Chaos in Cornwall

Only God....

2012-01-31T11:17:00.003Z

Hello,

About two years ago we found ourselves needing a run around car. We had a large van that the 7 of us and some luggage could fit into but it was not the best of fuel mileage. I spoke to our mechanic and asked him what car I should get. Andrew said to buy an old BMW diesel 4 door. They are reliable,parts are available and they run forever. A few weeks of bidding on Ebay and we bought a 1994 5 series sedan with a 2.5 liter diesel engine for right at $800. Yes, $800. BMW are not the status cars here they are in the states and the car was 15 years old with 145,000 miles. We drove the car for 14 months literally all over this island and only had to have the oil changed. When we left last December for furlough we were quite sad to have to sell the car as it was reliable, economical and fun to drive. We ended up selling it for $1,500 to a diesel mechanic. Fast forward 14 months....we are back in England and will be needing a car in a few months and so Kent in looking on Ebay one night and guess what he sees? You are correct, he sees the old BMW for sale on Ebay. To shorten the story, we ended up buying the car back for $700. Bought it for $800, sold it for $1,500, bought it back for $700. Do the math, the car is now free. But it gets better. During the time the mechanic had the car he repaired or replaced a number of items on the car. Well over $2,000 worth of parts were installed and who knows how many hours of labour.
So, we have our old car back way better than ever and all thanks to God and his provision.

Moving

2012-01-09T13:05:00.003Z

Hello,

We are writing from our new home. I am sitting at my desk looking out the window at the Anglican church in our little village. What makes it special is the belltower was constructed in the 15th century and the church still retains some of its medieval stained glass. Most medieval stained glass in England was destroyed during the Reformation as "images of God" were destroyed by the Protestants.

They say that moving is one of the most stressful events that transpires in a persons life. You would think that after 16 or 17 moves in our life we would be accustomed to it. We are blaming the struggles of the last 30 days on old age. With only 8 hours of sunlight a day, rain and hail, and most of our built in labor force having relocated to America it made for a long week of moving our things from the various storage locations to the house. You never really miss your sons who have left home until it is time to move the heavy stuff.
We are in and most of the boxes have been unpacked. The three week wait for internet has ended and we have stopped driving to our old place out of habit. After a year of being in limbo it is nice to be surrounded by our things again.

We have been blessed to have had a number of nice houses to live in during our tenure here in Cornwall. We pray we never grow ungrateful.

Our new address:

Taey Sekul
St. Neot, Liskeard
England
PL14 6NG

Big Steps

2011-12-01T20:12:00.002Z

Hello,

The Lord has blessed us these past few weeks. We were able to find a nice house at a very reasonable (for England) price. The irony is that the house is right next door to a house we had previously rented back in 2003-2005. The owners are doing a few things and we will be able to move in the week of the 12th. It is in a village a few miles outside of Liskeard and it is about a 15 minute drive into town. Does not seem much in American culture but that is a fair drive here. Petrol is a bit less than $9.00/gallon so we will need to get better at consolidating trips.

Part of living in a village and not in town are the occurrences of both adults needing a car to go different ways. We have a car that was given to us last year that we can use until June but we have been looking for another vehicle for Andrea to drive. After three weeks of looking we felt led to buy a 97 Accord. Less than 100,000, new tyres and a brand new safety inspection made it a perfect match for what we were after. We got a great price and so Andrea is mobile again.

We would ask for prayer as we need to find some items for the new house. It always seems to work better when you follow the Lord's guidance. It usually saves you money as well.

Tie Up Some Loose Ends

2011-11-22T11:49:00.001Z

Hello,

Although we do not get many questions here at the blog, we have had a few that we can answer.

The bathroom. In a few posts from the summer we displayed pictures of a bathroom renovation we were attempting on the boys house in Oklahoma. We would be out for 4-6 weeks on the road and then work on the bathroom for the week or so we were hanging out in OKC to "rest". We ended up tearing it down to the studs and floorboards and rebuilding from there. You might remember this picture..

It was a mad rush to the finish to complete the bath before we returned to England and we almost made it. It is quite functional but just needs a few cosmetic touches. Something to do on our next furlough. Here are a few pics of the finished room.

Another question we can answer is concerning our anniversary. This year Andrea and Kent celebrated their 25th anniversary. Way back on the honeymoon in 1986, Kent had promised Andrea that he would take her to Hawaii for their 25th. However, on their actual anniversary (Aug 16th) they were in the middle of a trip to the East coast reporting to some churches. Soooooooo.....they crammed a trip in right at the end of their furlough. Thanks to some airline vouchers that were about to expire and some anniversary gift money, they were able to make it happen. A few pics.

It's The Little Things In Life

2011-11-15T14:35:00.001Z

Hello,

What a great autumn we have been having. Relatively warm and dry days have made it quite pleasant to get out and about. Still waiting on a house although we have applied for one and should hear soon. Hoping to be moved in before Christmas. The cottage we are staying in is exactly 1 mile from the centre of Liskeard. Not really worth driving and parking so we walk in most days to take care of errands. The first week it was a bit of a chore as we had grown accustomed to driving everywhere while in the States. Now we are finding it quite pleasant. Watching that certain tree change shades as its leaves prepare to fall. Having 20 minutes of quiet time giving you time to think things through or even just turn off. Watching the leaves fall and be carried about by the breeze depositing them on the road so you can hear the crunch as you walk through the piles of leaves. It does take a bit more planning to ensure you get to where you are supposed to be on time but it makes the journey much more enjoyable. A newspaper here in England once held a contest to determine the best way to get to London. Numerous answers were submitted as to how to get there the quickest, most comfortable or the least expensive. The winning answer to the question of the best way to get to London was with good friends. We often spend so much time and energy stressing ourselves into illness trying to reach a destination, we neglect to enjoy the journey.

People Are Watching You!

2011-11-02T00:23:00.000Z

Hello,

Davis and I took the train into Plymouth today to get a few essentials. Still readjusting to the stores closing at 5:00PM here. It was a cracking day and hard to believe it was Nov 1st. We have had good services these 4 weeks we have been back. The people remained faithful and we definitely see some growth in the spiritual lives thanks to the efforts of the men who spelled us.

One of the most amazing and unexpected things we have encountered since returning is the number of people who have asked where we have been. These are not people whom we are particularly close to but just the people we encounter as we daily live our lives in the community. Kent spent 90 minutes at the gym today and only worked out for about 45 because several people came up and inquired where he had been. This story has repeated itself numerous times and has reinforced to us the need to walk circumspectly in the world. Many times we just think we are merely fulfilling the responsibilities of our life and do not even consider the interaction we have with people but over a period of time those people we interact with accept us as part of their life. As part of this acceptance they label us or categorize us based upon how we interact with them. They either like us, tolerate us or dislike us. Without even trying or even being conscious about it, we have made an impression on their life. The question then becomes whether it is a good impression or not.

We may think that we are not noticed and are anonymous in our dealings but it is not true. The people who touch are lives each and every day are watching and noticing.

House Hunting

2011-10-20T10:37:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Been back in country for almost two weeks and it has been good. We treated ourselves the first week and indulged in all of the treats we had missed while being gone. Barnecutt's pastys, scones with clotted cream, proper fish and chips, etc..... The second week started the "Time to lose all the weight we put on in the States" diet. Not near as much fun as the indulgent week. Kind of like when we sin. It always seems to take longer to get back to where we were in our relationship with God than it did to slip away.

We are also in the process of house hunting. Before we had always faced a limited number of possibilities in housing due to having the 5 children. Coming back with only two this time affords us a much greater selection of houses to choose from. We decided to take our time and find a house that not only meets our needs but also checks a few options boxes for us. We had a dog for 13 years in the States but have been unable to have one here. We would like to find a house that allows pets. We would also like to find a house that has a workshop or large garage for Kent's woodworking. These are in addition to the normal wants like more than one toilet, a large enough living room/dining room to have church fellowships in, central heating and the list goes on. We have a cottage to stay in while we look and though it is not a long term solution, it is a comfortable place to hang out while we scour the countryside for a permanent dwelling.

It has always been our desire to purchase a property here in Cornwall. It would make sense financially instead of wasting money on rent but more importantly it would serve as a sign to the folks here that this is home to us. Even after 9 years here most people think we are on a temporary assignment. With house prices here in Cornwall about 4 to 5 times higher than in Oklahoma, we will be content on God's timing to provide the miracle necessary to allow us to buy.

Back To Life

2011-10-11T22:31:00.003+01:00

Hello,

As we sit writing this from a small cottage nestled in the green countryside of England, we pause to reflect on our time in the States. Following is a summary of our summer.

Between the time we left England on Dec 15th and returned on Oct 7th, we travelled 34,628 miles by plane, 33,971 miles by automobile, visited 52 churches, slept in 61 different beds, visited 33 States, 3 foreign countries and only ate at McDonalds 3 times. The final stat is perhaps the most amazing and one we are quite happy about. We did eat at Subway approx 3 million times during this time period.

To sum furlough up, it was all good. God kept us safe, supplied and scheduled. We found furlough to be an amazing journey of going back to visit old friends and telling them what has been going on in England. We are glad to be back in Cornwall and are in the process of looking for a house, cars, beds and other sundry items to set up life again. We look forward to Lord willing, being in the same place for 5 years and seeing what God has in store for Liskeard Baptist Church.

In case you were wondering, that averages out to 236 miles each and every day we were back in the States. Think we will fire our scheduler before the next furlough!!

Way Behind

2011-09-09T17:29:00.003+01:00

Hello,

We are so behind we do not know where to start. What a blessed time furlough has been, We have been in about 40 churches to report on the work in England. Amazing and encouraging to see the same people faithfully serving God ten years later.

We had a Spanish lad travel with us for a month. He normally comes to stay with us in England for a month each summer to work on his English. We invited him to fly over and see the States. He went over 7,000 miles in the 30 days he was with us and made it all the way to Vancouver, BC. We had a great time with him and hope he enjoyed his time.

We have been on the East Coast for the past 6 weeks. This is our last trip before we fly back to England on October 6th. Looking forward to getting back home and back to some semblance of a normal life.

