Anna Lee

Tuesday

“I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,

that you should be for salvation

to the ends of the earth.”

~Acts 13:47~

This request for Callie Jo Brunett was written yesterday morning:

Calli Jo Brunett from Loranger.

Tommy and Debbie Brunett’s daughter.

She is a few years older than Savanah, maybe 22 or 23.

She had a cold that turned into pneumonia.

She couldn’t breath and thought she was having a heart attack.

They took her to North Oaks and her oxygen level was only 60.

She was panicking and the doctors put her into a coma and put her on a ventilator.

She has air pockets around the lungs that are bleeding.

They are giving her units of blood.

They have chest tubes in her lungs.

The doctors are running test but have no idea so far.

It all started from a common cold from what they know so far.

Tommy and Debbie are so overwhelmed at this point.

Please pray for them to have faith through this.

And pray that the doctors find out what this is and fix it and get her out of this coma.

This all happened so fast, everybody is just in shock and confused.

I will email you again after I get back from the hospital.

Please forward this to your prayer chains.

Thanks again, Sherie

P.S. These are the Brunetts that have the Old Farmer’s Day in Loranger. Very big close family. They are all in shock right now.

Pray for Hollie K., a local young lady was was a M.K. and who will be leaving in three weeks for eight weeks of training to be a M.K. teacher to four children in West Africa. She will begin her assignment early in January. It has been my pleasure to know family members for years and to become better acquainted with his young lady lately. She will be a great M.K. teacher! I am so excited about what the future holds for her and what she will be able to accomplish in her new position.

October 2008 Prayer Requests and Praises

for Team Bucharest

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

Freedom is important to us all. We know many people throughout this world are not free in many ways. BUT the most important freedom most lack is freedom in knowing the Lord as their Savior. Pray for those bound in spiritual darkness to see the light of the Savior and break free from the chains that are holding them in darkness.

Floyd and Freda Angeletti- “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed – I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. Isa 43:10-12

We have so much to praise the Lord for but His word is such a blessing and a special retreat under His hand. As you pray for strength, healing, wisdom, patients, guidance, and blessings, He so often uses His word to provide it in our life.

· Praise Him for those who send special notes of encouragement or information about those we would be concerned for. We praise Him for you and know that you are reading this because you are a prayer warrior. We appreciate you taking time to join us in the battle for souls. Your prayers open many doors and prepare us and them for the word and love of God to be shared.

· Praise the Lord for the 11 ladies in Freda’s new international ladies Bible study. Last week she had women from seven countries. This group frequently grows through October.

· Praise God for the care He takes of His missionaries. We see so many examples of His faithfulness even in what appears to be adversities among our colleagues that we can praise His for His obvious care in accidents, loss of precious loved ones, illness and other circumstances.

· Please praise Him for the growth He is allowing us to see in our university/career group. We surely must sometimes wonder who is growing more, the group or us. It is definitely our blessing.

· Praise the Lord for those who He has called out to come to Romania to serve Him. Pray for them as they prepare for the journey and that leaving family and friends will be a blessing to all.

Our Prayer Request:

· Freda has a flight to Baltimore on October 18. Please pray for strength, protection and safety as she travels. Pray that she will feel well and have peace from the Lord.

· Please pray for Freda as she keeps an appointment October 20 at Johns Hopkins Med Center to see about degenerative discs and a Tarlov cyst in her lumbosacral spine. Surgery has been suggested by two clinics that do not do surgery on Tarlov cyst. Pray for wisdom and understanding for the medical team and Freda during the process of evaluation.

· Pray for Freda as she prepares for the trip. Pray that she will fully accept that the Lord has opened many doors in this process and that He will take care of everything here.

· Pray that the pastor and his wife who have offered to host Freda be blessed by her presence and that the ladies who have offered to drive her will also be blessed for their care. And please pray that Freda will have many opportunities to witness to the church about missions and that every opportunity will glorify God.

· Pray also for Floyd as Freda is going through this process and he remains in Romania. Please pray that he will be a willing and pliable instrument in the Lords hand and that task presently before him will be accomplished in a way that brings glory to God.

· Please pray for the international women’s Bible study. Pray that the Lord will call out those to lead the group and that it may continue to reach out to many who do not know the Lord as well as those who are looking for spiritual guidance and Christian fellowship.

· Pray that the Lord will raise up English speaking Romanians to fill the opportunities we have in several locations to use English as a Foreign Language as an outreach tool.

Thank you for your prayers and for using your faith to left us before His throne.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NKJV

Richard and Wanda Clark (Stringer, Mississippi)-

1. Please pray that we will use our time well in getting ready to leave and that we will make wise decisions about what to take with us, what to sell and what to leave in storage.
2. We will be traveling a lot over the next couple of months. Please pray for our safety and that the Lord will use us as we speak to churches about our ministry in Romania. We will be in Richmond, October 6-12, for training and immunizations.
3. Begin to pray now for us that the Lord will bless us in our language studies when we arrive in Bucharest and that we will be faithful to work hard and be able to communicate with the Romanian people in their language very soon.
4. We also ask that you pray for the church in which we have been serving, as they search for a new pastor and continue the work that the Lord has allowed us to be part of for the last three years.

Roger and Melinda Russell (Belton, Texas) – Thank you for praying for us as we traveled in September. We enjoyed being able to go with Kyle to Union University. We met one of Kyle’s suitemates, Zach who is a MK from West Africa and his mother. We also saw where Jordan lives off campus and checked on him as he continues to recover from his tonsilectomy and the healing of the trach area. Currently Jordan is going to physical therapy for his left shoulder. Somehow during his time in the hospital his left shoulder was injured. Pray it heals correctly and Jordan will be patient as his body recovers.

