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From Waveland, MS April 29, 2006 |
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Greetings!
We trust you are doing well. Our Move. We are out of the house. PTL! The new owners are moving in this weekend. Whew! Was that a challenge. It is hard not to look at the waves or to consider the giants around us, isn't it. We are learning that walking by faith and not by sight is not something that just happens but something that requires discipline, focus, determination, and practice. It is like soldiers in a battle, there are plenty of reasons to be fearful, to hunker down, and never fire a shot. But because of their training, commitment and discipline, when the battle comes, they come out of their foxholes and move to engage the opposition that faces them. If you ask someone who has won a medal for bravery if they were afraid, in nearly every case they will say "yes", but they acted in spite of their fear. So it is with our walk and your walk in this present life. We see the physical world and its challenges contrasted with what God has called us to do. What we need to do is grasp the truth that God is sovereign and walk in obedience to His direction and calling. BTW, Martie is doing much better with the move behind us -- so I am for that matter. I must admit that we do have several "caches" of household goods scattered around Central Alabama and North Georgia. Thanks to those who are willing to put up with those caches for a time. My Truck Accident. I am sorry to report that my truck did not make it. (moan) My insurance company called and told me that they had totaled it. That was a really nice truck, too. The good news is, some friends in Alabama have already found a replacement. As it was, the old truck was not able to move the trailer we live in. This new (used - '97 model) truck has low mileage (41,000), a V-8 and towing package. So I will be able to hook up and go if need be. With hurricane season around the corner, that is good to know. Several years ago I had some problems with my vertebrae in my neck which caused considerable pain in my shoulder and arm. The accident seems to have aggravated that problem but I am confident that that it will be better soon. Pastor Alan's Son. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Caelan Cross. You should have received my update on his condition and the good news on the successful surgery. God at work. I told you last week about my uncle Bill in Victorville, CA. Well, George Beardsley and his two pastor sons visited my uncle and cousin Karen. God is good! We are planning to visit them when we attend the Purpose Driven Church Conference this month. BTW, our good friends Robert and Sue Lumpkin from Eclectic, AL will be tending to the camp while we are gone. The Camp. We had some great volunteers from DeMotte, Indiana here last week. The built and delivered pods, mudded out our storage building, worked in Little Zion church, and built two bathrooms in the Fellowship hall. That increased our showers to four. We are still working at getting more space adjacent to the church. Please continue to pray about that. I posted the calendar on the web site -- http://www.pathfindermission.org/Calendar/VolunteerCalendar.htm. The maximum capacity for the foreseeable future is 35 volunteers. As you can see on the calendar, we have a lot of open days. Please encourage your churches to come and help us minister to the people in this area. Pods. We have received over 140 requests for pods as of yesterday. We have built 40 and delivered 33 pods. With hurricane season looming large (residents who come in to see us are beginning to talk about it -- they are fearful -- we must point them to Jesus) so we need to get these sheds built as quickly as possible. Even if volunteers can only spend two days with us, a crew of 6 can build 20 to 30 sheds in two days. If the volunteers are not able to build perhaps they can deliver them. Pray about this. The need is urgent! The Ministry. We had our first Bible study last night. There were three people here, including Martie and I, but it is a start. Some time back I had the opportunity to speak to men about their faith. I used to ask them what a "start" looked like. To make the point, I used the analogy of building a house. A friend of ours is a cabinet maker. He took me around the area we lived in one day and showed me where houses were being started. It took a trained eye to see it many times. Sometimes it was a cleared area with a bulldozer in it. Other times it was a set of stakes connected with string that outlined where the footings would be dug. Well you get the idea. Never did he show me a finished home. So it is with ministry. There must be a beginning point. We are planting seeds here and God is going to bring the increase, of that we are certain. The key is that we walk in obedience to His revelation and calling. We do our part and He does His. I told a friend yesterday that many people are acknowledging that churches for their work here. What we need to do is say "It isn't because of the churches that you are being helped, but it is because of Jesus Christ. He is the reason we come here." As Pastor Cho of Korea said, "Tell them that your reason is that you are a disciple of Jesus. You are serving Him when you serve them. You serve because that is what He came to do." Prayer Requests. That the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of the
people here -- drawing them to the Lord. Finally, dear friends --- we thank God for your partnership in this work, whether it be as a volunteer, a prayer warrior, or financial supporter. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of the people of this region. God Bless You! Charley
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Pathfinder Mission, P.O. Box
3313, Bay |
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228-469-0507 |
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