WOW! What a summer!
It is hard to believe that our summer tour is over. What a summer it was. We had so many new experiences including flying into one community, street and beach ministry (yes, really) and rock climbing. It is probably easiest to start at the beginning of the summer and tell you what we did.
Our first stop was Mount Zion Camp in Gilmour, Ontario. While we were there we encouraged the kids to live a holy life and not bow to the pressures of the world and their friends to compromise God's standard. We also picked up Sam Martin, alias Professor Hinkle Dinkle, who would travel with us for the summer.
Next stop - Waskaganish, Quebec on the shores of James Bay. We could only reach this northern community via plane. We had an absolutely wonderful time while we were there with many children making a decision to follow Jesus. At 4:00 on the Sunday afternoon, as Joel and I were going for a walk, some children waiting at the church door saw us. "What time do the doors open?" they asked. It would still be another three hours. Then it was time to leave with most of the plane's occupants being speakers for the camp meeting we had just been part of. Of course one of the pilot's instructions would remain with us. "Could everybody please fill up the front seats as the plane is like a canoe. If everybody goes to the back we sink." Then it was time for a break as Anya, Charity, Rhian and Sam all went to youth camp.
As soon as camp was over we were back into the full swing with an Hawaiian VBS in Buffalo, NY. The weather department really went all out while we were there to make sure we had Hawaiian like temperatures for the week. We even set a record for the church sanctuary with 88° F. As we departed Buffalo so did the heat wave.
Our next stop was at a camp in Wiarton, Ontario. While we would be here quite a few things would happen that would affect our ministry and future. Friends of ours, Joe and Edith Sit, had recently moved to a camp and asked us to come for two weeks. While there we would all have some new experiences. On Monday at the Tobermory Harbour, we would have an afternoon and evening presentation of puppets and mime on the street. Tuesday would find us, in Lion's Head at the Seniors Home in the afternoon and on the beach at night, again presenting the gospel through puppets and mime. We almost cancelled the Tuesday evening on the beach because of bad weather and it ended up being the largest crowd that we had of all three outdoor programs. Following this we had three days of Day Camp, left for a wedding and returned for another week of Day Camp. Interspersed with camp activities was rock climbing, snorkelling, exploring caves, and canoeing.
We would return to Wiarton later in the summer and re-shingle the tabernacle roof and insulate one of the cabins. We would also discuss plans for a wilderness camp that would be run by Joel and Darryl, Joe and Edith's son. Eventually the plan is for the wilderness camp to run all summer long and as such we would move to Wiarton and continue travelling from fall to spring from the camp. Please pray that the Lord would continue to direct is in this new venture and that we would be careful to follow His leading and not step ahead.
After Wiarton, we returned to Buffalo for a quick trip, followed by a few days of much needed rest. Then it was off to the Old West in Fort Erie to see How the Lost Were Won. It was here that 'Ruth' thought she might actually learn how to ride something other than the 'quarter' horse at the local mall. So she came in riding on the back of 'Buckie' still afraid that he was a little too tall. Then right after the church barbecue on Sunday we left for Allegany State Park and the Western New York Wesleyan Boys and Girls Camp.
At Allegany we had some phenomenal services with one of the directors telling us that there had been very few services in which he had seen the Lord move in such a magnificent way. While in the state park we also visited Thunder Rocks and while there took some photos to go along with one of our stories. Once I have some time to work on it I hope to have it ready for putting on overheads. After the Wesleyan Camp we had two more stops. One at Glencoe where we also taught 'See How Your Storytelling Can Sparkle'. Then we finished off the summer back where we began - in Gilmour.
Our theme for the summer had been taken from Luke 4:18-19. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Each section was the basis for a lesson with one of the most effective being the oppressed set free. The program would close with a skit that would help others see that their words really can hurt, and for those who are hurting Jesus really does love them.
In each lesson we had the unique privilege of having Professor Hinkle Dinkle present the object lesson. Although while we were in the Old West, the Professor took a sabbatical from school and went prospecting instead. The Professor was a favourite with all the kids and as soon as they would hear his peculiar voice, they would cheer. It was a great pleasure to have Sam Martin with us for the summer and he will certainly be missed.
While we were in Wiarton, Sam teamed up with Darryl and without much effort brought to life many different characters such as Paw and Junior - who definitely had some interesting lessons to teach us. Now Sam has returned to school and Darryl has joined the YASM team. He came with us for the first time this past weekend and we are looking forward to the many enjoyable characters and qualities he will bring to the team.
