Thursday, March 11: I spent the morning with Rainer discussing the agenda for the visit. In the afternoon, I was surprised by a visit from Heinrich and Sonja Marten and their family, who were visiting from Germany. I had known Sonja from my early visits to Montevideo, as she was the youth leader then. She later married Heinrich, who lived in Paraguay, and through my visit to their home in Paraguay, I met Ronald Balzer. During the following years, they moved to Germany, where Kathy and I were able to visit them. Heinrich, once again, has invited me to return to Germany. He spoke to me about a revival among the youth there, and he believes that my message on Sonship: The Path to Fatherhood would be extremely timely. We are praying about this possibility. Later in the afternoon I was the guest of Ricardo and Mirta Horack. Ricardo and Mirta are the houseparents for the Mennonite Student Home. They are also faithful members of my spiritual family. At 7:00 PM, I shared a short devotion on “Ask, Seek, Knock” with the Mennonite Prayer group at the facility, and ministered to a handful of people.

Friday, March 12: Heinrich and Sonja Marten returned to say good-bye before they left for Colony Delta. We were joined by Sonja’s brother and wife, Irwin and Renata Kunze. Irwin is an evangelist and church planter living in Colony Delta. He recently spent time ministering in Germany, too. For lunch, which is most always the big meal of the day, Rainer and Andrea had invited a missionary couple from Costa Rica, who attend the Central Mennonite Congregation. This couple is involved with youth ministry throughout the nation of Uruguay.  At 4:30 PM I was hosted by Rainer’s sister and next door neighbor to minister to a small group of ladies, two of whom had the tragic experience of losing their children. At 7:00 PM I arrived at the building to meet and share with perhaps forty or fifty of the men from the congregation. I spoke to them from a message inspired in me by Charles Simpson on the “Three Temptations of Christ.”  I was truly blessed by the response of these men.

Saturday, March 13: I spent the morning and lunch with Colonel Carlos Marquez, his wife Susana, and daughter Carla. Both Carlos and Carla have been guests of Kathy and me here in Stafford. Carlos had been stationed in Haiti with the United Nations forces. Carla is a dental school student in Montevideo. It was good to be with them in their home. I left mid-afternoon to spend a time of fellowship with another couple with whom I relate to, Helmut and Fanny Bachman. Helmut and Fanny, also, have been visitors in our home, and two of their children, Philip and Jennifer, spent a number of weeks here with members of Harvest, the Ellenwood family. Saturday evening I was the guest of the Mennonite Youth Group. Perhaps sixty to seventy youth showed up for this meeting. They surprised me with a mock interview of me, which was a bit better than them throwing me fully dressed into Rainer’s swim pool a couple years ago. I shared with them a message I had prepared from Genesis 1 called “Let There Be Light.” The meeting went quite late, but thanks be to God, Sunday in Uruguay was autumn daylight savings time, so the clocks were turned back one hour.

Sunday, March 14: The Central Mennonite Church now has two meetings on Sunday mornings. The first meeting is in German. Rainer shared a message for this meeting, and Helmut Bachman sat by me to interpret it. I shared at the 10:00 AM service a message on “Setting Our Course.” After ministering to a number of people following the message, I was a guest of Romi and Lilo’s for the famous “asado.” This is not simply a meal, but it is an event. Romi and Lilo’s family, all of whom have been guests in our home, joined us. I find it impossible to explain an asado, but if you ever go to Uruguay, you are in for a tremendous treat. We finished the asado around 5:00 PM, in time to enjoy a meal at a beautiful Montevideo restaurant. Rainer, Andrea and I were guests of Irwin and Petra Bachman, and Hans Marten and Rosi Specht. Once again, we had a fabulous evening of fellowship, and of course, I had another delicious Uruguayan steak. (I put on five pounds during this trip.) It seems to be the custom in nearly every place I travel to “fellowship around food.”

Monday, March 15: Along with overseeing the Mennonite congregation in Montevideo, Rainer owns and operates a warehouse in the free-zone near his home in the suburb of Carrasco. For lunch on Monday, Rainer had invited his business partner, Pablo Merera and Pablo’s girlfriend Alejandra. I carry a burden in my heart for Pablo. He’s a great guy, very animated and has a great sense of humor, but he needs Jesus Christ. After lunch, Rainer had a business appointment, so I sat with Pablo and Alejandra, sharing my testimony, and speaking to them about their need for Christ. Please pray that these seeds that they openly and warmly received would bring forth fruit. After spending most of the afternoon with Pablo and Alejandra, I was hustled off to the home of Peter and Ilona Reimer. My initiation to the German Mennonite Congregation was at a meeting in their home almost two decades ago. Peter, Ilona and their three boys have been precious friends over all these years. As is the custom, we shared supper together, usually made up of coffee and light sandwiches or pastries. Peter then took me downtown, where I was scheduled to speak at a meeting hosted by Intercessors for Uruguay. Cristina and Robert Mostratano have been friends for many years, and Cristina serves as the president of “Red de Intercesores.” The room was packed with people even standing in the stairwell. As is the case in Uruguay, Rainer faithfully was there to translate for me. I spoke on “Sowing and Reaping” from the book of experience of the Biblical character Job. Afterwards, since there were so many people, I called forth church and prayer leaders who were in attendance, laid my hands on each, and then had them pray for the other members of the audience. I am glad that I did this, because I was still ministering to some until midnight.

