Report for Sunday, June 20

Last Sunday, June 20, was another wonderful day in the Lord! Of course, Magda (the teenage girl staying with us) and I went to the mountains to teach my kiddos, but Mike stayed in La Esperanza to finish a series of messages that he had been giving in one of our sister churches, La Iglesia Bautista El Redentor (the Redeemer Baptist Church).

Since Mike stayed in La Esperanza, Hotir was behind the wheel of our truck. Every other Sunday we go to our work in Naranjitos, which is another 30-40 minutes on down the road past San Lorenzo, and this was our Sunday to be there. Once again, the back of our pickup gradually filled as we picked up people along the way. As we passed Ojo de Agua and San Lorenzo there were several, adults and children, waiting at the side of the road to join us for the service. Many enjoy going to Naranjitos with us, even though there will be services in their community, too. They don't mind going to two services on Sunday morning!  This is a great encouragement to the small group of believers in Naranjitos. It is here where we plan to build a church building next year. The land is already cleared and waiting!

Clemente preached to about 18 adults in the little adobe house, and I had 17 in my class outside in a covered area behind their house. Along with my children, I had two kittens and several baby ducks in my class. As I've said, you just never know what's going to happen!


After leaving Naranjitos, even though we dropped a few people off in their communities, we picked up even more who wanted to attend the next service in Ojo de Agua. So, once again, we had a truck full of people.

     
We arrived in Ojo de Agua a little early, but people were already beginning to arrive. Although we still have benches to be made, the baptistery and new tile floor make such a difference in the appearance of the church.  Every Sunday, now, we have new visitors, and I was so pleased to see also in attendance the young couple and the man who

accepted Christ last week! We have some who walk an hour to come to the services here!

By the time the services started, the church was full and, down the hill in Hermana Enrique's little house, I had a room full excited children ready for class. Last week I started a Sunday School competition to encourage the children to memorize Scripture and invite their friends, so I was very pleased to see eight new children in my class!

We arrived home around 2:45, hungry and ready for a bathroom! Mike was already home, of course, and he, too, had had a wonderful service. After "lunch", a short rest and a little review of my lesson and Mike with sermon, we were out the door again for our 6 p.m. service at our church in La Esperanza.


It, too, was a good service, well attended and with several visitors. The best part, though, was that after the service we had three teenage girls from the Student's Home accept the Lord as their personal Savior! That brings the total up to 93 people who have accepted Christ in the last five months!!! We just thank the Lord and praise His name for pouring out His blessings on His people here in Honduras!!!


Even though we realize how important it is for Mike to get his cancer checkup every six months, it's difficult to think about the fact that we must return to the States in a week and a half! It is very hard to leave again so soon, especially when we see God's hand at work in so many areas.


If you are reading this and you are a prayer warrior, I have several things that I would appreciate you remembering in your prayers:


      1. Please pray that Mike would get a good report on his cancer and that we might return to Honduras quickly. (When we returned to Honduras the last of February his PSA was below 2. His last PSA a couple of weeks ago was 4.9.) This is a great concern of ours.


      2. Alex is no longer able to help me with my children's classes. I especially need at least two people who are willing to teach, one teacher for the mountain classes and one for our church in La Esperanza, especially while we are in the States.


      3. Strength, stamina, and wisdom for our young workers who will continue to carry on the work here.
        
      4. That the Honduran government will complete the papers for Magda's visa so that she may join her new family in the United States.


      5. For our co-workers, Arlen and Jason Stevens, as they return to Honduras on July 13th with their new baby and young son.


      6. That God will continue to bless His work here, that He would continue to give us souls, raise up leaders and workers, and that each work would continue to grow and move forward.
 
We are so appreciative of each of you who take an interest in the ministry here.  May our Heavenly Father richly bless you!

Heroes

~hero - he•ro


     Pronunciation: (hēr'ō),
     —n., —pl. -roes


1. a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage or outstanding achievements;  a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life for others: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war;  a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
     [syn: champion, fighter, hero, paladin]


     Father's Day is a day set aside to think about and honor our dads and husbands.  Neither my Dad nor my husband is rich or famous.  Neither has written a book, scaled a mountain, nor discovered any new worlds.  You won't find either of their names in "Who's Who" or etched upon a monument.  But that is not to say that they are not great men.  In fact, they are!  They are both heroes in my book!