As for upcoming events, our California trip has been re-scheduled for next summer. So we are in the midst of booking out our fall locally. In a few weeks we will be hosting the Fall Conference for the New York State Sunday School Association (NYSSSA). Joel is back at the store working for the moment. Anya is 18 today. It is so hard to believe that the little one that you bring home from the hospital will actually grow up and then all of a sudden they are. Charity at 16 will be starting back to her music tomorrow and will probably be looking at doing her first piano exam this year. Rhian is almost 14 and sporting a new up to the minute hair cut.
Update on Catch the Vision and Missions.
I am still working on the summer postings but the Vision fund is around $2000. We have been able to purchase a new portable sound system and a camera. We were given a keyboard. Our next purchase will be a trailer as we no longer have one and it will be needed for any long distance travelling. Our Missions offering for Watoto is at almost $500.
Thank you to everyone who has been a partner with us through your financial giving and your prayers.
With much love, Pastor Joel, Mary, Anya, Charity, Rhian & Darryl
Wednesday, September 15, 1999
Monday, May 31, 1999
May 1999
Getting lost! A blessing? Sometimes.We were having special services at our church and we were armed with a list of five homes to visit and invite to church. The first one was easy to find but on our way to the second one we missed a turn and travelled way out of town before we realised that we were not in the right place. Finally we reached house number two.
It was starting to get late and we wondered if we should just head back to church, but then decided to do at least one more house before stopping. We pulled up to the next house and after visiting the lady on the list Joel invited a lady and a girl on the street to come out. We decided to go to the other two houses since they were near by and by the time we reached the church the lady on the bike, her daughter and another man were already at the church. That night they all accepted the Lord. The man had been on a business call at the third house on our list. Maybe if we had not missed our turn we would have missed the family at the third house.
Perfect timing! God has been doing quite a bit of that lately in our lives as well. A gift that arrived at just the right time; A delay that kept us with friends instead of stuck on a highway where there had been an accident. Little and big things that tell us God cares for us all the time.
So what have we been up to lately? There is so much that I don't know where to start. In April we had a poor month for bookings but God opened two doors at the last minute. May arrived along with our Canadian East Coast Tour. It was a trip into the past that showed us that God is still faithful in the present.
Our first stop was Murray River, PEI. We have been gone from the island for ten years now and the pastor we were ministering with was from our PEI Assembly. Their youth pastor had been one of our young people. We renewed friendships and caught up on all the news. Eight children made commitments for Christ and that was the whole purpose for us being there.
We took a day and did the tourist thing visiting Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia and then our second stop was Woodstock, NB. It was here that Joel turned sixteen while his dad was pastor and while we were there Charity turned sixteen so that in itself was a special event. Saturday morning we enjoyed a Prayer Breakfast. After a great breakfast of ham and eggs we went to the sanctuary and spent the next hour in prayer.
In the afternoon we were able to spend some time visiting with Joel's best friend from highschool. And our hosts for the weekend, not only treated us royally but also brought back many special memories with Joel. The crowning touch for the weekend was the seven children who committed themselves to Christ. Again it's the reason we do what we do.
Everyone is fine. Our family has had a temporary increase - three puppies. They are giving us a lot of pleasure right now as they run and tumble all over the place.
Catch the Vision has been coming along nicely. We have received about $700 in gifts since we began just over two months ago. We have almost reached 5% of our goal. We want to say a special thank you to all of you who have been such a blessing to us.
In a few days we are off to Ontario's North. We will be ministering in two native churches, travelling by road, rail and river before we are done. Then home again for a couple of weeks before summer is here.
* * * * * * * * * *
June 21, 1999
In case you haven't figured it out, we are a little late in sending out this newsletter. Maybe that was because God was still busy teaching us about Perfect Timing!
We were to leave for our Northern Trip, first thing Thursday morning - right after we voted in our provincial elections - but we had a slight problem. Actually the story begins the day before.
We had been invited out to supper on Wednesday and we were right out of gas. We borrowed $10 from one of our daughters so that we could go to our friends for supper, but here we were less than 24 hours away from leaving and we had no money and would soon have no car insurance.
We walked into our friends home and they handed us an envelope. "We keep forgetting to give this to you." they said. It was a cheque for $200 - now we had enough money for gas to get up there. A post-dated cheque for Friday meant we could pay our fare one way to get into Moosonee, and pay our canoe-taxi fare across the river. But we had no money for food or accomodations on the way, and still no insurance.
We had discovered that our car insurance was inadequate and if we were involved in an accident while involved in ministry we could be denied coverage. We also wanted a local insurance agent so we had changed brokers as well. For six weeks our new broker had been trying to get us the correct insurance and no one wanted to insure either a "ministry" or someone who travelled in the States. So we still couldn't leave.