From Jackson we traveled to Nashville, Erwin, and Maryville Tennessee, Taylors and Easley South Carolina, Jefferson and Williamson, Georgia and Stringer, Mississippi. It was nearly two weeks of traveling but we enjoyed getting to visit with friends we have not seen in awhile and make new friends. It is absolutely amazing how God arranges things. Most of the friends we saw are former colleagues who God called back to the US to minister here. We enjoyed catching up and hearing how God is working in their lives and how he is using them in his ministry. In Erwin TN we enjoyed meeting the members of Calvary Baptist Church and talking about God’s work in Romania. In Georgia we stayed with the Brewer family. Their daughter Sarah stayed with us a couple of times during the past two years in Bucharest. We felt instantly at home with them and with their friends in their house church. They were a blessing to us!! We also were able to see Richard and Wanda Clark in Mississippi and hear how God has been preparing them for returning to Romania in December. It was a great trip!!

On September 10th we attended the missionary appointment service at FBC Jonesboro GA. Eighty-three missionaries were appointed. We were able to see friends appointed. We first met them in 2000 when they came on a mission trip to Romania. Now they are going to South Asia to be used by the Lord in his ministry there.

September 19th we had to opportunity to speak to the WMU at Fellowship Baptist Church in Morgans Point Resort (outside of Belton where we live). We enjoyed an evening of fellowship (great food) and speaking about Romania.

We are looking forward to visiting Jordan and Kyle at Family Weekend at Union University October 3rd-4th. Yes it has only been a month since we have seen them but it is a good time to check on the boys, meet their friends, and take part in the activities during the weekend. Please pray for us as we travel.

October 20th-24th we will be taking part in mission week at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor here in Belton. Pray for God to use us and the other missionaries present as we share about our countries to students and staff at UMHB. We have already met some students that are ready to be used by the Lord here and to the ends of the earth.

October 31-November 2nd we will be at Northway Baptist Church in Angleton for their mission conference. Pray for us as we speak about God’s work in Romania.

Bucharest Christian Academy – Thanks so much for your prayers for BCA! While the ‘critical’ bases are covered (thanks to willing hearts and flexible people) we are still in need of staff members. Our K-12 music, K-12 art, business manager, 7th-12th social studies, and 7th-12th math positions are still available-for you or someone you may know :)! And, it’s not too early to be thinking about next year, when we’ll have elementary positions available too! If you’re looking for an amazing group of colleagues to work with, cool kids to invest your life in, and a bit of adventure BCA may be the place for you! http://www.bcaromania.org

Angela Stamps (Team Romania) is completing missionary orientation. The commissioning service is October 1 for all the missionaries who are at orientation. Angela will return to Dallas on the 2nd and will be there until she leaves on Oct. 16th for Romania (arriving on the 17th).

Prayer requests for Angela…”That I would know how to pack and prepare for the winter months in Romania as I get ready to head over there. This will be my first legitimate winter ever, so I’m a little nervous about it. That’s one thing growing up in the tropics didn’t prepare me for. Also that as I pack, I would have discernment as to what is important for me to take and what I could live without what with all the airplane weight rules and such.”

“My niece was born on September 9th in Irving, Texas. She weighed in at 6lb9oz and 18 in long. Her name is Sahara Xiomara (pronounced Siomara) Stamps. Can you tell both of her parents are MKs? Pray also that I would treasure the time I will have to spend with her and her parents before heading over, but that I would know how to let go in a healthy way.”

Pray for Angela as she prepares for this new adventure with the Lord, as she flies to Romania, gets settled in Bucharest, and learns the Romanian language.

Torch Mission Europe

Pray for Romanian Baptists as they work with other national Baptists reaching the lost of Europe. This month they will be in Brussels, Belgium 11th and 12th and Paris, France 25th-26th.

Love in Christ,

Melinda Russell

Team Bucharest

Website for Team Bucharest and Team Romania- http://www.imbromania.ro

Cottage Prayer Meetings tonight @ 6:30

George Eddie and Alice Fay Lee
Joey and Karen Miller

Pray for the fall revival.

Please feel free to share your praises, requests, and updates so we can all pray.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Anna Lee

Monday

“As for me, I will call upon God,

and the Lord shall save me.

Evening and morning and at noon

I will pray, and cry aloud,

and He shall hear my voice.”

~Psalm 55:16-17~

Baptist Press

TENNESSEE–‘See You at the Pole’ gets students praying. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28988

WASHINGTON–ERLC urges stronger tobacco regulation. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28989

TEXAS–After Ike, churches assess their future. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28990

OHIO–Ike’s impact felt far beyond Texas, Louisiana. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28991

TENNESSEE–‘Hounddog’ movie depicts child rape. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28992

HAWAII–Hawaiian kids claim ‘Outrigger Island.’ http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28993

HAWAII–VBS partnership boosts sister churches. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28994

HAWAII–Mainland church travels to Hawaii for VBS. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28995

TEXAS–FIRST-PERSON (Bob Stith): Did God create Ray Boltz gay? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28996

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE
INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD
Monday, September 29, 2008

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1, HCSB)

Dear Intercessors, this is Debbie Cox of the International Prayer Strategy Office, inviting you to pray for those in prison.

As the big door swung closed and the keys jingled in the lock, the missionary couple and two national partners were secured in the prison for worship and praise. This was the second time in as many months, and familiar faces began coming into the room. After a time of singing, the Living Word was preached in English and Xosa, followed by prayer requests from the inmates. Only after a few hours, did the time of worship, prayers and fellowship end.

