|
Ministry Journal
By Bob & Sylvia
Remember to pray for the Fall Revival & Ranch
Sorting coming up, Sept. 6 & 7 at the Golden Spread Cowboy Church. Howdy to our
firiends at the Golden Spread Cowboy Church in Amarillo. We enjoyed our
time with you last Sunday. We are looking forward to the revival on
September 6th and 7th. Howdy to our
friends in Geary Oklahoma. We enjoyed our time of sharing songs and the
word with you at the cowboy church. If you happen to be in the area on
Thursday night drop in to the sale barn and you will be blessed. Sorry
we haven't had much time to write here lately. July has flown by. We
lead music at the special friends camp at Panfork, helped at girls camp
at Highplains Encampment ( mostly in the kitchen) and led worship at the boy's
camp. Thanks
to FBC of Clarendon for inviting to sing at the church outing at the
Bar H Ranch. Hope we blessed you as much as you blessed us. Thanks for
the warm reception. Sylvia and I have
been in full time music ministry for a little over eleven years now.
Boy has the time flown by. We have some pictures our grandson, who is
now nine, sleeping in a child carrier in front of the keyboard as
we sang. One time I was singing at Jan Werner adult day care and I
brought Jadon Sylvia was out of town. He was sitting at a table playing
with his cars quietly while I sang using the guitar and mic
stand. About half way through he came up and knocked on the the
mic stand like he was knocking on a door and said "Papa I need to go
pee-pee" As you can imagine that brought the house down. We have had
some wonderful experiences and met some great people. I wouldn't take
anything for the experience of walking in God's will. Last night was
very humbling. We sang a song at our business meeting at Temple Baptist
Church and gave them our ministry report. They took up a love offering
of $228.50. It is such a blessing to know that our church supports us
in prayer as well as through donation. What a great time
of worship, fellowship and Bible study we had at Special friends Camp.
They are truely special people that God loves so much. There were 3
saved and a number of people that came forward for prayer and
rededication. The camp is hosted by Panfork Encampment, and led by
Eddie and Joberta Helms of Calvary Baptist in Tulia. They are great
people that love the Lord. His church in Tulia had a big hand in the
camp sending people to decorate, council, and lead in camp. See the
Photo album for pictures. We were honored
to sing for the memorial service at the veterans hospital and on
memorial day to sing at Memory Gardens Cemetery. We pray for the
safety of our soldiers and the leaders of our country. God Bless America! We had the
privilege to sing at Love and Sons nursery at their mothers day
celebration with KNNK. At the live remote we set up and sang gospel
music as people shopped for plants and flowers. We enjoy the
opportunity to take the gospel to where the people are. Howdy,
to all our friends at Canadian Rivers Cowboy Church in Geary OK and Golden spread Cowboy
Church of Amarillo. We appreciate the opportunity to share the gospel with
you. If you have not been to a cowboy
church you don’t know what you are missing. The fellowship and
non-traditional service brings a fresh
breath to worship. Cowboy churches reach people that do not attend our
traditional churches. They are seeking God and the truth and are anxious
seekers.
Thanks for
all the calls, emails, and cards as I celebrated my 61st
birthday. I remember thinking (when I was a kid) that people in their 20s were
old. I am thankful for the years of good health and God's
watch care over me. I still remember the day when a six year
old boy walked down the isle of a startup church meeting in the
front part of a building that at one time was a cleaners in
Lubbock Texas. Through the years - God has been
faithful!
You will
notice on our schedule that we go to Temple Baptist regularly.
This is our home church. They support us in prayer and always
encourage us in our ministry. When we are there we usually
lead a song in Jess's Bible class and help out on the praise
team. Sylvia does vocals on one of the teams and I play horn
or harmonica. We have a great worship team lead by Will on
guitar, with Janice on the piano, Linda on keyboard, Michele on
the organ, Kerry and Russ on the drums, and Roger on the base.
If you are in Amarillo sometime come by and visit our church
at 3208 S. Van Buren. You will be
blessed!
April
17th I was invited to sing "entertain" at the Ladies Night
Banquet at FBC Dimmitt. Sylvia was out of town at a WMU
meeting in Waco. I had a great time! This was the first time I
had been to Dimmitt. The church is beautiful, food was
delicious, and the people wonderful. Many thanks to the
church, pastor, deacons, and the ladies for making the night
such a blessing to me. If you are in Dimmitt check out First
Baptist Church of
Dimmitt.
