Keep on Keeping On

 I wrote this, this morning, on our mission's WhatsApp page. It may serve to encourage you. You probably won't recognize the names, but the gist of the article applies to all who faithfully serve the Lord.

Today, Kathy, Rob Johnson, and I will attend the graduation exercises of Pacific Islands University. President of the University, Ian Richards has led the school in combining this graduation celebration--and Micronesian folks really know how to celebrate such occasions--with a celebration of the school's 50th Anniversary.

PIU has made in a difference in this mostly neglected part of the world. The picture of Alan and Joe, above, is one piece of evidence. PIU was founded by Liebenzell Mission and the three churches (kind of mini denominations) it founded in Chuuk, Palau, and Yap. Over the decades a succession of Liebenzell missionaries have served at PIU. Currently, Dot and Gary Houde, and Alan and Lisa Flowers serve here. While President Richards is not an LMer, his conversations with Rob Johnson are leading to a deeper level of cooperation.

A 50-year celebration is all about heritage. I've been reading 1 & 2 Kings in my devotions. Heritage, both good and bad, is writ large on those pages. Today we celebrate a good heritage.

In a totally unexpected way, Kathy and I were privileged to serve in a distinguished line of leaders of this school--Dorthea and Roland Rauchholz, Christel and Bill Wood, Joyce and David Owen, Kathy and I, Mihamm and Manuel Rauchholz, Vivian and Iotaka Choram, Amanda and Ian Richards. All of us, with the exception of the Richards, have deep roots in Liebenzell.

From time to time, the Lord leads His servants through explosive progress. Most of the time, though, progress comes through long-term faithfulness.

Pray for PIU.

Rejoice with us, today.

Let what we are celebrating today, be an encouragement to you. If we keep on keeping on, treading in the right direction, in spite of periodic setbacks, by God's grace, *_we_* --and we need to emphasize the teamwork that word implies--by God's empowering grace, we'll get something done.

*Servants, keep on serving.*

February 2026, Report

 I'm writing from Rock Hill SC, our son & daughter-in-law's house. We are here watching our granddaughter & Lucy the familiy dog, while Chad & Tanisha are in Malawi on a ministry trip.
I find that to be very cool.

Here is our ministry report, including some thoughts on the flow of life:

Dear Partners,

Mark Twain is reported to have said, “This life is just one thing after another.” (expletive deleted) Those who go far from home to reach and disciple people who need to hear the Good News, don’t get a pass on those “things.” In fact, you could add difficult, complex, unknown, or other adjectives to make clear that in missionaries’ lives many things aren’t fun, and sometimes the thing that comes next is no walk in the park, either.

Young missionaries have to learn to speak a new language and live in a different culture. Buying a car can be a huge deal. Decisions about a youngster’s education can be like playing chess with a blindfold on. Watching kids go off to college is often traumatic in the best of circumstances. When the school is on another continent it’s more so. Caring for aging parents is complex. When they live thousands of miles away it’s complex squared.

Trust me on this. I’m going to turn onto a side street, Pseudo Theology Boulevard. It’s not a dead end. I will get us back on the main track in a moment

Though you won’t find it listed with Pneumatology, Bibliology, and the other “ologies” that fill standard Theology texts, I am a firm believer in the thoroughly Biblical and quite practical doctrine of minding your own business (perhaps “Akolouthology” from John 21:22). Most of us find it pretty easy to look at others and know exactly what they should do. We aren’t nearly as good at doing what we ourselves should do.

OK, I’m back on the main road again.

Yes, missionaries are doing God’s work. It is a high-calling. The Apostle Paul says they even have beautiful feet (Romans 10:15), and what missionaries do is a privilege, a “gift of grace” Ephesians 3:7-8. So, if you’re a missionary, don’t whine. Buck up. Keep a stiff upper lip. Press on. Spend a week doing your devotions from Hebrews 12, and Philippians 412-13. It’s your business. Mind it.

The rest of us, though, have our own business to mind:

• Speaking of Epaphroditus, a short-term missionary who nearly died while helping Paul, the Apostle says, “hold men like him in high regard” (Philippians 2:29). And Paul said of those who supported his work, “you have done well to share with me” (Philippians 4:14).
• John says, whenever we can we should support those “who went out for the sake of the Name” (3 John 7-8).
• The writer of Hebrews says that those who suffer for the faith are people of whom “this world is not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38).

