Alas! I'm sorry for being such a bad blogger over the last few months. I can't believe 2 months has gone by so quickly! So much has happened for the gospel though, I feel like I still must share my experiences. Here's a brief review of the last few months by church's where we've had meetings.
Greenville, SC:This was a particularly exciting time for me. I was able to visit with my sister, her husband, and my adorable nephew Cai! He's now begun to smile and interact more, so it was a delight to see him a lot. We enjoyed a week off in Greenville, then had a week of meetings at Heritage Bible Church. I believe the highlight for everyone was the Irish Concert we had our last night there. The week's focus was evangelism, so it was exciting to see many visitors
come out and here the gospel. Church members who had not seen results in inviting their friends experienced the joy of actually having those friends attend the concert and hear the gospel. Our team left Heritage with the blessing of seeing evangelism at work in that local church.
Kennerly Road Baptist Church; Irmo, SC:
We returned to old friends at Kennerly Rd. Pastor Ledbetter and his family have been friends of our team for years. Mrs. Ledbetter recently went home to be with the Lord after several years of fighting cancer. God's grace is evident in the lives of the Ledbetter family. Fellowship was sweet as we looked to the God who heals the pain death brings. The story I want to share though is from our last night there. After the Irish Concert, I was able to talk to a girl in her early twenties who responded to the gospel. God was clearly at work and she was under conviction. I went through the gospel several times and pleaded with her to give up the world for Jesus, but she could not at that moment break the ties. Finally, after I had said all I could, we prayed and I let her go. Unrest was written all over her face as she was leaving. Before she walked out the door, Will Galkin stopped her. All he did was ask one question, and she broke before the Lord. Without any prodding from Will, she immediately cried out to God for salvation! Tears of joy streamed down her face replacing the awful anxiety she had been under. What a glorious transformation! What a privilege to witness such a miracle.
Rock Hill, SC:
Two days after talking to the girl at Kennerly Rd., the Lord again gave me an opportunity to witness His saving work. After the Sunday morning service, a young teen girl responded to the gospel. She had just been released from a juvenile detention center. Her past was filled with the emptiness of worldly pleasures. That morning she knew God wanted her to change, and she turned to Christ.
Wilmington, NC:
This church has one of the largest Christian schools I have ever seen. Almost 900 students attend from Pre-K through 12th grade. Enrollment requires you attend a church, but many of the churches these kids attend are questionable. That week around 70 young people received Christ. Our team spent the mornings counseling kids after the elementary and high school chapels. Daily we were sharing the gospel with many people. What a gift from the Lord!
Cheraw, SC:
This church is comprised of very dear faithful Christians living in a small town. The church worked very hard to invite friends to the various services and events we offered. Once again, I had the opportunity to talk with a woman who responded to the gospel. She is in her thirties living with her young son in a new home she just bought. She'd been through some hard times and thought this new home would bring her happiness. She wasn't finding satisfaction though. That night she realized Christ is the only One who satisfies and believed on His Name. She realized no amount of good works she did would get her to heaven. She found Jesus - the only Way.
Yates Thagard Baptist Church, SC:
This is the home of a dear friend of mine Pastor Sammy Frye. I've never met anyone like Sammy. Sammy has the gift of compassion and love for people. Humility, meekness, and evangelistic fervor flow out of him. This was the first time I met his brother - Bruce Frye. Sammy had been saved in his twenties and prayed for years his brother Bruce would receive Christ. Bruce was living in Nashville pursuing a music career and had no desire for God. God was at work in Bruce's life though and kept layering the pressure on until finally Bruce repented. Bruce described himself before salvation as being a cocky, arrogant man full of pride. This is definitely not how Bruce is now. He is very meek and unassuming. He serves, loves, and shares his testimony through evangelism all across the nation. Please pray for their third brother who has not yet received Christ.
This about brings us up to date. As you can see my cup has been full of the blessings of Christ. Never before have I been able to share the gospel with so many people in one semester. Who am I that the Lord should allow me to see such things? I praise Him for allowing me the privilege of being able to be a part of such a ministry. Even though I travel in evangelism though, I know I do not see souls as I ought. God break me over the lost and give me compassion! May each word, motivation, and deed be done for the sake of the gospel!
