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