It’s Kathy’s and my privilege to be your hands, feet, and voice to encourage the missionaries who serve with Liebenzell Mission USA (LMUSA). They gladly give of themselves so that others can hear the Good News, trust the Lord, and then grow in Christ, so they can reach others. We try to encourage them, in various ways, as they do this important work. Later this week I’ll travel to another state to be with a missionary who came back to the states to bury his mom. Lord willing, in a little over two months, Kathy and I will travel to Guam to be with the LMUSA team there. When “our” missionaries are in the states, our home is open to them. Several have taken us up on the invitation. We use other means to maintain contact. Basically, we seek to be pastor and pastor’s wife, to a far-flung congregation. Thank you for enabling us to do this.

Here are some notes of praise and prayer requests:

·       Our Second Monday Missionary Meetings (SMMM) have been especially precious over the past few months. These meetings are a monthly opportunity for our missionary family. It seems that those who have taken advantage of the open door, have been encouraged and helped. Our next SMMM will be March 9. Pray for us.

·       I mentioned a trip to Guam. I have some possible schedule conflicts. Pray that we can resolve them.

·       Pray for the missionary who will be burying his mom later this week.

·       Some of us in LMUSA are putting together a local church presentation, emphasizing productive short-term mission trips, and raising Great Commission awareness in general. We hope to have our first conference this fall.

·       One of the missionary couples we work with is need of a car. If you are interested in helping, I can give you more information.

·       Pray for some new members of our missionary family. Some are getting some training. Some are raising funds. The Lord told us to pray for laborers in the harvest (Matthew 9:37-38).

·       A couple of personal notes: Kathy is doing marvelously well. She’s growing hair again. Her recent checkups were good. Kathy and I recently had an opportunity to speak at a leadership symposium at our alma mater. It was a lot of work, but it seemed our sessions were received well. Our son and daughter-in-law will be in Africa for a little over a week. While they are there working on a project with SIM (another evangelical mission) and a group of Bible Colleges, we’ll be looking after our youngest grandchild. Pray that we can keep up with this thirteen-year-old she-dynamo.

·       We have several personnel in Mexico. You’ve probably heard of the troubles there. Please pray for these missionaries and those with whom they work.

·       Kathy and I are thankful for you.
Thanks for your prayers, partnership, gifts and support,

Howard & Kathy Merrell

December 2025 Report & Prayer Letter

 Dear Partners,

Kathy and I spent a joyful and thankful holiday with part of our family. High on the list things we are thankful for is the impact that that our family is having in the work of the Lord. In addition, we thank the Lord for our health. Kathy is back to full strength. She did her three-mile, hilly walk this morning. She’s beginning to grow hair. She’ll continue to receive one of her chemo drugs, by infusion, every four weeks, until April, and she’s on a daily pill, for at least five years. Neither of these have caused any side-effects.

We thank the Lord for the continued opportunity to be involved in the lives of missionaries who serve on the front lines of ministry. As I recently told the folks at our home church, “Since most of our ministry is pastoral, most of our prayer requests are unspoken.” Here are some items I can share. They are representative of what we do.

·       In the last year we’ve been privileged to have several missionary families in our home.

·       I recently traveled to a US city to meet with, and encourage, a missionary family.

·       We try to stay in touch, where and when we can. Recently that included traveling to the other side of the Virginia to a funeral, and will include a trip we’ll make to North Carolina to attend, and celebrate, the graduation of Stella, a graduate and employee of PIU. She’s receiving her Master of Library Science degree. We want to encourage our missionaries by encouraging their key partners, so sometimes our ministry reaches beyond our immediate LMUSA family.

·       We recently attended a week-long gathering at LMUSA headquarters in New Jersey. I and the other “codirectors” were challenged to think bigger, as each of us works with our missionaries in a region of the world. My focus, in that regard, is the English-speaking USA, including the Territory of Guam.

·       Every month I get to host an online meeting. We listen, encourage, pray, and give thanks.

·       I currently serve as a consulting member on the Liebenzell Mission USA Board, and as a LMUSA representative on the Pacific Islands University Board. Kathy and I served for 4.5 years at PIU.

Kathy and I are very thankful for the support—prayer, encouragement, and giving—that we receive. We don’t draw any salary from your monetary support, but it does pay for our ministry expenses, mainly travel.  Thank you. In addition, we are aware of missionaries and ministries around the world that are worthy of support. If you are looking for an ongoing ministry to invest in, send us an email or give us a call. We would love to share some good options with you.

We wish each of you a Merry and Christ-exalting Christmas. “The Son of Man [Jesus] has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) Certainly, we should praise the Lord for that. We should also be committed to the continuation of that task (2 Corinthians 5:20). Thank you for helping us do our part.

