Greetings in the precious name of Jesus Christ Who is our only means of salvation. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.
Isaiah 53:1-12, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 ¶Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 ¶Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
As we approach the new year, I would like to a little of your time to review 2025; a year that will not be forgotten in the lives of Mavis and I. To say the least, it has been a very difficult year for the both of us. Yet, in all of this, Jesus has been there with us and for us in all of the journey we traveled through 2025.
Let me start in March, where after preaching the first day of a Camp Meeting in Bristol, Tennessee, I suffered a heart attack the very next day. I was taken to the hospital, where on the second day there, I had a stroke. After spending a week in the hospital I was released to spend the next 9 weeks in Intensive Cardiac Rehab. During this time, before and after rehab, I went through many tests including: MRI, Pet Scans, Xrays, more scans, numerous blood work, physical therapy, a few other things I can’t remember at this time. In all, I spent from March 23 to July 28 in Bristol, Tennessee before I returned back home to Port Byron, New York. Let me say at this point, Glory to God for His tending to the flock there at Port Byron. Not once was the flock without a shepherd, God supplied from within the body. Through all the rehab I lost 55 pounds, gained all my strength back, and continue to feel good and remain on my diet I was taught at rehab, with a few days here and there wandering off to the pizza parlor and ice cream shop. God has been good to me.
Moving on now to my wife Mavis: in September she had her 6 month checkup with our family physician. It was at this meeting a lump in each breast was evident by an outward exam. Time quickly moved on from there. Within a few days she had a mammogram, followed by a biopsy. It was determined she had breast cancer. It was now the last full week of October. I was scheduled to preach at the fall Camp Meeting in Bristol, Tennessee. Suffice it to say here that when we started our service for our Lord and Saviour it was here we were sent out from, baptized, and ordained. So we have many friends and ties here. Mavis insisted we go to the Camp Meeting. So we searched out a surgeon in Bristol, with the help of our friends, scheduled an appointment; gathered up all the results from her tests in Auburn, New York, and headed to Bristol again. Mavis had her surgery the 24th of November. She had both breasts removed. She went through all the necessary follow-up procedures of which I would rather not talk about. So, she has been here in Bristol since the last full week of October. I have been traveling back and forth to the work in New York since that time. My daughter and two of our sons, and one granddaughter have been taking care of her during my times of absence. I am now back here in Bristol. We sent our children home for Christmas. We thank God for our children. They are so precious and caring for their parents. Mavis and I spent Christmas together. We are now waiting for 2 important meetings with the Oncologist and the Radiation doctor on the 8th and 9th of January. Prayers are needed and appreciated. These meetings will determine if she needs chemotherapy or not; and how much radiation she will need; and when either or both will start. The base is covered at the Work in New York, so I will remain here till all is determined by the doctors.
So, between the two of us, we have spent over half of 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee due to health issues. We both spent our birthdays (in November), Thanksgiving and Christmas here. Both of us thank you for your prayers and letters and cards and packages you have sent. You are dear to our hearts. We love you. Please continue to pray. Pray for my travels back to New York when the time comes. It is winter. Thank you.
Our Mission address is 8505 South Street Road, Port Byron, NY 13140. Our home address is 1371 Berger Road, Port Byron, NY 13140. And for the time being our address here is: 1528 Vance Tank Road, Bristol, TN 37620.
GOD IS GOOD!
Don and Mavis