May 31, 2010

What a Monday it was! No beehive was busier than all of our help from the Central Church of Christ and we who work daily in the World Evangelism Building. Together, we accomplished more by 2:30 p.m. than we expected to achieve in a week of help on site.

The Archive Room of literature collected over nearly half a century received more intense attention than it had received in years. Nearly 500 titles of books, besides archival copies of The World Evangelism and The Voice of Truth International magazines, in several languages, including Braille grace the shelves. Much of the archival material has been shrink wrapped, logged into a computer or is in the process thereof.

Pallets were placed beneath the last of the boxes of books and magazines throughout the main warehouse. Almost every box touched had to be moved twice (or more) to remove the boxes from where they rested, place the pallets and re-stack the boxes. It is surprising what can happen and how quickly with a small army of eager beavers!

Others performed general cleaning, sorted materials or prepared envelopes for future mailings. One big chore was the application of strapping tape to nearly 600 boxes of The Voice of Truth International magazine for future shipment, first by tractor trailer and then by oceangoing ship, to recipients in a number of nations overseas.

These workers of today and leaders of tomorrow barely paused long enough for lunch. They are a credit to the Lord, to their families and to the Lord's family (congregation) of which they are a part.

Everyone deserves a restful nights sleep. However, before entertaining getting cleaned up and retiring for the evening, there was the matter of the nightly devotional.

We could hardly get some of them to stop. One young man said, "Do we have to?"

May 29-30, 2010

Bonnie, Rebecca and I traveled to Huntsville, AL by way of Florence, AL. We lunched with Janet and Wayne Barrier at his favorite Chinese restaurant and conferred regarding mission work abroad over the months remaining this year. Chiefly, we talked about our impending trip (June 19—July 3) to Myanmar and our follow up trip this fall to India and Myanmar.

By about 5:00 p.m., we were enjoying the fine hospitality of Joyce and Howard South in Huntsville. It is always like coming home to be these two fine brethren; it's like we have always known them. The cats even warmed up to us!

Sunday morning, I presented "Because of the Center Cross" and preached "What Is the Mission of the Church?" After worship, Joyce and Howard took us to their favorite Chinese restaurant. It's a good thing we like rice as often as we have been frequenting Chinese restaurants lately!

Next, we drove four and a half hours back to Winona, MS to barely arrive before 25 young Christians and their adult mentors from Central Church of Christ in Cleveland, TN made their way to the World Evangelism Building. These brethren came with a commitment to work for the Lord, howbeit, behind the scenes.

Following supper and a devotional, it was time to check all those young'ns into a local motel. Usually, we turn our homes into bed and breakfasts for our visitors, but the sheer number in this group overwhelmed our capacity to easily do so.

May 24-28, 2010

Gospel Gazette Online and The Voice of Truth International magazines monopolized Bonnie and my time this week. Friday, Therman Hodge, who preaches for the Macon, MS Church of Christ, confirmed his travel with Bonnie and me to India and Myanmar in the fall of 2010.

May 23, 2010

The end of an early Sunday morning drive of about two hours led us to the Siwell Road Church of Christ in Jackson, TN. It was my good pleasure to show the PowerPoint, "Because of the Center Cross," about our fall 2009 mission trip to India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. For the worship hour, I preached, "What Is the Mission of the Church?"

Sunday afternoon, we were treated to a Chinese lunch by W.E. and Judy Walker, and we were entertained also that afternoon in their home. Sunday evening, I presented, "Because of the Center Cross" at the Clinton, MS Church of Christ. Afterward, we enjoyed a supper meal at Shoney's with John and Erin Allan; John preaches for the congregation there.

May 19-21, 2010

Wednesday evening, Bonnie and I made about a 200 mile round trip to the Macon, MS church of Christ and back. The small group of seasoned Christians there always receive us wonderfully, and they help make it possible for Bonnie and me labor for the cause of Christ abroad. In addition, brother Therman Hodge cemented plans to accompany Bonnie and me in the fall of 2010 to the Yangon, Myanmar Bible School.

For three days I have been wired! I've been wired in more ways than one as we fought with networking problems, new software installation and computer equipment failures. I think we have won the war, finally! One dying router replaced as well as shifting software programs and data from an ailing computer to another, healthier CPU, plus the installation of additional computer program suites, maybe in the near future we can redirect our energies to greater productivity.

Dennis Larson completely remolded the major databases on which we rely and finished working out the kinks Friday afternoon. Without him, I doubt that we would have solved the other issues noted above by week's end either.