Through the night Joel had been up praying. Joel felt that we were to leave as soon as we were able to and that He would continue to provide. We had experienced in the past that the level of difficulty we had in getting somewhere was directly proportional to the quality of services we had when we finally arrived. So we were expecting great services.
The phone call finally came from our Insurance agent that he had a company who would insure us. We would meet him at his office at 1:30 in the afternoon. What we didn't know though was that he was unhappy with the policy we were getting so he was still trying. Ten minutes before we walked into his office, our former insurance company agreed to give us commercial insurance at the same price as we were paying before. Had we arrived any earlier that would not have happened.
On our way north we stopped at one home and we were given more money and then still later that day, we received a phone call while we were driving that said money was being put into our account the next day. God truly did provide, but we had to put our feet into the water first before the miracle came.
So what happened while we were up north? Between the two churches we saw over 70 children respond to an invitation to accept Christ. We had the opprtunity to give a presentation to about one hundred 4 - 6 year olds at the town community center. The services in which Joel spoke were followed by powerful altar times. So by the time we left, we knew why satan had been trying so hard to keep us from going.
We hope to be returning to the north while the winter roads are still in use. Then not only can we minister in these two communities again but also possibly three other native reserves that we can drive into as well.
So know we are busily getting ready to go for the summer. Last Sunday we had two great services in two churches. Before we leave next week we have three more engagements. We would appreciate your prayers for safe travelling. Also we are planning a US West Coast tour this fall but other than the pastor who has booked us, we really don't know anyone else out there. So please pray that we will be able to make contact with others who will find favour with us and ask us to come as well.
For the summer we will be having a family stay in our home. So if you want to reach us you can call our cell phone at 905-351-4158.
With much love,Joel, Mary, Anya, Charity & Rhian
It was starting to get late and we wondered if we should just head back to church, but then decided to do at least one more house before stopping. We pulled up to the next house and after visiting the lady on the list Joel invited a lady and a girl on the street to come out. We decided to go to the other two houses since they were near by and by the time we reached the church the lady on the bike, her daughter and another man were already at the church. That night they all accepted the Lord. The man had been on a business call at the third house on our list. Maybe if we had not missed our turn we would have missed the family at the third house.
Perfect timing! God has been doing quite a bit of that lately in our lives as well. A gift that arrived at just the right time; A delay that kept us with friends instead of stuck on a highway where there had been an accident. Little and big things that tell us God cares for us all the time.
So what have we been up to lately? There is so much that I don't know where to start. In April we had a poor month for bookings but God opened two doors at the last minute. May arrived along with our Canadian East Coast Tour. It was a trip into the past that showed us that God is still faithful in the present.
Our first stop was Murray River, PEI. We have been gone from the island for ten years now and the pastor we were ministering with was from our PEI Assembly. Their youth pastor had been one of our young people. We renewed friendships and caught up on all the news. Eight children made commitments for Christ and that was the whole purpose for us being there.
We took a day and did the tourist thing visiting Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia and then our second stop was Woodstock, NB. It was here that Joel turned sixteen while his dad was pastor and while we were there Charity turned sixteen so that in itself was a special event. Saturday morning we enjoyed a Prayer Breakfast. After a great breakfast of ham and eggs we went to the sanctuary and spent the next hour in prayer.
In the afternoon we were able to spend some time visiting with Joel's best friend from highschool. And our hosts for the weekend, not only treated us royally but also brought back many special memories with Joel. The crowning touch for the weekend was the seven children who committed themselves to Christ. Again it's the reason we do what we do.
Everyone is fine. Our family has had a temporary increase - three puppies. They are giving us a lot of pleasure right now as they run and tumble all over the place.
Catch the Vision has been coming along nicely. We have received about $700 in gifts since we began just over two months ago. We have almost reached 5% of our goal. We want to say a special thank you to all of you who have been such a blessing to us.
In a few days we are off to Ontario's North. We will be ministering in two native churches, travelling by road, rail and river before we are done. Then home again for a couple of weeks before summer is here.
* * * * * * * * * *
June 21, 1999
In case you haven't figured it out, we are a little late in sending out this newsletter. Maybe that was because God was still busy teaching us about Perfect Timing!
We were to leave for our Northern Trip, first thing Thursday morning - right after we voted in our provincial elections - but we had a slight problem. Actually the story begins the day before.
We had been invited out to supper on Wednesday and we were right out of gas. We borrowed $10 from one of our daughters so that we could go to our friends for supper, but here we were less than 24 hours away from leaving and we had no money and would soon have no car insurance.