Thanks
to Jean's Bible study group in Naconna, FBC of Saint Jo, and FBC of
Noconna for the hospitality and the warm reception. What a blessing it
was to be with you at the fifth Sunday singings. I am sorry I
forgot the camera, I'll try to do better next time.
We
had a great revival at Borger Missionary Baptist Church. This small
church across the street from Huber park on Cedar has one of the
friendliest congregations we have visited. They had paved the way for
revival with prayer and God blessed their efforts. There were three
saved, one rededication, and a family joined the church. Their pastor,
Bruce Riding, has a love for the Lord and for the people God placed
into his care. Thanks to all those praying for us during this
time. Please look at the pictures under the gallery tab to the left.
Sadly
we say goodbye to our pastor Troy Richardson. He has been our pastor,
mentor, and friend. Troy has accepted the call from FBC in Warren Texas
to be their pastor. There he will be close to family and returning to a
part of the state where he has many ties. Troy has also served as our
supervisor for Mission Service Corps. As supervisor he reviewed
our monthly reports and served as our accountability partner. He will
surely be missed.
The "Panhandle Pastor and Laymen
Conference" inPlainview
was great this year as always. This year’s theme, Transforming
Churches Through Transformed Lives, focused on Matthew 6:13-20. We
heard from Calvin Miller, Sandy Maddox and Leighton Flowers
and several others. The music is one of the features that I go
listen to and it was refreshing to my spirit. We heard many choirs,
quartets, and solos. We also met a young man Blake Bolerjack who
is in full time concert ministry. Great voice and a
great heart for the Lord.
I am really a romantic. I took Sylvia to 4
valentines banquets this February. But she had to sing at each
one. Thanks to Pleasant Valley Baptist, Pleasant Valley
Christian, Hillcrest Baptist, and Colonial Hill Baptist in
Snyder for the invitations to come and share about God’s
love.
I have fought the good fight – on February 2nd
it was our privilege to sing at aunt Ruby’s funeral. This was not
a funeral but a celebration of a life lived for the lord. Although she
was Sylvia’s aunt, I claimed her also. I loved her sweet spirit
from the first time I met her because she loved the Lord and preached
His gospel. We would like to thank pastor Lynn and his wife Nancy and
Fruita Assembly of God Church for their ministry to the family. We also
thank them for letting us sing and share in the Worship service Sunday
morning. To see the obit click Ruby Henry Obit
Please
pray for Sylvia she has had sinus and respiratory problems for nearly a
month. We have sang several concerts but she has not been 100% and at
times unable to sing at all.
Thanks to all the folks in the Llanos Altos Baptist Association. We enjoyed leading music at the Evangelism Rally in Friona. We thank you for the fellowship and food. Please invite us back again.
We
Just added some pictures from a powerpoint presentation about the High
Plains Baptist Encampment near Amarillo. As you can tell from the
pictures it is a place where people of all ages can find God. If
you would like to bring your church, family reunion, or organization
out contact Billy Joe Wall. His number is (806) 499-3429, email
ababj@arn.net, or mail to:
Amarillo Area Baptist Encampment 18511 City Lake Rd Canyon, TX 79015
What
a great time we had on our Arizona Concert tour. Arizona is one of the
most beautiful places we have visited. We would like to thank Bob
Neeley, pastor of Black Mountain Baptist Church in Cave Creek Arizona,
for allowing us to minister several times at such a beautiful church.
We met some of the friendliest people there. We would also like to
thank my aunt Ruby and Gary for putting us up and showing us around.
Please look at the photo album to see some of the sites we visited.
Texhoma
is a friendly town half in Texas, half in Oklahoma. Located northeast
of Stratford on Highway 54 the town friendly, laid back, supportive of
school, their sports teams, and a good place to live and raise a
family. It was our pleasure to lead the music for a revival at First
Baptist Church with Jon Randles who is the evangelism director for the
Baptist General convention of Texas. He is a great
motivational speaker and speaks to college groups, football teams, and
several pro sports teams all with the positive message of the gospel
and how to excel in life. I believe there were about 4 decisions for
salvation and many that came forward to repent and seeking a deeper
walk with the Lord. If you would like to hear some of his sermons, they
are available at www.fbctexhoma.com. Wow
what a wonderful God we serve. These last two weeks have been a
spritual high ( mountaintop experience.) The 21st through the 24th we
were in revival at Elmdale Baptist church in Abilene. We made many new
friends and heard some great preaching from Doctor Gerald McBride. You
are never too old or too young to accept God's grace and salvation. A
sweet lady in her 70s named Grace was saved and many recommitted there
lives to reach their friends. See our photo album for pictures.
