Life Changing Words Ministry
Missionary Journal
Road Trip
March 30, 2005
It seems like coming to the US has been another whirlwind. We arrived home the same day we left India. It is amazing how this happens when we cross the International Dateline. Arlene was waiting for us outside the baggage claim area with the house keys.
I think we were too tired to appreciate our own bed.
Morning came early enough and Bill was soon heading out to get the truck to set up for customers he had waiting to hear from him. I have yet to find grass growing under my husband’s feet. He is a God-given good provider. In the meantime, I began to unpack the suitcases, organize, do laundry, and check up on a few things around the house. The fellas who are living downstairs are doing pretty well in community life in our home. To me it is just a taste of heavenly life here on earth.
The next task to be tackled was the taxes. It took a little longer than I had anticipated, which I did appreciate being back early to accomplish it all. I’m not sure I would have had adequate time if we would have come home at our original anticipated timeframe. As it was we got the tax preparation completed three days before the road trip.
Our road trip will be two months plus. We are headed for ID, CO, OK, TX, KY, NC, PA, IL, CA before arriving back to Aloha on May 31st. Gretchen at AccounTemps is already counting the days!
The Lord knows what is perfect for us. Our prayer for the road trip was that the Lord would speak to the hearts of people here in this country and raise the interest level higher than we have experienced before and through it all, He would be honored.
We left on time on Monday morning, March 21st, heading to Boise, ID, for the night. There we encouraged our spiritual daughter as she struggles through a divorce, working two nanny positions, and the raising of her two children alone. In her case, pornography practiced by her spouse has destroyed their relationships. Unfortunately, hers is not uncommon in our society.
She has been educating herself with classes offered in her church learning how she had been an enabler to the problem, but also learning that every person has the choice to do what is right. She is growing in her strength in the Lord and willingly listened to scriptural advice. I am working on an afghan as a love gift for her. It is a joy to us to see her hang in there with the desire to have Jesus first in her life.
Early the next morning we headed toward Colorado Springs. We stayed overnight in Wamsutter, WY, and arrived in the Springs early afternoon on Wednesday, where we had reserved our room for two nights. The hot shower is always appreciated since we first started going to India regularly. Here we have taken it so for granted.
We found the Cook Communications Ministries headquarters old building, but we were rescued to the new building by our host, Brad, who led us to the next building up the drive. The view of the mountains and Pike’s Peak are breathtaking from there front door. I tried to get some sense of the beauty with the camera.
The meeting at Cook was encouraging to both parties. Because of our regular visits to India and their desire to provide an inexpensive package of Warren Wiersbe’s BE series, translated into common Indian dialects, to pastors, evangelists, etc. for a reasonable rupees price. Because our relationships, we will be able to assist in distributing the information regarding this great opportunity for materials that are currently published in India for Cook Communications Ministries. Networking is such a blessing for the kingdom. (When I meditate on it, I can’t help but thinking that perhaps this is more the intent for kingdom citizens.)
Brad gave me a hug and Bill a handshake after our hour of sharing what the Lord is doing in India. He said he is looking forward to working with us when he gets back from a week in Vietnam. (I love answered prayer.)
One of Bill’s brothers called on the cellphone to remind him to touch base with his friend who retired from being a pastor to run a place for pastors and wives to rest and restore themselves before burnout sets in. So, Bill called him and set a time to meet for supper together. Roy would pick us up at 4:00 pm.
At ten to four we were in the lobby. The wind had begun to blow a cold wind in the partly sunny day, as we watched clouds began to close up the sunshine on the east side of the mountain range.
Roy arrived promptly and the men decided for what would satisfy their hunger. The restaurant turned out to be two parking lots over from the hotel. It was drizzling by then. Roy sat intently interested in what we shared while eating, after at the table he saw the power point. He sat in the truck while Bill ran in to get our brochure. Meanwhile he dug through and got a brochure for us of their new ministry, which offers to give pastors a place to rest before they get burned out from overwork. He had slipped a blessing check inside for us.
It was now snowing. It was still snowing when we went to bed, but the weather report said that it would not stay. However, in the morning everything was covered with white. We headed toward OKC by five am. The snowplows had already plowed the roads, but they were still slippery. We drove about seventy miles at about 35-40 miles an hour before we got out of it. The rest of the way was clear and we arrived at our friends’ house safely before supper. (Bill married this couple when they lived in Oregon.) We enjoyed spending Easter weekend with them in their newly remodeled house that had suffered water damage from a broken pipe. It was certainly an opportunity in which the Lord brought good out of a bad circumstance. It resulted in a dream house coming true. We serve a Creator full of lovingkindness!!!
Easter Sunday evening we arrived at the home of our youngest son’s in-laws, Kathy and Dick. Kathy arranged for us to speak at two nursing homes and a retirement center, as well as at a bible study at her Presbyterian church during the three days we would be with them.
At the first nursing home, the residents were excited to see the presentation and thanked us for coming. One of the residents asked a lot of questions as he seemed to have some knowledge already about India. He was enjoying speaking with others who knew about his interest. He thanked us for coming.
At the second meeting, a lady named, Shari, asked a lot of questions too. She was stimulated by the presentation to the point that when we were finished, she came to me to ask about how she could go to India to help with the teaching. She told me that she would update her medical technician certificate and I gave her the website for the teaching English as a second language to earn her certificate online. Wow Lord, what are you going to be doing?
A bearded man came up to me and thanked me for enlightening him and asked for a second brochure. He said he would send a check to the address on the brochure. I thanked him and trust that the Lord will enable him to do as he said.
Also at this meeting we met Brother Jim West, a retired pastor from the Altus area. He was delightful to talk with after he tried to be the background harmonica for Bill’s playing. It is really fun to meet friendly folk. He thanked us as he headed down the hallway to get his supper.
On Wednesday at the nursing home where Dick’s mother is in residence, we showed the presentation and the residents were like children, who could only sit for such a short time. The ones, who did stay until the end, enjoyed the harmonica playing and singing that Bill did for them, as he did in all our meetings so far.
In the evening we went to the church to eat the casseroles prepared for the youth fundraising event every Wednesday before the adult bible study. It was a good meal for $3 a plate.
We were all set to go by 6:15 pm and those in attendance were very attentive and asked questions. Afterwards, Kristy asked if we could use materials like books and the like. I named off the kinds of books, Sunday school materials, flannelgraph supplies, and finances to ship the books and materials by post. Kristy showed me the library and indicated that she would work on putting together some boxes of books and materials for us by the time we come back through here the third week of May on our way home.
They also generously have given us merchandise from her card and gifts shop that she decided to close. The purpose is to use the merchandise for fundraising. Of course we are not going to be able to get everything in the car as we go eastward, but the other boxes will be waiting for us to pick up when we head through as we go homeward. Thank you, Kathy and Dick. Thank you, Lord, for your generosity.
In the morning we begin our eight hour trip to Kerrville, TX.