Besides this, we folded 1,000 tracts this morning and shipped 500 personalized tracts (The One True Church of the Bible) to a congregation in California. (Our morning started early—very early as we didn't leave the office yesterday until briefly after midnight this morning.) Additional packages of books were shipped to various recipients stateside today, too. While sometimes it seems surely that we should have accomplished more by day's end, some days eat up every minute and demand all of one's attention.

May 17-18, 2010

"Spinning our wheels and accomplishing nothing for two days," Bonnie said when I asked her what we had accomplished Monday and Tuesday. "No," she relented, "Dennis [Larson] is in, and he is accomplishing a lot," refining our databases in the office. I, on the other hand, fought elusive problems with our office network Monday and Tuesday. Some successes, yet we're unsure if we have resolved every malady presently challenging office operations.

The routine in Winona today included various team members processing mail and donations, loading a tractor trailer shipment of literature headed for a freighter on the east coast, printing 1,500 tracts (The One True Church of the Bible) to fulfill current and future orders, banking, phone calls, data management, etc.

May 16, 2010

Sunday morning, I presented my PowerPoint lesson, Bible Archaeology, for Bible Class; for worship, I gave my PowerPoint sermon, The One True Church of the Bible. At 3:00 p.m., I preached, The Rest of the Story, at a residential home for senior members of the churches of Christ. Reoccurring heavy showers notwithstanding, we headed for the house in Winona, arriving around 10:30 p.m. (CST). The dear friends and co-laborers in the cause of Christ we meet along our pathways is sheer delight and encouragement.

May 15, 2010

Saturday morning early, we headed from Maywood Christian Camp to Heritage Christian University, where area congregations were hosting a Mission Forum. We set up the World Evangelism display and books for sale.

Late in the afternoon, we mounted the chariot once more and aimed for Ooltewah, TN. We were dinner guests of and overnight boarders in the home of Cathy and Winston Stringfield. Their hospitality and the gentle attendants in their granddaughter, Victoria, and her schoolmate and friend. Also present for supper were Leroy and Jane Dedmon; brother Leroy is the Operations Manager for Global Broadcasting Network (GBN).

May 12-14, 2010

Wednesday morning, Bonnie and I headed for Maywood Christian Camp outside of Hamilton, AL. Likewise, other World Evangelism Team members converged at Maywood and cleaned cabins, fixed plumbing leaks, etc. in preparation for the Annual Maywood Missionary Retreat; we readied the camp Wednesday and Thursday morning. Wednesday evening, we attended Bible class at the Hamilton Church of Christ.

A lectureship in the woods! Birds flying through the pavilion and dogs wandering from person to person, looking for handouts or attention, and yet, the lessons are comparable to the finest presentations in our most renown lectureship programs. Relaxed, some of us in camp chairs complete with cold soft drinks, gentle breeze caressing us, we gave rapt attention despite the lack of soft, cushioned pews. Some of the speakers even made PowerPoint lessons though we were in a semi-outdoor setting.

In addition to the male speakers for the primary program, there was a ladies' class moderated by Betty Choate. Of course, there were plenty of eats, too! Friday night, we were treated to The Barrier Family Entertainment Hour. I repeat, a good time was had by all!

The official count, a little down this year, was 82 in attendance. It is difficult to select dates that are agreeable to the most people (and before youngsters begin using the facilities), and this year's schedule conflicted with some college graduations; otherwise, the attendance would have been 100 or more as it usually is.

Fun was had by all, and we were recharged. Some expressed that "Retreat" is a misnomer for the mission-minded Christians present, and that next year, we should advertise the event as the "Annual Missionary Reload!" Let me know if you would like information when it is available for next year's missionary get together.

May 10, 2010

I assigned myself four primary tasks for today, and I accomplished all of them. Usually, I plan more for myself than I can possibly get done, or someone else introduces some unplanned project into my day's activities. First today, I was able to ascertain that finally the Spanish edition of the next issue of The Voice of Truth International is ready for the printing company to print. I sent the digital computer files to the printer, and we'll see if the printing company concurs.

Second, Bonnie and I got the pictures printed for and attached to the visa applications to Myanmar for our June mission trip. We packaged everything, including our passports, and express mailed them to our expediter in the Washington, DC area. Those four visa applications, shipping the visa applications and paying for the return shipment, application fees and expediter fees totaled about $275.00.

