"Stopped In Our Tracks!"

 

Winter 2021

Dear Praying Friends,

“Two weeks to flatten the curve” has turned into almost two years, and unfortunately there seems to be no end in sight to the COVID virus. Every facet of society has been negatively affected in some way. In our area, churches are still shutting down from time to time as cases pop up. The arrival of the flu season complicates the matter even more.

I wish I could give you some encouraging news, but there is no “beating around the bush”, as they say. Our nursing home ministry in both Ohio and Pennsylvania has suffered greatly due to restrictions and closures. Strangely, I was allowed into one local facility to be with a family whose loved one was dying, but we continue to be shut out from having in-person services.

We continue our “live-stream” Friday morning Bible studies into the nursing homes each week on Facebook. I recently received a favorable reply from one of our nursing homes who just learned about these video studies, and that they expressed they were going to pass along the information. All we can hope for is that those Activity Directors who feel our ministry is valuable will share this within their network with other AC’s as well.

We are grateful to the Lord for watching over us, keeping us healthy, and supplying our needs, and are humbled by the fact that all of our supporting churches have faithfully stayed with us through this difficult time. If there was something more we could do to minister more effectively, believe me, we would be doing it. We have had a tremendous relationship with all of the nursing homes that we have ministered in for the past 15 years, and I know they are as anxious as we are to have us back in their facilities.

Obviously, the greatest need is prayer. Prayer that the “pandemic” would cease. Prayer that the nursing homes would allow us full access without any restrictions. Prayer that God would save souls through our Friday morning video Bible studies. May God continue to bless you as you minister in your corner of His field through the holidays and into the coming year!

Sincerely,

Pastor Norm Aabye

Is No News, Good News?

Well, you've probably heard the saying, "No news is good news". But is it? Not necessarily. I know it's been some time since we've provided any kind of update from the mission field of the nursing homes. We honestly do not have much to report. The COVID virus continues to limit  our ministry, at least from an in-person standpoint. But we have not ceased in our attempt to bring the gospel to those who are "living on the brink of eternity". 

In our last update I shared that earlier in the year I had developed a Friday morning Bible study designed for the nursing homes called "Making A Difference". With a weekly half-hour format, I have continued to bring relevant Bible messages that can be used by those in the nursing home activity departments for group watching. The good news is that the comments have been positive from those who have made this a part of their calendar of activities. The residents have missed us (and we, them) and are eager to have us back with our normal schedule services.

The bad news is that by and large the nursing homes remain closed to us, as well as most outside ministries or visitors. When some of the homes thought it would be safe to open, a breakout of new COVID cases occurred, causing them to shut down again. For those who are trying to accommodate outside ministries, the restrictions range from the difficult to the almost ridiculous. Most require that we show proof of vaccination for COVID, which we have not yet chosen to do. My wife has a low tolerance for shots. And, as you probably remember from last summer's report, we both had cases of COVID back in August. Over the past several months, my wife has had surgery and numerous medical tests (she is okay). Through all of this, one of my wife's doctors told her that she probably shouldn't get the vaccine, especially since we probably have a sufficient degree of immunity from having had the virus. I know this is a controversial topic, but we have repeatedly been told this by many in the medical profession this year. Frankly, we are in agreement with some nurses and doctors that we have chatted with, that there are too many unknowns associated with the vaccines, and would like to allow some time to see how this all pans out in the coming year before we decide what to do. 

That being said, there is no way to predict when we will be allowed to get back into the nursing homes in person. We will continue the Friday morning "live-streaming" videos, and will keep in contact with Activity Directors. We will also look for new avenues to reach individuals and groups within the homes.  Believe me, they are as eager as we are to have us back. In the meantime, we appreciate your faithfulness in standing with us in this much needed ministry. 

Pastor Norm Aabye

C.A.R.E. Ministries/"Making A Difference"

Making A Difference!

Well, here we are just days away from Christmas, 2020! It has been a difficult year for our ministry and we so much appreciate those churches and individuals who have faithfully stood by us during this time. The COVID-19 virus has all but brought our in-person nursing home ministry to a halt! Although I have been in contact with Activity Directors, the news they provide about possible soon re-openings is not very positive. 

