Planting Raspberriesr'd

The weather is hot. Hot, hot, hot, and it tries to rain everyday. It's almost like Africa. We are trying to get as much done as possible. 

Yesterday, we planted 1,100 raspberry canes. (9,000 to go.) We watered them over night and this morning our neighbors came by wondering why the nearby creek was so muddy. (Irrigation water spilled into the creek.) 

It took our little crew 3 hours to plant what we planted.

This morning I went to our Senator's office, Betsie Markie. I think I told you of my little Russian translator. She is 34 and single, and has contracted vaginal cancer 3rd stage. I wrote her a letter for the U.S. Embassy in Russia offering to raise money to get her to Eden Valley and to give her treatments. The Embassy refused her. So, I went to the Senator for some support, if I can have it. She gave me some advice, and as soon as we do our part, the Senator will try to pull some strings.

This morning we rec'd some good news. In our May session, we had a little lady called Joanne (of Iranian descent.) She had cancer in her jaw. She is convinced that it is because of her cell phone. That is neither here nor there now. The Oncologist told her that she would not survive this cancer. She returned to the Oncologist this month and he told her that  he can't find any cancer at all and that she is to come back in one year. That is so encouraging to me. Praise God we can do a little. Imagine, God works miracles for us.

Not a Drop of Quick

I don't know if my kids were too young when Paul West was at Woodland Park Foundation, but he showed up at my house yesterday. Like me, he's an old man now, 65 years old. Hard to believe. Not too old, however, to ride a motorcycle from Victoria Island to Loveland. He's her to help out for one week. 

Fortunately, I had a bed in my house still. The Emersons are still with me, (that is Jonathan Emerson on the bike) and next weekend I trade them in for the Browns and a doctor from Ethiopia. The Lord isn't cutting me any slack lately. The house is full always. Don and Rumiko left Friday. They are all better. I praise God. Don mowed the whole of EVI and helped us bring in 700 bales of hay. When he first came, he could hardly lift a salt shaker for being sick. 

My back is sore from lifting bales of hay. I expect we'll have to do that again tomorrow if it doesn't rain. So far, we haven't lost any of it. It is an odd year in Colorado. Coloradans haven't seen rain like this in a long time.

Michael Garcia gave me a seven-tier DVD burner. I really would have preferred to pay for it, but he insisted. If Emersons decide to come to EVI, I might be forced to ask Garcias to vacate. I'll hate doing it. I really like these folks. Gifts don't help the situation either. The only other option, I think, would be to give Emersons my house. Most of the people think that is a bad idea. Where would all the guests go if I don't have a big house? Still, I don't need such a big house for two people. (I burnt 28 sets of nine sermons on the Prodigal Son in about two days. The machine works like a charm.)

For the last two Sabbaths, I preached on "Not Under the Law, but Under Grace." A real blessing to me, if I do say so myself--not the preaching, but the concept. I wish everyone could see it. I'll have to write an article, I guess. 

My wife will be back one month from today. I look forward to it. I'm surrounded with people and not a one to hug. It's like, "Water, water everywhere and not a drop of Quick." (Old commercials don't go away easy.) 

From the Preacher to his tribe. 

Experimenting

They tell me I don't spell so good. I really ought to re-read what I write. I apologize for the course language in one of my last blogs. It wasn't intentional, but is sure made some people laugh. 

I'm trying to write more often, but life isn't alw

ays super exciting. Right now, I have the Emmerson family living with me. They are a blast. (Angie, Mrs. Emmerson thinks she was your teacher at Weimar. Her name is Oleta.) The kids are wonderful. They are shopping for violin teachers and f

or a house. I hope they choose to stay.

I've got a garden. Well, I didn't plant a garden, one of the Agri students planted a garden for me and I get to eat out of it. 

And just for you girls I took 

a picture of flowers. I am experimenting with my camera. I am electronically challenged. Good thing I don't have an 

electric tooth brush.