Behind these prison walls and doors at Kirkwood Prison in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, are men who know the Lord. Several have come to know Him since arriving in prison, asking forgiveness of the sins and crimes they have committed. Please pray for the group of 25-30 men who come to worship and learn more about God. Pray for those who have a relationship with the Lord; may it continue to grow and mature. Intercede for the Christian prisoners who give leadership in the prison to be bold in their conviction to follow Jesus, stay rooted in His Word, and lead a prayer life that will enable them to be beacons of light in a dark place. May they keep their eyes on Jesus so as not to become discouraged.

Please pray that this, and similar, prison ministries will continue to grow, adding souls to the kingdom of God.

Remember the families of inmates, who face many hardships without a son, husband or father.

Ask God to reveal any specific responsibility you may have in reaching out to those in jail and prison in your community or to their family members.

Deacons for the week

James Miller
Harrell Sharkey

Cottaqe Prayer Meetings @ 6:30 P.M.

Tuesday
George Eddie and Alice Fay Lee
Joey and Karen Miller
Wednesday
Fellowship Hall @ church
Thursday
Andy and Betty Taylor
Mary Young
Friday
David and Anna Lee Alford
Judy Fowler

Fall Revival @ FBC, Kentwood

October 5-8
Sunday @ 10:30 A.M. and 6:00 P.M.
Monday – Wednesday @ 6:30 P.M.
Dr. Preston Nix – Covington
Bro. Daryl Dunigan – Franklinton
Nursery provided for all services
“Ya’ll come!”

Have a marvelous Monday!

Anna Lee

Sunday

“But you shall receive power

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria,

and to the end of the earth.”

~Acts 1:8~

Aura asked me to forward her note. Please be in prayer for her and the staff in the Mobilization Office at California Baptist University. Pray also for Aura as she takes seminary classes at Golden Gate Seminary.

Thank you!

Melinda

Greetings from California! It has been almost three months since I returned to the States and so much has happened during that time! I have gone back to school and am working on two master’s programs and that has proved to be quite the challenge! I am learning to balance work and being a full time student in 2 grad programs and it’s hard and sometimes impossible.

I started working in the Mobilization Office at California Baptist University. I have been blessed greatly thorugh this opportunity! I primarily work with the International Service Projects(ISP) and we are prayerfully hoping to send out 40 teams of 10 during the summer of 2009. We are also looking at sending 9 teams in the United States this year. Right now we are in the middle of a HUGE mobilization effort. October 1st is the deadline for all who want to be involved in leading a team in the US or abroad(students and staff) and it is also the United States Projects(USP) deadline for students interested in participating. The Lord has been good to us and brought along many wonderful people who will be a great addition to the team, but we still have a great need, especially for leaders! We do a lot of training for leaders and students from January to May, so it is a pretty big time commitment, as well as a financial commitment because leaders have to raise support as well. Please pray that the Lord will send workers…leaders and students who want to go! We have 304 students in the application process right now, but would like to have at least 300 more because we realize from past experiences that not all the students who have started the process will complete it. Pray for those who the Lord is calling, but who are letting the distractions of this world keep them from fullfilling that call!
Pray for our staff. We are under a lot of pressure! Ask that He would give us the wisdom to know who needs to go and who needs to stay. There are students in the process who will clearly be staying behind for now, ask that He will give us discernment! November 1st is the ISP deadline.
We also see the economic state we are in as a nation right now, but know He has called us to this regardless of the state of the economy, so please also pray that our supporters will continue to give. Ask that He will help us to keep our eyes on Him and trust that He is more powerful than we can possibly ever imagine. Ask that He will do great things in order to bring glory to His name! We all feel so blessed to have this amazing privilege of joining Him in this work and want nothing more than to bring glory to His name through the work He has called us to do!

Thank you so much for your prayers!
Be blessed,
aura

A J Hart
(March 24, 1956 – September 25, 2008)

Mr. A J Hart was born March 24, 1956 and passed away at 12:17PM on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at the North Oaks Medical Center, Hammond. He was 52, a native of New Orleans and a resident of Independence. A J was the son of Mrs. Helen Johnson & late Ernest Hart of Independence. He is also survived by 3 sons, Brad Hart, Scotty Hart, & Jason Hart of Brookhaven, MS; 3 sisters, Frances Failla, Independence, Geraldine Howell, Loranger & Mary Hart, Hammond; a brother, Willie Hart, Independence; 2 grandchildren, & numerous nieces & nephews.

Preceded in death also by his 2 sisters, Peggy Hart & Sandra Sue Hart.

Visitation will be at the McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, on Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 6:00PM until 9:00PM and on Sunday, September 28, 2008 at the Little River United Pentecostal Church, Tickfaw, from 1:00 PM until Religious Services at 2:00PM with Rev. Adriene Spikes, officiating. Interment in the Church Cemetery.

An on-line Guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite is located at I-55N & Hwy 16W behind Coggins-Gentry Ford.

Pauline Marie Genco Schittone

Pauline Marie Genco Schittone died Friday, Sept. 26, 2008, at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. She was 83, a native of Amite, and a resident of Baton Rouge. Visiting at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd., on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with recitation of the rosary at 6:30 p.m. Visiting continues at St. Thomas More Catholic Church on Monday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Entombment in Resthaven Gardens of Memory Mausoleum. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Joseph A. “Joe” Schittone Sr.; a son, Joe “Joey” Schittone, of Washington, D.C.; a daughter, Debby Lane and husband Bill, of Watson; three stepgrandchildren, Chad Lane and wife Donna, Candace Lane and Kyle Lane and wife Crystal; four stepgreat-grandchildren, Taylor, Chase, Kyleigh and Kade Lane; and a brother, Paul Genco, of Amite. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Pauline Genco; sisters, Catherine “Katie” Cuti and Mary Cefalu; and a brother, Sam Genco. Pallbearers will be Chad and Kyle Lane, Charles “Hoyt” Cuti, Greg Genco, Joe Eddie Schittone and Donnie Schittone. Honorary pallbearers are Dominick Cuti, Jack Datz and Carlos Saladras. Special thanks to Dr. Moraes, Dr. Froelich, Dr. Oubre, and the critical care physicians and nurses of the MSCC unit.

