October 14, 2017
Dear Prayer Partners
I am not sure why I am so slow sometimes! It can take me some time to truly grasp the reality of the Word of God. For example, I was reading in my devotional time this morning, Psalm 46:1:
“God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.”
Now, I have read this verse before. I have quoted it and I may have even preached on it. However, I have discovered that it is a totally different thing, to be actually living out its reality!
God IS our refuge! This is not a religious concept. It is not a means of wishful thinking. It isn’t some sappy spiritual love song written long ago. It is truth! And our family is living it out in real time. We have hidden ourselves in him and found our strength. When I speak out to others about our family situation(s) and hear it all said, it is pretty big stuff! Yet, we are not overwhelmed! Our Lord’s grace is, indeed, sufficient. During what is one of the most stressful experiences of our married life, we are experiencing the greatest sense of our God’s power and provision. This time of separation is only proving to bring us closer.
I shake my head at it all! How can this be? I KNOW this stuff! Darin and I have followed the Lord as Savior for half of our lives. But it really is totally different when you are placed in a situation where the Lord is really all you have; when He ALONE is your strength.
It is both a painful and a powerful place to be, equally at the same time.
Why did it take cancer to show this to me?
Could it be that the Lord will make this season of sickness and suffering one of the most precious experience of our lives?
Perhaps. But, I do know that our God specializes in taking pain and making it gain. He is able to take our crosses and cause them to become a display of his resurrection power at work in our weakness.
This gospel stuff? It’s REAL!
Thank you. Darin and I know that we know that we know that our ability to come through this refining fire as pure gold isn’t because we are so great, but because of God’s grace and your prayers. YOU share in our victory! YOU have a part in our testimony of God’s faithfulness. We are confident that our strength in this storm is because of your standing in the gap on our behalf.
Please don’t stop! We aren’t through this yet. The waves are not crashing over us but they are still high enough that we aren’t able to withstand them on our own. The wind isn’t at hurricane strength but it is still pretty windy, nonetheless. Darin still has trouble swallowing, and is only able to drink clear liquids. This means he is losing significant weight. It also means he is not having proper sleep. He is just starting to get more sleep in the past couple days. Before that, the longest amount of sleep that he has had at one time since October 4th was 2 hours. Again, it is your prayers keeping him going! How does someone go 9 days without sleeping and still function?
We give God glory for his goodness and praise Him for our prayer partners!
In Him, Tonya
Prayer Partners Prayer Requests October 2017
Dear Prayer Partners
I am not sure why I am so slow sometimes! It can take me some time to truly grasp the reality of the Word of God. For example, I was reading in my devotional time this morning, Psalm 46:1:
“God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.”
Now, I have read this verse before. I have quoted it and I may have even preached on it. However, I have discovered that it is a totally different thing, to be actually living out its reality!
God IS our refuge! This is not a religious concept. It is not a means of wishful thinking. It isn’t some sappy spiritual love song written long ago. It is truth! And our family is living it out in real time. We have hidden ourselves in him and found our strength. When I speak out to others about our family situation(s) and hear it all said, it is pretty big stuff! Yet, we are not overwhelmed! Our Lord’s grace is, indeed, sufficient. During what is one of the most stressful experiences of our married life, we are experiencing the greatest sense of our God’s power and provision. This time of separation is only proving to bring us closer.
I shake my head at it all! How can this be? I KNOW this stuff! Darin and I have followed the Lord as Savior for half of our lives. But it really is totally different when you are placed in a situation where the Lord is really all you have; when He ALONE is your strength.
It is both a painful and a powerful place to be, equally at the same time.
Why did it take cancer to show this to me?
Could it be that the Lord will make this season of sickness and suffering one of the most precious experience of our lives?
Perhaps. But, I do know that our God specializes in taking pain and making it gain. He is able to take our crosses and cause them to become a display of his resurrection power at work in our weakness.
This gospel stuff? It’s REAL!
Thank you. Darin and I know that we know that we know that our ability to come through this refining fire as pure gold isn’t because we are so great, but because of God’s grace and your prayers. YOU share in our victory! YOU have a part in our testimony of God’s faithfulness. We are confident that our strength in this storm is because of your standing in the gap on our behalf.
Please don’t stop! We aren’t through this yet. The waves are not crashing over us but they are still high enough that we aren’t able to withstand them on our own. The wind isn’t at hurricane strength but it is still pretty windy, nonetheless. Darin still has trouble swallowing, and is only able to drink clear liquids. This means he is losing significant weight. It also means he is not having proper sleep. He is just starting to get more sleep in the past couple days. Before that, the longest amount of sleep that he has had at one time since October 4th was 2 hours. Again, it is your prayers keeping him going! How does someone go 9 days without sleeping and still function?
We give God glory for his goodness and praise Him for our prayer partners!
In Him, Tonya
Prayer Partners Prayer Requests October 2017
- Praise God with us for the exceptional support and encouragement provided during our Deputation tour.
- Pray for Darin’s healing and restoration. He needs a miracle especially on his swallowing.
- Pray that Darin will regain lost weight due to an inability to eat or drink.
- Praise God for His mercy on Haiti and his minimizing Hurricane Irma’s impact on the country.
- Pray for the Kucey family as they experience separation as a family.
- Pray for peace for each member of the family, especially the Kucey children.
- Pray for Cory as he is in his third year at Olivet University.
- Pray for Darin to be able to have restful sleep.
- Pray for Christ’s covering over the Kucey marriage and ministry.
- Pray that the test results on Darin’s second lymph node comes back negative and that no further treatment will be needed, allowing him to return to Haiti as soon as possible.
- Pray for Tonya and Karissa as they remain in Haiti without Darin, continuing in the ministry of WW as well as in finishing Karissa’s graduating year.
- Pray for healing of heart wounds experienced this past year in the Kucey household.
- Please pray for Ryan’s spiritual awakening as well as the Lord’s blessing on his position of employment.
- Pray for our Work and Witness staff; Colson, Fatil, Asnat, Wilio, Michel as well as the 35 other contracted employees; masons, welders, painters etc.
- Ask the Lord for Spirit-directed wisdom for all the many ministry and family related decisions needed to be made on a daily basis.
- Ask for the Lord for his blessing on the other Nazarene missionaries in Haiti and ministries; NCM, Haiti Water Project, Haiti Hot Lunch Program, the 63 JESUS Film teams and Seminary.
- Pray for revival in Haiti!
- Pray for the at-risk children of Haiti, especially the street children, Restaveks and orphans.
- Ask the Lord to provide encouragers for the Kucey family; sidelining those that would add harm to their household.
- Please pray for Karissa and all aspects of her life; spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, academically and socially. Pray for healthy friendships for her here in Haiti.
- Petition the Lord for his protection upon the Kucey family as they live and travel throughout the country; that no weapon forged against them will prosper against them or their ministry.
- Pray for physical health and healing for each member of the Kucey family.
- Ask the Lord to increase His level of love in the lives of Darin, Tonya and Karissa for Haiti and its people.
- Praise God for the time that Tonya and Darin were able to spend together during the Canada Atlantic District Pastor and Spouses’ Retreat in late September.
