Newest Church Established...

We had a wonderful time in Romania and God blessed us greatly. We formally established the Ineu De Cris Baptist Church at our children's homes. This will be for serveral reasons, mainly this wioll provide a church for our children to go to. When we go into the village we take over the small churches there. This will also solve our transportation problems of getting everyone to a church, now they just walk to it! This will also give us an opportunity to be a lighthouse to our village. We already have a few people who come to our services we hold at the homes. The cost to build a church on our property will be approximately $15,000-$18,000. So please pray with us that God will supply this need.

I had meant to write while I was there but I couldn't find a spare minute do it. When I had the time the Internet was down. It rained every single day we were there. Our children are counting down the days until school is out and they can have a little time off. I have found kids are the same no matter where they live!!! We have one of our older girls, Timea, graduating on June the 6th. She will be our 4th child to graduate from high school. It's so sad and yet exciting at the same time to see these children grow up and going out on their own. We only have five of our "original" children we started out with almost 10 years ago. God has blessed us so much.

On a sadder note; two of our older girls, who had recently moved out, faced a real trajety in their lives while we were there. Dorina and Ana Maria's mother whom they had just resently made contact with again died of cancer. We went to the funeral and it was so very sad to see the faces of the people there. Most have no hope beyond what today brings and the only way they knew how to deal with this death was to be stone drunk. It greived my heart for the girls sake and made me so glad that we were able to have them in our home for almost

How much does a meal cost in an airport?

We left for Romania on the 15th from Greensboro, NC after a great week of meetings at Grace Baptist Church. We ended the revival celebrating National Buttermilk biscuit day! Now who would have ever thought that there would be a day for biscuits? I'm not opposed to a day of celebration over any type of food, but you have to wonder who gets the job of sitting around and deciding what "things" get a day of celebration? Makes you wonder don't it?

It was our first time to travel through Greensboro and I can't say it was any different than the last 50 airports we've been through. A chance to be run through the Security gate like a herd of cattle, take off your shoes, now your belt, okay empty your pockets cause you must be hiding a bomb somewhere in there. No Ma'am you cannot have your shoes back yet! Is this your lip gloss? Now it's mine! Can you please open your carry on.... Oh,that's a purse? It looks big enough to carry a bomb in. Do you have any liquids? No you cannot have 3 bags for liquids, Ma'am. Are you sure all of these drugs are yours? Yes Ma'am you can carry all of the things you had to empty, take off or remove now and can you move it quickly?

Once you get redressed, repacked and rerouted you then realize your hungry. now, airports offer many different types of food to choose from. The Big Guy decided he wanted pizza, so we went in search of pizza. We found some and after ordering a personal pizza each (which would be about the size of 3-4 slices of regular pizza) we get the bill. It cost us $12.00 for those two tiny little pizzas. Big Guy was still hungry so I gave him my pizza and said I'd go get a sandwich. It cost 0ver $8.00! Well, at that point I figured the best place to invest money would be in airport food! Somebody is making a killing on it!

We made it to Budapest an hour late because of delays and then drove the 3 1/2 hours to the children's homes. We are looking forward to some exciting times here. On a sad note 2 of our girls, Dorina and Ana Maria, mother died from cancer today. They had just moved back home a few months ago to be with her. She had dropped down to 55 pounds and had suffered so much that her death was a relief to her and her family. She had claimed to know the Lord and that is all we can go by. Her funeral will be on Monday and we will be there to give support to the girls.

Pray that God will be a witness during this time of sorrow for the girls. We grieve that this has happened but also know that God doesn't make mistakes. I will report more of the happenings as the days go by.

The Amazing Body God Created....

Can anyone explain to me the use of those (to put it delicately) bodily fluids that flow so freely from our noses? It must be for some purpose other than just giving the Kleenex company a secured markey. It amazes me that God can make the human body so perfectly and then add something like sinuses to it! The Big Guy and I have both been bothered with that sinister seasonal sniffle. It works out great cause we have one day off to be sick and then it's back to "the schedule". If it's not scheduled we can't do it, that means being sick also! I can truthfully say that we are blessed in that we're not sick very often.

