Ministry Update #2

Here's what has happened at Providence Baptist in Williamstown since our last update.

1.  James and I attended the Mt. Salem-Wyaconda Southern Baptist Association Annual meeting.  It was a long day of meetings mixed with worship and fellowship with other ministers in the area.  James was voted Discipleship Coordinator for the association and I am co-leader of the Evangelism Committee.

2.  Once school started, we began the Youth on Mission curriculum with our youth on Sunday evenings. Each month we have two weeks of Bible Study, one week of Learning Activity, one week of mission activity, and a worship service.  Our youth truly have servant hearts and enjoy getting out and about. It's been fun learning about how to be involved in missions and participating in activities to encourage faith in Jesus.

3. In September, the youth and I manned the Association's tent, playing games and handing out prizes and bibles at the local Old Settlers Day celebration in Kahoka, MO.

A manning games

K helping with this game

A riding the train with a sweet little toddler girl

J rescuing a runaway balloon

It was a good day, even though there came a torrential downpour while we were there.  The youth learned a lot about being patient and kind to children who weren't always patient and kind in wanting to play our games.  In preparation, they worked on their testimony and were challenged to share it with two children at our tent.

James built the association's float for the parade and sadly I didn't get a picture of it. The youth were going to walk behind the float throwing out prizes, but with the downpour it was rumored cancelled, then delayed, then who knows so I made the executive decision to bring our cold, wet, and tired kids home. It truly is sad because we won 2nd place!  Crazy fun!

4.  In September I went with the WMU down to George the Shoeman in St. Louis to deliver 1,500 pounds of donated shoes.  George takes the shoes, sells them to an importer/exporter for pennies on the pound.  The money is then used to purchase and install water-filtration systems and dig wells in countries like Haiti and Kenya.  If you are ever in St. Louis go visit George, he's a hoot as you'll see from the pictures below.

1,500 pounds of shoes spread between two church vans

Our WMU group

George, the Shoeman

Their "Hall of Fame" for unusual shoes

George explaining the water filtration system

5.  In October, we prepared 150 treat boxes of candy for the Williamstown Halloween Party at the park.  Sadly that morning, both James and Hudson woke up with 103 fevers.  I was to read The Parable of the Pumpkin Patch to the kids in attendance before giving them their candy, but I couldn't leave my boys so our church member Patty took over for me.  Sadly though I have no pictures since I wasn't there.  But Patty said the children eagerly listened to the book and enjoyed the candy.

6.  In November, we hosted the International Students from Hannibal-LaGrange University for a Thanksgiving meal and a time of learning about their home country.  These students are part of the American Culture Class and part of their grade is presenting about their home country so by coming and talking to us, they were guaranteed an A!  Needless to say, they were excited about the good grade and good food.  Nary a crumb was left.

Yum!

The Brazil group, not nearly as rowdy as the Spain crew!

D the International Student direction introducing everyone

Learning about Tahiti

Learning about Mexico

Learning about Spain

Group shot

7.  Once a month, Hudson and I go down to the school were all of our kids go (it's a Pre-K through 12th grade school) and eat lunch with our kids.  It's been fun to get to know them more outside of teh church walls.  I am reminded each time why as I teacher I hardly ever sat with the students at lunch.  Have you ever watched elementary kids eat?  LOL

8. James is staying busy.  He's preaching through Acts on Sunday morning (we're in chapter 19 now) and Judges in the evening, having recently finished the letters in Revelation. Thursday is James' visitation day.  Twice a month he goes to the three nursing homes and the other weeks, he's in the community.  Once a month he preaches on Sunday afternoon at one of the nursing homes. He had the honor a few weeks ago to preach his first funeral after a sweet church member suddenly passed.  It was bittersweet.

10.  We collected 25 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes!  I'm super proud of it because our church only has thirty-something resident members.  Small churches tend to be the most generous.

I think that's it for our second update.  December is already super booked with Christmas events, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and the holidays themselves.

Prayer Requests:

- L & B - I have befriended L and had planned to begin a Bible Study with her but now I can't find her.  Seriously.  She hasn't returned my calls or texts and their house appears to be empty so I think they moved.  Thankfully our Lord is sovereign and completely able to place them in the circle of other believers.

- D - this sweet church member recently lost her husband (for whom James preached the funeral) so pray for her comfort and peace especially as the holidays approach.

- Winter Weather can apparently be rather unpredictable here. When we moved here in late March there was still snow on the ground.  I'm not sure James and I are prepared, though we really don't know for what to prepare.  We're slowly stocking the deep freezer just in case.  Pray for wisdom when winter weather does hit as for traveling, church services, etc...

- Fellowship for me - I find myself sometimes lonely, which is crazy because I'm never technically alone (Hello sweet Hudson!).  I often miss my friends in Louisville and have yet to make any close friends my age here.  I know that this is the perfect opportunity to spend more time with the Lord, but I sometimes just long for a friend with skin on.