25 Years and counting....

December 5, 1992

 Twenty-five years ago, at First Baptist Church, Vinita, Ok, Sally and I were united in marriage.

Sally's dad walking her down the aisle.

 Looking back, it seems we were just kids, although we had waited longer than most of our friends to get married.

Her parents, us, my parents.

It has been a wonderful journey that God has led us on; to serve Him all around the world.

A moment of quiet in a busy day.

God has blessed us abundantly.

Audrey's 2nd birthday in Vinita, OK.

 He blessed us with Audrey.

Emily, Me, Audrey, Sally in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

 He blessed us with Emily.

Our family in Mongolia in 2004.

 He blessed us with being able to see His creation.

Beijing, 2004.

And pray for people all over the world.

Hong Kong, 2005

 We have been blessed to live all over the world, too.

Koh Samui, Thailand, 2005

 And enjoy great family adventures together.

My 1st Anniversary as pastor at Immanuel Southern Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK 2008.

 Then, He brought us back to Oklahoma, we He has allowed us to serve Him at "home."

Emily, JD, Audrey, Sally, Rick, Wagoner, OK 2017

 We added John Ellis to the family last year.

At the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Our adventures will continue.

A continuing love story.

Now, with an empty nest, we will continue to serve the Lord. Continue to fall in love with each other even more every day!

Thank you, Lord, for my wife and family. May you continue to bless us that we might be a blessing to others!

10 Year Anniversary

10 years ago, today, I became pastor of Immanuel Southern Baptist Church in Wagoner, OK.

Sally and I had been serving with the International Mission Board in Hong Kong when I felt God's leadership to shift gears in ministry.

I had never pastored before. I was scared. Yes, as I reflect back on it I was scared. At the same time, I was confident. Certainly not confident in my abilities, but confident in the axiom, "God equips those whom He calls."

Me, a month or two after I became a pastor.

I had never pastored a church before. I had only preached less than half a dozen times. My wife later told me that she thought it was going to really be something to watch because, in her opinion, I couldn't preach worth a hill of beans. She has later often told me that God uses me to preach His word in a wonderful way.

Pastoring a church isn't for sissies. There is such a high Scriptural standard that I am held to, by the Lord, and by those I pastor. I will readily admit, I often don't live up to that standard.

In my previous 40 some years experience as a church member, I never knew that the pastor faced so many obstacles and difficulties. There are some nasty people who call themselves Christians. I have been lied to, lied about, gossiped about, slandered, cussed, and called names with words that don't belong in the Family of God.

There are, however, some true saints in the Bride of Christ. There are those who, if a mosquito bit them, it'd fly off singing, "There's Power in the Blood!" These are humble, hard-working servants of God who would do anything for anyone out of love, but avoid the limelight like the plague.

At my 1 year anniversary

I've seen people come and go. Some situations were so bizarre that I still don't understand what happened. For instance, several years ago, I baptized an entire family, like mom, dad, and 3 or 4 kids. The very next day, they moved to Arkansas!  Some came as flashes in the pan. They caused a big stir, but had no staying power and ultimately caused more trouble than whatever good they initially had.

But it's the faithful ones who are truly beautiful. Those who give without being asked, serve without expectations of being thanked or acknowledged, and share without thought of themselves. Praise God for the faithful ones!

I've seen God work wonders in people's lives, like the time He raised a woman from the dead on Easter morning (LINK) or when someone got saved at a business meeting, or watching lives being completely transformed. I've seen a whole lot of new/weak Christians grow in the Lord and I've watched some train wrecks as they walk in the flesh. Some are so embarrassed that they refuse to attend church or even take my calls.

I do know this: if everyone who has told me that they would be in service, rain or shine, would all show up at once, we'd have to build a balcony and have three services!

I have performed the duties and ceremonies expected of pastors. I have baptized new believers. I have married couples. I have performed funerals. To be honest, I'd much rather perform a funeral than a wedding!  There is much less drama. But I LOVE to baptize people. I've baptized over 200 people in the past 10 years. (Where are they now? Inquiring minds would like to know.)

Baptizing my daughter, Audrey, in 2011.

