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November 2009 Dear Praying Friends,
How thankful we are to God for you! As we look back at our 18
years of service with Baptist Mid-Missions, we have no doubt whatsoever
that we could never have accomplished what we did without you. As the
Lord has led us to leave Baptist Mid- Missions, we feel we must inform
you, our most very special family, as to the new section of His Harvest
where we will be serving, prayerfully for a long, long time.
After many hours of fasting and prayer, and contacting many churches,
the Lord has led us to Independent Bible Church in Bussey, IA. Bussey is
a small farming community in southeast Iowa with a population of 248.
The church recently went through a split, based on a doctrinal issue,
and there is a lot of hurt with which to deal. We are here purely on
faith, as the church is only able to pay for our insurance and
prescriptions (a total of $1250. a month). The church also provides a
parsonage, and pays all utilities. We are taking our retirement savings
and using it to supplement ourselves for $1,000 a month (which can only
last for one year). The people are personally stepping out on faith with
us, as one of them is giving $250 a month, another is providing milk for
us and have given us ¼ of beef (and promised more) while another is
providing us with eggs straight out of their hen house. Others have
given us sweet corn for freezing and several have given apples and pears
for canning and storing. Please pray for the church to grow that they
may be able to fully support us within a year. If God does not provide,
Andy will have to take a part time job and be bi-vocational. While this
is not a sin, it does hurt the work and the family. We trust the Lord to
make it possible to stay full time in the ministry.
The people here are also very committed to the work. The attendance was
regularly 32 counting us when we started. We are now averaging 39. We
had a homecoming Sunday with 57, topping last year’s attendance for
Easter. The people went out visiting and inviting! We passed out
handbills during the high school homecoming parade. Many were discarded,
but we have one new, previously unchurched family now faithfully
attending because they received a handbill and personal invitation! This
last week we invited the entire high school football team, with the
coaches and all parents to a free chili supper. We had 36 people attend!
We had Gospel tracts at each place setting, and they were read and
several were taken. One of the team took a New Testament. We also began
a Master Club children’s program that started out with 9 children. We
are praying to see more, and believe we will as we get further
established. We will have a special Veteran’s Day service and started
practice for a Christmas cantata this last Sunday night. And I haven’t
even mentioned the ministry with Latinos the Lord has given us! The
first visitor we had in our house was a young single Latino, who speaks
mostly all Spanish! How excited he was to have somebody to whom he could
talk! We are excited to see the people supporting and working in these
ministries, and look forward to what the LORD will do in the days ahead.
It is an exciting place to be!
Debbi is doing quite well. She is working in a Good News club at the
local elementary school. One girl now attending our church got saved
through that ministry! Debbi also started the Ladies’ meeting on track
with a Bible study from Joyful Woman ministries and of course, is very
involved with the music ministry. She still has some rough days, but she
is really involved and doing well with home and ministry. The kids are
attending the local school, and excelling in their classes. Josiah, a
sophomore, is working in the Master Club, sings, plays the trumpet and
is involved in our youth group. He helps prepare flyers, hand bills, and
is our technology geek. Sarah is again inviting people to clubs and
reaching out. Several kids from her class have started coming to Sunday
School because of it. She’s in 6th grade and playing the bells, and is
preparing to include them in the cantata. Thad has started school and is
learning fast! He is praying for his friends to be saved. He prays at
school and tells his friends they can’t eat their lunch until after he
prays! Andy is visiting in the community, including former members to
make sure there are no unresolved or broken personal relationships. He
also has gone down to the local coffee shop to sit in at the “table of
knowledge” and learn about town, it’s people, the good hunting and
fishing spots and open doors to share the Gospel.
We consider this as a long term project and commitment. We come to
Bussey with the same commitment as we took to Perú. We believe
completely that the Lord has brought us HERE. Andy is not looking for a
“stepping stone” ministry. We trust to see all our kids graduate from
the same school. And we trust to see God do a great work here. As much
as we hate to write it, this will be our last prayer letter. We will,
however, maintain an email update list. Any of you who would like to
maintain contact with us, please send us your email address to
atuttle@outdrs.net. Several
friends have also decided to continue to support us financially, until
the church is more stable and can compensate us fully. If the Lord
should also move you to help in this way, please contact us at the
addresses below. May the Lord richly bless you folks, and we look
forward to the fruit we shall see together because of the help you have
been to the Lord’s work through us. It is a privilege to serve with you
in HIS HARVEST.
In the Risen Lamb,
Andy, Debbi, Josiah, Sarah & Thad Tuttle 104 Second
Street
PO Box 157
Bussey, IA 50044-0157
641- 944-5112 – Home and Church
641-777-3911 - Andy Cell
atuttle@outdrs.net
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