Departure Date and Silent Auction

Life is a trip. God has put me on the road to service in the Navajo Nation. To see how the whole story began click here. My arrival date in New Mexico has been set. I will be meeting Terry Matthews at the Albuquerque airport on Monday, May 25th. Backing up 5 days from there means that I expect to leave driving out on Wednesday, May 20th. Sara sat me down and talked to me about the trip out. She knows that I will be excited and will push to get there as soon as possible. I'm not sure why that's so since I can't do anything much until Terry's plane arrives. She has insisted that I drive normal hours, i.e., not very late at night or very early in the morning. She wants me to be on the road when help is available if I run into trouble. She also insists that I stay each night at somewhere safe, clean, and with a continental breakfast. Her point is that I can not only eat breakfast, but can also grab a couple of pieces of fruit to help me through the day. She knows me well enough to know that I'll neglect myself rather than take the trouble to do the right thing at the right time. Knowing myself, I would probably only stop to use the bathroom and grab a biscuit at the Bo's or when I was so dead tired I couldn't safely continue on. I told her that I would text her when I crossed state lines, went through major cities, etc. That way she can follow me as I make the trip and raise the roof if I begin to loose control. Maple Springs UMC, my home church, will be including my commissioning as a missionary representative as a part of the church services of Sunday, May 17th. I invite all of my family and friends to be a part of one of the services and help me to celebrate the acceptance of my calling. There is a man and his three children that I met when I was working at Old Salem this past fall. Ben Newell is the director of Together For Hope of Arkansas. He and his family live in Helena, AR which is on the Mississippi River an hour or so south of I-40, my direct route to New Mexico. I've been in touch with Ben a couple of times via email and we hope to get together to break bread on my way out. I'm guessing that I'll be able to get there around lunchtime on my second day traveling. I am looking forward to seeing him and his children again, maybe meeting his wife, and taking the time to share with each other God's plans for our missions. I know from experience that a two person support group is not a bad thing to have. On Sunday, April 26th, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., Maple Springs UMC is holding a Missions Fair. We will be using the day to showcase the missions that are going on within our church, community and around the globe. We are teaming up with the group, Stop Hunger Now to make and distribute 10,000 meals. We will have crafts for kids, VBS registration, Sundaes on Sunday, and great music in our fellowship hall. We will also be holding a silent auction. Proceeds from the silent auction will be going to help support my own ministry to the Navajo. (I want to take a second right here to thank all of those who have donated items for the auction.) There are some neat items and you may find that you have to bid against me for a couple of them. If you are a member of Maple Springs, please volunteer to support the Missions Fair with your time or gifts. Whether or not you are a member, please plan to attend. I know that you will have fun. There is just one last thing for now. If you have found a way to support my mission trip with money or donations for the silent auction, thank you very much. If you would like to make a donation of either cash or a quality auction item, that would certainly be appreciated as well. I can feel the power of prayer behind my effort. If you are one of those praying for me, please don't stop. I will never have too many friends praying. I love you all. More later.