PRAYER UPDATEPRAYER UPDATE - Jan 12, 2010 Silver Springs, Florida

Shalom Chaverim (Friends),

I have been in the USA since Aug 20. Thank you for your prayers as I have found strength and grace to drive by myself. I first will show you how God worked with some of the plans mentioned in last letter. I drove back from Romania to France alone. Night driving is difficult as I have a sight problem. Dov & Olga Bikas work among the Russian drug addicts and prostitutes in Israel. Their son Yossi has MS and he can now hardly lift his hand. Dov needs a woman to help him in his work among the prostitutes. The Jerusalem assembly was able to pay the $1.9 million for the floor in the industrial area of Jerusalem, Israel. Thye are using the building and making renovations. I had a good outreach to Jews in Budapest on my way back to France. Israeli Jews came to ask literature in Hebrew! That was on Aug 8. I am thankful I was able to attend another high school reunion. It was our 50^th. I met 2 Jews and was able to talk and witness to one of them. The one living in Israel slipped through my fingers. The camp meeting at Emmanuel Baptist in Abingdon, VA was an encouragement to me. It prepared me for my deputation.

I stayed 1 month in Jacksonville, FL and has good times with my brother and sister there. I have 3 supporting churches and friends in Jax. I moved north to GA and saw George and Sally Lauderdale, Bill Chides, Philip Moore, Paul Sharian and Mal Rabern. I pushed north to be in Bethesda, MD for my 50 year reunion of my high school. I went back to VA and visited Grace Baptist Church one of my supporters with its new pastor Troy Thacker. I was able to give a testimony at Highland Park Baptist where I went to Bible School for 6 years. I am thankful that others are carrying on the witness among the Jews in Chattanooga, TN. Richard Cohen was visited and he continues to a bold witness for his Messiah. The roof on his house needs replacing. I visited Bill and Sandy Morgan in GA who lead End of the Roll carpet sales. They support about 30 missionaries and I am one of them. Please pray for their business. I so wanted bible signs that I quickly drove to near Nashville, TN to see Casper Koning. I got signs and magnetic ones that you can stick on your car. I have been there twice this trip and will meet him again Feb. 8 to get more. I will probably come back from CA in April and get more. Then I visited Neil Freund in Richmond, VA area. We keep in contact each month. His Jewish family is not yet saved. I then went to Chincoteague, VA to be with a supporting church pastured by Harold Derrickson. His mother Emma is still alive. Her church on Chincoteague island was the first church to take me on for missionary support. I think it was in 1971. Emma loves Israel and the Jews. Howie & Claudia Williams were visited in north NJ. They continue their burden for the Turks. I used to visit them in Istanbul, Turkey. I visited a supporter in NY Tom &Cindy Brown. I was blessed to see Tom’s ministry. He continues in his work with CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship). I visited a supporting church in East Pharsalia, NY where Jerry Sales is responsible for the Baptist church. They have been several years without a pastor. I went back into PA to see Albert & Ellen Laube whom I have known since Tennessee Temple Bible school days. Ellen has to retire and Albert may soon lose his job in a hospital as it will close. I met with Jeanne Spangler also from Temple who is on disability. God is helping her. Jerome Lund in Cincinnati, OH was seen with his youngest boy David. His wife Ann and 2 older boys were in Norway during my visit. Jerome is underemployed and Ann is unemployed. He is a Christen scholar and knows Hebrew & Aramaic and related languages. I always try to go to Chicago area as my parents are buried there. I stayed with Norm and Kathy Oswald who are friends of the Jew, Norm himself is a Jew. I missed the heavy snow and was back in Jax for Christmas with my sister and brother. For Jan. I will remain in FL. My schedule:

Jan 17-Grace Tabernacle Bapt. in Brooksville, FL; Jan 24-Expressway Bapt. Miami; Jan 31-Jax; Feb 7-Birmingham, AL, Bluff Park Bible Church; Feb. 10-Cornerstone Bapt. Morrilton, AR; Feb 14- Midway Bapt. & eve with Pastor Dwight Scott, Morrilton, AR; Feb 16-Dan Wingo, AR; Feb 28-Glenn Harlen Springlake Bapt, Springlake, TX; Mar 7-Tabernacle Bapt, Odessa, TX, eve Northside Bapt; Mar 9-Alburqueque, NM my uncle Dave Miller; by March 16 I trust to be in CA where I want to see in San Diego Ed Dickinson and my 2 cousins Richard Bentley and Ginger Denegro; Ray Lentzsch in LA area; Aunt Trudy near San Francisco; a cousin in Medford, OR Nancy Collins. Then I need to head back to Jax, FL as I leave for France April 28. I trust to see Mary Suddeth in Clayton, GA on my way back.

A long time friend from work in Israel is Olwen Jones. She worked among the Arabs since the early 50’s. She recently had her 2 stroke and in needing care. John Rocha of Nazareth about 84 is now needing care. He needs money to get into the believers’ rest home in Haifa. How much longer will we be able to work? Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Sustained by His grace, Michael Bentley

Michael D, Bentley