We would ask you to pray as we look for a house, cars and other essentials when we return to Cornwall.

Amazing

2011-07-25T17:42:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Writing this from the living room of our house in OKC. We got in last night at 2:00AM from an excellent 4 week trip to the Northwest. A Spanish young man who spends a month with us each summer in England flew into DFW on the 24th of July and we left that next Monday for Seattle. A few stops on the way at the Grand Canyon, Zions Natl Park and the place where the two railroads met in the 1860's, we made it north of Seattle for our first Sunday of services. A quick jaunbt up into Canada to see some friends and then it was on to Portland, OR for the second Sunday. We spent a few days with some friends right on the coast of Oregona and enjoyed just being still. It was then on to Salt Lake City for a Wed and a Sunday. Both good churches and we had a nice time. A swing through Southern Utah and Colorado on the way to SW Kansas for out last Sunday on this trip.
Over 6500 safe miles and we are grateful for God's protection.

Tales From the Trail

2011-06-11T03:39:00.005+01:00

Hello,

What an amazing ride this time in the States has been. We are having quite an enjoyable furlough. God has made himself very evident and has been incredibly good to us.

We last left you in Illinois. We made our way to Oklahoma and spent about 9 days there. Most of that was spent on the bathroom project. Progress is being made but it is amazing how long things take when you do not know what you are doing. We left May 20th for a trip to the Southeast. We stopped in Mississippi to visit some friends and be in their missions conference. We then left for Florida. A few alternators later we made it to Miami. Had a great weekend with a supporting church and then headed north to Orlando. We had a place to stay there for a week so we based out of there to visit a few churches in Central Florida. Our neighbors from Cornwall flew in for their holiday and we were able to meet up with them a few times and visit. Made us a bit homesick to get back to England. We are now on our way to South Carolina, Georgia and then on to Oklahoma for a few days before we head west.

Where is Spring?

2011-05-16T05:25:00.002+01:00

Hello,

when we last left you we were in Texas enjoying the great fellowship and warm temperatures. We stopped off in Oklahoma City for a week and then headed north to Illinois. Since it was May and spring had sprung, we only took light springtime clothes. We froze! We did have great meetings with some of our supporting churches there and it was a blessing to see them again. It is amazing to not see someone for ten years and be able to pick up as if you had never been apart.
We also got to take in a few baseball games including a day game at Wrigley Field. Very cool. We are back in OKC for 10 days before we head out to the southeast. We are making progress on the bathroom remodel and the other projects at the new house. We are in the States until early October but know we are running out of time.

Texas Pics

2011-04-20T05:59:00.002+01:00

Saturn 5 booster rocket at NASA

The Alamo

Hello,

A few pics from our last trip.

Texas

2011-04-14T18:16:00.002+01:00

Hello, Still down in Texas. God has blessed us in a big way through the State of Texas through the years. We spent the past week in Alvin and stayed in a very nice missions apartment. These apartments are such a blessing when you are on the road. Received word while we were there that the church in Edinburgh where we had been in a conference the week before had a 24% increase in their faith promise. Great news! We had two good services on Sunday. Actually three. The church we were at in the AM had dinner on the grounds and then an afternoon service. We then scampered back to Alvin to be in the evening service there. Such a blessing to see the faithfulness of pastors and to hear of people who have been praying for you all these years. Very humbling. We have another reporting appointment this Sunday and then back to OKC for about a week and then off to Illinois for two weeks. Not much time in OKC from this point on. We will post some pics from our trip as soon as we get back home to where Kent left the card reader for the camera. :)

Hot and dry or Hot and humid??

2011-04-08T20:47:00.001+01:00

Hello, We write from Texas. Home of the heat. Well, when you live in a cool climate like England, almost everywhere is warmer. We left last week to drive south to Edinburg on the southern border for a missions conference. We left on a Wednesday and stopped in Waxahatchie, Texas for a Wed evening service at a supporting church. They were in a new building and it was a blessing to see them all again. We left Thursday morning and stopped off at the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco. Nice museum but really, no free samples at a soda museum? On to San Antonio and a walk on the Riverwalk and a tour of the Alamo. Makes you think standing there. They kept sending out messages asking for help and hoping someone would come. A group of 18 snuck in one night but that is all that ever came. What a blessing to be saved and know that Christ is coming to get us some day. On Friday, we went to the Sea World park in San Antonio. Fed the dolphins, watched the shows, rode the roller coasters and baked a nice shade of red. Drove south on Sat. to the town of Edinburg which is right at the border of Mexico. Due to the violence in Mexico, we were unable to cross over and take the kids. We had a great conference at the church there but it sure was hot. It hit 100 degrees on Monday and it is only April. A cold front came through and it was still 85 on Tuesday. At least it was a dry heat. The conference was on Sun-Thursday and we were able to see some dear friends who are missionaries there at the border. The Gibson's have faithfully served for over 40 years and it was good to see them again. Thursday morning we packed up and headed for Houston. Still hot here but now there is humidity in the air. Makes you long for those dry heat days and it is only April!! When do we go back to England?

Furlough from Furlough

2011-03-27T03:42:00.003+01:00

Hello,

We have been back in the States for about three months now. We do not think we have stopped moving since we landed. Relief is in site. We hit the road this next week for our first road trip. We will be gone for three weeks to Texas and think we might get a bit of rest. The house is almost completely painted and Ben has moved in. Austin will move over at the end of the month. The bathroom project will have to wait a few weeks until we are between trips.

We have also included a few pics of the other project from this week. Kent was asked to buiold a mailbox for the church and this is what resulted.

Busy March

2011-03-18T18:39:00.002Z

Hello,

So the plan for March was to go to churches around OKC and report on Sundays and be around during the week to work on the house and prepare for the road trips to come. So far, so mediocre. There are just so many things that pop up to do that we struggle to get to our to do list each day. Compounded by the fact we do not have all the things we are used to having or do not know where they are in the house we are staying in and you end up making many trips for supplies. We are almost done painting the house and have declared it move in ready. We will kick Ben out this weekend and get him settled and then work on Austin. As he is firmly entrenched at the grandparents it may be a little more difficult. We have destroyed one the bathrooms and are planning its rebuild as we speak.

This past Saturday we celebrated Kent's parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. What a great testimony, There have been some hard times in their life but they did not quit. We went to eat at a really nice steakhouse and then had some cake at their house. They flew off for Hawaii yesterday for a cruise. Good stuff.

The meetings have gone really well. Still seems weird to be in the States.

Out Of Shape

2011-03-12T05:06:00.003Z

It is quite amazing how tired you can get by basically not doing much. Explain how sitting in a car for 8 hours can make one so weary. We were in our first Missions Conference other than the one at our home church in January. This one had morning services, afternoon shopping and then evening services. Alot of sitting around, eating and being in services and when it was over we were shattered. It might have something to do with the dozens of people who wanted to talk with you each service or possibly we are just getting old(er).
We had a great time and look forward to getting back into road shape. Perhaps we will just stay away from too many conferences.

The house that we have purchased for the boys to line in is coming right along. We are in the process if painting and acquiring bargain furniture. The house has been dubbed "The Ogre Refuge" in honour of the boys.

God's Provision

2011-03-08T04:35:00.003Z

Hello,

So, lets get caught up all the way. We got back to Oklahoma in the middle of a snow storm. Just after it melted, we had another snow storm. In the midst of that we closed on a house here in Oklahoma City. We are back in the US to get a couple of our children settled. Our family has always been our first ministry and we needed to get them re acclimated to a foreign culture (the US). Long story short, we were able to buy a really nice house with no down. In fact, we received a check at the closing. Praise God! We have also been given a fridge, washer, drier, some furniture, dishes and alot of other bits for the house. We are in the process of getting the house painted so the two boys can move in. This house will also be a place for Andrea should anything happen to Kent.
We were in our first missions conference of this furlough this past week. It was great but exhausting. So many things going on but it was well worth it. The Gossmeyer boys are back in the necktie business and did a smashing business at this quite large church. Their eyes are full of dollar signs as they think of the travels ahead this summer.
We are in the OKC area for the month of March. We will keep working on the house during the week and hitting churches on the weekends. The first of April we head to south Texas for about 3 weeks.

Week 2 Cont......

2011-02-27T03:38:00.002Z

Hello,

We each preached 20 times during our trip. The conference on Bohol had around 35 Filipino pastors that attended and we even had the opportunity to preach on the radio on a neighboring island on night. I preached for 45 minutes on the radio and walked straight to the pulpit and preached an hour on Baptist history. By the time Friday came, our voices were worn and our bodies were tired. We preached out at another mission church on Sunday and this one was in the boondocks. Mud floors and bamboo logs split in half for seats.
On Monday we flew back up to Manila and made it to the American Cemetery. Over 17,000 graves from WW2. Quite sobering. Tuesday, Andrea and I climbed to a volcanic crater and took a dinner cruise around Manila Bay. We left Manila and flew 23 hours back to OKC. When we left Manila it was 85, when we arrived in OKC it was 15 with strong winds and 4 foot snowdrifts. It took us a few weeks to get back on a proper sleep schedule but the trip was a huge blessing to us and we pray that we were a blessing to the folks there.

Week 2

2011-02-13T21:40:00.002Z

So, we were on the island of Bohol and we were starting the second Pastors Conference. On Monday and Tuesday, there were only evening services so we took off to see the sights on Monday. We stopped by the Blood Compact monument where the Spanish made a pact with the locals only to end up enslaving them. We then stopped at the second oldest church in the Philippines which was built by the natives after they were enslaved. (Yes, it is a Catholic church). It was then off to the Loboc River Cruise for lunch as we toured the river. We then headed for the Chocolate Hills to see this natural phenomenon that only occurred on this island in the world. Then the highlight of the day. An almost 1/3 mile zipline over a 600 foot deep river gorge. And then back on another zipline. All at the low Filipino price of $7.00.
We then rushed back to Tagbileran City and arrived just in time for the evening service. I preached first on the AV and then Pastor Carter preached on the local church. A late dinner of grilled chicken and mango shakes was most welcome. We were shattered by the time we went to bed.

Philippines Cont..............

