Peter and Leah Humphreys

••.¸¸¸.•• Joyous News! ••.¸¸¸.••

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 02:03:02 +0000

Judah Cole Humphreys was born to Deryk and Ivy on February 16, 2012 – Isaiah and Emery are completely thrilled!

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!

With love and thanksgiving,

Peter and Leah at Still Waters

January and February News from Still Waters!

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:33:40 +0000

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

An added benefit will be getting to see Max & Zuly, along with Naomi and Vania!

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!

Hallelujah! update from Pete

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:04:10 +0000

Early this morning I checked out the weather forecast, and knew that the cement pour needed to happen today – rain is on for the rest of the week! It was even looking a little iffy for today. It didn’t take long and everything was in motion – soon after lunch, the cement truck arrived and some hard workers rolled in! I was a little concerned because the ground is very soft from all the rain we’ve had, and the cement truck had to back up so close to the edge of the upper wall. But it held! What a thrill it was to see the cement pouring into the forms – it was the culmination of about two months of work, and dispelled a few vivid nightmares, too! The top of the wall is finished and edged and the rain that is now falling softly, hours later, can’t hurt it. In a few days I will begin the process of stripping and cleaning the forms before returning these borrowed materials. Wow! Today was a HUGE milestone and represents the completion of the most difficult phase of the retaining wall reconstruction. Thanks to everyone who came and helped, and to those who were praying for safety and success today. Leah and I are so encouraged to see how God continues to provide for the Still Waters ministry, and are grateful every day for the lives it has brought us in contact with.

I’ll be grinning in my sleep all night long! Pete

❂More summer excitement!❂

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:34:58 +0000

This was the scene in our backyard when the first cement truck came to pour the footing for the anchor wall by the pond.What’s the reason for all this activity? Well, just a slight problem with a crumbling retaining wall that is supposed to hold the septic tank back from sliding out where it doesn’t belong! The red arrow below is pointing to the corner of the tank where the wall has eroded. So far, the footer for the anchor wall has been poured. We THANK GOD for the generous couple who felt God’s leading to make this possible, and for the wonderful group of students and staff from the New Tribes Mission training centre who came to help. Here are some of them…a great team! We’re so grateful to Ernest Jones (NTMC Staff) for arranging this, and everyone enjoyed the wonderful snacks Tina Jones brought! God wasn’t finished providing for the project, however! Bob and Darlene Sheets came all the way from Oregon to encourage us in our ministry and lend a much-needed helping hand for a couple of weeks! We had such a refreshing time with them, and even got in some sight-seeing. Thanks for EVERYTHING, Bob and Darlene! Other friends took many hours out of their work day to help, as well – we think we know some of the world’s hardest workers! Now the anchor wall forms are in place and ready to be filled – if the weather holds, the cement truck will pull in early this afternoon to finish off this first part of the job. We sure appreciate everyone’s help, and the oversight Eric Esau (NTMC Staff) has provided for this part of the project. After the wall is poured, there will be a mandatory 28 day curing period, after which Peter will begin backfilling the anchor wall with rocks for added stability. Then the first 3-foot wall will be established several feet behind the anchor wall, using retaining wall blocks – oh YEAH! God provided for those, too!! We can’t wait to see the finished product. HURRAY! Ultimately, there will be 2 three-foot walls put in, in order to achieve the level required to support the septic tank. Please pray that the tank will remain stable until the project is finished – and winter is always just around the corner here in Canada! Thanks for praying. One more prayer request – Peter felt so honored recently to receive an invitation from the NTM team working in Senegal, who has asked him to come and be their speaker in April of 2012. We are praying about this possibility right now – thanks for joining us. We thank God for each of you and hope your summer has been fruitful, as well. Okay, it’s fall already—it’s just hard for me to let go of summer!Leah and Peter (I’ll post again later today to let you know how things went!)

♪ ♬ Summer Songs of Praise! ♪ ♬

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:55:43 +0000

Leah and I are so blessed! We recently celebrated our 35th anniversary, and thank God every day for each other and for the ministry God has given us. You bless and encourage us through your faithful prayers and incredible gifts, and once in a while, by visiting us at Still Waters!

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.

Deryk, Ivy, Isaiah and Emery Humphreys

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.

Papa and Isaiah spend some time together!

Isaiah and Emery with Nana the morning she had to leave – sadness!

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.

Cherry mixes the thin set – Daddy’s helper again!

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,

¨Rejoicings from the Igloo¨

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Sun, 29 May 2011 20:05:46 +0000

THE SNOW IS GONE! Wow! After living most of our adult lives in a very hot, arid climate, Leah and I are so fascinated and amazed by distinct and regularly changing seasons here in Ontario. Lately, as spring has finally muscled her way to a knock-out victory over winter, I have been considering many of the parallels between seasonal cycles and spiritual growth cycles.

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

(¯`’•.¸ Tiny Wonders in March¸.•’´¯)

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Sun, 29 May 2011 19:58:53 +0000

’”:•.¦:-:•.-:¦:-March 14, 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!

❣ Family and Ministry Update ❣

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 07:13:41 +0000

Leah and I are still smiling from having such a great time with our kids and grandkids!

In late October, Shaun and Melanie and their three kids came home from Paraguay for a short time of leave.

At the same time, Deryk and Ivy and their two little ones came up from Texas to spend a week with us. It was so wonderful to be together.

