Sarah Rowley

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Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

I haven’t written a newsletter since June but that doesn’t mean I have had nothing to write about. Dates are a bit foggy but after my June newsletter I packed up and moved to Nizhniy Novgorod. After a whirlwind week of unpacking and shopping I headed to Alaska for vacation. I had no idea what was in store for me.
My first few days home I went to various doctors for check ups. A lump was found on my thyroid which caused some concern. I scheduled appointments for various tests and went on with my life. To get on with the vacation my family went camping. It was during that trip that the bad news started pouring in. My great uncle died. My cousin had a stroke. My aunt had multiple strokes. My grandma had a mental break down. It really was too much information to digest. Over the following weeks bad news continued to come in including my need for surgery. As I prepared in my heart for the worst I prayed for the best.
Waiting for my surgery and test results I would like to say that I relied heavily upon the Lord. Really I walked around in a daze. I didn’t want to do anything. All I could think about was that I was missing out on my life. I so wanted to get back to Russia. It wasn’t until the day before my surgery that I finally gave it all over to the Lord. It was then that I broke down. The surgery went well and my test results came back benign but the dark cloud over my summer had not gone away.
My aunt was calling frequently on the condition of my grandma. Finally she called with the news that my grandma was given 72 hours to live. We quickly packed up my dad and put him on a plane to southern California. My grandma rallied and now, a few weeks after her 72 hours, she is still alive but in need of constant care.
As I began to put my summer behind me and focus on my return date to Russia, September 23rd that dark cloud covered me again. Due to confusing visa issues I will now be leaving September 29th. If all goes as planed I will arrive in Moscow on the 30th and take a train to Nizhniy Novgorod October 2nd. Then on October 11th I will go to Madrid, Spain to reapply for another visa. It certainly isn’t ideal but if it’s what it takes to serve in Russia I’ll do it.
What have I learned from all of this? God doesn’t owe me anything. I can easily get in my mind that I’m a missionary and I serve God therefore nothing bad can happen to me. The reality is I’m a sinner saved by God’s grace and He owes me nothing. It is a privilege to serve Him. When difficult times come it is a blessing to go to Him. Regardless of the outcome it is a blessing just to know He’s listening and He cares.
Thank you for all of your e-mails and your prayers. As I put this summer behind me I am excitedly looking forward to the next step. The church and children in Nizhniy Novgorod are waiting for my return. Thank you for those who have already given to my work special. Your gifts will enable me to begin ministry. You can still continue to give. If you would like to please follow the directions below:
In the Memo write: Rowley- Work Special
Write the check out to: The Christian and Missionary Alliance
Send to: The Christian and Missionary Alliance
P.O. Box 35000
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3500
Another way you can support my ministry is through sending craft items. While in America I was able to purchase some curriculum that I will be translating. In order to do some of the crafts I will need some help from you. If you are interested in sending craft items for children’s and youth ministry here are some things that I am looking for:

Craft Foam Sheets and Shapes
Magnet Strips
Craft Glue
Pipe Cleaners / Chenille Wires
Craft Sticks
Tissue Paper (white and various colors)
Pom Poms
Velcro Dots and Strips
Raffia
Stamp Pads (various colors)
Wiggly Eyes
Stickers
Con-Tact Paper
Curling Ribbon
Card Making Supplies (paper, stickers, ect.)
If you would like to send any supplies please send them to:
Sarah Rowley
Osharskaya
Dome 88 Korpus 1 Aprt. 22
Nizhniy Novgorod, 603105
Russia

Blessings:
-Clean bill of health
-Time with my family
-A God that cares

Needs:
-Safe return to Russia
-New Visa
-For the Russian language to come back quickly

Waiting to return to Russia,
Sarah Rowley

As always if you want more information about me please go to www.rowleysroar.blogspot.com I try to update my blog at least once a week if not more frequently.

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

No information provided at this time.

Russia

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