Sequel

For those of you who hate sequels, please accept my apologies.  For the Crow family, the story of our trip from the upper Midwest to the Southeast concluded in with a flurry of activity.

Our last update ended with a mechanic staying open late on a Saturday to help us get back on the road.  We did get on the road at 12:45 Sunday morning, driving until 4:45 to get to our intended parking spot.  Fearing lest we would not be able to awaken if we lay down to sleep, we simply stayed up all night long and were on time to Sunday school at 9:00.

The Lord gave us very good services and really knit our hearts with the people.  For a brief summary of our travels, I have included the following graphic for reference.  Each letter represents a stop in our journey from SD to SC.  These stopping points do not include the TN breakdown point, but they do give a general idea.

The sequel to the story involves a breakdown in SC.  While on our way to see my brother and sister-in-law last night, the drive shaft broke again.  Currently, we are without transportation until we can get this issue resolved.  Some of our acquaintance have expressed a desire that we no longer contact them at all, since all we seem to have to report lately is bad news.  If you would like to join those of that persuasion, I understand.  My ministry is not responsible for possible fits of depression brought on by reading our updates.

Please know that we live from day to day in confidence that our Sovereign God is in control and at work.  He knows what is going on and we, by the grace of God, continue to trust in Him.

Northern Adventure, Part 3

Upon returning to Madison, where the trailer was parked, we made a very unwelcome discovery.  Although we had left the trailer plugged in with the express intent of keeping our food cool, there was a failure in the system somewhere.  Apparently, during the nearly two weeks we had been gone, the ground fault breaker had tripped, leaving the refrigerator and freezer without power.  It must not be forgotten that temperatures were in the 80’s and 90’s during that time.  So as I opened the refrigerator door, I was assaulted by a combination of spoiled milk, lunchmeat, and several leftovers, not to mention half a dozen condiments, along with the distinct aroma of mildew.  The freezer was worse, with spoiled chicken, sausage, fruit, and vegetables, most of which had combined their juices and run out the front of the door, down the wall and onto the floor in a rather disgusting puddle that was by this time mostly congealed.  It was horrific.  It wasn’t just the smell, but the fact that all hope of having a decent meal was gone.  All that food was really gone.

I found myself at midnight Thursday, washing down the walls, floor, and cleaning out the refrigerator with a strong cleaner.  All of the drawers had to be washed, and all the food thrown into the garbage.  Anyone who has ever had to throw out an entire freezer and refrigerator’s worth of food knows the sick feeling that I experienced that night. 

We unpacked all of our borrowed luggage, thankful to be back in our own abode once more, and hopeful that the next day would bring us closer to our destination.  Friday morning, we picked up the truck, which had a brand new transmission, and dropped off the rental car we had been using.  Excited, and in somewhat of a hurry, we hooked up the trailer and proceeded to “get outta Dodge” as quickly as possible, knowing that we had to make it to South Carolina by Saturday evening.  We parked in Indianapolis that evening, and were hopeful that we would make the nine hour drive to our final destination with no problems. 

All was going along swimmingly as we tooled down the highway, our new transmission shifting effortlessly as we navigated the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee.  About thirty miles from Knoxville, there was a terrible clunk, followed by a tremendous scraping, banging, and other assorted and sundry noises that you never want to hear emanating from any vehicle, let alone the one you are driving.  We lost all momentum as we climbed the hill, and Paul quickly pulled over to the side of the road.  The drill was all too familiar.  Being on the off-road side, I jumped out of the truck and looked under the truck, where I saw the drive shaft hanging down.  This really did not look like an easy-to fix problem.  To make a long story short, our universal joint had broken, allowing the rear drive shaft to fall, alternately scraping the pavement and banging the underside of the truck as the rear wheels continued to turn during our ascent up the hill.

We found ourselves for the second time in about three weeks calling a huge tow truck to pull our truck and trailer to the nearest service station.  In the providence of God, the mechanic’s shop was actually open on Saturday afternoon, and he began working to find the needed parts before we even arrived at the shop. 