Sorry, New Guests again

I had to move Don and Rumiko into a guest house because Dr. David and Olena Emmerson with their children, Johanna, and Jonathan moved into my house. They will be our Doctors for this session. The session starts today. I'll try to get pictures of them before they leave. We hope they will decide to join us at EVI. They have a choice between us and going to Chile. It ought to be obvious where they should go, but it apparently isn't that obvious to them yet.

I am enjoying their company very much. I enjoyed Don and Rumiko's company as well. The extra work only adds to the blessing. We are all pulling together. Tonight I have to eat supper with the guests and host the orientation program. This coming week I will preach at least ten sermons. Who is luckier than I? 

We are taking the risk of cutting our hay. We took one field down on Friday hoping the Lord will favor us with dry weather. It has rained every day for the last two months. It isn't much rain as by African standards, but it keeps us from harvesting our fields. 

Nathan Bearce, son of Earle and Carole Bearce married the daughter of Steve Boykin. They came to Colorado for their honeymoon and I lent them my car for two weeks. Yes, I was worried. I had him put collision insurance on it. In the end, it turned out okay. I appreciate Nathan and his pretty bride. They are very courteous and thoughtful. They washed my car, filled it with gas, even washed my floor mats. They too stayed at my house for a couple of days. 

The Bible speaks of hospitality in strong terms. Too many protect themselves from serving in this manner. They lose out on a great blessing. 

New Guests

I was privileged to preach six times this week. Some may not consider this a privilege, but I do. My mind is forever exercised with life-changing themes. Four times I taught the Agri Students, one Wednesday, I prepared one of the most serious family talks I've had in a long time. I talked about gossip. From now on, negative talk and faultfinding is not permitted at EVI. The Lord helped me to show that claiming to be Christians and failing to control our mouths is an oxymoron. Nearly everyone has been guilty of this failure at EVI, including me, and it is no longer safe to think we are true Christians if we don't get our tongues under control. 

On Sabbath, I spoke on Being Under the Law, as opposed to Being Under Grace. I've got to learn how to put these sermons on the net so that others can get the benefit of them also. I was in night duty at the Village church till Sunday morning. That was not uneventful either. A copper pipe broke in the ceiling of the Village Friday night and flooded the dining area. I got called in the middle of the night to help with that. We didn't manage to fix it the firs time. So we lived with the leaks in the caf all day Sabbath. On Sabbath night, Mark went into the attic to fix the problem. I asked him not to turn the water on after he fixed it so we could sleep. He thought everything would be alright. At 12:30 A.M. the alarm went off and I got up the another flood.  We shit the water off again and I worked till 2:00 A.M. mopping up water.  

oops!

I am still struggling with this dumb program. I published the last post prematurely. Ah well, who cares. As I was saying, I gave both Don and Rumiko fever therapies all week, plus good rest and good meals. Rumiko supplied the good, very good meals. I gained four pounds last week. 

It's been busier than usual at Eden Valley. We began with a Restoration International Camp Meeting. I had two families living in my house for the weekend. The Camp was wonderful. People came with their families and the meetings were geared to build up strong family ties. The addressed everything from relations between parents to raising children. The Nebletts are good speakers, from the father to the youngest child. They make quite a demonstration on what a family can look like complete with amazing singing and playing instruments. 

By the time the camp was done and people were leaving, Don and Rumiko Johnson called and told me how sick they both were. (Notice, past tense -- were sick.) I invited them over that same day and began as soon as I could to give them both fever therapies daily. 

Still Got Shirt

Dr. Neblett speaking at Restoration Intl. Camp Meeting hosted by EVI

June 04 

Before I left Loma Linda, I visited Hands On Medical Massage School.  Corolla, the lady who runs it, is doing a great job. I believe this is one of the best massage schools around. Apparently,  Angela Aho graduated from that school the 

night before I came to visit. They said that she grew a lot while at school and that she gave a wonderful parting speech. I called Angela to congratulate her. She was at the beach with her mother. Angela has already netted two jobs. One in a clinic and another for a Chiropractor.

That evening I was invited to a Tupperware party. Only, it wasn't Tupperware, it was pots and pans called Saladmaster. Very impressive. The world is killing us by selling us pots made of aluminum, stainless steel and cast iron. The Salamaster pots are suppose to be very good for our health--titanium.  Actually, I think they are, but I can't afford to spend $10,500 for a set. Can you?