With that in mind, we are beginning a new video ministry this month that we hope and pray will be an encouragement to those who have been isolated for so long with no personal visits. Our verse for our ministry has been Jude 22: "Of some have compassion, making a difference",  so we are calling this video ministry, "Making A Difference". Each Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. I will be doing a live-stream service, on my Facebook page, similar to what we normally do in the homes, with music and a Bible study. We have contacted the Activity Directors in the facilities in which we minister, asking them to make this on-line ministry available to those interested via the television network in the homes, or to individuals in their rooms on their tablets, laptops, or cell phones. So far, the response of this anticipated new ministry has been very positive. 

If you are reading this, and are an Activity Director in a nursing home, or are an employee of a nursing, or have a loved one or friend in a nursing home, or are a Pastor who has had a nursing home ministry that has been curtailed by the pandemic, we would appreciate you letting those who are in charge of activities in your local facility know about this ministry opportunity. One of the benefits of doing this on my Facebook page is that the services will remain available on the page, so that if the activity department is not able to view the Bible study "live, they can access it at another time more convenient to them. 

The days in which we live require us to take innovative steps to continue to proclaim the Gospel. We are asking God to use this social-media ministry to reach those who otherwise might not have access to solid, Bible-oriented teaching. May God continue to bless you this season as you serve the One who is the "Reason for the Season"!

Pastor Norm Aabye

"Making A Difference"

Summer 2020 Update

 

It’s been quite some time since we’ve been in contact with our supporting churches. Sadly, there has been very little to report almost since the first of the year. As you can expect, the COVID19 virus pandemic has seriously affected ministries such as ours. We have been prohibited from entering any nursing home since March. I have been in contact with some staff members of the facilities in which we minister, but they have offered little hope of our being able to personally minister in the near future as we have in the past.

One bright note, I was contacted by an Activity Director at a nearby facility who asked me if I would do an “outdoor” service for the residents. So, I did just that. The residents were seated under a canopy and I was approximately 20 feet from them. Although I was told it was not necessary for me to wear a mask, which I did not while singing, I did put one on to preach, so I could move around a little. I was reluctant to do anything that would put the Activity Director in jeopardy who had so graciously provide this opportunity. Unfortunately, attempting to preach with a mask on is, as they say, “a whole different ball game”! I had to turn away several times and pull down the mask to get some oxygen. Twice I thought I would pass out! But the Lord prevailed and we had a good service. The residents expressed their gratitude for me coming, and it was good to see familiar faces of those we’ve ministered to before all of this began. The facility felt it was a good move to have such a service for the residents so they are going to schedule me to do it again! Unusual times require unusual methods!

I have been doing a Friday morning “live-feed” devotional on Facebook that I call “Bread From My Table”. One of our nursing home Activity Directors contacted me and told me that she was going to use my new Friday morning series on The Beatitudes for a group activity as soon as they're able. They will gather people together and run the series through their computer and TV. Another innovative way to continue to minister!

On a negative note, both my wife and I contracted the COVID19 virus at the end of July. Fortunately, it was a relatively mild case compared to some. This virus is crazy, though, and the side-effects seem to be more long-term than many realize. I lost my sense of taste and smell at the outset and have not yet had them return. Our son in Kentucky spent a week in the hospital with a very serious case of COVID pneumonia. The Lord miraculously brought him out of it and he is doing well, "chomping at the bit", as they say,  to resume his pastoral ministry. 

We are eager to get back into the nursing homes again, but obviously, there is nothing we can do until this whole mess is over. Residents are experiencing a degree of loneliness that they have never before felt. Most have not had a personal visit from loved ones since March. We MUST continue to try any way we can, any “unusual” method, if necessary, to bring the Good News of Christ to those “living on the brink of Eternity”, and to show them that someone cares. 

We appreciate so much all who pray for this ministry and have helped us with financial support during these uncertain times. There will no doubt be fruit to your account in Heaven one day! May God continue to bless you.