Do we know why God has allowed this string of events to take place in our lives?  No.  Do we always look at these things with the eye of faith? No – to be honest, sometimes the sense of sight wants to take over, and tries to muffle that still, small voice that promises, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Sometimes the fact that all things are not good overshadows the truth that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose.”  But we know that ultimately, God is still in control of everything that comes into our lives, and we must allow Him to display His glory through our lives, no matter how difficult the circumstances.  Brethren, pray for us!  We know that the thousands of miles we drive each year are cushioned by the fervent prayers of God’s people, and we have seen his protection in each of these very dangerous situations.  We thank each one of you for your unfailing remembrance of our family before the throne of grace.

Northern Adventure, Part 2

Because of our unplanned vacation from our truck and trailer, we were thrown upon the hospitality of the pastor and his family in Minnesota.  They were exceedingly gracious, though, and gave us a room and several spaces on the floor for the kids, and we crashed at their house for the interim.  The men left almost immediately for the scheduled sportsman’s retreat, which is just a way of saying they will escape all civilization and live, if only for a few days, the unrestrained life of which they all dream – fishing, eating, hunting, eating, playing games, eating, and well, you get the picture.  Josiah is proud to be included in these masculine forays into the remote wilderness of the lake country, and it is he who became the star of the next adventure.

During one of the eating episodes of this trip, the men and boys, about forty in number, went to a fish fry and buffet about twenty miles distant from the retreat site.  Josiah, having blown out his tennis shoes during the week, had bound them with voluminous swaths of duct tape, giving himself the appearance of something between an astronaut and the Tin Man of Oz.  In the melee that followed an all-you-can-eat meal, the men began to depart in their caravan of vehicles.  In a quintessential act of bad timing, Josiah decided to answer the call of nature at this point.  Since he had not ridden to the restaurant with Paul, his absence was not noted by that observant person, and in the food-induced coma state of the others, they neglected to see that one of their passengers was missing.  Hence, our son unwittingly became the poster child for the political agenda, “No Child Left Behind.” 

Due to the nature of the activity schedule and the relative chaos of a large group, his absence continued to go unnoticed.  Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Josiah, having witnessed to the wait staff, waited in vain for his ride to return.  After some time, he asked if his all-you-can-eat buffet was still in effect, and upon being told that it was, went back inside and happily helped himself to another plate.  Upon further reflection, the thought crossed our minds that perhaps this was his goal all along, but it cannot be unequivocally proven.  Apparently, after watching him consume more food, the restaurant staff became worried about losing their day’s profit, and after the space of about two hours, decided to call the local authorities to report this poor foundling that had been left, quite literally, on their doorstep. 

I would be remiss if I did not add that Josiah had tried to call his dad, but because of the remote locale, the cell phone signal was not adequate.  He did not know the land line number to the cabin, and the ensuing confusion was epic.  In a typical junior-high style, he never even thought about calling his mother, who DID know the cabin number, but all in all, he acted with surprising  clarity of mind. 

By this time, Paul was beginning to wonder why he had not seen Josiah in the teeming mass of campers, but assumed that he was asleep in the cabin.  When the call rang out through the camp that the sheriff was looking for Paul, he assumed it was just another practical joke, the kind that men enjoy playing on one another.  However, it became readily apparent that the sheriff was indeed looking for the shiftless lout who had left his son sitting at the restaurant for two hours without noticing he was even gone.  Doubtless, the duct tape shoes only added to the suspicious train of thought that was already speeding through this man’s head.  After a severe lecture on the evils of bad parenting skills, the arm of the law told Paul that he could expect a visit from Social Services, known for their especially aggressive tactics in that part of the country.

Suffice it to say, we went to great lengths to ensure that this undesired and unnecessary encounter never took place.  The following Sunday, our son was showered with shoes of all kinds, and made out like the proverbial bandit with six (some new, some new-to-him) pair of shoes. I’ve been thinking of how to utilize duct tape to my advantage when my shoe choices become somewhat limited, but haven’t quite figured it out yet.

Meanwhile, back in Madison, Wisconsin, the truck was still not ready.  The delay gave us time to visit a church in South Dakota where some of our dearest friends hold their membership.  After that mid-week service, we reasoned that we would head back to Madison, get our truck and continue on with life.  Little did we know what was in store for us in Madison.

Northern Adventure, Part 1

It was a dark and stormy night.  Not literally but figuratively.  A lone candle flickered at the end of the proverbial tunnel. 