2011-02-09T04:07:00.002Z

So, after almost a week north of Manila, we drove back to the airport and flew 500 miles south to the island of Bohol. The church in Tagbileran City was the one Pastor Carter came and preached for last year. We arrived on Friday and on Saturday, the church took us snorkeling. It was absolutely incredible. The water was warm and crystal clear. The little island we went to is a refuge and one of the top scuba sites in the world. Most stayed on the boat but Kent spent almost every minute in the water. He even saw a sea turtle and swam for quite a bit to stay in sight of it. The lasting result of a day in the sun was an excruciating sunburn on the back of his legs and arms. Even now, two weeks later he is still peeling.
On the Sunday, Kent and Andrea were sent to Ubay for Sunday services. Ubay was about two hours from Tagbileran City. Kent preached the morning service, then Andrea did a ladies meeting and then Kent preached the afternoon service. It was a rush to catch the last van back to where their hotel was. They were shattered by the time the got to bed that night.

Pinoy Pics

2011-02-06T03:12:00.002Z

January

2011-02-05T00:14:00.003Z

Routines are a blessed thing. You know where you are supposed to be and what you are supposed to be doing. That gets more important as you get older and find yourself somewhere and not knowing why you are there or what you are supposed to be doing.
Kent & Andrea flew out on Jan 13th with our home church pastor and his family to the Philippines to conduct two one week pastors conferences. The kids were left at home with the grandparents on speed dial in case of problems. The travel to Manila went well with us being bumped in Tokyo and being upgraded to first class for the Tokyo-Manila leg of the flight. Now first class is the way an Ambassador for Christ should always travel!! It was quite nice after a long day of travelling. We arrived in Manila around 5:00AM and traveled a few hours north to Tarlac City. Kent preached at a mission work that first Sunday while Pastor Carter preached at the church where the conference was to be held. Monday we did a bit of sightseeing although that part of Luzon does not have much to see. We visited a Bible college and camp and also visited a few shops to get some essentials. On Tuesday-Thursday nights, we had services with both Pastor Carter and Kent preaching. The Filipinos are not real interested in short services. Most nights we would start before 7:00 and not finish until close to 10:00. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we all went out visiting in the villages they are starting works in. This would often result in several preaching opportunities each afternoon. In a land where people are quite short, Kent would create quite a stir walking through town. It was not unusual to have 30 children following us all through the village.

More to follow.......

How Do Peope Live Like This

2011-01-10T22:52:00.002Z

Hello,

Not sure how people survive in this American culture. Go, go, go seems to be the mantra and the home life gets the leftovers. We are struggling to adapt but are making progress.

It was really nice to spend Christmas with all the grandparents. Lots of good memories. This first week of January, we were in our home church's missions conference. Good services and good fellowship. Andrea and Kent leave for the Philippines this Thursday for three weeks. Kent will be preaching on two Bible conferences and Andrea will be speaking to the ladies. We are looking forward to the warm temperatures.

Ben is doing well in getting his life set up here. He has his learners permit and is almost ready to get his license. We have been able to find him a little pickup truck and he had a good job interview today. Now we just need to find him a wife and our work here is done :)

Lots of News

2010-12-19T22:37:00.002Z

Hello,

Sorry for the long delay between messages. The last few weeks have been a blur. We were able to get the house packed up, cottage furnished and last minute details completed to leave England. We consider the last few weeks to be the most stressful we have had in our 24 year together. There were just a number of situations that came up and the ministry does not stop just because you have other things that need to be done.
We left for London a few hours late and after spending then night, took the Underground into London for a day out. We always try to a go up a day early when we fly out to show the kids something new. We sent some time in the British Museum, rode the London Eye for the first time and saw a few new sights. The next day we flew out for Oklahoma. A few delays later we arrived and have been going ever since. We are trying to get settled as well as do a bit of Christmas shopping but they are not conducive. Enjoyed out first service back in our home church and and it was good to see Austin again. We have all missed him but Deidra was especially excited to be able to see him again.
We pray you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are excited to see what God has in store for 2011.

We Are Thankful

2010-11-29T22:35:00.003Z

Hello,

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend. As always, we went to Plymouth on Thursday for late night shopping and Pizza Hut. This has been a family tradition ever since we moved to England and our first oven was too small for a turkey. We have our big meal on Friday and invite everyone we know.They never all show up the same year but this year we had 43 for dinner. We had the Harvey girls from Exeter sing for us and James Dudley also did a solo. This year everyone stayed around talking and we did not adjourn to the house until 9:30PM. 29 came back to the house and the last group left at 11:15PM. We had a few overnight guests and after breakfast Saturday, they headed back home. Saturday night we had 14 over for Matt's 15th birthday party. He had invited some family and friends over to celebrate.
The best thing about the weekend was the postman brought us our passports on Saturday morning and they had our permanent resident visas stamped inside. We are now free to come and go in the UK. What an answer to prayer. Given the drastic reduction in immigration that is being implemented, we are blessed to have this matter settled. So all is a go for our furlough starting Dec 15th. Time to get serious about packing.

Update

2010-11-23T22:41:00.002Z

Hello,

We had nice services on Sunday. No visitors but everyone was on their place. The funeral on Monday went well. We had a short graveside service and then back to the Guide Hall for a memorial service. We were told to expect about 15-20 at the memorial but 40 showed up. It really meant alot to Jackie to see everyone come for the service. Gave a clear, personal salvation message and it was evident from the expressions I was seeing that this was the first time many had ever heard of salvation by grace.

We heard that a decision was reached on our permanent residence visas today but the source did not say if they were approved or rejected. Guess we will have to wait for the post to come in the next few days to find out.

Most of the things in our house are for sale and so we have a steady stream of people coming by to look at them. Add to this the people coming to look at the house and it can be quite a zoo at times. All part of packing up life for furlough.

Prayer Needed

2010-11-20T15:57:00.002Z

Hello,

Quite the busy week. We started clearing the house and deciding what goes and what stays. So far, the kids are in the stay category but that may be because they are big enough to move the sofa. We have three weeks or so before we fly out and have alot to do. Our Thanksgiving dinner is this Friday and we are expecting about 40 this year. We have declared a moratorium on packing until after the dinner and then hit it next week.

We have a few things we would ask you to pray about:

We are still waiting for our permanent visa applications to be processed. This means they have our passports and without passports, there will be no flying on the 15th.

The days are short for our foster child to find a home before we leave. We would love to see him get saved and placed in a Christian home but that would certainly take a miracle from God.

Pray for Andrea as she has alot on her plate with the move, school, Brownies and planning for next year. She not only needs to plan what books to take back for school this spring but also what books will be needed to start the fall semester while we are in the States.

We have a funeral on Monday and there will be a number of lost people there. This is the first funeral we have done in England and pray it will go well.

Thank you for your prayers and support of our ministry.

A Ministry Week

2010-11-13T21:27:00.002Z

Hello,

We read a good statement this week. Someone had mentioned it was hard to do ministry for all the interruptions. An older preacher remarked back that the interruptions were the ministry. Gave us a pause for thought. The ministry is all about people. People have troubles as sparks fly up from a fire as Solomon penned. Despite our desire for the comfort of routine and repetition, we need to be aware that it just is not feasible.

Our week..... a drunk lady at the door needing help, the death of the husband of a lady who attends our services, a reluctant foster child, the continued delay of our permanent visas and return of our passports, the beginning of moving our things to storage and the news our house is being shown to a potential buyer. Yet, God has blessed in these situations and we covet your prayers.

Preperations

2010-11-08T00:07:00.003Z

Hello,

In 5 weeks, we fly out to the States to start our furlough (if we get our passports back from the British Government). To assist in the turnover of the work to the preachers filling in, our pastor brought them over for a short survey trip. They arrived on Tuesday and we have been going ever since. Getting them up to speed on the area, stores, housing, driving, shopping and all the church activities has kept us hopping. We had a great today at church. Each of the men coming over preached a service and we had a few folks come out that normally do not attend services. The men leave on Monday and we have to get busy getting the house packed and the temporary cottage furnished and equipped for our replacements.

The Dudleys took us all out to eat in Looe today after the morning church. Here are a few pics from Looe.

Good Sunday

2010-10-31T23:22:00.002Z

Hello,

Some days are just good days. We have a church fellowship on the 5th Sunday in those months that have them. During the summer we tended to do things outside of church for these activities but with Autumn fully upon us, we decided to go back to an inside meal. We also got a wild hair to have an afternoon service after dinner and be done early for the day. We have enough problems with vandals on Sunday evenings and thought it would be prudent to not be there on Halloween. We had a few ill this morning but most everyone was there and brought food for dinner. We had a good time of fellowship and had two visitors for the afternoon service. The husbands of two ladies that come regularly came for dinner and stayed for the service. One had been to our services before but the other was there for the first time. A short afternoon service and it was home for a good nap. Everyone chipped in to clean up and that was a blessing in itself. Good to see people develop a servants heart.
This week our home pastor is flying over with our two assistant pastors for a visit. The assistants will be filling in for us while we are back on furlough and are coming over to get the lay of the land.

101........

2010-10-26T11:47:00.003+01:00

Hello,

We missed a milestone in the blog's life last week. It was our 100th post. Who knew someone could talk about so little for so long?

The best news from last week was we found a local home for Matt's dog. The dog has been in the kennel since Matt went into care and the time had come for the dog to be re homed. There are few homes willing to take a foster child as well as their dog. The agency responsible for Matt decided Max the dog needed to go. We asked for a week to find a local home so Matt could still go and see his dog and they agreed. Max is now happily roaming a farm near Looe and Matt is going to see him tomorrow. Now we just need to find Matt a permanent home.
We are still waiting for the British Home Office to return our permanent resident applications. Normally, we would have received our visas back by now but it seems to be dragging on. You are not allowed to ring and check on the progress so we can just wait and pray. In all reality, we do not need them until the middle of December for our flight but it would be nice to know what they have decided to do with us.
We are having our 5th Sunday fellowship this week. The morning service will be followed with a proper roast dinner and then we are having an afternoon service. First time for the afternoon service but we thought we would give it a try.

