From Houston

Ministry Update

The Lord gave us a wonderful meeting in Cathedral City, CA. There was a teenage girl saved on Tuesday night. Now we are in Tomball, TX (Houston area) for a meeting through Friday. Thank you so much for your prayers. Not only is there this meeting for which to pray, but we also have a lot of driving to do before getting back to NC for Thanksgiving.

Family Update

We are all glad to have Paul home again, as well as glad to be back in meetings again. After a day of driving, we stopped in the Mobile area to rest and fellowship with some good friends. It broke up the unbearable boredom of sitting in the truck, especially for the kids. Saturday, we headed out again and arrived in the greater Houston area around 6:30 local time. So glad to be out of the truck! We have been to this church several times and have quite a few friends here, whom we are always glad to see. We also had the opportunity of meeting the new pastor who has only been here about a month. We are praying that this will be a great week with many decisions made in the lives of Christians and unsaved.

I am happy to report that our newest new washing machine is working wonderfully. Yes– we had two new ones this past month, one of which did not work and had to be returned. Thank the Lord for warranty coverage! Anyway, the new washer is a front loader, which, in addition to being more water efficient and gentler on the clothes, also has a greater capacity. I can now fit an extra pair of jeans in the washer! The girls have found that watching the laundry spin around in the washer is quite entertaining. The first load I washed contained, among other things, Esther’s favorite blanket. All was going well until she saw her “blankums” peek out from among the other clothes and then disappear again. I think her first reaction was shock, because she looked at me as if to say, “What is my blanket doing in there?” Then for the rest of the cycle, she alternated between fear and despair, crying and hiding her face in her hands as her blanket spun just out of her reach. Although she was quite traumatized, I could not help but laugh at the drama of it all. She still looks at the washer distrustfully, and has taken upon herself to put the clothes into the washer when I do laundry – doubtless in order to rescue any of her belongings that might be in the hamper.

Abigail has made great strides in potty training, and although she has not “arrived,” she is much more reliable. I find it amazing that the promise of a tube of lipgloss has such power over a three-year-old girl! She will do almost anything to stay dry – even to going in the middle of the yard during a church dinner on the grounds. It is never a good sign when people interrupt a conversation to tell you that you need to go see what your kid is doing. Although I am sure that her pride will eventually suffer from this event, her clothes did not, and I, for one, am happy about that!

Josiah has been actively involved in Master’s Club this year, and has already earned several badges and memory awards. He absolutely loves it, and can’t wait to wear his vest to church each Wednesday. He is doing well in school, and we are fast approaching our second six-week grading period. I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. Pretty soon the “holiday season” will be upon us, and then the new year. The Lord has done so many wonderful things for us this year, and provided in many miraculous ways. We are thankful for His constant watchcare and the many blessings he has bestowed upon us. For those of you who are interested, you can see our most recent family photo on our website www.paulcrow.org. (If it doesn’t come up, you may have to click on refresh.) May the Lord bless you for your faithful prayers for our family and ministry.