Whirlwind! That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of the recent weeks! Dwayne and I drove to Little Rock, SC where he gave a missions report to Little Rock Baptist Church about our international outreaches. This small church contributes in a big way to Kingdom Air Corps’ work in both Russia and Pakistan. What a blessing they were, cheering us on, encouraging us in the work the Lord has laid before us.
On the drive home, we breakfasted with a dear friend and evangelist, James, who very recently lost his wife. He had his daughter and two-month-old granddaughter with him. His wife, Zanthia, had been Dwayne’s hospital nurse when he’d had his triple bypass three years ago. She was an effervescent Christian who prayed with him in the hospital, followed up in prayer after he’d been discharged, and would call him every few months to hear his prayer requests. We miss our vivacious prayer warrior very much and we hope we were some comfort to James and his family.
Arriving home around 8:00 pm, we arranged an 8:30 planning meeting at our home for Kingdom Air Corps summer projects. Around 11, Dwayne fell into bed for a nap, as the alarm went off at 1:30. He showered and added a few last-minute things to his suitcase, and off he went to the airport to catch a 6 am flight to California. He was to speak at Camp Paradise, located in the mountains of northern California. A group of about 400 Russian youth, ages 17-25, had gathered from across the country and as far north as Alaska. Now, if you’ve been following the news, you’ve heard of the record-breaking snowfalls in northern California, especially in the mountains. We’d bought Dwayne some snow boots for the occasion. Unfortunately, the night before Dwayne arrived, the roof of the main camp building collapsed under the weight of nine feet of snow. The camp leaders evacuated everyone to Sacramento where several churches offered to house, feed, and provide meeting spaces for the participants! It’s a wonderful thing how those brothers and sisters worked together to carry on with the camp. Dwayne is speaking now, as I write on Friday.
Saturday morning at 6 am, he catches a flight to St. Louis, Missouri where he is speaking at another mission conference Saturday evening and Sunday. He gets home Sunday night, and I expect he will collapse soon after he arrives!
Sometimes it’s like this in ministry—go, go, go! The Lord provides strength even when we don’t feel able to carry on. It’s very encouraging to us to see His empowering when we are tired. This is the promise of Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”
Please continue to keep us in your prayers as Dwayne runs hard after God. Pray for times of rest along the way, and wisdom to know when to take a needed break. Thank you for your continuing partnership with us in ministry, and know that we love you!