We walked into our friends home and they handed us an envelope. "We keep forgetting to give this to you." they said. It was a cheque for $200 - now we had enough money for gas to get up there. A post-dated cheque for Friday meant we could pay our fare one way to get into Moosonee, and pay our canoe-taxi fare across the river. But we had no money for food or accomodations on the way, and still no insurance.
We had discovered that our car insurance was inadequate and if we were involved in an accident while involved in ministry we could be denied coverage. We also wanted a local insurance agent so we had changed brokers as well. For six weeks our new broker had been trying to get us the correct insurance and no one wanted to insure either a "ministry" or someone who travelled in the States. So we still couldn't leave.
Through the night Joel had been up praying. Joel felt that we were to leave as soon as we were able to and that He would continue to provide. We had experienced in the past that the level of difficulty we had in getting somewhere was directly proportional to the quality of services we had when we finally arrived. So we were expecting great services.
The phone call finally came from our Insurance agent that he had a company who would insure us. We would meet him at his office at 1:30 in the afternoon. What we didn't know though was that he was unhappy with the policy we were getting so he was still trying. Ten minutes before we walked into his office, our former insurance company agreed to give us commercial insurance at the same price as we were paying before. Had we arrived any earlier that would not have happened.
On our way north we stopped at one home and we were given more money and then still later that day, we received a phone call while we were driving that said money was being put into our account the next day. God truly did provide, but we had to put our feet into the water first before the miracle came.
So what happened while we were up north? Between the two churches we saw over 70 children respond to an invitation to accept Christ. We had the opprtunity to give a presentation to about one hundred 4 - 6 year olds at the town community center. The services in which Joel spoke were followed by powerful altar times. So by the time we left, we knew why satan had been trying so hard to keep us from going.
We hope to be returning to the north while the winter roads are still in use. Then not only can we minister in these two communities again but also possibly three other native reserves that we can drive into as well.
So know we are busily getting ready to go for the summer. Last Sunday we had two great services in two churches. Before we leave next week we have three more engagements. We would appreciate your prayers for safe travelling. Also we are planning a US West Coast tour this fall but other than the pastor who has booked us, we really don't know anyone else out there. So please pray that we will be able to make contact with others who will find favour with us and ask us to come as well.
For the summer we will be having a family stay in our home. So if you want to reach us you can call our cell phone at 905-351-4158.
With much love,Joel, Mary, Anya, Charity & Rhian
Friday, March 26, 1999
March 1999
Zach and Jimmy (not their real names) were sitting in the front row and Zach kept kicking Jimmy. No matter how many times I stepped in, as soon as I stepped away, the kicking resumed. Then a little girl sat in Jimmy's seat and I thought, "Problem solved. Jimmy can sit in her chair and he won't be getting kicked anymore."
Jimmy returned and wanted his seat back. I tried to direct him to the next chair, but he looked up at me and said, " I want to sit by my friend."
I wondered what kind of lives these children came from when kicking was normal between friends. Then when the altar call was given they were there ready to accept Jesus. They came back Sunday morning for Sunday School and church. They didn't know how to sit still or be quiet, but when the altar call was given - they were the first to respond.
God knows their hearts. They are part of a group of kids that is being shown God's love through the local church and they are responding to that love. The kids program they attend is called Kids Rescue Squad. I like that! Rescuing kids from hell is the reason we are doing what we do.
Our midweek Superchurch is going well. The first week was a No Show with stormy weather being the culprit. However the next week we had about 9 kids - most of them unchurched. Then it jumped to 11, 13 and it looks like it has made another jump. We have new kids every week with about 18 kids that attend regularly. (If only they would all come on the same night.) We have been using Power Tool Box® and the kids are learning about the Ten Commandments and how much God wants to protect them. We will be there until the end of April. Please pray with us that God will send people we can train to take our place when we leave.
We have been hearing a lot about Generation X lately, and as we began to research, we discovered that we are not working with Generation X but with the Millennial Generation or the Fourteenth Generation - those born in 1982 and later. Very aware of the world around them, they have trouble finding good role models. Their morals are caught from media waves and cyber space. Millennial Kids are very technically advanced, and even though they are computer smart, many of them are God-illiterate. In spite of all this there is something special and unique about this group. You see, they are the "Fourteenth Generation" - the same generations that gave us Abraham, David and Jesus. So we believe that God has something extra-special for this generation and we are honoured that He has chosen us to be involved with them.
At the same time there is a great challenge in ministering to these Millennial Kids. They are very technically advanced, becoming easily bored by the mediocre and average and we believe that God is calling us to meet the challenge. Bible truths need to be communicated through interactive learning with large, animated, vibrant images. Fresh, anointed music and a clear sound make the difference between enjoyment and tolerance. To do this we need to be on the cutting edge, constantly changing and revamping how we minister to these kids. God has blesses us with the giftings we need to accomplish this but we still need the right tools.