Tuesday, March 16: Rainer and I left after lunch for Colony El Ombu. I had been invited to this colony, which is about three hours from Montevideo by two of the leaders Irwin and Bernd Penner. I have been visiting this colony for many years, and have some wonderful memories of my visits. Bernd and Evelyn and their daughters welcomed us in their home. Rainer was handling some business over the phone, so Bernd’s daughter Jessica was translating for me. I was shocked by her command of English, since El Ombu is quite isolated in the interior of Uruguay. That evening I spoke on the “Brazen Serpent,” and again I am thankful to God for helping me communicate His heart for these people. Rainer and I stayed with Andrea’s mom, Crista Klaussen, who was widowed a couple of years ago. Her husband, whom I knew, had been the bishop of El Ombu, a position now held by Irwin Penner. I was encouraged by my time in El Ombu, and I only hope that I was able to encourage them.

Wednesday, March 17: After breakfast in El Ombu with Crista, and a couple members of her family, Rainer and I headed back to Montevideo. Upon arrival, I packed and then rested for a time before we met with the Mennonite Central Congregation leaders: Ursula, Friedhelm, Peter, Helmut, Fanny, Rainer, Andrea. Once more, it was a wonderful time of fellowshipping and sharing together. I was in tears saying goodbye to them. These are precious people, and I feel like a member of their family. They have always received me so graciously; I am humbled by my time with them.

Thursday, March 18: Rainer and I went to the Free Zone for me to see how the warehouse had grown, and the business had expanded. It was also a chance to say “adios” to several friends, including Pablo. The week had sped by quickly, and now it was time to prepare to return home. I was privileged once again to share communion with Rainer and Andrea, and to pray a blessing over them and their three children: Valentina, Nicole and Rafael. As is always the case, saying goodbye is bitter-sweet. Ricardo, Romi and Lilo, joined Rainer and the family at the airport to send me off. I wish to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His presence, His help, His grace and His strength for this journey. And, as I close, I want to pass on to my Lord, all the kind words spoken to me, and all the honor and respect afforded me in this visit. Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ, and blessed Holy Spirit, You and You alone are worthy to receive this kind of reception. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless Uruguay! (More than likely, I have omitted some meetings or times of fellowship, and I apologize for these omissions.)

Friday, March 19 – 21: I arrived home from South America and was welcomed at Dulles Airport by Kathy, who was accompanied by Bradley Stuart. The record snow from this winter was now gone. I spent Saturday trying to catch up with emails, and other correspondence, and get ready for sharing at Harvest on Sunday. Sunday afternoon we opened our home for a time of fellowship with the Harvest family. On Tuesday I was back on the road to meet with Dan Wolfe, Gary Bergel and Dick Nielsen. The four of us get together about once every six weeks just to update one another, and pray for each other. On Wednesday evening I met with the Harvest Leadership Team, which consists of Kathy and Me, along with Bradley Stuart, Bill and Melody Bannister, Jeff and Linda Ellenwood, and Dennis and Lauralee Harding.

Thursday, March 25 – 28, Kathy, who is my favorite travel companion, and I flew to Kansas City to spend some time with more members of our spiritual family, Dick and Carolyn Burton. Dick and Carolyn were able drive us to Carthage, Missouri, and to join us on Friday for the Church of the Nations Cluster Conference. The conference was hosted by some new friends, Mike and Mary Morgan, at Bykota Ministries. Tony Fitzgerald, founder of COTN International was the keynote speaker. As most of you know, I came into a defined relationship with Tony toward the end of last summer. On Friday evening Tony shared from Romans chapter one revolving around the question, “Of what are we fully convinced or persuaded?” On Saturday he shared a decade by decade history of the COTN network of churches. Kathy and I had a nice time of fellowship around lunch with Mike and Mary Morgan. A major emphasis of this year’s conference was “helping Kids in Crisis.” As always, a highlight of the trip was spending time with Dick and Carolyn. We flew from Kansas City on Sunday morning, and arrived home a half hour before our Harvest Men’s Meeting. In that half hour, my adorable bride Kathy fixed a meal for the guys who came. I want to share here that Kathy is an example of a Proverbs 31 woman for me.