By His Grace,

Howard & Kathy Merrell
2106 S Carpenter Drive, Covington VA, 24426 / (540) 620-8429 / hmerrell@liebenzellusa.org
Here is our support link: https://lmusa.org/give/hk-merrell/

September update

  

September 17, 2025

Dear Partners,

 

Kathy and I greatly appreciate your prayer and support of our ministry of helping care for the LMUSA missionary family. We thank the Lord for being able to take what we have learned over the years and invest it in the lives of those who are doing the work.

There are some principles, basic realities, essentials, that we try to foster in our missionary family. We believe that these are very-much-needed in missionary service.

Longevity:

In past reports I have written about missionaries who leave their field of service too soon. Today, I want to showcase an example of servants who have hung in there over the long-haul.

The picture to the right is a familiar image. Just about all of us use some form of text messaging. I doubt, though, that you can decipher much of the message thread on the screen in the picture. The emojis are a universal language. Not a problem. “Kathy Bruce” is obviously someone’s name. Kathy is one of our LMUSA missionaries—a definite long-termer. Many of you recognize “Iglesia” as the Spanish word for Church, but what in the world is the rest of all of this? I only recognize one of these strange words, “aishtaish.” It’s “thank you” in Awapit.

Thirty years ago, when I first visited in the mountains of northern Ecuador, the Awa people (Awapit is their language) were almost all illiterate. The translation of the New Testament into Awapit had not yet been completed. There were only a handful of believers and no functioning church. Now the Awa believers are using their cell phones to make plans for a special service and meal. They are taking the lead. My pastor and his wife, who served for twenty years, or so, among the Awa, were the Bruce’s partners. They were recently in Ecuador for a visit. They were surprised with the level of change since they left Ecuador thirteen years ago.

Not long ago the Awa, walked, or on occasion rode horses, up and down the steep muddy mountain trails. Communication in their isolated communities was difficult. Now they ride buses to town, have electricity in their homes, and cellphones in their hands. Many of them are obviously literate. But more important than any of that is the fact that they now have much of the Bible (all the New Testament and portions of the old) in their language. There are functioning churches. Leaders are being trained and beginning to lead.

This kind of progress is not quick nor easy. Advances like this require long-term commitment and service.

Good health:

It’s very common for churches and individuals to pray for the health of missionaries. Please continue. Many of the LMUSA missionaries serve in places with poor health care. They are exposed to diseases that are unknown or rare in North America. The nature of the work is stressful. More important, however, than physical health is the emotional and spiritual welfare of these servants. The two kinds of health are connected.

Earlier this month I led our monthly online gathering of our missionaries who choose to join us online—it’s an opportunity, not a requirement. Odd as it may seem, the theme of our gathering was ‘having fun’. It is my observation that missionaries who don’t have times of fun and relaxation don’t last. Later this month, I’ll be taking a short trip to meet with one of the fine families that serve with LMUSA. Our mission wants to maintain good connections with those who serve “out there.” It’s our privilege to help with that.

Cooperation:

Believe it or not, missionaries face the same interpersonal struggles as the rest of us. In the intense work of intercultural situations, it is often not so much that someone is wrong, but more often that several someones are stressed. Pray that we can foster a culture of care.

Doing good things in good ways:

Like any organization, LMUSA has its systems and procedures. I’m glad to say that the administrators I’m privileged to work with want those systems and procedures to be tools not burdens. We want to serve our missionaries and make their work easier. Sometimes that’s hard. I’m privileged to have input on these matters. Pray that my colleagues and I will have wisdom, and that we’ll keep first things first. Next month Kathy and I will be at our headquarters in Schooley’s Mountain NJ. I’ll be involved with other mission leaders, seeking to do our job better. Please pray.

Solid church connections:

We believe that missions is the work of the church. We exist to assist. With that in mind, let us know if we can minister in, or to, your church. I’d love to talk to you about opportunities.

 

In short: We want our missionary family to be healthy, so that they can continue to serve over the long haul, and help The Church accomplish her Great-Commission ministry, all to the Glory of God. In a sense, Kathy and I are doing what we have done for most of our lives--caring for people. Only now, our congregation is very spread out.

 

How is Kathy doing?

Thank you for your prayers on her behalf. I’ll turn the keyboard over to her and let her answer the question for herself, as well as add anything else she chooses.

