Judah and big sister, Emery

I (Leah) was able to visit them for a couple of weeks and enjoy some warmer weather, too.

Deryk and Ivy, Isaiah and Emery Humphreys

We were praising God that Judah did not have to have the predicted surgery, but was pronounced to be completely fine instead! It was so wonderful to be with them – we sure miss all of our children and wish they lived closer, but we are proud of how each of them follows God. 

Last month we asked you to pray about Peter’s upcoming trip to West Africa. He is going to be speaking there, and our God has completely provided for me to accompany him! Yeehaw!!

It has been four years since a winter flash flood cut through the berm next to the dam and drained the pond here at Still Waters. Since that time we have been working to acquire two permits to restore the pond to pre-flood conditions. We are thankful for the first permit that was issued last year, enabling us to commence work on the retaining wall to the side of the pond. Hopefully, by the end of this summer, that phase of the project will be completed. We praise God for supplying the materials through His generous people. 

Flood damage

Recently, our second permit request was handed off to another environmental agency, and we have had to start the application process all over again. Please pray that God would give us patience and wisdom as we continue to ask permission to repair the lower dam. Our prayer is that God would move in the hearts of officials to allow this reconstruction so the pond can be restored. From the first moment we saw this property, we envisioned the still waters of the pond adding that special touch to this quiet, restful setting, and our missionary colleagues being refreshed as God reminded them of His faithful promises. 

 We are so blessed to be able to minister to God’s servants here, and in so doing, help strengthen the team that is reaching a lost world for Christ. Thank you for being our partners in this effort! We will write again upon our return from Africa, and are grateful for your prayers during our journey. We’re praying for you, too!

Peter and Leah at Still Waters

Lights at Still Waters

During our quiet Christmas at Still Waters in 2011, Leah and I began to plan for the next year – all the while knowing that while we may plan, God will direct the outcome! That’s just fine with us – we are His.

Now we are already well into February of 2012, and once again, we find ourselves sitting by the fire and going over our plans. We would love to have you join us in prayer about these requests: 

Deryk & Ivy Humphreys; Emery, Isaiah

• Leah will be traveling to Texas soon to help Deryk & Ivy as they are expecting this month. Their son may be undergoing surgery right after birth – please pray for him and for Ivy in all of this. Leah will enjoy some wonderful Nana time!  
• I am invited to speak at a missionary get-togethers in West Africa this April – what a great opportunity! Please pray that Leah will be able to come with me to minister to the missionary women there.
•  Pray that we’d be able to complete the retaining wall project this summer (thus safely anchoring the septic system). 
• Thank you for always remembering our ‘missionary care’ ministry here at Still Waters! Pray that God would continue teaching our hearts as we share His truth and prepare materials for others to use in their shepherding ministries.  

In July of this year we hope to finally visit Shaun and Melanie and family in Paraguay.   They continue to work with the Nivaclé tribal people and are into the Bible Lesson preparation phase.

Michayla and her Nivacle friend

We would also plan to travel out to the tribal area we worked in for many years as we haven’t seen our Manjúi friends since 2006.

Seth, Rylan, and Nivacle friends

We love and appreciate each of you, and are honored to pray for you. We also thank God for your sacrificial giving and fervent prayers for us!

 Our family and children also bless us – several times they have flown us here and there to be with them, and it’s always a memory-making time.

 Recently, we visited Deryk and Ivy and their family – how we enjoyed hanging out with them, playing with Emery and Isaiah, and dreaming of the new little one to come! It was so special and encouraging.

I flew on to visit with Cherry and her family as they settled back into their home. It needed some repair, and Dan and Cherry had asked if I’d come and put in a new tile floor for them.

 Oh yeah, we had fun! It was just an amazing and wonderful visit, and though this ol’ guy left there pretty worn out, I was thrilled with all we accomplished together – just like old times!

Dan has received an early promotion (no surprise), as he continues to serve his country, and he is in the process of fitting into a new position. Cherry starts med school today! It has been a long and interesting journey to this point, but Dan and Cherry continue to move forward in obedience. They would appreciate your prayers!

Leah and I are both back home at Still Waters. We’ve been asking God together with you for years that He would make a way for us to get a permit for the broken down retaining wall to the side of the septic system. Well, the exciting news is that after quite a complicated process (and even some indication that we wouldn’t be given a permit), WE NOW HAVE IT IN HAND!  