     When I was a little girl, my Daddy was my hero! As far as I was concerned, he was the most handsome, the stongest and the smartest man in the world. If something broke, I didn't worry, because MY daddy could fix anything! If I thought somebody was being mean to me, I was sure that MY daddy could take care of it... even if it meant that he had to beat somebody up.  I wasn't worried, because I was sure that MY daddy was stronger than any of my friends' daddies!

     For a long time, he was a bit of a mystery man to me because he was not home very much. Dad worked long hours and... he worked a lot. We weren't rich, but Dad did his best to make sure we had everything we needed. 

     I remember that, sometimes, Dad would let me go to the bank with him to deposit his check.  Then, we would go to the drug store and get something at the soda fountain. It would be just me and Dad... and I felt SO SPECIAL!
     Last year, I almost lost Dad. For nearly two months, every time the phone rang we held our breath. We lived every day knowing that we might not have him by the end of the day. But God worked a miracle on my Dad's behalf, and it is because of God's grace that, yesterday, I could wish my Daddy one more "Happy Father's Day". I don't know how much longer I will have my Dad around, but I want to make sure that, while he is still here, he knows just how much I love and appreciate him and that... he is STILL my hero!



     My other hero is Mike, my husband and the father of our children. Mike has always been a hard worker, a good provider, and loved us unconditionally. He was (and is) a wonderful father and an example to our two children... and now, to our six grandchildren, as well.       
     Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he's perfect...but, neither am I. Just like every married couple, we see each other's faults, failures, and imperfections. But Mike has a heart for God, a passion for preaching, and a burden for lost souls such as I have not seen in any other man in my lifetime. His burden is not just to reach Honduras for Christ, but the whole world! He has dedicated his life and sacrificed his health to do all within his power to reach into as many areas as possible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was not satisfied to just give to missions... he had to go! He has put himself on the front lines for the cause of Christ. Truly, as the definition above says, he has sacrificed his life for others so that they might know about the love of Christ and His salvation.  Mike truly is my hero... and I love him dearly!


     But, I have to say that my Hero of heroes is my precious Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God!  With Him, there is not one imperfection to overlook.  In Him, every definition of a hero is manifest.  Anyone who has ever read in the Bible the many accounts of the miracles He performed, the people He healed, and the way He faced His accusers, knows He is a "man" to be "admired for His courage and outstanding achievements"!  I know of no other Person who deserves more to be "noted for His feats of courage and His nobility of purpose"!   We read in God's Word about His great love for us and about His death on the cross for the sins of each one of us.  It was Jesus, God's own precious Son, Who was the "One who sacrificed His life for US"!   Everything He said, everything He did, every word that is in The Book just proves to us that, for the child of God, He is to be "regarded as our model or ideal".   In every sense of the word,  Jesus truly is my "Champion, my Fighter...   my HERO"!!!

How very blessed I am to have these heroes in my life!

      

Our Regular Sunday Adventure!

Sundays are always an adventure here, but some Sundays hold more surprises than others.  Last Sunday, May 13, was such a day for us.  It went something like this...

7:15 a.m.  A little after 7 a.m. Mike & I left our home in La Esperanza for the Lenca works in the mountains.  Before leaving, I made sure I had on lots of insect repellent and I drank only enough water to get my vitamins down.  (This is because where we are going they only have "pathrooms"!) With us is Victor and Hector, two teenage boys from our church in La Esperanza, and  Magda.  (Magda is fifteen and is staying with us until the 21st of this month when her new adoptive parents will come to take her to her new home in the U.S.)   The rest of our regulars, Hotir, Alex, Salvador, Clemente, and Leonidas, are not with us today.  Hotir needed a break and didn't go, and his brother, Alex, is having neck and back problems and can no longer go and help me with the children's classes in the mountains.  The others went to the mountains on Saturday so that they could get an early start and visit the struggling mission in Zapotillo.  (This is the work where you drive one and 1/2 hours, park the vehichle, and then hike for one and 1/2 hrs.  Because of his health issues, Mike can no longer make this trip.)   
         The dirt roads are never very good, but now, during the rainy season, they are especially horrendous.  We are so very thankful for the the 4-wheel drive, heavy duty, Ford truck that was donated to our ministry.  It is an invaluable and integral part of the work here and there is no way we could go and do what we do without it!  As we bumped, slipped and slid our way to the first service in San Lorenzo, we stopped occasionally along the way to pick up people that were walking along the road.