Hello friends!  I often tell people prayers are being offered all over the world for me/us!  Thank you to each of you who have held us up to the Lord as I have been having six treatments for breast cancer over the last four months.  I finished my sixth treatment August 25th and had my last hard days soon after.  I am so thankful to be finished.  Until next April, I will be continuing one medication which has mild effects and will allow my hair to begin returning.  I have also started a hormone blocker pill daily, which will continue for the next five years or more.  My strength will continue to improve.  For all of this I am thankful!  I am back to living a more normal life and work and ministry.  So, thank you once again for all your prayers.  I will still take all the prayers you care to give for us!  We pray for you!   ~ Kathy

 

By His Grace,

Howard Merrell
Liebenzell USA Missionary Care Associate,
North American Codirector,
Pastor Emeritus of Covington Bible Church
and biker (Kathy’s a walker)
(540) 620-8429, hmerrell@liebenzellusa.org, kmusiq@gmail.com

July 2025, Ministry Update

Howard & Kathy Merrell, caring for those who are reaching. 

 Dear Partners in ministry,

 

As I write, I’m reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Philippi. Your partnership with us is a great encouragement. “I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. . .. [We are] generously supplied with the gifts, [prayers, and encouragement]. . .. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.” (Philippians 4:17-18, NLT)

Kathy is moving through the challenges her chemo treatments bring with grace and trust in the Lord. Right now, she is in a good time—a good time made even better by a visit from our boys, their wives, and two of our grandkids. Time at the lake, good food, a week-late celebration of Kathy’s birthday, and time together are much appreciated.

People often ask us if we are planning another trip. Right now, nothing is in the works. We, especially Howard, are open to travel for ministry, though right now Kathy’s schedule takes precedence. We stay in regular communication with our missionary family, through email, social media, and video calls. Please pray that we can be an encouragement to those on the front-lines.

Here are some points of praise and prayer requests. Please take special note of the request concerning Alan and Lisa Flowers.

·       We are thankful for the good care Kathy is receiving. Please pray for continued strength and grace for Kathy. She has three more of the heavy, three-drug, make-your-hair-fall-out infusions, then ten (or so) more of one-drug, less-difficult infusions. Her infusions are three weeks apart.

·       We thoroughly enjoyed a visit by the Farnsworths. When you are passing by, please let us know.

·       The Anderson family, new missionaries in Ecuador, are doing well. A big request for them is they need to buy a vehicle. Pray for wisdom for them.

·       Missionaries get discouraged. Pray for them and encourage them as you are able. Being away from those you love and familiar surroundings takes a toll. Then there is the inevitable friction that comes from people working together in often difficult circumstances. Pray that we’ll have wisdom to help.

·       Transitions are tough. There are the becoming transitions, like the Andersons, then there are the leaving, slowing down, stepping back transitions. These servants are worthy of honor for their faithful service. Pray for us as we seek to walk with our missionary colleagues through these transitions and the time in between

·       I, Howard, have gotten to know Alan and Lisa Flowers, new/old missionaries with LMUSA. Over 25 years ago they served for a short time at Pacific Islands Bible College, now PIU, where Kathy and served. The Flowers are now young retirees. They recently left a long fruitful pastoral ministry and are headed back to PIU, where Alan will teach Bible and Theology. They will be mainly self-supported in their work on Guam. PIU is providing them with an on-campus apartment. It’s the one that Kathy helped furnish and decorate, where we lived for most of our time on Guam. It needs a new air-conditioner (split unit) for the living room. I’ve taken on the project of raising the $1500 needed for this unit. Let me know if you want to join Kathy and me in providing a cool welcome for Lisa and Alan.

·       LMUSA has a new Global Ministries Director. Pray for Rob Johnson as he works with General Director Chris Matthews, and the rest of us.

Thanks for your partnership with us as we seek to encourage the worthy servants who are serving around the world.

By His Grace,

Howard & Kathy

(540) 620-8429, Howard’s email-hmerrell@liebenzellusa.org, Kathy’s-kmusiq@gmail.com

April/May 2025, A Report on Kathy's Health and Some Other News

April 2025:

Dear Partners,

 Kathy and I have been in a whirlwind of activity and emotion since we last wrote. I’ll not get into all of it right now--the whirlwind continues—I will, however,promise to get back with you in a couple of weeks.

I am writing, this morning, for two reasons:

·       To thank you for your prayer and support.
Thank you!

·       To ask you to pray for us as we travel to Guam.

First for those of you who only hear from us through these reports, let me give you a brief thumbnail of the whirlwind. In January, Kathy’s annual mammogram showed an abnormality. Further scans and a needle biopsy identified a tiny malignant tumor. A mastectomy was the best option. The surgery was done on March 19. Kathy is healing well. For those of you who knew and prayed, Thank you. We thank the Lord for a good medical team and local support.