Breaking News: Eric Samuelson, who edited the rough draft of my upcoming book – Becoming Sons – has now completed a thirteen unit study guide for the manual – Sonship: The Path to Fatherhood. I will be meeting with Eric next week, and the study guide will soon be available for individuals or groups. Eric has also connected me to a missionary in St. Petersburg, Russia, who is interested in having the sonship manual translated into Russian. PLEASE, pray for Eric and me as we consider the course and strategy of the Sonship message for the future. Bradley Stuart, also, has introduced the manual to a Brazilian congregation in Florida, who have an interest in translating it into Portuguese. I am indebted to Eric and Bradley for these connections.

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-sean

He is currently in intensive care, but is responding well to the treatments he has been given. We’re all praying for a quick and complete recovery and are well aware of another miracle that happened this very Easter weekend.

I will try to keep this page updated as we have more information.

Matt is on his way up from Florida and I was with mom last night in the ICU. She was able to go home and get some rest, but is back at the hospital this morning. I’m headed that way myself right now.

Thanks again for all your prayers.

-sean

The weather was rainy and cold for the first couple of days after we arrived, and the hotel where we reside has no central heat. Still, we were happy to be there. Sean had not been there in thirteen years, but for Jeff, Linda and Armando, it has been an annual journey for the past six or seven years. I, of course, usually make the journey at least twice a year for the past fifteen years. I was astonished by Sean’s grasp of Spanish, and he was able to communicate quite well with the Mexicans. Since Chuy and Maria do not speak English, and most team members are not fluent in Spanish, I normally play around a bit with translating conversations. This time, however, Sean was there to keep me at least a little bit honest.

On Wednesday night, our first evening there, we had been invited to a home group. At least a couple of dozen people crowded into the home, and after a time of worship, I shared a message on the “Good Samaritan.” We took some time to fellowship and to pray for a few people before we closed down for the night. On Thursday we spent the day wandering about the city, fellowshipping with Chuy, as we so often do on these trips. Friday night we had supper with Chuy’s mom Maria Elena, his sisters Virginia and Teresa, and his nephew Rory. Some of you know that Teresa had been in a horrible hit and run accident last year, but I stand amazed at her miraculous recovery. On Saturday the team had been invited to a Bible study at a ranch about an hour from Zacatecas. This gave all of us a taste of authentic Mexican culture, once again. Upon leaving the ranch we hurried back to Zacatecas to have supper with Dr. Armando and his wife Angelica, who had given me and my secretary (Lauralee) the honor of participating in their wedding last August. The house was packed with family, neighbors and friends, and after supper we had a time of worship, and then we prayed for a number of the guests.

On Sunday morning after worship, I shared a message on “Jesus Preparing a Place for Us.” When I finished the message, Chuy asked Sean to sing a song. He played a guitar and sang “We Will Dance” – though in English, of course. It’s the first time in a long time that Sean and I had the opportunity to minister together outside of Harvest. After a quick lunch we went to a neighboring city called Jerez, where I shared a message on “Ask, Seek, Find.” Riding in the back of Chuy’s recently purchased Dodge Ram pickup was a real “chiller” through the week, but this night we nearly froze. On Monday, after confirming our airline tickets at the downtown office of Mexicana Airlines, we spent much of the time trying to figure out what to do, as we watched the weather reports coming in regarding the blizzard that was coming into Washington, DC. Monday evening, the night before we were to leave we had an emotional time of sharing together with Chuy, his family, and Mili, Isaac’s fiancé. We closed out the evening by taking communion together, and then returned to the hotel to pack for the trip home on Tuesday.

By Tuesday reports were coming in regarding the snow storm battering the D.C. area, and Stafford. We flew to Chicago, arriving about 6:00 PM, and went to the United Airlines desk to check our flights. We were told we could get a flight out at 9:00 P.M. – on Thursday, that is. So after two nights in Chicago, we would head home; fortunately we caught an earlier flight for 4:00 P.M., but wouldn’t you know it, our flight was delayed as we sat on the tarmac for two hours. I arrived home right at midnight, and was blessed to be back with Kathy, whom I had only seen for about four days in all of January. I was amazed at the amount of snow that had fallen during the storm, probably 30 inches were on the ground. Thankfully, our neighbors had helped Kathy clear the drive and steps. A metal shed that I had erected last year did not fare so well. It buckled under the weight of the snow. But, Kathy was safe, and I was home, so that is all that really matters.

On Friday afternoon we were informed that the Jeep I had rolled over before my trip was a total loss. So we spent Friday afternoon at the Jeep dealership, and came home with a new Jeep for Kathy. I hope I don’t have to buy a new car every Valentine’s eve!

