Letter
Dear Brethren,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. We are thankful for the eight meetings in April and nine meetings in May that the Lord blessed us with in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, and Indiana. We praise the Lord for the six new churches that have started supporting us financially since our last prayer letter in April. Thank you for your prayers regarding lodging during our summer meetings out West. We praise the Lord we will only need to purchase hotel rooms for two of the seven weeks we will be traveling in June and July.
While in Ligonier, Pennsylvania for a mission conference, Isaiah and I went out for a walk while Sandy was getting Pearl down for a nap. Not far from the hotel where we were staying a young man named Tanner approached us with whom I began a conversation. When I transitioned to a discussion of spiritual things I learned that Tanner believed all religions were merely different approaches to the same God. He also felt like he wasn’t a bad person and was not in danger of hell. I used the law as a schoolmaster to bring him to the foot of the cross. He was visibly under deep conviction as he gained knowledge of his sin and confessed he was guilty before God. Sadly, Tanner refused to receive Christ as his Saviour. As Tanner walked on with downcast eyes my heart grieved for his soul, but I do rejoice and praise God that the seed of the gospel was planted and I trust the Lord will give the increase. Please pray with me that Tanner will receive Christ as his personal Saviour. As Isaiah and I headed back to the hotel from our walk I began a conversation with a young man named Mason. I praise the Lord that after reasoning with him from scripture for over 15 minutes he received Christ as his personal Saviour. Please pray for Mason’s spiritual growth.
On the home front, Isaiah seems to have become accident prone of late. In April he fell out of a tree and fractured his arm which required a trip to the emergency room and an appointment with a specialist. A few weeks later he tripped and fell into a handrail which resulted in some stitches in his chin. This is the first time since quitting my job as an engineer last July that I have felt the effects of inadequate health insurance. We have been paying the office visits for our kid’s check-ups no problem but these two accidents from Isaiah were quite expensive. Another unexpected expense we encountered recently involved some work that needed to be done on our SUV before our trip West… I was shocked by the cost. Please pray we do not have any more accidents or unexpected expenses for a while and that our dollars will stretch so that we do not feel the effects of these expenses too badly.
Ye also helping together by prayer for us with the following requests…
- Please pray the dozens of churches that have expressed their intentions of financially supporting our ministry would remember the Planck family and begin supporting us soon
- Pray for our health and safety while we travel to the Pacific Coast and then back to Ohio this summer
- Pray for the spiritual growth of Mason as well as the salvation of Tanner
- Pray for Sandy, Isaiah, Pearl and me with the challenges that life on the road brings
- Pray we will learn the Italian language as we study while on deputation
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.
Yours in Christ,
Stetson, Sandy, Isaiah, and Pearl