Year End Wrap-up

 

December, 2022

Dear Praying Friends,

As we close out this year of ministry to the nursing homes, we want to thank each of you for your faithful prayers and financial support during 2022. Needless to say, this past year has been an unusual time for our ministry. With the relaxing of some of the COVID restrictions, a number of our nursing homes have been slowly opening to us again. It is amazing that there are so many differences in the current restrictions, everything from just wearing a mask into the facility but not wearing it once we’re ministering, to ‘facial recognition’ machines, checking of temperatures, and even standing behind a plastic shield! Some have refused to allow us back in because, although we had the virus before, we have not been vaccinated. However, beginning in January, we will be ministering once again in one of the larger facilities here in Pennsylvania that had previously held to stringent restrictions, including the necessity of vaccinations. They have relaxed their restrictions and we are looking forward to getting back to this facility where there had been much fruitfulness for the gospel in the pre-COVID days.

Currently we are ministering at: Rolling Fields Eldercare (the largest facility in this part of PA), Juniper Village (where we are now inside, but held a tremendous outdoor service in late summer), Embassy Park (where the least restrictions make the service enjoyable, rather than bearable!), Fairview Manor (the have gone out of their way to make it possible for us to be there), Walnut Creek Nursing & Rehabilitation Center (we only have to wear mask “in the hallways”?!), and the Crawford County Care Center (where we’ll start again in January). We have three more facilities that we are trying to get back into, but so far have been refused.

One of our larger nursing homes south of here was eager to have us back and called saying we only had to wear mask. After a 45 minute drive, we arrived only to find out that I would have to wear a mask while preaching and singing and playing my guitar (extremely difficult, and not necessary as I was no closer than 20 feet to the people!) and Priscilla was told she could not pass out the song books to anyone, and had to retrieve the ones she already had I asked where they were getting their restrictions from and when they told me we had a conversation about what other nursing homes were doing to allow us in. The staff would not bend and unfortunately, we packed up and headed home. Pray that the administration at this nursing home would be willing to allow us back with minimal or no restrictions. As you can probably tell, this is turning into an extremely frustrating situation. If COVID variants return this winter in any force, I can only imagine what will happen to our ministry. Thankfully, one Activity Director told me that they will NOT shut down again. If anyone tests positive at their nursing home, they will simply move them to a separate wing. Makes good sense.

So, pray for us, when God brings us to mind. The nursing homes will never be unnecessary and will continue to be populated with those who are “living on the brink of eternity”. We pray that 2023 will be a more fruitful year in reaching these dear folks who are without a pastor, without a church, and without the Gospel. Thank you again for standing with us.

Norm & Priscilla Aabye

C.A.R.E. Ministries

"Slow, But Sure"

 August 3, 2022

As Summer begins to wind down, we're not quite sure how to anticipate what will take place in the nursing home ministry in the months ahead. Although COVID seems to have slowed down, the "variants" continue to create problems with our getting back into the facilities that we have ministered in for the past 15 years. Some have allowed us come back with minimal restrictions, such as wearing masks. Others, though, continue to require us to be vaccinated or tested on a regular basis. One has gone so far as to expect us to not only wear a mask but goggles as well. Obviously, there is a broad interpretation concerning protective measurements even within the same county. There's really not much we can do about this, so in addition to preaching in those places that have opened to us, we continue our weekly Friday morning devotional, Making A Difference, which is available for Activity Directors to pick up and "cast" from their phones onto a large screen TV before a group at the home.  

Several years ago, we produced a brief video to show in church missions conferences that had  an emphasis on recruiting people to duplicate our style of multiple nursing home ministries in various areas around the country. We have statistics for states and metropolitan areas that can help retired missionaries, retired pastors, or just those with a heart for reaching the elderly with the gospel, to develop a ministry similar to ours. Recently we have received texts from pastors who have people in their churches who are interested in beginning a nursing home ministry through their local church. We were able to supply not only information on developing an on-line ministry to one interested party in the mid-west, but in another case were able to supply a church down south with copies of several of our videos that really stirred the individual's heart for the work.  It is obvious that more people are seeing the need to reach what we have referred to as "the people group living on the brink of eternity!"  While our main purpose in sharing our ministry in churches remains encouraging partnership by supporting our work, we see now that recruitment and helping to start similar ministries is also of vital importance. If you would like us to come to your church to challenge your people in this way, please contact us.

Recently I had the opportunity to 
preach an outdoor service.

One more point of interest. After 35 years in the ministry, I am keenly aware that "home" missions, such as the nursing home ministry, are often not given the priority in a church's missions program. Some might even believe that such a ministry will not bear fruit for the church. But let me share something with you. Before COVID, we met a husband and wife in one of our larger facilities. They were solid Christians who had served the Lord for decades. The husband was no longer able to be at home and required nursing home care. Week after week, the wife brought her husband to our services. Finally, she began attending our church. In one of the most unusual circumstances, they both joined the church....he, without ever attending, but wanting to be part of Bible-preaching ministry before he passed!  As she shared her testimony for membership, she also spoke of her husband's salvation, which I had verified in a conversation with him. Eventually, the husband passed, and I was privileged to perform his memorial service. Turns out that the wife had been a Sunday School teacher and played the piano. She now leads our women's Bible study, plays both the piano and organ in our services, and has been such a blessing to our church ministry.. In addition, her granddaughter and family have also begun attending. All because of our nursing home ministry! Of course we don't minister for what we can get out of it, but because of the desire to put something (or Someone!) into the lives of those who recognize their need for the Saviour.

Well, the Lord can make a way and open doors. We are relying upon Him to continue to make our ministry fruitful and to allow us entrance back into the homes on our previous schedule. In the meantime, we would appreciate your prayers and we thank all of  you for your faithful support.

The Aabyes

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

"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.