Last evening the Lord presented us with another lesson in trusting Him. We always begin our journeys with prayer for safety, a timely arrival, and the opportunity to serve Him along the way. He has always been faithful to answer our cries, though sometimes in unanticipated ways. We attended a church in northern PA over the weekend with a Mother's Day banquet and afternoon service. It was a wonderful day, and the fellowship was great.
At 3 PM we headed south toward Altoona. As we traveled, we shared blessings of the day and the weekend. Less than 10 miles from our destination, a light began flashing on the dash. It read O/D Off. I wasn't sure why the light should be flashing, but we were nearly home, so we continued on. At the end of the exit ramp, we stopped to await a green light and noticed smoke billowing from under the van and discerned the scent of transmission fluid. If you don't know what that smells like, thank the Lord right now. Only those who have had problems recall that pungent odor.
We kept heading for Bill's parents' home, though the van was not able to accelerate as usual. Less than 1/2 a mile from our destination, the van could go no further. We parked, got a ride from a helpful neighbor, and continued praying. Later we returned to remove our luggage, then we called AAA to have the van towed to a garage. By 9:00 PM all was settled, except the knowledge of how much the repairs will cost.
Pray with us for the Lord's provision of either an economical bill or the funds necessary to make the repairs. We have noticed that the Lord has not panicked yet, so we are trying to emulate Him. Isn't it amazing that the problem did not occur while we were enroute to PA from SC? Isn't it providential that no meeting was scheduled for this Wednesday? Isn't it amazing that we were so close to "home" when the van could go no further? God is good all the time!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Back in PA
Our last meeting "down south" was in Conover, NC on Sunday evening, May 4. We had a good time visiting and sharing our ministry and then headed up the road a few hours before spending the night in a Comfort Inn that offered us a friendly rate for two rooms. The breakfast was incredible -- waffles, French toast, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, muffins, bagels, fruit, etc. That would have cost about $30 or so for our family if it had not been included in the price of the room. Praise the Lord for such blessings.
We arrived in Hershey, PA around 3 PM and began to plan for a few visits that needed to be made. Back in September, Bill led Thelma to the Lord. She speaks Spanish so the church is having difficulty in discipling her. She has also been approached and confused by Jehovah's Witnesses. Her husband still needs to be saved, so we had several reasons to visit.
On Tuesday, we were able to see Thelma and help her see Biblical truth regarding the person of Christ and the nature of salvation, but her husband was not home. On Wednesday, we returned and found Sergio. We had a very good visit which we hope will open the door for further ministry. Keep praying for this family.
On Wednesday evening we were able to visit Mountain View Bible Church and encourage them with the prospect of reaching out to Hispanic people in their area by starting an English class for adults. We hope to help them find suitable material which will help them meet a need in the Hispanic community while also evangelizing and discipling these folks.
Perhaps you need to start such a ministry in your area. You do not need to know Spanish (or any other foreign language) to teach someone to speak English. Many foreign language speakers would love to speak English since their new culture is dominated by this language. "If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" (2 Cor. 4:3). How much more is it hidden from those with whom we cannot clearly communicate!
Ministry philosophy in foreign lands demands that missionaries learn the foreign language to communicate the Gospel clearly, but here in the States, the philosophy changes so as to teach them a social skill they desperately need (English) while giving them spiritual truth without which they cannot face eternity. If you would like additional information on starting such a course, please drop us a note. If you have some good suggestions or materials currently available, let us know that also.
We arrived in Hershey, PA around 3 PM and began to plan for a few visits that needed to be made. Back in September, Bill led Thelma to the Lord. She speaks Spanish so the church is having difficulty in discipling her. She has also been approached and confused by Jehovah's Witnesses. Her husband still needs to be saved, so we had several reasons to visit.
On Tuesday, we were able to see Thelma and help her see Biblical truth regarding the person of Christ and the nature of salvation, but her husband was not home. On Wednesday, we returned and found Sergio. We had a very good visit which we hope will open the door for further ministry. Keep praying for this family.
On Wednesday evening we were able to visit Mountain View Bible Church and encourage them with the prospect of reaching out to Hispanic people in their area by starting an English class for adults. We hope to help them find suitable material which will help them meet a need in the Hispanic community while also evangelizing and discipling these folks.