It all began benignly enough with a routine 1,500 mile drive to Minnesota.  Things were going along quite nicely when the engine began to race a little more than usual.  Then, on an upgrade, we lost all power.  The first episode of the waiting game began.  Note to self: people in Madison, Wisconsin are not in any hurry to help stranded motorists along the road.  They are in a hurry, though—so much so that they don’t have time to change lanes to give a stranded guy a little space.  After what seemed an eternity of screeching at the children to stay out of the oncoming Interstate traffic, infinite Indian circle trips, and numerous denied requests for water, we finally greeted the tow truck driver.  Then proceeded a wild goose chase on the Information Superhighway.  Phones smoked, batteries panted, Internet connections strained, and voicemails clogged as we endeavored to find places, not only for a broken-down truck, but also for a 36-foot trailer.  Apparently it is a matter of set doctrine in Wisconsin for pastors to ignore their phones on Friday afternoon.  Fortunately, we were able to contact one pastor who had strayed from this tenet of church policy, and regaled him with our dilemma.  He was quick to respond that we could not park at his church because they had just finished paving the parking lot and it was not cured yet because of the recent rains.  When asked for other possible locations, he gave us the name of another area pastor that might allow us to park.  We called this pastor, but he did not come to the phone.  His wife answered, and told us that he was on sabbatical (no joke), and could we please call one of the deacons.  Three deacons later, we ran out of phone numbers and still had no answers.  So, we called the pastor back.  His wife continued to field his calls, and after several more calls, we finally got in touch with someone willing to help.  We discovered that when one is on sabbatical, it is a breach of ethics to drive two blocks to the church to deliver an extension cord.  Who knew? 

A deacon and his wife brought us some luggage, and we began packing to be gone for about two weeks.  Let me hasten to add that packing on the spur of the moment is never my favorite thing to do.  It is only worse when all the clothes that need to be packed are in the dirty clothes hamper.  It has been said that haste makes waste, but, whether or not this is true, we can empirically state that haste makes forgetfulness.  For instance, Paul remembered his cuff links, but forgot to bring his shirt.  This was a considerable oversight considering the lower temperatures of Minnesota.  In addition, the wild gesticulations during his preaching made the use of paper towels inside his suit jacket somewhat impractical.  We considered asking the pastor for an extra shirt, but decided that his 19-inch collar would lend an cowl-like effect to the outfit and would probably distract church members with the sight of overmuch chest hair.  We opted instead for a fitted neck and three-quarter length sleeves from another church member.  It was quite the fashion statement.

Despite the faux pas in apparel, the services went surprisingly well.  However, this chain of unfortunate events was only a harbinger of things to come.

Changing Ends

When I played high school basketball, we changed ends after halftime.  That is, we no longer shot the ball on the same end in the second half as we did in the first half.  August was our month to change ends in evangelism, not ends of the court but ends of the country.  We moved from western Colorado to western North Carolina, a total of 1,754 miles.

Once we arrived in NC, we enjoyed some wonderful times of fellowship.  First we visited the church of which Sarah and I were members for 15 years.  It was so refreshing to see so many friends again, and to be able to minister there in preaching and music.  From there we went back to Ambassador Baptist College and once again ministered in preaching and music.

After one more meeting here in NC, which closes on Wednesday of this week, we turn west again and head towards Mississippi and home.  We will be there long enough to change out summer clothes for winter ones before we head north again.

As a casual reading of the Book of Acts will reveal, much of the ministry of the evangelist is travel and fellowship with other believers.  Luke writes of how itinerant men strengthened and confirmed the churches.  This has been our ministry, particularly this month.  While the travel has been long, the fellowship has been sweet.

Threefold Cord

When I was in college, Bro. Ron Comfort told those of us who were studying for evangelism, “Men, one of the the greatest things that can happen in your ministry is for a pastor to recommend you to all his friends.  This is something only the Lord can do, but when it happens, it will be a great blessing to your ministry.”

On Tuesday of last week, we had nothing on the schedule.  We had to drift south toward CO from northern WY, and as we came through Thermopolis, I saw a name that rang a bell to me.  Why I remember this name above others, I cannot say, but Pastor Harvey Seidel was listed as the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Thermopolis.  In 1998, when I was traveling in the west representing Ambassador Baptist College where I was enrolled as a student at the time, we were scheduled to be with Pastor Seidel.  If I remember correctly, he had to cancel the meeting for one reason or another.  Despite this cancellation, I remembered his name.