Pictures From Scotland

2010-10-18T20:03:00.007+01:00

Swilcan Bridge on the 18th at St Andrews

place where a matyr was burned in St Andrews

Sure Is Cold In Scotland

2010-10-16T22:33:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Hither and yon seems to be our motto lately. After picking up the men in London and returning home, we had a great weekend with Bro Lou Guadagno Jr. and Ben Shutt. Bro Lou sang for us both morning and evening and also preached the morning service. Ben gave his testimony in the evening service and it was a blessing to hear how God has worked in his life. After the service it was off to Scotland for a preachers fellowship. We drove about 4 hours Sunday eve and then finished up with about 7 hours of driving Monday. We did stop at the England/Scotland border to see the remains of Hadrian's Wall. (Pictures will follow)
The meeting was great as usual. Good preaching, singing and fellowship. Folks came from Scotland, England, Ireland and the US for the meeting. A long drive Friday and it was good to be home. Now it is time to get things prepared for furlough.
Our young lad who is living with us is doing well. He still has some adjustments to make but to go from his previous life to living with us has been a HUGE change for him. Please pray that he will get saved before he has to go to a permanent foster home.

Is This the Gossmeyer Hotel?????

2010-10-09T22:14:00.004+01:00

Hello,

Got the Crown ladies off to their train Monday and then spent Tuesday ferrying James around to various appointments and errands. Wednesday, Ben and I headed east. I dropped Ben off in Southampton and then drove to Oxford for the Wed evening service. Enjoyed the service with a young couple that have started a work very near to the university. After a bit of Nandos for dinner I headed for Gatwick Airport to spend the night. Picking up two men from the states the next morning, we headed into London before heading home to Cornwall. I am including a few pictures from our day in London because it was bright and sunny. For all the times Kent has been to London, we do not have that many sunny pictures. Friday we showed our guests around our town, did some letterboxing and went to Plymouth for dinner and some sightseeing. Deidra was also having a sleepover that night so we had 4 non Gossmeyers in the house. Sat we celebrated Connie's 94th birthday with a roast dinner and a birthday cake. A trip to Polperro followed and then dinner. Tomorrow we will have a guest speaker in the morning and after the evening service, Kent and the guests will head to Scotland, picking up Bro Harvey in Exeter on the way, for a preacher meeting. Should be a good week.

Where Did The WeeK Go?

2010-10-04T00:09:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Not sure what happened to last week. It was just the last Sunday on September and now it is the first Sunday in October. We did find a cottage for the preachers coming over to fill in for us while we are on furlough. We know the owner and think it will work out quite well. We are still amazed our home church is making the sacrifice to send over two families to cover for us. Truly a blessing. Andrea had 3 or so meeting in relation to the young man living with us. The county of Cornwall had a large backlog of children needing foster homes and they do not have a lot of options for him. Despite this, his social worker seems quite determined to get him out of our house for some reason. He is adapting to life at our house quite well and it seems the Gospel is starting to sink in and he has asked a few questions.

We had our annual booth at the Liskeard St Matthew's Fayre this Sat. Biggest crowd we have seen. The Crown College UK sent two young ladies down to help us out with the event and they did great. They jumped in without having to be asked and even surprised us by making breakfast both mornings. Now we wait for the cards to be returned. Good day at church. The ladies sang for us and we had two good services.

We have a pastor from the States flying in on Thursday. Kent will go up and pick him up.

Permanent Visa

2010-09-25T21:17:00.003+01:00

Hello,

In order to live for an extended period in a country foreign to you, it is normally required to obtain permission from the government. Most countries will allow you to visit for up to 6 months but require approval (visa) to stay longer. The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) requires you to have a temporary visa to enter the country if you intend to stay. After a period of 5 years, you can apply for a permanent visa which entitles you to all the rights of citizenship except voting. We applied after 5 years and were refused on a technicality. So now we have been back in country 5 continuous years we can reapply. We sent our application in on Tuesday and on Thursday, they hit our credit card for the $2,100 fee. That sounds good but they charge the fee whether you are approved or not. We should receive word in a week or two.
Many have asked what happens if we are refused. That depends on the govt. They can ask you to be in country for another set of qualifying years or they can just request you leave. We are just trusting God that His will be done.

Prayer Letter

2010-09-18T13:48:00.001+01:00

Dear Pastor and church,

We appreciate all the emails we received letting us know you are praying for our oldest son, Austin, during his transition to living in the States. Many view a missionary child returning to the States as a homecoming and yet for the majority of them, it is a rude awakening to a culture they are vaguely familiar with. Austin has started school and seems to be adjusting. We continue to covet your prayers for him.
We had a busy summer with several outreach events. The annual Liskeard show in July went well and we were able to hand out several hundred tracts. In August, we once again helped with a youth camp up near London. About 12 churches were represented and there were anywhere from 90-125 people on site depending on the day. Kent preached the evening services and he and Andrea were the camp cooks this year. One lad made a profession and there were a number of other decisions as well. Each year the camp grows and it is a blessing to see God use it to change lives. Pictures and further reports of these events and more can be found on our blog www.cornwallbaptist.blogspot.com .

Work continues on the Olympic project. In just two years, an estimated 2 million people will join the 7 million that already live in London for the Summer Olympics. We want to be there to give them the gospel and we need your help. Please pray about partnering with us in this endeavor and perhaps even spending a week in London helping us distribute the material.

We would also ask for your prayer concerning our permanent visa application. By the time you read this it should be in the decision makers’ hands and we are praying we will be approved this time.

The time has come for us to take a furlough. In the last 8 years we have been in the States 6 months. We would delay this one as well but there are several things that need to be taken care of. We are planning to arrive in the States in December and after a bit of adjustment, start reporting to all those who wish for us to come by. We are blessed to be associated with you folks and look forward to seeing you again. Please let us know if you are interested in having us come by.

A Few More Trip Photos

2010-09-14T21:35:00.003+01:00

New Ground

2010-09-13T18:08:00.002+01:00

Hello,

We have entered new territory in our lives. We have taken a young man into our home for a period of time. We have known him for a few years when he would come over to play with the boys but were unaware of the major problems in his home life until recently. We found out he was shuffling from place to place as no one had room or seemingly the time to take care of him. We had a place so we contacted him and he moved in today.Not sure the authorities will leave him with us as we are not "approved" by their agency but we can give him a home atmosphere while he is with us. He was told he would experience the responsibilities and benefits of being a part of our family. He is not saved but has been to church with us a few times. We would ask you to pray for this young man during this difficult time in his life.

Wife Ministry

2010-09-10T23:09:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Many times in an effort to win people to Christ on their given field, a missionary can lose sight of the first ministry that God has entrusted him with, his family. It is just as important to minister to your family as it is to others. This is especially important with your wife. Often overlooked is her contribution to the ministry and seldom does she get to fellowship or converse with other Christian woman.

Despite Kent taking Andrea camping for 4 nights while at youth camp and her only having to cook for 100 people three times a day, Andrea did not consider that an adequate anniversary trip. So, Kent took her to France for a few days. Now that sounds pretty wow but France is only 14 miles from England at Dover and about 100 miles across the channel from Plymouth. There is a car ferry that runs back and forth so we caught one Sunday night after church. We spent a few days just wandering about seeing what Brittany had to offer. It was good to hear her laugh and relax a bit. This year was our 24th anniversary.

Out Of Breath!

2010-09-04T11:20:00.002+01:00

Hello,

It has been a crazy but good week. The fellowship on Monday was very good and an encouragement. We heard a Welsh, English and Irish speaker. The folks that went with us were quite excited to here British men preaching the same things they hear from us each week. There were about 120 in attendance and Bro Stuart and his folks did a nice job hosting. Then it was a rush back to the house for our holiday bbq with LBC. Had about 15 there and it was nice to have the Dudleys make it. Tuesday, Kent was privileged to be on the presbytery for a man from Nepal. He got saved while in England as a student and has gone back to his country to preach the Gospel. What a blessing to see such a soft surrendered heart. Spent the night there in Poole and then drove back (3 hours) to take James to an appointment. Services Wed night and then Kent and Ben left early Thursday to the London area. There were some chairs to deliver and Kent was wanting to take some Olympic related pictures. They were able to eat at the only non-military Taco Bell in the UK and sat there awhile savoring the flavor of fire sauce. Friday, they took the tube into London and spent the day walking around taking pics. Back late Friday night for what is hoped to be a quiet, pedestrian Saturday.

Our Week

2010-08-29T23:06:00.002+01:00

Hello,

We may have finally recovered from camp. Kent is still complaining he cracked a few ribs on the water slide at camp but Andrea says he is just getting old. We went back up to camp on Friday to pick up Ben who was house sitting and did a few odd jobs on Sat before we headed home. Good day today at church. Had a few back that have been gone. Tomorrow. Monday 30th is a holiday here in Britain. The church in Exeter is having a fellowship so we are heading over for that during the day, back to our house for a food fellowship the evening, Kent is off to Poole for an ordination service Tuesday evening and he is off to London on Thursday and Friday to deliver some chairs and take some pictures of the Olympic Park and other places. Andrea is getting set to start another year of homeschooling and we need to start getting rid of stuff in preparation for furlough. It is not for awhile yet, but this fall already looks to be busy without anything else being added to it.

Camp Joy 2010

2010-08-24T10:14:00.002+01:00

Here are a few more camp pics

A Mile in Their Shoes

2010-08-21T14:09:00.003+01:00

Hello,

We are back from camp and praise God for the decisions that were made. We are completely wiped out but making progress through the pile of laundry that currently hides the laundry room floor.

We left for camp a week ago Thursday, the 12th , to help get the grounds ready and to cook for the staff training days. We arrived to fine weather and found the tents already up and things ahead of schedule. We cooked for 25-30 on Thurs-Sat and then headed back to Cornwall for Sunday services and to drop Juan off at the ferry on Sunday afternoon. He had fun the few days we were up at the camp and I think he would have liked to have stayed for the actual camp week. So back home Sat night at 9, eat, laundry, up and going Sunday morning, services, lunch, Juan gone, laundry, store, repack, load trailer and car and drive 4 hours back up to camp.

