Friday, December 14, 2007

Pastor Bob's last newsletter

Last night our dear friend Pastor Bob Loughborough went home to be with the Lord.
This is his latest newsletter.

Greetings and love from St-Petersburg Russia!
Another year has rolled by and it will soon be 2008.

Many things have happened this year but the climax was reached this month.
We have been wanting to visit our churches in Central Asia, mainly Almaty, Kazakhstan and encourage them. Last month we found some cheap air tickets on sale so off we went for about 2 weeks starting Nov 18.

The day before we were to fly I was so weak I could not leave the home. We prayed and the next day God strengthened me and we boarded the plane. The flight was four hours and as we were preparing to land the weather was so bad that they diverted the plane to Karaganda, about an hour away. I said God I was just barely making it to Almaty and now you sending me to Karaganda.

We landed in Karaganda and we were there about six hours till the weather cleared in Almaty.

Just before we left I realized God sent me there to talk to one man, the head of Heineken beer Co in Almaty. He was open to the gospel and received my words.

We boarded the plane again at about 7 p.m. and landed in Almaty, Kazakhstan where we were met by one Sergee Berezhnov, p. Pamier helper, and he took us by car straight to the church.

We arrived 20 minutes before the church service was to start. We greeted the Pastor of the church, P. Pamier, all his people of whom we already knew most of them. He told me to preach so I preached and we had a rap.

God gave me so many revelations that I literally lived out 2 Cor. 12:7-9. He gave me a thorn in the flesh (this weakness and heart pain I have) least I get proud. Paul said I prayed 3 times it mite depart from me. Jesus said my grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness. Paul said there for I most gladly boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. That’s exactly where I am in my life now and I love it. By day we had lunch and met with many different people and every night we preached in the Bible College or church service.

All this time I was in much weakness and pain but rejoicing with exceeding great joy. The weakness and pain would come and go.

Then on the eighth day at midnight we went to bed and my heart began hurting so my wife Liza gave me a nitroglycerin tablet and the pain stopped temporarily and we laid down to sleep.

Shortly I was awaken by the pain again and it was so severe I thought this is it I’m going to see Jesus. Many thoughts flashed through my mind, finally I woke my wife up and said “Honey, this is it. I’m dying, I am going to see Jesus”. I gave her many last minute instructions. ”Tell p. Pamir to lay his life down for these people here. Tell p. Stevens thank you for laying your life down for many years and founding this ministry and many other things I said. I told her thank you for being the best wife in the world.

Finally I said call the medical people and they came in about 20 minutes. I was thinking they will say he will live about 30 minutes and I was ready to meet Jesus. To my shock and amazement when they tested my blood pressure and gave me an electrocardiogram they said your in perfect health, there is nothing we can do. I thought my God I’m NOT going to see Jesus, my wife will not be single.

This is God’s plan for our lives and I love it. Thank God all my natural strength is gone now I have to depend entirely on God. God’s people are so awesome because we have an awesome God who loves us.

Eph. 3:20 He is able to do abundantly above all we could ask or think.

Thank you so very much for your prayers, love and support, your the best. Our very best to you on this Christmas.

Much love,
p.Bob & Liza

Liza’s email: bobliza@mail.ru

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