It seems that in the last 10 years, I have a lifetime of experiences. I have been blessed to be the front man for VBS for the past 8 years, usually dressing up in a character that goes along with the VBS theme; I have preached in Ukraine, China, and Israel; I've been to children's camp (KBA) and youth camp (Falls Creek); I've driven the senior adults on fall foliage tours; I've gotten my class B CDL to drive the new church bus; and so many other things that escape my memory.

God has done a great many wonderful things in our church in the past 10 years. We have a growing and thriving children's and youth ministries, we have a Food Pantry Ministry that distributes food to the hungry to the tune of about 750,000 meals in the past 8 years, and we have a unique jail ministry that we call "The Cookie Ministry" where we take bags of cookies with a gospel tract to the local jail each month. We are currently debt free and are looking to build a new multi-purpose building with designated funds that we've been sitting on for the past 25 years.

Me, today, on my 10th Anniversary as Pastor of ISBC

We also have a long way to go. Our financial situation is precarious. Yet, we've never not met our obligations. God has always been faithful with that. I would love to see the expansion of our youth ministry to include a separate class for middle school students. I want to see our YokeFellow and FAITH Rider groups to re-activate. I want a group of folks to step up and help with our children's Sunday School classes. We must have a nursery staff.

I love being a pastor. I LOVE preaching God's word. I love the wonderful folks at Immanuel Southern Baptist Church. 

No matter what God has in store for me and for ISBC, we can only pray it is for His glory! For in the end, that's all that really matters!

Author's 'comp' copy of IMS Promotion

Talking About Africa

It was such a delight to have Bill & Julie Johnson and their family come for a visit this evening!  I went to college with Bill at OU and we were all neighbors when we lived in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.  Bill drove us to the hospital the night Emily was born.  Audrey and Karis were best friends when they were young.

Boynes and Johnsons

It was so fun to reminisce about old times in Abidjan.  To remember friends, events, and a time before civil war tore it all apart.  We all agreed that we REALLY miss Chez Abou's!

MK's now PK's

What was really neat was to watch the kids reconnect after so much time.  It was as if it had only been since last week that they have seen each other. There is something about a connection that MK's have with each other that they can't share with others.  It is an experience shared that others simply can never understand.

While we only had an evening to share, it was a treasured one.  In fact, for the girls, it's still going on, as Karis and Kristen are spending the night. (a really big deal since, it means a night that they won't spend at grandma's house)

We shared so many meals together overseas; it was so nice to do so again. (see picture of grill, below)  Good friends are few and far between, but friends like this are just incredibly rare.  But, like the children, we can take up in the relationship as if it was only last week.

We left Abidjan in 2002.  We saw them in 2007 and 2009.  WAY too long between visits.

I thank God for the blessing of friends.

al-Qa'ida in West Africa

From HotSpots:

Senegal (Security threat level - 3): On 24 May 2011 the U.S. Embassy in Dakar released a Warden Message, which reads in part as follows: "As of May 2011, it was reported that terrorist organizations in West Africa affiliated with al-Qa’ida, will seek to capture or kill U.S. citizens in the region, possibly from locations frequented by Westerners, including markets, shops, hotels and restaurants, in revenge for the death of Usama bin Laden. We advise U.S. citizens traveling in the region to exercise caution, to maintain a low profile, and to avoid areas frequented by foreigners or tourists."

Now isn't that just "peachy?"

Pray for our missionaries scattered all over West Africa.

Christmas in West Africa

Here are a few Christmas pictures from our time in West Africa:

Audrey in Mamou Guinea in 1998 (hoping we'd get our crate with our tree)

Boyne Family, Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire 2001

Emily as Mary - Abidjan, 2001

Staff Christmas Party - Abidjan, 2001

Pretending to be precious in Abidjan - 2001

Mission Christmas Party - Abidjan 2001

Julie, Karis, Kristen, and Bill Johnson - Abidjan 2000

Stephanie, Jenny & Chad - Abidjan 2000

Chinese pastor, wife slain at church served by Lottie Moon

I had the privilege of meeting pastor Qin back in 2004.  He was a gracious and Godly man.