There were 54 campers this week and approx 30-40 staff and others. There are a number of missionaries who bring their children to camp and stay the week for the fellowship. We would like to expand this side of the week and provide a week of encouragement for those folks. So all in all about 90 people at camp for the week. It was relentless!!! No sooner had you finished cleaning up from one meal and it was past time to prepare for the next. You never realize just how much goes in to preparing that much food and how much planning it takes when you have very limited cooking and storage facilities. Andrea did a stellar job all week and won over many a camper with those homemade brownies. Kent preached the evening services and "cooked" up some concoctions for the kids to try. Ben and Chris were staff this year and did great. They were always asking what else they could do. Davis and Deidra were campers and said the week was good albeit a little cold in the tents at night.

We know of one lad who got saved this week and there were other decisions as well. Youth camp is truly a great ministry and we are grateful for all those who worked so hard to make it what it it.

Like Another Son

2010-08-07T21:47:00.003+01:00

Hello,

We have been hosting Spanish young men for three years and have been blessed to have some very nice lads stay with us. Juan is no exception. He s just like one of the kids. He plays jokes on us and has a great sense of humour. Here are a few pictures of the homeshool sports day and some pictures from London. Kent had occasion to go to London for business and took an extra day to show Juan the capital.

It's August, It Must Be Time For Youth Camp

2010-08-04T00:16:00.003+01:00

Hello,

Whenever August rolls around it is time to get busy about youth camp. Most years there is a building project to complete or crafts to organize. There is always a series of messages to be prepared for services. This year is different. No building project, Andrea is not on crafts duty, we are the camp cooks. So time to organize a menu to feed the hordes. Kent did make a picnic table from some leftover lumber and is preaching each night of camp but this does seem like an easy year by comparison to most years.

Juan is with us for a few more weeks. We took him bike riding on the Camel Trail. It ends at Padstow which is a fishing port on the north coast.

Touring With Juan

2010-07-27T23:58:00.003+01:00

Hello,

Whenever we have a Spanish lad with us we make an effort to get out and about and show them a bit of Cornwall. Here are a few photos from the past week.

July Church Outing

2010-07-23T21:42:00.005+01:00

Hello,

Where has July gone? We have been having good services but no visitors. Always nice to have faithful folks who come to the services but visitors seem to encourage everyone. It was time for another church outing so we went to the south coast of Cornwall to Trebah Garden. Voted one of the top 80 gardens in the world, it was an enjoyable day out. One special thing about the garden, it has a small beach that was used as an embarkation point for D-day. The concrete poured for the loading of tanks is still there.

Spanish lad

2010-07-19T00:19:00.003+01:00

Hello,

For the past three years, we have participated in a program in which we host a Spanish child for a period of 4 weeks during the summer. Since we cannot take the gospel to Spain, we like the idea of Spain coming to us. We usually have two lads each summer at different times. Jose was back for his third year this summer but Juan just arrived Friday for the first time. It was a gorgeous evening Sat so after dinner a few of us loaded up and headed to Polperro to show Juan around.

A Few More Pics

2010-07-13T22:08:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Here are a few more pictures from Ben's Senior Trip.

Sometimes it is just sitting in the rain

2010-07-11T17:08:00.003+01:00

Hello,

Many people wonder what all being a missionary entails. They have visions of jungles, cannibals and horrible looking food. The reality for most missionaries is missions life looks alot like regular life only in a different locale. We were at the Liskeard Show yesterday to man the church stand there. Andrea and Kent got everything set up and then the rain started. It rained fairly hard for over an hour and there was nobody walking around the show grounds. As we sat there, we laughed and exclaimed "sometimes being a missionary is just sitting around while it rains". What is so scary about that!

The rain cleared, the skies lightened and the people started coming. This year was probably the best attended of the 4 years we have been involved in the show. Almost 200 people signed up to win the bench and we have no idea how many kids played the free games for candy. All in all, several hundred gospel tracts were handed out and we had several good conversations with folks about why Baptists are different and why we were not with the Liskeard Churches Together booth.

It All Started With A Twinkie

2010-07-09T00:04:00.004+01:00

Hello,

Still trying to adjust to England time. Jet lag is a curse of the devil.

A few years ago, a lifeguard at the gym approached me asking what a Twinkie was. He had watched an American movie and heard them speak of Twinkies. I tried to describe them but ended up asking Andrea to bring some back from the States on her next trip. Steve really liked the Twinkies and also asked about Hershey bars. We would talk on occasion and he would ask advice on rearing children and getting his life straightened out. We have invited him to church a number of times but he has yet to come. I was at the gym this evening and Steve came up and told me he was considering becoming a Christian. I asked a few questions and it was obvious he thought you just needed to become a better person. We talked a bit more ( he was working and I do not feel it is right to steal time from an employer) and I told him I would leave some information for him to read and I would set a time to answer his questions. He seemed stunned that he could not be good enough to get to heaven and asked to me to not forget the info.
Please pray for Steve and never doubt the power of a Twinkie.

Staying Busy

2010-07-04T23:40:00.003+01:00

Hello,

Been a busy few weeks since we last posted. We had the 90 & the 9 birthday party on Sat, 19th, Jose arrived from Spain on the 21st and on the 21st, Kent and Ben flew out to NYC for Ben's senior trip. Ben wanted to go to watch baseball games in the northeast for his trip so they stayed with a pastor friend in NJ and sent 12 days hitting every ball park within driving distance. Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York (Mets and Yankees) and Boston were all taken in. They also did a few educational things although Ben thought they were pointless since he was done with school. All the while Andrea was home taking care of business.
They were also able to visit a few supporting churches and Kent preached at one. Jose is a Spanish exchange student who spends a month with us each summer. This is his third year with us. Seems like part of the family. They told us to treat him like our own and it did not take us long to discover differences in our culture and the Spanish culture. All in all he is a wonderful young man and we enjoy having him stay with us.
Kent and Ben arrived back on Sat evening and it was back to normal today. We had good attendance in both services as well as a 4th of July fellowship after church this evening. For some reason the British are not as keen on the holiday as we are.

The 90 and the 9

2010-06-20T17:00:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Busy, busy times this June. We got Austin off to the States this past week. We are sure he is melting in the Oklahoma heat. Deidra turned 9 on the 19th and James Dudley turns 90 on the 22nd so we had a birthday party for the both of them. Around 20 people came for pasties and pies and we had a very nice luncheon. The weather cooperated so we set up the gazebo and had the event outside.

Special Sunday

2010-06-16T21:47:00.003+01:00

We had a real blessing this past Sunday. We were visited by a singing group from a Christian college in the States. Being so far from London we do not seem to get many visitors when they come from America. This group was to be with the church in Exeter on the Sunday morning and Bro Harvey asked if we would care for a visit in the evening. Truly a joy to hear them sing and we enjoyed the fellowship after as well. We wish them well on their tour throughout Europe these next few months.

Time To Stop Ignoring The Truth

2010-06-08T22:30:00.003+01:00

Hello,

Things are well here in Cornwall. We have even had a number of sunny, warm days. I don't know of a nicer climate than England on a nice summer day.

As we go through life we often ignore some obvious truths. We eat large amounts and are shocked we gain weight. We do not maintain our cars and get mad when they breakdown. It is with our children we see, to ignore the most obvious truth. The will leave when the get older. From the day you bring them home from hospital they are headed to a destiny that includes leaving the nest. We as parents stumble along through life ignoring the obvious and preferring to not think on the inevitable. It is a time of mixed emotions for us as we prepare Austin to return to the States. We are proud of him as a young man and are thankful for the Lord allowing us to rear him. We are sad as a part of us will be leaving with him. The process of moving to England really bonded our family and our children have often only had siblings as friends. Austin leaving will leave an empty place at the table and a gap in our lives.

It is our prayer that people will understand it will take him some time to readjust to the states. Not everything he will do will be how they do it there and he will not be perfect. So many missionary kids are criticized instead of being helped it is no wonder many fall by the wayside.

A Few More Spanish Pics

2010-06-04T01:00:00.003+01:00

Gibraltar

Andrea and I

Toledo, Spain

Where Does Time Go?

2010-05-30T22:35:00.004+01:00

Hello,

Has it been a month? When life gets busy there are always things that get pushed aside. We are on the process of getting Austin prepared to move to the States and we managed to squeeze in a family trip to Spain. Kent was preaching for a missionary on the south coast and decided to take the family. The Lord blessed us with a great trip and we had no problems or incidents. We have been blessed with a great batch of kids and enjoyed getting to spend time with them.

The church did well and it was good to see people step up and accept responsibility while we were gone. We emphasize to them that we are here to help them build a church and reach their neighbors not do it all for them.

Church Outing

2010-04-24T21:37:00.003+01:00

Hello,

We attempt to have a church activity each month. It is usually inside during the winter and if we can get a sunny day, we do try and get outside. This past Thursday we went to Cotehele which is a Tudor house that has been maintained in the same family for several hundreds of years. One of the men who attends our services made his living as an antiques dealer and offered to give us a tour of the house and explain all of the furniture and artifacts. It was quite amazing to hear what all the things were. Little items that we would see as just decoration were actually things that were essential to life in the 1600's. We all enjoyed a picnic in the garden and then walked the grounds. The Harveys from Exeter came over for the day and it was agreed we need to have another day out in May.

Kent had a few good conversations with a few that came and it was good to spend time with the people in a relaxed atmosphere.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T23:30:00.002+01:00

Hello,

We trust everyone had a nice Easter weekend. In England, the Friday before is a bank holiday and the Monday after is a bank holiday so most people have a four day weekend. Everything shuts down and a mob of people come to Cornwall from upcountry for a holiday. We pretty much stayed around the house and worked on projects.

Sunday was a nice day. We had a few visitors in the morning service and a good service it was. People just seem to sing louder when we sing about the Resurrection. We had James and Connie over for Sunday lunch and cooked the traditional ham. It is always a joy to spend time with this couple She is 93 and he is 89 and they still desire to serve God. What a testimony of faithfulness!!

Took a new family pic for Easter and some new prayer cards.

The inspector Returns

2010-03-30T20:35:00.003+01:00

hello,

Andrea (the Inspector) is back and so far so good. Well, we have not yet received the report on how clean (dirty) the house was. We did try and make sure everything was in its place or at least covering up a new spot or some clutter.

