Much Accomplished

It's been an amazing three weeks. (The three weeks ends next Wednesday, June 29.) The Maranatha builders are accomplishing an great amount a work for us. They are all the while very pleasant and loving. I wish you could all see the facelift that's happened to EVI.

In the meantime, they sometime run me off my feet. Not so bad actually, I was braced to run and it turns out I have been able to accomplish all I needed to accomplish for them and for myself as well. While they are here, we managed to finish preparing our next Faith Ventures Magazine. I even managed, yesterday, to write the first draught of my next editorial. Now I must start pushing others to do as well.

I preach every morning to our lifestyle guests, and every evening to the Maranatha crew. The Maranatha people had asked that I speak for about twenty minutes every night. They didn't want to go longer because they'd be really tired. Last night I spoke for one hour and they showed no sign of wanting me to stop. The Lord is really blessing.

We have a young man here as a lifestyle guest who is only 17 years old. He has terminal cancer, fourth stage. His chances are non-existent except for what the Lord might choose to do. He's been with us for three months now. (We don't usually keep anyone that long, but our hearts are going out to him.) We've decided to keep him as long as it takes. (It might take forever.) Yet, there is good news. Our doctors sent the last C.A.T. scan to the boy's surgeon in Pennsylvania. We were under the impression that one of his tumors had grown from four centimeters to seven centimeters, but it turns out, according to the surgeon, that the tumors barely budged from their previous sizes. To me it is like the little cloud Eligah saw when looking for rain. He knew what God was up to, and so do I.

Another of our lifestyle guests drew me aside to ask about baptism. She lives in Minnesota so I can't follow her too closely, but who knows, maybe I can do something by phone or skype. Wouldn't that be innovative?

Jason lost his passport on route to help his mom, or while helping her. In any case, he is in Dar Es Salaam trying the Canadian embassy for help. We'll see what happens next. He only has a month to get a passport to come to the ASI convention in Sacramento, CA.

While working on my house, the Maranatha people disturbed my pet snake. Actually, it turns out there was two snakes. I've seen one of the snakes once or twice per year for the passed two years. It seems one of the snakes got hurt while they were breaking the cement of my old sidewalk. The snakes were underneath. There was probably one hundred eggs there also. This week, I've seen the other snake twice at the place where they had their nest. She (I assume it to be a she) is looking for her eggs, I think. Otherwise, she is just coming to say hello. I nearly jumped on top of her yesterday. I came out the door and jumped the two feet to the group, and the poor mrs. snake was there. She jumped one foot to one side and I to the other.

Pastor Jim Brackett preached twice for us this week also. I always enjoy listening to him. He forgot his glasses at both meetings and had to run back to get them, Then when he left EVI, he set his computer down and drove off without it. I had to call him and both of us had to drive twenty miles to make the rendez-vous. Hmm! Do you think he's get old? Yea, about as old as me.

Till next week.

Hail, Hail the Damage is All Done.

I was just looking at Angie's gardening blog. Wonderful! it isn't so wonderful at EVI, however. We had a half-hour hail storm the other night. The storm devastated our exposed farm crops, but not only that, we have sixty plus Maranatha workers here and everyone suffered damage on their cars and RV's. My car is all dented, and so is my wife's car--everybody's. The good thing in this bad thing is that no one, not one soul complained. Everyone just picked up and went to work the next day. Some of these dudes drive Lincolns and fancy sports cars and beautiful big Macho Trucks. No complaints. Impressive really.

The work is progressing very quickly. These folks are mostly older, but there seems to be none lagging behind.

I'm am preaching to my lifestyle guests in the morning, and to the Maranatha people in the evening. The rest of the time, I'm running to keep the leaders from getting frustrated. Not everyone has patience for their forte. Leasa says he must be constipated. She aims to fix him a drink to solve the problem.

Today we had a meeting with the man who drew us an architectural plan of our new Lifestyle Center. (Greek to me.) Well, I can tell which room is which and I can see the layout, but when they begin talking of structural stuff, I'm lost. Frankly, (cause that's my name) I hate being in the dark. Maybe I don't hate being in the dark, maybe I hate that I am not interested when I am suppose to be. When I was a little boy, a road grader couldn't drive by that the neighborhood boys wouldn't run out to watch it grade the road. I couldn't figure what was suppose to be interesting about that. (I still don't know.)

Is there something wrong with me? (Actually, I couldn't care less.) I'm interested in enough things without being interested in everything. What about you?

Till next time, The Preacher to his Tribe.

Positive Activity

I've been home for a week. The place, EVI, is buzzing with activity. Maranatha workers are beginning to arrive already. (They start work next week.) Pastor Dan Gabbert, from Black Hills, is here to give us a seminar on Christian Counseling. His material is more than great. I wish I could imbibe it fully. It is so practical and spiritually sound.