We had been planning to go to Guam to meet with our fellow Liebenzell missionaries and other partners. When we shared this plan with Kathy’s surgeon, her response, without a moment’s hesitation, was, “Go.” So we leave Thursday April 24, and get back May 5. I (Howard) will be participating in the annual Board meeting at Pacific Islands University (PIU). We’ll also be seeking to recruit some of the students to be involved in an intern opportunity at our mission headquarters and retreat center in New Jersey. It is a great opportunity. We’ll be meeting with our missionaries who serve at PIU. Please pray with us. We need the wisdom of the Lord, and we want to love with His love.

Also pray for contacts with other missionaries we’ll be reaching out to. It’s an ongoing process. Thankfully, our LMUSA family is growing. Since our last letter, a new, young family joined our team in Ecuador. An early retired couple plans to join our team in Guam, later this year. We have young people who are headed on short-term trips this summer. Please pray for them.

We don’t want this to be a one way matter, so let us know how we can pray for you. We are aware that the wind blows in your life, too.

 

Ministering to those who are reaching out,

 Howard & Kathy

 

May 2025:

Dear Partners,

I’m writing in the outpatient surgery waiting room at a hospital in Lewisburg WV. This hospital’s chief claim to fame is this where my granddaughter, Kira, was born. I’m here this morning waiting on Kathy. She is having a port inserted. The purpose of the port is to enable Blue Ridge Cancer Care to administer a series of chemotherapy infusions. The first one will be tomorrow.

Some of you knew about this next step in our lives that began in January when a routine mammogram revealed a tiny mass in Kathy’s right breast. That led to another mammogram, a scan, needle biopsy, a mastectomy on March 19, and now a pretty aggressive series of chemo-infusions.

Though the tumor was tiny and was found early, it is an aggressive sort, thus justifying this full-court-press kind of treatment. Kathy will receive infusions about every three weeks. At first three drugs will be used. Later that will be reduced to just one of them. She has been prescribed various oral medications to help her along the way. She feels well. Both of us are confident that this is the right thing to do. We are confident in and pleased with the medical team. And, more than anything, we are trusting in the Lord. “Thy will be done.”

We waited to put out this latest news because we didn’t want this to be the main topic of conversation on our trip to Guam. We just returned from that trip, last night. It was a good trip, but:

·       Both of us caught a cold or something. Thankfully, it was a short-lived bug.

·       Some of our colleagues are dealing with some difficult times, so some of our conversations were intense.

·       I participated in the PIU Board meeting. That’s always a full time.

It was good to get to see some of our friends on that side of the world. In particular it was good to see some of the students in whose lives we invested using what they learned in serving others.

·       Praise the Lord for safety over the many miles.

·       We thank the Lord for the good care Kathy is receiving.

·       Reaching out with kindness and encouragement is always appreciated. It is a privilege to encourage these fine servants.

·       Thank you for your prayer, support, and encouragement.

 

·       Please pray for Pacific Islands University—enrollment, staff, President Ian Richards, and especially that the students will learn, grow, and use what they gain in the Lord’s work.

·       Please pray for Kathy.

·       Kathy and I are in conversation with missionaries around the world. Pray that we’ll have wisdom to be able to encourage them in their work.

 

Ministering to those who are reaching out,

Howard & Kathy

 

You can support our ongoing Missionary Care ministry here.

 

You can get in touch with us by email, text or phone. Kathy’s phone number is (540) 620-7077; her email is kmusiq@gmail.com. Mine are (540) 620-8429 and hmerrell@liebenzellusa.org

January 2025 Ministry update:

 Dear Partners,

 

I write from my warm living room on a cold January day. Being warm is just one of the many blessings for which we are thankful. Likewise, we offer thanks to you, and for you. You make it possible for us to “love on” a growing group of missionaries who are precious servants of our Lord. (For those of you who may not be familiar with the term “love on,” it is what these girls are doing to their grandma.

As I’ve often said, “Before missionaries were missionaries, they were people.” People need to be loved on.

I started 2024 with a two-week trip to Zambia. That trip allowed relationships with LMUSA missionaries who serve there to be deepened. In May, Kathy and I were able to return to Guam where we served for four-and-a-half years. Old relationships were strengthened and new partners found a place in our hearts. The impact of those trips continues. We can speak into the lives of those servants in a far more meaningful way than we would be able to do if we hadn’t been present. Thank you for making that possible. We are planning to travel to Guam again this spring. I’ll participate in the annual Pacific Islands University Board of Trustees meeting. Both Kathy and I will spend time with the LMUSA personnel who serve on Guam. We’ll minister in other ways.

Resently, I traveled to Mount Bethel New Jersey. I was able to represent LMUSA at the commissioning service for Steven and Gwen Anderson. They and their three little boys will be moving to northern Ecuador next month, to join our team there. LMUSA is privileged to partner with Mount Bethel Baptist Church in sending this family to Ecuador. It’s been our privilege to love on this family. We want to continue.