I have been asked to finish my food report for the week so here goes.

Sunday was Austin's day and so he took the easy road and treated us to KFC.

Monday was Kent's day and he made bacon baps. Think pieces of bacon is a roll with cheese.

Tuesday was back to Chris. He cooked burgers out on the grill in the rain. He would want me to add that bit.

Wed was Davis and it was a delicacy. Chicken breasts flattened and wrapped around ham and cheese and then baked. Quite nice.

Thursday was Deidra and she made chicken fingers and popcorn chicken.

Friday was the day Kent was to leave to London so as to pick up Andrea Sat morning. He decided to leave early in the day, take Deidra and Davis with him and go to the London Zoo. It was a good day out and two kids really enjoyed the zoo and shopping in London.

Andrea flew in SAT morning and all made it home safely.

Catch-Up

2010-03-20T21:09:00.003Z

Hello,

So we have been cruising along this week. Almost keeping up with school, almost keeping up with chores and almost eating vegetables at every meal. We even found time for a field trip on Friday to the Shipwreck Museum in St Austell. Davis was in charge of dinner on Wednesday evening and we had baked chicken, Deidra helped Dad on Thursday night as he had to take dinner to the Dudleys. The menu consisted of pork chops, potatoes, carrots and peas. All went well except the carrots were undercooked. Slightly hard was the verdict. Friday is date night so Deidra stood in for Andrea. Saturday was Ben's night and he made his famous "Chicken in the Big Red Bowl". Very good.

Dog Biscuits

2010-03-17T15:41:00.002Z

Hello,

We had another nice day Sunday. Good services, good fellowship and a good spirit. Immediately after the evening service Andrea and I took off for London. She had a plane to catch Monday morning to fly back to Oklahoma and surprise her mom. The trip was actually for her dad's birthday but we decided to not tell her mom and see if we could surprise her. Andrea will be back in the States for 11 days. Her dad received another good report at his last doctor visit and so we are praising God for the work He has done with JC's health.

So while the cats away, .........actually not much playing but alot of laundry. Ever since Andrea took her first trip to visit the States, we have used these absences to help prepare the kids for life after parents. Each child gets a night of the week to cook dinner. They pick what they want to prepare and fix the meal. Chris was first up on Tuesday night. He made waffles, bacon, sausage and homemade biscuits. It all turned out well. Since Chris's nickname is Pherdog, the biscuits were thus dubbed Dog Biscuits.

Davis is up tonight and we will let you know how it goes.

Children Are A Blessing

2010-03-13T21:51:00.004Z

Hello,

The other day I jokingly made a comment that Andrea and I were standing at the edge of the abyss. Davis turned 13 and that meant we now had 4 teenage boys in the house. Andrea and I have had said many times that our children have been nothing but a blessing to us and the thought of another teen is not daunting at all. It is only by the grace of God but we have had wonderful kids. There is no way that anyone could describe our children's upbringing as normal but even that has been a blessing and a benefit. The 4 teens only lasts for a month as Austin will turn 20 in April. Not sure that will diminish the food bill any.

Must Be Getting Old

2010-03-07T22:34:00.003Z

Hello,

What a tough week. Brought a virus back from Vancouver and just could not shake it off this week. Add in a bit of jetlag and I was a bit out of it this week. Worked on a few errands around the house and that about wore me out. We had some church folks over on Friday night to watch Fireproof. They seemed to really enjoy it.

Today was a good day at church. Everyone of the regulars was in their place and we had a lady with us this morning who has not been in services for over two years. This evening we had a returning visitor who has decided he would like to come every Sunday eve. We are having our first missionary next Sunday evening and are excited about that. Every church, even a small work like ours, needs to be involved in missions.

Good To Be Home

2010-03-02T23:54:00.003Z

Hello,

Sorry this spot has been so quiet but Kent did not have much access to the internet while he was in Vancouver. Most days he was out of his room by 6:30AM and not back until 11:00 or so. All he wanted to do at that point was go to bed.

The trip went very well and the Lord blessed throughout. All his travel went well and Kent always had a bed to sleep in. He did not starve either.

He was blessed to stop in Oak Harbour, WA and visit with the folks at Bible Baptist Church on his way from Seattle to Vancouver. Kent was able to collect a great deal of information while on the streets of Vancouver evangelizing that will come in very handy in 2012. He had a number of questions answered as well as seeing a few more raised. The project he worked with there handed out close to 100,000 John/Romans and 40,000 Olympic pins. The pins had 5 fish on them in the colours of the wordless book. It was an excellent way to witness to folks. It was reported that between the two weeks of teams and the local church groups that went out that there were close to 20 people who were saved during the Games.

A long flight home for Kent on Fri/Sat and then straight back into the pulpit on Sunday.

Off To Vancouver

2010-02-14T21:29:00.002Z

Hello,

Great week!! We had 13 for the Sweethearts Banquet and everyone had a good time of food and fellowship. Sunday was a good day. We had 11 in the AM and 19 PM. Ben is a bit poorly so he was out of services today.

Kent leaves tomorrow for Vancouver so the updates may be a little sparse.

Is It February Already????

2010-02-09T20:31:00.002Z

Hello,

Man, how time flies. Just yesterday it was New Years Day and now we are already up to Valentines Day. We had good services on Sunday. There were 13 in the AM and 12 in the PM. It has been a blessing to see some consistency in the numbers. Having people become more faithful is helpful in teaching doctrine. When people jump in and out of church they tend to miss important points that tie the package together.
Friday we are having a sweetheart banquet with the church folks. We have reservations for 6 couples and the Gossmeyer children have been volunteered as the wait staff. Sunday is Valentines Day as well as Chinese New Year (just so you know). Monday, Kent travels to London and on Tuesday, flies out to Vancouver. Tuesday is also Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday (just so you know).

5th Sunday Fellowship

2010-02-01T23:16:00.003Z

Hello,

One of the Baptist distinctives is the abundance of food fellowships. In our efforts to plant a Baptist church in England we have introduced the concept to the folks here. Every month that there is a 5th Sunday, we stay after and have a meal together and a time of fellowship. We have had a varied response in the past but try to bring enough food in case 30 show up some day. A number of the people who attend now have not been around for a fellowship and were not sure about the whole concept. We had 14 for services and 14 for dinner. The consensus was this is a great idea. People had time to get to know each other better and were asking when the next month with 5 Sundays is.

Just Normal Days

2010-01-28T00:14:00.002Z

Hello,

So many times when we are in the States, people inquire as to what life is like on the mission field. While the experiences will differ with the differences in each culture a family serves in the basics of life remain the same. The life of a missionary family is pretty much the same as life for a family in the States. Between rearing children, maintaining a household, keeping cars running and just life, the days roll on. There are some differences but life everywhere is pretty much the same routine. In that routine is comfort. We all seem to like it when things go to plan. People think they are tired of the routine and go on vacation only to experience a relief when they return home and the normality of life.

January has been a month of routine for us. Between the weather and illness, we have spent alot of time at home. This has allowed us to get organized, clean up some old paperwork and the kids have had some good weeks of school. This has also been a good month with the work at church. The folks seem to be settling in and enjoying learning about the Word of God. We seem to be fellowshipping longer and longer after services and enjoying getting to know each other better.

If you are in the area, make plan to attend the 1st Annual Sweethearts Banquet on the 12th. We even have a guest speaker lined up and are looking forward to an evening of fun. This Sunday we are having our 5th Sunday Fellowship. We stay after on Sunday morning and have a meal together. We do like to eat.

Starting to get excited about the trip to Vancouver for the Olympics. The Lord has worked out a large number of issues and it looks to be a great trip. Kent is out on the 15th and back on the 27th.

Sam Brown Update

2010-01-21T22:28:00.003Z

Hello,

Sam is home from hospital and doing well. We went by to see them tonight and he is up and about. Please do continue to pray for him as he had alot of adjustments coming in his life.

Dinner with the Dudley's was enjoyable this evening. They are both in good health and good spirits.

Nice Sunday

2010-01-18T23:48:00.002Z

Hello,

We had a very nice weekend and Sunday and trust you did as well. Whereas last week it was quite horrible weather wise, this week was a treat. Warm, sunny, almost springlike. It was warm enough that Connie was able to come to church with James. Also had a first time child visitor the same age as Deidra so Andrea taught Sunday school. We would like to expand the children's ministries but the resources are limited at present. Everyone is in agreement that we should be doing more but no one expects that they should have to do any of the work. Just leave it to the Pastor seems to be the attitude. Some things are universal the world over.

Andrea has started helping out with Deidra's Brownie group. Not sure what all they do but the level of crafts has definitely improved since Andrea started helping.

We would ask you to pray for Sam Brown. He has a major heart problem on Monday and ended up with a stint. They originally thought it was a heart attack but it turned out a blood vessel was trying to separate from the heart. He will be in hospital for a few days and then off work for 6 weeks. Hmmmm......also pray for his wife :)

Bizarre

2010-01-15T20:40:00.003Z

Hello,

Quite the bizarre week. We started off Sunday with the ice and snow.Woke up Monday to quite a nice day, the roads cleared and the snow started to melt. Tuesday it started to rain. At noon, it turned to sleet and about 2:00PM it began to snow. We ended up with about 4 inches and it shut the town down. Traffic was at a standstill for a few hours and everything was cancelled for Wednesday. By Wednesday morning it was 45 degrees and everything was melting. Best weather day in weeks and most everything in town was closed. We made sure all the church folks were okay and just kept on with life. Going out today, you would never know we had any snow at all. Good thing is....when it hits 50 it will seem like summer!

Life goes back to normal.......

Snow Day

2010-01-10T23:59:00.003Z

Hello,

Quite the exciting week. Illness slowly made it way through the family this week and waylaid just about everyone at some point. Kent had it Thursday and Friday but thought it fit in well with his diet. Snow and cold all week. The council has all but run out of grit for the roads so only the main roads are cleared and all the side roads and sidewalks are still quite icy. When we got up this morning it was snowing quite heavily. The phone started ringing as people called to say they would not be in church because of the weather. James was quite disappointed when I rang to tell him we could not pick him up for church. Their street is quite hilly and we had already had to leave the van there once this week because it could not get out. How sad that so many "Christians" have the ability to go to church and don't and those who cherish each moment in the house of God cannot always get there.

