Major Victory

Ten days ago I boarded my flight out of Detroit feeling tired. This morning as I await my flight to Amsterdam and connect with the flight back to Michigan the weariness continues—only with a renewed sense of fulfillment.  With nights usually short and days quite long, the activities from before daylight to well after darkness, the results have been a God-thing.  It’s the kind of things for which I live! 

With less than twenty-four hours of preparation on the ground, my friend Damian Pickett and I waited at the Birmingham (England) airport for the arrival of three additional ministry partners—Brandon, Mick, and Rick Vigneulle.  Their delayed flight finally arrived almost two hours late but after ramping up an $80 short-term parking bill, we were on our way.  After a quick meal and short stop-over at our “headquarters” in Cannock, we pointed our hired van toward Buckley (Wales) for our first youth rally, hosted by Bob and Jan Marshall and the Ebenezer Baptist Church.  Result:  ten teenagers and two adults placed their faith in Christ as Savior!

The itinerary placed us in Llanfairfechan (Wales) with Kevin and Kim Davis, who were the kind of hosts that everyone in itinerant ministry loves to run across.  After a power-packed youth rally in the town’s community centre (Result:  18 young people whose names were added to the Lamb’s Book of Life), the Davis’s drove us to near the top of one of Wales tallest mountains and the nicest bed and breakfast I think I’ve ever experienced.  After viewing the Irish Sea/Atlantic Ocean and the town lights below from my open window, I signed deeply (Debbie wasn’t with me to enjoy these wonderfully romantic moments) and retired for the evening.

Following a leisurely breakfast, the Davis family escorted us throughout the region, packing our day and evening with a tour of castles, villages and shops. Of course, our time in the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogogh (yes, that is correctly spelled) was mostly spent trying to learn how to pronounce the town’s name!  (Result:  Brain fatigue … and bubble bath thingies for Debbie)

Sunday services took us to Libanus Baptist Church with Kevin Davis and Colwyn Bay’s Woodhill Baptist Church with Leonard James. (Result:  8 became Christ followers and 11 trusted Christ in these churches respectively).  After the drive back to The White House in Cannock and getting to bed at 3:00a Monday morning, we took the rest of the day off, resting and running a few errands, but headed to Wrexham, Wales Tuesday morning in time to meet Dixie and Larry Quade for a wonderful Dixie-cooked lunch, some rest and conversation, and an evening service.  (Result:  9 adults and 2 young people accepted Christ as Savior)

Wednesday morning we were up at 5:00a, rolling by 6:00a, after a night’s rest in the home of the Quade’s, and racing to a school assembly at the Hillgrove School in Wrexham by 8:45a.  (Result:  Major doors are now opening into public schools because of this one particular assembly’s success!)

We treated ourselves to lunch at Hard Rock Café in Manchester on our way back to “headquarters” at The White House, where we set up the equipment and conducted our final youth rally.  (Result: 4 more young people making Jesus Christ their Savior)

This offers only an overview of how God was working, but I’ll give you a couple of follow-up articles over the next few days.  Right now, I just need to catch my breath before heading back out the door for a weekend of missions emphasis in local churches here in Michigan. 

BTW, do you pray?  If so, would you pray for these 51 people who came to faith in Christ and the effective discipleship for each of them through the local churches with whom we are partnering?

Cheers!