Well, we had some bad news from Romania... Our van that was in a wreck in November of 2007 and that we've been trying to get the Insurance Company to pay to get fixed called and said they would not pay! This is really bad for us. We have been borrowing or renting a car since November and it has been a hardship for us. We are waiting on the Lord to show us what to do next. Pray with us that we'll be able to resolve this problem. You cannot minister without a vehicle. Our closest church is 45 minutes to an hour away. We have so much we need to do when there that we can't be without a van. I'm glad God is in control.

Happy Mother's Day to All...

Today is Mother's day and it is a happy time and sad time for me. I am so blessed to be the mother of two of the greatest kids in the world. Peachy, our daughter, is married to The Car Nut and they are both holding down jobs and going to college. Which I'm told is hard after being out for many years. She has turned into the strongest, most driven woman I know. She holds down a stressful job where she is loved and respected by many. She is involved in her church and loves the Lord. No babies yet but when the time is right they will know. Our son, Preacher Man, has become a delightful man who loves God, his family, his church and me! He and Gracious Lady have graced me with 3 of the most delightful grand babies in this world. I cannot agree more with the millions of others who say it is the greatest joy you can receive.

My mother passed away 21 years ago. She died from Leukemia the day after we buried our oldest son who died from an epileptic seizure. It was one of the deepest valleys I have ever walked through, but I found God's grace was even in that deep valley. So every year I go through this mixed emotion of joy and sadness, but I also know that I will see my momma again in Heaven. I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful Mother's Day celebration.

Good Friends and needed Prayers....

As we closed out the meeting in Chesterton, Indiana it was with a sad heart. We had been met with the news that a dear friend and brother in Christ is now battling cancer, and another friend was diagnosed with MS. There are many who because of failing health and old age may not be there next time we return.

Life is always precious but when you see your friends in pain or battling sickness it reiterates the verse in James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." We have no promise of tomorrow or even of our next breath. I believe in giving roses to dear ones before they are in the grave: I thank God he allowes us the great honor of calling Brother Don Magnason and Brother Steve Allmon our dear friends. Brother Steve has been the Adult Sunday School teacher and Song Leader for as long as we've been going there. He is a true friend.

Brother Don has shown us what a real Christian brother is indeed. He has a heart for others and is willing to work in whatever way that he can. He and a group of men from the church came and worked at our barn raising we had. He was a wonderful and diligent worker. He and his wife, Marilyn, are very special to us. Our prayers are with these dear families as they face the valley's ahead.

The front of the church at Chesterton

Brother Rick Henderson

Brother Rick's mom and Dad have been married 61 years!

Sister Teddy is a real prayer warrior for the Lord.

More Travels and lessons learned...

This blogging stuff is all new to me and I keep thinking that this can’t be too hard to do… then I try to add things on to my “sidebar” or stick a picture into a certain place and everything goes berswacky! The really distressing thing is that I have a book right next to me!! Who said it was so easy that anyone can do it? I’m sure it had to be that guy who wrote the book! Well, I hope you can have a little patience with me as I learn and when something doesn’t work just tell yourself that surely she’ll get it right eventually.

I think God looks at us serving Him in the same way. We have HIS Book, the Bible, right beside us with all of the instructions right in front us and we still mess up over and over! I am so glad we serve a Savior who forgives all our mistakes… I know I keep Him busy!

We begin revival services at the Chesterton Baptist Church On Sunday the 4th of May. We have known Brother Henderson and his family for close to 20 years and it has been a joy to see his children grow up, marry and have children of their own and faithfully serving the Lord. That is a mark of faithfulness and love for their parents. We travel on to Randleman, North Carolina for revival with the Grace Baptist Church where Brother Marvin Patterson has pastored for many years. Then we go back to Romania the rest of May and into June.

We have a Baptismal service planned for our 1st Gypsy church in Belfir and hopefully we will be able to get the building program started for the 2nd Gypsy church in Gurbediu. We are close to having the third Gypsy church in Bertin closed in and ready to start on the interior.



Help us pray for the $3000.00 needed to finish this church.













The Church in Bertin, Romania and our Gypsy congregation there.