So we prepared the kids for "this might be a just us day" and set off for church. It never fails. We had a first time visitor. There was one other lady that walked to church so that was good. Seems every time we have a visitor it is just family and they just look at you when you tell them there really are other people who attend services. Richard seemed to enjoy the service and the preaching. We had a good time of fellowship and did not leave the church until about 1:20PM. Back for the evening service and a few more decided to brave the conditions and come out. All in all, a good day.

Now for another week of subzero weather. The homes here are just not designed, insulated or equipped with heating systems to deal with consistent cold weather like we are experiencing. We got a temperature gauge out to see what they house temp was. We could get it up to 65 in the warmest room of the house. At night, we turn the heat off because of cost and our bedroom was in the 50's when we woke up this morning. Makes it hard to get out from under the covers!

What Happened?

2010-01-05T23:12:00.002Z

Hello,

Not sure how the whole Global Warming thing is going where you are but we are freezing. The part of England we live in is very temperate and we usually see only a few nights of freezing temperatures each year. We are not sure it has been above freezing at night for the past few weeks. In fact, it has been close to freezing during the day as well. This is really not that cold but after a few years in a climate you tend to acclimate. We start to get cold when it get below 45 and we get hot when it edges over 75.

We even had snow today. It has maybe snowed three times in the 8 winters we have been here. Today was a good dusting but enough to close the schools and a number of shops. They are just not prepared for snow and ice. Right now we are in favor of all the global warming we can get!!!!!

2010

2010-01-01T23:10:00.002Z

Hello,

We spent a quiet New Years Eve with friends and family. Kent & Andrea had their normal Thursday dinner with James and Connie and then stayed up with the kids to watch the fireworks in London at midnight.

Our good friends, the Whitcombs, in Oklahoma have always had a New Years Day tradition of setting out food all day and having people over. We decided to steal their idea and do the same here. We had over 40 people through the house today starting at 12:30 and the last couple left at 9:30. bout half were folks from church and friends and the rest were Austin and Bens friends from their various activities. There were also a few neighbours and neighborhood kids running around. A good time was had by all and it will probably become an annual affair. We have found the best way to deal with being away from family during the holidays is to get involved with other people.

And then as was writing this blog, Austin came home and told me something strange was happening down at the bridge by our house. We went out and there were some teens trying to talk another out of jumping off of the bridge. We rang the police and it all turned out well.

A Lovely Day

2009-12-25T22:24:00.005Z

Hello,

We truly had a lovely Christmas day. The sun was out all day save a short sleet shower in the afternoon. We opened the presents this morning except for the one the kids talked Dad into opening on Christmas Eve. Turns out they each opened a box of chocolate that they felt no obligation to share. Thanks to our home church and some other churches sending gifts this year, we had a good number to open. Then it was a quick cleanup of the house while Kent went to pickup the Dudleys for Christmas Dinner. Turkey, a roast joint, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, carrots and broccoli were on the menu. We opened our Christmas cracker and wore our hats. For dessert it was a traditional English Christmas Pudding, apple pie or a slice of lemon cake. We retired to the lounge with a cup of tea and ended up singing Christmas carols for a bit. It was very interesting to hear how the observance of Christmas has changed in the lifetime of the Dudleys. They spoke of how it was a fortunate family that even had a special Christmas dinner when they were children.

We then spent the rest of the day eating whatever we could find and we found alot. Now time to recover slightly as we celebrate Andrea's birthday tomorrow.

Blessings

2009-12-23T10:47:00.003Z

Hello,

What a time of year. There is so much scurrying about and spending and events that even when you try to remain focused on the true meaning of Christmas, it is very hard to do so. However, hard does not equate to shouldn't.

We have truly seen God's blessing already in this holiday season.
A lady who got saved some time back was in church Sunday morning for the first time in probably a year. We had 22 for our carol service in the PM. This included 8 first time visitors of which 4 were teens that walked in off the street. They stayed the entire service and even for the snacks after. They heard a clear presentation of the Gospel and so we consider that a fair trade. Our home church sent us 5 boxes of goodies and presents. We have started to enjoy the goodies but are making the kids wait to open the presents. We may let them open them on Christmas Eve. Kent's dad had an operation last week and is recovering well and all our parents seem to be doing fine health wise. We truly could go on and on but suffice it so say, we have been blessed beyond measure and are grateful to God for all He has done in our lives.

May you enjoy the Christmas season as well!

A Snowy Candy Cane Day

2009-12-19T21:47:00.003Z

Hello,

Today was our annual candy cane handout. We have been handing out candy canes with a church invite for each of the last 7 years. Usually we buy about 1,000-1,500 canes and depending on the crowd in town takes about 1 hour to give them all away. We had no sooner started today when it began to snow. The rest of England got hit with snow on Friday but Cornwall had remained cold and sunny. We also had two ladies from the church come and help us out and that was a blessing.

Not Possible

2009-12-18T22:15:00.003Z

Hello,

You can always dismiss one instance as an anomaly but two instances tend to show a trend. When Austin turned 18 we merely dismissed it mentally as not really happening. However, when Ben turned 18 yesterday we had to face the reality that somehow our children have aged and yet we have not.

Please do not burst our bubble.

Boy, Are We In Trouble!

2009-12-13T14:57:00.005Z

Hello,

Sorry for the lag in posts but we have been away for 10 days. Each year a supporting church in Germany hosts a Christmas banquet for missionaries. If you can make it there, they will feed you and provide accommodations for the weekend. We have tried to go each year and make this our family vacation time. Since we are already in Germany, we try to show the kids a part of Europe they have yet to see.

We left on Thursday(Dec 3rd) after Austin got off work and drove to Dover to spend the night. Up at 4:00AM to catch the 5:55AM ferry to Calais and then spent the day driving to Mannheim, Germany. Arrived in time to check in, shower and change into our dress duds. Andrea had found a dress on a sale rack this summer and thought Kent needed a dinner jacket to match it. A thorough search of Ebay and we found one for 1 pound. It cost more to have it cleaned than to buy it. Friday was the banquet, Saturday was breakfast and then two preaching services. Lunch was the highlight for any trip we take to Germany, Taco Bell. The church is right next to a US military base and they have a TB and also Mountain Dew. The kids could stay there and be happy. Off to the Christmas Market for the afternoon and then dinner out. Because alot of missionaries have younger kids, we always offer our kids as babysitters for the evening and then just us adults can go out and visit. Makes for a nice evening. Sunday was church there in Mannheim and then Monday we took off for Bavaria. We took the kids to Rothenburg which is a walled medieval city that is quite lovely all decorated for Christmas. We then headed south to the ton of Fussen. This is where Ludwig II built his castle, Neuschwanstein. This is the castle that Walt Disney based his castles on. While the kids (17 and under are free..woohoo!!) took a tour of Neuschwanstein, Andrea and Kent toured Hohenschwangau which was the summer castle of Ludwig's parents. A quick detour into Austria for lunch and then it was off to Prague. This all sounds quite far but Europe is not really that big of a place. We spent a few days in Prague and Kent preached for a missionary there on Wednesday night. You want to visit a hard field? Go to the Czech Republic. Praise God for faithful missionaries who go to places like Prague.

Now comes the hard part....getting home. Back in the day....we used to travel 600, 700, 800 miles in a day and walk away just fine. Just another day in the life of a missionary on deputation. We left Prague at 7:15AM on Friday and drove 630 miles to just outside Paris to spend the night. We were shattered. Then we got up Saturday morning and headed for Calais to catch the ferry. The Lord blessed and we made good time and got home by 7:00PM Saturday evening. Shattered. No desire to go anywhere for a bit. It will be tough whenever we go to the States to do a furlough.

It was a great time as a family and possibly our last trip with everyone. Austin and Ben will be heading back to the States in 2010 and who knows what God has in store for them.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-29T22:30:00.002Z

What a great weekend. We had company starting Wednesday and the last group left Saturday afternoon. Thursday was the evening out in Plymouth. Our first year, the house we let had an oven that was way too small for a turkey so we ended up in Plymouth at Pizza Hut. Even after we moved and had a bigger oven we liked the idea of going to Pizza Hut on Thanksgiving Day so it stuck. We started having folks over for a Thanksgiving dinner about 5 years ago but had it on Friday night so as to not interfere with Pizza Hut. Each year we invite more people and each year it grows. There were 40 at this years dinner and we had a number of "regulars" miss this year. We rent a hall for the dinner and then all head to our house for some fellowship. Ping pong, Pit, Wii bowling were all on the agenda and we had people from 8 to 73 playing each and every one. It was a great time of fellowship and we look forward to doing it again next year.

Some People Never Learn

2009-11-23T18:25:00.002Z

Hello,

Happy Thanksgiving week. This is one of our favorite weeks here at the Gossmeyer abode. We have a tradition of going to Pizza Hut on Thursday and then on Friday we have a big dinner and invite people from all over England and most everyone we know in town. Only about 4 make it each year but we seem to cook for 100. We have some folks who make it a weekend and stay with us for a few days and we are thinking of making a retreat weekend out of the event some year.
You would think that after 7 years, we would learn some things. Dumber than a box of rocks seems to be the standard anymore. Kent was at the butcher today getting a few hams for the dinner and saw some turkey breast slices. Kent has yet to meet a turkey he did not like so he pick up a packet for some lunchtime treats. A he was checking out he made a joke about everyone having to share the turkey for dinner Thursday. The till lady just looked at him with a look that defies description until Kent realized for the thousandth time, the English don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Thursday is just a normal day here. Maybe after 2o years the cobwebs will start to clear up.
Had a few ill Sunday but Andrea is back up and going so she was able to be in the services. I always remember what Pastor Casteel told me just before we left for England. He said "I will start to worry when you run less than 7 on a Sunday". Good thing we had a few extra last week to cover.