9:00 a.m.  We arrived just in time to hold our first service of the day.  As we pulled up, it was easy to see that San Lorenzo had had as much rain as La Esperanza.  Seeing the slick, red, muddy clay, and knowing we had to walk about a half mile in the light drizzling rain to the little adobe home where services are held, I put on my rain jacket with the hood and changed my shoes to the rubber flipflops that I had brought along "just in case".  (They're much easier to clean.)  By the time we reach Engenia's and Silverio's home, my feet are filthy and I have about 3 inches of sticky mud stuck to the bottom of my shoes. 
           Normally, my children's class is held outside since the adults are meeting in the largest room of the little three room house.  I was wondering how I was going to teach in the rain, when Engenia offered to let us have class in her little kitchen. (Her kitchen consists of a little stick shack on the side of her home that has a mud stove in it.)  It was nice and warm and dry and, Boy, was I thankful!   Slowly, the children began to trickle in as we sang the opening songs.  Then, as I was teaching, I realized that something was holding the children's attention... and it wasn't me!  There, in the corner of the kitchen, under the edge of a little wooden box, was a mother duck and two little fuzzy yellow ducklings.  And there was another little duckling halfway out of it's shell!  You just never know what may happen or "who" may show up for class!  Anyway, by the time class was over, we ended up with a pretty good little group: Besides myself, there was Magda, eight children, one mother duck and three little yellow ducklings!

10:30 a.m.  When services were over, we slogged our way back to the truck.  The rain had stopped and been replaced by a humid heat.  As usual, there were others who wanted a ride, either to the next service in Ojo de Agua or into town.  Everyone climbed on board and we bumped our way toward Ojo de Agua for the next service.  On the way, we always stop at Ricarda's home and pick up her and her family.  And again, as usual, she called Mike and I to come down the hill to her little adobe house. Nearly every Sunday, when we stop for her family, she has something prepared for us.  Today, it is a cup of hot milk.  It's not something I really like, but I would never offend her. And so I take it with a smile and drink every drop of it.  Sometimes, when she  can,  she serves us coffee,  and many times, she will also give us a small piece of boiled yucca, patasti or fried platano.  The generosity of these poor people never ceases to amaze me!  While waiting for her grandchildren to finish getting ready, Ricarda shows us that the milk goat that Mike has loaned to her family has had a kid!  (Mike loans out goats and cows to help families that otherwise would not have any milk for their children.  They keep them till the animal has at least two babies, one for them to keep and one for us.)  Finally, the whole family is ready and all seven jump into the back of the truck... and by the time we arrive in Ojo de Agua, we have added three more to the load.

11:00 a.m.  We arrived at our church in Ojo de Agua and we all piled out of the truck.  Others had already arrived by foot and were visiting with one another outside the front door. The day before, Mike and several other men worked hard  trying to get the tile laid before the services this morning. But around 4:00, the regular quiting time for most workers, Mike had to leave to get home in time for the Saturday night youth meeting. When he left, about the 5 feet at the back of the church was left without tile.  What a surprise it was when we walked into the church and the work had been completed!  Some of the men had stayed late and finished the job.  The amazing thing is that some of these men were just men in the community and did not even attend the church... until this Sunday!  In fact, we had about 75 in the service!  Several were visitors and 25 were were children there for my Sunday School class. 

My Sunday School Class at the Calvary Baptist Church of Ojo de Agua.

      When church was over, Mike had a chance to talk to one the men from the community who had come and helped with the work the day before and had returned to visit the services.  By the time we left to head back to La Esperanza, that man, and a another young couple who was also visiting, had accepted the Lord as their personal Savior! 

      Before we left for La Esperanza, several more climbed in the back of the truck, some with large sacks of vegetables to sell at the market in town.  We head back to La Esperanza with a truck full of people and  50lb. sacks of vegetables.

3:00 p.m.  We finally arrived home!  Leaving our muddy shoes outside, we entered the house dirty, tired, hungry and ready for a bathroom!  On Saturday, I had pretty much prepared our lunch for Sunday, so all I had to do was warm it up.  After cleaning up some, we ate and then Mike laid down to try to rest a little before the next service while I began preparing things for my 3rd class of the day.  I emptied the bag that I had taken to the mountains and began loading the things I would need for the next class.  I still had a few things to complete before I would have everything ready for the children (things to cut out, a few supplies to gather, etc.)  A little after 4:30, I heard Hotir leaving with our truck to go pick up the people in Quebrada de Lajas for the 6:00 services in our main church in La Esperanza. 