 Rick and Pastor Qin in the Old Lottie Moon Church as described in the Baptist Press article below

I'm sorry, but I've cut and pasted the Baptist Press story into my blog.  I have attached the original link to the headlines below:

Chinese pastor, wife slain at church served by Lottie Moon

Posted on Sep 3, 2010 | by Staff

PENGLAI, China (BP)--A Chinese pastor and his wife were slain Aug. 31 at Penglai Christian Church, where Lottie Moon, an icon of Southern Baptist mission work, served in the early 1900s in Penglai, China.

Pastor Qin Jia Ye and his wife Hong En He, both in their 80s, were killed in the church's office on Wednesday.

The suspect -- a 40-year-old former church member -- was arrested within an hour of the early morning incident.

The couple's violent death is a shock to many, both in China and the United States. The church was closed for 49 years after communists came to power at the end of World War II, reopening in 1988 with only 20 people.

Qin reported 300 baptisms several years in a row. Today, there are 3,600 members.

Chinese newspaper accounts state that the suspect entered the church office carrying an axe and struck the pastor and his wife, killing them both.

The church eventually outgrew Moon's original structure and built a modern 1,500-seat sanctuary next to it with the help of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga.

"From the moment I met Pastor Qin, I could sense a Christ-like spirit," said Bryant Wright, Johnson Ferry senior pastor and current Southern Baptist Convention president. "We are incredibly saddened by this tragic event, but we know one of the Lord's faithful servants is with Him forever in Heaven."

Qin graciously acted as tour guide for a large number of Southern Baptist leaders passing through Penglai who wanted to connect with the community where Moon served.

Wanda S. Lee, executive director-treasurer of Woman's Missionary Union, visited the church during a 1997 China tour. In spite of numerous church responsibilities, Qin and his wife welcomed the group warmly, Lee said, and it was obvious they were well-loved and respected.

"We are deeply grieved at the news of [the] death" of Qin and his wife, Lee said. "It is a great loss to the Christian community."

Candace McIntosh, executive director of Alabama WMU, took seven college students to China in 2008 to experience firsthand the history and work of Southern Baptists. Penglai Christian Church was a stop on the tour.

McIntosh remembers admiring Qin's humble and quiet strength as he prepared for worship, as well as his ability to state the message clearly for all to understand. After the service, Qin spent a great deal of time talking with the team of young women about Moon's legacy.

"He was so encouraged that younger women were there, learning about the history of Lottie Moon and the Chinese church," McIntosh recalled. "I know the legacy of Lottie Moon will live on, but one of its greatest communicators is no longer with us. I know Qin's legacy will live on, too."
--30--

Letters from Africa

This is an email newsletter I received this morning from a former colleague in West Africa.

Tuesday, I found myself in the “sitting room” of a common home/dwelling here in West Africa.  It is called a chambre/salon which translates into a sitting room and a bedroom.  Most everyone cooks outside, bathes outside, and the outhouse is of course also found outside.  These two room homes are usually adjoining and one right after the other in a long building. Each 2 room house can support from one person to a family of 6 or more. The sitting room might be 8 by 10, and each of these homes share a common courtyard. 

Three men came from Ouaga, and I and another pastor came from the south.
We had driven about 9 hours to arrive and the folks from Ouaga had driven 4.  This particular home is the home of a man that has been working in the “border town,” and is the pastor of a small Baptist church start.  I listened as the men became acquainted, and I heard the names of missionaries that had come before me and had been a part of forming these particular men.  I acknowledged before God all the ground that had been broken before I ever arrived on the scene and the many, many seeds that had been planted. Not to mention the discipleship time that had been invested to bring us to this moment
in time.    

We all recognized that this meeting was not by chance and was ordained by God.  I then listened as they each broke into spontaneous song and prayer just to thank God that we had all converged on this town, at this time, and with the vision to reach the lost.  It was an amazing spirit filled moment.

