December Update

Posted by Susan Collmorgen on Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Greetings from Louisiana.  We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We enjoyed being able to visit friends and celebrate Thanksgiving with family in Arkansas.

I’ve been trying to think about how best to write this update for a couple of weeks now. Our mood as of late has been quiet somber due to various events that have taken place.  I so want to be a bearer of good news and not a bearer of bad news.  So I will start by saying that God is God, and I am not, and though our “world” is sometimes shaken, His remains unmoved.  He is still on His throne and is in control.

As I mentioned in our last update, Pastor Abel’s wife, Judite, passed away the end of October.  Sadly, his baby girl, Marvelous, passed away last Wednesday, December 1st.  Understandably, Abel and his young son, Bethel, are quiet distressed and discouraged.  Family and members of his church have stepped in to help him with the care of the orphan children who share his small home.  Abel says though he doesn’t understand, he is still holding on to God.

We too are learning how to hold to God no matter how badly our world is being shaken; no matter how things look around us.  The end of September we had set a date of Dec 7th to return to Mozambique, but that return is not coming, at least not for a while anyway.  Though there are many factors involved in the delay, one of the greatest is the lack of finances to both get us there and sustain us.  Another issue is my own health.

So, it seems God has us in a season of waiting.  Like with Abel, God appears to be taking us through a Job period.  In time perhaps we’ll understand, all the pieces will fit together, and everything will make sense.  But right now, quite honestly, it’s just a painful process to endure.

The housing market, as we all know, is very bad right now.  Our house in Missouri, though it’s been on the market for 16 months, has never sold, and not having any income we were unable to continue paying on it. As a result it is pending foreclosure.  Why the Lord hasn’t sent us a buyer, we may never know.

Since our return from Mozambique this summer, we have been living with Jason’s parents in Louisiana.  They’ve been so gracious to open their home to us during this time, to feed us, and provide for us, and for that we are eternally grateful.  We have been looking for work, but competition is quiet fierce in this city.  My 30 job applications have resulted in only one interview.  At this time we are still looking for employment.

We are grateful to everyone who has helped us in any way, including prayer and finance.  We are also very grateful for everyone who has supported the children’s center.  A little over $5,500 has been raised for the future center, but we still have a long way to go.

The property in Mozambique that we originally had in mind for the children’s center has since sold, but Abel is continuing to look for properties and/or land that would be suitable to build on.

We believe that in God’s timing He will make the way to get us back to Mozambique even if it means just helping out for a short period of time instead of actually living there.  In the meantime, please keep us and Abel in your prayers.  Please pray for all of us for guidance in all things, renewed strength to endure this Job season, for provision, and for all of us to grow in our relationship with Him.

When we were in Missions School last year, the Lord gave me a question for both of us.  He said, “Will you follow Me, even if you don’t understand?”

Over this past year we’ve been reminded of that question many times.  True, even now I don’t understand.  Jason doesn’t understand.  Abel doesn’t understand.  But knowing that the King of Glory left everything (including His power) to come to earth and live as a man, to lead us by example by living a sinless life (despite all temptation), to pay for our sins by enduring a horribly painful and gruesome death, just so you and I would have the opportunity to accept His sacrifice as payment of that debt and be forgiven all so that we would not suffer eternal separation from the Father….how could we not, Lord?  How could we not?  You continued to follow even when you didn’t understand, so how could we not?

I know this hasn’t been a “feel good” update full of praise reports and good news, but it’s real and it’s a reminder for me of how much we all need to pray for each other.  God never said serving Him would be easy or without struggle.   In fact, quite the opposite. 

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you WILL have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33

It is with this knowledge that we can all place our hope.  No matter what trial, tribulation, or Job season we face, He is there with us, walking us through.  He has overcome all.  Simply stated, He is.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas full of joy and more knowledge of who He is,

Susan and Jason Collmorgen

Our Hearts Are Heavy and Full of Sorrow

Posted by Susan Collmorgen on Sunday, October 24, 2010

A beautiful smile.

A gentle soul.

A mother to many.

A husband left alone.

Our dear friend, Abel Faz-Ver, lost his precious Judite yesterday.  I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a spouse.  I don’t ever want to know what that feels like.  It’s hard enough with it being the spouse of our best friend.  I know it would be a void that could never be filled, a pain that would never go away.  Our hearts are so grieved for him, and it pains us to be an ocean away and only able to comfort with words over the phone. 

Abel & Judite Faz-Ver (April 2010)

He has been through unimaginable trials in recent months.  His faith has been shaken.  We long to be there and throw our arms around him, but all we can do is pray that God brings peace, comfort, and strength to Abel and their children:  7-year old Bethel, 5-month old Marvelous, and over 25 orphan children who knew her as momma.