The
BGCT (Baptist General Convention of Texas) annual meeting was in
Amarillo on the 28th through the 30th. We joined with other Baptists
from all over Texas and several other states on the day before the
convention in "CityReach" We played and sang at Bones Hooks Park along
with serveal others. The ICE (Inter City Evangelism) team and many
volunteers set up games, hot dogs, and music to witness to anyone who
would come by. There were three that were saved. On Sunday we led
worship at the State WMU meeting and Monday we sang at the state
missions banquet. The convention was one of the best ones I have ever
attended. The messages were inspiring and every meeting and conference
we attended were a tremendous blessing. The key note speeker for Monday
night was Rick Warren from Saddleback church in California. He
brought a tremendous message that touched hearts and hundreds stood at
the invitaion to take Jesus to our world. For more information,
pictures and stories go to www.bgct.org.
A
very special thank to Jerry Brock and KNNK radio station in Hereford
Texas for letting us share gospel music at the Unitedway Cook-off in
Canyon Texas.
Howdy
to all our friends at Geary and Greenfield Oklahoma. What a tremendous
blessing we received at the Geary Cowboy Church revival and Sunday
morning service at FBC Greenfield. Brother Charley
is a great pastor and a good friend. We had a wonderful time while
staying with the Niemyers and enjoyed the fellowship and getting to
know them. What great people!
There was a
flood there several weeks ago and many people's homes were damaged. The
church and community has been working together to help each other out
during this recovery time. What a great testimony of Christian love
and community involvment
Over thirty years ago Wilma Bryant was visiting the
Amarillo Tri-state fair. After several hours
of walking and looking at the exhibitions she thought
“wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to sit down in the
shade and have a cup of water and listen to some gospel music.”
From that inspiration came the “cup if cold water booth.”
This is an associational ministry in which they rent the fair space,
and tent. Churches then volunteer to come out and minister. They give
away free cold water and gospel tracks and have music. This year we
served along with Terri and Edward Powell as hosts. Terri does the
scheduling, Edward keeps the water jugs filled and we set up the sound
system. We do puppets and provide music when a church is not scheduled.
This year we gave away 585 gallons of water and 1,130 pounds of ice.
There were two people we know of that accepted Christ.
We
had a great time at the 10th annual 49th Ave Block party. Great fun,
food, and fellowship. What a blessing to meet our new neighbors and get
to know each other better.
A very
special thanks to our best friends Billy Joe and Suzy Wall for a
wonderful vacation time up in the mountains near Pecos NM. It was a
refreshing time of physical and spiritual rest and renewal. We will
always remember camping by the mountain stream and singing around the
camp fire.
Praising
God in your own language. That is what SNAP (Sunday Night At the Park)
is all about. Eastridge Baptist church sponsors one night each month a
fellowship of international proportions. Not only are the lyrics of the
people groups ( Laotians, Sudanese, and Caucasians ) different, the
style of music is cultural as well. Each worshiping God in their own
way. See our pictures of the great night of worship.
Boys
Mission Camp was truely a blessing this year. Our director was Donald
Signor, camp pastor Troy Richardson, music Bob and
Sylvia, missionary Alvin Walker, two state staffers from the
Dallas area, and two local boys serving as Junior staffers. Many others
that contributed to the success of the camp were "Clown Under
Construction", men from Frio that taught trap, and several volunteers
that helped in the kitchen. Also a special thanks to the sponsors who
brought the boys and spent the night with them in the cabins, and Bily
Joe and Suzy wall who are our camp managers.
Hello
to our pastor friend Duane McClure and all the "beautiful" people in
Bonita Texas. We certainly enjoyed our time together with you and pray
God's blessing.
Girls
mission camp was a great success this year. Cheryl Landon is our camp
director and did a great job of putting together activities, learning,
and worship. There were 3 little girls that made a profession of faith
and many other decisions. What a blessing it was for us to serve and
have a part in such a great ministry to kids. ( see pictures in the
photo gallery.)
Thanks
to everyone who visited our site during the month on June (2007)! This
month broke a record with 2,785 unique visitors. It is our prayer that
those who visited were pointed toward Jesus and able to learn of God's
love for man and the price paid for our sins on the old rugged cross.
