A New Day -- With New Families

EASTER DAY was such a true blessing! New Day Fellowship hosted an egg hunt for some children. Five children showed up which encompassed three families! The parents came also and had continental breakfast with us. This was such a positive experience for all of us! Then we had another couple visit our services and stayed for some fellowship afterwards... SO, the LORD brought us four new families on Easter Day and we are praying for continued opportunities to build relationship with them. Two other children were planning to come, but got the flu. So, we delivered their baskets to them...

Thank You, LORD!

A New Day... A New Challenge

You may or may not know Alan is scheduled for hip replacement surgery on April 14th. Like a host of other issues which have appeared since our arrival in Montana, the surgery was not really expected nor exactly welcomed. As with all the other issues, however, we are totally trusting in the LORD for HIS guidance as we walk through this event.

The doctors tell us that immediate relief will be realized and once the recovery period of 2-3 months is finished, he will be very glad he went through this process. We just wanted to alert you for your prayer support for the surgery (no blood clots, no infection, no dislocation, and a smooth recovery). Alan just asked me to solicit your prayers for me as his caregiver, although he has promised to be a perfect patient! Ha! The first two weeks before stitches are removed, he will be very restricted, yet on an extremely regimented schedule. This is crucial for a complete and successful recovery!

On a positive note, Alisha will be in the states for a 2-month furlough in mid-May! We can hardly wait! She will be giving "reports" on her work in Uganda all over the USA--so, please pray for her as she comes (for success in presentations and some much needed rest along the way!)

A New Day... A New Season

What little snow we had is now melted except for in the higher elevations. Last week we drove over Lookout Pass and it was snowing pretty heavily with near white-out conditions... who knew? But in Haugan, Spring is roaring in like a lion!

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL CONCERT... on March 26th we hosted a Bluegrass Gospel concert for the community. Our small body of believers served a delicious potluck supper for the group and then we thoroughly enjoyed a concert with the Waddington Family from North Dakota... guitar, mandolin, banjo, drums, and the four part harmony of family voices which blend as one... were all an inspiration and a great joy! Several couples visited from the Bible Church in St Regis, plus two locals for whom we have been praying. It was a wonderful evening for all of us: 20 + Waddingtons = 28!

Winter is Well on It's Way!

With temperatures below "0" this week, were're pretty sure winter is well on it's way! Although we don't have snow right now in Haugan, forecast shows we should get 6-8 inches over the next three days...

It's A New Day... and can you believe 2009 is almost history? It's even harder to realize that we have been in Montana for six months and serving in the West Valley for five months. My how time flies when you're in the midst of God's kingdom work & having fun!

We have been approved as Mission Service Corp Volunteers through the Southern Baptist Convention. Alan is a new pastor and also considered a Church Planter because of our work in St Regis. We are so very grateful for Sam Birky (Glacier Southern Baptist Associational Mission Director) and Dave Howeth (Church Planter Team Leader for the Montana Southern Baptist Convention). These two men have helped us above and beyond the "call of duty" since we arrived, been a tremendous encouragement, and fastly becoming good friends!

Rejoice With Us... as things continue to go well in St Regis. We have had as many as 13 in our Youth Bible Study and continue to plan for an official launch date for services possibly in January. We still need to do a Postal Patron mail out to advertise throughout the community. The Youth have selected the name "LIGHT:Piercing the Darkness" and are excited about helping with the services through skits and music. Please continue to pray that God will make a way where there seems to be no way!

Giving Thanks... In Haugan we continue to build relationships and meet needs as the Lord allows. We were able to put together and deliver Thanksgiving baskets for three needy families on Nov. 21st. We also served Turkey with all the trimmings on Thanksgiving Day at The Dollar Hotel for travellers between noon and 2 pm. We served over 20 individuals with some left over and to spare! We met truck drivers from all over the country. They were very surprised to find the Dollar Restaurant closed, but a free full meal offered to them. Six others from the community came through and enjoyed the fare. We also delivered meals to 4 individuals in the community who were in need. It was a blessed day indeed!

Celebrate With Us... over the gifting of a 2002 Ford Excursion for us to drive! Can you believe it? PRAISE THE LORD, HE answered this need above and beyond what we could even ask or think! HE is so faithful to use HIS people to provide for HIS ministry! And we THANK YOU, LORD.

