From LA to PA

At the time of my last update, we were in Louisiana, visiting a couple of churches to present our burden. We also had a whole week to be in one place, which was a blessing. We don’t get to do that much these days, so it was nice to have some time to catch up on a bit of rest. The only downside was the church was dangerously close to a fantastic donut shop, and I admit we partook of said donuts on more than one occasion.

While visiting a church in Shreveport, LA, we had the opportunity to chat with a young couple praying about the Lord’s will for their lives. They’re sensing He may be calling them to plant a church in the midwest, but they haven’t been able to settle anything. Their main questions for us were, “How did you know God was calling you to Wales? How did you know it was time?” We spent a little while talking with them and answering their questions about our call. It was a joy for us to minister to them, and I pray the Lord will make His will clear for them.

On Saturday, July 17th, we drove to Nacogdoches, TX, to meet up with former missionaries to Wales, the Blutos. They left Wales last year to answer the Lord’s call to continue their work of church rescue in Texas. They have a good work started there and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for them. We had a wonderful lunch together as they ministered to us about working in Wales. They answered many questions for us and gave us some great insight.  

From there, we drove to one of our supporting churches in Mabank, TX. Though the church already supports us, they allowed us to present our work, show our video, and even for Jason to preach the morning message on Sunday. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, especially as we gathered together for dinner on the grounds (which they call FATT Sunday—Fellowshipping Around The Table.)

Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay too long because we had a two-hour drive to our Sunday evening meeting in Jefferson, TX. There we showed our video and presented our burden for Wales. We also enjoyed more fellowship around the table after the service. (In case you’re wondering, dieting and deputation DON’T mix! Everyone wants to feed the missionaries…and donut shops are abundant!)

After spending the night in the church parking lot in Jefferson, TX, we started Monday morning for the long drive toward our next stop—Maryville, TN. Because of the great distance, we decided to break the trip into two days. We covered most of the drive on Monday, then stopped at a rest area for the night and covered the remaining distance on Tuesday. By lunchtime on Tuesday, we were settled in at Maryville (another supporting church) for our brief stay in Tennessee.

On Wednesday evening, we had the opportunity to present, sing, and preach at a small but precious church in Harriman, TN. We had visited the church previously and had been invited to return for an official meeting. We had a great time chatting with the people and pastor. On the way home, the Lord protected us from a “close encounter” with some deer who meandered out into the road. We praise Him for not only watching over us but also for caring so much for the deer. He is truly a loving Creator!

On Thursday, we attended the missions conference at Maryville. We began with dinner on the grounds (more food!) and then had an excellent evening service filled with singing, missionary presentations, and a fabulous sermon on giving God our all. After the service, we stayed up WAY too late, catching up with the pastor and his wife, who have had a challenging year but have seen God move in miraculous ways. It was a blast chatting with them, but sometime after midnight, we all decided it was time to go to bed, especially since we had a long drive the next day.

On Friday, we drove around 700 miles from Maryville, TN, to Dover, DE. It was a long day, but God kept us safe and got us to our destination. Upon our arrival, Jason opened up one of the bay doors of the RV to plug in the battery bay and refrigerator, and as he did, the entire bottom of the bay let loose and crashed to the ground. Deciding not to mess with it in the dark, he plugged us up and left the repairs until the following morning.

Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that though the bay floor coming apart seems like a bad thing (and it is), we were both so thankful that God held it together the entire time we were driving. It was only after we were safely parked that it fell through, and that, my friends, is a real blessing. I can’t imagine the damage that would have been done had the bottom fallen out while driving down the road. Once again, God was watching over us. Additionally, it didn’t cost us anything to repair the problem other than a bit of time. And God even brought in an extra set of hands at just the right time. Is He awesome or what!

So, after spending the morning doing the repairs to the bay, Jason and I drove our car over to my aunt and uncle’s house to surprise my parents, who were coming over for a visit. Yes, my parents from SC were in DE for a visit, and it was there we were finally able to catch up with them. They were surprised to see us, and the family gathering was a huge success. There were a lot of laughs and stories… and, of course, food. We had a great time.

On Sunday morning, we got an early start and drove a couple of hours to Nottingham, PA, to drop in on a church the Blutos recommended. They were having a special youth service since their young people had just returned from summer camp. It was a compelling and moving service, and I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. It was a blessing to see God working in the lives of these youth, and I pray the fires in their hearts will keep burning. And even though we just dropped in, the pastor set up another time for us to come back and present our ministry, so it looks like we’ll be returning to PA in the fall.

After a quick lunch, we drove an hour and a half to York, PA, where we were scheduled to present our burden. We were given the opportunity to show our video and give a presentation about our call and the great need in Wales. The pastor and congregation were very moved by all of this, and there is talk of them taking us on for support. Lord willing, we’ll hear from them soon.

Monday was a full-blown rest day. After all the traveling and late nights, we were both exhausted. Other than picking up some groceries, we did very little. It was kind of nice!

Today is the day we’re catching up on all the office work, and tomorrow, we’ll be heading out to Red Lion, PA, for our meeting tomorrow night.

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a few more churches take us on, and we’ve finally tipped over the 75% mark. We’re still praying about a departure in the fall, but as slowly as support is trickling in, it looks like it may be early 2022. Whatever the time, we know God is in it and is working all things for our good, so we trust Him and plan to keep following His lead.

We’ve also heard several accounts of people giving their lives to the Lord—some at camp, others through VBS, and some in a church service. What a blessing to know God is still in the saving business. And that, my friends, is what it’s all about!!!