We had first VBS, yes; what about second VBS? We rejoice that, though we had a rough start with no kids on the first day, we were able to share 5 days worth of lessons on Psalm 23 to 8 kids on the second day and 5 on the third. Through this, we also got to reconnect with one of the moms and her kids who started coming to church after last year’s VBS. Pray with us that both BS and LC, plus their children, will return to Sunday services and children’s church as a result of this year’s VBS.
We rejoice in the help God provided from the church in Kemmerer, especially the Hartmans and one of the teen girls (K), who helped make VBS happen. We are thankful to God for the children coming and learning about the Lord our Shepherd, and for the strength God provided both of us through the week. We cannot say it was easy - instead, we admit how much it taxed us physically - but God is good!
We are also very grateful for His protection. On Friday, we got the trailer loaded and hooked up and headed home mid-afternoon. But we hit a construction zone, with multiple drops to ground-up road and back up. On the drop of the next-to-last section, the trailer came unhitched and started swinging wildly. Thankfully, there was no damage to our vehicle, and it did not cause any accidents before we were able to pull over. But the trailer brakes locked up, and U-Haul customer service was not providing any help. James was out in the 95-degree heat trying to figure out what to do; meanwhile, Elizabeth was in the car praying for safety and wisdom. While the words were still coming out of her mouth, a pickup truck pulled up behind us, and a guy got out to help. He and James figured things out, got it all reconnected, and we finally headed home about an hour later. We are very thankful God sent help when He did!
With the completion of VBS in Cokeville, we begin looking to our fall schedule. We will be on the road for most of the fall, from the end of August through the beginning of October. First, James will travel at the end of August to Legacy Trade College for their school year opening, to help get students hooked up to the various technological tools the school uses. Then, in September, we will drive to MA to visit Elizabeth’s mom and our supporting church, Plymouth Rock Bible Church. While Elizabeth has time with her mom (and the dogs!), James will fly south to be with our sending church, Faith Baptist Church in Reidville. He will also stop at BJU to recruit for an internship with the ministry here in Wyoming (Kemmerer, Cokeville, and Manila, UT). The itinerary then continues with James flying back to Salt Lake City for our Mission Board’s yearly fellowship meeting in Grantsville, UT, not only to attend but also head up the music and A/V throughout the conference. This conference will also be celebrating 25 years of God’s faithfulness under Ron Ehmann’s leadership, and looking forward to Matt Murphree as our new director. After that, James has another cross-country flight back to Plymouth, and then we will start driving back, hopefully via a stop in Iowa to see friends and recruit at Faith Baptist Bible College.
If reading all this makes your head spin and maybe makes you a little tired, then please pray for us! We will be doing many miles in various ways, but while we have the opportunity to visit Elizabeth’s mom, we also desire to minister to the churches on that side of the country that support us and to report all that God has been doing. Pray specifically for our safe travels, for us to be a blessing to our family and supporting churches, and for God to use the school visits to bring one or more interns to work in the ministry here.
As we continue to minister in Cokeville, please continue praying with us for the salvation of BR, RG, J&C, CH, B, R&R, and R&B. Also, pray for a couple that James met after Bible Study one Tuesday night. They have an LDS background but are also familiar with a Bible or Baptist church from when they lived in Cache Valley. Pray for the salvation of them and their children, and also that they would come to church.
Even with all our travels lined up for the fall, we continue to seek God to open up a home for us to buy. Pray that interest rates would come down and prices would continue to lower in our area. This need is increasing in urgency, not just with two larger dogs in the house now, but also multiple maintenance issues that we have brought to the attention of our property manager, and all we get back is it will be done “sometime” even as they keep working to bring more units into the neighborhood.
Pray also for the building needs in both Kemmerer and Cokeville. In Kemmerer, we still are at times straining at the seams, as it were. In Cokeville, the summer heat brought back the bats, and several times we have found them on the floor of the building's sanctuary.
We are thankful for your faithful prayers on our behalf!