Randy and Deanna Harrison

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Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Dear friends and family,

In our last letter, we told about the passing of our dear seminary president, Isaac Keita. This year has been a year of peaks and valleys. We were thrilled when Isaac was miraculously cured of prostate cancer and given another year of life on earth. During that time he never ceased to testify of the power and goodness of God. Then suddenly his liver shut down and very rapidly he was taken from us.

As I explained in our last letter, Randy and I had been invited on a three country tour to teach in a seminary and to visit homeschooling missionary families. But if we honored that commitment, we would miss the three week process of wakes and sitting with the family during the mourning, nightly “condolences” services, a special worship service (where Randy was honored and humbled to be asked to preach), a memorial service at FATEAC and all the funeral proceedings in Guinea, Isaac’s home country. After much prayer, much consultation with godly men and women, and the encouragement of our mission leaders and the Congolese seminary that will bear the brunt of our absence, we have decided to reschedule our trip for later in the “spring”, maybe in March. This is going to be complicated, because we’ll have to change our tickets and our visas. Also, our trip was originally going to be during a break in classes here. Now we will have to be away during the FATEAC school session, and will have to figure out a way to make up the classes we will miss during the time we are gone. However, we feel an assurance and a peace that we have made the right decision, and that has been confirmed in many ways already. We are so grateful for your prayers for direction. We are convinced that they were clearly answered.

Please continue to pray for Isaac’s wife, Rachel and their five adult children. There are so many practical and logistical questions to answer, so many arrangements to make both in Cote d’Ivoire and in Guinea. At the same time, they must deal with their ever-present sorrow. Although there is an overarching assurance of the goodness and sovereignty of God, learning to live with the pain and the loss is an ongoing process. Please pray for comfort to grieving spirits, for financial provision for the widow and her family, for understanding and discernment as the family, the church community and the FATEAC seminary community work out the details for culturally appropriate ways to remember and honor this great African leader.

Still needing your prayers,

Randy and Deanna R

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

Please continue to pray for Isaac’s wife, Rachel and their five adult children. There are so many practical and logistical questions to answer, so many arrangements to make both in Cote d’Ivoire and in Guinea. At the same time, they must deal with their ever-present sorrow. Although there is an overarching assurance of the goodness and sovereignty of God, learning to live with the pain and the loss is an ongoing process. Please pray for comfort to grieving spirits, for financial provision for the widow and her family, for understanding and discernment as the family, the church community and the FATEAC seminary community work out the details for culturally appropriate ways to remember and honor this great African leader.

Still needing your prayers,

Randy and Deanna

Cote d'Ivoire

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