Jay and Beverly Bellamy

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Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Dear Friends,
In December, we told you of the great difficulty our friends, Jean-Philippe and Rose were experiencing in their orphanage ministry. Heavy rains had swelled the river flowing through their section of town and the resulting flood had destroyed their furniture and most of their belongings. Added to these difficulties, their adult son had suddenly died of malaria. We asked you to pray for them and many of you responded with encouragement and gifts to help them recover.

In Congo, when someone passes away, their family becomes host to the extended family and friends who come to mourn. While it is a comfort to share the grief of loss with others, it becomes very taxing, physically and financially for the host family. For Jean-Philippe and Rose, this was especially challenging as 200 family members arrived from throughout Congo.

Then, during the first week in December, Jean-Philippe and Rose, in the midst of the mourning period for their eldest son, experienced an even more intense crisis when their youngest son became very ill. He was diagnosed with yellow fever and his parents shuttled between home and the hospital. Jean-Philippe told us he had been especially concerned for Rose. He felt the shock was harder for her, because after the death of Orley, their oldest son, when Dany, their youngest was in the hospital, there were many unbelieving family members surrounding them and wondering what was happening. Rose got very discouraged. But he was heartened to see her faith. She was there in church the next Sunday morning and she was worshiping God. Her faith was an example to their extended family and friends, and it brought glory to God.

Jean-Philippe and Rose have asked us to thank you from the bottoms of their hearts for your prayers. Had they been in this dark valley alone, they felt their faith would have faltered, but the assurance of your prayer and the gifts that many of you were able to make to help them recover financially and repair their home and orphanage were a tremendous encouragement to them.

Family News: Through the past year, it has been exciting to see God opening doors and leading our kids, one by one, in the direction he wants them to go.
Danny transferred to Grove City College in January and is doing well there. Lauren has been accepted as a degree-seeking student at Patrick Henry College and has continued to study on-line this year. Next August, she will move on campus as a sophomore. BJ and Christy are doing well in Cleveland. We’re looking forward to seeing where the Lord takes them next.

We greatly enjoyed being together over Christmas when we met in Seattle and are treasuring every moment we get to spend with our kids. At present, it appears that we will be leaving for Congo at the end of August.

We are also beginning to sense God’s direction as we prepare for new ministries in the Congo. A lot of our ministry will depend on some important decisions being made this month by the Alliance Church of Congo. Please pray that God will superintend these meetings. Pray that God will give us His vision for these next few years and that He will bring it sharply into focus as we step forward. We know that there are lost people in Congo who desperately need to hear the good news, and we know that God is calling us there, but there are many details that are unclear.

At present, Jay is revising his proposal and will be working on writing his Doctor of Ministry thesis during this next year. Please pray that we will be able to carve out time for studying and writing and that we will be able to bring with us the necessary materials.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us and the Congo.

In His love,
Jay and Beverly Bellamy

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

Pray for the Church council meeting which will occur this next month. Pray that God will speak and that the church leadership will hear and obey.

Pray for Pastor Jean-Philippe and his administrative secretary and receptionist, Patricia as they finish up heir first year directing the Christian Studies Center.

Pray Jean-Philippe and his wife as they continue to recover from the loss of their belongings in the wake of recent flooding and pray for their ability to continue to minister to the homeless children of Pointe-Noire.

Pray for our family as we prepare for the coming separation. It will be difficult to say good-bye, but we are also excited to see God leading our kids into the path He has prepared for them.

Congo

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