Please Pray With Us...

• Roger, Ray, Bonnie, Pat, Wendy, Chris, Troy, Tom, Sue, Ricky, Glen -- to name a few
• That the conviction of God's Spirit would sweep through this valley like a fire storm...
• A Possible School Assembly/Event with Ken Freeman
• Provision for St Regis Mail Out and its reception by the community
• A movie Premiere for "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" in Haugan & St Regis
• BIG NEED for wisdom as we prepare for mission groups to come work this summer
• Provision for propane supply during winter/winter boots/dehumidifier for trailer
• For the Lord to continue to increase our monthly support through His people
• Please remember Alisha as she works in Uganda (especially during the holidays so far away from family), and Alana as she is making some changes right now and continues to serve her local church.
  
  

More Good News To Share

COMMUNITY CENTER IN ST REGIS—Alan met with the board, shared the plans for the Bible Study and Church services, requested use of the community center through the winter and they agreed to let us use it through February for $20 per week. Then in March they will re-evaluate. So, this is answered prayer, but we have yet to receive funding for the new church start! We are just moving forward as God opens the door… so, pray with us for the funds to continue this work.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY—The Beth Moore study is just going so well! Sharon, Cathy O, Carola, Joyce, Sue, (Cathy S when she doesn’t have to work) and I are having a great time of discussion, video viewing, and fellowship! God is so good… even if… It’s Tough Being A Woman!!!

SKIRTING FOR WINTER—Getting the skirting on the trailer… propane tank was installed and waiting for a fill up this week! So, we are getting in pretty good shape... it's been snowing lightly yesterday and today--but it shouldn't come to stay until end of November! We'll see...

VEHICLE—We are fervently praying for a reliable vehicle to drive and it would be BEST if the Lord would provide this without adding to our monthly expenses! Hey, what is impossible with man, is more than possible with God!


MONTHLY SUPPORT—We are so thankful that God has moved five new individuals/families to join our monthly support team! Please continue to pray that God will increase our monthly support in order that we may be able to meet our basic needs. Currently we are receiving 41% of what we need each month. Obviously, some one time gifts have come through which have kept us in pretty good shape as of Oct 13. A church in Tulsa graciously sent a generous gift which enabled us to get up to date on our health insurance, so we have not lost it! PTL!

SOULS FOR PRAYER: We continue to pray that God’s convicting Spirit will sweep this valley like a fire storm! As we continue to meet new people and build relationships, join us in praying for this dark valley. Please remember Roger, Tom & Sue, Chuck & Debbie, P.J. & Robin… just to name a few.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
Psalm 34:19

God Just Keeps On Blessing...

Chris, April & Sue

We had three more pray to receive Christ and make it public! And remember the lady who dropped by the church to meet Alan and then came to Bible Study? Sue made a profession of faith! Then remember the young couple who moved to St Regis and have been coming to services? They both made professions of faith, too! Hallelujah! Remember Roger? He was in services, but is still not ready… please keep praying for him!

We celebrated three more baptisms Oct 4th…

Sharon Terry

Chris & April Colon

The youth in St Regis are really great… we are launching the new church start there on November 8th @ 6 PM in the St Regis Community Center. Please pray for this newest venture.

As you can see, there is MUCH to pray about, not to mention the souls of folks here who desperately need to know Jesus.

It's a New Day.

Alan & Sarah Damron

AN AMAZING WEEK IN HAUGAN, MT

Well, maybe “amazing” isn’t quite the word for it—perhaps astounding would be more appropriate! So, what could happen in a week? Oh, my goodness!