We need:
Video Projection Equipment
Video Camera
Laptop Computer
Portable Sound System
Portable Keyboard
Accessories & Trailer so that all this equipment is used, protected and transported safely.
We believe that God has given us a plan to reach this objective. We are asking for a ONE-TIME gift of $7.00. Seven is the number of God. He took seven days to create the world. We need about $21,000 therefore we need 3000 people to join with us. Together we can make this goal a reality. If you would like to help us reach the goal, please make your gift payable to You Are Special Ministries, and send to 6678 Cropp St., Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, L2E 7B3, and clearly mark it with "Catch the Vision" or "Millennial Kids".
In our fifteen years of ministry, we have never been as busy as we are now. We love it! Everywhere we go we are seeing Millennial Kids come to meet Jesus and discovering that they have the best role model of all to follow. And we just keep getting busier. Lord willing, in May, we head off to Canada's East Coast and will celebrate Charity's 16th birthday in the same community where her Dad celebrated his. In June, we are heading to Ontario's north. Then after a busy summer in Ontario and New York we will be heading to California in October and November. God is so good! All the time!
We have developed a new seminar, "Clown Ministry - More Than Just a Laughing Matter". We have a lot of fun presenting it, including about 5 clown routines. In the process of researching it, we discovered that we do a lot more clowning than we realize. We also put together an expanded version of the seminar in a book form, we are hoping to expand it even more - before it goes into its "second" printing. J
On the subject of books: We are in the process of putting together our first children's book called Shining for Jesus. It contains five stories that we wrote for a Vacation Bible School two years ago. Charity is doing the artwork while the stories are being edited, and we hope to have it ready for distribution in the near future.
I have also begun to sort through and clean up the curriculum we were writing last year. We hope to put it together as a reproducible activity book. It will have activities for primary, middler and junior levels. Some of our material was created as full lessons so we are thinking of putting them together as well.
Now onto the family news: It has been a busy time for us at home as well. We have become very well acquainted with our dentist as all three girls have had teeth removed. At the beginning of this month Anya and Charity were both down for two weeks after having their wisdom teeth taken out. They were among the worse extractions our dentist has ever done. Just as they were recovering from that, they paid a visit to the orthodontist last Monday and all three girls now have braces. So they are still in the stage of learning how to eat, what they can eat and wondering when they can eat without pain.
There have been some very special blessings that have taken place as well. Charity's 16th birthday present arrived at our house about two weeks ago - much to her delight and surprise. She was blessed with an upright grand piano, built in 1919. We had the piano tuner in yesterday. He said it sounds pretty good and seems to be in pretty good condition. Now her piano teacher is able to give her pieces that incorporate the whole key range and dynamics. Charity has also begun to take vocal lessons and so the piano is a blessing for that as well.
Computer software that I have praying about for over a year was GIVEN to us last week, and I have been busy having fun with it ever since. We are looking forward to a great ministry conference in New York with the New York State Sunday School Association in April. I have worked hard at organizing the workshops and the line-up looks really good.
At one of our camps our cottage is known as the youth hangout, well I think that it being transferred to our home. Tonight we have a house full of youth. They are here to watch Ben Hur. So I must close as I need to go out and buy some pop and chips.
We want to thank you for your continued prayers and support. As you can see by our schedule - we are not letting the grass grow under our feet, so your prayers for safety are very important to us. Please also pray for the children we are ministering to - many of them have no church background and are being introduced to Jesus for the first time. Pray that the Spirit will soften their hearts so that they will come to the Father and accept His Son.
With much love,Joel, Mary, Anya, Charity & Rhian
Jimmy returned and wanted his seat back. I tried to direct him to the next chair, but he looked up at me and said, " I want to sit by my friend."
I wondered what kind of lives these children came from when kicking was normal between friends. Then when the altar call was given they were there ready to accept Jesus. They came back Sunday morning for Sunday School and church. They didn't know how to sit still or be quiet, but when the altar call was given - they were the first to respond.
God knows their hearts. They are part of a group of kids that is being shown God's love through the local church and they are responding to that love. The kids program they attend is called Kids Rescue Squad. I like that! Rescuing kids from hell is the reason we are doing what we do.
Our midweek Superchurch is going well. The first week was a No Show with stormy weather being the culprit. However the next week we had about 9 kids - most of them unchurched. Then it jumped to 11, 13 and it looks like it has made another jump. We have new kids every week with about 18 kids that attend regularly. (If only they would all come on the same night.) We have been using Power Tool Box® and the kids are learning about the Ten Commandments and how much God wants to protect them. We will be there until the end of April. Please pray with us that God will send people we can train to take our place when we leave.