Serving Him Together,

Norm & Priscilla Aabye

Missions Conference Update

As I mentioned in our last post, Autumn is the season for missions conferences in many churches. In October we were in Ohio at South Ridge Baptist Church's annual conference. This month we were privileged to attend Harvest Baptist Church's conference in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Brother Jeremy McClain is the pastor there and God is using him and his family to do a great work for the Kingdom!
Dr. Al Stone, from Canada, was the keynote speaker each night, and although I had never met him before, I found out we knew some of the same people. Small world, the world of missions!
The church had decorated Sunday School rooms with themes according to the missionaries that were in the conference. Canada, Argentina, Norway, and....yes....the nursing homes! As I was given a tour of each one, they were done very well. But when they brought me to the last room, I had to laugh. It was decorated just like a nursing home room. Small bed, some furniture. But the best part was the two "people" sitting in rocking chairs. They had made two "stuffed" people and one of them had a photograph face of the pastor, Bro. McClain! Really funny! Unfortunately, my phone was out in the car and I didn't get a chance to take picture of it.
We were able to show one of the five videos we've made that show the urgent need of reaching the elderly, and all those in nursing homes, with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This particular video documented the F2 tornado that hit and destroyed part of  the Rolling Fields Eldercare facility in Conneautville, PA last year. It was a sobering reminder of the brevity of life and the need to know Christ as Saviour.
After the video, I preached a brief message I've entitled "Memories". One of the saddest things to see as we develop friendships with those who are residents of the nursing homes, is the fact that much, if not most, of their personal possessions must be left behind when they move into their new
surroundings. A home-full of items collected over the year, must be disposed of. Precious belongings that testify of a life well-lived, must be given away or sold off. Life will now be relegated to a small square room, often shared with another person, where a closet and a chest of drawers, a bed and a chair are the only furnishings. When we go into a room, we see on the walls, pictures. Pictures of family members. Pictures of past events. Pictures of pets. It's all there. But it's only a "memory". Sadly, a life of 80 or 90+ years is reduced to "memories". This is why it's so important to allow residents whom you encounter in your visit to talk. They have so much to say. Let them go on and on! Let them bring up their childhood, their school years, their marriage, their children. It's good for them, and it will help you appreciate the importance of your visit. Memories help reduce the loneliness.
But the greatest memory we want nursing home residents to keep is the day they came to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. We want to share with them the fact that they can have assurance that an eternity in Heaven awaits them because of what the Saviour has done for them on the cross of Calvary. We want them, as they share with someone else,to recall the greatest memory of how they came into a real relationship with God through His Son.
We are so thankful for faithful churches, like Harvest Baptist Church, that continue to stand with us and make it possible for us to minister in the nursing homes, assisted living centers, and Alzheimer care facilities in northwestern PA and northeastern OH.

Autumn Conferences

The autumn season brings with it cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, shorter days....and missions conferences. Recently we had the privilege of providing an update of our ministry to one of our supporting churches that has been with us since we began C.A.R.E. Ministries back in 2016. Conneaut, Ohio is home of South Ridge Baptist Church, where Dr. Roger Hogle has pastored for over 50 years! I had the opportunity to preach twice during the conference and provide some special music the final night. We have made many friends over the years at South Ridge and it is always great to spend time with them. This church is truly a missions-minded church. Not only do they financially support many missionaries, but a group from the church travels to Haiti on a regular basis, delivering supplies to an orphanage they have supported for years. They don't just talk missions; they practice missions!
One of the blessings of missions conferences is seeing and renewing friendships with missionaries we have come to know over the years. We compare notes, encourage each other, laugh a lot, share some meals, and learn what God has been doing on our respective fields since the last time we got together. But meeting new missionaries, either veterans who have spent their lives serving God in far-reaching places, or young couples who are raising support to go to the field for the first time, is always fascinating.
This year we have a new display to set up at conferences. Instead of the usual tabletop unit that unfolds, we have moved into the 21st century and have one of those pull-up displays that works like the old window shades. It's convenient to carry, sets up in a minute, and looks very professional. We've received a number of compliments on it already.
Time seems to move quickly this time of year and soon we'll be heading down to Greenville, Pennsylvania to Harvest Baptist Church, where Jeremy McClain is the pastor, to share and update of  our work with this dear congregation that has also been on board with us since the beginning of our ministry. I'll share our experience there later on this month.
We want to thank everyone who prays and who gives so that we can take the life-changing message of the gospel to the nursing homes of northeast Ohio and northwest  You are helping us to reach "America's fastest growing, yet most neglected mission field"!

