Prayer for the Armstrongs: Missionaries to Irkutsk, Russia

November 20, 2008 – 3:53 pm

Please pray for the Armstrong family as they trust their loving Father during this difficult time:

From 1998-2007, we served with Baptist Mid Missions in Irkutsk, Russia (Eastern Siberia).  Our ministry included campus contacts (as Jesse studied the Russian language in a university), ministry within an independent Russian Baptist church, youth ministries, camping, orphanage ministries, the development and teaching of Russian Sunday School materials, and one-on-one discipleship–all with the long-term goal of seeing more churches planted by Russian nationals.  We were preparing to launch into a new phase of ministry which would have included formal training of nationals, with a large emphasis on Nouthetic Counseling.

As we finished our second term on the field and came back to the U.S. for furlough, we began a series of medical tests to diagnose some problems that Jesse had been having for several months.  Our worst fears were confirmed with the diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).  This is a terminal disease–with 50% of patients surviving less than 3 years.  As of October 2008, Jesse is almost completely paralyzed, has lost his ability to speak, and requires complete care for all daily activities.

Perhaps we’ll never completely understand God’s plan in cutting our Russian ministry short, but we have seen God at work through our situation.  One particular Russian man, who for eight years we prayed for, witnessed to, and who became a very close friend of Jesse during our time there, came to Christ after being very broken up about Jesse’s illness.  We had discipled his wife, who had been saved during our years there.  Now they are going on as a Christian family unit, raising three children for the Lord, and being missionaries to their friends and relatives.  What eternal joy, brought about by earthly sadness!  This is God’s way.  There have been many other stories related to us how God has worked in one life or another as a result of our “tragedy.”  The path we now walk would not have been our choice in life, but in His infinite wisdom, God has chosen this path for us and promised to sustain us by His love and grace.

Please pray for our family as we desire to be OVERCOMERS, filled with Christ’s JOY, and that our testimony will be clear to our unsaved friends, and to fellow believers who we can encourage along the way.  Our four sons:  Christopher (15), Corey (13), Caleb (11), and Coleton (7) need your prayers as well as they watch Dad’s health rapidly decline and understand what medically lays around the corner.  We know God could still work a miracle in Jesse’s body, and we pray for that IF that is God’s will.  But, if not, then we believe that God still has the best Plan, and that He will continue to sustain and provide for us as He has so faithfully done in the past.

Serving Him,
Jesse and Lisa Armstrong
jjarmstrong@juno.com

Prayer request for the Armstrong family on the Baptist Mid Missions website.