We traveled to DayStar Academy on Sunday for a board meeting. DayStar is doing great. The farm, and the greenhouses are beautiful. (I looked at ours today also. Wow, I was impressed with them too.) They (DayStar) did lose their fruit to late frost. Too bad. They have wonderful fruit there usually. Nevertheless, they are projecting a very optimistic farming season. As for their student enrollment, they have more interest and applications than ever before. Mostly, that is Alexa Hernandez's doing. She and her husband are amazing promoters. Besides, she uses the web to great advantage. Chris Anderson, the new President, is very creative and energetic. When I go to visit, I am more and more impressed with his abilities. I believe he will succeed wildly, if he stays close to the Lord. DayStar is negotiating with Dr. Michael Duerksen. The man seems to be very accomplished in the realm of Rescue and Relief. He is very spiritual and well connected. He wants to involve DayStar as a base for training young people in Disaster Relief and Rescue. The board is looking into the possibilities.

At home, we are gearing up for Maranatha. If my wife had not been here ahead of us, I think we'd be lost in an organizational mess. She did a great job. I believe she's left us with everything in place, but the actual labor. The shingles are off nearly all of the eleven roofs we are to replace. I feels like we are ahead of the curve. Did I mention that the County approved our Master Plan? It's all a go. Praise God. It feels like we were just given a wonderful miracle. It was unbelievably easy. In times past, it was like pulling teeth. Could it be the financial meltdown is playing in our favor? The Counties dare not hamper any construction for fear of making the economy worse. Even that, I think, was organized by God to favor EVI. What an arrogant thought! Forgive me, but I think God does things like that for me all the time. Not because of me, but because He is just so powerful and loving, and I believe He'll do that for me, and, He keeps me believing.

Doesn't God do stuff like that for you? Believe and doubt not . . . for you, anything.

Oh, just a word on jet lag. I suffered the worse jet lag ever in Ukraine. Back home, I've suffered none at all, zip! Usually, coming from Eastern Europe I will wake up at midnight, then one, than two, then three etc, and then I come apart around four in the afternoon. Not this time. (Forgive me for saying so, my dear health reformers) but I took Tylenol PM four nights in a row and I slept four full nights in a row. It does wonders against jet lag. No drowsiness either. Worth it??? You bet.

That's it for now. Pray without ceasing because "only that which is done with much prayer will in the end prove to be efficient for good." DA 362 Love.

One Hour interview on Hope Channel

It's Fri-i-iday. The OCI Retreat is almost over. It's been a wonderful gathering. Especially wonderful was the reunion with my son. Today, the former Union President, Adrian Bocaneanu, interviewed both Jason and I together on the Hope Channel of Romania. We had a good time. As he found out that Jason was a pilot and built his own aircraft, so went the interview. No matter, it was great. We nearly cooked in that studio set. They shut off the AC to minimize the sound and turned on a dozen spot lights to magnify the the beads of sweat running down our foreheads. In the end, my shirt was sopping wet.

The weather has been marvelous--hot summer days. I've been coming to these OCI Retreats for so long that I know most people. What a blessing that is, except that it is hard to walk from point "a" to point "b" without being stopped for an extended conversation or for making an appointment for "counseling".

Jason feels lucky to be my son because we have one of the best rooms in the house. Maybe he is the special guest and I am to feel lucky. Whatever! We do have great accommodation, complete with consistent hot showers and internet.

Jason was surprised at the third world feel of Romania. Herd boys, horse and wagon, old women in kerchiefs hoeing in the garden, old, old houses, narrow roads , water wells in the courtyard of every house with a dipping bucket etc.

I expected to arrive home on the 25ft of May. It appears now like it will be the 24th of May. My mistake.

Just a Thought

What is the difference between creation and evolution? Creation implies the instant appearance of something that didn't exist before and evolution is an improvement of something over an extended period of time. In the context of salvation now, are we evolutionists or creationists? When David prayed, "create in me a clean heart oh God," what was he thinking? To whom was he ascribing the process, to the Creator or to natural selection? If he believed God's promise, "I will create in you a new heart," when would faith expect to enjoy that new heart? Would it be over a gradual period of time, or immediately?

Be it onto you according to your faith. Ask now, believe now and enjoy now.

So says the Preacher to his Tribe.

Chernovtz

I am in Chernovtz, Ukraine, speaking to Amazing Facts College of Evangelism students. The adventure is great, but as usual, I'd as soon be home. On Monday, the students and I, plus several others, made our way to the wilderness where we had a picnic. Great fun! We played soccer for too many hours. Everybody is limping around like crippled old men, me especially, since I am an old man to begin with. Never mind, I can still run with the youngest of them. I can't boast to being a great footballer, however.

I've got two more days of speaking, and then I'm off to Romania for the OCI Retreat. That should prove to be more relaxing, I think. I do have one assignment there, one sermon to preach that I am not ready for. That is always troubling to me. What is more troubling is that I am not as concerned as I should be. I can't figure out what to talk about and I'm cool. That's out of character for me, but hey, I'm dependent on the Lord, and if He chooses to give me the talk later rather than sooner, who am I to complain, or fret?

My wife is in Africa with two of our grand-children. The real adventure begins. What fun it would be to be there. I guess I can't be everywhere.

