Sometimes I wonder if I am alone so unsure. This weekend, Feb 23-26, Janet and I went to Ontario, CA for ASI's Winter Board. There wasn't anything to worry about except that I am the President, I am the Board Chairman, I was called upon to preach the keynote message and to give a president's report to the board. (There must be something wrong with my head/heart.)
I've always felt that the sermons I preach at ASI should be spot-on applicable, but the best I could do this time was prepare a sermon for ASI during the very last week before going. For me that is risking too much. Amazingly, the sermon turned out to be one of God's gifts to me. It seems He took my poor effort and made it resonate within the hearts of those who heard. (Except for Rusty McKee who slept through it all. In Rusty's defense, he had gotten up at 3AM and run seventeen miles that day.) I can't but praise the Lord for His mercy endures forever.
The Missions Inc. board was grueling. This is the body that apportions the offering to chosen projects. You couldn't imagine how agonizing that process is. I would say that 90% of the project proposals are worthy of the full amount asked, but there isn't that much money. The total amount requested was over 12 million dollars. That, of course, is about double the usual amount wanted. One entity asked for 6 million. Harold called them and told them that wasn't going to happen. He tried to coach them to ask for considerably less, but they said that they had prayed and the Lord had led them to ask for 6 million. Amazing, the Lord led them to ask for 6 million and the Lord led us to say no to their request. Anything wrong with that picture?
This left 6 million to share with the 81 projects remaining. Bear in mind, we only expect to raise a little above 1 million dollars this year. This is where the agonizing begins. We went over the list of projects four times. Each time we either dropped a project altogether, or slashed the amount they asked for. In the end we funded 36 projects of 82 and almost everyone got much less they they deserved. It's hard. It's painful. It is also, providential. I was happy to be a participant. I saw the integrity, the honesty and the sincere desire to do more for more people.
One of the most poignant moments was when Harold, the Chairman, made a heartfelt appeal to the board that we not allow for any favoritism--not even the slightest appearance of it. Frankly, that isn't easy. Some people have invested huge amounts of money in ASI and in the mission projects. With their money they have invested their time, energy, and lives. How deserving they are of pulling stripes when needed. On the other hand, how necessary that we continually be reminded to play by the rules so that no embarrassment occur to ASI.
I am happy to say that I have perfect confidence in the Missions Inc. process and the integrity of the members that form its board.
The main ASI board happened on Sunday. I was board chairman and needed to give a president's report. All went well. I remained comfortable throughout the whole experience and we finished 50 minutes early.
We aimed to finish at 1PM. At noon we had only gone through 8 of our 14 items on the agenda. By 12:13 PM we were done. Everyone seemed pleased, but none more than I.
God uses fools to confound the wise. He uses the weak to befuddled the mighty. He delights in raising the poor from the dunghill and placing them among princes, and if it ever goes to their heads, He is well able to abase. It's a ride, but I wouldn't get off the roller coaster for anything in the world.
This week, I'm on my way to Texas for the ASI South West Chapter meetings. A whole new round of prayers must storm heaven from my side and yours.
So says the Preacher to his Tribe.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Encouraged
What is it that encourages you?
I've been wonderfully encouraged lately. We've seen more miracles of healing lately than ever I remember. We had a Hindu-become-SDA from Montreal come to us in November with fourth-stage stomach cancer metastasized into his lungs. I couldn't, looking at him, give him much hope that we could help him, but the Lord is not hampered by my prognoses. Two weeks after returning home they could find no cancer in his lungs and the original tumors were shrinking. I talked to the man on the telephone and he sounded full of energy.
In September, I think, we had a man come to us with stage-four lung cancer. The man couldn't walk any distance. He couldn't breadth. Before he left EVI he was walking 2-4 miles a day. I thought sure he would go home to die. A few weeks ago, I heard that he had suffered three set backs. So I contacted his daughter-in-law and asked about him expecting to hear the worse. I couldn't have been more surprised. The man is cancer free.
We did have a strange tragedy. One of our sweetest guest went home and found out she was cancer free. The problem is, she died of a heart attack. Somethings are not easy to understand.
A 34 year old Vancouver man came to visit EVI. We invited him to come to visit when we saw him at GYC. While he was at EVI he found out, from tests done in Vancouver, that he had a very aggressive form of lymphoma. The doctor said he had as little as eight months to live (or as much as five years.) So being that he was here we gave him some treatments and arranged for him to return for the February session. He is here now. Trouble is, more tests done in Vancouver show that his cancer is totally eradicated. The surgeon in Vancouver is proud of his ability to remove all the cancer. Which is ok with me, but we'd like to give the glory to God. We did anoint Rob and without knowing what in the world happened, the man is perfectly healthy. So now we are giving him a full session that he may or may not need. Praise God.
Right now, we are treating eleven guests. One is deathly ill with terminal fourth-stage pancreatic cancer. He is from Ghana originally. His faith is strong, but humanly speaking, he doesn't stand an ice cube's chance in hell. One day, his eyes were florescent yellow from jaundice. (His liver is where the cancer is.) The doctor decided to give him a coffee enema. His eyes immediately cleared up. Now he takes two enemas a day and he is showing signs of a quick recovery. (Whether there is a recovery at all, I don't know, but he is far improved.)
I'm in the middle of preparing for an ASI board in two weeks in California. There is much I do not know, but to date the Lord is helping me graciously. For the next two months I must bounce from ASI Chapter meeting to Chapter meeting, besides all else. With that, I'm suppose to have something to say. Lord help me.