Perhaps you need to start such a ministry in your area. You do not need to know Spanish (or any other foreign language) to teach someone to speak English. Many foreign language speakers would love to speak English since their new culture is dominated by this language. "If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" (2 Cor. 4:3). How much more is it hidden from those with whom we cannot clearly communicate!
Ministry philosophy in foreign lands demands that missionaries learn the foreign language to communicate the Gospel clearly, but here in the States, the philosophy changes so as to teach them a social skill they desperately need (English) while giving them spiritual truth without which they cannot face eternity. If you would like additional information on starting such a course, please drop us a note. If you have some good suggestions or materials currently available, let us know that also.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Steven Graduates May 3
Steven will participate in the commencement exercises at Bob Jones University at 9:00 AM, May 3. He will still need to complete 4 courses in Summer School, but the end of the road is near. He has requested a schedule change at his job to accommodate the classes. His plans beyond graduation include marriage. No date has been set, but they hope to get those details worked out within the next couple of months. Diane is from the Greenville area. Her family attends Mt Calvary Baptist Church.
Keep praying for the Lord's direction in Steven's life. He feels inclined to a career in business, but needs the Lord's direction to find that niche that he should fill. Thank you for your continued prayers.
Keep praying for the Lord's direction in Steven's life. He feels inclined to a career in business, but needs the Lord's direction to find that niche that he should fill. Thank you for your continued prayers.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Return Date Set
After conferring with Dr Mark Batory at GFA, we have set June 6 as our return date. After just over a year's absence, we will finally be headed home. Everyone is excited by the prospect of unpacking our suitcases and living a more normal life than furlough affords. We have enjoyed our travels, but there is no substitute for being where God has appointed you to be.
In the interval we have meetings in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Pray with us that the Lord will use these meetings in a special way to touch the hearts of His people and to call the unconverted to Himself. Pray also that these and other furlough contacts will be led of the Lord to join our support family so that our income will be adequate to our needs.
As you know our past term was rather trying in financial terms, but the Lord has allowed us to make up ground during our travels. We still lack about $450 per month to reach 100%. We will be contacting some churches in Ohio to see if we can participate in a few missions conferences in the Fall and/or Spring to help see our support need met as well.
The Lord has provided tickets for us at just over $150 per person (all taxes and fees included). However, since there are six of us, we will still spend over $900. Another $900 will be spent in shipping our van from Jacksonville, FL to Puerto Rico, $95 more will be spent on a one-night hotel stay in Jacksonville, and $250 on a one-day van rental to take us from Jacksonville to Orlando. Nothing is free, but the Lord always provides what is needed.
In the interval we have meetings in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Pray with us that the Lord will use these meetings in a special way to touch the hearts of His people and to call the unconverted to Himself. Pray also that these and other furlough contacts will be led of the Lord to join our support family so that our income will be adequate to our needs.
As you know our past term was rather trying in financial terms, but the Lord has allowed us to make up ground during our travels. We still lack about $450 per month to reach 100%. We will be contacting some churches in Ohio to see if we can participate in a few missions conferences in the Fall and/or Spring to help see our support need met as well.
The Lord has provided tickets for us at just over $150 per person (all taxes and fees included). However, since there are six of us, we will still spend over $900. Another $900 will be spent in shipping our van from Jacksonville, FL to Puerto Rico, $95 more will be spent on a one-night hotel stay in Jacksonville, and $250 on a one-day van rental to take us from Jacksonville to Orlando. Nothing is free, but the Lord always provides what is needed.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Catching Up
It has been a month since I last made an entry here. Obviously, I do not "live to blog". Our travels make it interesting to find a place with a signal we can borrow and to find the time to jot a note. We have concluded our Florida journeys where we enjoyed our time greatly. It was almost like being in Puerto Rico since the weather was warmer, palm trees were everywhere, sandy soil abounded, and Spanish could be heard at regular intervals.
We continue to experience the protection of the Lord. While in Panama City, FL we faced a tornado warning in which the newscaster advised everyone in our area to seek out a safe place immediately since circulation had been reported. No tornado developed, however. Then we went to Milton, FL and again severe weather was forecast. We left there and a few weeks later were in Lady Lake. Just one year earlier a very destructive tornado had ravaged the neighborhood. Again, severe thunderstorms were announced, but seemed to dissipate before reaching us.
