A Pastoral Letter from our Missionaries - Doug and Liz Searles

As we prepare to leave U.S. friends and take up our new ministry in
Poland, our hearts are full. Our hearts go out to the many of you we
have gotten to know in the Iowa DOC during our ministry there, during
our time in China, and over our months of missionary itineration. In
our minds' eye, we can picture each of your churches and many of your
faces (and we still can taste many of your wonderful dinners). This
makes watching the evening news all the more poignant.

And now oceans of water will separate us. Most often, we like to
think of healing waters, life giving waters, baptismal waters, or the
waters of justice and mercy that flow down and feed the parched
desert lands.

This year, however, between the Myanmar floods, quakes and flooding
in areas we served in China, and the flooding in our beloved midwest
in America, it's hard to see water as anything but a destroyer of
lives, crops and property. We are still awaiting news of a few
classroom teachers we've trained--friends we have left behind in
China. We pray that they are safe, but fear the worst and haven't
yet been able to get news.

Often this May and June, the words of the third verse of "How Firm a
Foundation" have echoed unbidden in our minds:

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of woe
shall not thee overflow; for I will be with thee, thy troubles to
bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress."

Sometimes God calls us to pass through deep waters, and we don't have
any absolute assurance that we'll safely reach the other side.
Passing through deep waters almost always is an act of faith, of
physical and emotional courage, and often of the spiritual courage to
recover and act to be a healing presence to others in the midst of
our own immobilizing loss and grief. These are not easy acts, these
acts of courage in the deep waters that surge around us. They are
difficult, testing our faith in and connection to God.

Please know that our prayers are with each and all of you as you act
with heart, with faith, with wisdom, and with courage and commitment
in these times of deep waters.

July 30 we leave for Poland and our new assignment there with the
Evangelical Reformed Church, and jointly with the DoC/UCC Global
Missions. Our new friends in Poland will be praying, too, for
recovery and restoration in your homes, churches, and communities.

"When through the deep waters I call you to go . . . . . I will be
with you," says our God. We give thanks that this is so!

May you feel God's peace~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~in the midst of all storms.
Liz & Doug Searles en route to Poland
and Mackenzie working at Shoals Marine Lab for the summer and Mick
(still willing to travel with us)

We're always happy to hear your news!
thesearles@gmail.com
712 540 4901