June 05

I flew back home. Wrote two articles in flight for our magazine, Faith Ventures. 

June 06

I preached in Copper Mountain (two and one half hours away from EVI.) I spoke on being decisive. Barbara Taylor, one of my board members, was there. She had surgery on her face for cancer. It must be a different kind of cancer because they really went deep with the knife. I felt bad for her. She came to visit EVI and I offered her a free session in the Lifestyle Center. She doesn't want a free session. She thinks we are not to run a business that way. I think it is just the way to run a business for God. Give and . . . guess what God said He would do? 

I'm organizing a letter-vote from my board for my wife in Africa. She is planning a board of trustees for her organization, and a change of by-laws to fit the African mind. I must get my board to approve these changes because she is still under our auspices.

June 07, Sunday

I spent the day fixing toilets, water faucets, doors and windows. I like that. Doing something practical is a great change from office work. Steve Grabiner called. I've forgotten what he initially wanted, but he did ask if I wanted to spend a three day weekend retreat in the mountains in the fall. Yes I would. I think that hiking, reading and praying would do me/us a world of good.

I bought a camera on this day. It works great and now I should be able to post a few pics for your pleasure. (If you can get me to use it.)

June 09

My new accountant drove in today, Leonard Smith and Sally. They are a pleasure to mix with. We unloaded his truck and then went to a Church Business meeting. I just love meetings. In this one at least we voted to sponsor Deneice Van Order $100 per month for two years as she works with my wife in Africa.

This weekend we are hosting a Restoration International Camp Meeting. There was probably one hundred people at the first meeting. It is suppose to swell to two hundred people tomorrow. Dr. Neblett and his family are the guest speakers. It's a rest for me. I can just sit back and enjoy the spiritual emphasis.

What follows is a little article I am including in this month's Faith Ventures about our Lifestyle Center:

 Still Have Our Shirts

It looked and felt like another miserable failure. Not one lifestyle guest registered for treatments in January 2009. We had suffered through a bad year in 2008, and it wasn’t until October and November that the Lord, in His mercy, turned things around for us. December dipped slightly, but January tanked. . . again! In the words of Yogi Berra, the famous New York Yankee ball player, it was “deja-vue (with its sinking feeling) all over again."

Unexpectedly, during a very ordinary moment in an Executive Committee meeting, God gave us an out-of-the-box idea. Someone suggested we invite Jim Gilley, the President of 3ABN, and C.A. Murray, his Production Manager, for a free lifestyle session. We heard that Jim had survived triple by-pass surgery, and that C. A. had prostate cancer. Naturally, being Christians, our hearts went out to these servants of God. 3ABN had been a trememdous blessing to Eden Valley in 2008. Four times they had given us valuable air time. It seemed little to us to offer them something of real value in return. During the discussion, however, we began to wonder why we should limit the blessing to just two individuals. Why not offer a lifestyle session to every staff member at 3ABN on a donation basis?  A donation basis? gulp! Isn’t that a bit risky?

What if we realized little by way of returns? Might we not lose our shirts? Keeping our shirts is important, especially to the business minded among us. Yet, to a man (and woman), we felt impressed that the risk was worth taking.

The potential loss turned out to be great gain to Eden Valley. Many at 3ABN took advantage of the offer and healthwise they needed to. Those who most needed it could never have afforded our medical care. Which begs a question: Why should only God’s richest missionaries enjoy His natural remedies? There is something about that idea that rankles in my brain. There has got to be a way to serve the poor as well as the rich among us. This once, at least, we found pure pleasure in treating everyone who needed it-- the small with the great, the poor with the affluent.

C. A. Murray and his wife, Irma, was the first to arrive. He stayed the longest and bounced home to announce, on air, that he had found healing at Eden Valley. Soon after he returned to Eden Valley, cameras in tow, to film an hour long documentary of Eden Valley’s Lifestyle Center. The value of that gift was not lost upon us. We’ve been praising God ever since. We are mutually blessed.

