In His time, God provides!

Wow! What a wonderful time I have had this past month. God is definitely showing me that He wants me to continue doing what I do. After a wonderful two weeks with my sister, I arrived in Chicago at 10:00pm. My mom had found out that I would need to sit in the bus station until 7 am before I could catch the bus to Indiana. She started making phone calls, and when I arrived, Bro. Darryl imani was at the bus station to pick me up. He has a car service, but didn't charge me a regular fare because I was a missionary. I only had a little bit of cash, but after a 40 mile drive, and then a 20 mile return trip for him to his home, I gave him what I had. He also took me to Chicago to get my visa for China. I didn't have cash at that time, and he again told me not to worry about it. God is good.

I was not sure if my visa for China would be approved, and after an all day wait (Bro. Imani waited for me to finish.) I was approved for a 1 year multiple entry visa, and I can stay in the country 90 days at a time. This was another answer to prayer.

I wanted to share what I do at HAC, but did not get things worked out to do so; however, God did allow me to share my testimony in a few classes that I visited, and one of my friends said she would keep the idea of helping people like I do in mind.

I attended FBC Hammond, and saw many of my friends and teachers there. What a blessing it is to see that God is still working through HAC and FBC to get the Gospel to the world. The buses are still rolling! I saw a few of the people who rode the buses when I was there, and it was a joy to know they are still faithful in church. I was able to play the piano for the Asian SS class.

My friend, Deborah Ebeling, was a great help in getting me to church each service. Again God provided for my needs. Then yesterday evening, the FBC celebrated 55 years of their Deaf Ministry's existence. The preacher, Bro. Harris, was deaf, and preached on Lift up your Eyes. There were several missionaries in the service, and at the end, Pastor Wilkerson had each of us stand. Then he asked the church to give an offering at the doors. Some people gave to me individually, and it was a blessing to see their gratefulness for what I am able to do. If you have faith, God will provide. One of my siblings is finding this out for his family, and God has done several miracles for them this week.

I did post a live update on my FB page, and I plan to do that more often. I will try to tweak my website to where I can post videos there as well. Please pray that volunteers and missionaries will begin using the site to be a help to each other.

In the future, my posts will become more cryptic as I prepare to go to countries where I cannot speak freely about what I do. Please pray that God gives me wisdom as I continue to serve Him.

Please pray as I will fly to NYC on Wednesday and then to England on Thursday. Pray also for my parents as they will join me a week later. Continue to pray for their health, and for wisdom as they determine what steps they need to take in order for Dad's brain to heal.

Pray for my sister Julie who is due any day now with her fourth child, for my sister Joy who has some health issues, and for my sister Janna and her son Emmett who also have health issues.

Time is Flying!

Wow! My two weeks with my sister are almost over. I have enjoyed spending time with my niece and nephews. Yesterday we went to a pumpkin farm. I played in the corn pool with Clem who is almost a year old. At first he wasn't sure if he liked the feel of the corn, but at the end, he was kicking his feet and grabbing the corn.

I have had several blessings during these two weeks. First, I was able to have two broken teeth removed for free, and I have had very little pain with the areas where they were removed. I also had several dresses that I needed lengthened, and my sister's mother-in-law fixed them for me for free. Another church is considering taking me on for support. Please pray that they do.

I am trying to get a driver's license before I leave Iowa. Please pray that I can pass the test. This will help me as I work on getting my visas for China and Nepal in Chicago.

Please continue to pray for my dad's health. Pray for my sister Julie who is due in the next two weeks with her fourth baby. Pray that I can get a 10 year multiple entry visa to China.

A New Beginning

Today was my last day at home for a year. Although I am excited to be going to new places and helping new people, It seems a little harder to want to leave this time.

I will be with my sister for two weeks hopefully getting some major dental work done. Please pray that all goes well. I will then head to Chicago to hopefully get my Nepal and China visas. Pray that I can get a 10 year multiple entry visa for China.

At my sisters, I do not have internet, so I will not be posting very often.

God is good!

Praise the Lord!
Agape Baptist Church Stockton, MO took me on for support.
Friends in Puerto Rico and Florida made it safely through the hurricane.

Today, we remember 9/11. I remember where I was and what I was doing as does everyone else who was old enough to understand what was happening. Yet, from that day, NYC has rebuilded and moved on. America has continued to fight against terrorism. People who may never have heard about Christ have seen and heard of the miracles of those who never made it to work, their flights... or who have testified that someone was with them and gave them peace when they were buried in the rubble. God can use bad circumstances caused by the choices of  others to bring about good.

I am thanking the Lord for His protection of my family and friends in Florida and Puerto Rico.

I will be heading to my sister's in Iowa in a few days. Please pray that I can get some dental work done while I am there. I am working on my Nepal and China visas. Pray that there are no glitches.  Continue to pray for my dad's health.

August Family Trip

I am finally writing my August trip update that is way over due.

Due to my dad's health, he was finally given a month medical absence during the month of August. It took him about two weeks to really have energy enough to play with his grandkids. Since riding in the car for long periods tires dad out, we made several stops.

Our first stop was to my sister Julie's in Iowa. We went to a hot air balloon festival and spent a day with her, her husband, and her three kids. Dad barely played with the kids from the couch.

We then traveled to Indiana to visit my sister Janna and her family. We spent a couple of days with her, and dad even felt good enough to go fishing. He still didn't have a lot of energy for playing with the kids, but he did lay on the floor and play trucks with the boys, and drew pictures on the sidewalk with Brooklyn.

