Third Watch Ministries, NFP                                                Bob & Ellen Bollow

P.O. Box 1283                                                                         December 9, 2020

Wheaton, IL 60187-1283  

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?

Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Jeremiah 8:22

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope you have been hanging in there with the ups and downs of the assessment of health concerns by the Government and the back and forth of election results, if these kinds of things affect you where you are. These affect us inasmuch as the rigors of evangelism have been denied me. The school is closed up tight; even students must leave immediately after if they have a class that meets half time.  One student who works in security at the doors said they would certainly kick you off campus if you hung around outside the building to talk to students. So I’ve been forced into recovery mode. The best part of the year is teaching the students who come to our house for the Bible Study each week and keeping up with them through an occasional text or question about the Bible or life.

One of the young women who comes to Bible Study, Dorcas, has been a real encouragement to us. She is African American, her parents came here from Africa as immigrants and she was born here. Little by bit she woke up to the lies in social media, hanging around with us and listening to a growing list of Black social conservatives. (Some who would claim to be Christians, others who would not.) She began to see the Black Lives Matter movement for the lie that it was and rejected its Marxism. Sadly, she had lost friendships in her life of people – some even at church (hers is quite large). Her friends, except the ones in our Bible Study, use Twitter as their news feed and reject the teaching of the Scriptures on homosexuality, among other things. She began replying to the statements of others that were a regurgitation of leftist propaganda. Ironically, she was occasionally told she was racist. She would lose some friends over this but others would thank her privately for having the courage to point out what they believed but could not bring themselves to say. It was great to see her be willing to stand up for what she believed as it slowly crystallized for her. But even better to see her grow in the Lord. She told us the lockdown guided her to read the Bible more, pray more and even into some fasting.

She texted us encouragement and we were blessed to see one of our people (the Christians) not be destroyed by the lies, but turn to the Scriptures and her relationship with the Lord for strength.

“Hey guys!  Just wanted to say thank you for letting us stay til 2am.  Sorry bc I know you guys pray a long list of prayers before bed, sorry to keep you up late but just wanted to say I’m so thankful God put you guys in my life. You guys are such great parents honestly everyone appreciates your love so much, I very much so. At church rn, have a great day y’all cya soon.”

It is hard to be a black person in our society especially when your acquaintances, even at church, are attacking Christian values. There are a lot of attacks on you politically and spiritually, demons of seduction and deceit. If you are holding out to be a virgin until marriage, good luck finding a guy who did and wants the same. This is becoming true across society as a whole of course, for students of any race. Our hearts go out to the students we mentor and disciple because of the words of the Psalmist being so true right now in 11:3 “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Dorcas has asked me to baptize her in the spring and then is off to Southern Illinois to study film next fall. We’ll keep praying for her each day and we’re grateful to God that He is completing the good work He began in her.

“Happy thanksgiving Pastor Bob & Ellen! Thankful for you guys in my life!” she also recently texted. “Thanks Dorcas,” I texted back. “Having you in our lives has been one of the bright spots of the cancel culture and…covid. The world seems full of lies like never before in my lifetime. It might just be more of the iceberg has surfaced out of the water that was always there. But hanging out with people who love the truth is like a ‘Balm in Gilead” (Jeremiah 8:22) You often give me hope for your generation, that the daughter of my people can be restored.”

We’ll keep praying for you too, and we want to thank you for helping us do ministry with the students we can lay our hands on. In 2020, at the beginning of the semester before Covid was known, 57 students prayed with me to receive Jesus.

Diana, Sean, Veronia, Yesannia, Erik, Ian, Noah, Jeo, Amber, Geet, Tatiana, David, Ashley James Priscilla, Joe, Michael, Seth, Jana, Marco, Brenda, Bethany, Elisa, Magaly, Tyler, Josiah, Luke, Val, Ron, Dave, Jose, Razy, Olivia, Michael, Jack, Erica, Sam, Dan, Mel, Erin, Christian, Lucas, Robert, Alex, Alex, Jackie, Gabby, Brendan, Syed, Ian, Nia, George, Tabitha, Kemonie, Jonathon, Liam and Matt

Six others have believed on Christ as their Savior instead of their good works, after hearing the Gospel from me this year, including my neighbor Jason across the street.

Matt, before his wedding. Faith & Mason before standing up in their mom’s wedding to Matt

Jeff, a range officer at the range where I got some training

Phillip, a high school guy who hangs out at the biker Bible Study I often attend.

I’m praying for these all these each night, along with 105 students that prayed with me in the fall of 2019.

Please pray a door for the Word is opened to us next semester, and that we can bless the students who come to Bible Study and a holiday party yet this year.

Thanks for your love and support.

In Him,

Bob & Ellen