Prayer letter from Jon & Ruth Bergen

As we look back on 2013, all we can say is WOW, what a year.    We started the year praising God for answered prayer as granddaughter Nadja Ruth had safely arrived on 20 December 2012 with mom and baby both healthy after a scary start. Dad Bergen and Dad Leeds had both came through successful heart surgeries. We thank you to all of you who took time to pray for each of those requests and praise for the answers received.
We had an exciting year of family visiting this year. It is wonderful to have a home that God provided for us so that we can be hospitable in our community. Talon, Emilie and our wonderful granddaughters were able to visit us for three weeks in April. We had snow on the ground to make them feel at home coming from Alaska when they arrived, but the daffodils were starting to bloom when they left. This was the first time the whole family was able to be together since Talon and Emilie were married in 2008. Caleb came off his motorcycle and broke his collar bone whilst they were here, but thankfully, after surgery, he has healed.
Ruth’s brother, Dan and Lin Leeds (Trinity Baptist, Fond du Lac, WI)
were able to come for three weeks in May. We had them help us with a marriage conference while they were here. There were seven couples from our church who were able to attend and we have seen some powerful changes in those couples because of this. Then, in November, Ruth’s nephew and family were able to come and spend some time with us.
This summer was mixed blessings and disappointments. The weather was fantastic, but we buried four saints and true prayer warriors for our ministry here. It was a tough summer as I (Jon) battled one kidney stone after another. My back still has not recovered from the trauma. Judi had the best summer health wise she has had in five years, but has had a real set back this fall; she is taking a year off of school to see if she can get well.
I started preaching a series on the Gospel of John the beginning of 2012 that has now morphed into a series on discipleship; it has been a fun journey to watch our people grow through this time of training. We had two fantastic events for the children this year. In the spring we had our missionaries, Sam and Silvana Shaw, come with their puppets and object lessons. Our VBS program in the summer was fantastic, once again bringing in families who come simply for the extra programs. We continue with the Bible classes in the schools – Ruth at the two primary schools and I am at the high school.
Through a church in the states giving, we were able to finally provide Ruth with a kitchen she can enjoy, and our thanks goes to a church who helped us with our building, we are, at present, getting the front of our church building refurbished. Our church was able to put a ceiling in the smaller meeting room and has been stable enough to pay the ongoing bills on the building.
I will be coming to the states for the months of January through April to report to several churches that we have not reported to since coming to Scotland. I will be flying in to Boston and will be travelling as far south as Texas and as far west as Montana. Ruth and the girls will stay in Brechin and continue with the ministry here. Before heading stateside I will once again have the privilege of leading the city in their annual Christmas Carol Service on the square and doing the High School 2014 opening Assemblies.    Pray as I minister here and in the coming months of travelling and ministry. Pray for Ruth and the girls as they stay here and keep things going.
One need is to be able pay off the building loan at the Missions office. We still need about $23K. If this was paid it would free up a large part of our support that is desperately needed on a personal level. Please pray for God’s provision and what part you might have in this.
In the Auld Scots language Bible Luke 2:10 reads, And the Angel said, “Be na gliff’d; for I bring ye gude tidins o’ muckle joy to the hale warld!”    May you be filled with God’s ‘Muckle Joy’ this Christmas and throughout 2014,
Jon, Ruth, Judi, Anna and Jessi Bergen