Then we moved on to Savannah, Georgia. A strong thunderstorm struck that Saturday night, the lights went out for several hours, and a tornado went through just 1/2 hour north of our location. The following day we went to Atlanta where a tornado had done serious damage just two days earlier. We are always amazed by the hand of God directing us and protecting us, and that is just when we know of the danger. How many times are we protected from danger that we are not even aware of?
Another evidence of God's goodness was seen in the fact that on Sunday, March 16 I (Bill) came down with a chest cold that left me with a voice barely stronger than a whisper. Isn't it amazing that we should have a break in our schedule from then until Sunday, March 30. By then, I should be recovered sufficiently to preach. I thought I would be able to attend the Bible Conference at Bob Jones University last week, but the cold made speaking so difficult that I decided rest would be a better option. No, I was not a speaker at the conference. It's just that I met so many people I know on campus the one day that I did attend a service, that my voice suffered from the many conversations. I'm doing much better now. Praise the Lord!
Steven also needed some help in these days. He had lost his previous car in an accident, so we set out to find a suitable replacement. We found a Ford Taurus at an auction which should serve him well for a good while. It needs a little repair, but the problems are minor. Unfortunately, even minor repairs tend to be expensive. The Lord also provided a job for Steven which we hope will allow him opportunity to fully support himself. He will finish his college degree in summer school, but will be allowed to march in May. We are looking forward to being on hand to celebrate his achievement.
We continue to experience the protection of the Lord. While in Panama City, FL we faced a tornado warning in which the newscaster advised everyone in our area to seek out a safe place immediately since circulation had been reported. No tornado developed, however. Then we went to Milton, FL and again severe weather was forecast. We left there and a few weeks later were in Lady Lake. Just one year earlier a very destructive tornado had ravaged the neighborhood. Again, severe thunderstorms were announced, but seemed to dissipate before reaching us.
Then we moved on to Savannah, Georgia. A strong thunderstorm struck that Saturday night, the lights went out for several hours, and a tornado went through just 1/2 hour north of our location. The following day we went to Atlanta where a tornado had done serious damage just two days earlier. We are always amazed by the hand of God directing us and protecting us, and that is just when we know of the danger. How many times are we protected from danger that we are not even aware of?
Another evidence of God's goodness was seen in the fact that on Sunday, March 16 I (Bill) came down with a chest cold that left me with a voice barely stronger than a whisper. Isn't it amazing that we should have a break in our schedule from then until Sunday, March 30. By then, I should be recovered sufficiently to preach. I thought I would be able to attend the Bible Conference at Bob Jones University last week, but the cold made speaking so difficult that I decided rest would be a better option. No, I was not a speaker at the conference. It's just that I met so many people I know on campus the one day that I did attend a service, that my voice suffered from the many conversations. I'm doing much better now. Praise the Lord!
Steven also needed some help in these days. He had lost his previous car in an accident, so we set out to find a suitable replacement. We found a Ford Taurus at an auction which should serve him well for a good while. It needs a little repair, but the problems are minor. Unfortunately, even minor repairs tend to be expensive. The Lord also provided a job for Steven which we hope will allow him opportunity to fully support himself. He will finish his college degree in summer school, but will be allowed to march in May. We are looking forward to being on hand to celebrate his achievement.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Congratulations, Dr. Dad!
On February 16, Bill’s dad returned from another of his overseas journeys. He is the director of Way of Truth Ministries and frequently travels to encourage missionaries and promote worldwide evangelism. He has made such trips since the mid-80s. This latest journey took him to
In spite of being delayed for several days due to weather, they arrived at a Bible college graduation at which Dad was to preach. He barely had time to don his gown and join the procession. As the diplomas were being handed out, Dad was asked to come to the platform once again. The host pastor and Bible college director then presented him with an honorary doctorate in consideration of all his labors to promote the work of the Gospel there and around the world.
Congratulations, Dad! You have and continue to labor for the cause of the Gospel in spite of many obstacles. May God grant you many more years and much more energy to do the work He has called you to do.
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