Pat Storey Newsletter (Fall 2020)

Greetings from the land of one season!

I’m sure you are beginning to feel some Fall weather. Fall was always my favorite season with the beautiful trees as their leaves changed and the weather was perfect! It has felt very “fallish” here the last couple of days and is much more comfortable as far as the temperature goes. I do love it here, though, since I have such a cold nature. I’m very thankful for the winters here, so I can’t really complain about the summer heat.

This is the first year I have spent the entire summer in Florida and it really is hot! It has been good, though, getting things at Teen Missions organized and cleaned up. We still have a lot to do, but we have made a huge amount of progress.

I am still staying busy auditing the finances for all of our overseas bases. I enjoy my work immensely! It is so good to know that I can help our staff by helping them with that part of their ministry. We have many staff members at all of our bases that love Jesus and love serving Him. They are truly impressive people, but as is the case for many of you, they would prefer to be out meeting people and ministering to them. I am thankful that I can help them with a little corner of their ministry that isn’t usually their favorite thing to do.  

I have an added responsibility for the next year (although, to be honest, it has not really affected my workload). I have moved to the Teen Missions property and I’m serving as “dorm mom”. Our students are well into the term now which started the beginning of September and it has been a joy getting to know them. This is a great group of students and I know that God is going to use them greatly in the future.

During this pandemic, all of our bases have been locked down to some extent, but we are beginning to see things open up again. Many of our Bible schools have been opening up and have started classes where they left off when this all started several months ago. Some of our Sunday schools are again beginning to hold Sunday school, although most are still waiting until the schools in the area open. They have worked to stay in touch with their S.S. kids though, usually by phone. In the Philippines, the government actually came and asked our Circuit Riders to come back to pray with the kids and their parents. They were given I.D. cards to show that they have permission to be out and about. Our Bible school students in several countries have been helping with food distribution to people who cannot get food because of the lockdown. This has been a great opportunity to minister and spread the love of God. Some have accepted Christ because of the work being done by the students! Praise the Lord for new opportunities to share Him with people!

In August, I travelled to Iowa for my deputation/vacation time. I was able to visit a lot of family and friends. It was great to visit with many of my brothers and sisters and their families. It was also really good to have all three of my kids together with their families. All 15 grandchildren and their parents were there. That doesn’t happen very often, but it did this grandma’s heart good to see them all together! You know how when you’re all under the same roof, it just feels like all is well with the world? It was so good; I am so blessed and so thankful for those memories.

I was able to do a few fun things on this trip. I drove to downtown Chicago and had dinner with a former student, Sherly, who is attending Moody Bible Institute there. I had never been to Chicago and had always wanted to see it. I had a little extra time, so stopped in to see her, then went to the Navy Pier on Lake Michigan and also saw the “Bean” in the park. Then I spent a few days with Kattie, my friend from Ohio, and went with her and her mom to Frankenmuth, Michigan, to visit the Christmas store. It was a lot of fun to see a place I had heard about since my time with Wayne Mfg. making Christmas decorations in Iowa before moving to Florida.

One real highlight this year was stopping to visit the Billy Graham Library in North Carolina. It was inspiring to say the least. I know he was just an ordinary man, but looking back on his life is absolutely amazing—just to see how much God can use the life of someone who gives themselves completely to be obedient to the call from God on their life. If you ever get the chance, stop in and see this fantastic tour about a life well lived in service to others and to God. You will not be disappointed!

We are looking forward now, planning and praying for Boot Camp in 2021. Right now there are about 180 registered for teams. Brochures will be mailed in November and we are moving on as if the world is normal. I pray that this will all be over soon and Boot Camp will be able to go on as usual next summer.

As always, thank you so much for your support through prayer as well as financially. God is so good and I know I can put my full trust in Him. I am thankful for that, but I am truly humbled and amazed every month when I’m given my support. You are a huge blessing to me and I want you to know how much I appreciate you. God bless you as you serve and follow Him each day!

In Him,

Pat Storey

Would you please pray with me?

1.  That we will be able to have Boot Camp next year.

2.  I am needing a lot of dental work done. Please pray for me—dentists really scare me!

3.  Pray for wisdom for our President here at TMI as he has many issues all over the world that need his attention every day.

4.  Pray for the President of the U.S. and for the elections coming up.