As we continued in conversation, the discouragement on the part of the pastor was clear.  He has been working in the town for 3 years and fast approaching the end of his support. His head was hanging down, and he appeared to be close to broken.  I think our visit, purposefully searching him out, and the vision that was cast were the jump start that his heart so desperately desired.  He expressed how he was ready to throw in the towel, and one of the pastors among the group came along side to say, “You can’t give up.  These baby Christians need to be nourished.” 

We then shared with him our vision for the truck drivers and modeled the method of sharing the stories.  He was enthralled.  The next step was to take to the streets to the real classroom.  The first driver that they came across, politely listened, but he really had no interest.  The second driver accepted Christ. 

You can perceive a fear by many to approach a Muslim.  What was modeled that day was obedience no matter the setting.  Stop the Press!  As I am typing at this moment, I have just received a text message from the Pastor in the border town.  He message says, “2 young women just accepted Christ while he was sharing the stories.”  Looks like his boldness has been spurred on. :-)

I’m still not sure what the Lord has in the works for this location.
This pastor is encouraged and committed to lead us to the people that can be trained to reach the truck drivers.  We wait with anticipation on how the Lord will provide the support for this man and his family.  It would be easy for me to step up and support him for this work, but one of the critical elements to reaching the lost in a way that can be sustained and reproduced is for our African brothers and sisters to take ownership in vision, the method, and how it is financially accomplished.
Waiting is not my strong suit.

Pray with me;

*    If this is where the Lord would have Pastor M*** stay, hissupport will be revealed.
*    Pray that the Lord will reveal to M***  and to us the men tobe trained to reach the truck drivers.

Your prayers have been monumental.  Please continue to pray for the “border town.”  There are great things in store.

Missions Presentation at KBA

I was honored to serve as camp missionary this year again, at KBA.  Tuesday was about Thailand, Wednesday was about West Africa, Thursday was about China, and Friday was about Disaster Relief.

Dressed up in my Guinean Bu-bu

In my Disaster Relief Chaplain's Uniform

Fulani in the News

When Sally and I were in West Africa, we were assigned to a team that worked with a sub-group of the Fulani.  The Fulani are the largest people group/tribe in West Africa, coming in at over 20,000,000 people.  Our sub-group had about 2 million.

I subscribe to a news alert email system that lets me know different trouble spots in the world.  It is very handy if you have an affinity to a certain country or part of the world, as much of the news that they send, you won't find on CNN or Fox.

Today's email included a bit about the Fulani in Nigeria:

Nigeria (Country threat level - 5): On 4 July 2010 approximately 200 suspected Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked Gana Wuri, a Christian village in the Riyom area of Nigeria’s northern Plateau state. Riyom is located approximately 19 mi/30 km south of Jos, the state capital. The attackers were heavily armed, and at least one person was killed and two others were injured in the incident. Authorities believe that the perpetrators were cattle rustlers from neighboring Kaduna state. At least seven people have been arrested in connection with the attack.

ASI Comment: The incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks against the minority Christian population in the region. Similar incidents also took place in the Riyom area in March and April 2010, during which at least 14 people were killed. The attacks also come soon after Boko Haram, a local militant Islamist sect, threatened renewed violence on the one-year anniversary of its attacks that killed at least 300 people in Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Yobe states in July 2009.

You can subscribe to HotSpots by clicking this link: www.asigroup.com

Pray for the Nigerian Christians.  Pray for the Muslims in West Africa.  Pray for the missionaries who engage the Fulani.

Blown Tires and Blessings

One of the ladies in our church is teaching Audrey how to crochet.  I drove Audrey over there this morning and her husband, Fred, wanted to show me something.

The left front tire on his motor home exploded!  It exploded with so much force, it blew a piece of the fiberglass body off the coach.

He told me that they usually go to bluegrass festival this week in Missouri or Arkansas, but neither felt good and they decided not to go.  He said he thought it was a blessing that it didn't happen while they were driving 65 mph down the highway.

It reminded me of another time I saw a tire blow while just sitting there.  It was when I lived in the Ivory Coast.  Larry Rowell and I drove from Abidjan to Ouagadugou, Burkina Faso.  While we were in Ouaga, the spare tire on the Jeep exploded.