We have been hearing a lot about Generation X lately, and as we began to research, we discovered that we are not working with Generation X but with the Millennial Generation or the Fourteenth Generation - those born in 1982 and later. Very aware of the world around them, they have trouble finding good role models. Their morals are caught from media waves and cyber space. Millennial Kids are very technically advanced, and even though they are computer smart, many of them are God-illiterate. In spite of all this there is something special and unique about this group. You see, they are the "Fourteenth Generation" - the same generations that gave us Abraham, David and Jesus. So we believe that God has something extra-special for this generation and we are honoured that He has chosen us to be involved with them.
At the same time there is a great challenge in ministering to these Millennial Kids. They are very technically advanced, becoming easily bored by the mediocre and average and we believe that God is calling us to meet the challenge. Bible truths need to be communicated through interactive learning with large, animated, vibrant images. Fresh, anointed music and a clear sound make the difference between enjoyment and tolerance. To do this we need to be on the cutting edge, constantly changing and revamping how we minister to these kids. God has blesses us with the giftings we need to accomplish this but we still need the right tools.
We need:
Video Projection Equipment
Video Camera
Laptop Computer
Portable Sound System
Portable Keyboard
Accessories & Trailer so that all this equipment is used, protected and transported safely.
We believe that God has given us a plan to reach this objective. We are asking for a ONE-TIME gift of $7.00. Seven is the number of God. He took seven days to create the world. We need about $21,000 therefore we need 3000 people to join with us. Together we can make this goal a reality. If you would like to help us reach the goal, please make your gift payable to You Are Special Ministries, and send to 6678 Cropp St., Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, L2E 7B3, and clearly mark it with "Catch the Vision" or "Millennial Kids".
In our fifteen years of ministry, we have never been as busy as we are now. We love it! Everywhere we go we are seeing Millennial Kids come to meet Jesus and discovering that they have the best role model of all to follow. And we just keep getting busier. Lord willing, in May, we head off to Canada's East Coast and will celebrate Charity's 16th birthday in the same community where her Dad celebrated his. In June, we are heading to Ontario's north. Then after a busy summer in Ontario and New York we will be heading to California in October and November. God is so good! All the time!
We have developed a new seminar, "Clown Ministry - More Than Just a Laughing Matter". We have a lot of fun presenting it, including about 5 clown routines. In the process of researching it, we discovered that we do a lot more clowning than we realize. We also put together an expanded version of the seminar in a book form, we are hoping to expand it even more - before it goes into its "second" printing. J
On the subject of books: We are in the process of putting together our first children's book called Shining for Jesus. It contains five stories that we wrote for a Vacation Bible School two years ago. Charity is doing the artwork while the stories are being edited, and we hope to have it ready for distribution in the near future.
I have also begun to sort through and clean up the curriculum we were writing last year. We hope to put it together as a reproducible activity book. It will have activities for primary, middler and junior levels. Some of our material was created as full lessons so we are thinking of putting them together as well.
Now onto the family news: It has been a busy time for us at home as well. We have become very well acquainted with our dentist as all three girls have had teeth removed. At the beginning of this month Anya and Charity were both down for two weeks after having their wisdom teeth taken out. They were among the worse extractions our dentist has ever done. Just as they were recovering from that, they paid a visit to the orthodontist last Monday and all three girls now have braces. So they are still in the stage of learning how to eat, what they can eat and wondering when they can eat without pain.
There have been some very special blessings that have taken place as well. Charity's 16th birthday present arrived at our house about two weeks ago - much to her delight and surprise. She was blessed with an upright grand piano, built in 1919. We had the piano tuner in yesterday. He said it sounds pretty good and seems to be in pretty good condition. Now her piano teacher is able to give her pieces that incorporate the whole key range and dynamics. Charity has also begun to take vocal lessons and so the piano is a blessing for that as well.
Computer software that I have praying about for over a year was GIVEN to us last week, and I have been busy having fun with it ever since. We are looking forward to a great ministry conference in New York with the New York State Sunday School Association in April. I have worked hard at organizing the workshops and the line-up looks really good.
At one of our camps our cottage is known as the youth hangout, well I think that it being transferred to our home. Tonight we have a house full of youth. They are here to watch Ben Hur. So I must close as I need to go out and buy some pop and chips.
We want to thank you for your continued prayers and support. As you can see by our schedule - we are not letting the grass grow under our feet, so your prayers for safety are very important to us. Please also pray for the children we are ministering to - many of them have no church background and are being introduced to Jesus for the first time. Pray that the Spirit will soften their hearts so that they will come to the Father and accept His Son.