Now, as we drove through town and passed his church, I noticed his name on the sign.  I had to stop in McDonald’s to get Internet access so that I could take care of some things.  After an equipment malfunction, I found myself in a Verizon store and felt led to casually ask about Pastor Seidel.  An old-fashioned phone book provided the right number, and after a couple of phone calls, we obtained permission to park our trailer at First Baptist Church.

What followed was something that only God can do.  As Pastor Seidel and his assistant pastor Nathan Winters spent time with me, the Lord knit our hearts together.  I was asked to preach in the midweek service and God met with us in a special way.  Then, because I had some flexibility in my schedule, Pastor Seidel asked that I preach Sunday morning as well.

After we spent time with the staff and families of First Baptist Church of Thermopolis, the Lord directed Pastor Seidel to write letters of recommendation to many of his pastor friends around the nation, one of whom has already scheduled a meeting.

We stand in awe of how our God can choose our friends for us and work in our behalf through the hearts of His servants.

Many road miles await us in the next few days as we make the transition from West (CO) to East (NC).  We appreciate your prayers.

When God Speaks

“Let me tell you my story,” offered the well-dressed man, his wife at his side in the church auditorium.  If the story included the wonderful way that the Gospel had brought him to salvation, I would be very grateful indeed to hear.  If, on the other hand, it was just another experience of something unusual—an alien encounter, for instance—I would rather not waste my time.  But since I could have no way of knowing whether I would enjoy the story or not until I had heard it, I indicated to the man to proceed.

“I was lying in bed in my house one night when something awakened me at 2:00 in the morning.”  Oh great!  This is not the kind of story that I usually like.  “I got out of bed and began to head downstairs because I saw a light coming from the patio.  When I got midway down the stairs, this feeling came over me and I knew unmistakably that God loved me.”

And?  I waited to hear the part where the story would turn to realization of sin and turning to Christ, but the story was done.  This circumstance alone formed the basis for this man’s assurance of salvation.  In his mind, God spoke to him that night in the most definite way.

Now for my story.  Not about my salvation, but about how God speaks, really speaks, to me.  As I was alone praying one day, I began to reflect with disappointment on my shortcomings, my failures.  There were so many times when I had failed to do what I should have done or done what I should not have done.  In prayer, I began to bring these up to God when He simply shut me down.  If you don’t think that the God of heaven does this from time to time, take another look at the Book of Joshua.  God shut down my prayer because it was His turn to speak.  He reminded me that when I was yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for me, one of the ungodly.  He continued by reminding me that scarcely for a righteous man would one die.  No matter though: I was not righteous.  Yet, peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  Still of no consequence, for I was not good.  But God commendeth His love toward me in that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.  God had spoken, and though the voice was not audible even to me, there could have been nothing more real.

Recently, I have come to call these types of experiences in my life—and yes, there have been others when God spoke definitely to me—Emmaus Road experiences.  The name comes from a location casually mentioned in Luke 24.  Read it.  And start looking for your own Emmaus Road experiences.

Beast of the Forest

Some years ago when I was still in high school, I heard a Christian college group in a Sunday morning church service.  They sang a song entitled “All God’s Creatures Got a Place in the Choir.”  It was a fun song, to be sure, but I was impressed with the lack of spiritual content in the song, especially for a Sunday morning service.

Unfortunately, this message follows much the same vein: very little spiritual content.  That being said, God does remind us that “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”  I suppose that we have seen the cattle upon a thousand hills since crossing the Mississippi River back in May.  Today, we saw one the beasts of the forest.

When confronted with an animal like this, especially this close up, two things come to mind.  First of all, Praise the Lord who made such a magnificent animal!  Second of all, When and where can I get my tag?  Pass the rifle; this looks a lot like dinner.

The Chinese would have us remember that a picture is worth a thousand words.  You really don’t want to read a thousand words from me, so I will simply endeavor to say what I am thinking in pictures.

New Name and Design

 

Most of you only get my e-mail version and will not be affected by what I have to say here.  But for those who read my online version, the name of my blog has changed from “Notes from the Road” to “Crowing About.”  The reality is that I usually have at least something to crow about.  Hence the name.