On Thursday, Kathy and I will drive to Pennsylvania to visit Wayne and Joy Haines and their family. Before moving to Pennsylvania, Wayne had served me as a faithful son and worship leader at Harvest. We miss them terribly. So, I close with this prayer: “May God bless you beyond all that you could hope or dream.” Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as you remain in ours. I am eternally grateful for your love and support. If there is any manner in which we can serve you, please let us know. We truly love and appreciate each and every one of you, and hope to see you in 2010.

Serving Him with you,   Jim

November 11-13, 2009: Dayton, Tennessee: Driving four hundred miles on a rainy day is not my idea of a blessed day. However, Kathy’s grandfather had a saying, “It ain’t no use to murmur or complain; it’s just as easy to rejoice. When God sorts out the weather and chooses rain; then rain’s my choice!” So I spent Wednesday, November 11 behind the wheel, arriving late afternoon just east of Knoxville, Tennessee. I spent the night there, and then woke up the next morning to blue sky and sunshine. One hundred thirty more miles later,  I arrived at the top of Dayton Mountain, home of the National Association of Christian Athletes. (For you history lovers, Dayton, Tennessee is also the site of the famous “Scopes Monkey Trial.” John Scopes, a biology teacher in Dayton, purposely violated the law against teaching evolution in the public schools.  Two celebrity lawyers of the time, William Jennings Bryan (a creationist) for the prosecution, and Clarence Darrow (an atheist) for the defense argued the case before the Tennessee Supreme Court. The charges were dropped and the case was dismissed due to a technicality.) Okay, enough of that history. I had made the trip to Dayton to see Dick Burton and his Christ Prep Patriot football team from Kansas City, Missouri play in the national championship. This event offered me an opportunity to fellowship with Dick and Carolyn and three of their children. Dick’s team made a valiant effort against a much bigger, faster and more talented team from Bradenton, Florida. The Bradenton team had a season record of 11 – 0, and averaged 40 + points per game. The final score was Bradenton 26 – Christ Prep 8. Just as an aside, the Florida team became so frustrated by this smaller team keeping the game competitive, they committed seven personal fouls, four of which came in the fourth quarter. A highlight of the time for me was Dick’s invitation to have me speak to the team before the coaches, team, cheerleaders and parents took communion together. We did this on a bluff of the mountain that had a spectacular view. It was a clear day and you could see for over a hundred miles from where we gathered. Unfortunately for me, I began to feel quite ill that evening. (In Mexico we refer to it as Montezuma’s Revenge!) I’ll share more about that as I continue.

November 13-17: Cullowhee/Sylva, North Carolina: I drove five hours to Sylva, North Carolina to be with Ken and Dana Jenkins, Tom Gamble and the Covenant Christian Church. I had supper Friday evening with Ken and Dana, and a couple of others, and my physical condition continued to deteriorate. On Saturday, I begged off breakfast, and tried to rest, then joined two couples from the church for lunch. Saturday evening I had supper with  Ken and three of the leaders he is raising up for the local church. After supper I went to spend time with a number of the congregation, including some West Carolina University students, at Ken and Dana’s home. On  Sunday morning I woke, arose and as is my routine, fixed a cup of coffee. Then I proceeded to cough it up, along with last night’s meal. Yup, for the first time that I can remember in decades, I gave way to the “confetti sneeze”– vomiting three times. (For some of you this may be TMI – Too much information.) Anyway, this was not the manner in which I was hoping to use the morning to prepare to give the message at the church. However, even though I was nauseas and weak, God really helped me, and I was able to share Sunday morning a message on “Having a Victorious Eschatology.” I was deeply blessed and grateful by the response to the message, as numerous members of the congregation came and shared how it encouraged them. But, I canceled a planned lunch with James and Amber Schlosser, and headed back to the motel for some rest and recuperation time. (Actually, God bless Amber, who stayed home from church to make me chicken soup and rice, after already preparing a roast beef meal.)

Late Sunday afternoon, George Oliver the new campus leader whom Ken has discipled, raised up and released, gathered a dozen of his student leaders to sit with Ken and me for an informal opportunity to fellowship and share. As always, it was a wonderful opportunity to interact with some bright and committed university students.

Thankfully, Ken and the former pastor, Tom Gamble, sensitively rescheduled the breakfast for later on Monday morning, and I actually began to feel a bit better. In fact, I was able to keep down some scrambled eggs and toast, again giving thanks to God. I rested much of the day after meeting with Tom and Ken, and then spent a wonderful time with Ken, Dana and their four children for supper. That evening, George had invited me to speak at Campus Rock, the campus ministry of Covenant Christian Church at West Carolina University. Still weak, and actually beginning to lose my voice, God strengthened me for the occasion. I taught on “Learning from the First Miracle,” at the end of which, the students gave a standing ovation. Let me clearly say here, ONLY TO GOD BE THE GLORY. The meeting went on until nearly midnight, and as I dropped Ken at his home, Dana had awakened the kids to allow them to watch a spectacular meteor shower. What a wonderful way for God to bring closure to this time. Cosmic fireworks!  Even in the midst of being so sick and weak, it was a tremendous time to be with the folks in Tennessee and North Carolina. As I write this update, I am almost completely recovered. I wouldn’t recommend this as a diet plan, but I did lose about eight pounds during the week.