We
wish to thank every one who has been so kind to us during the illness
and the passing of Sylvia's dad. He struggled with a brain tumor. Many
days he didn't know who we were, or where he was. Sylvia was by his
side every moment caring for him. Tuesday, about 11:45, we gathered
around his bed, Lee's pastor led in prayer and Lee went to be with the
Lord. This week our ministry is to the family, many who don't know
Jesus. We are to sing at his funeral and share the gospel in song with
very important people in our lives ----- our family.
Hello
to our new friends in Leuders and the Abilene area! We were invited to
sing for the senior adult meeting at the Big Country Assembly. What a
beautiful place and wonderful people. We met Red and Cindy that are the
camp managers. They are great people who made our stay a delight. The
speakers, Truman Turk (DOM of Abilene Association ) and Tommy Culwell
(pastor of Bacon Heights in Lubbock), were very good and thoroughly
enjoyed by everyone. There were about 325 senior saints of the Lord
celebrating the Lord in fellowship and worship. What a great time we
had together.
Please look at our photo album.
We
had the honor to sing at an associational meeting for Mission Service
Corps Missionaries on Tuesday night and then sing at First Baptist of
Liberty on Wednesday night.
Since
we didn’t have singing scheduled for Sunday we went to services
at FBC Del Rio then headed off for Liberty. On the way we stopped at
Alamo Village in Brackettville. This is the movie set for the Alamo and
where many other western movies were shot (See our photo album.) I
would like to thank my cousin Melvin and his wife Sharon for letting us
stay with them.
We had originally planned to sing at Ceta Canyon open house on Saturday the 14th
and in Bonita on Sunday. Sylvia's half sister called and asked us to
sing at her dad's funeral in Del Rio on Saturday. We explained that we
couldn't because the radio station had been advertising the event for
two weeks and we were committed. The weather turned bad in Amarillo so
they called off the open house on Friday. We called and asked if we
could change the Bonita singing to another date and we headed off to
Del Rio on Friday. Saturday was a time for us to witness about God's
love to family and friends, and a time of fellowship and healing.
Please
pray for us as we start a concert tour to Liberty Texas April 15th. We
have several places to sing and pray for God's guidance and
safety as we travel. If you would like to look at our schedual,
click on the calendar button on the left.
We
led the music for a Bible study at high Plains Baptist Conference
Center last week end. One of my favorite Bible teachers, Bob Utley led
the study over First John. When I started home from the conference on
Saturday I had a "check engine light", no speedometer reading, and
wouldn't shift out of second.I took the car to my mechanic and he
recomended Arenas transmissions. They said that a couple of sensors
were out and replaced them and serviced the transmission for about
$225. That is a praise because we didn't have the money for a new
transmission or a big repair bill. Praise the Lord for His watchcare
over us. Also we could have been out of town when this happened. Is'nt
God good!
What a difference three blocks can make. The first Saturday of the month we go to Faith City Mission
to lead in a worship service. That same night, a couple of hours
later, our grand-daughter's choir was to sing at the Globe News Center
for the Performing Arts. Along with the choir there were many
opera performers. As I sat and listened to the choir and then the
performers, a thought about how different these two venues were. Both
places were built with donations, both with a purpose and a
target audience. At FCM, singing and playing were by gifted
but untrained volunteers. Three blocks away, the singers studied and
spent time and effort learning the disciplines of opera. At FCM the
singing was southern gospel, bluegrass, and a little contemporary
praise and worship. The opera performers sang from memory in Italian,
German, and English to a packed house of opera lovers dressed in their
finest clothes. At FMC the message of the gospel was sang in English
with lead sheets for the words. The audience was made up of people off
the street. Homeless and sometimes hopeless, they come to FCM to hear
about the love of God and to get a free meal. So many paradoxes, yet
just three blocks away.
Sylvia
and I were invited to go to Highland Lakes Encampment (near Austin) to
lead the worship for the annual MSC/Lifecall consultants meeting. What
a blessing it was to see some of our old friends. You may not be
familar with Mission Service Corps (MSC) or Lifecall Missions. These
organizations empower people to serve as missionaries in North America.
(See our links page for more information about these.) See our Photo
Album pages for pictures. I didn't get as many pictures as I should, I
will try to improve.
