The Lord has given us a wonderful month of serving Him, this time in the Southwestern portion of our nation. There is something refreshing about reading of the rest of the nation in snow and ice while we suffer for Jesus in the sunshine of Southern California or Arizona. But the Lord did a great work in the places where He called us to go.
I had not been in full-time evangelism for one whole year before Fundamental Baptist Church of Escondido, California, had me for a week-long meeting. They have been having me ever since. Over the years, it has been rewarding to see how the Lord has worked in the lives of people. This year, we saw three walk the aisle and trust Christ as Savior. Two were a couple, the man being a drill instructor for the Marines.
Another highlight of our stay in California was preaching in a new church plant in the high desert town of Phelan. The Shepherd's Call Baptist Church lost their place to meet due to COVID-19, but they are continuing to meet in places that the Lord has supplied for them. Please pray that God will give them a more permanent place to meet.
From California, it was off to Arizona. Coming down from the high desert to Indio, California is a descent of nearly 4,000 feet. On that drive, we were having a problem with our brakes on the truck. This has been an ongoing problem dating back to last year. We parked at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, and asked them for recommendations of mechanics that we could use to get some work done. I expected a simple brake job. Instead, the mechanic told me that many components of the front end were worn out and had to be replaced. The bill totaled over $5,000. The Lord laid it on the heart of Pastor John Roy to help us with half of the repair. We are so grateful to him and the people of Cornerstone.
The truck repair was done just in time for us to get to our next meeting in Amado, AZ. Pastor Richard Bloxton and his people are a congregation that absolutely loves preaching, and it was a joy to be with them again. Part of my reason for being in that part of Arizona was to talk to churches about upcoming summer camp. In all of the madness surrounding the virus, children, who are the lowest risk category, have suffered the most from people's reaction. One of the messages I had to communicate was that we still plan to provide an opportunity for children to come apart and be ministered to in a camp setting.
From Amado, we were in the New Testament Baptist Church of Safford, Arizona. What a great group of people! They seemed to just love hearing the Word of God. In conversation, I mentioned a camp need in passing, and the Lord laid it on the heart of the church to meet the need. Praise the Lord!
One final church in Arivaca, AZ, finished out the month. Pastor Rick Lewis and his dear wife Leah had invited us to come years ago, but we were only able to come this year. What a blessing it was to see all that God has done through the years in the Faith Baptist Church of Arivaca.
As I write this, we have stopped for the night in Monahans, Texas, in our return trip to Mississippi. The plan is to be home late Thursday night. Thank you for all of your prayers for us. Know that God is working in hearts.