Today, Friday, November 20, Kathy and I are making preparations for Matt, Tina and the grandchildren to visit from Florida. We will celebrate Christmas a month early with the entire family, since Matt and family, as well as Sean and Wendy and their kids, can be with us. It will be the first time in a couple of years that the entire family has had the chance to gather. (Bradley Stuart will be joining us, as well.)

On December 1 Kathy and I will fly to Utah to be with David and Jennifer Price and their three children. David and Jennifer have recently relocated outside of Park City on forty acres. I have related to them for nearly two decades, beginning when the three of us were students in a Spanish School in Antigua, Guatemala.

Finally, on Friday December 4 Kathy and I will leave Park City and fly to Montana to be with Bill and Sue Peddie. Bill pastors a church in Hamilton, and as most of you know, Sue is Kathy’s younger sister. Bill has invited me to share at the church on Sunday, December 6. As many of you are aware, their son James’s wife Jill is in a serious battle with cancer. I ask you, as I close this update, to breathe up a prayer for God to intervene, touch her and bring complete victory to her in this struggle.

On behalf of all of us here at Harvest, and especially Kathy and me, may each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week. May God Himself manifest His power and provision in your lives. May His mercy and grace release tremendous joy in you. May the Lord bless and keep you in the security of His love. We love you, appreciate you, and pray regularly for you. Pray for us, please, that we can discern clearly the appointed from the unappointed, in order to be about Our Father’s business. I hope that our paths will cross in 2010.

In Him with you and yours,

Jim

October 22 – 26, 2009 – England: I only had a couple of days to unpack, catch up and then repack before Kathy and I were bound for England. We took the “red eye” flight leaving Washington Dulles International on Wednesday night October 21. We arrived on Thursday morning and then took a four hour bus trip from London Heathrow to Plymouth. Yes, this is the place from which the pilgrims left for America almost four centuries ago (1620).  (Kathy and I visited the site from which the Mayflower departed.) We arrived at our hotel mid-afternoon with just enough time to freshen up and then head for the first meeting. We were there to attend the Church of the Nations European Leaders Conference. As most of you are aware, under the counsel of Dan Wolfe and others that I respect, I became apostolically aligned to Tony Fitzgerald in August of 2009. Tony is the founder and one of the six members of the apostolic council that leads Church of the Nations (COTN). Thursday night and Friday were set aside for the apostolic team to address leaders. On Friday night the main conference began. It was a full schedule of meetings and workshops, beginning around 9:00 AM and ending after 10:00 PM each night. The conference focused on personal preparedness for the near future advancement of the Kingdom of God. Kathy and I met and fellowshipped with a number of people during the conference, many of whom recognized me from the photo on my manual, Sonship: The Path to Fatherhood. I was pleasantly surprised with how many folks had read the manual. Kathy, who simply adores England, was totally in  her element. I half expected her to stay in England, and let me return to America. One of the highlights of Kathy’s trip was a prayer walk through the city, which the leader gave detailed background of the city’s history. The highlight for me was simply becoming more acquainted with the COTN network, especially the apostolic leaders. We remained in Plymouth after the final meeting on Sunday, and then caught a bus early Monday morning back to London Heathrow. I had a bit of intestinal problems which began on Sunday, but made the trip without any embarrassing incidents. We arrived home on Monday night, and since then I have been attempting to catch up on everything both here in Stafford, and throughout my relationships around the world.

Today, October 29, 2009 – Stafford, Virginia: The leadership group here at Harvest made up of Dennis and Lauralee Harding, Bill and Melody Bannister and Jeff and Linda Ellenwood have done a great job of caring for the church while I have traveled. We are pursuing a course that involves redefining who we are as a church. We are committed to the idea of “being church” as opposed to “doing church.” We are looking carefully at the practical implications and implementation of our vision statement, which I believe God gave to me several years ago. It is the acrostic: REAP. (Reaching the lost; Equipping the saints; Advancing the Kingdom; Preparing a people.) To date we have been committed to helping two widows with cleaning, sprucing up and repairing their homes. Our desire is to impact our local area, without simply becoming another “service organization.” We’d love to hear any thoughts you might have regarding this.