        This little community just outside of town is usually about a 30-45 minute drive (depending on the current road conditions).  For many years we have held Sunday services there, crowding them in, between the services in the mountains and our service in La Esperanza.  Thankfully, usually one of our faithful workers has handled that service.  But in the last few months, attendance there had pretty much dwindled down to one family.  Mike decided that maybe if we bussed them in for the services at our church in La Esperanza that it might encourage them.  So, for the last few Sundays, they have joined us at New Hope Baptist.  And each Sunday, more and more are coming from Quebrada de Lajas to worship with us.

        At around 5:30 I heard the truck return.  Hotir and everyone from Quebrada got into the bus to go with him on the bus route.  A few minutes later, we, too, left the house so that we could unlock the church and make sure everything was ready for the 6:00 p.m. services. 

        Sunday School  is always held during the church service, but on this night, my class was going to do something a little different.  After taking attendance and marking the childrens points on their competition sheets, we all went downstairs to the auditorium for the song service.  Several of our young people had worked hard to prepare several song specials.  We were going to support them with our presence and then we would return to our class.   By the time we went down stairs, we knew it was beginning to rain again because we could hear it hitting the tin roof.

        The first song was a nice duet done by a couple of teens in our church.  The second song was a special sung by a group of about 8 of our young men and one of our teenage girls.  About the time they got to the second verse, the lights began "pulsating" from very bright to very dim.  After a minute or so, the power was so low that the sound system cut off, as well as the music for the special, and the entire church looked as if we had outfitted the building with nothing but 15 watt bulbs.  (You need to understand that problems with the electricity is something we have always lived with here.  For this reason, I have oil lamps in every room in our house... and... we've used them so much that I have had to replace the oil several times!)

       Since the song service was obviously over,  nearly 30 children and I began to shuffle our way back upstairs for class.  Just as we were walking into the room, the power finally went completely out and all the children started screaming!  It was pitch black and I could see nothing, so I wasn't sure if the children were just frightened or if someone had gotten hurt coming up the stairs!  Finally, a couple of our teenage boys came running to our rescue with a couple of small flashlights.  It turns out that some of the little ones had started screaming because they were frightened and the older ones started screaming, too! 

       After calming everyone down, we prayed, sang a song, and then I began to teach my lesson by flashlight.  About the same time that I started the lesson, the rain began to just pour.  Being on the second floor, the tin roof was just above our heads and the sound was nearly deafening!  I had to teach the lesson while literally screaming at the top of my lungs so I could be heard!  The children couldn't really see the story illustrations and, of course, there was no way we could do the handcraft.  But, thankfully, Mike dismissed everyone a little early.

       Although most of the 72 people in attendance had come on the bus, we had one young Bible institute student that rides his bicycle from across town for every service.  He, without a second thought, just pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head and took off for home on his bicycle.  While Hotir delivers people to their homes on the bus, it is our job to take the people from Quebrada de Lajas home in the truck .  We crammed as many as possible in the double cab and the rest climbed into the back of the pickup in the pouring rain with not one complaint. 

      The dirt road to Quebrada was slippery and dark.  As we passed through the town, we could see that there was no electricity at all in La Esperanza or the outlaying communities.  When we arrived at Quebrada, those that had ridden in the back of the truck jumped down and ran around to Mike's window.  Although they were drenched with rain and some were shivering, with a smile that would light even the darkest night, we heard the words, "Gracias, Hermano Miguel!  Hasta poximo Domingo!" ("Thank you, Bro. Mike! Until next Sunday!")  Now I ask you... How could you NOT love people like this?????

9:00 p.m.  By the time we got home at around 9 p.m., the rain had slowed to a drizzle again.  Mike hopped out of the truck and unlocked the gate to our property.  Our dogs came running to the gate, excited that we were home once again, and they ran beside the truck as we pulled up to our dark house. With flashlight in hand, Mike unlocked our door and we entered the house and began light the oil lamps. Then, by lamp light, I made us some sandwiches.  (If you have frequent power failures, as we do, it's a good idea to always have something on hand that you can eat that doesn't have to be cooked.)  As we sat down at the table to eat our sandwiches, I began to explain to Magda that usually when this happens we don't get our power back till some time the next day.  A few minutes later though, the power suddenly came back on.  What a wonderful invention electricity is!