We, too, were happy we weren't tooling down the road (at the speeds that Larry drove).

Testimony of God's Power

I was appointed by the International Mission Board to serve in Guinea back in 1998.  While things didn't quite work out there like we expected, I do have a remarkable testimony provided by a young woman who taught school to the children of other missionaries.  Her name is Brandy Keith Mason.  While she was single then, she is married with children now and lives in Missouri.

I was walking through our neighborhood one afternoon when I was approached by a neighbor. She stated that her daughter had a sore on her foot, and she wanted me to come look at it. There was another missionary lady with me, so we both went to their porch where the little girl was sitting. They removed the haphazard bandage and what was below the bandage made my heart drop. I have never seen anything so grotesque. A sore the size of a small lemon covered the entire back part of this little girl's foot. It was covered in something black and looked crusted over. I asked, in my limited Pular, what had happened. The mother explained that the little girl had gotten a scratch/scrape and then it began to hurt more. The sore "grew" so they tried "local" remedies like motor oil (Yes, motor oil!! Thus, the blackness!). When those did not work, they took her to a witch doctor.

I explained that I would need to go back and get some of my medical supplies and would be back. I asked one of our lady workers that spoke English to go back with me to help with the translating. Upon arriving back at the porch, we removed the dirty, torn bandage and began cleansing the infected area. The little girl grimaced but was quickly "hushed" by her mother...a sermon in itself :). After cleansing as much as we could, I applied neosporin and cotton and wrapped the foot with a clean bandage. As I finished wrapping the foot, I knew it was time to discuss the little string bracelet with shells hung ever so clumsily. I gently placed the bracelet between my two fingers and asked what it was. I will never be able to put into words the "darkness" that fell over that place at that point. The mother solemnly stared at me, and in her eyes I saw a battle. "Should I be honest and tell her what that is? Does she already know?" She explained to me (with the help of the translator) that it was really nothing...just a bracelet. The Spirit of God became VERY CLEAR, and I was compelled to express these words, "I WILL NOT SHARE MY GLORY...I WILL NOT SHARE MY GLORY". I explained to the mother that God would not share His glory with ANYONE or ANYTHING. The bracelet HAD to be cut off.

It seemed like hours passed as the battle raged in the eyes of that mother. She finally agreed to remove the bracelet. We gently cut the fragile bracelet off the little girl's ankle, and their was intense anticipation on all parts!!! I asked if I could pray before I left. The mother agreed. I asked the translator to translate the words of my prayer so that everyone there could understand my words. I ended the prayer very strongly in Pular with "In Jesus' name".

As I walked home that afternoon, I felt my own battle. I found my self praying, "Please, Lord, do not test my own faith in this situation." I prayed frequently throughout the evening and night for that little girl. I prayed for a miracle!! I prayed that God would receive GLORY through his situation.

When I returned the next morning, I was met by the mother running frantically to me yelling something that I could not understand. I finally realized that she was saying the little girl was up most of the night crying with pain. I found my self saying..."Oh, Jesus, help me here!" When I reached the porch, the little girl sat in quiet anguish; tiny tears streaming down her little face. I slowly removed the bandage, and as I began to pull the cotton off, the little girl jerked her foot away. Once again disciplined by her mother, she slowly placed gher foto back in my hand. At that moment, I realized that the cotton had "grown into" the sore. "What in the world, Lord?" That is all that I can think! I gently began to "cut" the cotton/scab off. And what was eventually revealed, was a clean, open wound that was immensely smaller than it had been and practically COMPLETELY HEALED. Immediately the Spirit said to me, "Brandy, this is EXACTLY what I wanted. This is EXACTLY what I want for everyone. I , yes I, will remove the 'hard outer coverings'. The coverings that man strives for...wealth, pride, material possessions, etc...that he tries to fill his life with in order to feel complete. I, yes I, will remove those. It may hurt, just like it did for this little girl, but now look what I have to work with...a clean, vulnerable, open area that I can heal." Tears filled my eyes as I knew the Lord was working in this place and in my very own life!!!

