I know it’s been a long time
since I last wrote. Sorry. I suppose there is some interest in knowing where
I’ve been and what is going on in my little existence, but I tell you frankly,
the more you do the same-old, same-old the less you feel like you have anything
to say.
Since coming home from Africa
I’ve been traveling domestically.
1 I attended the
ASI Winter Board in Cohutta Springs, Georgia. That was a pleasant experience. I preached and
didn’t get beat up for it. A lot is being done to improve ASI (especially in
the accounting dept.) The ASI team is better than ever. We did lose our new
Sec/Trea., and our office secretary is new, but she is already proving to be
very, very good.
I traveled to California
with Dan Houghton and Harold Lance to interview our new, new Sec./Trea. Kyle
Allen is young but truly promising. He will join us by mid May I believe. All
these losses and gains have left us behind in our preparations for the National
ASI Convention, yet I believe we will do well, regardless, by Gods grace.
3 Leonard, Leasa
and I attended the OCI Retreat in Uchee Pines, AL. (And I attended the OCI
board meeting.) The whole thing was profitable, not only for all the good
reports, preaching and fellowship, but for some of the mistakes that I made
that week. (Mistakes teach more than victories by the way.) Curious??
For instance: I said something on the board about someone
who was not present. I was rebuked. I
accepted the reprimand as graciously
as I could, seeing I was wrong. In turn, I felt compelled to call the individual in question
to ask his forgiveness. He was more
than gracious. We had an hour-long conversation that I believe was more than profitable. I think we are not done
with our dialogue. Did God allow
me to sin for this resultant good? I don’t know,
but good is coming out of it anyway.
Leasa, the Molina
family, the Charles family, Betty Atchison, David and Candi Katsma, Barbara
Taylor and I attended the Mid-America ASI Chapter Convention in Kansas City,
MO. Twelve hundred people were there on Sabbath. I preached twice there also.
That convention was fun. (Doug Bathelor was our main speaker.)
The next weekend,
I attended the Southern Union ASI Chapter Convention, again in Cohutta Springs,
GA. I preached twice and sat on a panel discussion. These folks raised $151,000
even tho’ the attendance was lower that usual. The Lord has more than one way
to reveal His love.
Now, I am on my
way home from the Columbia Union ASI Chapter meeting. I was pleasantly
surprised at how well it went. The Columbia Union Chapter is under new
leadership and I feared that the new President’s lack of experience might be
revealed in a sub-par experience, but it wasn’t. He did a great job. If he’ll
stick with it, the chapter will improve year by year.
I left Columbia
early and made my way to Wildwood for a board meeting. All is well there, also.
One thing I have noticed: God’s
work is never out of the woods. The problems and the needs always appear to
exceed the provisions and solutions, but it isn’t so. “In every difficulty, God
has His way prepared to bring relief . . . a thousand ways that we know nothing
about.” There is never a reason for pessimism or discouragement. All that come
to us in negative appearance is to be to us as opportunities to test God’s
faithfulness. They are lions without teeth, paper dragons, not nearly as
dangerous as our imaginations would make them out to be, unless, of course, we
lose sight of the problem Solver.
This week, I go to the
Pacific North West for another ASI Convention. Heaven knows that is tiring.
In 23 days, my Lover comes
home. Ten years of on and off again is a long time. I hope it is over, but you
never know what the Lord will ask of us next. Whatever it is, we will give it
to Him.
All is well at EVI. We are
ministering to a full Lifestyle session this month. Leasa is working hard with
the Youth For Jesus program in Michigan. The Michigan Conference is supporter
our efforts there very well. Tho’ there are little snags in the way, the Lord
is going to give a great victory and He will by instrumental in saving many
souls thereby. Our farm is sprouting plants everywhere, and I am hoping to see
a full education dept. by August this year. We still meet as a small group every
morning at 5:30 AM for prayer. God will save . . .
So says the Preacher to his
Tribe.