Blessings to all,
I've been wonderfully encouraged lately. We've seen more miracles of healing lately than ever I remember. We had a Hindu-become-SDA from Montreal come to us in November with fourth-stage stomach cancer metastasized into his lungs. I couldn't, looking at him, give him much hope that we could help him, but the Lord is not hampered by my prognoses. Two weeks after returning home they could find no cancer in his lungs and the original tumors were shrinking. I talked to the man on the telephone and he sounded full of energy.
In September, I think, we had a man come to us with stage-four lung cancer. The man couldn't walk any distance. He couldn't breadth. Before he left EVI he was walking 2-4 miles a day. I thought sure he would go home to die. A few weeks ago, I heard that he had suffered three set backs. So I contacted his daughter-in-law and asked about him expecting to hear the worse. I couldn't have been more surprised. The man is cancer free.
We did have a strange tragedy. One of our sweetest guest went home and found out she was cancer free. The problem is, she died of a heart attack. Somethings are not easy to understand.
A 34 year old Vancouver man came to visit EVI. We invited him to come to visit when we saw him at GYC. While he was at EVI he found out, from tests done in Vancouver, that he had a very aggressive form of lymphoma. The doctor said he had as little as eight months to live (or as much as five years.) So being that he was here we gave him some treatments and arranged for him to return for the February session. He is here now. Trouble is, more tests done in Vancouver show that his cancer is totally eradicated. The surgeon in Vancouver is proud of his ability to remove all the cancer. Which is ok with me, but we'd like to give the glory to God. We did anoint Rob and without knowing what in the world happened, the man is perfectly healthy. So now we are giving him a full session that he may or may not need. Praise God.
Right now, we are treating eleven guests. One is deathly ill with terminal fourth-stage pancreatic cancer. He is from Ghana originally. His faith is strong, but humanly speaking, he doesn't stand an ice cube's chance in hell. One day, his eyes were florescent yellow from jaundice. (His liver is where the cancer is.) The doctor decided to give him a coffee enema. His eyes immediately cleared up. Now he takes two enemas a day and he is showing signs of a quick recovery. (Whether there is a recovery at all, I don't know, but he is far improved.)
I'm in the middle of preparing for an ASI board in two weeks in California. There is much I do not know, but to date the Lord is helping me graciously. For the next two months I must bounce from ASI Chapter meeting to Chapter meeting, besides all else. With that, I'm suppose to have something to say. Lord help me.
Blessings to all,
Monday, February 6, 2012
Changes, never easy.
The weeks go by too fast, and the work piles on too quickly. Nevertheless, I know I have a whole crowd of people waiting to here from me. Well, two or three people. Anyway, it's been a good week. We just finished our third LIGHT school. This time, we did it on our own (without Wildwood's help.) We had 10 students. Wonderful people. Some came late, others needed to leave early, but all in all, I think it was a great success.
To add to the enjoyment, a snow storm hit just the night before the graduation. So, only four students were able to attend the graduation. Never mind, we made the best of it. The food was great, the fellowship better. (I'll throw in three pics just for the fun of it.)
A new lifestyle session started last night. I believe we have 11 guests. Cancer is still the prevailing issue. My dear wife, Janet, is the interim Lifestyle Director. Already she is making very important changes. Because we are dealing predominantly with cancer, she decided to change the food menu (I hesitate to say drastic changes, but I'm sure some people think so.) The guests now start with two days of fasting on juice, then they go for five days on raw foods with half juice. Then, they will go to eating super healthy food--no oil, no sugar.
The point is, people come to EVI to find healing. We may want to serve them with our best dishes, but our best dishes isn't what they need first. They need healing and they need it urgently. So we are determined to be more aggressive than we've been in the past. Pray for us.
My Lover has dropped 15 lbs. She isn't the only one. There is actually quite a movement at EVI for juice fasting. Pounds are disappearing everywhere. Donna McNeilus visited with us last week. This week she told me she lost 10lbs. Impressive. She didn't need to lose any, but hey, she's a lady and ladies have this thing about weight. As for me, I've gained three or four pounds. I had lost 7 lbs in Africa. I'm almost back to normal. My wife is overfeeding me. Good wife.
Blessings to all,
The Preacher to his Tribe.
To add to the enjoyment, a snow storm hit just the night before the graduation. So, only four students were able to attend the graduation. Never mind, we made the best of it. The food was great, the fellowship better. (I'll throw in three pics just for the fun of it.)
A new lifestyle session started last night. I believe we have 11 guests. Cancer is still the prevailing issue. My dear wife, Janet, is the interim Lifestyle Director. Already she is making very important changes. Because we are dealing predominantly with cancer, she decided to change the food menu (I hesitate to say drastic changes, but I'm sure some people think so.) The guests now start with two days of fasting on juice, then they go for five days on raw foods with half juice. Then, they will go to eating super healthy food--no oil, no sugar.
The point is, people come to EVI to find healing. We may want to serve them with our best dishes, but our best dishes isn't what they need first. They need healing and they need it urgently. So we are determined to be more aggressive than we've been in the past. Pray for us.
My Lover has dropped 15 lbs. She isn't the only one. There is actually quite a movement at EVI for juice fasting. Pounds are disappearing everywhere. Donna McNeilus visited with us last week. This week she told me she lost 10lbs. Impressive. She didn't need to lose any, but hey, she's a lady and ladies have this thing about weight. As for me, I've gained three or four pounds. I had lost 7 lbs in Africa. I'm almost back to normal. My wife is overfeeding me. Good wife.
Blessings to all,
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