 Retaining wall by the pond

This wall is critical to holding the septic tank in place and controlling erosion. I’m already at work (and have had some great help!) to begin preparing the site for reconstruction. We will be able to get started as soon as we have the materials: concrete, rebar, landscaping blocks and some forming materials. The permit is good for one year (though much of that time will be winter when the work can’t move ahead for obvious reasons!)

Please pray that the Lord would expedite this project and provide us with the strength, wisdom, materials, and help necessary to get this big job crossed off of the list. The miracle tractor God provided has already been hard at work in this preparatory process, and we can’t wait to see what He has in mind for the rest of the summer!

Praise God with us for the provision of this permit! It is the first of two permits we need in order to return the water to the pond since it was damaged by flooding in January of 2009.

We hope you are having a wonderful summer with your family and friends, and, as always, our hearts are full of gratitude to you as you lift up God’s work here in prayer. He is still changing hearts and lives through the promises and principles of the Word, and comforting His beloved people as they serve and worship Him.

With love and appreciation,

      We have lived long enough to be able to look back and reflect on the various “spiritual seasons” we have gone through.

      There were times when it felt like the winter would never end and God seemed so far away. At other times we have enjoyed the rich and satisfying experience of growth!

      During the “summer” times, the flowers are so fragrant and the color so vivid! Everything screams “Life!” and fellowship with the Creator is very sweet and intimate. What we also see, in retrospect, is that our loving Father has been with us through both winters and summers, and has sovereignly arranged these seasons to accomplish His purposes in our lives. We thank and praise Him for walking with us through each season and understand that He is committed to our training.

     Among the many things that we are thankful for is the amazing privilege we have to support and care for others as they experience a myriad of life’s difficult challenges. Often we are blessed to have a front row seat to watch God at work in hearts and see spiritual dormancy give way to amazing growth. Our awesome God not only keeps the weather cycles in order but He also uses the tough seasons of life to grow us up and make us more like Jesus. 

Recently, we were blessed with a quick visit from my brother Paul, and his wife, Kathleen. Paul has been in a long battle with cancer, and it was healing for the whole family to have this special time with both of them. Praise God for the health Paul is experiencing now – and please continue to pray with us for his complete healing.

      Thank you for partnering with us as we serve our fellow missionaries here at Still Waters. We could not be available to care for these dear folks if it were not for your prayers, encouragement and support.

      We always thank God for you. 

Here are a few things for which we would appreciate your prayers:     

>>permits from various agencies to replace the retaining wall, clean out the pond and repair flood damage

    >>materials for various summer projects needing to be completed

           >>wisdom as we continue to care for and mentor several couples

                  >>continued health and safety

 We are praising God for our excellent health and energy to accomplish His plan for us here. Your interest and involvement in the Still Waters ministry is deeply appreciated – thank you so much for writing to encourage us, and for your prayers and gifts.

 We love you!

Pete and Leah Humphreys

Still Waters, May 28, 2011

Our daughter Charissa (Kiki) and husband Dan announce the birth of… 

Gabriel Allan Jongewaard

March 14, 2011

8 lbs. 15 oz. - 22 inches long

Peter and I were able to be present at his birth and rejoice with them!

*’”*:•.¦:-:•.-:¦:-March 16, 2011-:¦:-• -:¦-•:*’”*

 Our (heart-adopted) son Max and his wife Zuly announce the birth of…

Vania Isabel Peña

March 16, 2011

9 lbs – 22.5 inches long

  Peter and I are longing to see this little one…a trip to Paraguay is hoped for next summer!

Naomi

loves to

cuddle

 her new

 sister!

Please pray for these families and all the adjustments they are facing.

P.S. That makes 12 grandkids for Nana and Papa Humphreys!

Please be praying for Peter’s brother Paul, who has been diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Paul is going through chemotherapy at this time, and Kathleen is taking care of him.

We are asking God for complete healing for Paul, and strength for both of them, and their children and families.

Psalm 22:26 “They who seek the Lord will praise Him.”

Leah and I are praising God for many answered prayers! Here are some things that we, together with you, have brought before our God in prayer:

• Request – Wisdom regarding the direction of the Still Waters ministry.

