December 2018 Prayer Letter – Pdf
Carta de Oracion -Diciembre 2018-Pdf
December 2018 – Prayer Letter
Dear Beloved Brethren,
Greetings and peace and love in the name of our eternal God, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
We have much to be grateful for during this Christmas season but not just for this season but all the time. First, we are so thankful to the Lord, God for sending His precious and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ as the first missionary to a lost and dying world, to suffer and die for us, ungrateful and undeserving as we are. Praise the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit who guides us, guard us and is such a Comforter in times of trials, tribulations, tests and tears. Second, we thank the Lord for His precious Word and, finally, we have been privileged by God to serve Him according to His call upon our lives. What an honor and privilege to serve the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Architect of all architects, the Carpenter of all carpenters our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We pray that you will have a wonderful and blessed Christmas commemorating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we pray, as well, that you will have a blessed, joyful and prosperous New Year in the Lord; and as we delight in the LORD, He will give us the desires of our hearts; and as we commit our ways to the LORD: trust in Him, He shall bring it to pass (Psalm 37: 4-5).
Lord, I lay my burden upon Thee because I know you’re there to carry them for me.
When in times of trials and tribulations, I know You’re there to sustain me.
Lord, I go to You because You give me rest despite of all my tests,
When in times of tests and temptations, I know You’re there to strengthen me,
Lord, I put my faith and trust in Thee because I know I’ll be blessed as You have promised.
When in times of cries and desperation, I know You’re there to comfort me,
Lord, I lean on You when I am not strong because I know with You I can’t go wrong,
When in times of tears and desolation, I know You’re there to walk with me.
Lord, I leave ev’ry thing up to Thee, I know You’re there to take vengeance for me.
When in times of fear and persecution, I know You’re there to protect me.
Lord, I know You’re there to sustain me, to strengthen me, to comfort me, to protect me and to walk with me;
Lord, I know You’ll always be there, no matter where! (Jean-Claude Guilbaud, 2018)
As always, we thank our Lord Jesus Christ for taking us on this glorious journey, a journey of endless joy, speaking to our hearts, answering the call that He has given us and accepted the mission that is ahead of us to do His work according to His ways and will.
As we keep on pressing on this glorious journey, the month of December was not as productive with conferences; we had two meetings cancelled due to a snow storm where we were. December 2nd, we went to Maranatha Baptist Church in Yorktown, VA, Pastor Dale Coffey, one of our supporting churches, in the morning to give them a report and in the evening we were at our sending church and as well on Wednesday December 5th. On Saturday December 8th, we headed to Evington, VA for meetings in the area but unfortunately the next day, Sunday, we had a big snow storm so we couldn’t go to our meetings in Rocky Mount, VA, Woodlawn Baptist Church, Pastor Eddie Hawks in the morning nor Liberty Baptist Church, Pastor Jeff Chapman, in Evington, VA in the evening. We have to reschedule for some other time, perhaps in January 2019. We were blessed by Liberty Baptist Church by allowing us to stay in their prophet chamber until the 17th. On Wednesday December 12th, we were at Southside Baptist Church, Pastor Donnie Glass, in Goodview, VA for a meeting. We were blessed as we presented our ministry, shared our vision and I had the honor to preach as well. On Sunday the 16th, in the morning, we were at Central Baptist Church, Pastor Larry Fitzgerald in Lynchburg, VA; we presented our ministry and shared our calling and vision as well. In the evening, we went to present our ministry at Clearview Baptist Church in Rustburg, VA Pastor Zane Kramer; we were blessed as we presented our ministry and I had the privilege to preach as well. On Wednesday December 19th, we were at our home church. On Sunday morning the 23rd, we went to Victory Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA, Pastor Les Smith, one of our supporting churches, to give them an update and in the evening we were back at home church; also on Wednesday the 26th and Sunday the 30th since we had no more meetings for the rest of the year.
As we press on, please pray and continue to pray for the following prayer request:
PRAYERS
- As we mentioned in our last prayer letter, we urgently are in need of a minivan to finish our deputation journey. We gave back the one that we borrowed. Now we will need another one to keep going until we leave for Costa Rica before next summer, Lord willing!
- Our health in order to work in His vineyard. My wife’s cataracts surgery in January 2019, the date is not set yet.
- As we keep stressing, it is our goal, Lord willing, to be on the field by June 2019. We are planning to go after March sometime to look for a place to live, as well the property for the ministry. We need this miracle for our support to be at 100% or more by next May 2019. God is able to make other miracles and we pray that He will; He is able, with Him nothing is impossible. He is good, so good!!
- We have started to check on our passage expenses, moving and flying, etc; we don’t have a final number yet but from what we have gathered, it could cost between 7 to 15 thousand dollars. Beloved Brethren, Pastors and Churches, this is a lot of money and humbly asking, we are going to need your help and prayers for the Lord’s provision and what He will have you to do according to His will.
- Support Levels
We are still waiting on churches and Lord willing plus the ones we presented to in December. Per my final calculations, we thought we were at 74% but unfortunately we are at 73% instead. We pray that it will be more by our next prayer letter and for churches’ hearts to me moved.
- Safety with Travels
Pray that our Lord, God will keep on protecting us on the road. In January, we will be in Virginia due to cancellations of meetings in December; the dates are not set yet.
- Schedule of Meetings
Or schedule is light for January 2019, but for now, the Lord is still opening doors for more meetings and conferences for next February, March 2019 in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida; November in North Carolina if we are not in Costa Rica.
- Softness of Attitudes
Pray that our hearts would stay soft, to have a humble attitude, to stay close to God, and focus on Him not on men neither our circumstances; also for the churches that we have been in contact with and presented. We are excited to see on how the Lord will be working next the year, we are also encouraged and at the same time comforted by His provision, protection and peace.
PRAISE
The Lord is so good in giving us our health, providing and protecting us while we are on the road, despite of setbacks while serving Him.
Praise the Lord for everything! To God be the Glory, great things He has done, that He is doing and what He will do as we focus our eyes and hearts upon Him.
Thank you, as always, for your kindness, compassion and love, but most of all for your sensibility to the Holy Spirit of God who dwells in you. We are deeply grateful for your continued prayers, financial support and being behind our vision to further the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Brethren, may the love of the Almighty God, the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you All. Amen!
Brother Jean-Claude and Sister Matilde Guilbaud
Under His Wings Reaching the World for His Glory
In Christ alone