As others on the porch realized what had happened, gasps could be heard all around. And softly I could hear the words, "Iisaa, Iissa" (Jesus, Jesus) beginning to be muttered. The voices grew louder and stronger until there was clapping and dancing, and the name of Jesus was being shouted from this front porch where the battle had RAGED the day before. People were PRAISING THE NAME OF JESUS AND THEIR OWN LANGUAGE!!! God was being glorified in a manner beyond what I had ever seen! Tears rolled down my face as I simply thanked God for working a MIRACLE that I was allowed to see with my very own eyes..for being the AMAZING God that He is...for being the I AM!!!

I left that home that day having learned numerous lessons of my own. And when I returned to check on the little girl the next morning, I was greeted with the most amazing smile..a smile that could have brightened the darkest of nights. The little girl, who previously had to be carried around due to the sore on her foot, hobbled out (on her own) to meet me. I will never forget that hug...or that miracle!

Ergun Caner Removed as Dean of Liberty University

Most people I know personally, don't know who Ergun Caner is and probably have only heard about Liberty University.  They don't know about any of this controversy, nor do they give a hill of beans about it.

I met Ergun Caner at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma's State Evangelism Conference last January.  He seemed like a nice guy to me.

I first heard about him and his brother, Emir, back in 2002 or 03, when I attended a Global Impact Celebration at Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, when I was home on furlough from the IMB.  I was impressed when I heard one of them (I can't remember which) speak. 

Ergun's story is that he converted to Christianity in high school after having been trained in Turkey as a youth Islamic Jihadist.  His testimony in January was spellbinding and funny.

It has recently been alleged that many of the things he claimed may not be accurate.  In fact, it appears that he was raised in the US by a Christian mother and grandmother.  It appears that after 9/11, he fabricated a fantastic "testimony" that was used to sell books and book speaking venues.

Some bloggers have condemned him without a trial; others have sung his praises from the rooftops.

What these two groups of bloggers have in common is a mutual disrespect for each other as evidenced by the name calling and un-Christ-like accusations.

Frankly, it is embarrassing and shameful.

In any case, Ergun Caner is no longer President and Dean of the university.  He is being retained as a professor.

The official statement from the university says,

After a thorough and exhaustive review of Dr. Ergun Caner’s public statements, a committee consisting of four members of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees has concluded that Dr. Caner has made factual statements that are self-contradictory.

However, the committee found no evidence to suggest that Dr. Caner was not a Muslim who converted to Christianity as a teenager, but, instead, found discrepancies related to matters such as dates, names and places of residence.

The interesting point of the statement is that he "made factual statements that are self-contradictory."

This is a point of contention between the two sides.

The side that blindly follows Ergun says that they amount to no more than mis-statements.  The side that blindly disregards (for lack of a more accurate term) Ergun says that it is polite way to say that he lied.

I neither blindly follow Ergun or blindly disregard Ergun, but to me, there is no way in the world that any reasonable person could rationalize the testimony he has told as being simple "mis-statements."  To me, this is absurd and irresponsible.

I sincerely hope that Ergun Caner comes clean with the incredible claims he has made and is reconciled with the multitudes he has seemingly deceived.   Just as much, I sincerely hope that the two "sides" are able to moderate their emotions and begin to treat each other like brothers and sisters in Christ.

As I said in a comment on another blog, I don't have a dog in this fight.  But that is what this thing has degenerated into - a dog fight.

The worse part about it is that there are many lost people watching how Christians treat each other when they are in disagreement.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, THE WORLD IS WATCHING.  Please act like saved people instead of lost people.

Video from Haiti

Haiti Earthquake Relief Options

I heard on the news this morning that there are already scam artists at work in regards to the earthquake in Haiti.

With this in mind, I offer the following legitimate avenues for making cash donations for Haiti Earthquake Relief:

Florida Baptist Convention

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief

Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Disaster Relief

WMU Heart Fund

Baptist Global Response (IMB)

Of course, the White House has set up a text system to donate $10 via your phone bill and you can always give to the Red Cross, but I wanted to highlight these Christian foundations that are working to provide more than just physical assistance.

Unexpected Blessings

God is SO GOOD!

