Gilbert prayer letter:
Dear Praying Friends,
April is here and winter has yet to lose her grasp. It has apparently been a mild winter this year; in fact, March is supposed to be one of the coldest months. But we've experienced an average of 10F. In recent days, we've been experiencing temperature highs in the 30's! One of the best things about spring here is the sun. The sun returned back in mid-January for about an hour and is now shining a good 14 hours! Living in darkness for almost three months and then experiencing the return of the sunlight reminds us of the wonderful change that happens when we accept the Light of Jesus Christ into our lives. The shadows are chased away, the gloom and foreboding are gone, replaced by the brightness of His glory and the fullness of joy and peace.
ALIVE!
Yes, the Light of the World came, and we now remember and celebrate the reason for His coming. On Sunday, April 7, we presented several musical selections in both English and Greenlandic, testifying that "The Light of the World is Jesus," and that it is through "The Blood of Jesus" shed on "The Old Rugged Cross" that we might be saved by God's "amazing Grace," and we have this hope because "He Lives"! Yes, Jesus is "Alive" and reigning in heaven, calling all to come to Him.
ONE YEAR
On April 8th, we celebrated our one-year anniversary here in Greenland! The time has gone so fast, and we are so thankful for His goodness and provision in our lives, In February, we submitted all the necessary paperwork and reapplied for our visas and are just waiting to hear back on them. Please pray with us that we would be able to get the answer of approved visas back soon! Also in February, the Lord worked out the details for us to move out of our short-term rental early (without any issues) and settle into our long-term apartment. The Lord provided us with a brand new apartment with a very good monthly rent. We once again thank you for praying as the Lord really worked a miracle in providing us a home in a time when very few are available. With our housing taken care of, we are finally starting to feel settled here.
WHAT TIME IS IT?
Last spring, Greenland changed time to daylight savings time for the last or so we thought. This understanding was perpetuated by some news organizations. So, imagine the shock when on March 31, Easter morning, we woke up to discover that Greenland indeed sprang forward! We looked it up, and it was true: Greenland did not end daylight savings time, but it simply suspended it one time to switch time zones. Thus, most of Greenland is now three hours ahead of the Eastern coast of America and 3 hours behind Western Europe.
CO-LABORERS
Please be in prayer for the Shull family. In the beginning of March, Carole suffered a large pulmonary embolism. Since the hospital here in Ilulissat did not have the proper equipment to diagnose her, Carole was sent to Nuuk, the capitol city. There, it was confirmed that she had a pulmonary embolism, but they wanted to do further testing to find out why. This led to the discovery of a tumor in her leg which is believed to be cancerous. The Shulls are now in Copenhagen, Denmark, where Carole just had a biopsy and other tests to confirm the diagnosis.
WATERING THE SOIL
Some might remember that we met a young Dane last summer who was working as a local plumber and electrician. The Lord brought him to the house one day to do some work. Gage gave him the Gospel, and he was very open to it. It was the first time that he had ever heard that Jesus was God, and he had many questions. He has since moved back to Denmark, but we have kept in touch through texting. Last weekend, he messaged "God Paske" which means Happy Easter. Gage used this opportunity to share the Gospel yet again and encouraged the young Dane to read John 18-20. He said that He would. Please pray with us that this young man will fully understand and then ultimately accept the free gift of salvation that the Lord offers!
In Christ,
Gage & Aleah Gilbert