Norm & Priscilla Aabye.

Spring 2019 Ministry Update

Spring, 2019

Greetings to all our friends and supporters!

It looks like we escaped a typical northwest Pennsylvania winter this year. It really wasn't too bad and now we are anticipating Springtime, with its sense of “newness”, as the gray and brown landscape comes to life! Sometimes living in the country has its downsides (dirt roads being one of them!), but knowing any day that the scene out our back window will change from brown to green makes it worthwhile.

In some ways, our ministry to the elderly in the nursing homes of northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio is like the change of seasons. 90% of those residing in the nursing homes and assisted living facilities are merely “religious”. All of their lives they have been “going through the motions” of Christianity without actually knowing the Saviour, living a sort of “winter” existence. It is so rewarding to see someone who has lived without the hope of Heaven come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and to see their “season” of life change from one of a barren winter to the rebirth of springtime.

I thought it might be good to share a few “tips” by way of our quarterly letters to help our supporting churches who are conducting their own nursing home ministries. Although the majority of the homes that we minister in are located in Pennsylvania, I have to say that we have seen much fruit for the Kingdom of God in Ohio. The Ashtabula County Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a place where the people really enjoy hearing the Word of God preached. Many have been saved there, and the staff is really “on board” with what we are doing, which really helps. In fact, we have one nurse who does, what I call, “pre-evangelism”! She is born-again and openly shares her faith with residents. On occasion, she has brought me to someone after our service, whom she has already witnessed to, and who is ready to receive Christ. What a blessing that is!

Having said that, let me say that occasionally I hear from a church that is having trouble getting into a nursing home to minister, or has been told there will be limitations on what they can say or do. A nursing home must provide religious services when desired by the residents. When there is a problem in bringing such services, it is usually due to an Activity Director who, for some reason, has no interest in them, or does not want to be bothered gathering people together for such a service. An initial meeting with the AD, sharing your burden and interest in being a help to her in providing a scheduled activity, may solve the problem. If that doesn't work, speaking with the administrator of the nursing home may be required to get you on the calendar. Unfortunately, much effective nursing home ministry

rises or falls on a cooperative activities staff. We have experienced some difficulties where we have been “pre-empted” on the schedule by some other activity and were not told until we arrived for our service. That can happen occasionally. When it happens repeatedly, it's time to find out why. We have had to step away from several homes over the years who apparently didn't consider our ministry as a vaulable asset to their schedule of activities. I will say, though, that is rare. On the upside, we have never been asked to “adjust” our message or methods over the past 13 years, for which we are very grateful. Part of that, I believe, is due to the fact that we have been blessed with AD's who understand and appreciate why we are there. If your church is thinking about starting a nursing home ministry, and we can be a help in any way, please contact us. We would consider it a privilege to come and do a seminar that will provide some real encouragement to your people to get invovled in reaching the mostly “unreached” segment of society.

I know many ask about Priscilla's eye problem. She continues to require the injections on a 6 week rotation. The retinal surgeon is satisfied that these treatments are working and believe that they can maintain her current vision by the injections. She was recently experiencing some additional pain during the treatments due to the change in the way they prep the eye prior to the injection. The doctor graciously has required his staff to do everything possible in prepping the eye to make sure the treatment is as painless as possible (of course it is impossible to eliminate all pain) by going back to the previous procedure which made her a little more comfortable. It is disheartening to realize that she will have to continue these treatment. There is no other remedy for this problem (believe me, we have researched this!), and her retinal surgeon group is highly recommended. So, she would appreciate your continued prayers. Thankfully, Medicare pays for virtually all of the costs of treatment.

As always, we want to thank you for your prayers and support as we seek to represent you on the mission field of the nursing homes of northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. May God continue to bless you all. If you would like us to come and provide an update of our ministry at your missions conference, please contact us.

Norm & Priscilla Aabye

C.A.R.E. Ministries