If you've been prompted to pray for the Hutchcraft Ministries Team recently, thank you! Since last Monday, Hutchcraft Ministries has been in what's being called the "epicenter" of a "Federal disaster area" in Arkansas. A massive ice storm has essentially shut down this region, and just keeping warm (on 8-16 degree nights), fed and safe has become a full-time job for thousands of us. With trees and electric wires filling our yard and driveway, we constantly praise our Lord for His protection.
Many of us are still without electricity, plus many of us without water, phones or the many other conveniences to which we are so accustomed. The electric company who has done an incredible job of restoring power to over 300,000 locations have "scouts" who search out the devastation. When they were on our road, they told us it will probably be two more weeks before we have "energy." We all could use some personal energy right now!
We've been privileged to be as prepared as possible so that we could provide shelter and food for some of our staff, including our local Native American staff who have moved in with us. They were living without electricity or heat and eating chips. At least we have a fireplace as long as the fuel lasts! All of us are learning to live without computers, electricity, Internet, e-mail, and phones. But our team has been willing to share, to ration water, to offer help and food from their own limited resources to care for others in Jesus' Name.
If you've been trying to get in touch with us, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The Lord gave us wonderful sunshine the past couple of days to melt 
the ice so we can maneuver a bit. Some of our team have been able to get to our no-electricity Headquarters. We managed to get our server up and running with a generator today so we can continue to rescue the lost through our Internet ministry around the world! We've been told that just the cleanup work our staff did today at the Headquarters would have otherwise cost thousands of dollars.
The intrepid Hutchcraft Ministries Team have risen to the occasion, as they always do. We're processing mail in one Director's home who is among the blessed to have electricity restored. Our team working on the upcoming launch of our exciting new Internet outreach to lost young people are meeting in another home. From our house, some of our Native team are making calls that are critical to the Summer of Hope and Warrior Leadership Summit. Our field ministry team are using their cell phones to work on upcoming outreach events. Others are using computer access at a local church where electricity was recently restored to keep our Websites updated.
This team you pray for and support, are working under challenging circumstances with the same dedication and resourcefulness that continually enables such a small army to do so much. We know lives are at stake every day in the work we do. Things are taking longer, but we're doing all we can to make every hour count. The dark nights have compelled folks here to do all they can in the daylight - giving new weight to Jesus' charge to "work while it is day" (John 9:4). When eternal souls are at stake, you're always racing the darkness.
Your prayer support is really appreciated right now for a quick restoration of our electricity, for blessing our efforts to make up for lost time, and for God to make us stronger through this storm. In a difficult financial time, this all hits a little harder. So please pray, too, for God's special provision for this special season.
I'm happy to report that while we have no electricity, we still have "power"! The Power we ultimately depend on is undiminished by any storm. In fact, these last few, ice-buried days have given us a front row seat on the majesty of God. The days could not have been more brilliant with ice glistening as far as the eye could see, and the nights never darker without a pinpoint of light, not even a star. As we listened in the dark to the thunder of limbs rolling across our roof, God used Job 37 to remind me of Who's in charge and what this is all for:
"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways...He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' So that all men He has made may know His work, He stops every man from his labor...The breath of God produces ice...He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them...Stop and consider God's wonders."
We praise God for His protection through all the destruction - and for the covering of your prayers!
P.S. - Hot off the Press! Power was just restored to our headquarters a short time ago! We are so thankful! Please continue to pray for those of our staff still without power at this time.