Entries by James

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 08-04-2005

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Howdy, all! We're home. The drive home, other than the fatigue and the weary kids, went without a hitch, so thanks for praying for us. I'll be heading to Indy on Saturday to pick up the other van, so pray about that. We have paid the first of two payments on the remainder that we owe Mission Auto, thanks to God's provision with a $1000 gift we received last month. The final payment of $1280 is coming up on August 14, and I've got to register the vehicle by August 9 (another $365 in sales tax) so pray about that also. Anna and the kids weathered the trip very well, and thank you for praying for them. Pray that the lady who's buying our van would get her title for her other vehicle soon, so she can sell it and get us the money for our old van, which she's buying from us, cause we really need the funds right now. Pray for our finances, which are very tight at the moment. Our trip west went very well, and the churches out there took good care of us, but gas is just really, really expensive, and there's just no getting around it. I can't even imagine how missionaries handle it in countries where they pay twice what we do at the pump, or more. Gas gobbled up much of the love offerings we received, and the support just isn't there yet to pay our monthly bills properly so we can use love offerings for travel expenses like we need to. I know I bring up finances a lot, but that's our biggest need currently, and I figured folks would like to pray about it. As a missionary, it puts a lot of pressure on you, and makes it hard to make the trips you need to make to get the support you need to get to the field, so it's kind of a Catch-22. Should I use the love offerings to pay for travel expenses so I can travel to churches and get support, or pay my bills on time, but have nothing left with which to travel, to raise support, to pay my bills? You see? It's a vicious cycle. At the risk of being accused of begging, I thought I'd tell you what's really going on, so you could pray more effectively for us. Frankly, I feel better knowing that people know our needs and are praying about them.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 08-01-2005

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Greetings from South Dakota, once again. We're back in Rapid City for the night, and on our way back to St. Louis. Our trip to Yellowstone went great. The weather was perfect, and we got lots of great pictures, some of which I'll get up on the website as soon as I get a chance. It was without a doubt one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. It was my first time, and the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition. Our meeting in Missoula, MT went great (Lighthouse Baptist Church, Pastor Tommy Lemmons). I showed the slides and gave our testimony, and God blessed. I went on outreach with them on Thursday night, and we got to witness for a while to a guy named Lance. Lance is very confused, about many things, so pray for Lance that he'll show up to church, and hear the gospel again, that he'll have understanding, and get saved.

We went to Florence Baptist Church next (Pastor Tim Johnson) in Florence, MT. They put us up in their prophet's chamber for a few days. It was most restful. Necessary, too, because we were running out of clean clothes, and were able to use their laundry facilities. As it turned out, they were having a Men's Prayer Breakfast on Saturday morning, so I was able to be there for that, and helped with some work projects afterward. Our meeting Sunday morning went very well, and then it was off to Great Falls, MT that afternoon. We had a meeting in Fairview Baptist Church (Pastor Richard Dion). He was out of town for a Sword of the Lord Conference, but we had a great meeting, and a great time of fellowship with his Associate Pastor Marc Elledge.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 07-25-2005

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Greetings from Billings, MT. We had our meeting in Grace Baptist Church (Pastor Richard Miller) yesterday. Everything went great. The preaching services went well, and folks were encouraged. A new family visited Sunday morning, so be in prayer about that as they ponder church membership (they need some more families to join the church).

We will be with the Millers until Wednesday morning, when we'll be heading to Missoula, MT for a meeting in Light House Baptist Church (Pastor Tommy Lemmons). Tomorrow we'll be driving down to Yellowstone, so we're looking forward to that.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 07-21-2005

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Just a quick note before we pull out of Dillon, MT (and while have access to the hotel broadband). Our meeting last night went great. Pastor Rick Hammond has a great little church going here, in Stone Creek Bible Baptist Church. He has a real heart for God, and for his community. Pray that the church will grow, and that he and his wife will not be weary in well doing (I don't think they are, just that it would be a good idea to pray as such), and that God will continue to encourage them.

On the way to Billings the night prior, we had an encounter with a deceased deer, just over a rise, in the dark, and right smack in the middle of the lane. All I had time for was to try to center us in order to minimize the damage. As it turned out, he, well, "a'sploded", and sprayed the underside of our van with blood, hair, and deer guts. Nasty. So, we got to smell the lovely smell of cooking deer guts 'til this morning, when Pastor Hammond came over to the hotel and helped me clean all that mess out of there. Talk about a servant's heart! We swung by a car wash out of town to clean up the remainders, so we should be alright.