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My heart's breaking for my oldest son and his family. Please pray for them (email address [redacted]). Thanks. The email they sent out follows:
Hello all-
It's been a while since our last official update, so we wanted to fill you in on our lives as of late. We got back to the states from India in April. For the last few months we've been staying at a friend's rural property here in Humboldt county, California. It's beautiful but remote. The recession finally caught up with our area and work has been hard to come by. For the first few months after we got back, we were readjusting to life in America and getting by on whatever side jobs I could find, praying for God's guidance. Were we taking a hiatus from missionary service or was this a long-term transition back to a more conventional life? Were we going back to India or continuing our work somewhere else? How do you mesh ministry to a transient culture with a stable life for our family? How do you meet your financial needs as a missionary when your support keeps dropping and you can't work overseas, and can't get work here?
We've been going through what is probably the hardest period in our lives so far. My grandfather [my dad--John] passed away this May and we went to Cincinnati for the funeral. It was a 'faith trip' as they say-we scraped enough money together to get there but didn't have enough to get home. We stayed there for a few weeks and got some work to earn enough money to get us back to California. Shortly after that, I (Mike) went to Louisville, Kentucky to be the best man in a friend's wedding, who graciously flew me out for it. After all that (this would be maybe around the end of July), a job opportunity I thought I had fell through, and we were in pretty dire straits financially. Those of you who know us well will know how desperate things have to be for me to say that, since we live a very simple lifestyle and don't require much to live on.
As we were praying about what to do, looking for work and just trying to keep it together, Julie went to the doctor where they discovered a lump in her abdomen. Some of you know that Julie had a hysterectomy eight years ago and that she has a family history of reproductive cancer, so obviously we were worried. Julie had exploratory surgery a few weeks ago, but the results were inconclusive. She's had various tests which were also inconclusive, so she's going in for major abdominal surgery next week, October 5th at 10 am.
All of the doctor and hopsital visits have been to the Eureka/Arcata area, about 70 miles north of where we were living. I've also been taking night classes at the community college in Eureka for solar electric system design and installation. We've been driving up here so much for doctor visits and school (as well as some part-time work right now in a nearby town) that the commute has been sapping what little money we have in gas costs. So last week we moved into a small one bedroom apartment in Arcata. There's more potential for work here, and this is where the doctor and hospital are. This is a 'faith move' as well. We're praying that after Julie's surgery (if all goes well), I can find full-time work. Strange to say that after five years of full-time missionary work, potential employers don't see that as 'real' work history, especially in an area where many people are quite hostile to Christianity.
To cap off our list, we were in a car accident on Noah's [our youngest grandson--John] birthday, September 19th. We were broadsided by a car in an intersection. The other driver was at fault, and no one was hurt, but it totaled our car and now we're waiting on the other driver's insurance to pay the claim. We were actually trying to sell our car anyway in order to have a little bit of money to live on, so maybe this is God's way of providing a buyer for it(we're trying to see some humor in it, at least). We have an old 'beater' truck we're using at the moment that's sort of reliable, so at least we have transportation.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
James 1:2-4
We all know that this is true (intellectually, anyway), but I often resonate with St. Teresa of Avila when she says to God, "If this is how You treat Your friends, no wonder You have so few." We're trying to keep a good humor about all this, so thank you for bearing with us.
We are throwing ourselves utterly on the mercy of God and His people now. We have no other options. Please pray for Julie's upcoming surgery and for our financial situation. Hopefully we'll have a clearer direction for the future after this storm passes. If you'd like to help, please email and let us know. Also, if you'd just like to write and send some encouragement our way, that would be great.
Blessings,
[Gravity's son and family--address redacted]
Prodigal Project (tax deductible): If you are wanting to get a gift to us immediately, this can take some time to proccess. So if you would like your gift to get to us more quickly, please email us.
Prodigal Project
[address redacted]
*the number after the PO box is very important.
Please include a note specifying that it's for the Robinsons, be sure not to write anything on the check.
[Mod note: I deleted all the email addys, phone numbers, and snail addys. This forum is searchable by bots. Please PM Gravity for the addresses if yo uwish to help.]
