FOREST FIRES IN ISRAEL THREATEN LONG TERM MISSION WORKERS

Severe forest fires raging on the slopes of Mount Carmel near Haifa, Israel caught the concern and attention of the world press for a number of days during early December.  Among the people who directly experienced the threat of those fires were long term mission workers, Dr. Garry and Ruth Denlinger, who for several days did not know whether they would need to evacuate their home or not.  Garry was part of the founding team for the Israel College of the Bible in Jerusalem which recently moved to a new campus in Netanya.  Garry has been involved as an academic dean and teacher there for the past twenty years.  We offer heartfelt thanks for the safety of the Denlinger family and members of their Haifa congregation.  Your prayers are invited for those people who were displaced by the fires and particularly for the families of the forty-four people who lost their lives in the fires.  Pray also for:

• Garry's ministry in the local congregation in Haifa and as he trains future church leaders at the Israel College of the Bible.
• Ruth as she serves on the local Management Committee for the Ebeneer Retirement Home.
• Garry's elderly parents, so far away at Landis Homes, Pennsylvania, and for their son Ron's continued healing from illness in Philadelphia.

The Denlingers have many prayer partners.  More information about their ministry and how you can become a prayer partner can be obtained by contacting Ruth Kauffman at trkauff@epix.net.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT & FAMILY ASK FOR PRAYER

Pray for Doug and Barb Elyard from Harrisonburg, Virginia.  After being on disability for a number of years due to his failing kidneys, Doug, approximately 65, finally underwent a three hour surgery for a  kidney transplant on December 31.  For this the family is very grateful.  However there have been challenges and the first three weeks after surgery are critical.  Friend Susan Delawder requests that we hold Doug in prayer, specifically in three ways, "that Doug's blood pressure can be brought under control, that he can get proper rest and that his body will accept the new kidney."  Barb was a former MAX employee.  The Elyards attend the Cornerstone Church at the Lakes congregation.

UPDATES
STEPHEN NEUDORF (Nov./09; Jan./10)  In late 2009 Stephen underwent high risk surgery for Keratoconus, an eye disease that causes the cornea of the eye to degenerate.  A MAX Share Fund grant assisted with the extensive travel required for Stephen from his home in Vanderhoof, Northern British Columbia to Vancouver for surgery.  In a recent email, Stephen shared the following update:  "I am pleased to report that all is well.  The surgery appears to have been a complete success. There is no evidence that the disease has progressed at all in the last year, which is remarkable when you consider its rapid progression before surgery. My new lenses finally fit and I am seeing clearly and with more comfort than I have for years. Thank you all so much for your support through this time. God bless you all."  We celebrate this wonderful news with Stephen and his family and thank readers for their prayers.

JOSH & ANGELA HIEBERT (Nov./09; June/10)  Josh's Chiropractic studies came to an unfortunate end when he was diagnosed with acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in mid 2009 and faced three years of intense chemotherapy.  Mutual Aid Ministries partnered with their church community, Mountain Park Community (Mennonite Brethren) church in Abbotsford, BC, in providing financial support to this young couple as Angela put her nursing career on hold to care for Josh.  In a recent family Christmas newsletter, Josh's parents shared this update:  "... we are nearing the halfway point for Joshua's chemotherapy treatment. We praise and thank God for the healing that has taken place so far and we thank Him too for the healing that He is completing in Joshua. We have an awesome God!  ... In the midst of his extreme fatigue, he (Josh) is most grateful and thankful. He is looking forward to what life will look like after all this chemotherapy is done. We are so thankful for Angela. as she continues to be strong and stands by Joshua through this journey. It is exciting to see them be proud of each other's accomplishments."  Continue to pray for this family.

JOHN HIMMERLREICH (Feb./10; April/10; Sept./10)  After extensive treatment and delicate surgery for an esophagul tumor diagnosed in January, 2010, John, in his early seventies, was given a clean bill of health in the spring.  A year after first experiencing the symptoms of his esophagul tumor, John began to experience pain and dizziness.  An MRI revealed a new one-inch diameter tumor near the back of his brain.  John was quickly admitted to the Giesinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and underwent surgery to remove the tumor on January 7.   The surgery went well and John is doing better than expected.  However, the family has been advised to expect a long recovery period for John. Pray for John and his family. Particularly pray that the pathology reports will show the tumor to be benign.