Greetings! Just a quick update to let everyone know what's going on. Our trip to North Carolina and back went very well. Anna weathered it just fine, so thanks for praying for her. We had a great service and a wonderful time of fellowship with the Churchills. Charles (the younger) is a friend of mine from a while back, and it was good to get to visit with him and his wife, Susan, and Gavin, their cute little boy. Best news of all, the church voted to take us on for support on the spot! Can you believe it? I've never had a church do that before. What a blessing!
The meeting in Festus had to be bumped to Wednesday due to some last minute re-scheduling, but it went very well nonetheless. Bro. Himes has a great church and it was a blessing to get to visit with him and his family.
We've been resting up from our many meetings this summer, and frankly, enjoying the break. The next big event, of course, is the pending birth of our son, Gaelin Joseph Huckabee. He could come at any time. Unlike the others, this one seems inclined to be born. He has remained head-down, and is well engaged in the birth canal (unlike Ethan and Elizabeth, who kept flipping breech and stalling labor). Anna has been having sort of pre-labor off and on, but nothing regular, so no, she's not having the baby right now. However, the critter could come at any time, and seems highly motivated to do so, to his poor mother's great discomfort. It would be nice if he showed up sooner rather than later, so we're hoping the first week of September will be the time of his nativity. Pray that all will go well, and that Anna will be able to begin and maintain labor naturally, that labor will progress (once it starts), and that the birth will go smoothly, with no harm to either mother or baby.
We have a meeting in Belleville, IL on Sunday (Calvary Baptist Church, Pastor Gary Huffman), so pray for that, that all will go well, and that we'll be used of God to be a blessing to the folks there. After that, the next big piece of news will be the birth of our child, and don't worry, I will keep you posted, and will send out pictures as soon as I have them. We have no meetings in September until our church's Missions Conference at the end of the month, so Anna can have the baby, and get a chance to rest. This will give all of us a break, and a chance to come together as a family with the addition of a new child to the mix. Also, it will give our church a chance to see us, who have not in a long while with all our travels.
Pray for our finances this next month. We're still a bit behind from all the travelling we've done recently, and the support is still not there to cover everything well (tho', it's rising!). Pray that it will come up in the next month or so to get us back on our feet as the year winds down. Pray that we'll be able to cover our bills this month, and get everything back on track where it needs to be. No meetings for a few weeks, and low support could combine to create financial stress (more than usual), so pray that we'll be able to cover everything. Just so you know, when we came home from Montana, we were completely overwhelmed with bills, and within a few days, we saw God move mightily to meet all those bills (the van in particular), so your prayers are definitely being answered. Please keep it up. We're missionaries, and we live on prayer! Also, and I know you probably already are, but pray that our government will find a way to lower gas prices soon. It's been a real killer for us, as it no doubt has been for you. Our greatest months are coming, with some significant conferences and meetings as we wrap up the year. Pray for them and all of the churches we've visited, and for us, as we continue to pursue the mission field and God's will in Uganda.