With much love,Joel, Mary, Anya, Charity & Rhian
Thursday, January 21, 1999
1998
Let me tell you about nineteen ninety-eight
All things considered I would say it was great.
Hubby and I blessed with many a date
And he even found time to use fish bait.
Royal, our dog, found himself a young mate
And now Sasha and he happily share their big crate.
The fire is blazing so warm in the grate
And not a bit of our lives have we left to fate.
Many times through the year on God did we wait
And we know that His timing is never late
So now as we watch He is opening the gate
And I'm happy to say that our Lord is first rate.
Just before Christmas we were browsing on our new Christian Bookstore. While talking with the salesperson, she mentioned a children's camp she had attended last summer where she came away changed. Imagine our joy and delight to discover we had been at that camp. It was actually quite a memorable camp for us as well - besides the fact that our mostly female family was lodged in a boy's cabin.
We spoke three times in the less than 24 hours we were there. On the Saturday evening and Sunday morning we spoke to the younger children. We saw over 20 children including one Muslim accept Christ. On Saturday night, Joel spoke to the junior youth out by the campfire. Three responded to the invitation, two of the boys being Muslim. God is reaching across religious and cultural backgrounds and it is exciting to be part of it.
We have received several invitations to minister in India should we be blessed to visit there. In spite of or maybe because of the turmoil going on there we know that God is doing great things. We were given a new story this year involving a rich young Indian man.
The young man's life was full of drugs and women and they were the means by which he made his living. One day he felt ill and visited a doctor. The doctor gave him three months to live.
He left the doctor's office and made his way to a Hindu temple. He stood inside and looked at all the idols and said, "Surely there must be a God who hears and answers prayer."
Immediately Jesus stood before him and said, "I am the God and I have come to save you and heal you."
Instantly the man was saved and healed. As a result of his testimony over 100 village churches have been birthed.
It is truly amazing what God is doing!
Now on to our family. I am so glad that God is in control and knows the end from the beginning. We had made plans to go to the West Coast this spring, but our plans were slow in coming together. As it turns out our daughters are expected to be recuperating from mouth surgery and braces in February and March. We discovered that not one but three daughters need braces. We are just waiting for the surgery date for teeth pulling from our dentist. We would certainly appreciate your prayers for them as Charity and Anya will not only be having out their wisdom teeth but 4 others as well. So, we expect to be going to California in October.
Anya is keeping well. In October of last year she passed her driving test. That sure makes things easier around here, since I don't have to be the only chauffeur now. She has been going to school for instrumental music and will be doing her final theory and playing exam within the next week.
Charity takes vocal music at school and she too will be finishing up within the next few days. Her piano was also coming along very well until a few weeks ago. She entered grade 2 in November but due to a skiing mishap just after the new year, she broke her thumb. It is in a splint now and we hope that lessons can resume next week.
Rhian's birthday saw her officially enter the teenage years as she turned thirteen. Although still very petite she is turning into a very nice young woman. She really enjoys being part of Junior Youth on Friday nights. She attends Junior Youth at the church that The Chapel amalgamated with, so she knew several of the kids.
We are definitely on the busier side this year. It is barely the third week of the year and we have already completed two of our four January bookings. Plus we will be busy every Wednesday night at The Pentecostal Tabernacle in Port Colborne, Ontario until the end of April. They have asked us to come in and run their mid-week children's program. There are only 2 or 3 children in the congregation. Last week (13th) was the first week for this new outreach and due to the weather we had the great attendance of 0. Last night we had 11. We were thrilled. At least three of them had no church affiliation. At the end of the evening all of them stood to say they wanted to follow the one true God. PTL
January is only the start of what is starting to look like a busy year for us. We are thrilled. It looks like February, March and April are not too far from home. April will be in Hamburg, NY at the New York State Sunday School Association . Dick Gruber from Bloomington, Minnesota will be the keynote speaker. Lord willing, we will be heading to the Canadian East Coast in May and June. Our summer is still sketchy but we have a lot of pencil scratchings - just waiting for confirmation. Then with the end of summer, Lord willing, we expect to be heading to the West Coast - American and Canadian. You can find our schedule on our website and if we are near you - we would love to see you.
In the meantime, we keep updating our website. We have made a major renovation since October. You can now receive our newsletter by mail (the regular way), read it on our site or now by email. Just sign up at the top of this page. We also have a history page now, including photos. The story page has been revamped and we now have a selection of stories for everyone and for Christian Educators. Our two newest additions are Graeme's Job for children and Jewels for Keeping for the children's pastor - although I think that it is a story that everyone can enjoy. Either Joel or I have written all the stories on the story page.