In October, I was privileged to join some other LMUSA representatives at the Columbia International University Missions Conference, in Columbia SC. While there I spent time with a retired LMUSA missionary. What a privilege. As our missionary force ages, recruiting new-goers, like the Andersons, is increasingly important.

Not only is it our privilege to love on the missionaries that serve with LMUSA, we are promoting a culture of care among the missionary family. We recently saw a step forward in that regard. Each month I lead an online meeting, the Second Monday Missionary Meeting (SMMM). This month’s SMMM focused on sharing words of wisdom and encouragement to Gwen and Steven. We asked the Lord of the Harvest to bless this young family in their adventure for Him. It was a precious gathering.

I’m also involved in assisting with some administration matters. Liebenzell Mission USA is growing.

Prayer and Praise: (I don’t try to pass on all the prayer needs that come to our attention. The following are a couple that stand out, plus some that apply directly to us.)

•         Pray for the Anderson family. They have tickets to fly to Ecuador on February 10. Thank the Lord that a support team, including Mt. Bethel, has joined them.
•          Bill and Jenny Morrison are missionaries to the increasingly pagan land of American higher education. They are working to build a Center for Christian Thought, literally right across the street from the undergraduate dorms at UNC Wilmington. They have already purchased the property. Praise the Lord. They were supposed to host a big fundraising event seeking to finance the beginning of construction, today. The unusual ice and cold in in coastal NC forced a reschedule. Please pray.       
•          Amano Christian School, where I spent a week, last January, ministering to LMUSA missionaries, and other personnel, is in serious need of teachers and a maintenance supervisor. ACS is a great place for a one-year, or lifetime ministry. If you, or someone you know, is interested, let me know. Again, please pray.
•         One of our missionary couples, involved in intensive discipleship with a needy group of people are facing serious health issues. He just began the long, painful recovery from rotator cuff surgery.
•          Pray for ongoing recruitment efforts.
•           Kathy and I thank the Lord for good health. Example: I was able to drive 850 miles in two days, on that NJ trip. No hits, no runs, no errors. Praise the Lord. Pray that we’ll be able to continue.
•          I mentioned that I’m involved in administration at LMUSA. One reason for that is our short-staff situation. Please pray that the right people will be identified to fill critical positions. I’ll be participating in a Board Retreat January 31-February 1. . . another trip to New Jersey.
•          There are always people needs. Pray that Kathy and I will be able to help.
•          We praise the Lord for your partnership with us.

Many of you know our boys. A quick update:

Chad and Tanisha continue to minister at North Rock Hill Church, NC. All their kids, except Ava, are on their own, from Rock Hill, Greenville SC, Utah, and Louisiana.

Chris and Nancy are in College Station Texas. Silas is a student at Wheaton College. Kira just transferred to Colorado Christian University. Chris & Nancy are in transition. They continue to serve the Lord in a variety of ways. Pray that they’ll land where the Lord wants them.

 

Again, Thank you. Please let us know how we can pray for you.

 

Loving on those who are reaching out,

 

Howard & Kathy

 

You can support our ongoing Missionary Care ministry here. 

Help Repair a Ministry Center in The Philippines

Liebenzell Mission USA missionaries Tess and Ethel are two of the most dedicated missionaries I know. (You can click on their names to read brief bios) Both of them ministered in Micronesia, but moved back to their home nation to minister in a

rural area of the Philippines.
I'll let Steve Stinnette's (Pacific area leader for Liebenzell USA, and decades-long friend and colleague of these women) letter tell the story. In brief, their community, including the home and center where they minister was just extensively damaged by Typhoon Pepito.

Read more below. Steve's letter has information about how to help these women reach the modest goal of receiving $4,000 in donations to repair the damage to their ministry center and motorcycle.

The goal of raising $4,000 is so doable and will make such a difference. Pray for these ladies and their community in the Philippines. Give, if the Lord moves you to do so.