Thank
you for visiting our web site. Last month there were 190 visits, with
57 listening to streaming audio, and 15 downloaded music. The favorite
page was our ministry journal, then message board, then the photo
gallery. We would ask you to pray for us as we go. We have limited
gifts and talents but use what God gave us for His glory. We recommit
our ministry to the Lord again this year, and ask Him to use us to
reach the lost and also to bring encouragement to those who are
struggling with life's problems.
Thanks
Indiana avenue Baptist Church in Lubbock TX. What a great time we had
ministering in song to you last Tuesday night. Thanks for the warm
reception. We look forward to our next visit together.
A Big
hello to the students from San Jacinto Christian Academy. We enjoyed
being with the 4th and 5th graders last Tuesday. Also howdy to those
who were listening to KJRT/KRGN last Wednesday. We had met Larry
Renetzky some time before but it was great to be on his radio show
"Grace for a Hurting People."
2006
Hard
to believe another year has passed. We keep extensive records for the
IRS and to report to our home church, Temple Baptist, and to others who
support our ministry thru prayer. We give a financial statement to our
pastor (who is our supervisor) and to Robert Pendleton our tax advisor.
Robert checks everything to make sure each item is a proper IRS
expense.
Sometimes
when discouragement comes, or I get tired of packing up instruments, or
when one of the grand kids calls to tell us they have something at
their school or church and we have a singing scheduled, I look back at
our ministry log. I am so amazed that God has used us to tell others
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The numbers are not just numbers but
reflect individual people who God has touched.
This
year (2006)we sang 250 times, drove 9,598 miles, and gave away 4,724
CDs. More importantly we saw 39 receive Christ as savior and 26 other
decisions. Most of these decisions were in camps, Randall county jail,
and Faith City Ministries. We received $13,091.52 in love offerings and
have spent it all in our ministry. Most of our expenses are in making
CDs, mileage, and instruments. This year God blessed us with a new
keyboard, and a new printer (we wore out the old one.)
C hristmas
was a wonderful and busy time this year. We sang 18 times in the
first 18 days of December, most of these were Christmas programs. We
had the opportunity to sing for some businesses, Sunday school classes,
ministries, and churches. During all the happeness and celebration
of the season we sang at one funeral at Buchanan. Her name was Viola
who was a recent graduate from Christian Womens Job Corps. During
the service there were many friends and family there. Many people gave
testimony to her faith and Chrisian life. At the end of the
service, before the final goodbyes, Pastor Larry gave an invitation and
5 of her family and friends gave their lives to the Lord. WHAT A GREAT
WAY TO CELEBRATE A LIFE!
M erry
Christmas! What a blessed time of year. I can't imagine what Jesus must
have felt when he left the glory of heaven to come to an imperfect
world and put on humanity. He experienced all the joys and sorrows,
aches and pains, acceptance and rejection, of what we call life. He saw
suffering and tried to ease it, He saw hatred and bigotry and tried to
change it, He saw all the good and bad of mankind … yet was
willing to go to the cross for us. The perfect sacrifice for an
imperfect man. Oh what a Savior!
A
great big thank you to Indiana Avenue Baptist Church in Lubbock Texas
for letting us present the gospel in music at your Christmas banquet on
December 1st. We enjoyed meeting you and thanks for the warm welcome.
We hope to see you soon.
C ongradulations
to the ladies graduating from Chistian Womens Job Corps in Amarillo
this November 9th. It was a pleasure to sing for you and sense the
spirit of hope you now have. we pray God's blessings on you and your
families.
Please
pray for Cortney and Brandon saved at Faith City Mission on
November 3rd, Adolfo and John rededication. Pray for Kim as she
faces cancer treatent.
W ednesday November 1st
we are home in Amarillo. They say there is no place like home and it
does feel good. After being in south Texas, Mississippi, and Florida we
came home and about froze to death. The weatherman said last night was
to be our first hard freeze, this morning it is 23 degrees on my front
porch, leaves on the fruitless mulberry are starting to fall.
Sitting
here reflecting on the Florida tour, I see so many times God open
doors, protected, and provided for us. We met many new Christian
friends that blessed us in so many ways. What a blessing to meet the
pastors and hear what God is doing in their lives and the lives of
their churches. We traveled 3900 miles, across 5 states. We sang 8
times in 7 different churches. I would have liked to report that many
were saved and the altars were flooded with Christians getting back
close to Him but that was not the case. How do you measure success? You
don't, He called us to be faithful and leave the results up to Him.
I
would like to thank all the family and friends that opened their homes
to us, fed (and very well I might add), and provided a place of rest.
