The last time I wrote was before the ASI National Convention. How will I remember all I've done since then? Never mind, let me just work backwards and stop when I'm licked.
I'm in Budapest, Hungary. It is my first time in this country and the Lord is blessing me so far with beautiful sunshine and summer days even though it is October 14. I've spoken four times so far, another 10 or 11 times to go. The situation is a little strange: I really didn't know what I was facing. Leasa told me (she organized for me to preach here) that I would be doing an evangelistic series. But then again, it was to have something to do with some ASI Hungary meetings. Yet again, I could preach whatever I wanted. Hmmm! So I brought fifty sermons in case.
To begin with, I am doing my signature series, the Prodigal Son. After all, who in Hungary will have heard it? You'd be surprised. In the last meeting, a Hungarian French teacher told me that he listened to that series on line, and that my talks, even though I use the same words, have a totally different spirit in person. Ugh! Technology. Another complete stranger came to me and said, why did you stop writing your blog? Really? You read my blogs? Yes, he said, I like them. I have no clue who he is.
The meetings are going very well. The small number who are coming (between 25-50) are noticeably interested. (The jet lag is killing me. It was never so bad when I was younger.)
On Sunday, we went to the farm and picked concords all day. That was the one night I slept like a log. By the way, Hungary has some of the best food in eastern Europe. (It is at least so in the house I live in.)
A couple of weeks ago, I preached twice for It Is Written Canada in Hope, BC. It was a Partnership weekend and I was the keynote speaker. Wonderful time. Janet came down from Whitehorse. I picked her up in Vancouver and after the It Is Written meetings we went to spend two days with Mundalls in Lytton, BC. The highlight of my time there was when I had to climb up a tree (by ladder), tie a rope around a bear's head and pull him out of the tree. (The bear was dead, shot the night before.) I then dragged him to the back forty. Talk about stink. He was only dead one day and yet he nearly made me gag. I helped Merritt to bring in the last of his hay, as well.
That was fun. We then drove to Angie's where I left Janet as I was scheduled to leave for Budapest. We will meet in Denver on the 28th of this month, Lord willing.
The EVI Convention went well for the 52nd time. Shelley Quinn and her husband were the guest speakers. Excellent. Love them to death.
At our EVI board, I handed in my resignation from EVI. I will remain as President till Dec 31. This was not a surprise move. Nearly everyone expected that Janet and I would consider a change once she returned from Africa. Well, it finally happened, she found someone to take her place in Mago, Elisha and Nadege Van der Worth??, and now she is free from that responsibility forever.
When she came home we agreed to pray that the Lord would guide us to our next assignment, if He had a new assignment for us. Shortly thereafter, we rec'd a call to serve at the OCI headquarters again. Janet as the manager of their apartment complexes (120 apts) and I as the Executive VP. I'm always blown away by what the Lord does. Such important positions filled by such a common everyday Joe.
Robert, my brother, has been spending a few days per week with me, i.e. he's been sleeping at my house. He's been logging with Ben, his son. Except for coming home battered by a tree branch and running over his own chain saw, he's doing great. He looks strong and if he ever shaves, he'll look as young as me.
The ASI Convention was a blessed success. I cannot thank God enough. That convention is a huge logistical nightmare to organize. Good thing the Lord has me surround by very intelligent people, otherwise . . . . The Youth For Jesus program was a huge success also. It wasn't without problems, but God had the right people in place and in the end many were baptized. (I think 54 was the last I heard, and there were more to follow.) Brianna and Christina Ford, my second and third granddaughters, were two of the speakers at the four sites. They were good, I mean good enough to bring me to tears. Caleb, 15, did plenty of door-to-door work and helped at the sites also. Great experience.
All of us drove north to Canada for a few days following the convention and visited with the Frappiers. We wished we could have gone to Sudbury, but Angie had a plane to catch and it afforded us little time. Next time . . . ya right!
We had a wedding at EVI this week. Not that I was there, but I know it happened. Our farmer, Tony, married our Bible Worker, Ashley. Besides planning a wedding, they managed to sell more produce than anyone I can remember doing in all my years involved with Eden Valley. Great team!
We've got a new doctor coming. Dr.Keith Schliefer and Kathryn his wife. We look forward to working with them. Our Education Dept. has 12 students. They are wonderfully busy doing public health and Bible evangelism. Very good program. And, my VP has a herniated disk. She works anyway, but it is painful to look at, much less walk in her shoes. Lord help her.
Till next time, don't take any wooden nickels.
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