Paul

Highways and Hedges

It was the first time I had ever done something like this as evangelist.  Several months ago, Pastor Ken Schultz of the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Box Elder, SD, called me and asked if I would come and go soul-winning with him and his people for two weeks.  We would go out several hours each day, five days a week.  In addition to going out with him and his people door to door, I would also preach in the services while I was with him.  He requested that I teach on Baptist history while I was there.

The plan of his outreach was something called “The Book of John Project.”  The idea is to encourage people to read a specially prepared copy of the Gospel of John.  The copy of John is printed alone—that is, without any of the other books of the Bible with it—and has specially prepared explanatory notes introducing the reader to Christ.  Since the Gospel of John was written with the express purpose of convincing people to believe in Christ and so be saved, the book is given out to unsaved people with faith in this divinely inspired purpose statement.

But the New Testament gives us reason to believe that reading the Bible is not enough to understand the Gospel.  (See Acts 8:26-39.)  Therefore, The Book of John Project calls for personal workers to follow up with those who have read John’s Gospel so that they might answer any questions the person might have.  Of course, the objective is to see people saved.

In Box Elder, we gave out books and took names.  The plan was for the pastor and his people to follow up later, first by phone and then face to face.  In the time that we went out, we had nearly 70 people sign up to read the Gospel of John and have someone from the church return to follow up with them.  Pastor Schultz was both encouraged and nervous at the same time: that is more people than he has in his church.

I suppose I could fill a decent-sized volume with stories of encounters from these two weeks alone.  Suffice it to say that it is a joy to go out into the highways and hedges and preach Christ to sinners.

I Being in the Way

Because of a late schedule change, the Lord allowed us a couple of days in our schedule of no services.  We were able to celebrate Esther’s birthday for the first time in seven years (her entire life) on the actual date of her birthday.  But after a couple of days off, I was eager to get back into church ministry.

Because of the extra days of leeway in the schedule, I was able to show up to a church on a Friday instead of the more traditional Saturday night.  Coming in on a Friday allowed me to go soul-winning with the pastor on Saturday morning—an activity that I rarely get to do while I am on the road.

The desire in my heart to see someone saved had become a passion.  We were able to see seven campers trust Christ in camp, but somehow that was not enough.  As I prayed, asking the Holy Spirit for direction and power, He led me to go early and join the pastor on Saturday morning.

Visitation here in AZ is not unlike visitation in other places.  The cults have saturated the area so that some will decry the very idea of going from house to house.  Going out on a Saturday morning means that some will not answer the door because they are in bed, while others have left already for work or weekend play.  Still, in spite of those obstacles, we went, believing to be have been led by the Holy Spirit.

In the end, we encountered people at only two homes.  The first was a good visit, but the two men with whom we spoke did not live in the area.  The second house at which we found people home turned out to be the answer to our prayer.

Nineteen-year-old Daniel was over at his mother’s house that morning and answered the door when we knocked the second time.  Unusually, he invited us in immediately, particularly after he discovered that we were not sheriff’s deputies.

His mother gave testimony of salvation, but when the conversation turned to him, he did not know whether or not he was saved.  After hearing the gospel, however, he bowed his head and prayed to accept Christ as Savior.  Praise the Lord for His leading and enabling!

We quit the Southwest next week (who in their right mind comes to AZ in the summertime?) and begin to head north for ministry there.  Thank you all for praying.  Our greatest needs are the leading and power of the Holy Spirit—the same needs, in fact, that you have as well.

Victory in the Desert

After a week of preparation work, camp started for us in the mountains of southern New Mexico.  This week of camp—it was supposed to be two but got shortened to one at the last minute—was a combined junior/teen week.  I was to preach to the juniors while my dear friend Dwight Smith preached to the teens.  The Lord blessed us with seven salvation decisions and a host of other decisions as well.

Though the plan was for me to preach to the juniors, Bro. Smith insisted that I take two of the teen slots.  The Lord greatly used those two messages to speak to the hearts of the teens.  At the testimony service Friday night, many specifically mentioned decisions that had been made during those two preaching times.

For the first time in several years, Sarah and I were able to celebrate our anniversary on the actual day, June 17.  It has been thirteen wonderful years for us and we praise the Lord for the wonderful life we have had together.

While we have been in the southwest, the Lord has opened up other doors of ministry in NM and AZ in addition to camp.  After this coming Sunday, we will pack up our trailer and begin the long trek to SD where we will be for a while before spending time in CO before we once again turn eastward.