Thanks to those who supported our ministry financially so that we could
go and be ambassadors for Christ. A special thanks to the pastors and
music directors that allowed us time to share the gospel through music.
Today
on the way to Hamilton we got a call telling us that Sylvia’s dad
was in intensive care with heart failure. We decided to spend the night
with our friends Ken and Stella Taylor then go home tomorrow. We called
and made apologies to Dewey and Mary Lamb in Azel and promised we would
come back sometime in the future.
We
had a great concert at Enon Baptist Church in Chester Texas. The little
country church was nestled in the pines, at one time a school house.
One of the members told me that 60 years ago he went to the one room
school house right there in he church. There was a sheet dividing the
room one for high school one of the rest. We met many very sweet
Christians that really made us feel welcome. Make sure to look at the
pictures I have up loaded into the album section. Sunday evening we
sing at Warren where Sylvia will meet her pin pal. Her name is Sylvia
Jordan also. They have never met and but have been writing for about 15
years.
Today
we are back in the great state of Texas. As we turned north on 69 and
287 going toward our next stop in Woodville I have seen some of the
flood area that we had heard about. We crossed rivers were so far over
their banks that you couldn’t tell where the river ran. One over
pass you could see the street going down to go under but only about 30
feet of it because of all the water. I knew Texas had lots of variety
in trees and terrain, but today we were in the Texas Forest Service.
Now I know why the name of the town is Woodville.
Howdy,
First Baptist Church of Estero. What a blessing it was to share a
concert with you Wednesday night. What a warm and sweet spirit your
church has. Also thanks to the many visitors that were there with us.
If you live or visit this area I would HIGHLY recomend FBC to you.
Frank Brand is the new pastor there and we fell in love with his sweet
spirit and dedication to the Lord. Also see their web site at
www.firstbaptistestero.com
A
special thanks to Pastor Duane and the Spring Hills Baptist Church in
Ocean Springs for such a warm welcome and enthusiastic participation at
our concert Sunday night. It is easy to sing and share testimonies when
you look out and see those smiling faces. We enjoyed visiting with
Pastor Duane and playing harmonica with your music director EJ. We will
be glad to accept your invitation to come back and look forward to that
day.
Today
(102206) we went on a little excursion with my brother and
sister-in-law on the gulf scenic route in Gulf Port, Biloxi, and Ocean
springs. I had seen the damage from hurricane Katrina on TV but it was
nothing compared to what I saw today. Several times in the past we had
taken this route beside the beautiful old majestic houses,
churches, and businesses. Most of the rubble was cleaned up leaving
nothing but a few trees scattered around vacant lots and cement
slabs or the remainders of a sign stating what business at one time was
there. This sight went on for mile after mile. They pointed out to us
and told us what used to be there and I could remember seeing it, but
now it was gone. Things and life is so temporary.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Mat
6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat
6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor
steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Water,
water, every where! Today (102006) We are on our way from Magnolia to
Ocean Springs MS. I look out the car window ( Sylvia is driving
) and see water on and trees everywhere. For a
“flat–land no-trees” boy from the Texas panhandle,
this is beautiful! We spent the day with my cousin and it is such a
blessing to see how God has mellowed his heart over the years. God has
saved him and he and his wife serve the Lord in their church. Hello,
Melvin and Sharon!
Thank
you for your prayers! The chaplain here in Hunsville (Holliday Unit)
has gotten special permission for us to get in and do a 2 hour concert
tonight. We will be in one of the smaller meeting rooms ( 60 people).
Pray for the Lord to give us the right songs to bring tand message o
some hurting men.
We
arrived in Ringgold TX Friday night. The area around there has been in
the worst drought in 40 years ( the weatherman said.) It started
raining Saturday night and rained all night and most of the day Sunday.
Rainfall amounts in the area were between 2 and 6 inches of rain. We
unloaded and loded in the rain all morning, but we are thankfull for
the moisture. We sang Sunday morning at a mens Bible class. Men of all
different denominations, churches, and towns meet in Nocona to share a
time of fellowship, encouragement and Bible study. I didn't get
any pictures Sunday morning because of the rain, but I will have
someone send us some pictures for the photo album.
After
that we went to a little church in Bonita TX to do a concert for their
worship service. Great church with a wonderful pastor. For those
int he Amarillo area you might know him, his name is Duane McClure. HE
was our music director back in the 80s. GOd has called him
to preach and he has a love for the people at that little church.