Third, Jerry Bates and I tri-folded his newsletter, all 715 of them, on our folding machine. Fourth, Bonnie, Jerry and I collated, assembled, folded and stapled, and trimmed the booklet for the Maywood Missionary Retreat later this week.

May 9, 2010

We finalized visa application information for ourselves, Rebecca and Randy Gaddy. To do that, we had to wait to leave Collierville for Winona until about 9:45 p.m. Randy had to work, and we needed to wait for him to finish up that evening before he could fill out his forms. With forms and passports in tow, Bonnie and I headed for Winona; we arrived about 12:20 a.m.!

Also of note Sunday, we received $2,400.00 for printing literature in Myanmar and border areas in adjoining countries, such as China. That is about half of the $5,000.00 we proposed to secure for literature for Myanmar (Burma). We hope to make a major effort of providing Gospel literature especially in Myanmar. The number of Christians has blossomed from about 50 in 1997 to over 6,000 presently. Tracts, books and Bibles can assist greatly our Burmese brethren in reaching more of their countrymen.

May 7-8, 2010

Friday and Saturday, I printed the little booklet for the upcoming annual Maywood Missionary Retreat outside of Hamilton, AL. Monday, Bonnie and I will assemble it into a saddle-stapled booklet and trim the face edge to make it presentable.

The Maywood Missionary Retreat is like a lectureship in the woods. Missionaries from around the world come in if they can, and former long term and current short term missionaries — and their families — populate the two-day event (this year, May 13-14). Attire is casual (e.g., blue jeans are ever popular), but the lessons and fellowship are stellar. Birds fly through and a couple of dogs wander through on occasion looking for someone to share a snack. Cabins are air conditioned, but motels are near by and some bring camping trailers. The fee is $10 daily apiece to cover food and lodging. Call Bonnie Rushmore at (662) 283-9946 or email her at Bonnie@gospelgazette.com if you want to come this year; time is short, but we have space remaining.

Friday afternoon, brother Don Roberson, minister for the Coffeeville, MS Church of Christ and I visited a mother and daughter in Winona who had been visiting the Coffeeville congregation. We will begin soon a series of Bible studies with these two women.

We are spending Saturday evening in our favorite Bed and Breakfast, Rebecca's home in Collierville, TN. Tomorrow we will finalize visa applications for the upcoming mission trip in June to Myanmar, on which we, Rebecca and Randy Gaddy will be going. We anticipate teaching about 30 young people of Baptist and Buddhist backgrounds, besides some who are members of the Lord's church.

May 6, 2010

Whereas Paula and Jerry Bates worked on mailing The Voice of Truth International magazine previous days this week, Bonnie and I finished up that mailing on Thursday. Bonnie worked on preparatory work for the upcoming Maywood Missionary Retreat, and she ordered some needed computer software for the office. I worked on Jerry and Paula's newsletter, including printing it with our digital duplicators.

At the house, Bonnie and I worked in the yard several evenings this week (e.g., mowing grass, making flower beds, poisoning brush and poison oak [it seems to like the stuff], etc.).

My back has been hurting off and on (mostly on, lately) for two weeks or so. I had a similar problem, though temporary in nature, about three years ago. This time the problem seems reluctant to heal, but, then, life goes on, and I cannot completely stop lifting, working or moving! Now, my wardrobe includes an inexpensive, self-treatment Wal-Mart purchased back brace. I attempted to skip a day recently, but soon found that I had better not do that. The other evening at the Batesville civic center, Bonnie, Betty and another preacher's wife carried the boxes of magazines between the car and the building and I just kind of walked along with them and talked.

May 5, 2010

Wednesday, Betty Choate, Theola Burton (Betty's mother), Bonnie and I concluded a day's labor with attending the North Mississippi Gospel Meeting at the civic center in Batesville, MS. Gary McDade was the evening's speaker, and perhaps 300 were in attendance. Brother McDade labors with Global Broadcast Network (GBN).

We were well greeted by new friends and brethren in Christ that we have met over the past nearly three years since moving to Winona. I was privileged to lead the opening prayer that night. We made available for free distribution copies of the latest issue of The Voice of Truth International and Global Harvest magazines. I also left a few million dollars on the display table to be picked up by passersby (information about our missionary work is printed on the reverse of these eye catching novelties. We also gave away a few promotional ink pens with our contact information on them.

On the way home, we sidetracked to Shoney's for some dessert. I didn't know this, but shoes are not required at this location! Because of her bunions, Theola opted to not put her shoes back on when exiting the car, and she went bare foot (with hose) into Shoney's. Since Batesville and Winona are an hour apart and we veered from the path on the way home (Shoney's), we arrived back home about 11:00 p.m.

