The summer went great. We began the month of June with Church Planter Buddy Thomas in Berwick, PA. We saw the people built, great attendance, and several saved. From there we held a meeting in Cornwall, NY with Pastor Steve Racite. Steve and his wife faithfully minister to a congregation of about 20 people. He loves these people and is meeting a great need in both their lives, and in the area of Cornwall. It was exciting to see three people saved. We also saw former church members reunited with the church. Amen.
After these church revivals we held an evangelistic tent meeting in Cobleskill, NY. Pastor Matt Heller did an outstanding job preparing for the crusade. It was exciting to see nearly 60 in attendance each night of these meetings. Matt is running about 25 people on Sunday mornings. With this perspective, you can see how God blessed the meetings as nearly 60 were in attendance each evening of these meetings. Brother Heller is a dear friend, and is being faithful in the face of many ministry challenges.
GOD STOPPED THE RAIN . . . REALLY!!!
This summer I preached for three teen camps. At Camp Chetek, located in Chetek, WI, 14 teens accepted Christ in one service alone. Other were saved throughout the week. On the night that 14 teens trusted Christ, several had raised their hand wanting to be saved. The rain was so intense that no one could hear me give instructions for responding at the invitation. Also, in order to counsel these teenagers, they would have to be moved to another building for counseling. No one would be able to go to the other building because of the unusual downpour of rain. With souls in the balance, I raised my hand in the air, and publicly prayed for God to stop the rain immediately so we could continue the invitation and deal with the 14 who would like to be saved. Within five seconds, God stopped the rain. All 14 teens then responded to the invitation, and trusted Christ as their personal Savior. Some of them said, when they saw God stop the rain, they knew that everything they had heard about God HAD to be true! That is why they decided to get save! Praise the Lord.
Throughout the three summer camps, scores were saved, strengthened, and scores surrendered their lives to full-time Christian service. I believe this was the best three summer camps I have been involved in the date. Praise the Lord.
ISRAEL TRIP - (MAY 16-30)
My son, Drew, and I enjoyed 16 days in Israel. We joined 32 other people, mainly from Ambassador Baptist College, for the most dynamic trip of my life. Both Drew and I are changed forever! The Bible has come even more alive for us both. Every time I read my Bible, I now read it in 3-D! I will never read my Bible the same way ever again.
HONESDALE, PA - (MAY 11-15)
This church is being temporarily led by Pastor Richard Gregory. He has been intern pastor for about two monthes now. We had five professions of faith. An attorney running for the office of District Judge attended the services, and accepted Christ following one of the services. The attendance grew each service, accept for Friday, when area school events hindered some from being there. It was a wonderful week.
HAITI- (April 6-18)
This was one of my most productive mission trips ever! I brought a young friend along from my church, Lewis Meyers. He and I shared the preaching for the first week. We ministered primarily at "Double Harvest", a complex located just outside Port Au Prince. Each day we preached between three and four times. The complex has a 200 acre farm. We preached to the workers each day. It has a medical clinic at which we preach daily as well. Each evening we held services in the church. We also held services in the Christian school. During our first week, we know of 8 professions of faith. The second week over 50 made professions. The spiritual revival started slowly, but continues to grow. The week after we left I was informed that 144 more people trusted Christ the following week. During the two weeks we were in Haiti, I was also privileged to teach daily classes on soul-winning with four Haitian men. These men will continue spreading the gospel for the long haul. It was outstanding!
I mentioned that I wanted to win the local witch doctor to Christ. I did have a wonderful opportunity to spend nearly an hour with him. He is open to the Lord. I am grateful that I had this opportunity. He confirmed that he prays to Lucifer, and he is in batle against Jesus Christ. He got pretty sober when I showed him that we already know who is going to win in the end. Christ is going cast Satan into the bottomless pit. I believe this man is close to leaving his vodoo behind and becoming a follower of Christ.
OCALA, FL - (Feb. 15-20)
Pastor Gary Jutperi started Calvary Bible Church a little over two years ago. We were originally going to be in another church in the area, but we had a cancellation. God wanted us to be at Calvary Bible Church instead! We had a great meeting. Two adults were saved, and several children. Two more adults visited the last night, and are very close to trusting Christ. The salvation decisions were great, but I am just as excited about how God used the week to deepen the walk of the new believers that are an integal part of the future ministry of this church.
While in Ocala, we stayed at Central Baptist Church, where Pastor Andy Bloom is pastor. I preached two times to the High School and once to the Junior ages.
MISSIONS TRIP TO HAITI - (Feb. 9-13)
I arrived in Port Au Prince on Monday. Missionary Arthur Spalding hosted me at his mission called "Double Harvest". His mission has 200 acres of land just outside Port Au Prince. They raise food and trees for the Haitians, provide jobs for many Haitians, have a medical clinic, a school and a church. They are touching hundreds of lives each week. I was able to preach 3 times for the mission. I also was able to briefly preach in a village to a group of people that were bringing a dead owl to a witch doctor who was going to buy it from them to make poison. That was an experience I will never forget.
After being in Port Au Prince, I went to Jacmel for a while, and made contacts for future ministry in Haiti. I connected with a team from Missions for Haiti that is helping Pastor Dieupie Cheribin construct buildings for his church and bible institute. I will be returning to Haiti in April, Lord willing, for some evangelistic crusades.
