Dear Supporters,
It is always with boundless joy and appreciation that I come to you via this prayer letter! I never take for granted the sacrifices that all of you make in time and gifts to support this ministry that the Lord has called us to. The Lord has been gracious to allow this undeserving sinner to experience not only His saving grace, but also the privilege to serve Him. We are eternally grateful and totally committed to running and finishing this race before us.
On July 14th, I underwent right knee replacement surgery at a local hospital here in the Houston area. Other than listening to what others told me who had gone through this procedure, I had no idea what awaited me. Since the surgery, I have been at home in recovery, as well as going to rehab twice a week close to where we live. If anything has surprised me, it is the time it takes to recover, as well as the slowness of the recovery. I am not as young as I used to be, and because of that I have found that I do not bounce back from things as I once did. The doctor told me that with this surgery no one recovers the way they thought they might, other than a few exceptions. I was not one of those exceptions.
I have had to cancel ten meetings to give myself time to sufficiently heal, which has put me out of commission for most of July and all of August. Nevertheless, I am seeing hope as I am planning to return to our schedule during the first full week of September. Most of our meetings during that time are local and do not involve the long trips the doctors have counseled me to avoid.
The week before I had the surgery, I was able to serve with Brother Kenneth Jackson and the sweet folk of the Dyersdale Baptist Church in Coldspring, Texas, for their annual camp meeting. What a blessed time of worship and fellowship we had, and the Lord anointed the preaching and the singing.
I close this report for July and August with gratitude in my heart for the prayers and support every one of you have provided. May the Lord bless you all. Joni and I look forward to seeing you at some point in the future!
In His service,
Brother Mark Thrift
