End of 2021 Newsletter

 Dear family and friends,

The year is almost over. After 2020, we are grateful for what we were able to do, even though it was a scaled-back version of pre-Covid years. Looking back, we want to give thanks to you who have encouraged, supported, and prayed for us this year. Most of all, we want this Christmas season to be a season of praise to God for His grace in our lives through this year so we filled in this “Thankful” acrostic.

Trip to South America: For the first time since Covid shut borders throughout our world, we were able to travel. In Arequipa, Peru, I taught about Biblical finances to the Bible Institute students and spent hours with the church leaders going over qualifications for those in leadership in the church. Joan taught the children’s workers how to plan lessons and advised the children’s teachers on developing their own curriculum.

Abigail and Joan

Health: Two years have passed since my stroke. Life changed dramatically that day, but God continues to give grace for ministry. I tire more easily, but the trip to Peru proved that being able to teach invigorates me.

Abigail: Abigail is an eleven-year-old girl in Peru. When she was three, her parents asked us to be her “spiritual parents.” Due to the distance between us, we cannot do much more than pray, but we are delighted to see her growing academically, socially, and spiritually. We look forward to seeing how God will use her.

Next year: We are expecting a busy year in 2022. Right now we are planning five trips abroad: to Bolivia, the Amazon, Luxembourg and Spain, Mexico, and Liberia. Of course, much can change between now and then.

Kindness of neighbors: We were in Maine when we received a call from our neighbor about a tree that had fallen in our yard. We are thankful that they were willing to check for damage to the house (none) and to take pictures for us.

Family and friends: The encouragement we receive from our family and friends helps to motivate us in our ministry despite fatigue or discouragement.

Unreached goals: We still have things we want to do before
God calls us home. We thank God for these unreached goals as they keep us pressing on.

Love: Your love demonstrated to us in many ways has encouraged us many times. However, God’s love keeps us throughout the trials and triumphs of life.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers. We look forward to seeing what God will do in the coming year.

Your partners with missionaries around the world,

Charlie and Joan Farley

November News

On Thursday, November 13, confusing questions battled for my attention as I drove to the hospital. Would Charlie survive the stroke, or would it kill him as it killed my grandfather? Would I arrive at the hospital only to be told, “I’m so sorry. We did all we could, but we couldn’t save him.” Would it handicap him so that our ministry would end? 

Swatting at the tears and determined to stay focused on my driving, I kept going. I told the Lord once again, as I have many times throughout our years of marriage, that Charlie is a gift that He gave to me, and He has the right to take him home whenever He chooses. (He doesn’t need my permission, but it helps my heart to say it.) I reaffirmed my trust in the Almighty who knows what the future holds.

Charlie not only survived, but we arrived at the hospital in time for them to give him an injection of tPA, a “miracle drug” for stroke patients. He was released from the hospital four days later. He has now recovered almost all of his physical ability and strength, but his brain is still healing. Speaking, reading, and writing are still difficult.

The day he was released from the hospital, we were supposed to fly to Bolivia. Once again our ministry in Bolivia was put on hold, though the political situation in that country may have meant that our hosts would have asked us to stay home anyway. We are looking at trying again in July or August of next year.

Today we thank God.

• I was with Charlie when the stroke happened.
• The ambulance arrived quickly and the doctors expect Charlie to fully recover.
• Charlie was home for my birthday. He brought me the card he intended to give to me in Bolivia and said, “I’m so glad I get to give this to you today.”

Thank you for your prayers for us. Please keep them coming. Pray that:

• Peace would return to Bolivia and that the Christians there would shine as lights for God during this difficult time.
• Charlie would heal completely from the stroke and be able to return to a full schedule.
• Charlie's project for his doctoral studies would not be postponed too much because of this incident.
• We would be able to accompany the mission’s team from our church when they go to Jamaica in January. Charlie may not be ready to teach yet, but it looks like he will be able to go.
• Charlie would be ready to teach a module in the Philippines in March.
• Pray that future years would be even more fruitful than the past years have been.

Evidently, God still has work for us to do. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Photo: Charlie in the hospital