Calendar for 2009

November 10 – 13 – Dayton, Tennessee: I will be meeting Dick and Caroline Burton at the National Association of Christian Athletes football tournament at Fort Bluff. Dick’s football team is a annual competitor invited to this competition. His son Josh is a starting lineman, and his daughter Rebecca has been a member of the cheerleading squad. The players on this team are either from private schools or home schooled students.

November 13 – 17 – Cullowhee, North Carolina: After the conclusion of the tournament on Friday, I will drive to Cullowhee, North Carolina to be with Ken and Dana Jenkins and Covenant Christian Church for the weekend. Ken is the senior pastor, succeeding Tom Gamble who retired last year. The church is a vibrant body of believers, having a powerful influence on the campus of West Carolina University through their outreach called Campus Rock. Ken founded Campus Rock over a decade ago, and has raised up a qualified group of leaders led by George and Mary Oliver.

December 1 – 4 – Park City, Utah: Kathy and I will fly to Utah to meet with David and Jennifer Price in their recently purchased home on the outskirts of Park City. David and Jennifer have related to me, since I met them at language school in Guatemala. They served as missionaries in Mexico, and were the persons responsible for connecting me to Chuy and Maria Ortega in Zacatecas. David now owns a successful window cleaning business in Park City, and the family remains closely related to Kathy and me.

December 4 – 7 – Hamilton, Montana: From Park City, Utah Kathy and I will fly to Montana to be with Bill and Sue Peddie. Bill pastors a Four-Square Church in Corvallis, Montana, and his son James leads at campus outreach at Montana University in Missoula. James and his wife Jill served as missionaries in Thailand prior to Jill’s current struggle with cancer. Sue is Kathy’s sister. We are trusting God that we can be some measure of strength and encouragement to the entire Peddie family. Please take a moment as you finish this update to lift Jill up in your prayers.

July 28 – August 7: Zacatecas, Mexico It had been nearly a year since I had been to visit Pastor Jesus “Chuy” Ortega, his family and the church in Zacatecas. I decided to go a few days ahead of the team to spend some personal time with them. The church is growing and doing well under Chuy’s leadership. Thanks be to God, Chuy’s sister Teresa, is miraculously healing from a horrible hit and run accident. The team, all from Covenant Christian Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan, arrived on Friday, September 31. The team included Pastor Dan Head, and his wife Glenda; Steve and Alice Janssen and their daughter Amanda; and Sue Baker (who is a Spanish teacher). I had a wonderful time with the team, and they were a genuine blessing to Chuy and the folks in Mexico. As we always do, we visited several sites, which those who have been to Zacatecas know so well. We took several meals with Chuy and his family, as well as with different families from the church. Amanda kept us laughing. Sue kept me from toying with the group in Spanish, and Dan and Glenda kept us in order. Steve and Amanda had the folks weeping in church, sharing a bit of their testimony. Alice used her freshly learned Spanish, too. Dan was able to share an encouraging message with the church, and I shared a new message on covenant. One of the memories that will stick with us all is that Dan had an attack of appendicitis beginning on Wednesday evening. By Thursday morning he was in severe pain. Glenda, after much haggling with Mexicana Airlines, was able to get them a flight back to the U.S. Thursday afternoon. Dan had surgery when they arrived back to St. Joseph that night. The remainder of the group stayed with me, and on our final night we had a very intimate and “tearful” time of fellowship with Chuy, Maria, Isaac and Anisa, along with Isaac’s girlfriend Mili. We ended the night sharing communion around Maria’s kitchen table. For those interested, I hope to return to Zacatecas sometime after the first of the year. I would love to take another team with me.

August 19: Stafford, Virginia Tony Fitzgerald, who is the founder of Church of the Nations (known as COTN, pronounced cotton), has invited Kathy and me to join his apostolic network. After meeting several times with Dan Wolfe, Tony and with other leaders, unanimously we have decided this was from God. Dan has not only blessed this decision but has also strongly encouraged me to do this. Therefore, on Wednesday, August 19, a summit meeting of tremendous importance to Kathy and me was held at our home in Stafford, Virginia. Along with Tony and Dan, Kathy and I hosted our son Sean, Dennis Harding, Bradley Stuart, Dick Nielsen and Don Coleman. At the close of our discussion, we took communion together, and then enjoyed further fellowship over lunch. Currently, Kathy and I are fellowshipping with Tony and his wife Marilyn to learn more about the ramifications of this decision. As I will mention later on, Kathy and I will be attending the European Leaders Conference for Church of the Nations in late October.

August 21 – 28: Michigan It is a privilege and blessing for Kathy and me to continue to relate closely to and provide a measure of oversight for three families in Michigan. They include Dan and Glenda Head, Jeff and Cheryl Bennethum and David and Judy Van Horn. On August 21 Kathy and I traveled to Michigan to meet with each of these families.