From Indiana, we headed to Pennsylvania where we attended one of my dad's family reunions. The day was spent sitting and talking over old times, no strenuous activities.

From Pennsylvania, we traveled to my dad's boyhood home in New York. Dad was finally getting more energy back, and was able to spend some time fishing with his brother. We also attended my dad's other family reunion. There I had the opportunity to witness to one of dad's cousins. Please pray that he will trust Christ. I also talked loud enough for the rest of the family to hear. :-)

From New York we headed up to Maine. There dad had a week to just rest and relax. One of his brothers traveled with us, and another brother came up at the end of the week. They all went fishing together, and even though dad still came home and napped, I could see a great difference in his demeanor. The following week he preached in a revival. God was definitely in the meeting because every sermon was a tag team with the other preacher. It was great to see him doing what he loves, preaching. During his time in Maine, dad actually felt up to rough housing a little with the kids and throwing a ball with them.

We traveled from Maine back to NY where dad preached on Sunday morning for his home church. Sunday night we went to a church dad started in 1991. It was started in a town that hadn't had a church in 100 years. It has continued since my dad started it. I was able to share my ministry there, and I believe they plan to take me on for support.

We picked up my uncle from NY and headed back to Indiana where we spent several days with my dad's sisters. Then on to Iowa where dad decided to stay a little longer to continue getting his strength up.

We arrived back in Missouri on August 29. Dad still had a couple days to rest before going back to work. He rested a lot and fished a little with my brother. On Saturday, we went to Branson to watch the opening Alabama game with my sister. He had slept in quite a bit that morning, and was of course tired some today since we drove back last night to be in church today.

All in all it was a good trip. Although dad did seem to gain back some of his resilience, he took naps pretty much every day, and since being back has taken a nap every day. Please pray that he can make the right decisions for his health. On the outside he will seem to be ok, but by the time he gets home for lunch and after work, he is ready to sleep an hour or two. Please pray for me as I get ready to head to Iowa to get some dental work done, then it's on to Chicago to hopefully get visas and then to Boston to leave for England.

Update Coming Soon- Prayer Requests

I have been away with my parents for a month. I will be publishing a new update in the next few days regarding that trip.

Prayer Request:
I am in the process of applying for a 10 year multiple entry visa to China. Please pray that all goes well, and that I can get the visa before I leave the States.
I just booked my flight to connect with my Boston to London flight. Praise the Lord, that ticket only cost me $60. Please pray that I can work out getting to Chicago Midway.
I am in need of some dental work before I leave for this next series of trips. I am supposed to get the work done for free, so please pray that all goes smoothly.
Pray that God will guide me in getting organized for this trip. Pray for safety as I will be flying into some areas that could be dangerous.
I am in need of a smart phone in order to stay connected while I am traveling. Please pray that I get the right phone and plan for what I need.
Please continue to pray that God will provide for my needs and for future trips.

Brian Johnston-Canada (I helped this family last summer.)

This is an update from the family I helped in Canada. Last month we saw a Guyanese man named Veejai trust Christ as his Saviour. I began discipleship lessons

with him the week after he was saved. Also in June, my oldest son B.J. met a lady named Eva from El Salvador.

She began coming to church, and I had the privilege of leading her to Christ on June 30th

.

July 2nd was the holiday weekend, and we had a really low attendance at church. But I thank the Lord that I

had the opportunity, at our nursing home ministry, to sit down after the service and share the gospel with a lady

named Joyce (age 88) and her husband named Harry (age 87) that had come to visit her while we were there.

They both prayed with me to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour!

On July 7th, I was able to do another discipleship lesson with Veejai; and I also performed the wedding

ceremony for a young Vietnamese man and Chinese woman that got baptized in our church a few years ago.

They are still very “young” in the faith; and I pray that they will grow much more in the coming years.

On July 9th, we introduced our church to a new missionary family that we have begun supporting financially –

Marco and Tricia Paulichen, missionaries to Uruguay, South America. We have a lady in our church from

Uruguay; so she really enjoyed getting to spend time with this family that is going to her home country.

On July 14th, I visited a family in the funeral home whose six-year-old boy was killed that week in our town.

He was hit by a truck when out riding a bicycle. I believe they are a Catholic family, but I had prepared a letter, a

gift, and a special gospel tract that I pray will affect their heart. My daughter Rebecca and I also had the privilege

of completing our first discipleship lesson with the lady named Eva who was recently saved.

On July 16th, I was dropping off a Filipino lady after church when I noticed a man sitting on the steps outside

their apartment building. The Holy Spirit prompted me to witness to him. I shared the gospel with Serge Milov, a

32-year-old man, the son of an Israeli Jewish father and a Russian mother. Serge was very open, and he prayed

with me to receive Christ as his personal Saviour.

On July 23rd, God blessed us with several first-time visitors; some came as a result of recent door knocking.

In children’s church, four children trusted Christ as Saviour. On my way home that day, I had to stop and make a

bank deposit, but God had far more important plans. Outside the bank, there was a Jamaican man sitting on a

bench and looking at his phone. The Lord prompted me to witness; and God’s Spirit worked – praise the Lord –

Chris McLean got saved! Afterwards, his first words were, “I’ve got to go tell my family about this!”

Thanks for investing in the LORD’s work here in Toronto,