Derksen Update April 2017
Dear Family & Friends,
Thanks for your interest in us as a family and the various activities that we get to be a part of, especially in Latin America. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers for us.
We started April with Michelle’s birthday. It’s always good to have our girls home for such special occasions.
As our parents get older we have plenty of opportunities to serve them. This has been the case in March and April as we have transitioned Murray’s mom, Kae Derksen, into an independent living facility where she has her own apartment but doesn’t have to cook and clean for herself anymore. We are already seeing her health turn for the good as she settles into a more relaxed lifestyle. Honoring our parents is a big part of what we are called to (actually one of the 10 Commandments!). Many weekends have been spent helping her transition.
Venezuela has been in the news a lot lately. We appreciate your prayers for this country, asking God to help people see that their situation and needs will not be resolved by a political solution. Pray with us that these very hard circumstances will be an invitation for people to turn to the only Solution (Jesus). We have 5 teammates living and working in Venezuela. Pray for their safety and influence.
While there we got be a part of a house church (17 people). We heard many testimonies of how God is at work in people (especially at the heart level). So much of the conversation in the country has to do with their dire circumstances. It was so good to pause for a Sunday afternoon and talk about what God is doing.
Venezuela is a beautiful place with incredible scenery and flora. Here are just a couple samples of God’s creativity.
We got back to Canada on April 25 in time for Michelle’s specialist appointment on April 26 in Vancouver. We are thankful for Michelle’s good health. Her doctor said that things are going well and that we will continue with this rhythm for another year (treatment every 5 weeks). We are so thankful for God’s mitigating healing in Michelle – not an absence of her condition, but a grace to allow Michelle to live a full and healthy life in the midst of being treated for Acromegaly.
Spring has sprung (finally!) in the Okanagan Valley. We are thankful for all the signs of life that we see sprouting around us. It is a beautiful time of the year, and a good reminder that new life is natural. It reminds us of Jesus’ teaching on abiding in him and the natural fruit that is produced when we do (John 15).
Prayer requests:
- Venezuela – that God’s kingdom would be established in the midst of economic and political turmoil.
- God’s continued healing in Michelle’s body.
- Increased enrollment in the BridgeWay North American School (one of our big projects in Mexico City). Our reasonable goal is 50 students, but we have space for 135. Pray that we will surpass our expectations. Pray also for the recruitment of North American and Mexican teachers. If you are a teach in Canada or the US and want to join the team in Mexico City, send us a note through the comments.
- Michelle continues to take classes towards her certification in third party mediation and conflict resolution through JIBC. She has 3 courses in May. Pray for stamina and a clear mind to learn all that she can. She is already able to integrate what she is learning in her influence in Latin America.
Thank you once again. Your love and support are welcome companions in our lives.
Murray & Michelle
The Derksens 
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