August 22: Pinckney, Michigan On Saturday afternoon we arrived in Pinckney, Michigan (near Ann Arbor) to spend some time with David and Judy Van Horn. They host a “simple church” meeting on Saturday nights with about two dozen people. Having been asked by David to share with the group, I gave a message that was inspired by Tony Fitzgerald on the book of John called “I Go to Prepare a Place for You.” The message was well received, and there was a nice time of discussion before we closed. Please join me in praying for David, since he struggles with severe headaches and battles some arthritis. Judy is in a highly stressful position as the director of student athlete eligibility compliance at the University of Michigan for the NCAA.

August 23 – 25: Benton Harbor, Michigan We left Pinckney early Sunday morning to arrive in time for the Sunday morning service at Covenant Christian Church in Benton Harbor. Pastor Dan Head had requested that I share on the subject of covenant, a message which the team had heard in Zacatecas. The remainder of Sunday and Monday was spent “feasting and fellowshipping” with various friends, family members (my brothers Tom and Don) and even a reunion with the Zacatecas ministry team. Travel does not help one’s effort to slim down, as you may have observed.

August 25 – 27: Gaylord, Michigan Kathy and I rolled out early on Tuesday morning heading for northern Michigan to visit Jeff and Cheryl Bennethum and their son Josh. The family owns an extremely fine restaurant called Bennethum’s Northern Inn. Josh is the amazingly talented chef, and together Jeff and Cheryl manage the business. Now, when I said above that travel does not help one’s diet, well, I am required to accept the burden of being a “gracious eater.” I wouldn’t want to offend my hosts, you know. So, again Kathy and I were privileged to some outstanding meals, great times of fellowship with both employees of the restaurant and various friends, and especially enjoying time with Jeff, Cheryl and Josh. Stepping on the scales after returning to Stafford just brings back sweet memories of “meals gone by.”

August 29: Stafford, Virginia We arrived home from Michigan on Friday, August 28, and the following morning I had the mixed blessing of helping my worship leader Wayne Haines pack a rental truck to relocate to Pennsylvania. It is a great opportunity for Wayne and his family, but we will sorely miss them. I will continue to relate to the family as a spiritual father, and we will make a concerted effort to fellowship regularly.

September 3 – 5: Charlotte, North Carolina In route to our vacation, Kathy and I made a detour to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit our close friends Bill and Gwen Eubank. We always have a wonderful time with them, and this was no different, except Gwen was a bit “under the weather” from a surgery to remove a growth under her jaw. The incision had not yet healed, and she was in a great deal of discomfort. On Friday evening, nearly the entire Eubank family came over for pizza. As always, it was a great blessing to just hang out and fellowship with the Eubank gang. I ask that you remember Gwen in your prayers, as she recovers from this surgery.

September 5 – 7: Palm Coast, Florida Kathy and I left Charlotte on Saturday morning to make the day’s journey to the gulf coast area of Florida. As most of you know, Matt has relocated to Palm Coast, Florida, but in recent weeks he has been working in Oklahoma. We were delighted to get a phone call while on route to his home that his work was finished and we would see him Sunday. Now, let me tell you, one of the greatest gifts God has given us is our grandchildren. It was raining as we were coming into their neighborhood. As we turned the corner headed for Matt and Tina’s house, Kathy’s and my heart leaped with joy. There stood the grandkids (Taylor, Emma and Levi) in raincoats, under umbrellas, jumping up and down as they recognized our car. Kathy almost jumped out of the car before we arrived. Grandchildren have a way of drawing out laughter, hugs and tears from Grandparents, you know. WOW! What a moment. Matt was still in route from Oklahoma, but we spent the evening being entertained by the grandkids with stories, songs, dancing and Emma’s gymnastics. Tina blessed us with an excellent meal – including one of my favorite desserts – tapioca pudding. Actually, Taylor made the pudding, and used an entire box for the one meal. On Sunday morning, we joined the family at Coastal Community Church, where Matt and Tina are involved in leadership. It was our first opportunity to see Matt, and that was also a great blessing. We had lunch with David and Carol Cape, Rod and Val Palmer and our family, and after lunch we spent the remainder of the time with Matt and Tina and the kids. As we were leaving, both Kathy and I were weeping with joy – and a bit of sorrow. Matt phoned us later to tell us that the kids chased the car down the street. Since we were crying, we did not look back to see them. I simply thank God for family. What a great idea He had in creating it.

September 7 – 19: VACATION As we have done for three years, we booked a beach side apartment on the Gulf of Mexico near Destin, Florida. This is the one time a year for Kathy and me to totally relax. Kathy read over five books (yes, over five), and I spent time reading through the draft of the new revision of the sonship book. We did make a trip to Pensacola to watch a performance of the Blue Angels (the Navy special flight team). My grand nephew Brandon McNally, a Naval Academy graduate stationed at Pensacola, was able to join us for this. All in all, the entire vacation was a well-needed and great time for Kathy and me, making our eighteen hour trip home worthwhile.