Thank you for all your prayers for us.  We are grateful to see how God is answering on a regular basis.

One of These Little Ones

The Lord has been very good to us in meetings this spring.  We have seen great things happen along the way.

In Macon, GA, Nick, a 17-year-old boy, trusted Christ as Savior on a Tuesday night.  He was a foster kid whose mother had turned to drugs and alcohol after the death of her husband and one of her sons.  As a result of her mother’s actions, the government removed her living children from her custody and placed them in foster care.  Nick had been coming to youth group on Wednesday night for a couple of months prior to the revival meeting.  After hearing the preaching several times, he admitted his need of salvation and came forward to trust Christ.

From Macon, we returned home for what we hoped would be some rest.  Instead of rest, it was missions conference and we were still in services nearly every night of the week.

On Thursday night of missions conference, our son Daniel went to Sarah once the service was over and told her, “Mama, I should have gone forward tonight.”  Of course, Sarah wanted to know why.  “Because I need to be saved,” was his answer.  I was playing the postlude on the piano at the time, but as soon as I was finished, Sarah brought him to me.  After a few simple questions in which he told me of his sin and different things that he had done, he prayed and asked the Lord to save Him.

We were to leave on Saturday of that week.  Our schedule left us with a decision.  Do we baptize him right away or wait a few months until we get back?  The Lord seemed to give me peace about doing it right away.

You can refer to Sarah’s blog to see the details of his baptism, but he followed Christ in baptism on Friday night of missions conference.

After a meeting in central IL, we are off to NM and camp.  The cowboy boots will come in handy all summer as we go from NM to SD and then on to CO.  If only I hadn’t forgotten my hat.

Home Again

At least our home on wheels.  The electrical problems we encountered as a result of the blowout in NC took us out of the trailer while we were in Hampton VA.  After calling around to different RV dealerships in the area, we were assured that the trailer could be fixed some time in May, but probably not before then.  Everyone was just too booked up.  Evidently, this is the time of year when everyone gets their unit out of storage and has work done to it so that they can be ready for the camping season.

We tried a specialty shop that worked solely on trailers (work and utility trailers), but because the damage included not only our 12-volt dc system but also our 120-volt ac system, the specialty shop foreman deemed the repair to be beyond their ability.  They gave us the information for a man in Chesapeake, VA, whose specialty was mobile RV repairs.  After calling him, he assured me that he could get to it right away.

He was as good as his word.  We took the unit to him on Monday and by Tuesday night he called me to tell me that the unit was done.  Besides the blessing of a timely trailer repair, the people of the First Calvary Baptist Church gave enough to cover the entire repair! 

By Wednesday, we were back in our trailer and glad to be back home.  After the opportunity to see some friends from college, we made our way to our next meeting in Acme PA.  Of course, during that trip, we had high winds that tore up the air conditioner shroud on our unit, but we should be able to have a new one installed before we leave PA for Broadview Heights OH.

The bottom line?  There’s no place like home, even if it is on wheels.

Help Along the Way

It has been quite some time since I, Sarah, have written an update for our family on this blog.  The chief reason being, I have a blog of my own that I write to keep people updated on the family happenings. 

The beginning of the year was pretty dull, as far as traveling activity, and we spent a great deal of time in our home, which was a lot of fun, too. 

We are now in the busy time of the year, with several weeks of meetings stretching out in front of us.  It is good to be back in the saddle again. 

Last week, we were in the Mobile, Al area, and had a really good meeting, which ran Sunday through Wednesday.  We drove all day Thursday, a beautiful drive into North Carolina.  To our great consternation, the air conditioning in our truck stopped blowing in the 85 degree weather.  Six people in a close, confined area, on a nine-hour drive in warm weather, with no air conditioning is not a recipe for family success and happiness.  Rolling the windows down at highway speeds only resulted in partial deafness (diesel engines are really loud) and extremely windblown hair.  So, we would roll the windows up until everyone was sweating, then briefly roll them down again until the roaring and hair-whipping became unbearable.  So it went all day long, the sweltering heat broken by the occasional whine from one of the kids. 

We have been reading through the Little House on the Prairie series as a family, and are currently in the midst of The Long Winter.  It took a great deal of imagination to picture the swirling blizzards and below freezing temperatures, although the roaring and howling of the wind was somewhat less difficult to imagine.