Then at Christmas, Dan and Cheralyn and their four children came from Rhode Island…

…with Dan and Kiki arriving soon after with their baby-in-waiting – what a memorable time we had!

In January, Shaun and Mel and family flew out to California where they were thoroughly spoiled by Leah’s family, and the church group there. They arrived back up to Canada blessed and encouraged from their visit. Now they are working on packing up their things for the trip back to Paraguay, and their calendar is filling up as they enjoy visits from folks in this area.

A special blessing at the end of 2010 was that my brother Paul, who is recovering from cancer, was well enough to come to Canada with his wife, Kathleen, for my Mom’s 80th birthday. What a thrill for us all!

Would you please pray about a restoration plan we are submitting to local authorities that will allow me to repair the dam down by the log cabin, and refill the pond? Last month we were advised of the possibility of our request being denied because of environmental concerns. We know that only God decides!

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.”(Proverbs 21:30)

Leah and I love our ministry here at Still Waters! Thank you for praying for us as we continue to meet with missionaries and friends who are experiencing difficult times and desire to be reminded of His truth.

We have appreciated your emails, phone calls and gifts that support and sustain us every day. We always thank God for your partnership with us, and are privileged to bring your requests before Him, too.

Thanks for keeping in touch!

⁂ ☁ ⁂ ⁂ Let it SNOW! ⁂ ☁ ⁂ ⁂

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:22:20 +0000

Winter is here in full force, and I’m lovin’ it! I thought you’d like to see a recent picture or two of me and some new tools God has provided for my use and enjoyment.

Not long after God provided the amazing and unexpected gift of a TRACTOR for Still Waters, He put it on someone else’s heart to provide a SNOWBLOWER! Now, I really do feel bad for the thousands (millions?) of people who really despise the long winter months, and understand that clearing snow off of everything, every day, is a burden. This winter, I’m so thrilled to be able to clear our snow out in less than a fourth of the time it used to take me (and to help out a couple of other families, too) – praise God with us!

In early October, Leah’s dad came for a visit, and, as always, a great deal of work was accomplished! Late in October, both of our boys and their families came to visit – Deryk and Ivy came all the way from Texas, and Shaun and Mel came back from Paraguay. It was wonderful to have them together for a short while, and then to have Shaun and Mel and family for a little while longer. They will complete their home assignment before going back to Paraguay in March for their third term of service.

In November, Leah flew to Rhode Island for two weeks to care for Cher and Dan Hendrix’ four children as Cherry recovered from major surgery. It was very refreshing for her to have that special Nana time with them, and she had fun teaching them to make bread, as well!

Over the years, God has comforted and encouraged us so faithfully, and we are continually blessed to be in this ‘caring’ ministry here at Still Waters. You may have become aware of recent accusations of abuse that have come from former boarding students (at an NTM facility in West Africa back in the ‘70’s and ’80’s). Leah and I have joined a specially-formed group that is working with those who are affected by this heartbreaking tragedy. Please continue to pray for us – these are difficult issues that have to be taken care of swiftly and biblically, with repentance and reconciliation in focus.

In a couple of weeks, three of our children and their families will be joining us for the Christmas Holidays (Cherry & Dan, Shaun & Mel, and Kiki and Dan)! While we all enjoy this incredible blessing, we will sure be missing those who can’t be here (Deryk & Ivy, as well as Max & Zuly and their families).

Last year at this time, we were asking God if it was His intention for us to look for another ministry, as we were unable to manage the expenses that the Still Water’s ministry had accrued. We asked God for 20 more ministry partners, and He has provided 14 so far! This has been an incredible encouragement throughout 2010.

We are blessed to be your partners here, and we thank God for each of you. May this Christmas season be filled with joy for you and your family as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Saviour, so many years ago.

Peter and Leah

God provides…again!

Peter and Leah Humphreys — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 02:51:37 +0000

Peter and I had a wonderful time up north at a friend’s wedding this last weekend! It was Peter’s privilege to marry the happy couple, and we rejoiced with the family afterwards. Weddings are special!

The journey home took about five hours; weariness had settled in by late afternoon when we pulled into Still Waters. And there, sitting in our driveway, was a pretty blue tractor.

Peter said, “There’s a tractor in our driveway.”

“Mhmm,” I responded brilliantly, struck speechless. Then we both started talking at once. “It’s probably a mistake – delivered to the wrong address!”

“Let’s call around and see if anyone knows anything!”

No one knew a thing about the tractor in our driveway.

Then Peter said, “I think I know who to call!”

*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*¨¨*¨¨*:·.·:*

In 2005, after having lived at Still Waters for about a year, I noticed that Peter kept saying, “We desperately need a tractor!” So I wrote that in my notebook, and began to pray about it. I told Peter that I was asking God to drive one in here someday, just for this ministry! We laughed. Peter and I continued to petition God for a tractor over the years (maybe Peter more than I, since he was doing all the physical labor)!

Then, one day, God put it on the hearts of a couple of His children to meet this need, and they obeyed. They drove that tractor with its brand new tires right onto Still Waters, giving it to us for this ministry!

I haven’t seen Peter around much these last couple of days…

God has provided - again! Jehovah Jireh.

Our hearts have been so encouraged and blessed by the saints God has brought to Still Waters for rest, and an infusion of Truth. God has proven Himself ready to meet every need and to strengthen us daily, no matter how fiery the trial.

Thank you once again, dearly beloved prayer partners and supporters! We count you among our blessings, and couldn’t wait to let you know of the latest wonderful thing God has done!

”Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits…”