From the Hills of Cherokee

                                                                                        From the Hills of Cherokee

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One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in 2 Kings 6:8-23. When Elisha’s servant saw the armies Syria surrounding them, he cried, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Elisha answered, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Verses 15-17

In the midst of the chaos we find ourselves in today, these verses remind me that the God we serve is greater and more powerful than the enemy that fights against us. It has been said that we are fighting an invisible enemy. This is true of a virus, but the Apostle Paul reminded us of the spiritual reality of this many years ago when he spoke of the spiritual enemy we face. He wrote to the Christians of Ephesus. In Ephesians 6:12 we read, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

As we look back over the first 3 months of 2020, I am encouraged by God’s faithfulness to us as we continue to serve as church planters in Cherokee, NC. Our worship services continue to remain consistent with faithful individuals and families gathering for worship. God is working in the lives of those who are attending by challenging them through His Word as it is preached. I have also been told by some that they have been encouraged by the sermons as they are gaining a better understanding of the Scripture.

Our Wednesday evening Bible study and prayer time has also been quite good. Again, God is challenging us to examine our own lives in light of the teaching of Scripture. We have enjoyed times of great discussion as we think through the application of truth to our lives and how willing we are to allow God to remove the spiritual deficiencies in our lives and to change us into what He wants us to be. This is very often an uncomfortable process, but He is at work.

On February 10th God allowed Ruth and me to close on a home in Sylva, about a 25-minute drive from the camp. We began praying about the possibility of purchasing a home well over a year ago. The purpose for buying a home was to “put down roots”, so to speak, in the area. It also opened up the double-wide we were living in to be used as church offices, Sunday School rooms, and small group meeting space. This will allow us to expand ministry opportunities as we grow as a church. God also provided us with a team from Fort Bend Christian Academy from Houston, TX who painted the inside of double-wide which helped to get it ready to be used for its new purpose.

Like all of you, our lives and daily routines have been drastically changed by COVID-19. I am learning how to go digital with sermons and, hopefully soon, with our weekly Bible study in an effort to help keep us connected as a body. Our summer has also been turned upside down by all of this. Mission to the World made the decision to cancel all June mission trips and internships. We have not yet received word on July trips. To say the least, our summer will look drastically different from how it has looked the past seven years. However, in this everchanging world, our hope and our strength are founded on the reality of an unchanging God who is sovereign over all. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. For that reason, we will remain to the calling to which we have been called and we will serve Him as we serve others, even as we learn new ways of ministering to them. Thank you in advance for your many prayers for our family and our ministry here in Cherokee.

January, February, and March were busy for us as we participated in several mission conferences. We put many miles on the vehicle, but we were encouraged with each encounter God provided for us. Each time we were ministered to by the congregations we visited. We are thankful for each of you.

Here are a few of the prayer needs we have:

• Pray for us as we learn how to minister in the midst of this pandemic.

• Pray for Johnathan and Katie as they adapt to having all of their classes online, including labs which is a challenge.

• Pray for those who have faithfully attended Grace Community Church of Cherokee each week. Pray that they would find their hope and strength in Christ.

• Pray for Bugger Arch, husband of one of the ladies who attends worship. He has been diagnosed with cancer. Initial results from his first round of treatment were encouraging.

Items of praise:

• Praise that God has kept our entire family healthy and safe from the virus thus far.

• Praise God for His faithfulness to us and that none of this has caught Him off guard.

• Praise that we have been able to settle into our new home.

• Praise for the way God is working in the hearts and lives of those who have been attending worship service each week.

As we close this newsletter, we want to say thank you to each of you who support us with prayer and with finances. Whether you do it as an individual or through the church you are a part of, we could not do this without you. May God bless you as you weather the storm we are in with COVID-19. May God keep you healthy and safe through it all.

Blessings,

The Hills of Cherokee,

Scott, Ruth, Johnathan, and Katie