Whirlwind Trip
We've been home about 2 weeks now. After driving over 2500 miles in the month we were in the US, we've come back to a fast pace here at home. Not that we've been driving 600 miles a week on the island, although 250 miles is normal.
I'll summarize our trip by saying that both Abbie and I got to visit with our brothers and sisters more this time than we have for many years. This was especially true of one of Abbie's sisters, Paula, and my sister Gwen, who both live great distances from where we spend our time in the US. Mom (96) was at home after her fall, and doing therapy and exercises, so that she was up and about almost as well as before her fall. She's keeping up her habit of e-mailing me (in fact, I see an e-mail just came in from her as I write this post), so we are thankful she has bounced back so well...almost literally so.
The church did very well in our absence. That's what we've been working towards for almost 36 years. In our English-language service yesterday we had to open both doors and put chairs out over the baptistry to accommodate everyone. We look forward to having to do that more often!
But there was something that happened that was more significant to me than the overflow crowd. After the services, one of the visitors, who is from N. Ireland, came up to me with his Bible in hand. It was opened to I Kings 17, and verse 14 was marked where God promised the widow that " the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry." At the top of the page was a date in July 1991. This brother said that he heard me preach on that text 21 years ago. When he came to Madeira he had just been told that the company where he had worked for many years was going to have to let him go. He was understandably discouraged, but God spoke to him through that word and when he got home and the company told him they had found a way to keep him on anyway, he said, no. "But what are you going to do? How will you make it?" He didn't know, but he knew God would provide, and God has for 21 years! He's now preparing for his 3rd trip to China, carrying Bibles.
How encouraging it is to know that the Word preached has that power to change lives! How humbling to know that it is not by our might or wisdom! Our aim has been to preach the Word of God faithfully, never knowing who would be present or how many. We have held English services for almost 34 years, and it would be impossible to count the thousands of visitors and list the dozens of countries they have come from; only God knows what lives have been touched. There were about 60 in services yesterday morning, but more important than how many people were present is how many lives were changed by the Word. Just one is cause for us to praise God. Even 21 years later.
I'll summarize our trip by saying that both Abbie and I got to visit with our brothers and sisters more this time than we have for many years. This was especially true of one of Abbie's sisters, Paula, and my sister Gwen, who both live great distances from where we spend our time in the US. Mom (96) was at home after her fall, and doing therapy and exercises, so that she was up and about almost as well as before her fall. She's keeping up her habit of e-mailing me (in fact, I see an e-mail just came in from her as I write this post), so we are thankful she has bounced back so well...almost literally so.
The church did very well in our absence. That's what we've been working towards for almost 36 years. In our English-language service yesterday we had to open both doors and put chairs out over the baptistry to accommodate everyone. We look forward to having to do that more often!
But there was something that happened that was more significant to me than the overflow crowd. After the services, one of the visitors, who is from N. Ireland, came up to me with his Bible in hand. It was opened to I Kings 17, and verse 14 was marked where God promised the widow that " the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry." At the top of the page was a date in July 1991. This brother said that he heard me preach on that text 21 years ago. When he came to Madeira he had just been told that the company where he had worked for many years was going to have to let him go. He was understandably discouraged, but God spoke to him through that word and when he got home and the company told him they had found a way to keep him on anyway, he said, no. "But what are you going to do? How will you make it?" He didn't know, but he knew God would provide, and God has for 21 years! He's now preparing for his 3rd trip to China, carrying Bibles.
How encouraging it is to know that the Word preached has that power to change lives! How humbling to know that it is not by our might or wisdom! Our aim has been to preach the Word of God faithfully, never knowing who would be present or how many. We have held English services for almost 34 years, and it would be impossible to count the thousands of visitors and list the dozens of countries they have come from; only God knows what lives have been touched. There were about 60 in services yesterday morning, but more important than how many people were present is how many lives were changed by the Word. Just one is cause for us to praise God. Even 21 years later.
posted by EP | 11:17 PM | Permalink
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