         Later that night, we all crawled into bed, exhausted by the day's activities.  As I lay there waiting for sleep to come, I thought of all that had happened that day... and thought, "How truly blessed I am!!!".

         Some of you who read this are probably thinking, "Those people must be nuts!!", while other's are thinking, "Man!  I'm so glad it's them and not me!"   And all I could think about as I lay in the dark on Sunday night was just how thankful I was that God called MIKE AND I to live and work in this place... among these people!  It's so awesome that WE have the privilege to tell them of the awesome love of God and the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, and show them from God's Word how they can be forgiven for their sins, escape Hell, and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven when they die! 

       You're right!  It's not always easy.  In fact, very seldom is any of it easy.  But as we say here in Honduras, "Vale la pena!"  or  "It's worth it!"...  and I wouldn't trade my life with any one else in the world!

                

May Update from Honduras

      Since our return to Honduras on the 25th of February, we have been in a whirlwind of activity. God has been pouring His blessings out on us ( 87 saved since our return!) and Satan, knowing his time is short, has been fighting us "tooth and nail". It's hard to believe that it's nearly June and we have only a little over a month left here before we have to return for Mike to have his 6 month check-up on his cancer. There is still so much that needs to be done before we leave again. Below is a short synopsis of what has been happening and what still needs to happen:

Iglesia Bautista Nueva Esperanza de La Esperanza (New Hope Baptist Church of La Esperanza) :

      This church, which is located near our home, is our main work and the hub of our ministry. In our absence, the attendance had fallen to around 40-50 but we are slowly gaining ground again. Mike has started up the Bible Baptist Institute with nearly twenty students from our church and a couple of other Baptist churches in the area attending. On Saturday evenings we have youth meeting and he and Bro. Hotir, Mike's right hand man, share that responsibility. I am teaching the children on Sundays once again and loving every minute of it! Because of Mike's health, finishing the construction on this building was put on hold, but now we're moving forward once again. Windows have been ordered and we hope to get the roofs on the two side annexes when we return so we can utilize those areas for class rooms and a fellowship hall.

Iglesia Bautista El Calvario de Ojo de Agua (Calvary Baptist Church of Ojo de Agua) :

      About an hour from our home, in a mountain village called Ojo de Agua, is our church that was just recently named Calvary Baptist. We have worked in this area for several years, struggling with much opposition. But God has torn down Satan's stronghold in that community and we now have, as far as we know, the first non-Catholic church in that region.The community now accepts us and more and more people are coming to hear the Gospel and accepting Christ as their Savior. We are averaging 60-70 on Sunday mornings there, and we have a young man from that community who gave his life to the Lord at youth camp and is now enrolled in the Bible Institute and studying to be a pastor. The people of the church are continuing to help finish with the inside of the building. The baptistry has been built and they are now laying the floor tile. How wepraise God for what He is doing in that community! We covet your prayers, that the church in Ojo de Agua might be a light house and an example to the surrounding Lenca communities!

Mission in Naranjitos:

      In this Lenca community, about 2 hours from our home, we have a precious man and his family who have desired to see a Baptist church in their village for many years. Santos, who is the elected leader in Naranjitos, has faithfully stood strong against all opposition. For several years now, we have gone every other week to this community and held Sunday morning services in his home. Santos has donated a piece of his land to build a church on. The land has already been leveled in anticipation of a team coming from the States next year to help build a church building for them. I hold Sunday School classes here for the children twice a month. Please continue to pray for this work, that God will bless and it will grow.

Mission in San Lorenzo:

      San Lorenzo is a small community that is located between Ojo de Agua and Naranjitos. We have been working there for about 5 years. We have had many ups and downs in this work because of the threats of the local Catholics. We are blessed to have at least one family that has stayed strong and we continue to meet in there little adobe house.

      One of Hotir's brothers, Alex, started going to the mountains with us to help me with the children's classes. In the beginning, I had up to 30 children at times meeting for class under a big tree. When we came home on furlough in 2007, Alex took over teaching all my classes and has developed a real burden for the Lenca children.  When we came back to Honduras, he wanted to continue to teach the classes in the mountain works, so he now has the children's classes in San Lorenzo, as well as the one in Ojo de Agua. He realizes that the key to reaching these people is to reach the children . ( He knows this first hand because he started in my class 12 years ago when he was 8 years old!)

      After the threats, the class and church a have gone up and down in attendance. But we have claimed this community for Christ and we're not giving up!

