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Graduation time of year brings a mixture of emotions. We were able to participate in the graduation Cerimonies at LOBS (Lake Orion Baptist School) last night. It was a wonderful display of what God can do with young people. The music was heavenly, the speeches very edifying, the message (by Dr. Sam Horn from Northaland Baptist Bible College) was definitely challenging. The whole afair was delightful. If you missed it you missed a treat. With all of the gloom and doom these days with regards to our public school system, the LOBS graduation was a blessing.

Just two more months in the States! Wow. Our return to Brazil is just around the corner and we are getting excited/sad. How can it be that one is excited and sad at the same time? A missionary's life is a mixture of both sentiments. Whether in the States or in Brazil we are home but we've left someone behind. We have friends and family on both sides of the Big Waters and thus the tug on our heart strings whether here or there. Amy and Art haven't helped our situation at all with the birth of our grand daughter Caitlyn. She makes this see-saw life even a bit more difficult. She is SO funny. She is always saying the cutiest things in such cute ways. We will miss her (and her parents too, of course). These God given sentiments help us to long for Heaven don't they. There we will never part ways. We will be worshiping our Savior and God forever in His presence. Forever together!

May 16, 2006   It has been awhile since I sent out a “Prayer Request” type Excerpt. This is that one.   I was talking yesterday to a lady from our church, a lady whom I've known "forever" but never really sat down and talked to. During our conversation she said to me, “I pray for you often.” While at church last week a little girl, about four years old, walked up to me and said, “I know you!!” when I asked her how she knew me she said, “Because I puay for you!”   Those are precious words to a missionary’s heart, whether coming from a four year old or a senior saint. Missionaries thrive on the prayers of their spiritual brothers and sisters. And, our God answers those prayers! Just this morning I was pouring my heart out to my heavenly Father with my “many” woes. After listing them one by one in prayer and on paper I picked up my Bible to the passage that I was to be reading in my chronological journey through the Scriptures. I opened to Psalm 40, which reads, “I waited pa...

May 14, 2006 Happy Mother’s Day! God has richly blessed me with loving mothers. Mothers plural because my birth mother, who passed away just over a year ago, was such a blessing to me. She gave me life, nurtured me, and led me to her Savior. She did her best to raise me to be a follower of her Lord Jesus Christ. My children’s mother has been an even greater blessing to me. She has been with me through difficult times and wonderful times. We’ve traveled the States as newly weds and the world as missionaries. She serves selflessly and always looks to do more than expected of her. God has blessed me because Dawn is a wonderful companion and co laborer. I always think of the male of the species as a big kid who’d be totally lost without a loving mother or wife by his side. God gives the man leadership, strength, and the responsibility of headship in the family. But, without a good woman by his side his job would be an epic struggle of hardship. Thank you Father for a good mother (Venna Ard...

Traveling to Caseville Michigan brings back memories of my childhood and trips to Grand Ma’s house. The countryside is flat and endless farmland with ubiquitous sugar beet truck and cumbersome farm equipment. In October it is also a color filled experience that assaults the gaze at every turn. Our trip this last weekend was to visit one of our supporting churches, Calvary Baptist Church. Pastor Mike Goforth and his wife Sharis have been ministering in this resort town on the shores of Lake Huron for a little over ten years now and have worked hard to establish Calvary as a true beacon of God’s grace. Sunday we were privileged to share in Sunday school and the morning preaching service. I spoke on “Four Reason to Become a Missionary” in Sunday school and the story of Onesimus from the book of Philemon in the preaching hour. Two hands were raised at the invitation to accept Christ and several hands were raise to commit to share Christ more faithfully.

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. In these two verses David gives me the key to a strong Christian family. The LORD is worthy of my praise and in fact I will never be able to praise Him enough. My eternity will be occupied with His praise. But, notice the key to a family that values that close walk with the LORD, "One generation shall praise thy works to another". I as a parent need to pass on the blessings that I have experienced from God's hand. When I miss this important link my chain becomes irrepairably weak. Don't let it be your missing link!

Thoughts of Freedom… I grew up “Free”. Freedom has always been a part of my life. Like other things, I grew accustomed to being free. It’s easy, at least to me. I am now a missionary in a “Free country”. I can freely preach, teach, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ without thoughts of harassment. Last night as we shared in a preaching service where over 80 heard the message, never once did I think about being arrested, persecuted, or harmed in any way. Freedom is a tremendous blessing that brings great responsibility. Freedom allows me to make my own way in life, it allows me to make my own mistakes and win my own battles; thus the conflict with Christianity. I as a Christian am, in reality, a slave of Jesus Christ. Paul summed it up in Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Pleasing self or pleasing Christ, the fight for freedom starts and ends here. My freedom comes as I submit ...