FAMILY LIFE at Desert Springs - a place where we can share the heart of our church family; prayers, praises and important announcements.  Be sure to check-in often to see what is happening. 

If you have a prayer request or praise, please submit by contacting me, Laura Keener, Frontline Director at Desert Springs....760-568-3646 or lkeener@desertspringsfamily.org.

PAIN - IT'S REAL - HOW TO DEAL WITH IT

We don’t always know how to move past our pain or help others do the same. Here are 4 things we can do in our pain to help us through it.

1. Pray. This may sound obvious, but God wants our sorrow. He longs for us to pour out our anger, worry, uncertainty, doubt, grief, and fear. He wants it all. Action: Pray through the Psalms — one every day. These moving, honest prayers will help heal those broken places.

2. Reflect on what God has done. Sometimes we need a change of perspective. Remembering what we’ve faced and how far we’ve come often gives us the courage to continue. It may not always feel like it, but this is evidence of God’s love for us. Action: Make a list. Write down things He has done, while you wait on Him to do more.

3. Believe in what you can’t see. We don’t always understand the trial, the why’s, or the reason behind our pain. We question and wonder and worry while we wait for a reprieve. God is faithful. He is with us. Even when we can’t trace His hand in our lives, we can trust that somehow, someway, He is good. And He will work for our good for His glory. Hold on. Action: Memorize and quote Psalm 23 daily.

4. Look around you. There are often people in our lives who have either faced the mountain looming in front of us or who are a mile behind us, ready to scale it. We can either receive encouragement from them or be an encouragement to them. God does not waste our pain. He uses it to redeem us, and we can use it to help others. Action: Write or call a friend today and remind them they aren’t alone.

Excerpt: (in)courage - Kristen Welch

PRAYING FOR HEALING & COMFORT  

STRENGTH & WISDOM

Flo Aydelotte 

Lily Boyd 

Harry Bryant 

Ceil Burns 

LaReign Hodges  

Howie Johnson

EJ Maxwell

Marianne Sinclair

Carol Smoke

JoAnn Spears

Al Stokes

Jan Taylor

Art Tuverson

Jack & Joan Washburn's son, Steven & grandson, Justin

Virgil Webb

Sharon Wren's sister, Kathy

MONTHLY MISSIONS UPDATE

"For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor with a shield." Psalm 5:12


Our missionaries John & Rachel Hiskey and Pastors in Guinea Bissau, West Africa have asked us to pray specifically for:

• Please pray for a motorcycle for Professor Barros. Also, please pray for 3 more Pastors who REALLY need motorcycles. A quality motorcycle with all necessary documents, costs about $2,500 US.

• Construction has begun again on a Guest House. It is really looking good. We will be having 3 construction crews working on it next week. We hope to be moving in around June or July. However, this is Africa. Please pray for the safety of the workers and the swift completion of the project. The next item on Pr. Tony's agenda is to get a well and water system for the base. 

• PTL! The Radio station and generator are on the way to being repaired. Broken parts have (hopefully) been identified and are being shipped. When they arrive, HCJB will be sending a technician over to help identify what went wrong and initiate preventative measures. Both HCJB radio and Caterpillar generators say they couldn't see any way a lightening strike could do such damage. But, we know there is a spiritual element to it all. Please pray for the safe transport of all needed parts and continual protection of the station. Isolated believers found it so encouraging and Non believers are asking to have people come to their villages so they can ask questions and learn more. 

• One of  our churches here is needing about 40 church pews. The school in Daharatu that Barb and Skeeter established now has 6 grades. The well has been dug, but it needs to be cemented in (open wells and little kids don't mix too well) and a rope and bucket system installed. Also the roof is in need of repair. Please pray for these needs.

Evangeline St. Clair Byrnes, also a missionary of our church family, Departs this week for 4 months for Tacloban, Philippines. As you know Evangeline was born and raised there and has been a missionary with UTAP for many years.  We are proud to support her both financially and in prayer. Evangeline has asked us to specifically pray for funding and building projects. We are also collecting canned proteins for her and will ship the end of March. Canned tuna, spam, vienna sausages, chicken, etc.