I can almost hear those angels rejoicing! Our daughter, Autumn, called, excitedly telling about five more teenagers who accepted Christ as their savior in Sheffield England.
Steve helped out with the awards ceremony for Sunnyside Road Baptist’s Upward Basketball kids in Indianapolis last night, and was thrilled that several parents and kids prayed to receive Christ!
That’s what it’s all about.
For some of you who keep up with my daughter, Autumn (missionary with her church in Sheffield England), I’ve attached her newsletter below. God’s using that girl!
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March in
What a historic time to be in Cuba! We were in Havana on a mission trip to attend the Cuba Baptist Convention, see the work there and visit churches. Steve preached in a wonderful church, and the entire trip was amazing. Got a few hours? I’ll tell you all about it! Pray for Christians there.
We returned to Indiana just in time for our state-wide women’s retreat. Thank you for your prayers during our travel.
We arrived early in Hawaii for the state executive directors’ meeting so we could lead a conference at Lahu’e Baptist Church for deacons and deacon wives on Kawai island. What an amazing group of leaders! Photo shows some of the group. Steve preached at Lahu’e Baptist on Sunday, too, wearing three lei’s! God is blessing Pastor Chris Metcalf and that church’s work as they minister to six different cultural groups, offer numerous community ministries, and shine for Jesus in Hawaii. I don’t believe we’ve ever been so warmly welcomed.
And, no, they didn’t wear hula skirts….
21008hawaii1-033.jpg Photo of some deacons and wives in Hawaii.
We made a quick trip to Atlanta Monday for a very special celebration.
Southern Baptists’ North American Mission Board commissioned our new President, Dr. Geoff Hammond.The reception was gorgeous. The ceremony was touching and inspiring. What exciting days!
In this photo, his wife, Debbie, is singing in the praise team (right).
That was well worth the trip! But there were two surprises…
We got to see Mike Woods commissioned as a NAMB chaplain. Mike works in Anderson Indiana as a nursing home chaplain, and also serves as a youth minister at Baptist Church there.
AND we were surprised to see a friend from our former church, First Baptist in Humble TX, who was commissioned. Heather and Austin Vann are planting a church in Oswego New York (www.theoutpouringchurch.com). I taught Heather in 5th grade Sunday School! And Austin played intramural football with our son, Justin, at Dallas Baptist University. Isn’t this Christian family amazingly small?
(Steve, Heather, Austin)
Isn’t God good to call out such wonderful leaders in Atlanta and Indiana and New York?
What a great day of encouragment.
How exciting!
Wanda Lee, Executive Director for Women’s Missionary Union, invited me to lead a breakout conference at the national convention in Indianapolis next June.
The class will be about my book, Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry, which is scheduled for release in June.
It’s a “how-to” book for women’s ministry, with lots of tips and ideas and encouragements. One premise of the book encourages women’s ministries to always include missions and hands-on ministries, and that ties in with WMU perfectly.
I’m very honored to be invited to help with such an important event.
Isn’t God’s timing great?
On our way home from England, we stopped in Atlanta for a couple of days for meetings with the North American Mission Board and state executive diretors.
NAMB’s new president’s wife, Debbie Hammond, took the wives out for a lovely luncheon at Stone Mountain. She is a true delight, and we all enjoyed the time with her.
Then we strolled around the antebellum plantation grounds. Just as we got to the furthest point from the entrance, a “gulley-washer” of a rainstorm came, trapping us in the plantation home.
So as we sat under the covered porch, overlooking the gardens and grounds, we spent the afternoon together chatting and sharing and praying.
What a treasured time! God knew these busy women needed some down-time together. Isn’t He so good?
Pray for Debbie and Dr. Geoff Hammond as he leads our home missions program for the Southern Baptist Convention. What an enormous, eternity-impacting responsibility!
(Picture: Debbie Hammond, Shirley Lewis, me, Mary Turner, Peggy Beggs, Kay Mackey, Sherry Lee)
No, I’M not skateboarding. I’m watching my 24-year-old daughter skateboarding in England. Funny thing, though–she never even stood on a skateboard when she was a kid!
But as she’s reaching out to teens in this country, she’s found that they hang out in skate parks, so now she skateboards!
Autumn has been in Sheffield England as a missionary for her church almosta year, and she’s working primarily with the teens in a new church start. We watched her in action at the local park yesterday. She’d asked kids to bring their friends for a game of capture the flag at 5:30, and 48 teens showed up. Now, believe me, these kids don’t look or act like the typical kids in a church in your town.
But as I watched her organize and enjoy those teens, invite them to her church on Sunday, I was amazed. God has given this small American girl a huge heart for reaching English teenagers for Him.
Pray for Autumn as she shares Christ in England.
And say an extra prayer for her safety as she skateboards!
