My godly uncle was 100 years old in December. He passed away yesterday. As I remember who he was: born in 1921, a teen ager in the Depression, a decorated Marine in WWII, a Christian husband, father, CPA and business owner, a deacon – I celebrated the accomplishments and adventures he had known. Of course there was much more to my Uncle Doug’s life and as I weep with his sister, my 93 year old mother, I am in awe of that older generation.

Deaths, memorials and funerals cause us to pause and reflect on the larger picture of life. My uncle was proud of my work in FSI and my mother, as a former FSI Board member/ ardent supporter/ powerful prayer warrior, they both give me great encouragement that our work is one that would cause someone to step back in awe. Not so much in awe about us, but about the Lord’s miraculous dealings in the lives of our persecuted brothers and sisters and how He uses us for their blessing.

Your part with us in FSI has been involved this Spring and Summer in:

*coordinating numerous medical appointments and visa paperwork details for 14 Ukrainians that are in Tyler, Texas now;

*trips by multiple groups to protect an exiled Chinese church hiding in S Korea while we work to resettle them to Texas (The Mayflower);

*trips to rescue a persecuted Iranian woman who faces many challenges (Mary);

*facilitating Eritrean persecuted believers to fly soon to Canada for their final resettlement (TB’s family of 8);

*spending many hours coordinating Eritreans to travel to the US on student and work visas (King David);

*celebrating the first 4 of 40 Afghans who will fly next month to resettle in Canada (Afghans);

*pursuing schooling options for three Syrian children while we continue to work on their resettlement options (Starfish Z); and,

*prayerfully reevaluating one family’s needs after they were denied resettlement in Canada and how the Lord would have us walk alongside of them so as to continue in our rescue of this precious family (Pak-man).

So as I think of my uncle‘s passing and stand in awe of how God used him to save lives and bless so many, I see we too have great opportunity through FSI to stand in awe of how God uses us for His great glory in the lives of those persecuted for their faith.

Saddened yet in awe,

Deana