MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 04-10-2006

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Hello, all! We had a great meeting yesterday in Faith Baptist Church in Bridgeton, MO (Pastor Dan Gonnerman). We were with them all day and had a great day ministering to them, and being ministered to by them. They are voting to take us on for support, which is very good news. They're a great church full of sweet people, and it's an honor to be included in their missions family. Currently, we're getting stuff done this week in lieu of our next batch of missions conferences coming up (Lakewood Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN, and Corinth Baptist Church in Corinth, ME respectively). Pray for Anna. She woke up sick with what all of the rest of us have had, apparently. I'm minding the store while she rests, and hopefully, we can get her healthy again pretty soon.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 04-08-2006

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Hello, everybody! We're home again, and presently getting over the wonderful blessing of stomach flu we picked up along the way. Nasty. Our meeting at First Baptist Church of Vilonia (ironically located in Vilonia, AR) went great. Their children's church, called Kidz Zone, was just brilliant. The whole room was done up with maps, pictures, and information from the various African fields in attendance. Great fun! We had a great time, and the church is evidently going to support us as well.

Our next meeting was in Heritage Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN, with Pastor Dan Watters went very well. We all got to preach and show our slides and what not, and Ron Seals spoke on Sunday. We stayed at the Lodge at BIMI World Headquarters and got some good rest, as least, as much as you can with puking children. We visited the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, which was a big hit with the young'uns. We have a meeting in Bridgeton, MO in Faith Baptist Church (Pastor Dan Gonnerman) tomorrow. Pray that all would go well and that we would have a good meeting. Pray that everyone would be well, and stay well for the forseeable future. Pray that we'll be able to minister to everybody.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-21-2006

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Hi, ya'all! Our conference last week in Arnold Baptist Tabernacle (Pastor Jim Beller) went well. We had some great preaching, and great fellowship with the church. They voted to take us on for support the same day, which is tremendous. We're in Anderson, South Carolina in Oakwood Baptist Church (Pastor Brent Armstrong) at the moment. The conference is going great. This is the church that sent a team of 18 men to Uganda last year to put a roof on the orphanage, and get it wired for electricity. I've just finished watching the video they produced about it. What a blessing! I'll be encoding it in Quicktime and uploading it to the website soon, so stay tuned. Kyle arranged this, and a meeting in Vilonia, AR before he went into the hospital. We had plans to attend these meetings together. I really thought I was doing better, but being here brings it all back. It's hard at times, but it's refreshing to witness the evident love of the Pastor and people for the nation of Uganda, and for Kyle, and for Debbie. They flew her down for the meeting on Sunday, and presented her with a check for $10,000 for the Soroti Orphanage Assistance Project, which was raised entirely by their Christian School students. We were real glad we could be here with Debbie to lend comfort and support, because while it was hard on us, it was worse for her. Everybody loved on her, though, and that made it easier.

We finish up tomorrow, and will begin driving to Vilonia on Thursday for their conference (First Baptist Church of Vilonia, Pastor John Hamby). Pray for our travels, and that we'll get support from these great churches.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-07-2006

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Greetings! Our trip home from Georgia last week was uneventful, albeit very quiet. The kids, except for Gaelin, all got stomach flu, which ran its course the day before, leaving them in zombie-like condition for the drive home. We had to postpone the twins' birthday celebration 'til their digestive systems healed up enough to tolerate food. Terrible stuff that's apparently making the rounds. We had a good meeting in Lighthouse Baptist Church in Columbus, GA (Pastor Marty Wynn). Pastor Boutwell from Immanuel Baptist Church in Kenai, AK was the speaker. I had met the two of them at Bro. Boutwell's church during a trip I made up to Alaska back in Fall of 2004. Bro. Wynn was kind enough to have us in for a meeting also. It was good to be able to introduce the family to the Boutwells, since I had to fly solo when last I went up to Alaska, and their church recently began supporting us. We're planning to drive (yes drive) up to Alaska in 2007, and Bro. Boutwell's going to help us get into a string of churches along the way, as well as some of the churches I didn't have time to visit last time. I'd like the family to be able to see Alaska, and meet our supporting churches up there before we go to Africa, since it will be some time before we get back on furlough to do so.

Our meeting in Bethany Baptist Church in Ava, MO (Pastor Sorenson) also went well. We had a full day in which to visit and minister to the people there. While in the area, we took the time to drive to Mansfield, MO, and visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder home and museum. This is the house where her and Almonzo lived out the remainder of their lives, and where she wrote the now famous Little House books. They had a bunch of family heirlooms and artifacts that were mentioned in the books, like the family bible, and Pa's fiddle, on display. It was pretty cool, since both Anna and I grew up reading those books. Well worth a visit.

This weekend we'll be in Arnold, MO with Pastor Jim Beller, in Arnold Baptist Tabernacle for their missions conference. Looking forward to that. Bro. Beller is the fellow who wrote America in Crimson Red, his excellent history of the Baptists in America. Pray for the meeting, that all will go well, and that we'll be a blessing. Pray for our travels, and our health. Pray for our home church, Grace Baptist Church, which is having a revival meeting Sunday through Wednesday, that God will work in people's lives, and that our church will experience God's reviving presence.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 02-21-2006

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Greetings, everyone! We attended Kyle Guimon's funeral on Friday. It went very well. There were over 300 people in attendance. Many of these were pastors from all over America from Kyle's supporting churches. Walnut Ridge, AR really turned out to honor Kyle. The state patrol shut down main street, and gave the lengthy funeral procession to the local cemetery a full escort. All in all, it was a great day of honor and love for Kyle Guimon, God's faithful servant, and my friend. I never thought the day would come any time soon that I'd be burying my friend and brother. Now that it has arrived, I am ever more resolved to get to Uganda, and continue the work he started there. Be in prayer for Debbie and Matthew, and for all of us who are grieving for Kyle. Pray for Uganda. God has opened a gap in Uganda, and it needs to be filled. Pray for us, that we will be able to get to Uganda swiftly, to fill the gap, and to continue what Kyle began, namely, the great work of reaching the people of Uganda with the Gospel.

We will be driving down to Columbus, GA on Thursday for a missions conference in Lighthouse Baptist Church, with Pastor Marty Wynn. Pray for our travels.