It is so good to be sitting this side of the trip and taking stock of where this journey has led to this point. Yes, I must start by stating the obvious I MISS MY FAMILY, but the truth is I have known a peace and contentment while being here. I thank all of you for your prayers - they are truly a source of strength to Fenella and I. With a mad dash to the finish of this trip I pray I can finish strong and that God continues to work in and through all that I have been led to and have been involved in. I have so much to be thankful for! I have met many new people on this visit and have been humbled many times by the generosity and hospitality of fellow Christians - I have been richly blessed! I have had an opportunity this morning to sit and evaluate the trip so far and although I am not able to say with assurance that the trip has met it's purpose yet, I have confidence that the opportunities gone before and the ones ahead can ensure my family's needs are met - Lord willing!
I spent much of this past week in the Dallas area. I started out with a 7 hour drive down to Bowie, TX. I met with them on Wednesday night and after some issues with the GPS and some rather strange directions to the wrong destination I was able to find the building and meet with the church. I felt so at home there! The atmosphere and the people were so homely and welcoming! I was able to split my time in the presence of the church with an update on our ministry and a lesson from the Word. They were so genuinely receptive to our work and gave so much encouraging words that I left there feeling so honoured that I was serving in the Kingdom. I had the chance to catch up with an old friend in Jonathan Paige. It was soooo good to reminisce about good times we had shared and the possibility of sharing some good times in the future over in Scotland. In everything I was refreshed!
From Bowie I drove up to Lake Dallas and spent the next 5 days there. It is ALWAYS a joy for me to get back to Lake Dallas. The church were the first to get involved with my family and have been a great source of joy over the 11 years we have served together in the kingdom. I spent the first couple of nights with Bill and Sue Allen. Bill has been and elder with the church for many years and is a true gentleman! I was spoiled rotten by them and had the delight of going to a major league baseball game. The Texas Rangers were playing the New York White Sox. The match was postponed for almost 4 hours due to some rain and it was quite hard to stay positive for that length of time. There was redeeming factor - John Bowles! I have known John for a number of years and knew he had a great heart for the kingdom, however this was the first I had been able to sit and talk for any length of time - a blessing in disguise! After being there 7 hours I was ready for bed, didn't get into the house till 2:00am! On the Friday morning we had a meeting with the Missions Resource Network in Dallas. They seem to have a good grasp of what missionaries life and needs. I was by now staying with Glenn and Sammie Johnson. I consider their home to be a safe haven because they are so down to earth and welcoming. I had the joy of sharing our work during the Sunday morning class and again I was asked to preach that morning too. Had a great time, but my favorite time there was at a picnic that night. We had an amazing game of football (soccer) and then settled down to a devotional I was privileged to lead a thought and then invite the teens to share their camp experiences. It was a brilliant night! I met up with two outstanding boys the next morning at Starbucks for a coffee before heading up to Searcy for the last leg of the trip. I had a good talk with Taylor Lively and Adam Goodnight and was well impressed with their faith and love for the kingdom.
PS. I have to mention Hunter and Liz Valls. This was the first time I had seen their son Turner - he was sooo cute! They are a lovely family.
Anyway, during that time I was constantly online and on the phone trying to plan the week ahead and trying to set up some new contacts to hear our appeal and potentially get involved with supporting our work.
This is now the final push and then HOME!!!
Please keep everything in your prayers - God Bless!
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