September 20: Stafford, Virginia In this season I have raised up a team to help lead Harvest Christian Fellowship. Dennis and Lauralee Harding, whom many of you know, are leading the team, joined by Jeff and Linda Ellenwood, Bill and Melody Bannister, and Bradley Stuart, when he’s in town. Dennis (whom we all call D.) has accompanied me in travels to Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay and Mexico, so many of you know him. Lauralee is my talented secretary, who types faster than an auctioneer talks, sings better than most professionals, and speaks Spanish like a native. After having said all this about her, she’ll probably want a raise. The team and I have discussed at length what it means to function “outside the box” as a church. One of the ideas was to use a Sunday morning to clean and repair a widow’s house. So on Sunday morning, September 20, the folks of Harvest showed up at the home of Linda Ellenwood’s sister, who was widowed last year. We tore down old sheds, cut trees, mowed lawn, weeded garden, replaced drywall, hung new doors and power washed the entire house in about three hours. I know this is not a typical Sunday meeting, but we all felt the favor of God in doing it. We used the admonition from James 1:27 “This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress…” as our inspiration, and perhaps our justification for doing it. The vision statement for Harvest was given to me several years ago during my morning devotions. It is the acrostic: R.E.A.P., which fits our name, Harvest. 1) R. is Reaching the lost. 2) E. is Equipping the saints. 3) A. is Advancing the Kingdom. 4) P. is Preparing a people. We are trying to bring clear and practical application into our vision.

September 21: Kathy and I, along with Jeff and Linda Ellenwood, attended a Church of the Nations cluster meeting in Richmond, Virginia. We took this opportunity to go to Richmond to connect with more of the people involved in COTN. It was an hour and a half drive each way, so after all our travels of the preceding week, and the work day on Sunday, I was feeling quite fatigued but blessed by all God is showing us. I guess for almost everyone I know, that this is a time of transition. Epochal change is taking place everywhere I look. Still, I thank Our Father regularly for the journey He has had for me, allowing me the privilege and honor to walk with His Son and His people for over four decades. It is a journey that I do not regret.

September 23: Richland, Michigan On Wednesday morning, Kathy and I began the twelve hour drive to Gull Lake Conference Center in Michigan to meet with Dan Wolfe and the leaders and wives that Dan has related to over the past decades. I was blessed to see a number of people whom I had not seen in several years. Jim Newsom was the featured guest, and he shared a couple of messages on being natural in the supernatural. Ron Milton shared an inspiring report on working with “street people” in the Lansing area. Tripp Sheen gave us an update on equipping disaster relief teams, which he is coordinating throughout the state. The conference began on Thursday evening and ended with communion on Friday afternoon. So, Kathy and I began the long journey home as soon as the conference was finished. A major highlight of the conference for me was the worship being lead by Glen Head and two of the worship team from Benton Harbor. Also, Glen and Monica Janssen did a powerful skit leading into communion. I had seen the skit the last time Kathy and I visited Benton Harbor, but it still had us in tears as we watched it again.

TODAY: September 30: Stafford, Virginia Perhaps the above will give you a clue as to why I have been a bit guilty of neglecting to communicate. As I close, we are preparing for the annual Harvest Men’s Retreat this weekend. Below is my calendar for the days ahead. I deeply appreciate each of you, and I deem it a real privilege to journey together, making every effort to advance His Kingdom in the earth. Your prayers are invaluable, your financial support is essential, but your friendship is what I treasure. Please keep in touch, and if there is some way in which we can serve or encourage you, please contact us.

CURRENT CALENDAR

October 2 – 4: Stafford, Virginia Harvest Men’s Retreat

October 5 – 19: Sydney, Australia Ministry and personal visit with Gerard and Lorraine Schokman including a weekend Business Person Retreat and Seminar at Colloroy Beach in New South Wales. (Possible visit to Queensland is pending.)

October 22 – 26: Plymouth, England Kathy and I will be attending the European Leaders Conference sponsored by Church of the Nations in Plymouth, England.

November 10 – 13: Dayton, Tennessee Dick Burton, who resides in Raymore, Missouri, is a sales representative for a tech company, but also serves as the head coach of a very successful private school football team. I have served Dick and Carolyn as a pastor and spiritual father for many years. Dick’s team will be playing in the NACA National Football Tournament in Dayton. His son Josh, a high school senior, is a member of the team. I will join with Dick and other members of his family to enjoy some time of fellowship and to cheer them on to success. By the way, three times in the past six years under Dick’s coaching, the team has won the national championship.