Dear Praying Friends and Family, March 9, 2021
We arrived safely back in Spain on January 16 after hurriedly getting tested for Covid. Thankfully, there were no complications. For most of the first month that we were back, we were both not feeling too well. Some of our New Jersey family members had been exposed to Covid, so we wondered if that was what we had. It turned out to be the flu or something similar. We are now back to “normal” and so thankful to be home. God has really been watching over us because we missed a major storm in Spain and another one in New Jersey.
We arrived safely back in Spain on January 16 after hurriedly getting tested for Covid. Thankfully, there were no complications. For most of the first month that we were back, we were both not feeling too well. Some of our New Jersey family members had been exposed to Covid, so we wondered if that was what we had. It turned out to be the flu or something similar. We are now back to “normal” and so thankful to be home. God has really been watching over us because we missed a major storm in Spain and another one in New Jersey.
We have really missed being able to have activities at the center. In fact, the last celebration we had before the lockdown was a Valentines banquet last year. We didn’t know what we could do this year. Krystie, our co-worker, had the great idea of preparing a “date night kit” to give to our friends. Inside was microwave popcorn, chocolates and a book with a clear evangelistic message. These bags were a great success. We were able to give out six of them to our friends and visit with them as well. Now that Easter week is upon us, we’re looking for some way to celebrate that event as well.
This past Saturday the men were able to meet for breakfast for the first time in a year. There were five of us at the center and two more joined by way of Zoom. We continued our study of the book, “Prodigal God” by Tim Keller. This is a great time for the men to meet and share how God is working. The ladies are hoping to find a date when they can meet as well. We’re hoping that as more vaccinations become available and more people have been exposed to the virus, we will be able to resume more activities. Please pray for guidance for the summer activities that we usually have, like basketball camp, English camp and Bible club. We may try to have some kind of a hybrid camp. We continue to meet for church services each Sunday at the center and have a children’s class also. Those who aren’t able to attend can watch on YouTube. The Hudaks have just returned from furlough, so now the three couples are together again and ready to see what God is going to accomplish.
Having lived in Spain since 1971, we haven’t been able to participate in many of the important events in the lives of our families in New Jersey, Ohio, California, Spain and Italy. We’ve never felt it was a great sacrifice, but sometimes we have to stand on the perimeter when these major events occur. Monday, March 8, 2021, was one of those events. Roy’s mom, Wilma Jones, passed into the presence of the Lord. She had been relatively well considering her advanced age; she would have been 93 next month. Last week she went to the ER with pneumonia. After an MRI it was discovered that there were other complications, so the decision was made not to take any extreme measures. She returned to Hospice care at the home where she has lived for the past three years. Thankfully, family members were able to visit her, and we were able to have a video chat with her. Even though she probably wasn’t conscious, we were able to say goodbye. Death is always bittersweet for believers. We will miss her very much, but we know that she is with the Lord and we look forward to seeing her again someday. We know that many of you were praying for her and for us and we greatly appreciate that.
Some have asked us how we are enjoying retirement. Well, we’ll let you know when it happens. We enjoy serving the Lord through preaching and teaching and reaching out to our friends to share the Gospel. We continue an active ministry by way of Zoom. Thank you for praying and giving to our ministry. We are thankful for each of you.
In His Service,
Roy & Nancy Jones
| 2021-03update.pdf |