All things considered I would say it was great.
Hubby and I blessed with many a date
And he even found time to use fish bait.
Royal, our dog, found himself a young mate
And now Sasha and he happily share their big crate.
The fire is blazing so warm in the grate
And not a bit of our lives have we left to fate.
Many times through the year on God did we wait
And we know that His timing is never late
So now as we watch He is opening the gate
And I'm happy to say that our Lord is first rate.
Just before Christmas we were browsing on our new Christian Bookstore. While talking with the salesperson, she mentioned a children's camp she had attended last summer where she came away changed. Imagine our joy and delight to discover we had been at that camp. It was actually quite a memorable camp for us as well - besides the fact that our mostly female family was lodged in a boy's cabin.
We spoke three times in the less than 24 hours we were there. On the Saturday evening and Sunday morning we spoke to the younger children. We saw over 20 children including one Muslim accept Christ. On Saturday night, Joel spoke to the junior youth out by the campfire. Three responded to the invitation, two of the boys being Muslim. God is reaching across religious and cultural backgrounds and it is exciting to be part of it.
We have received several invitations to minister in India should we be blessed to visit there. In spite of or maybe because of the turmoil going on there we know that God is doing great things. We were given a new story this year involving a rich young Indian man.
The young man's life was full of drugs and women and they were the means by which he made his living. One day he felt ill and visited a doctor. The doctor gave him three months to live.
He left the doctor's office and made his way to a Hindu temple. He stood inside and looked at all the idols and said, "Surely there must be a God who hears and answers prayer."
Immediately Jesus stood before him and said, "I am the God and I have come to save you and heal you."
Instantly the man was saved and healed. As a result of his testimony over 100 village churches have been birthed.
It is truly amazing what God is doing!
Now on to our family. I am so glad that God is in control and knows the end from the beginning. We had made plans to go to the West Coast this spring, but our plans were slow in coming together. As it turns out our daughters are expected to be recuperating from mouth surgery and braces in February and March. We discovered that not one but three daughters need braces. We are just waiting for the surgery date for teeth pulling from our dentist. We would certainly appreciate your prayers for them as Charity and Anya will not only be having out their wisdom teeth but 4 others as well. So, we expect to be going to California in October.
Anya is keeping well. In October of last year she passed her driving test. That sure makes things easier around here, since I don't have to be the only chauffeur now. She has been going to school for instrumental music and will be doing her final theory and playing exam within the next week.
Charity takes vocal music at school and she too will be finishing up within the next few days. Her piano was also coming along very well until a few weeks ago. She entered grade 2 in November but due to a skiing mishap just after the new year, she broke her thumb. It is in a splint now and we hope that lessons can resume next week.
Rhian's birthday saw her officially enter the teenage years as she turned thirteen. Although still very petite she is turning into a very nice young woman. She really enjoys being part of Junior Youth on Friday nights. She attends Junior Youth at the church that The Chapel amalgamated with, so she knew several of the kids.
We are definitely on the busier side this year. It is barely the third week of the year and we have already completed two of our four January bookings. Plus we will be busy every Wednesday night at The Pentecostal Tabernacle in Port Colborne, Ontario until the end of April. They have asked us to come in and run their mid-week children's program. There are only 2 or 3 children in the congregation. Last week (13th) was the first week for this new outreach and due to the weather we had the great attendance of 0. Last night we had 11. We were thrilled. At least three of them had no church affiliation. At the end of the evening all of them stood to say they wanted to follow the one true God. PTL
January is only the start of what is starting to look like a busy year for us. We are thrilled. It looks like February, March and April are not too far from home. April will be in Hamburg, NY at the New York State Sunday School Association . Dick Gruber from Bloomington, Minnesota will be the keynote speaker. Lord willing, we will be heading to the Canadian East Coast in May and June. Our summer is still sketchy but we have a lot of pencil scratchings - just waiting for confirmation. Then with the end of summer, Lord willing, we expect to be heading to the West Coast - American and Canadian. You can find our schedule on our website and if we are near you - we would love to see you.
In the meantime, we keep updating our website. We have made a major renovation since October. You can now receive our newsletter by mail (the regular way), read it on our site or now by email. Just sign up at the top of this page. We also have a history page now, including photos. The story page has been revamped and we now have a selection of stories for everyone and for Christian Educators. Our two newest additions are Graeme's Job for children and Jewels for Keeping for the children's pastor - although I think that it is a story that everyone can enjoy. Either Joel or I have written all the stories on the story page.
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