Father, I thank you that we can come to you with each and every need.  I thank you that you are our strength when we are weak; that you carry us when we cannot walk any further.   I ask you, in Jesus name, to bring strength to Abel, his children, the Faz-Ver family, and Judite’s family.  Father we know that the testing of our faith produces endurance, and it is clear that you have been taking Abel through a Job season, but it is just that, a season, and Lord we know that you will restore just like you did with Job, and we ask you to restore ten-fold.  We pray that Abel’s faith will be made stronger and that this season of trial will end quickly, and that the new season, the season of restoral and peace will come.

Update on Judite

Posted by Susan Collmorgen on Thursday, September 23, 2010

Jason talked to Pastor Abel around noon today.  He currently has Judite in a public hospital.  We don't know how much care they can give her there as public hospitals in Mozambique are generally rundown, unsanitary facilities lacking in medical equipment and staff with proper medical training.

We are sending him some money to help so he can take her to a private clinic in order to get her proper medical care. We honestly don’t know how far that money will go as most of these private clinics are run by foreign nationals and are geared at Westerners and the very few "wealthy" Mozambicans. Things like medicaid and medical insurance are not available in Mozambique.

Abel said that ever since Judite gave birth to their baby girl in June, she has continued to bleed.  She has a lot of abdominal pain, and is very weak (most likely due to the blood loss).  The doctor at the public hospital said her condition is a result of having given birth.  We don't know what the name of the condition is, but I looked some information up online and it sounds like it could be postpartum hemorrhaging (PPH), or excessive bleeding after childbirth, which is the leading cause of maternal death globally.

Pastor Abel and Judite are feeling very discouraged. Their family has gone through a lot this past year. Please continue to lift Abel, Judite, and their family up in prayer.  Please pray for comfort, strength, and healing.

Our God is able, and we are expecting a miracle!

Urgent Prayer Request

Posted by Susan Collmorgen on Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Jason just got off the phone with Pastor Abel.  Pastor Abel is the Mozambican Pastor whom we are working with to establish a new Children’s Center (orphanage) in Mozambique.  His wife, Judite, is very sick and Pastor Abel is very worried.  Jason could hear in Abel’s voice that he is very very concerned.  Judite has had good days and bad days since giving birth to their baby girl, Marvelous, in June.  She was sick a couple of weeks ago, but then got better, but now it sounds she has gotten much worse.  She is vomiting and is very weak among other symptoms.

We do not know what is wrong with Judite.  In third world countries like Mozambique, the simplest virus or infection that we wouldn’t think much of here is often deadly.  To be seen by a doctor, especially a knowledgeable doctor, is a mere dream for the average Mozambican, and those knowledgeable doctors are few and far between.

Abel had taken her to a private clinic recently, but they did not have enough money to keep her there or diagnose her or anything.  At the moment Jason called him, Abel said he had just been thinking how he wished he could get a hold of Jason to let us know what was happening, but he didn’t have the money to buy phone credit to call.

We know firsthand that the public government run hospitals in Mozambique do absolutely nothing, so we are going to see about getting some money sent over to him so he can get her into a private clinic.   Private clinics are generally run by foreigners from more developed nations and are targeted at Westerner’s and others who can afford better health care.  Unfortunately, they are not priced anywhere near affordable for the average Mozambican.   

We are asking everyone to please pray for Judite and for their baby, Marvelous, as she is also very sick and vomiting.  Judite’s mother is taking care of Marvelous at this time while Pastor Abel is trying to take care of Judite. 

Please join us in prayer for this precious family.

A Little Something I'd Like To Share

Posted by Susan Collmorgen on Saturday, July 10, 2010

Many times I just can’t get enough of God’s Word. I often hunger for His “daily bread.” It’s during these times of hunger that I dive in to His Word, and in response He reveals things to me. Sometimes it’s a deeper understanding of something I thought I already had a pretty good grasp on, and other times He gives me an understanding of things that I may not have ever really understood to begin with.

When these moments occur, I like to write…and write…and write. I like to record the process to further implant it in my mind and heart. There’s something so powerful about these times, and they are moments I truly treasure.

A few days ago I had one of these moments, and I’ve decided that I want to share with you what I learned. At first I was going to post it as a blog, but since the writing is rather long, Jason suggested we put it into a PDF format as an e-booklet which will make it easier for others to read. He helped me so much by designing it and formatting it.

Thank you, honey, for your work and insight on my first e-booklet.

Everyone else, I hope reading it blesses you as much as the writing and revelation process has blessed me.

Download eBooklet Now »

To download, right click the link above and choose "save target as."

Feel free to share it with others.