The time finally came last Wednesday to leave the sunny south for the snowy north. I headed to Morgantown, WV, for a meeting at Faith Baptist Church. Though the auditorium was cold because of heating problems, the welcome was very warm, and I’m thankful for the chance I had to minister there. That area is basically recession-proof, so I’m hoping they will be able to support me.
After spending a few days in Lancaster, PA, I trekked across a few states for a meeting at Grace for Life Bible Church in Aurora, IL. It was such an encouragement to hear Pastor Schroeder explain that the motorcycle my dad donated to his ministry years ago was the seed money he used to purchase the house that he now lives in. You see, he sold the motorcycle and purchased a camper. He eventually sold that camper and purchased another one and even made some money on that sale. When it came time to move to Aurora, his only capital was what was in that camper, so he sold it and used that money to purchase a house. And that’s the house he and his family are living in as they build this new church in Aurora! The story almost brought tears to my eyes as he told the congregation in the worship service.
I had to leave Aurora immediately so that I could be back for some strategic planning meetings at the office in Grand Rapids. Because of Hantz’s unexpected trip to Haiti, however, those meetings were cancelled. But I was able to use my “free” time to do many other things.
I spent yesterday and today preparing a sermon for a missions conference that Hantz had to step out of. It is located in Plainwell, MI, about an hour from Grand Rapids. I preached an “old” sermon yesterday but will be delivering this new one tonight. The Lord gave much grace last night, so please pray that He will do the same tonight. I’m a little anxious about this one since I have never given it, but I claim the promise “Be anxious for nothing….” The theme is “Motives for Missions”, and I will be using a Powerpoint presentation. Please pray for no technical gliches.
Now that I’ve finished writing that sermon, I need to begin catching up on other things and making plans for my three-week trip to SE Asia and India. I leave early on Saturday morning and will not be back until February 13. The main purpose of this trip is to form and strengthen relationships and to become familiar with our ministries over there. Please pray for wisdom in preparations.