HM

Here is Steve's letter:

Typhoon Pepito blasted its way across the island of Catanduanes in Bicol, Philippines, this past weekend, where Liebenzell missionaries, Tess Ngiraiwet and Ethel Laco, live and minister. Tess and Ethel report that there was no loss of life on their island, but that there was extensive damage throughout the entire island community. Even the house and Ministry Center where they conduct evangelistic outreaches, Bible studies, children’s ministry, and Sunday morning worship services lost half of its roof. Their new motorcycle with sidecar, called a tricycle, was also damaged. Almost every tree in their garden, which supplies a large amount of their food, went down. Local government officials estimate that it will take up to 6 months for power to be restored. Tess and Ethel walk to town to recharge their phones and to communicate with others as needed.    Pray for them as they join the community in cleaning up. Pray for opportunities for them to minister to people. Pray the Lord uses this situation to open hearts and draw people to Himself by granting saving faith.    Pray also for $4000 needed to replace half the roof on the Ministry Center, repair their tricycle, and install a solar power system so they can begin ministering to people sooner.    If the Lord leads you to contribute, please click on this link (https://lmusa.org/give/pacific-rim/) to give to the Pacific Rim Ministries Fund. Follow the prompts and on the next page, under Additional Information, put “Philippines Typhoon Relief.”   Thank you for your prayers for Tess, Ethel, their ministry, and the people of Catanduanes.    In Christ,   Steve and Anne

July Ministry Report

 Dear Partners,

Thus far 2024 has been a full year of ministry opportunities.

·         Howard began the year with a trip to Zambia. Please pray for the missionaries there. The drought is having a huge impact. Praise the Lord; we received a report of a number of students at Amano Christian School professing to trust the Lord. Howard spoke at the school’s staff retreat.

·         In March Howard represented LMUSA at the Biola University Missions Conference. He also spent time with LMUSA missionaries George and Prisca Shakwelele.

·         In May Kathy and Howard returned to Guam where we spent extensive time with LMUSA

missionaries and other partners. Kathy spoke to a gathering of ladies. Howard also participated in the Pacific Islands University two-day board meeting. He was appointed as a member of the Board. Howard also spoke at the Founder’s Day event at the mission HQ in NJ.

·         May and June contained graduations and a wedding. Lots of good family time.

·         Howard is involved with several other missionaries in providing leadership to our missionary endeavors. A smaller group is working toward offering local church missionary conference type events, Network Z. Our goal is to help and support churches in having a greater global impact. If you want to find out more, please write.

·         In addition to these mission-related activities, Kathy and Howard continue to minister in an interim role at Woodland Church near Fincastle VA.

Future plans include:

•       Participation in a Member (Missionary) Care conference, next month.
•           Our hope is that Network Z will actually become a reality this Fall.
•       Howard will be representing LMUSA at a missions conference at Columbia International University.

A word about the difficulties that missionaries face:

Many things that we take for granted in the USA are uncertainties where some of our missionaries serve. Our colleagues in Zambia are living in a time of drought. Not only does this impact food production—in particular for the indigenous population—it also limits the availability of electricity. Zambia depends on hydro-power. As water levels go down so does electric generation. It’s just one of the difficulties that these precious servants face. We can’t raise the water level, but we can elevate encouragement.
A number of our missionaries are traveling over the next six weeks or so. Please pray.

We thank you for your support and encouragement. Please keep us in your prayers. If you are in our area. Please stop by. We’d love to see you. Please continue to pray as we seek to minister to those who are reaching.

I’m including two donation links below. One is for our account. The other is for a project that supports the infrastructure of our mission. Your generosity has enabled us to continue our ministry without dipping into the mission’s general fund. Our home office staff is mainly dependent on that general fund to keep serving. Click the link to find out more.

By His Grace,

Howard & Kathy

 

https://lmusa.org/give/general-fund/, https://lmusa.org/give/hk-merrell/

PS: The picture has nothing to do with this letter. It was just too cute to pass up. 😊

Here is a publication our mission just sent out. The editor was kind enough to include my article about trust.

 Here is the latest edition of around the world. It contains several items that may be of interest to you.

Click here.

HM

June Ministry Report

 Dear Partners in Ministry,

A number of encounters and observations over the past few months of ministry have impressed me with an essential component of any endeavor that involves teamwork, trust. Kathy and I are very aware that you extend trust to us. We don’t take that for granted. Thank you.

One of the ways we encourage our Liebenzell family is by hosting a Zoom meeting once a month, every second Monday. At our June meeting we’ll be discussing how to encourage greater trust between team members and partners. Pray that we can help each other.

The second half of May, Kathy and I were busy. May 17-18 we were at the Mission’s headquarters in

Schooley’s Mountain, NJ. We participated in a weekend in honor of Hudson Taylor, the pioneer missionary to China who was the inspiration for the start of Liebenzell Mission. It was my privilege to be one of the speakers at the event. Here is the handout that I gave to the guests. While there, we reached out to one of our missionary couples who serve at headquarters. They are dealing with a serious health issue. Please pray.

On Sunday, May 19, we drove to Newark Airport and left for Guam, where we served for four and a half years. Our time in Guam was full. Our colleagues there have had a lot on them in the recent past. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks of “stimulating one another to love and good deeds,” and “encouraging one another.” The two main things we did while in Guam was encourage our colleagues, often that took place over a meal. Encourage and eat.