Our Lifestyle Center has been full since. Every month, February through July and perhaps into the fall, will see every room filled. True, because some came on a donation basis, every month has not been a financial bonanza--but we are in the black and we relish the opportunity to serve people in greater numbers.

 Again, we are convinced that we can never outgive the Lord. If or when the count gets low, we will again look for ways to bless greater numbers . . . and still keep our shirts.

Side note:

We did a little research and found that since 1999 we've taken care of 230 cancer patients. 160 of those patients are still alive, 77 have been alive for more than five years. That is something more than 30% success rate. What is the success rate for chemo? I'll bet it is quite a bit lower than that. 

So says the Preacher to his tribe.

 

Trust Fun

I'm in Loma Linda. It is like paradise here at this time of year. The trees, flowers, and mansions are amazing. No wonder so many people gravitate this way. I sense, however, that there is a trap in it. The wealth, the affluence, and the prestige is attractive but detracts from what is truly important in life. These things are blinding to a heart that is "Deceptive above all things and desperately wicked.  All that aside,  I came to Loma Linda for a purpose. 

The Director of Trust Services for 3ABN, Leonard and Rita Westphal, came to EVI for a Lifestyle session last month. He no soon got to EVI that he began talking to me about starting a Trust Service for Eden Valley. As a result, I am here visiting them in their beautiful mansion. They have bombarded me with information, much of it is overwhelming to my little brain. Nevertheless, I can see the possibilities. My nature resists launching out into a venture that is not my forte. If I had the right person, and if I could let him or her go into it. It could become a wonderful blessing to us, but dare I think to do it myself? I feel bad. Should I go home and do nothing about the Trust Fund business? It seems to me to be a lost opportunity. I must pray much about this.

I am surrounded with much that is frustrating. I need a doctor and I have people pressuring me to get one yesterday, two is preferable. The insinuation is that I am not trying hard enough to find a doctor, or to find the therapists we need. We have given Dr. David Emmerson an official call, but he is very cautious not to move where God would not have him move. At the same time, I have Dr. Karla Garcia, a Pediatrician at EVI, but she knows little about natural remedies. She could learn easily I assume, but she works in town and has four children. Emmerson would be better, I think. Should I ask Karla to move before I know that Emmerson will make a committment? Or, should I go with Karla Garcia and not risk losing both? Lord, I need guidance.

On another front: I am almost ready to close our Assisted Living Center. It is losing money and the competition is too much for us. I have pressure from some to close it, and from others to give it till late September, at Board time. Throw in the people on campus who try to undermine each other through accusatory e-mails and false rumors, and it is enough to discourage the angels. People don't seem to realize that envy, faultfinding, undermining, and backstabbing, bring with it a curse that is spread to all of us.

This leaves me at once fascinated and frustrated. God says that, "In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief." DA 330 I dare not become so discouraged that I will quit just before God works a mighty miracle. I believe He will. I just can't imagine why He wouldn't, but in the meantime, I feel like I am a nut in a blender trying to avoid the blades. 

So, here I am in Loma Linda filling my brain with legal matters. I don't know if I should try to surround this business or not, but I do know that God allowed me to see this opportunity, and I mustn't sell the possibility short.

The rest of week was much as it always is. I preached last Sabbath, "Don't Aim at Success." That sermon is like a fire burning in my heart. The principle is so powerful. I sent it to the Cashmere Church. They will put it on-line. You can download it from there if you are interested. 

On Sunday, I mowed lawns, fixed two toilets and soaked my feet in water charged by a machine that is supposed to draw the impurities from your system. There is nothing added to the water. There is an electronic gismo put in the water with your feet. There appears to be no reason why anything should happen to the water, but my water turned orange, green, brown and black until it was like sludge. Where that stuff came from is a mystery. Either it works marvelously, or someone has figured out a way to fool me, big time. In any case, it didn't cost anything so I didn't lose anything. Perhaps I'll take a few more treatments to see what happens.

One Monday I was on a conference call with the Oak Haven board. Even they have terrible difficulties  to deal with. I believe God is preparing Himself a special Remnant. 

Till next time... the Preacher to his tribe.