ALPINE BIBLE CAMP - (Feb. 6-8)
This was a winter retreat for about 50 mainly public school teenagers from churches in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. We saw five young people trust Christ. Dave Holloway is the camp director and is doing a great job.
I went snow skiing with several of the teens and had a great time. I also found out that a Ski lift is a great place to witness. I had several witnessing opportunities on the ski lifts. It was great!
DADE CITY, FL - (Feb. 1-5)
Ken Woodard is the pastor. This is our fourth meeting with Ken. This church is growing each year at a slow and steady pace. It is refreshing to see this church in the best condition I have ever seen it. We were excited to see two adults make a profession of faith in Christ, and two children as well. Praise the Lord. Many in the church picked up a renewed vision for evangelism. These people are steady and faithful Christians.
CLEARWATER, FL - (Jan. 25-30)
We had an outstanding meeting! Rick Polar is the Pastor. We were in this church in February 2007. The church was running about 30 people. Now, two years later, they are averaging about40 people. During the revival week we usually had between 45 to 55 per service. At least six adults came to know Christ. One of these who were saved, a dear woman named Kyra, said a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Another saved during the meeting is the husband of one of the ladies in the church. He had been atagonistic toward the gospel. The church had been praying for his salvation. Now he is not only saved, but full of the Joy of the Lord! Another convert was a kind woman in her 70's. She attended two nights of the services, and trust Christ on the final night. These new Christians are reading the Bible and loving it! I am thrilled not only with the salvation decisions, but to hear that four of the adults that trusted Christ gave a public testimony of it in church the very first service following the meetings! Amen! In addition to this, over 60 people attended the Sunday Morning service the week following the meeting. For a church that was averaging about 40 people, that was significant growth! Praise the Lord! He did a wonderful work in this church.
SAGINAW, MI - (Jan. 18-22)
For several years I have been privileged to preach a school Winter Retreat for Pastor Doug Jackson in Saginaw, Michigan. I have a real close relationship these people. Through the years I have seen the young people grow up, go to college, get married, and serve the Lord. Each year we go to Camp Co-Be-Ac for three days, and I preach five or six times to the teens. After the retreat, I stay a few extra days and preach another three or four times to the teens, but in a school setting. It is a wonderful time to challenge these teens to serve the Lord and get to know God in a deeper way. This year was one of the best retreats I have ever had with these teenagers. I also preach in the church Sunday and Wednesday services whenever I am with this church. Pastor Jeff Hawes is the youth pastor and is doing an outstanding job.
WARNER ROBBINS, GA - (Jan. 11-18)
This was our second meeting in this church. Paul Mullen has been pastor for three years. The church is growing in size and in evangelistic zeal. We had wonderful services. As least three people trusted Christ as Savior. Key people committed their lives to greater faithfulness and greater service to the Lord. The meeting went from Sunday to Sunday. The Calvary Quartet, from Simpsonville, SC joined us for the final service, and really ministered to hearts. We really look forward to being with these people again in January 2011
 Class of 2009 | You are invited to share in the graduation celebration of our son, |
DREW'S GRADUATION CEREMONY -(MAY 9)
Drew is officially a graduate. His mother is not very happy about that! We are very proud of him. We held a graduation ceremony at Independent Bible Church of Duryea Pennsylvania. I shared a few words from my heart to Drew. Then, Drew gave a testimony of his salvation and an explanation of his future plans. Drew sang a solo. Greg Murray provided special music as well. Then the graduation address was wonderful! It was provided by our long time friend, and pastor of the church, Dr. Al Cremard.
After the ceremony we had a party with a three tiered cake, made by Becky and Heather Murray. Several attended. Several gave gifts to Drew for his graduation. Any gifts given to Drew will be used to buy his father new golf clubs . . . I hope.
Drew will be attending Ambassador Baptist College in the Fall. He will be training to be a youth pastor, and eventually a church planter.
BRAZIL - (Nov. 30-Dec. 17, 2008)
In December 2005 we made our first trip to Brazil with Missionary Mike Dunn. We ministered in the large city of Manaus, and several smaller cities. This trip, however, was different. We ministered to the Indian people who live along the river in the interior. We took a boat from Manaus to the city Tefe. After that twelve hour boat ride, we moved on to a house-boat that was our living quarters for the next 8 days. We slept in hammocks on the upper deck of the boat. We traveled 18 hours further down river into the interior. We worked our way back up the river, stopping at different villages holding meetings in the churches along the river. We know of 30 people who trusted Christ as Savior, but believe many more were saved. Mike Dunn is taking the place of a veteran Brazilian Missionary who has started several churches along the Amazon River over the last 30 years. This missionary, Pastor Raymond, has become very ill after weathering 30 years of riding his canoe up and down the Amazon through heavy rains and through, at other times, intense heat. His faithful service has taken a toll on his body, but has produced eternal fruit for the Lord. Mike Dunn will carry on his work, and will targt these 115 villages along the river. Only a few of the villages have churches in them. He plans to invest his life in starting churches in each of these village and in training men to become Brazilian pastors who can lead these congregations in the faith.
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