Archive for February, 2012

We took a group of young people to a Todd Becker Foundation outreach; two of our teen girls accepted Christ as their Savior. Pray for more opportunities to minister to these girls as they don’t attend our church but faithfully attend our RIOT youth group! Praise the Lord!!     Ray & Carla Berry

While she was in the hospital recuperating from a major heart attack, a lady inspired a nurse and her family to visit our church. This same lady has helped me start a Bible study on Tuesday afternoons in the assisted living facility where she is now living.    Tom & Kathie Peyton

February has been a very busy month here at Ecola. We’ve been planning and preparing for the spring break mission trips to Alaska, Haiti, and Portland (weekend trip). There are around 17 students and staff who will be leaving for Alaska to work at Victory Bible Camp. They’ll be helping around the camp and with a middle-school group that will be there for winter camp. Around 15 students and staff are headed to Haiti to serve with the family of one of our alumni. We will be building houses, helping repair from the earthquake damage, and anything else that needs done. I will be leading the trip to Haiti. Then we have 16 students and staff headed to Portland for a long weekend to help out at a homeless ministry. We are excited to see what the Lord is going to do through all of these trips.        David & Drenda Duff

What a great time of testimonies during our church service! People shared what’s been happening as a result of our Pray & Watch home group, as we’ve seen God at work in people’s lives. Many people went forward and shared at the microphone what God has been doing as they have been faithfully praying for individuals that God has laid on their hearts. It’s amazing to hear God’s people talk about really caring for people when you are praying for them. It’s just not our normal prayer lists any more, but the everyday people that are in our paths, and with whom we come into contact. We have more opened eyes and ears and are unified in our efforts to be a more effective church body to be used by God to affect our community!!  Tony & Kathy Pinkham

A young woman, 19 years old and a mother of two, was working her community service hours off at the church. Before she left on her last day, I told her I was very proud of her for finishing her hours, with all her responsibilities at home. Then I told her about God’s love for her and shared the gospel with her. I had talked with her before about Christ, but that day she was much more receptive. After listening very carefully, she prayed to invite Christ into her life and forgive her sin. It was a very eternal moment.

That same week I visited in the county jail, distributing Bibles and literature for the Chaplain. As I was visiting in the pods, I met a young man from Ireland. He shared his sad story about leaving his family in Ireland in search of excitement in the USA. His “fun” led him into the county jail, where I met him. I drew out God’s plan of salvation on a small sticky note, and answered his many questions. There, in that noisy pod, we bowed our heads together and he trusted in Christ personally. As I left the pod, I prayed that one day he might be led of God to go home and lead Ireland to Christ.   Tom & Karen Douglass

Cindy and I are working on meeting our neighbors and on our goal of visiting each church family in their home in our first month here on our new field. We have visited 25% of the families thus far. When I meet an individual I eventually ask where they attend church. If they tell me they don’t attend, I invite them. This often brings up questions about what the church believes. Just recently I had an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone and offered to sit down with this person and their spouse to investigate what the Bible is about. This individual seemed interested in learning more.  David & Cindy Fraher