Remember to pray for him.
A special hello to Hallie
and GA'S of Grove Level Baptist Church. I received a letter
from her telling us that she was praying for us. What a blessing
it is to serve the Lord through Mission Service Corps of the SBC.
People from all over the country pray for us as we go. Sometimes we get
a little down when we pack up to go and know we will miss one of our
daughters or grandkids birthday. When we get a letter from someone
telling us that they are praying for us it really lifts our spirits.
Thankyou!
We
will be going on our Florida concert tour October 13th through November
3rd. We will be singing several places on our way and staying with
friends and family as we minister. The first week we will be in the
Huntsville area. We normally go down there and sing at several of the
prisons. This year is a little different, all the chaplains that we
talked to had there facilities tied up with Ramadan ( a Muslim holy
month .) We will be using the time there to visit and minister to
some of the chaplains we have known over the years. We are excited
about the churches we will be ministering in and trust God to put us
where He wants us to be. See our calendar for where we will be
ministering. We will try to take lots of pictures and share with you
what god is doing and has done.
On
a personal note... We moved Sylvia's mom from Wichita Falls to a care
facility here in Amarillo. The transition has been slow but the
whole family is excited about the availability of contact we will be
able to have and the smaller facility will provide more one-on-one care
for her. She is 83 and in resonably good health. We pray
that she will aclimate soon and be more inter-active with other people.
September
15 - 23 we helped co-ordinate the Tri-State Fair Cup-of-Cold Water
Booth. This is mainly a seed planting ministry and our association of
churches has been doing the booth for about 30 years. There are
two main areas of ministry. The cups of water are handed out
along with tracts, Bibles, and personal witnessing. The stage area is
equipped with a sound system, puppet stage, and keyboard.
Everything is provided for church groups or individuals who want to
participate. Usually they sign up to work in hour
incriments. Our job is to open and close the booth and assist
each goup or individual as they minister. We also "fill in" with
music for any time slots not taken.
We
were invited to come and do a music revival in Wheeles Oklahoma
Sept. 8th through 10th. What a blessing! Wheeless is located in
the Oklahoma Panhandle close to the Black Mesa area. The church is
a small country church that really knows how to make you feel welcome
and part of the family of God. ( See our pictures in the Photo album
section of our web site.)
We stayed at the Black mountain Bed and Breakfast ( http://www.bmbb1.com/ ).
Vicki and Monty Joe are the sweetest people and made us feel like
family. Nesteled in the foothills of the Black Mesa they turned their
home into a ministry to weary travelers. One of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit is "hospitality" and God has surely blessed them with that gift.
We have never felt more welcome and at home than we did with our
friends. If you would like a get away that will refresh your soul give
our friends a call and go up and stay with them.
We
added some more pictures of the tent revival at the Country Church in
Pleasent Valley. They have a tent for worship, horses, and a great
ministry on St. Francis ( loop 335 ) and about 200 yards to the east of
River Road on the north side of the loop. After this revival (
083106 - 090406 ) there will be Thursday night services. Every one
is welcome!
God
is good! We went to Sylvia's heart doctor today (082806) and he said
that the lesion that showed up on her CT scans was about and inch and a
quarter across and should not be a concern but would check it again in
60 days. He said he blood pressure was still too high and put her on a
different medication.
Please
pray as we start making plans for a Florida concert tour. There are
several churches that have asked us to come so we are going to
be ministering at some of those on our way to and from Florida.
We have just added a guest book. Please sign and see what others have posted.
In
June (061206) our ministry purchased a new Yamaha PSR3000 keyboard.
This is our 4th Yamaha. It has more memory, features, and bells and
whistles on this machine than you can shake a stick at. All our
instruments are dedicated to presenting the Gospel through music. While
we are on the subject of finances, we receive donations from time to
time of which we are very thankful. We want to be good stewards of
God's blessings. Most of the ministry expenses go to providing CDs,
travel, equiptment and supplies. All the donations go into our
ministry. Since we are retired our pension and 401K distrobutions
provide for our daily needs.
We
have just returned from Girls Mission Camp, July 10 - 14, and Boys
Mission Camp, July 20 - 23. What a blessing! The International Mission
Board polled active missionaries serving all over the world and asked
them when they first surrendered to be missionaries. Over 90% said they
first heard the call at mission camps. At girls' camp there were
15 professions of faith, 6 rededications, and 2 commitments to God's
service. At the boys' camp many boys came forward at altar
call to pray for friends and family that are lost. Be sure to visit our
photo gallery.