On Mission in Kentwood yesterday involved twenty-gout (24) volunteers. It was a very productive cay. Each one of the volunteers made a difference! Thank-you to all who participated.

Women on Mission (WMU) will meet at 4:00 today in the Heritage Room. You are invited to attend.

Cottages prayer meetings will be this week for the fall revival which begins next Sunday. There will be two cottage prayer meeting each night Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. You may choose which one you wish to attend.

BECOMING

The famous actor Gregory Peck was once standing in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded Los Angeles restaurant. They had been waiting for some time, the diners seemed to be taking their time eating and new tables weren’t opening up very fast. They weren’t even that close to the front of the line. Peck’s friend became impatient, and he said to Gregory Peck, “Why don’t you tell the maitre d’ who you are?”

Gregory Peck responded, “No, if you have to tell them who you are, then you aren’t.”

There’s a great deal of wisdom in that statement. There’s a big difference in who we think we are, who others think we are, and who we really are. Someone has well said that, “Reputation is who others think we are. Character is who we really are.” As Christians, we ought to be more concerned with character than with reputation. Christianity is more than just knowing the right facts. It’s more than going through the right motions. It begins in the heart; it’s who we are.

There is a continual process of growing and adding Christ-like virtues to our lives. Peter wrote, “Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” (2 Peter 1:5-8). We never stop “becoming”; it’s an ongoing process. There’s always something positive to add to our lives, always something negative to try to get rid of.

We have different ways of measuring growth. When Sueanne and I would take our children to see the pediatrician, the nurse would always check their height and weight. Then that information was written onto a chart that gave us a picture of how they were growing. When we get to be adults, we measure our growth by whether or not we can fit into last year’s pants.

But how does a person measure his growth in Christianity? In Ephesians 4:15-16, Paul says, “…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body…causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Paul says that it’s time for us to grow up, it’s time for us to mature. But what is the goal of our growth? Jesus Christ is!

My favorite picture of the growth of Christianity is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Paul says it’s as if we’re holding a mirror in our left hand, and a picture of Christ in our right hand. Now when we look in the mirror and see our reflection, and we then we look at Christ, they don’t look much alike. But every day as we mature, we grow up, we become more like Christ, striving for the day when we look in the mirror and see the reflection of Jesus Christ.

Knowledge, conduct, and character must always go together. We learn God’s will so that we might obey it; and in obeying it, we serve him and grow in Christian character. While none of us is perfectly balanced in these three areas, we ought to strive for that balance.

May God bless you as you seek to “know” His will better, “do” more in service to Him, and “become” more like Jesus Christ!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a great day of Bible study, worship, and service this Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Saturday

And all of you must put on the apron of humility,

to serve one another;

for the scripture says,

“God resists the proud,

but shows favor to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5 (TEV)

Baptist Press

September 26, 2008

GEORGIA–‘Fireproof,’ on both sides of camera, promotes a biblical view of marriage. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29005

CALIFORNIA–‘Fireproof’ makes Hollywood premiere. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29006

GEORGIA–Director recounts making of ‘Fireproof.’ http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29007

TENNESSEE–REVIEW (Dwayne Hastings): If you see only one movie this year…. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29008

NEW YORK–Land joins protest of Ahmadinejad dinner. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29009

TENNESSEE–MARRIAGE DIGEST: Calif. marriage amendment supporters lead in fundraising. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29010

TENNESSEE–IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Barack Obama & John McCain on the federal courts. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29011

ARGENTINA–Towers of solitude: Reaching Buenos Aires. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29012

ARGENTINA–Getting behind closed doors in Buenos Aires. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29013

ARGENTINA–Immigrants seek work, life in the city. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29014

ARGENTINA–A proud Muslim finds the path to peace. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29015

ARGENTINA–One by one, Jews seek Jesus in Buenos Aires. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29016

CUBA–Cuba’s hurricane survivors getting Baptist relief. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29017

VIRGINIA–WORLDVIEW (Erich Bridges): Cities: challenge of a new era. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29018

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Kelly Boggs): For naught: dinner with Ahmadinejad. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29019

Theda “Nana” Ovino
(June 16, 1929 – September 26, 2008)

Died at 7:45 a.m. on Friday, September 26, 2008 at Gulf States LTAC of Hammond in Hammond. She was a native of Piave, MS and a resident of Amite. Age 79 years. She was a member of Arcola Baptist Church. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 9 a.m. until religious services at 12 Noon Monday. Services conducted by Rev. Bob Simpson. Interment Montpelier Cemetery, Montpelier. She is survived by 2 sons, James J. Ovino, Jr., Metairie and Gregory Ovino, Baton Rouge; brother, William Newbill, Sacramento, CA; and many other loving family members. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Ovino; daughter, Sheila White; parents, George and Myrtle Newbill.

DOING

You probably heard about Larry Walters several years ago. Larry was a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. He went down to the local army surplus store one morning and bought forty-five used weather balloons. That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the helium-filled balloons. He took along a six-pack of beer, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.

Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky — smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, forcing the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon, causing long delays in flights from across the country.

Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions:

“Where you scared?” “Yes.”

“Would you do it again?” “No.”