We called a friend in NC that met us at a gas station and worked on our air conditioning for a few hours, and got it working again.  What a tremendous blessing! 

We spent the next day visiting some friends in the ministry, and had a wonderful time of fellowship with them. Our kids had a great time playing with their children, as well.  I love to see the kids making good friends.

Saturday morning, we headed out of North Carolina toward Virginia, where our next meeting was scheduled.  It was only a five or six hour drive, so we were in no hurry, and it was such a gorgeous day.  We had almost reached Burlington when there was a huge POW!!!!  I looked in my passenger side mirror and there, to my dismay, I saw pieces of tire flying.  Our tire.  We pulled over immediately, but the tire had already done a lot of damage when it blew.  Wires and stuffing were hanging out of the wheelwell, and it was obvious that the gas line had been severed, too.  We now had a dilemma.  Paul had abdominal surgery not two weeks ago, and still  was not allowed to lift anything over ten pounds.  Have you ever tried to lift a trailer tire?  Okay, those things are really heavy!  Way over ten pounds.  I was fluttering about like a mother hen, not wanting him to do anything strenuous and undo all the work he just had done. 

He finally acquiesced to my concerns and opted to let me do the work while he sat and told me what to do.  Sounds like every man’s dream, doesn’t it?  After jacking up the axle, and loosening the lugs, I knew this was going to take a long time to repair, since changing trailer tires on the side of the highway was not one of my bucket list priorities.  I actually have helped change tires many times before, but I have never had to do it all by myself. 

While we were crouched on the side of the road, looking under the trailer, and man walked up behind me, startling me.  He asked if we needed any help.  In the providence of God, he was driving a service truck, with all the necessary tools to change a tire.  We gladly accepted his offer of help, only afterward noticing that his right arm was severely injured.  It actually looked as if it was broken, although it was not in a cast.  You can imagine that this somewhat hampered his ability to change the tire, since he was virtually one-armed.  It was all rather amusing to me, since the only two people who knew exactly what to do were physically unable to do so.  It was a bit like a three-legged race, with all of us bumbling about, but needing the others to finish.  So, between the three of us, we managed to get the tire changed.  The wiring was wrapped around the rear axle and had cut through several wires, so that the severed ends were now exposed and arcing as they dangled under the wheelwell.  Fearing an electrical fire, we cut all power to the trailer, and taped and zip-tied the wires up underneath the trailer frame. 

Paul realized right way that we had lost our main power in the trailer.  There would have to be some serious repairs made before we could stay in our home-away-from-home.  As soon as we were back on the road, he called the pastor of the church to which we were traveling, and let him know that we would now need a place to stay.  Thank God for His traveling mercies!  We are also thankful for the opportunity to meet Matthew, our “angel in disguise.”  Matthew helped us, in spite of his obvious injury, took time out of his day to help total strangers, and refused to take any payment for his help.  I know that God sent that man to help us. Paul was able to briefly witness to him, and gave him a gospel tract before he left.  Pray for this man, that he would read the tract, accept the gospel, and receive Jesus Christ as his Savior!  Perhaps he was the very reason our tire blew.  We may never know the result of this earthly encounter until we get to heaven, but if a blown tire is the price of a man’s soul, we are more than willing to pay it!

Please pray as we try to get the trailer up and running again.  Right now it is a 15,000 pound suitcase – it holds all of our things, but we cannot live in it until the electric is fixed.  We are seriously praying for God’s will concerning the trailer.  We have had an exorbitant number of problems with it in the 20 months or so we have owned it.  Please pray with us in this matter, and thank you for your prayers in regard to our safety.  God is keeping us safe during all of these incidents.

Building Boys

Our first meeting in a while was last week in Thaxton, Mississippi.  I know what you all are thinking.  I have been there twice, and I’m still not entirely sure exactly where it is.  At any rate, there is a great church there and we had a good meeting there last week.

The only real obstacle we encountered all week long was that half of the church was out with the flu.  One man, after getting the flu shot, got both types A and B flu virus.  Despite the sickness, the pastor went ahead with the meeting and we had a good one.  There were several nights in which the Lord was working in the hearts of His people.  It was not necessarily a meeting of seeing lots of people down an aisle, but it was a meeting in which we could sense God working in a powerful way.

