Please continue to pray for Dave and Melissa Whitcher and their family. We at Baptist Church Planters are grateful for their labor of love and the encouragement that they have given to others. At the present time, because of David’s health, the family is going to be working in a different role. The Whitchers are going to be serving as consultants on the BCP Hispanic team. Herb and Wanda Taylor will be overseeing Hispanic Ministry within the BCP organization. Dave and Melissa are going to be serving in a local church context. However, they will continue to be a resource to those in Hispanic Ministry. They have been an ecouragement to many people and many in Hispanic ministry wish to thank God for the impact this family has had on their lives and their ministries. Our desire is for many to know the great love this family has for not only Hispanics, but for those who are serving the Hispanic communities.
Pray for Dave to regain the capacity of his health. Pray for them to be able to get disability coverage. Pray for their move and purchase of a home. Pray that God will continue to bless and encourage them as they transition into their role as consultants and that God would give them fulfillment.
Here is some of their recent prayerletter:
Thank you for praying with us that God would give us wisdom considering a move. We have some huge praises to share. First, we put our house on the market and it sold within three days! As a result we will be moving the middle of August to Tyler, Texas. Melissa’s parents will be there and we are in the process of making some decisions with family about how to be together long-term.
Another praise is that God has provided most of the means needed to move and to acquire a house.
Finally, there is a praise that just happened today. A few weeks ago we took a quick trip to Tyler, TX to look for housing. We found that anything within our price range were “fixer-uppers” for which David has no strength. Our last day there, we came across a beautiful new home built in 2008. It was a foreclosure but was not at all unkept nor damaged. They were asking about $25,000 under what the home was worth. We put an offer in several thousand dollars under that. We were outbid by another buyer. Well, today our realtor called and said that the buyer had fallen through and that the seller was interested in looking at our bid again! Isn’t that just like God!? We increased our offer a little and are now waiting on the Lord. If this does not come through then we will still move to Tyler and rent for a while until the right home comes along.
We are overwhelmed and so thankful for God’s sovereign hand and clear direction.
DISABILITY
Thanks for your encouragement, prayers, and great advice. We have made the appeal to Social Security disability. This appeal is the second in a three step process. God could work it out, but those familiar with the system tell us that this appeal will likely be rejected after it is processed during the next four to six months. The third step then will allow us to make our case before a judge and provide the best chance of receiving benefits. Based on the wisdom of our doctors, sending church, and missions agency, we are committed to go the distance.