“Why did you do it?” And I love this response. He said, “Because you can’t just sit there.”

Now, don’t get me wrong. What Larry Walters was a terribly stupid thing to do. But I wish more Christians had the attitude that we need to do be something — “because you can’t just sit there!”

Last week, I wrote about the importance of knowing, doing and being in our Christian lives. Yesterday, I expounded on the idea of “knowing.” Allow me this morning to say a few words about the need to “do”.

James wrote, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22). He goes on to describe a man who reads the Bible, but he doesn’t put it into practice. He says he is like a man who looks in the mirror. He sees his hair is messed up, he needs to shave, he has a dirty smudge on his cheek, but he goes his way and does nothing about it. Looking in the mirror has done him no good. So is the man who reads God’s Word, but makes no effort to put what he reads into practice. But, “He who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25).

In Matthew 25, Jesus described the scene of the Day of Judgment. He describes the separation of the sheep from the goats (and our eternal destiny) based on what we have done. It is clear from the words of Jesus that Christianity is a series of verbs, action words — visit, feed, clothe, go, teach, encourage, give, love.

So, what are we accomplishing for the Lord? What are we doing? The Lord doesn’t demand the unusual or the sensational, but he does expect something. What are we doing? We’re not truly living Christian lives unless we’re doing the work of Christ. We don’t just need to know; we need to do.

We need to strive for balance in our spiritual lives. There are some Christians who spend all their time learning God’s will. Constantly studying, learning, getting a handle on every obscure passage and an argument against every false doctrine. But they never get around to doing. And there are others who are busy doing good works, but they haven’t spent enough time with God’s Word to know if they’re really following God’s will. But God’s desire is that we have both knowledge and obedience:

“That you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10).

May God make you “fruitful in every work” as you “have a walk worthy of the Lord.”

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Reminder: On Mission in Kentwood at 8 A.M. today.

Anna Lee

Friday

So be careful how you live,

not as fools but as those who are wise.

Make the most of every opportunity

for doing good in these evil days.

Don’t act thoughtlessly,

but try to understand

what the Lord wants you to do.

~Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)~

KOMpray

Kids of Mission Pray

Prayer requests

“Let the little children come to Me,

and don’t stop them,

because the kingdom of God

belongs to such as these,”

Luke 18:16b

GOD PROVIDES FAMILY

Missionaries show the love of Jesus to lots of people, and they always want the people to learn as much as they can about the Bible. A missionary in Colombia told a mother and her 12-year-old boy about Jesus. Both of them became followers of Christ! In your church when someone accepts Jesus, don’t they get baptized, start going to Sunday School, and learn more about the Bible? Well, this mom and son didn’t get to stay around long enough to learn much. They had to travel to a big city because the 12-year-old was VERY sick. He has to have a liver transplant.

The mom and son went to the city where there was a good hospital. It was the right thing to do, but they didn’t know the city well and they didn’t have any family or friends there. The mom just moved in to the hospital with her son. God is so good. He gave them new friends-new Christian family. The missionary called some friends in the city. They are now taking care of things the mom and son need-they are helping them with things like food and they are teaching them more about Jesus and the Bible.

Please pray for the mother and the boy. They are still waiting for a new liver so the boy can have his surgery. Also pray for the boy’s 9-year-old sister who is staying back home with her grandmother. Thank God that we have Christian family no matter where we are.

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS FROM MISSIONARY KIDS

I live in Tigoni, Kenya. The people there are poor and live in slums. There are 4 refugee camps my family works at. Pray that the violence will stop as soon as possible so that the camps can close soon. Then the people will get to go back home.

Also pray that school will go well. RACHEL, age 12, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Please pray for my friend, AG, to believe in God. MATT, age 9 (Pacific Rim)

pray for my sister and pray that we can get a home in Amarika. KORE, age 8 (Pacific Rim)

My friend, Krishna, is a Hindu. He comes to church sometimes. Pray he becomes a Christian. NICK, age 9 (South Asia)

Pray that I can be a friend to the Zambian children around our house and in our town. ISABEL, age 5, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Please pray for my studies and sports please pray for me to do well in these things WESLEY, age 12, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Pray that my friend in America will be able to cope with her family breaking up. ANA, age 11 (South Asia)

Please pray that the people in Moscow will not be afraid to share God’s Word.

And pray for many churches to be planted in Moscow. ROBERT, age 12 (Central and Eastern Europe)

There is an urgent prayer request from someone many of you know who is in another country. Please pray!

A. J. Hart
(March 24, 1956 – September 25, 2008)

Mr. A. J. Hart was born March 24, 1956 and passed away at 12:17PM on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at the North Oaks Medical Center, Hammond. He was 52, a resident of Independence and the son of Mrs. Helen Johnson.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

An on-line Guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

On Mission in Kentwood will be at 8:00 tomorrow morning. Please plan to join us as we show others we care.

Have a fantastic Friday!

Anna Lee

Thursday

“And they continued steadfastly

in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship,

in the breaking of bread, and in prayers…

and the Lord added to the church daily

those who were being saved.”

~Acts 2:42-47~

Mrs. Margaret Callihan has pneumonia and is in Hood’s for a few days. Please add her to your prayer list.

Jimmy Harrell has eye surgery today. Please pray for all to go well.

Thank you for praying for Wes’ dad (Charlie Banks). I’m forwarding an e-mail from Wes with the latest updates.

Jennie

Hello,Well, Dad is out of the Euroclinic and in the Bucharest house with us. Praz the Lord! Thank you all so much for your pryers and support We have set Dad up with a hospital bed and other equipment for his extended recovery. The physical therapist will start coming by tomorrow to help Dad with the walker. We have to give Dad his anti-blood clot shots each day (eek!). The doctor said that the next 12 days are critical as he still runs the risk of infection and blood clots. We cherish your pryers and we have felt His presence through this entire situation.

