MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-21-2007

Hello folks from sunny Florida! We've just wrapped up our conference in Gospel Baptist Church in Bonita Springs, FL. What a week! Bro. Hal Hightower preached the conference. He used to be the pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lebanon, MO for fifteen years (Don Ball is pastor there now. We were in their missions conference last year), before God called him to be a full-time evangelist. The services were tremendous. We are ever more fired up about reaching souls with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has just showered us with blessings here as well. Each night, the folks brought gifts for the different groups of missionaries. Monday was Tool Night for the guys. We were loaded, and I mean LOADED up with tools to take with us to the field. God moved some of the folks to get me a chainsaw. It's a 45.4 cc , 3.0 bhp Stihl chainsaw. I had been praying about a Stihl, about this size, and God supplied the exact one I was wanting. I'll be using it to clear trees and brush over in Uganda when we have building projects to do, which will be often. Tuesday night was for the ladies, and Anna got all manner of lotions, bath stuff, and what not. The biggest thing, though, was the 25 or so full bolts of cloth that were brought in, not counting the laundry hamper full of "fat quarters" of varied colors and patterns. She and the other missionary wife who sew divvied it up, and we are well set on cloth and such to take with us to Africa to make clothes and things. Wednesday night, tonight, was for the kids, and I tell you, it was Christmas in March. We have truly been heaped with blessings, pressed down, shaken together and running over (literally in this case!). We got a sizable love offering, which is going to help pay a few bills, as well as swell our savings account to help pay for passage when the time comes to go to Uganda. Frankly, I'm a little overwhelmed. We have just been welcomed and loved here, and made to feel like family. I'm so glad God supplied the opportunity to come. Hugh Fisher up in Narragansett Bay Baptist Church (one of our supporting churches, and very dear friends and family really) recommended this church way back when, and it went so well. We have been in conference after conference lately where God has just blessed, knit our hearts together with these churches, and where they have been moved to support us. It really feels like we're reaching an end, after going so long with what felt like little progress. God is doing it. He plainly intends to wrap things up by this summer, or shortly thereafter, so we can go to language school in the Fall. Keep praying!

Tomorrow, we'll be driving up to Chattanooga, TN to stay at BIMI, and finishing up the drive back to St. Louis on Friday. This weekend we have a meeting with Pastor Daryl Tharp in Washington, MO in Tri-County Baptist Church. Pray that the services will go well, and for me as I preach in both services on Sunday. Pray that I will be able to minister to this church and pastor, and be an encouragement to them.