May 4, 2010

Tuesday, brother Salvador Cariaga and his wife, Jenny, from the Philippines stopped by the office in Winona. He has a ministry in his country that includes teaching ministers of the Gospel to raise goats to support themselves in their ministries. Goat milk, goat cheese, goat milk beauty products and goat meat are popular in Asia. Older children in the children's home that he conducts also make bracelets from recycled paper, with which they help to support themselves. Brother Salvador and his wife are reporting to stateside supporting congregations and hoping to interest others, too, in their labors.

May 3, 2010

Monday, all day long, in two time zones, was a travel day back to Winona, MS. We left southern Georgia about 10:00 a.m. EST and angled northwestwardly, arriving back in Winona about 7:20 p.m. CST. We made few stops along the way, only the necessary brief pauses for the car or for us. Bonnie worked diligently on the mobile office on her laptop computer as I drove most of the way, although Bonnie did finish the trip and drive us into home base. We encountered rain for an hour or so, but avoided the torrential rain and flooding that battered Tennessee this weekend, destroying property and taking lives.

May 1-2, 2010

Saturday, we spent the day traveling through half the width of Mississippi, completely across Alabama and into Georgia to be in place for worshipping with the Lord's church in Warner Robins, GA the following day. Originally, we had thought we would travel part of the way Friday night, but we, as usual, didn't get done at the office as soon as we thought we might, and we realized that it was only a seven and a half hour drive—not counting necessary stops along the way for the car and us. We arrived at our lodging in a motel by 7 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time, though we had begun our journey in Central Standard Time).

Finding the church building, and finding it unlocked, we set up PowerPoint equipment, displays and books for Sunday. Next, we sought and found at Cracker Barrel a late night supper before returning to the motel. Upon returning to the motel, we fired up our mobile office—two laptop computers in high gear. I amended my PowerPoint lesson on Beverage Alcohol for tomorrow's worship, and Bonnie worked on the booklet for the upcoming Maywood Missionary Retreat next week outside of Hamilton, AL. We called it quits about midnight.

Sunday morning, we hurriedly readied ourselves for the day and repacked the car with luggage, hanging clothes, our personal bed pillows and our mobile office. We arrived at the meetinghouse about 20 minutes before 9 a.m. Bible class, whereupon I presented my Bible Archaeology PowerPoint lesson. During worship, I made my Beverage Alcohol PowerPoint lesson and gave a copy of my book by the same name to each family. Not always well received, today not a discouraging word was heard, and extra copies were requested to give to other congregations and a Christian school.

It's funny how things work sometimes. Several weeks ago, I preached for the Lakeside Church of Christ in Orange Park, FL about The One True Church of the Bible. The preacher, Mike King, evidently passed a copy of my book, Beverage Alcohol, that he had received to one of the elders from Warner Robins, Tom Loftis, who obtained cases of the title for his congregation. The elders of that church, having read the volume, requested that I personally present the material to that church.

Some bit of confusion led me to making an evening appointment elsewhere in Georgia when the Warner Robins congregation desired me to stay for the evening worship, too. After the heartening reception at Warner Robins and enjoying a fellowship meal, Bonnie and I pointed the silver van southward to Dasher, GA. I had never autographed as many of my books in one place at one time as I did today following the morning worship.

Two and a half hours later, or so, we arrived in Dasher, GA. Due to a couple of baby showers ongoing, we gained access to the meetinghouse through an unlocked door. We had ample time to set up displays, books and equipment. The elders were meeting and afforded us a few moments to confer with them about our overall work.

Tonight, I made my PowerPoint presentation, Because of the Center Cross, about our mission trip in October-November 2009 to India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar (Burma). Several brethren encouraged us afterward. The church lodged us in a motel before our return on Monday to Winona, MS. We sought another late night meal and turned in for the night after midnight.

As we prepare for the night's sleep, we wonder what tomorrow's travel will bring. We have viewed on the television the devastating and deadly floods, especially in Tennessee; even Interstate highways are under water. Though we will not be venturing into Tennessee on our return trip, we will be driving into still more similar storms in Alabama and Mississippi; we may find flooded highways as we angle our journey northwestward toward home.

It's been a good day, and there is nothing I enjoy more than teaching and preaching the Word of God to an interested gathering of souls. For me, this is more "fun" than a video game, trains or anything else to which my peers or I typically resort for awhile on occasion.