Kathy was the speaker at a ladies’ luncheon. I was involved in the two-day Board Meeting for Pacific Islands University. The recent typhoon and other matters have been tough on the school. You can read more about it here. I have been appointed to serve on the

Board. Please pray that I and the rest of the Board can be an encouragement to the new President, Ian Richards. Pray for all of the personnel at Pacific Islands University.
(The picture is of us enjoying breakfast with the chair of Biblical Studies at PIU, Iotaka Chorum, and his wife Vivian. In addition to his academic responsibilities, Iotaka is teaching a non-credit program for Chuukese pastors and other leaders. He is teaching the classes in his first language, Chuukese.

While on Guam we attended the funeral of a good friend and colleague, Dr. William Wood. We were able to spend time with his wife Christel. Kathy spent time with a good friend whose husband had just died. On the way home from Newark, we attended another funeral. It was for Barb Schuit, the wife of the former LMUSA Global Ministries Director, Bill Schuit. We arrived back in Covington on the evening of May 30. Our Lord counseled us to work while it is day.

It is a privilege to minister to these servants of the King. Praise the Lord with us, for this opportunity, you help make possible.

On a personal note: We’ll be in South Carolina the end of June. One of our granddaughters is getting married. All of our family and two of Kathy’s siblings will be there. We’re taking our camper down for an extended time with family.  

Thanks for your partnership in our ministry.

 

By His Grace,

H&K

An opportunity to invest in a good institution

 I don't normally use this blog for fundraising, so let me say up front, "this post is about fundraising." I'm not making an appeal for funds for Kathy and me, though a report and thank you note will be in another post soon to be posted.

So, if you aren't interested in reading a fundraising note, now would be a good time to surf elsewhere. Do so with my blessing and thanks.

As most readers of this blog know, Kathy and I have invested a significant chunk of our lives in the ministry of Pacific Islands University (PIU). PIU is not operated by Liebenzell Mission (LM), though it was founded by LM and maintains a close relationship with the mission. Kathy and I serve with LM.

A combination of integrity and lack of space prevent me from going deeply into all of the causes for this, but PIU is in a difficult situation.  A couple of reasons I can mention are the devastation Typhoon Marwar caused to the campus and the ongoing deterioration that a tropical climate brings to buildings and equipment. As the former defacto maintenance director on the campus, I can speak with some authority about the latter. You can see some pictures and read more here.

When I was in that maintenance role, I noticed that it was important, when things were in the process of deteriorating, to reverse that momentum. Even if the upward progress was small, it was significantly better, for morale, than watching the campus rot, erode, and be blown away. A significant step forward that the school made was taken not long before I went there to serve as President. The installation of a solar panel array on the library roof not only brought a significant saving in utility costs but also enhanced PIU's position in the community as an institution that was helping to care for the vulnerable environment of Guam. All the public generation of electricity on the island is by diesel generators. Solar power makes great sense in that isolated tropical island environment. 

The two entropic forces I mentioned, above left the solar array inoperative. Currently, the school does not have funds to repair the system.

The new President of PIU, Ian Richards, is raising funds to restore the system and continue the repairs that become necessary from those relentless forces. The figures President Richards was given indicate that the money invested in repairing the solar-power system (some of the repairs costs are covered by warranty) would be paid back in utility savings in less than three months.

If you are willing to join Kathy and me in investing not only in fixing a broken solar system, but in helping President Richards to reverse the downward momentum in campus infrastructure, please visit the site I mentioned above, https://lmusa.org/give/piu/. Funneling funds through the fund at LM will make your gift totally tax deductible and allow LM to assume the clerical work of responding properly to your donation. (Truth in advertizing: LM uses 10% of project donations to pay for their administrative costs.)

Whether you invest financially in the project or not, please invest time in prayer. While Kathy and I were on Guam, I had the opportunity to talk to a graduate who had been in a couple of my classes. He and I had used some COVID relief funds to build picnic tables to maximize students being out in fresh air during the days when the virus was spreading. My friend was rightly pleased that our tables had survived the storm. :) He is currently working at the school, as part of the Student Development Team. He told me about his brother, who is teaching school out on one of the "out-islands" of Chuuk. I used to call this guy "my cousin" because he had a gap in his teeth, like me. I'll call these brothers "M and M." They are what it's really all about. Micronesia needs young servant-leaders who, M and M, teach and encourage from the viewpoint of a Biblical worldview. 

That's a power far greater than what is produced by a bunch of solar panels.

Thanks.