Bible Doctrines to Live By - Ministry Update February '08

Home

Articles

Ministry Update February '08

Dolly’s Diary Ministry Up-Date

February 2008

Well, the much anticipated Christmas season and New Year’s has come and gone and we are already well into the year 2008. We did have a great Christmas with our four granddaughters. We had our Christmas on Christmas Eve. It started with the Candlelight Christmas Service at Rush Creek Bible Church. That was a refreshing hour of blessing. Then we went on back to our home for dinner and And then, Christmas Day we were invited to go to our good friends Dave and Mary Plaggemars, and have dinner with them. We enjoyed that very much too.

add a word We are on the road again! As usual, it was hectic getting started. I started gathering things together early hoping to avoid the last minute rush. Lee got the motor home out of the garage, vacuumed it all out and cleaned the carpet before taking it in to get the oil changed and a grease job. We were right on schedule and the motor home would be back on Wednesday, June 6th which would leave us two days to get things put in and organized. Well, best laid plans sometimes never work. The mechanic called and said they had found several things that needed repaired to avoid a major breakdown later. So, we didn't get the motor home back until 11:00 Friday morning - we had to be on the road on Friday! Our granddaughters, Saige and Sierra, were going with us so I called them and said I would be picking them up later than planned but to be ready by 2:00. Needless to say, we worked hard for a couple hours, but did manage to get everything in the motor home - not put away or very organized - and I left to pick up the girls while Lee finished getting the motor home ready to go.

We finally got on our way about 6:30 taking time to eat dinner before leaving. We had driven about 150 miles when the motor home started over heating. When that happens the engine shuts down and we either have to stop or most often Lee is able to get it started by gearing down and slowing the engine down. We drove as far as Lafayette, Indiana where we pulled off and parked in a Wal Mart parking lot for the night. In the morning we purchased some anti-freeze and made sure the radiator was full - we began the process of elimination!

That was not the problem. Lee talked on the phone with several mechanics and they all gave some suggestions and Lee continued the process of elimination. Nothing worked. Of course, it was Saturday and so we were unable to get anyone to service the bus. We did not arrive in Alpha, Kentucky by 4:00 in the afternoon as planned but rather about midnight. But, praise the Lord we were safely there and on time to begin our ministry at Old Bethel Bible Church on Sunday morning. It had been a long and frustrating ride.

As we were traveling we were in touch with Joel and Susan McGarvey. They were on their way to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for their first Vacation Bible School. They hadn't gone far when they began to have problems with their motor home. We all came to the conclusion that the Lord was either testing our faith or Satan was trying hard to discourage us. On one phone call with Susan she said we all had to make a decision to either let Satan have the victory or to let the Lord know we trusted Him. We chose the later and all went on our way. They, too, arrived safely and on time for their ministry.

Our ministry in Alpha began Sunday morning with Sunday School and Church. And, then in the afternoon we spent time setting up for Vacation Bible School followed by a time of Bible study and fellowship in the evening. We were off to a good start.

The Vacation Bible School went very well. It was held in the evening and was well attended by both children and adults. It was my privilege to teach the Bible lessons and what a joy it was to watch, especially the intermediate age class. just "soak it up." The boys won the offering contest and the end result was that Jeff Bertram (currently acting pastor) got "dunked" in the horse trough.

After VBS was over the adults were sitting around having a good time of fellowship and the young people were playing volley ball when Lee said he was going to take our dogs for a walk. Bob Bertram went with him. Well, when they came back there was this awful odor!! Yes, the dogs had played with a skunk! So, at 10:00 p.m. we were giving Daisy and Sassy a bath in tomato juice! It helped but did not eliminate the odor.

Lee had spent all his spare time working on the motor home. He drained the anti-freeze and checked the water pump to find out a lock nut had worked loose and that was the problem. He took the water pump off and Tim Bertram replaced the "nut" and took the pump in to a mechanic to have it all checked out. Then it took Lee a couple more days to put everything back together.

We left Alpha after Lee got the motor home running on Saturday afternoon and made out way north towards Springfield, Ohio. On the way we stopped in Lexington, Kentucky and talked with Finley and Marty Hunter a couple times on the phone. We had hoped to visit with them for awhile but it just didn't work out. Finley and Marty have been friends and great prayer warriors and encouragers throughout our ministry.

We then drove on to Tipp City, Ohio where we parked at the home of Ron and Paula English. Lee had talked with Ron about putting together what would be needed to get a "clay pigeon" slinger for target practice at Cowboy Camp. When we got there Ron had it all ready and it was quickly loaded into the motor home. The cowboys and cowgirls will enjoy this new activity at cowboy camp.

We had discovered one of the air conditioners in the motor home was out of coolant and so Ron helped Lee find someone who could take care of that problem also. The gentlemen found the leak, fixed it and replaced all the coolant. Praise the Lord!

It was good to renew fellowship with the folks from Tipp City and catch up on all the news from that area.

We had also discovered an oil leak in the gear box for the squirrel cage radiator fan - oil was getting all over. Lee again called the mechanic and had pretty much decided to just keep oil in it until we got back to Grand Rapids. We had been problem free, except for regular maintenance, on the motor home for the last couple of years, and so it was getting frustrating to have all these problems.

We left Tipp City Wednesday morning and drove to Springfield, Ohio where our next Vacation Bible School was scheduled. It would go from Thursday through Saturday. Lee would also be speaking Wednesday night and Sunday.

We were warmly received by Pastor Jed Rosenthal and some of the other men. It wasn't long before we were parked and all set up. When Pastor asked how the motor home was running Lee had told him about the oil leak. We hadn't been there too long when a mechanic had been contacted and by Thursday morning they were working on the motor home.

We are currently in the midst of the Vacation Bible School and just this morning 7 children trusted Christ as their Savior. Again, we rejoice and praise the Lord.

We ask for your continued prayers and thank you for praying for us. May the Lord bless you all!

Winning, working and waiting,

Cowboy Lee and Dolly