The Lord has been very good to us over the summer months. After our ministry in Canada, we made our way to Southern California to be with the Fundamental Baptist Church of Escondido. This church has been having me in for meetings for 20 years, and it was great to be with them again. Also, it is wonderful to be in a church that still stands today where it stood 20 years ago.
From there, it was on to the desert and a church plant in Phelan, California. What a joy it is to serve these new works that are just getting started. From the Mojave Desert, we then crossed to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. For several weeks, we ministered in different parts of Arizona from Phoenix, to Amado and Tucson, to Safford. God opened many doors for us while we were there.
One of the highlights for me was preaching on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. It was on this reservation 20 years ago that God first opened my eyes to the needs of the Native Americans. There are some of these Apaches that I have known for years. They are still serving God after all this time.
After a fruitful, if hot, time in Arizona, we came through Mississippi for a two day stop at home before heading on to South Carolina. While we were in Arizona, a low-hanging tree branch scraped our roof and peeled it back from the front of the trailer. I patched it as best I could in order to get it back to my repairman in Mississippi, but we had to go on to the Carolinas without it. After preaching five times in the Carolinas in a church and Ambassador Baptist College, I made a whirlwind trip back to Mississippi to pick up our trailer and drive it to NC. After two days of driving, Sarah and I got on a plane to go to Colorado.
Colorado was the home of the Baptist Circuit Riders Ministry meeting, and I was invited to participate. What a joy to see men from all over the small towns of the prairie meet for fellowship and encouragement! These men are doing a great work, and it was good to be a part of it.
Sarah has been asked to teach piano at Ambassador Baptist College this year. This means that there will be some meetings where I will be alone as I preach. There are still a few where she will be able to be with me, but our family feels as if it is all over the place these days. Please pray for us as we deal with the logistics of travel without Sarah. We have a very busy schedule going into next year, so we need the Lord's help.
In closing, let me say what a privilege it is to serve God! There are needs everywhere in the United States, Canada, and every place that you and I might find ourselves. May we, like our Savior in Sychar, be ready to minister to others as the opportunity arises.
