Dear Pastor and Church Family,
The Scripture says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” For our family, 2017 has brought about some major changes. We have a change of focus, purpose, and direction. Our focus is on Jesus and the fulfillment of His will. Our purpose is the glory of God, the salvation of souls, and the establishment of churches. Our direction is toward Italy. This has been a year of saying, “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” As we went through this first phase we experienced struggles, spiritual battles, and trials; but we have also been able to see God work in our lives in ways that we have never experienced before.
The deputation countdown is quickly approaching as our first meeting is only 9 days away. It feels like we are at Mission Control in Houston and are preparing for the launch of the space shuttle. There are certainly feelings of nervousness and uncertainty, but then we remember that the Lord is our engineer and His designs and plans are always perfect. This is His will. He is the orchestrator of it all. We simply are the vessels that get to be used by walking in obedience and faith.
We praise the Lord because our 2018 schedule has filled up quickly. God has opened doors and is continuing to do so. We reached out to a church in the last week of November and the following week my Pastor received a letter with a check in it. That church took us on for support on the spot, and we won’t even be with them to present the ministry for another 6 months. That truly blessed my heart!
We ask you all to pray with us. My wife has strong Italian heritage from her mother’s side of the family. There is a small possibility the she may be able to apply for Italian citizenship via “jure sanguinis” (by law of the bloodline). There are other ways for us to get into Italy, but this would be the best long-term way. Lord willing, we will have an answer on this in the next few months.
A special word of thanks is due to all of the pastors and churches who have committed to having us in for a meeting. As well, we thank our Pastor and his wife for their leadership and friendship. We thank those who have been praying for us, and most of all we thank the Lord.
In Christ,
The Keister Family
THE KEISTER FAMILY 