We really appreciate the funds that you collected to get Dad out of the Euroclinic. This has been a humbling and a faith building experience for all of us, to say the least!

We love you!
Psalm 20!
The Banks’ Family

Leon “Pete” Broussard Jr.
Mr. Leon “Pete” Broussard Jr. was born Nov. 5, 1927, and passed away at 12:50 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, at his home in Kentwood. He was the son of the late Leon B. and Mathilda Broussard. He was 80 and a native of Baton Rouge. Mr. Pete is survived by his wife, Beverly Morgan Broussard, Kentwood; daughter, Donna Blevins, Jackson; three stepdaughters, Barbara Lee Bourgeois, Atlanta, Constance “Connie” Headrick, Tampa, Fla., and Amanda Juneau, Greensburg; three stepsons, John Wayne Smith, Mount Hermon, Glenn Headrick, England, and Gary Headrick, France. Paw Paw Pete was a loving grandfather to 17 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Geraldine Legé; previous wives, Vera Doucet and Barbara Headrick; a sister, Gertrude Spracklen; and two brothers, Arthur Broussard and Earl Broussard. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Jude Catholic Church, Greensburg, on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m., with the Rev. Joe Camilleri, celebrant. Arrangements by McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite. An online guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com.

A friend shared this:

When we were in Georgia a few weeks ago we received the prayer guide below at church. We live in a sinful world surrounded by people who don’t know the Lord. They are looking for personal gain and power. Personally I look at most politicians and wonder why are they really running for a government office. As we prepare to vote not only for a new president but also for positions at the local and state level please pray for the persons who are God’s choices. Yes I know it is hard to tell at times.

The prayer guide began in August but please go back and pray and read the scripture that is listed.

The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful country to live in. Yes it has many problems now but as we look back at our history we can see how God has lifted us out of despair before and healed the land. Pray for him to heal this land again so the peoples can see God is the true leader and only through him can we be truly free!

Prayer Guide for the Presidential Election

It is critical that Christians pray for the coming presidential election. There is amazing power in united prayer.

PRAY DAILY UNTIL THE ELECTION (and continue to pray for the newly elected afterwards)

Pray with others whenever possible. The power of prayer can overcome any obstacle or ungodly influence and, indeed, do great things!

Granted, these dates are past, pray them anyway!

08/01-08/07 Psalm 32:6-7 Pray that Christians will be motivated to pray faithfully for this election and that the Lord would deliver us from the wrong leaders.

08/08-08/14 Psalm 16:7-8 Pray that the Lord would give wise counsel and guidance to His choice for president in this campaign.

08/15-08/21 Proverbs 16:13 Pray that our nation will listen to the truth and not be led astray.

08/22-08/28 Psalm 18:32-36 Pray that the Lord would arm the man of His choice with strength; that He would guide him in battle (this election), and that He would sustain him and give him victory.

08/29-09/04 Hebrews 11:32-34 Pray that God’s man, through faith persevere and maintain his courage throughout this election.

09/05-09/11 Psalm 125 Pray that those who trust in the Lord will not be shaken.

09/12-09/18 Psalm 86:14-17 Pray that the Lord would defeat those who have no regard for Him in this election.

09/19-09/25 2 Corinthians 12:9 Pray that the Lord would empower and enable His man in any area of weakness.

09/26-10/02 2 Kings 13:16 Pray that the Lord would put His hands on the man of his choice for president (and his team) and guide them in this election.

10/03-10/09 Proverbs 1:5-6 Pray that God’s man will listen with discernment, add to his knowledge, and receive wise counsel in this campaign.

10/10-10/16 John 16:33 Pray that the man of God’s choice would be given wisdom and ability from the Lord to overcome any obstacle or difficulty during this campaign.

10/17-10/23 Acts 17:30 Pray for repentance for yourself and for our nation.

10/24-10/30 Luke 12:54-57 Pray that God’s man and our nation will be discerning and do what is right.

10/31-11/06 Philippians 4:13 Pray that the Lord’s choice for President will have special strength and unusual ability from God.

Habakkuk 1:5 and 3:2 Pray that the Lord would do some thing that would utterly amaze us and give His servant ability.

During the last days of October and through the week of the election, be encouraged to set aside a time of fasting these days to commit this election to the Lord in whom we put our trust. Acts 14:23

Remember 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

KNOWING

I heard about a preacher who was talking with a man, and he asked him, “Do you know the Bible?” The man said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “What part of the Bible do you know the best?” The man said, “The New Testament.”

The preacher went on to ask him what part of the New Testament he knew the best. The man said, “Well, I suppose I know the story of the Good Samaritan best of all.” The preacher said, “Tell me that story.”

The man said, “Well, as best as I can recall, there was a good Samaritan traveling down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among the thorns and they sprang up and choked him and left him half dead.

“But a man came by feeding his swine and he said to the man, ‘I will arise and go to my father.’ So he took up his bed and walked. But while the soldiers were chasing him through the forest, he got the hair of his head caught up in the trees and he hung there 40 days and 40 nights, and the ravens fed him.

“Just then, Delilah came along with a big pair of shears and she cut off his hair and he fell on stony ground. But the good master of the house resurrected the man and he journeyed on his way.

“All of a sudden, he came to the wall of Jericho and there’s Jezebel sitting on the wall and she mocked him. And he said, ‘Chunk her down to the dogs.’ And they chunked her down 70 times 7, and great was the fall thereof, and of the fragments that remained they picked up twelve baskets full, and whose wife shall she be in the resurrection?”