Let’s begin with last weekend…

Saturday. We were on our way to the Annual Associational Meeting in Missoula. Got into town with the address on our GPS, but got the message “the route is not in our library” type message. Anyway, we were on Stephens looking for the church and watching street signs. Came to a 4 way stop… we both thought… and proceeded, but it was a two-way stop and of course the guy with the right of way didn’t even slow down, didn’t honk or even try to brake… whatever… he hit our left front wheel and bumper. The big F350 didn’t really budge, but he was going fast enough that the front section is somewhat re-aligned! Everyone was ok physically, praise God! The young guy was in a little Subaru, so we were pretty worried about him! But we only have some bruises and are feeling really sick at heart about the whole thing because we were scheduled to take the trailer in for some work before winter and it took two months to get that appointment! Thank the Lord for insurance! Then the policeman (who was really very nice) gave us a ride to the church where we were obviously late to the meeting. Alan thought it was really funny that I had to ride in the back seat, behind bars! (Personally, I didn’t think it was THAT funny!) When we got to the meeting, one of the state leaders gave us a car to borrow until we can get things settled.
Sunday. We had good services. Alan has started a series in Matthew. We had three new folks attend—Chris, April, & Adam! That is always positive, although several of our “regulars” had to work. We still had 12 in attendance! Then in the afternoon we had to dismantle the trailer and pack what we would need for this week while the trailer is being worked on.
Monday. The tow truck was ready to hook up to the trailer by 8 AM. We had been up since 6 AM getting last minute stuff packed into a borrowed car and “breaking camp”. I can’t tell you how strange it felt to be standing with the clothes on our backs, a few possessions in the borrowed car, watching our “house” drive down the highway without us! (I “heard” loud and clear—when I AM all you have, I AM all you need.)
Tuesday. We woke up and realized we were just pretty tired and exhausted--Then thought about the last three days… another chapter in the book, I say!

ON TO BETTER THINGS… Tuesday morning, two ladies came to the church to see it and meet the new Pastor after receiving the introductory letter we mailed a week or so ago! Sue and Dolly were certainly a surprise blessing.

Now, here’s a bit of trivia that one of the “old timers” in Haugan just shared this week. Until this church was built 5 years ago, it had been 80 years since any Christian ministry had been in the valley. Did you get that? 80 years! My dear father is 80+ years of age. I cannot even imagine him spending his entire life without going to church or even hearing about the love of Jesus! For more than a generation, this valley has been without any hint of the Light of Christ! In the early 20’s there had been a circuit riding preacher who came through every three to four weeks… but then nothing for 80 years… think about it! This astounded us completely!

Services this morning (20th) were really good. We had 12 in attendance with another new couple and the young couple (Chris & April) who visited last week returned! Yeah! They got moved to St Regis on Friday. The new couple, Chuck & Dawn, have previously been in a motorcycle ministry and Chuck talked with Alan about opening a chapter here. So, that’s something else to pray about!

This next week one of our core members is having a breakfast for her entire family on the day of memorial services for her brother (24th). The church is going to cook and serve the breakfast to the family. When she shared this at the Silver Dollar, people were very surprised that the church would do that! Something we consider normal is unheard of in this valley!!!

Then finally, we started our Bible Study in St Regis this afternoon with seven youth in the city park! We hosted a Pizza Kick Off to get acquainted and get to know them. These were really great teenagers! We were so impressed with their spirits and attitudes. There were 2 Seniors, 1 Junior, 1 Sophomore, 2 Eighth Graders, and 1 Seventh Grader. So, they covered the scope of classes pretty well. Please pray for this group of young people as they make a stand to live for Jesus!


PLEASE PRAY ALSO for a location for this group to meet. Last week the school board tabled the request for use of the cafeteria until next month. The Superintendent was surprised at their response, although we were not. So, we are still looking for a place to meet.

One of our dear friends we’ve known since college days, just wrote a special blog featuring New Day Network Ministry. We really appreciate every effort being made for our support. Take a look at http://aintsobad.typepad.com/ featuring the ministry of Alan and Sarah Damron. We want to thank Rick for his letter and monthly support--and encourage you to continue to pray for our monthly support. It seems to be a never ending—every day issue now and one of which we just believe God is going to take care. Somehow we have got to figure out a way to communicate this very real need, the vision of reaching this 33 mile valley for Christ in such a way that more people will step up and help fund this ministry. We are praying that the truck will be “totaled”, so our Gap insurance can pay it off and we can find something less expensive. The insurance adjuster is evaluating the truck now. Hopefully we will find out something this week. Now that we will not be driving the trailer all over creation, it is not so vital that we have the F350.

Pray like you’ve never prayed before!!!!

It’s a New Day,

Alan & Sarah Damron
NEW DAY NETWORK MINISTRY, INC.
PO Box 420013
Haugan MT 59842