The Ross Family

It has been a busy and exciting summer! End of July we were able to finally find and buy a house, we started remodeling it immediately. It needed a lot of work and a lot of the electrical and plumbing needed updated. Justin has been able to work on it over the last two months and we are thankful to be living in it now, while still under temporary construction! We have had some great weather to be able to have some outreach opportunities and its always exciting to see visitors come when we invite, taking time to building relationships with people really is what it’s all about, knowing that we care, makes people feel loved in Christ! The second week in August we had a great pleasure to host Pastor Phil Lydick & his family during Gateway Baptist Church VBS. It was a blessing to fellowship and serve together again as they came to be a blessing! Having them here with us in our community in Ketchikan was such a joy during this new transition of ministry! Our children enjoyed seeing their friends; it was a joy to see the girls together, we love Mark & Isaiah tooJ! We passed out a few hundred VBS invites with balloons at the local Blueberry Festival, and canvassed some neighborhoods passing out invites for VBS. Although the first night of VBS was a little low due to the beginning of a sever rainstorm that week, numbers grew each night and we had 3 professions of faith at the end of the week, one being our daughter Harmony! It was a joy for Harmony to not only get saved but follow in believers’ baptism shortly after! We were very thankful for the Lydick Family coming to help and be such an encouragement to our personal family, plus Gateway Baptist Church family! September weather came into full swing with the foliage changing. It is so beautiful even with all the rain we get every day. Justin has been working hard every day to finish up projects at the house before the changing of seasons into winter and the arrival of our newest member! In between GBC and the girls homeschool schedules we try hard to invite people to church everywhere we go! We have a new family that just moved to Ketchikan this summer, they are active duty in the Coast Guard. I talked with Justin, and we prayed about starting up a Military Wives Bible Study in our home soon after the arrival of Serenity. Please pray this would be a future success and help these military families grow a deeper relationship in Christ, while their husbands are away regularly, weeks at a time. We also have been praying during this year of transition that GBC would be able to take us on as a part time paid position. Then Justin will be able to work as a bi-vocational pastor, starting a part-time job this January. Since GBC is able to help us out financially and Justin has the opportunity to work part time in the community, we want your church or family to know that if you are wanting to support other missionaries then you are welcome to drop our support after the new year. We ask if you could continue through February, if the Lord leads your church or family to do so! We are delighted your church took our family on for support starting back in 2020 when we started our deputation trail and while finding a hometown to serve in Alaska. These past three years have flown by so fast, we give God the Glory for all the goodness He bestows! We also want your church or family to know that if you would like to continue supporting our work here in Southeast Alaska, you are welcome to do so and can send the support here to GBC since this is where our family is established members! Either way the Lord leads your church we want you to know from the bottom of our hearts, “Thank you” again for all your LOVE, PRAYERS & support, we are forever thankful & grateful for your KINDNESS to our family while serving Jesus in Alaska!

This past Wednesday sermon was on John 14 & 16 I was encouraged by both chaptersbut particularly John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” What a peace to have Jesus and to truly walk in His Comfort all our days!