Now I would hope that your Bible knowledge is not quite as bad as that, but I think it’s safe to say that few of us know the Bible as well as we should. In the last TFTD message, I spoke about three pillars of spritual growth — knowing, doing and becoming. God has always stressed the fact that his people need to know His word. And contrary to popular opinion, when it comes to spiritual matters, ignorance is not bliss.

In the days of Hosea, God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest for me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6).

What was the problem? It wasn’t that they didn’t have access to God’s Word. They just simply didn’t care enough about it to listen to it. Does it scare you just a bit to realize that God could possibly say the same thing about us – “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Folks, we need to once again become known as a people of the book, a people who study and know and love the Bible. Throughout the Bible, God’s repeated command to the people of God is “learn, study, grow.”

92% of households in this country have a Bible. We have the Bibles, but we don’t pay much attention to them. A Gallup poll from 2000 shows that only 59% of Americans read the Bible at least occasionally. The percentage of Americans who read the Bible at least once a week is 37%.

Contrast this with the people of Berea. We read in Acts 17, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

May we continue to study and learn and grow in our knowledge of God and our responsibility before Him.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a teriffic Thursday!

Anna Lee

Wednesday

There are three things that will endure –

faith, hope, and love –

and the greatest of these is love.

~1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)~

Pray for families who have lost loved ones through death recently.

Benefield family
Williams family
Dunn family
etc.

Pray for the lost family members that they may find salvation through Jesus.

Supply you personal family list.

Pray for many who have been housebound or requiring medical care lately.

Charley and Katherine Kuss
Nat McKinney
Hannah Shockley
Susie Wales
Annie Bell Harrell
etc.

Benefield, Jerry Nell McGeehe

East Fork Baptist Church, Kentwood, at 10:30 a.m.

Baptist Press

September 23, 2008

TENNESSEE–Hunt calls for a ‘Great Commission resurgence.’ http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28973

TENNESSEE–Excellent progress at home & abroad, Chapman says. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28974

CALIFORNIA–Calif. Southern Baptist board endorses marriage amend. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28975

TEXAS–Ike recovery heads into long-term phase. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28976

LOUISIANA–ADVISORY: Hurricane deductibles threaten church budgets. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28977

GEORGIA–Despairing refugees find hope in feeding ministry. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28978

FLORIDA–FIRST-PERSON (James A. Smith Sr.): Saudi textbooks, religious freedom and why it matters. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28979

WEDNESDAY WINDOW ON THE WORLD – September 24, 2008

SHAN DAI OF CHINA, THAILAND AND LAOS (shawn-DIE). Most of the local workers are back from traveling to test the translation made of the Scriptures and to encourage other believers. Praise the Lord for answering your prayers for their safety and success in travel. In one area, the worker discovered 100 new Shan Dai believers! This is an awesome discovery. The local church in that area has really been evangelistic, and more Dai are believing than ever before. They are hungry for discipleship and the Word in their language. There are some issues that make it difficult to minister to these brothers and sisters. Please pray that there will be good relationships with the local government, and that these people will be strong in their newfound faith.

ASHENINKA OF PERU (ah-SHIN-uh-kah). The Asheninka Strategy Group writes: “Changes in our team makeup due to a loss of national workers has led to a decrease in our activity in the vast Ucayali River area where there are many Asheninka communities in need of a witness. Pray for the Lord to send help either through national or IMB workers to renew and sustain the work of church planting in this challenging region of central Peru’s jungle.”

BIBLE SCHOOLS OF TANZANIA. You are a father of five. In the middle of the night, your family was forced to run or be killed by rebels. You all walked for days and miles, wearing only the clothes on your backs. You had no food and worried every day that your children would die. One day you arrived at a refugee camp. You had a place to live, food to eat, and medical care. There were even schools and churches. It was not home, but it was safe and there were others there like you. You became a Christian and were growing in your faith. There was even a Baptist Bible school for you to attend when God called you to be a pastor. Now they have decided to close the refugee camp. You and your family are homeless–again. You wonder, “What will we do? Where will we go? We are afraid to return to our homeland because it is still not safe. What is God thinking?” This is the plight facing the pastors of the Mishamo Baptist Bible School. Pray for these pastors, their families, and other believers who are being displaced again. Pray that they will trust in God and that they will know that He will protect them and provide for them. Pray that their faith will be strong and that they will have opportunities to witness boldly to others who have lost all hope.

Have you ever had to run from your home at night to save your life?
Have you ever had just the clothing on your back?
Have you ever had no food and no way to prepare food if you had some?
Has your church home ever had to close down?
Be thankful if you can answer “No” to these questions.
Pray for those who can answer “Yes” to all of the questions.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Anna Lee

Tuesday

“Well done, my good and faithful servant.

You have been faithful

in handling this small amount,

so now I will give you many more

responsibilities.

Let’s celebrate together!”

Matthew 25:23 (NLT)

(Can you and I expect to hear “Well done”?)

See You at the Pole
at 7 a.m. Wednesday
By Staff

Baptist Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Students across the nation will gather to pray at the flagpole in front of their schools Wednesday as part of See You at the Pole, the annual student-led, student-initiated prayer event begun in 1990.

See You at the Pole — which typically takes place at 7 a.m. local time — gives students an opportunity to pray for one another, for their school and their nation, and it also allows Christians within each school to get to know one another.

The event started with a group of youth in Burleson, Texas, in 1990. This year’s theme is “Connect” — as in, connecting with God — and is based on the story of 1 Samuel 3. Samuel, organizers note, began his relationship with the Lord as a young person.

