2026
May 2026 – Ministry Newsletter
May 2026 Newsletter
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him with joyful songs. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100: 1-2, 4
From Dr. Ross Jutsum’s keyboard:
Dear family and friends:
Greetings from Florida on a beautiful spring day. On the left is a picture of my leading worship on Easter Sunday at the Grace Communion congregation in Big Sandy, TX. It was wonderful for Tammy and me to be back in our old stomping ground. (We lived in East Texas for 8 years from 1990 to 1998.) Along with Pastor George and Sarah Strub and Jerome and Helen Ellard, we caught up with fellow musicians and long-time friends, Tom Crabb, Rick Peterson and Marty Yale. Following this worship service we were able to catch up with Tammy’s nephew Matthew White, his wife Jennifer and their five children over lunch. We were hosted for several days near Dallas by Pam and Rand Wilcox, whose wedding I had the pleasure of performing two years ago. We were also able to connect with Jeff and Suzy Molnar (Suzy Catherwood) who were students in our Young Ambassadors group back in Pasadena, CA in the early 1980s! It had been about 30 years since I had seen Jeff and Suzy and almost 40 years since Tammy last saw them. It was great to catch up!
Also, in April we visited another of our old stomping grounds in Sierra Madre CA where we lived for 23 years until our move to Florida in 2022. We gave a “driveway concert” on our cul-de-sac. During the pandemic, unable to travel in music ministry very much, I started this tradition where we would invite our friends and neighbors for a one-hour concert of all kinds of music (classical, jazz, hymns, rock and roll etc.) and fielding requests from the audience. Our neighbor Ken Wagner turned 99 this past March and we wanted to honor him this time with a concert along with 40 or more of our friends. We were able to stay with our dear friends Eve Jebens and Glenn Hickman whose wedding I also had the privilege of performing several years ago. Eve and Glenn have a German shepherd named Sweetie and she is really sweet except when a stranger comes to the door!
In June I will once again serve as the Music Director for a Reunion Concert at Williams College in Williamstown MA. Hosted by our dear long-time friend Martha Williamson (of “Touched by an Angel” fame) I have the opportunity to accompany and direct graduates of the College from the classes of 1974-1978.
We are looking forward to being with our kids and grandkids in Connecticut in August. Lisa and Jonathan and their 5 children (twins Evelyne and Isaiah aged 10, Solomon aged 8 and twins Aaron and Noah aged 6) will be on a sabbatical from the work with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Guinea in West Africa. Prayers would be much appreciated for Lisa and her family, and for Heidi as she travels internationally, and for her husband Ryan, who continues as a professor at Yale University teaching theology and serving in the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. Our other two precious grand-children, Grace (13) and Gabriel (10) are blossoming, and like Evelyne, Isaiah and Solomon, are doing well on their piano studies. All the boys are also crazy about soccer!
Tammy and I so appreciate our family and friends and are very grateful for your prayers and support of our ministries. Please know we continue to pray for you and yours.
With gratitude, love and prayers,
Ross and Tammy
2026
February 2026 — Ministry Newsletter
February 2026 Newsletter
“Speaking to one another with psalms. hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:19
From Dr. Ross Jutsum’s keyboard:
Dear family and friends:
A very happy and blessed New Year on this rather cold January day! With all that is happening around the world we are sure that you, just like us, pray regularly for peace.
Here is a picture of our daughter Lisa, her husband Jon, and their five children – Evelyne and Isaiah (9-year-old twins,) 7-year-old Solomon and Aaron and Noah (5-year-old twins!) This was taken a few weeks ago in Dubai, in front of the world’s tallest building, Burj Kalifa. There is also a picture of Lisa and me taken in the same spot some 10 years ago, before they had any children!
Lisa and family were on their way home from a well-deserved vacation. They live in Guinea in West Africa where Jonathan still serves as a missionary pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and Lisa serves as country director for MAF. Recently, Lisa received a phone call from the head of Student Bible Fellowship in Guinea, one of their main partners. It was an urgent request on behalf of Israel, a young university student, an active member of the Fellowship, who was involved in a very serious motorcycle accident that left him in a coma. Israel was rushed to the main hospital in N’Zerekore, but it has no MRI scanner or brain trauma specialist. Though N’Zerekore is the 2nd largest city in Guinea, it remains one of the most isolated from the capital city of Conakry, over 1,000 miles away and a 2-day drive. The doctors told us that Israel’s survival depended on him being transported by plane to the capital. Suffice it to say that Jonathan immediately flew and brought him to Conakry, where he received the necessary scans. After surgery for his brain hemorrhage, by God’s grace Israel woke up from the coma! After a long 2-month recovery for Israel, he came to visit Lisa and Jon — they were overjoyed and affirmed God’s plan for his life. Israel shared that when he woke up, the doctor told him “…if the plane had not transported you here, you would not be alive.” Praise be to God!
I share this wonderful story with you because it is one of numerous flights that Jonathan has made in the past two years that have made the difference and that MAF makes around the world daily. Please continue to pray for Lisa and Jon and their children and their team as they continue to serve God in this very difficult and dangerous country.
Our older daughter Heidi recently returned from India where she was involved in humanitarian work for the NGO that she represents. Prayers would be much appreciated for Heidi as she travels internationally, and for her husband Ryan, who continues as a professor at Yale University teaching theology and serving in the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. Our other two precious grand-children, Grace (12) and Gabriel (9) are blossoming, and like Evelyne, Isaiah and Solomon, are doing well on their piano studies.
Last month I gave a Christmas Concert at our condominium building here in Florida. Just last week we had a gathering at our unit with Christian friends and enjoyed singing hymns and other uplifting music. Next month I will be giving a program at an Assisted Living facility nearby and we will be guesting in churches in Texas and California in the Spring.
We are looking forward to visiting both our daughters and sons-in-law and all 7 grand-children in Connecticut this summer. Tammy and I so appreciate our family and friends and are very grateful for your prayers and support of our ministries. Please know we continue to pray for you and yours.
With gratitude, love and prayers, Ross and Tammy