Our time at our home church has been busy.  One day, some of the older men of the church (am I actually in that category now?) were sitting around bemoaning the fact that many young people do not know how to work.  The more we complained, the more we had to admit that our sons did not know how to work either.  I opined, “It is because no one has ever taught them.  We can do the work so much faster ourselves that we never slow down enough to teach them.”  From that conversation came the idea of teaching the young men in our church.  So far, the men have sided a shed, and built a shoe shelf in a woodworking shop.  They are not yet ready to make a living doing siding or building furniture, but they can at least use a screw gun and a cut a straight line with a saw.

Teaching these boys has been a great joy to me.  When we finished the vinyl siding on the shed (notice the low-risk choice of project), the boys could look back and say, “We did that.”  I was very up front with them in telling that the purpose was not necessarily to cover the shed with siding.  The purpose was to teach them how to work.  I could not help enjoying the entire outing, especially considering Josiah was one of the boys working.  He ran the circular saw just like everybody else and measured pieces of siding along with the others.  The boys have had their appetite whetted for real accomplishment.  Only the Lord knows where this whole thing will lead.

But it will have to be on hold very soon.  We will leave the week after Easter and, except for one Sunday in May, be gone until August.

From Seed to Harvest

Most of the time when I preach a revival meeting, I don’t get to actually see all the preparation that goes into it.  I don’t get to kneel in the cottage prayer meetings, nor do I get to hand out the flyers advertising the meeting in weeks leading up to my arrival.  I show up on Saturday, hoping the preparation has been done.

This past meeting in my home church was an exception to that rule.  I was able to see all the preparation because it came close on the heels of Christmas.  I was present at every cottage prayer meeting and saw God begin to work in the hearts of the people.  I was present to be able to hand out flyers advertising the meeting, though it was somewhat awkward to hand out something with one’s own picture on the front.

We saw God do remarkable things in the meeting.  The list of people on our prayer list was brought before God on a regular basis and grew longer as the Holy Spirit brought names to our minds in prayer.  After the week was done, most of the intercessory prayers that we have offered had been answered.  Of course, God limits His personal working to man’s free will, and some hearts were hardened to the Holy Spirit’s working.  But most of the requests that we offered were answered by God during the week of revival meetings.

One such answer to prayer was a man named Kerry.  He was first contacted by our teenagers during teen soul-winning.  He came to a service soon after and expressed some doubt about his salvation.

It was my privilege, along with a deacon from our church to visit him in his home the week after he attended our services.  There, we preached the Gospel to him and asked him again about his salvation.  At that time, he told us about “doing that already,” though his explanation of the event never mentioned Jesus Christ, instead focusing on being baptized and joining the church.

He was in church several Sundays in row, including the Sunday of revival.  Never again did he raise his hand in church about salvation until the Sunday after the meeting.  That morning, he came forward for salvation.  The pastor asked me to deal with him.  In the inquiry room, he told me, “I realized that when I went forward before, I never accepted Jesus as Savior.  Today, I want to do that.”  He was born again there after the service and could hardly wait to tell people about it.

Some plant, some water, but God gives the increase.

Preaching Time

After the holidays and the turning of the calendar year, it is time for us once again to be in meetings.  Our schedule this year begins with a meeting at our home church.  We are looking forward to what the Lord will do.

For the second year in a row, I have been privileged to attend a special conference designed for evangelists.  The conference is officially called the Mentoring Evangelists Advance, and is hosted by Evangelists Billy Ingram and Dwight Smith.  This year, Bro. Rick Flanders was a guest speaker and his ministry was a particular blessing in challenging us all in the area of seeking God for real revival.  Without a doubt, this conference is a must for those who believe God wants them serving Him as evangelists.  You can contact Bro. Ingram or Bro. Dwight Smith for information about next year’s meeting.  For the past two years, it has been held in or around Indianapolis, IN.  I am praying that the Lord will burden their hearts about south FL next year.  You know it has to be a good conference for me to leave the south during hunting season and head north.

Would you join me in pleading with God for revival?  God has greatly burdened my heart about the subject, now more than ever before.  While there are misconceptions about revival, believers need to be abundantly clear on this salient truth: our God longs to revive His people.  Let us pray and trust God for revival in this coming year!