“It all started for Samuel when he made a connection with God at an early age,” a letter to students on the See You at the Pole website states. “And he chose to continue to connect with Him daily throughout his life. It’s tough being a Christian student today, isn’t it? You have to make a lot of choices about who you are — and who you’re not. You have to try and follow God in a world that misunderstands Christianity and tolerates its principles less and less all the time.”

The prayer-focused event is held at the beginning of the year intentionally, officials say, so that Christians who meet at the flagpole can then encourage one another throughout the school year.

Last year more than 2 million teenagers across the nation participated in See You at the Pole. Teens in Australia and Canada also hold their own events.

Compiled by Michael Foust, an assistant editor of Baptist Press. For more information about See You at the Pole, visit http://www.syatp.com.

I suggest you read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) at http://www.syatp.com to learn more.

We can pray today for the success of this international time of prayer on school campuses around the world. We can support students by standing with them as they pray.

Anna Lee

Monday Afternoon

Jerry McGehee Benefield
(January 18, 1929 – September 21, 2008)

Jerry McGehee Benefield
Mrs. Jerry McGehee Benefield, age 79, died on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, at the home of her daughter, Robbi B. Herrington. She was the daughter of Holt and Gladys McDaniel McGehee, both of whom preceded her in death. She was born in Amite Co., Miss., at the home of her maternal grandfather. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Frank Douglas Benefield. Survivors include three daughters, Robbi B. Herrington and her husband, Tim, and Darnell B. Strickland and her husband, Billy, all of Kentwood; and Carolyn Daniels Weaver and her husband, Frank of Jackson, Georgia, five special grandchildren, Jason Daniels and his wife, Shelley, and Tynessa Daniels Dacus and her husband, Brad, all of Atlanta, GA, Chad Strickland and his wife, Stacy, of Kentwood, Julie Daniels Johns and her husband, Michael, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and Garrett Frank Herrington of Kentwood; three wonderful great-grandchildren, Logan, Taryn and Levi Strickland, all of Kentwood; sisters: Katherine “Kitty” Bryan and her husband, David M. Bryan. Jr. of Kentwood, Bobbie Jean Coltharp of Brigham City, Utah, and JoAnn Ingram of Bogalusa; brother in-law, Roy Benefield and his wife, Ina of Osyka, Miss., sisters-in-law, Bettye Benefield of Orange, Texas, Patsy Benefield of Osyka, and Marie Benefield Bass and her husband, Jake of Mt. Ida, Arkansas; and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins. Jerry loved to sew for her children and for others, and make crafts in the years she was able to. She had a deep love for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her most wonderful birthday was the year little Levi Strickland, her great-grandson, was born on her birthday, Jan. 18, 2007. She was an avid L.S.U. fan. She liked working with her flowers and cooking for her family. For many years, she worked in the church nursery. Visitation services will be held at McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, on Tues. night from 6 to 9 p.m., and at East Fork Baptist Church, Kentwood, on Wednesday morning from 9 a.m. until religious services being at 11 a.m. at the church conducted by Rev. Don Bassett. Burial will be in East Fork Church Cemetery. Pallbearers will be sons-in-law: Tim Herrington, Billy Strickland and Frank Weaver; and grandsons, Garrett Frank Herrington. Chad Strickland, Jason Daniels and Michael Johns. Honorary pallbearers will be great-grandsons, Logan and Levi Strickland.

Alvie Leonard, Jr.
(August 20, 1941 – September 20, 2008)

Sign Guest Book

Mr. Alvie Leonard, Jr. born August 20, 1941, passed away on September 20, 2008 at 11:55AM at Tangi Pines Nursing Center, Amite. He was 67 and a native & resident of Amite. He is the son of the late Alvie & Leona Booty Leonard, Sr. Mr. Alvie is survived by his sister, Bernice Effie Piazza, Covington, numerous nieces & nephews, & special friends, Bobby Joe & Annette Chadwick, Amite, Jennifer Chadwick Bickham & husband, Dusty, St. Francisville, Christina Chadwick, Amite, Waco Bickham, Sidney Bickham & Peyton Bickham.

He is also preceded in death by brother, William Leonard & a half sister.

Visitation will be at the McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, on Sunday, September 28, 2008 after 2:00PM until Religious Services at 2:30PM in the Funeral Home Chapel. Interment in the Arcola-Roseland Cemetery.

An on-line Guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, is located at I-55N & Hwy 16W next to Coggins-Gentry Ford.

Monday

“I waited patiently for the Lord;

and He inclined to me,

and heard my cry.”

~Psalm 40:1~

Thank God for the great Lord’s Day He provided for us.

Several people continue to have tests, physical therapy, and other medical procedures. Please pray for them as they. Thank God for the progress some of them have made lately.

MISSIONARY PERSONAL NEEDS. Craig and Julie Kendrick, who serve in France, learned that they would not be able to be established in the French Social Security System; consequently, they had return to the United States on Aug. 14. Because of serious health and educational concerns regarding their 4-year-old son, they will not be able to return to France. Ask God to shower this family with peace, joy and strength as they proceed through this very difficult time of transition. Please pray for the relationships on the field that God opened up to them, asking that these contacts will continue to develop their relationship with God through other IMB personnel in Paris. Pray for God’s direction for the Kendricks’ future as they make decisions regarding their ministry and family. Pray that their children will make new friends quickly, that they will find good schools that they enjoy, that their transition into their new culture will be smooth, and that their classmates will be excited to know the Lord as they hear the stories of the girls’ recent life in France.

Darnell Strickland’s mother passed away. I’ll post the obituary when it becomes available. In the meantime, begin to pray for and minister to this family.