Answer – God has made it abundantly clear that He intends for us to continue on, by faith, and provide care for missionaries in crisis, and training for shepherds.

• Request – Provision for the accumulated deficit.

Answer – Since January, we have been able to meet our financial commitments each month and begin to address the deficit. God has laid it on the hearts of His people to help, and has given Leah enjoyable part-time work.

• Request – That God would raise up 20 additional supporting partners in 2010.

Answer – Halfway through 2010, 11 partners have joined the Still Waters team!

• Request – That God would continue to use our lives to encourage, guide and bless His messengers.

Answer – We have been so blessed to invest our lives in missionary colleagues who have responded to truth and God’s work in their hearts – and we praise Him for these and many other answered prayers! Thank you for standing with us through some difficult days!

We were blessed to enjoy a visit from Gregg and Kathleen (Rutledge) Bowcock, all the way from California. It was just fun to hang out with some of Leah’s family!

Summer is always busy as we attack the work that can only be done during this warmer time of year. Here are several of the projects that we hope to be working on from now until the snow returns:

Finish the last of the siding on the loft

Clean out pond and repair flood damage

Begin retaining wall to prevent septic tank from sliding into the pond

Bring in all the firewood that will be needed this winter!

Our top priority is caring for those who God brings to Still Waters. As we are able (have time and funds), we will be working on these summer projects, and are asking God for health, safety and wisdom. We’ll keep you updated as things get checked off our list!

Jason Walton, a missionary (and a long-time friend) on his way to Paraguay stayed for a week and helped me put in some insulated windows. It was great to get caught up on what’s happening in his life, and talk about Paraguay with him!

You can tell who we are even through the cement dust, right?!

Leah and I are grateful to our God for each of you and we value your friendship and encouragement.

We are keenly aware that our ministry would be impossible without the team that He has raised up to partner with us. May the Lord richly bless you for your faith, your sacrifices, and your faithfulness.

We are honored to serve our God together with you!

P.S. We celebrate our 34th anniversary on July 3rd

In late 2009, Leah and I met with our leadership team here in Durham and then communicated with a small group of you, asking that you pray regarding the future of our ministry here at Still Waters. Specifically, we shared that, due to a steady decrease in our monthly support, we were facing some tough decisions. We know that many of you pray for us regularly, and we appreciate your communication with us and all the encouragement and guidance you supply.

After a month of waiting on the Lord for His direction, we would like to share with you what we see as our next step of faith. Our dependency is on God, and our hearts are at rest in Him despite the uncertainties. Even though we don’t yet know what the Lord is going to do in 2010, we sense that He is leading us to continue to walk on the same ministry path He directed us to since returning from Paraguay nearly six years ago.

What will it take to continue? We are asking God to raise up a new generation of partners who will commit, by faith, to joining with us in this ministry of tending to the needs of career missionaries. For the past 32 years, we have been blessed to partner with dear friends who sacrificed for years to see our ministry carried out. Many of these friends have finished their earthly race and have now gone to be with the Lord. These realities mean that more ministry partners are needed to step into the gap.

In the short term, Leah has begun teaching part-time, while I carry on with the bulk of the work here at Still Waters.  We are thankful for the provision of work for Leah, and will continue with this plan until God redirects us. Our desire in the long term is to be completely available as a couple to care for those who God sends our way – whether it be couples who come to stay, or ongoing help given by phone or email to those who can’t get here right now.

On January 21st, I will be having reconstructive surgery on my left shoulder and have been given strict instructions by the doctor to lay low while the shoulder heals. During the recovery time, I look forward to studying, writing materials on biblical shepherding, and continuing to meet with and care for those God has entrusted to us at this time. Please pray that God would refresh and encourage these dear ministers of the Gospel through Leah and me.

Many people groups around the world are still waiting to hear the Good News of Jesus for the first time, and our mission is to care for those who have given their lives to spread the Gospel message, but need a season of encouragement, hope, and reminders of truth. We would love to hear from you if you have any questions about God’s work here at Still Waters.

Thanks again to each of you who are praying for us and are already a firm part of our support foundation. We are excited to see what God does this year and look forward to sharing each answer to prayer with you!

For His glory,

Pete and Leah