Mission in Zapotillo:

      To get to this work you must first drive and hour and a half to San Lorenzo, park the car, and then walk an hour and a half. Mike has worked in this community for several years, visiting these believers usually once every month and relying on one of the local men to lead services when he could not be there. This work has been a continual struggle to keep going because of, not only the location, but the difficulty in finding a good local leader and the opposition in the community. Now, because of his heart condition, Mike can no longer walk to Zapotillo. If he goes, he must go by horseback.

      But we praise the Lord for Hotir and Clemente, another one of our workers from our main church, who continue to visit and encourage the believers there. In fact, this coming Sunday, they, along with a few other of our young men, plan to leave La Esperanza at 5 a.m. To make it to Zapotillo in time to hold services. Then they will walk back down to San Lorenzo in time to hold services there by 9 a.m. After this, they will drive to Ojo de Agua for the 11 a.m. Service there. Then, back to La Esperanza where we have services later in the afternoon. (I am SO thankful for these younger men who have taken over Mike's hectic schedule!) Please pray for the mission in Zapotillo.

Mission in Quebrada de Lajas:
      Quebrada de Lajas is a small community just outside of La Esperanza. This work was started by missionary Robert Breaker several years back. When Bro. Breaker left, he asked us to take over the work there. This work, too, has gone up and down through the years. Normally, the Sunday services there have been held around 3:30 p.m. (the only time available after returning from the mountains and before our service in our main church). When missionary Jason Stevens and his wife, Arlen, came to work with us last year, they took over this work. This area seems to need constant attention, and Bro. Jason and his wife, with their heart for the people and love for lost souls, seem the perfect fit for this struggling work. We are anxiously waiting for them and their new baby boy to return from the States next month. Right now, interest seems low among these people of Quebrada de Lajas, but I know God has a plan for this community, too!

Mission in Rodeo:
      This is a new area and opportunity for service for us. It is in the opposite direction of our other mountain works. At one time there was a Baptist church there and even a church building...but the church has been empty for several years now. When we heard about this, it broke our hearts.
      Last month, we went into that community with the medical/evangelistic team from North Dakota. In that one day, we saw 22 people accept the Lord! After the clinic had closed down and we were busy packing things up, we had a few people who showed up for treatment. As tired as the team was, they still took the time to show God's love and minister to these Lenca Indians. Little did we know that one of these men was the community leader. When he found out that we were interested in reviving the Baptist church there, he told us that we were welcome to do so. This was like God's seal of approval to us! What a blessing to not have the local leaders fighting continually against us!
      We have begun to have services there every other Friday. I also hope to start holding children's classes there soon. Please pray, not only for hearts to be open and receptive to the Gospel, but also for strength and stamina for each and every worker that reaches out to that community.

We will be returning to the States on July 6 for Mike to have his medical check up. Even though it is still lower than what it was when he was diagnosed with cancer, his PSA has gone up a point. I ask you to please pray that his results will be good so that we may return quickly to Honduras and the dear people to whom God has called us. Pray, too, that the Lord will raise up more laborers and that more people would be willing to answer His call. The fields are truly white unto harvest! There is so much to do and so little time.

You will never know how much we love and appreciate all of you who faithfully support us with your prayers and finances. With every soul saved and every church planted you, too, will reap the rewards! God bless you all!

June 3, 2010

Today Mike and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that we've been married that long! And... we've been in full time service for the Lord for 36 years: 5 years in Deer Park, TX, at Central Baptist Church working with Pastor Charles Dunn as youth and music minister; 2 years at our home church, Calvary Baptist in Grand Prairie, TX, where Dr. Earl K. Oldham was pastor and Mike was visitation minister; and then, Mike was pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Tacoma, WA, for 14 years. Now, we have been missionaries to Honduras, Central America since 1994!

I remember thinking as a teenager that I didn't want to have a dull, hum-drum life. Well, life with Mike has been anything but hum-drum. I never dreamed that serving the Lord would be such an awesome adventure. God has so blessed us thru the years. He's given us two wonderful children, and now, six fabulous grandchildren... and they all love the Lord and are faithfully serving Him. I look at them and I think, "All of them are here because of our love for one another."

When we got married, 38 years ago, I thought there was no way I could love Mike more than I did on that day. But that was nothing, compared to the love I have for him now. Thank you, Lord, and thank you, Mike, for 38 wonderful years.