A few years back, I was given a 10 year service pin for the International Mission Board. Somehow, when we moved back to Oklahoma from overseas, my pin never made it. I was sick about it. I have carefully looked through everything that we have brought back and it was no where to be found.

Today, I had a lunch date with Sally (El Chico's). Main Street in Muskogee is a nightmare right now, as they are resurfacing it and it is extremely congested. So, I took the long way back to her office. We were passing by Sandy's Consignment Shop, when Sally said, "Wow! Look at that rocking chair. It would go great on the front porch."

Well, I let Sally out at her office and went back to Sandy's. Sandy is a personal friend of my mother. I visited her mother in the hospital last week, the day before she died. But I digress. I stop in Sandy's shop from time to time looking for OU paraphernalia. As I walked in today, Sandy wasn't there but her fiance was. He was with a customer.

As I patiently waited for Ron to finish with the customer, I looked in the jewelery cabinet at some of the cuff links she had. Something caught my eye. It was a 10 year IMB service pin!

I asked Ron where she got it, but he had no idea. He didn't know that the "SBC" stood for Southern Baptist Convention, and hadn't noticed it had International Mission Board spelled out. I told him about it, and about losing mine. I asked him how much it was. He asked me, "Is this a religious pin?" I told him again exactly what it was.

He gave it to me!

I know it is such a little thing, but for me it was such an unexpected blessing from the Lord. I told Sally about it and she said she had, just this week, thought about calling the IMB to see if she could purchase one for me to replace my lost one.

God is good; all the time!

Lottie Moon 2008

Won't you consider what you'll give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering to support International Missions?

(The boy in the boat (@ 0:25) with Rankin is his grandson, Zachary. My older daughter was in the same class with him in Thailand.)

July?

How in the world can it be July already?

I might as well give you an update as to the current status of things:

My grandmother is home from the hospital. She is still having difficulty sleeping. Mom said she did have a good night last night, though. Thanks for your prayers, but continue to lift her up to God.

I'm feeling rather melancholy from all of the contact with IMB folks this week. A good friend of mine called me this morning for a chat. I planted a church in HK with them back in 1989-90. (New Hope Baptist Church). They are retired (sort of) and living in Knoxville.

There is a 1964 Ford Falcon convertible for sale in town for an extremely reasonable price. The only problem is, is that we don't have a garage to put it in. It is definitely a parade car. Sally has wanted one since we got married, but I can't see leaving it out in the weather. (It is sky blue)

I'm ready to go fishing, but the lake is too high to get to my dad's dock.

I'm working really hard (except for right this moment, when I'm blogging) to be completely ready for Sunday by Thursday so I can take Friday and Saturday "off".

Sally starts her "new" new job next Monday. She was head-hunted by Muskogee Public Schools and will be their federal grants secretary.

The girls are bored, but there isn't much I can do about it. They can't stay with either grandmother right now for various and sundry reasons. At least they don't fuss. And, they are right next door. I feel bad about it, but I don't know what to do.

The church is doing pretty good. Our attendance is down because of the summer-time, though. I am encouraged about all the things that are happening right now. We ordered a fancy new sign that should be here in 6-8 weeks. It will be very, very nice.

Well, I guess that about sums things up. I need to get back to work.

IMB Appointment Service

We had the privilege of attending the Appointment Service for New Missionaries of the International Mission Board last Friday evening at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. We attended to watch some friends get appointed.

Jerry Rankin, President of the IMB, gave a most stirring charge to the new missionaries and to those who were in attendance. Paul Chitwood, Chairman of the Board of Trustees gave a rousing report of the work of the IMB, and Anthony Jordan, President of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma gave the final prayer. We also got to see some other friends who are now back in Oklahoma.

If you ever get an opportunity to attend an appointment service, I highly recommend it. It is uplifting and encouraging; challenging and convicting.


IMB President Jerry Rankin


Chairman of the IMB BOT, Paul Chitwood


BGCO President Anthony Jordan


Rick and Robert Griffin

Sorry, Shannon, the one picture I took of you with the girls was too blurry for publishing.. :-(