I haven't rec'd any news since I left America except that Bin Laden was killed. Is that true? Or is that some kind of hoax? In the end, who cares. You can't trust anyone in politics and media these days.

I'm off to breakfast. Talk to you later.

In Ukraine

I’m sitting in Alyosha Ostapenko’s home in Ukraine. This is usually where I land when I come to Novi. They have guests in the Lifestyle Center and until the guests vacate I live with Alyosha and Tanya. They have two beautiful children, Annia and Slavik. Beautiful, but not easy. You can see it on Tanya’s face. She is weary from having to deal with these two demanding, strong, little characters. I tease her, telling her she could have had five of them.

The trip across was pleasant. I read one third of a five-hundred page book. I highly recommend the book by Ron Duffield called the Return of the Latter Rain. If I had nothing else to do, I would spend the whole day reading it.

Last night, I attended a graduation of thirty pastors from one of the Russian Conferences. I invited myself thinking it would be formal affair. It turned out to be a supper and testimony meeting. I might have been embarrassed at having crashed their party except that I don’t embarrass that easily. Things were quiet while we were eating. Finally, one of the pastors singled me out and asked that I tell them where I come from and what I do. I told them about Eden Valley and especially about our cancer treatment program.

The interest was immediately palpable. One pastor has a seventeen year old daughter who has had cancer, and he was very solicitous on her behalf. I was afraid that my little interference was going to dominate the whole evening. Eventually, however, they turned to giving their personal testimonies. It appears to me that these Russian Conferences are ahead of our North American ones in recognizing that lay operated lifestyle centers actually have something to offer to even so-called professionals.

I left my wife to fend without me (as if she needs me), for the next three months. Shawn Boonstra will be living in our house during the next lifestyle session. I’m sorry to miss getting to know him. Janet, Christina and Caleb will get acquainted in my behalf for one week.

I’ll be preaching at least twenty-one times over the next ten days. Then I need to spend a week with Amazing Facts College of Evangelism here in the Ukraine. I’ll be preaching for them also. Then I go to Romania for an OCI Retreat. I only get to speak once there, but it may be my toughest assignment. The blessing, among others, is that Jason will be there.

The problem here, at Novi, is that there is only dial-up internet and Alyosha thinks he may be able to hook my up, but he’s made no move in that direction, so far. I hate to push him, he is very busy getting ready for the Camp Meeting. Alas, third world countries.

Till next time.

In Wildwood

It's only been one week, but somehow it feels so much longer. I don't know, life is getting awfully busy round her, I mean, around here.

I am sitting in my room in Wildwood, GA. I'm here for a constituency and board meeting. Last year, things didn't go so well here. I was elected to the Nominating Committee and the decisions we made riled some people royally. This year, I've come early to try and get a better handle on the issues we face. Issues there are. Some people I am speaking to are quite vocal about things. Others seem to indicate that things are better than they were last year. This afternoon, I am having a meeting with several key players. I am praying. On the one hand, Wildwood accomplishes great things--especially in the outreach dept. But, on the other hand, there is a lot of inertia and apparent lack of decisiveness in the leaders. There is deadwood also. The cost of doing business here is extravagant and our dear leaders (so glad not to be among them) are wondering how to tackle the near future. I'm hoping this board will take the bull by the horns and give these sincere leaders some real direction. They need to act determinatively.

At EVI, we have more than a full session by three patients. We are so thankful for the Lord doing that for us. It isn't like we are way ahead of the curve compared to other struggling institutions. We also only barely have our noses above water, but I can say that I am truly encouraged. The Lord is blessing. We will succeed.

My Lover has been packing her container to go to Africa all week. I believe she hasn't got much room left. The thing will be ready to go as soon as the shipper and Customs and whoever else puts their approval on the thing come through. In three weeks she, Deniece, Caleb and Christina leave for Africa. I leave for Europe. I'll go home this Monday, and by next Tuesday I leave for a month. It's always the same story: I get asked to go. I'm excited. Then when the time arrives, I wish I hadn't said yes. There is so much to do at home. Oh well!!

I preach tonight at Wildwood. "The Gospel and the First Angel's Message."

Did you know that the First Angel's Message is not the Investigative Judgment? The Investigative Judgment is one of the reasons given for the proclamation of the message. The message of the first angel is the everlasting gospel defined as "fear God, give glory to Him and worship Him" Why? Because the hour of His judgment is come. The end of time has come. The judgment is begun, get your act together--fear God instead of anything else.

When I first began reading the Bible, I reasoned this way: The universe is in conflict. There is God, there are demons and there are wicked people. The Beast says, worship me or I'll kill you. God says, "No, worship Me, or I"ll kill you." Humanity, it seemed to me had little hope, except that I managed to figure out who was the strongest--God. It seemed the better part of wisdom to serve Him than to be against Him. Since then, I've learned to serve Him out of love and not out of fear and the love of God casts out fear.

The investigative judgment is important to understand, but not near so important as the gospel that saves and empowers. So, give Him the glory and worship HIm. He alone can save.

So says the Preacher to his Tribe.