This
morning, July 5th, is a difficult day. Today we sing at the funeral of
one of my dear friends, Raymond Bull. He played the best "honky-tonk"
gospel piano and sang Southern Gospel that made you want to shout for
joy. He received many honors over his life time such as male vocalist
of the year in Arkansas. Of all the nice things that will be said about
him today the most comforting reality is that he is home with the
Lord.... Another of God's singers gone home.
The
revival at Temple Baptist in Amarillo, June 25 - 28, was truly a
blessing. Chuck Zehnder from Branson, MO, was the evangelist and Sylvia
and I led music. He did a great job. Chuck has the ability to
teach the truths of the Bible with visual aids. It was a pleasure
for us to be on the revival team. Temple is our home church and our
main prayer support base. Our pastor, Troy Richardson, is one of my
best friends, mentors, and encouragers. He also serves as our
supervisor for our ministry through Mission Service Corps.
Special
Friends Camp, June 12 - 16, was truly a blessing! We did the music
for around 80-90 campers and counselors for the Top of Texas churches
at the Panfork Encampment. The campers were teens and up with differing
ranges of mental and physical challenges. We have led worship in
many churches but I don't know when I have felt the Holy Spirit move
more than when these special people lifted their voices to sing, with
whatever ability they have, to the Lord. Several could only use their
hands to express their love for the Lord. On Wednesday night the pastor
asked if anyone wanted to talk to a counselor about salvation or needs
in their life to come forward. There were 11 who came and asked Jesus
into their hearts. Jesus talked about the faith of a child. Salvation
is by grace through faith, not of works or head knowledge. One young
man came and couldn't speak understandably but pointed up to heaven and
the pointed at his heart. I got the message. Can God save people with
limited understanding - I think He did!
The
days were filled with activities such as fishing, paddle boats, zip
line, swimming, and crafts. It was fun to watch them have a wonderful
time and experience some new adventures. Sylvia celebrated her birthday
on June 15 during camp. All day campers came to her to wish her
Happy Birthday and give her hugs and special words of love and
encouragement. It was AWESOME!
One
of our favorite places we go, when we can, is Saturday Night
Live at Freewill Baptist Church, 2501 Vernon, in Amarillo. They
have been meeting and sharing music for nearly 20 years every Saturday
night. Anyone that wants to share a song or testimony is welcomed. At
one time there were 22 churches represented there. Bob Gill is the
pastor and sings and plays a steel guitar and shares about God's love.
The fellowship is second to none.... what a blessing!
At
the close of June we have been able to sing 126 times. That is an
average of 4.78 times per week! We have traveled 3,663 miles,
given away 2,450 CDs, and have seen 23 people saved. Your prayer
support is foundational to all we do for the Lord and through your
prayers you have a part in every life touched.
Half the year is over. Half the year is yet to come.....
We
are trying something new on the web site. We have a program called
"Gallery" running to display visually our ministry. We will try to keep
adding new pictures as we go along. Most of the time we are too busy
singing to take many pictures but we will try to improve. Please visit
often and as you visit and see the pictures and calendar pray for us.
God
has blessed us greatly in the last few months. Looking back and seeing
God work is truly incredible. We led in revivals for Wheeler
and Dawn. In both these small towns we experienced a fellowship
and friendliness and people wanting to reach people for the Lord. We
sang for the Lions Club in Hereford, the new Cowboy Church in Rolling
Hills, Hereford "Relay for Life", Dewey Lamb family reunion, WTA&M
BSU Reunion, Innovative Staffing Soultions in Hereford, a live remote
with KNNK at Love and Sons, and several churches and Sunday school
classes. I listed these to give you a sample of some of the
opportunities we get to share the Gospel in some unique places.
Thank
you for your prayers. The most important need for our ministry is your
prayers. We have several prayer warriors and many churches that pray
for us. Here are some needs:
1) God will open the doors where He wants us to be.
2) Pray
that He goes before us to prepare our hearts to see the needs and
the hearts of those we minister to. Many seeds are planted, pray
for others to come along and water and pull a few weeds.
3) Pray for strength to keep up with God's schedule for us.
4) Pray
that the Holy Spirit would guide us to know what message in song to
bring and what message in testimony to say.
5) Pray for the pastors and churches we visit. So many of
our pastors need
encouragement, pray we will be sensitive in this
area.
|