Friday, July 30, 2010

Today our Joe is 20 years old. Happy birthday!

We finished up the last day of Enrichment Week with a message from the Director, David Snyder. He used an acrostic on Faith using Hebrews 11.

1. Focus forward by reviewing the past; looking to the future and concentrating on eternity.
   
2. Abhors apathy. We will move v. 7, always forward, and moving whole heartedly.
   
3. Ignores impossibilities. The Physical as in Abraham and Sara. Spiritual armor in Matthew 17; Salvation of souls, Luke 25:18 and Heb. 11:29
   
4. Trusts tenaciously even when it takes longer, Acts 7:23; even when you don't know how it will turn out; Daniel 3
   
5. Honors Him—God is pleased through lives of faith like Enoch Heb. 11:5, Abraham. God will reward. Gen. 12:2
   

After the morning session was over, everyone packed up, got some sandwiches to take along or eat in the dining room, then left. It was a good week. We went over to see some friends from Independent, Marcel and Sandy Anderson. We met their daughter Marie and youngest son. Marcel had the day off, Sandy came in a little later. They have not changed much at all. Both are looking to get employed with the TVA after completing some further education.


 Along about 4:00 p.m. we got gas for the car and headed up 81 back toward Maryland. According to our GPS we would arrive about 1:00 a.m. and called the Gills about 10:00 to tell them. We also called Peter and told him where we were and such.

 

We got off the interstate near Staunton, VA, about 10:35p.m. to get gas and had to make a left turn across a divided highway. I put my shoes back on. Upon making the turn, we got rear ended and Peter's car is a mess; possibly totaled.

I got a nasty goose egg upon hitting the door window. I was taken to
the hospital in an ambulance, my first, and hopefully only, experience.
All the emergency room folks were great; it was not a busy night and I
was released about midnight. No one else was injured; the other driver
was OK, but her car front end is smashed also. It is a 2001 Audi.

Meanwhile, at the scene, Henry's brief case was thrown from the trunk, but a family from NY in a big truck found it and brought it to the scene. Nothing was missing from the briefcase, even the passports. Praise the Lord. Henry's Japanese computer screen is cracked, but still works. The guy, named Brad, took Henry and Sara to the hospital to get me. He was our angel unawares for the evening.

Please pray this event will not hinder us from returning to Japan. We
leave DC Wednesday afternoon to LA, then fly out on Thursday next
week. Also pray that Henry will not beat himself up over this; he is
saying it is all his fault, we cheated Peter out of his car, etc. Henry was charged with not yielding the right of way. However, it was allowed by God for a reason. It could have been much worse

Thanks for your prayers and we will be in touch once we know more of what's going with the car, insurance and all of that. Peter will probably get another car out of this.

God is still good, even in Staunton, VA

Thursday, July 29, 2010

In the afternoon we went on a riverboat cruise. We met the Nichols who are friends of ours from Independent who now pastor over in Leesburg, VA. They were visiting one of their sons in Chattanooga. It was a surprise to say the least.

 
We got to talk to some fellow veteran missionaries today and found out what it is like to minister in India and Burma. There should be a book compiled sometime by those of us foreign missionaries who can really tell what it is like. It would be a fascinating read.

 
Our car got worked on some more again and hopefully the EGR light is fixed by now.


 

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Today's meetings were of the information/financial nature so we did not go anywhere. Some men who worked on the retirement plan came in to explain the new stuff and to talk to each couple individually on what to do with their current retirement options. The teens went to a mountain place to do hiking and such. I am catching up on the blog and this evening we will attend church where we are staying in the prophets chamber.

 

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Today the teens went white water rafting someplace and got back about 9:00 p.m. After the morning service and lunch, several adults went bowling and five of us had our nails done. We were taken to a small shop. Three ladies opted for pedicures and we set in comfy chairs and their feet placed in warm, churning water. Since I do not wear sandals, I had the manicure and chose a pink polish to match the outfit. The last time I had this done was about 35 years ago. It looks nice and my nails are currently of a decent length to make the hands look pretty. It was nice to be pampered.

 

Monday, July 26, 2010

We drove from someplace in Virginia to Harrison, TN, where BIMI is located, the same place we were June 5-8, only this time we are staying in a Prophet's Chamber at a local church. We arrived at 4:30 p.m., just in time for dinner. After we ate dinner with the other 12 missionary families there and staff members, the teens were taken out for bowling. We were told we would not see the teens for the rest of the week.

Sara met up with Amanda Leonard again; they are sharing a room with four other teens on the campus here. The staff has this group of 25 kids all tied up this week with day-long activities. There will be some tired puppies at the end of the day.

Monday evening we all met for a service and introduced ourselves stating what field we are on and for how long. One couple has been on the field for 30 plus years, another for three with the rest of us in between. It was 19 years ago this week that we landed in Japan.

The purpose for this week is a time of relaxation for us, out from the hustle and bustle of reporting to churches. It will be a fun time.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

We went to church at Independent today and did not have to do anything!! We got to enjoy the service. Pastor Pat Creed and June were there, as well as Mrs. Dove whom we did not see in June.

Pastor Mike's message this morning was on the individuals who will be in hell.

Hell is a place of separation from God; torment, suffering.

1. Satan. Isaiah 14:12.
   
2. Fallen angels
   
3. Satan's Trinity Rev. 19:20— including the beast and the false prophet
   
4. Mark of the beast Rev. 14:9-11
   
5. Wicked of all ages. Matthew 13:49. Fearful, atheist and abominable
6. Those not written in the Lamb's book of life
   

It was a powerful message. There were three that got baptized and one lady joined the church. 

This is Trinity, a real charmer.






After church, w told Pastor that Peter had sent a text message saying that we could do what we felt best with the car. So we will return to Clinton after going to BIMI this week, then fly out on Wednesday, August 4, to LA, stay in a hotel and catch the flight out to Japan on Thursday next week. We will buy Peter a ticket to DC and ship his stuff for him. He said he will finish there about August 24-26. It might be that Teresa will be able to see him before she returns to college. We got her a ticket back to LA on August 23^rd. 


We then went home, packed our stuff for the week at BIMI and took two suitcases and our computers. It was a light load, considering. 

We traveled down to the Patuxent Baptist Church in Southern Maryland for the evening service arriving about 5:30 p.m.

During the service the teens gave testimonies about their week at Youth Conference in Hammond, Indiana. They all said they would pray an hour a week for America, one of the challenges received at the conferences. It was a fine group of young people. One of the young ladies took first place in the piano competition and she played her winning piece before Henry preached.


The sermon tonight was a new one for me to hear. Many people responded and one man got saved tonight.

Pastor Connor and Lori started the church years ago. Henry taught Lori in high school. Rick got saved about 1980-81 or so. I remember seeing him on a Sunday morning making a public profession. He had this wide Afro-style hair. That evening he came back and he had his hair cut. You could tell he had a life-changing experience. From there he dated Lori and they married in 1985. They have been faithful to serve and have built a fantastic, diverse church where they are. It is so good to see people stay by the stuff.

 
After the service we went out to eat then we had to leave to drive a couple of hours to Chattanooga. We stopped about midnight at a Howard Johnson's.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Henry visited the bus route with Matthew then he went to work at noon. Henry took the computer and did some more upgrading at the library then at Starbucks. The music was terrible, he said, and when it closed at nine p.m., he came home.

I spent the day packing and repacking suitcases. Most of the heavier stuff will fit in the wheeled duffle bag which will make it easier to carry. My clothes will fit in the large regular duffle and will be easier to carry. Still need to hear from Peter about driving the car to LA.