Thursday, July 24, 2003

4:56 PM Another happy surprise. Longtime Calvary missionaries Bob and Amber Leland live in Presque Isle, about 1 hour, 45 minutes north of Danforth. They have been in New Hampshire this week, but stopped by Living Waters this afternoon to say hello before going home. We’re taking them to supper tonight at the Cornerstone Restaurant. Great to see Bob and Amber–they are doing well. They had a vital teaching ministry in a remote region of Irian Jaya for many years. Always good to see Calvary missionaries when we are on the road.

12:53 PM Have you ever preached in a sauna? I have, sort of, this AM and the last two nights. At Living Waters the adults meet in a small chapel holding 120-130 people with a low ceiling and no air conditioning. The last two nights the humidity has felt like it was 150%. This morning, if possible, the humidity was even higher than before. That’s because of a stalled cold front that won’t move away from northern Maine. Right now the clouds are low and there is a steady drip-drip-drip of water. Everything is soaked and damp and sticky. That makes preaching hard and listening even harder. Last night I was dripping sweat when I finished my sermon. This morning I think we all basically passed out about 1/3rd of the way through, and then we all regained consciousness about the time I said Amen. High humidity and no wind makes for tough listening. After the service, we saw two little boys playing with their Dad in a muddy spot. One little boy was covered from head to toe with mud and threw some on his father. The boys were having a great time and we couldn’t help but laugh. Thirty feet away, a horseshoe tournament was going on. Yes, it was misting but that doesn’t stop the good times at Living Waters. This week is high school basketball camp for the teens. A big all-star game is set for tomorrow afternoon, but by then we’ll be on the road to Albany.

One other note: This week we’ve gotten to know Keith and Beth McMahon from New Brunswick Bible Institute. Keith teaches several courses and Beth is the Dean of Women. I must say that they are wonderful representatives for their school. I first met the principal of NBBI, Mr. John Hoag, in 1999 at Word of Life in Schroon Lake. He invited me to speak at the Alumni Conference last March but I was ill and unable to make the engagement. Meeting Keith and Beth has only increased my admiration for NBBI. I hope someday to fulfill that canceled engagement and spend some time on the campus with the faculty and staff. This is our last full day at Living Waters. We pack up today, I preach tonight and tomorrow morning, we drive to Albany (10-11 hours away), spend the night in a motel near the airport, then we fly to Chicago on Saturday AM, God willing. After two weeks on the road, we’re both looking forward to being home again.

12:52 PM Here’s the Legacy Campaign prayer request for today: “Pray for wisdom regarding the possibility of using the remodeled gym for worship services.”