Hello all-
It's been a while since our last official update, so we wanted to fill you in on our lives as of late. We got back to the states from India in April. For the last few months we've been staying at a friend's rural property here in Humboldt county, California. It's beautiful but remote. The recession finally caught up with our area and work has been hard to come by. For the first few months after we got back, we were readjusting to life in America and getting by on whatever side jobs I could find, praying for God's guidance. Were we taking a hiatus from missionary service or was this a long-term transition back to a more conventional life? Were we going back to India or continuing our work somewhere else? How do you mesh ministry to a transient culture with a stable life for our family? How do you meet your financial needs as a missionary when your support keeps dropping and you can't work overseas, and can't get work here?
We've been going through what is probably the hardest period in our lives so far. My grandfather [my dad--John] passed away this May and we went to Cincinnati for the funeral. It was a 'faith trip' as they say-we scraped enough money together to get there but didn't have enough to get home. We stayed there for a few weeks and got some work to earn enough money to get us back to California. Shortly after that, I (Mike) went to Louisville, Kentucky to be the best man in a friend's wedding, who graciously flew me out for it. After all that (this would be maybe around the end of July), a job opportunity I thought I had fell through, and we were in pretty dire straits financially. Those of you who know us well will know how desperate things have to be for me to say that, since we live a very simple lifestyle and don't require much to live on.
As we were praying about what to do, looking for work and just trying to keep it together, Julie went to the doctor where they discovered a lump in her abdomen. Some of you know that Julie had a hysterectomy eight years ago and that she has a family history of reproductive cancer, so obviously we were worried. Julie had exploratory surgery a few weeks ago, but the results were inconclusive. She's had various tests which were also inconclusive, so she's going in for major abdominal surgery next week, October 5th at 10 am.
All of the doctor and hopsital visits have been to the Eureka/Arcata area, about 70 miles north of where we were living. I've also been taking night classes at the community college in Eureka for solar electric system design and installation. We've been driving up here so much for doctor visits and school (as well as some part-time work right now in a nearby town) that the commute has been sapping what little money we have in gas costs. So last week we moved into a small one bedroom apartment in Arcata. There's more potential for work here, and this is where the doctor and hospital are. This is a 'faith move' as well. We're praying that after Julie's surgery (if all goes well), I can find full-time work. Strange to say that after five years of full-time missionary work, potential employers don't see that as 'real' work history, especially in an area where many people are quite hostile to Christianity.
To cap off our list, we were in a car accident on Noah's [our youngest grandson--John] birthday, September 19th. We were broadsided by a car in an intersection. The other driver was at fault, and no one was hurt, but it totaled our car and now we're waiting on the other driver's insurance to pay the claim. We were actually trying to sell our car anyway in order to have a little bit of money to live on, so maybe this is God's way of providing a buyer for it(we're trying to see some humor in it, at least). We have an old 'beater' truck we're using at the moment that's sort of reliable, so at least we have transportation.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
James 1:2-4
We all know that this is true (intellectually, anyway), but I often resonate with St. Teresa of Avila when she says to God, "If this is how You treat Your friends, no wonder You have so few." We're trying to keep a good humor about all this, so thank you for bearing with us.
We are throwing ourselves utterly on the mercy of God and His people now. We have no other options. Please pray for Julie's upcoming surgery and for our financial situation. Hopefully we'll have a clearer direction for the future after this storm passes. If you'd like to help, please email and let us know. Also, if you'd just like to write and send some encouragement our way, that would be great.
Blessings,
[Gravity's son and family--address redacted]
Prodigal Project (tax deductible): If you are wanting to get a gift to us immediately, this can take some time to proccess. So if you would like your gift to get to us more quickly, please email us.
Prodigal Project
[address redacted]
*the number after the PO box is very important.
Please include a note specifying that it's for the Robinsons, be sure not to write anything on the check.
[Mod note: I deleted all the email addys, phone numbers, and snail addys. This forum is searchable by bots. Please PM Gravity for the addresses if yo uwish to help.]
Last edited by a moderator:
