We thank you ALL, near and far, for reading our last post! Your interest is a blessing to us, and we appreciate everyone, even those we are not in contact with in other ways!
We realized in our post that we did not share anything about what the new ministry is that God has us doing since January 1, 2019. After ministering at Old Faithful Christian Ranch for 20+ years as the Director and then as Executive Director in Island Park, ID (40 minutes from Yellowstone National Park), I felt the leading of the Lord to minister in a new way. So, the Lord led us to the ministry of ‘Be One Together’ www.beonetogether.com. This wonderful ministry accepted us as missionaries under their oversight to minister as God leads, which brings us to this next update.
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:15-18 (NASB)
After finishing up the work week and preaching at Inkom Comm. Bible Church, we packed our car with tools, clothing, and supplies and left two days later for southern Texas. Almost one year earlier, while ministering at the Bethel Mennonite Church in Hydro, OK, we were asked if we would consider ministering February 3rd – 7th in southern Texas and Mexico with Net Menders www.netmendersinc.org, so off we went! It was a great experience working and sharing God’s love alongside of other believers we had never met before. By the end of the week, we had a chance to remodel a small Spanish speaking Mennonite Church in San Juan, TX, and build a storage shed. On Thursday of that week, we traveled to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, to hold a festival and provide a medical clinic at the Templo Monte Sinai Church. During that day, I helped with the festival while Sandy was the registration/greeting person for the medical clinic. There were so many in need that Sandy and some others went back the next day to help more people.
The time went very quickly as we found ourselves traveling back to Idaho. But (always a but), we stopped along the way to visit a former pastor, wife, and family that served with us in Idaho years ago. We also stopped in to see a friend who we have not seen in about 30 years and has been serving God for 30+ years with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Then, on to Hydro, OK, to visit our new friends and preach at the Bethel Mennonite Church. Of course, my arm was twisted by Sandy to surprise our grandsons (and their parents 🙂 in South Dakota, which was well worth the time, before finally returning to Idaho Falls.
Sorry this update was so long, but it will be shorter next time, I promise!
God’s blessings to you all!
Perry and Sandy Rotenberger
Missionaries serving Christ in Idaho under Be One Together