Getting More Than You Give

2009-11-20T20:19:00.002Z

Hello,

Several times in past blogs we have mentioned the Dudleys. They are an older couple who attend church here with us. Some time back, we started taking them dinner on Thursdays trying to be a blessing to them. It was not long before we were asked to stay and join them for dinner. Now, we look forward to Thursday night all week long. To sit and listen as these two Christians relate how good God has been to them and how they have seen him work in their lives is just an amazing experience. We may supply the meal each week but they give us so much more. That is usually what happens when we think we are going to be a blessing to someone. We end up the better for it. You cannot out give God!

Kent and Andrea went for their eye exams today. A bit of a nervous time for Kent as he has been holding things farther away to read them. Well, he was given a reprieve for now. The doctor said that Kent has long arms so he can wait a few years for bi-focals.

Kent has been reading about a device called a Kindle. It is an electronic book reader that you can upload books, magazines and newspapers. It also has a function that allows the device to "read" the selected material. with James not able to read due to his eyesight, we are thinking this might be something to look into. Know someone with a Kindle? please let us know. WE have questions.

Slow But Steady

2009-11-18T20:58:00.004Z

Hello,

We had a good Sunday. Another first time visitor came by. She just moved to town and is looking for a church. We told her we would pray that she finds where God wants her to be. Too many people treat finding a church like buying car. They look for something where they will be comfortable, it won't cause them any problems and they do not have to do any work to keep it running.

Andrea had some back problems over the weekend but after a visit to the chiropractor and some bed rest she is much better and back up and at it. Things sure do run smoother when Mom is functional.

The annual candy cane buying spree has begun. As soon as we see them in the grocery stores we start buying every box they have. Then we wait until they restock in a few days and hit them again. We tried to interest them in a bulk buy the first few years but no one was interested. Cannot find any plain red/white canes this year so we are having to go with the red/green/white ones. Not sure why that is a big deal to us but it is. We like the red/white ones.

Oh, and here is the real family pic from a few weeks ago.

Tickets Are Booked

2009-11-14T21:23:00.003Z

Hello,

If you are a regular reader of this blog (and both of you know who you are) you have seen mention of the 2012 London Olympic project and my desire to go to the Vancouver Olympics to do some research. I received advice from a number of people and decided in the end it would be beneficial to go. "What are you looking to accomplish?" seemed to be the most common question. Everyone who is planning an effort for the 2012 Olympics (and there will be many from all races, creeds and religions) is aware of the venue sites and the transportation links. I am looking for alternative sites and ministry opportunities. There are a plethora of activities other that the actual competitions that a host city has to offer.
I had been having problems locating anyone I could work with but this week God blessed and led me to a church in Vancouver that is planning to distribute 100,000 John/Romans and tracts during the games. They have associated with a church in Georgia that has gone to every Olympic Games since 1984. What a resource!! I have found some cheap housing at a hostel (think dorm room with 16 guys in it) and a cheap plane ticket so we are good to go. A few logistics to work out (bicycle, getting from Seattle to Vancouver) and some saving of money and it will be February before we know it. We appreciate your prayers that this trip will be a help for the 2012 Games and that we will see God do something amazing in Vancouver.

New Family Picture

2009-11-08T20:31:00.003Z

Winter Has Come

2009-11-07T14:29:00.004Z

Hello,

After quite the dismal summer, we had a quite nice autumn. September and especially October were great. Then came November. Nothing but rain all week and it has turned cold. Well.....cold for here. We have fully acclimated and if it is in the 40' and windy we tend to be decked out in winter kit. Had the best intentions to get back to Looe and the posh people but never really had a dry stretch. Spent the week doing mostly administrative things and clearing the honey-do list( that would be mostly getting my grading done so she knows where the boys are in Geometry).

You would think some independent Baptist would be doing something for the Winter Olympics next Feb but have not found anything yet. Kent has been looking at finding a room somewhere close to Vancouver. If you can find a room they are quite expensive. The Super 8 rooms in Vancouver went for $250 per night. The plan may turn out to find a hostel or a private room in a house and then buy a used bike to get around. All of the venues are within biking distance except for the ones at the ski resort and they have shuttles that run there. Don't have alot of money to do this but feel it will help the 2012 effort. God has always provided and will again.

We have started inviting people to the Gossmeyer Family Thanksgiving Feast on Friday the 27th. If you can make it you are most certainly invited. Starts at 6:30PM and you are welcome to stay the weekend.

When Is It the Darkest

2009-11-02T10:28:00.003Z

Hello,

We have all heard the saying it is darkest just before the dawn. Austin gave me a quote that it is darkest right before it goes pitch black. We started Sunday evening services right at one year ago. Our piano player and his wife, Mike and Eileen, thought there would be a number of people who would be interested in an evening service. We have had some people visit in the last year but for the past month it has just been our family and Bro Mike. He told me last week that he would understand if we went back to just a morning service in order to save money on the hall rental. I told him that we would keep on with the evening service until God told us otherwise. Last night we had 12 in the service. Eunice and Jackie came as well as Joe and the Crago's were both there. This was the first evening service for three of them.
How many times do we get discouraged and quit right before we see a blessing? It is like running a marathon and quitting at mile 20. Why waste the effort and pain of running the 20 miles? Go ahead and finish the race despite how you feel or think. Finish what you start.

Wow, pretty deep for our blog. Pretty good weekend for us. Nice weather on Sat and so we got out and enjoyed it. Austin passed another Microsoft test on Friday and is now certified in some other bits of their software. He only has a few more school sessions in his apprenticeship and then he will be fully certified in Microsoft networking. Kent letterboxed the posh part of Looe the other day. These were the oceanfront homes that you would see in a magazine or on television. It never seems like Baptists live on these sort of homes.Hmmmm......... Pretty to look at but they sure are far apart. Takes a long time to do very many of them. Deidra went to a friends birthday party and had a good time.
Pray we can find red and white candy canes this year. Everything we have seen so far has been weirdly coloured.

Nice Quiet Week, So Far

2009-10-29T13:45:00.002Z

Hello,

Good week so far. We got some letterboxing done, had a good service Wed night, celebrated Chris's b-day Sunday and then again Tuesday. About the only trauma of the week was Kent got his finger caught between a van door and a wall when a gust of wind caught the door. Almost took the top of his pinkie finger off but it seems to be reattaching itself. It has been hard for the kids to do school with the sounds of his sobbing and weeping from the pain :)

Kent has been searching for someone who is planning an outreach during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Those games are this coming February and he would like to see how things work in preparation for the outreach effort in 2012 in London. Having a hard time finding anyone doctrinally sound that is going to be there.

You may be asking yourself why did they celebrate Chris's birthday twice. The actual date was Sunday, the 25th so we all wished him a Happy Birthday and that was about it. The real celebration was on Tuesday. We allow the children to select their b-day meal and so that usually means McDonalds for Deidra and Pizza Hut for most of the rest. Chris this year had asked if we could grill steak for his day. We thought that sounded better than Pizza Hut (and cheaper) so we agreed. The problem was Chris had gone to the orthodontist last Thursday and his teeth were still sore on Sunday hence we moved the official celebration to Tuesday. Kent took Chris to the butcher and let him pick out his own steak. The menu ended up scampi for an appetizer, steak, baked potato, corn for dinner and a poppy seed cake for afters. Very nice!

Quality Time With The Kids

2009-10-26T10:30:00.003Z

Hello,

We had a good weekend and trust you did as well. Austin had to drive up to London to take his ACT college exam on Saturday so he and Andrea left Friday and spent the night in Brimpton. Andrea went to see her friend Angela while Austin took his test. That left Kent in charge of the other 4 kids. Upon a review of the weather (rainy, windy) and the surf conditions (good swell, who cares if it is rainy you are going to get wet anyway) a compromise was reached with the kids. If they made sure to get their school done by the time Mom got home we would go surfing. So we packed lunches and headed for Bude. It was perfect! Just us and the few dogwalkers who braved the weather. The best news was when we returned the surfboards, the shop informed us that the rental was good until 5:00PM on Saturday. I left it up to the kids and they all decided they definitely wanted to come back. So we got up early Sat and checked the weather (rainy, very windy) and the surf conditions (very good swell, who cares if it is raining) and went back. The weather started clearing after lunch and it was a good day. You can tell the water is getting colder as it takes a few minutes to get warm. The water is about 62 degrees right now. Almost time to change from the summer wetsuit to a winter wetsuit. Took the kids home so they could finish school up.

We had good services on Sunday. Joe came back again and seemed to enjoy the service again. A few others were ill but it is good to see some new people come and start to grow.

Yesterday was time change Sunday here in England. We tend to be a week or two different on the change than the States. Time change Sunday has to be the worst day of the year. You go to church in the evening and it is light out and when you come out it is dark. Winter has come. Spending evenings outside are over for 6 months.

BTW, Austin thought he did well on his test. We get the results in about 6 weeks.

7 Years of Bad Haircuts

2009-10-22T20:43:00.003+01:00

Hello,

One of the bad things about moving is you have to find new people to perform essential services in your life. New doctor, mechanic, barber, etc........ When we first moved to Liskeard I started going to a particular barber. Not really happy how he cut my hair but I thought he would soon learn. This has gone on for 7 years and even last week I remarked in Scotland that I was still not happy how he cuts my hair. Why not leave him is the obvious question. It took about 3 years before he would even discuss anything religious and this has slowly grown over the past 4 years. Today as I sat down, he asked me how people before the Cross related to God. Good question. Most people think Christianity started with Christ and do not understand the Old Testament. So while he cut my hair he got the whole salvation message. A man walked in on the last 5 minutes so he got a good dose as well.
How well did he cut my hair? Well, lets just say I will go back but not because he finally got my hair right. Please pray for my barber.

Back to the routine

2009-10-21T17:56:00.002+01:00

Hello,

Good day on Sunday. Everyone was healthy and at church as well as a first time visitor. He stayed and asked a few questions which was good. He told us that he had not been challenged in quite some time by the messages at this church and that the message Sunday spoke to him. Please pray for Joe.

Back to the routine this week. Kent is teaching Geometry and Speech this year to the two older boys and got behind the week he was in Scotland. We also had to scrap our 200 pound Rover this week. It was going to be way too much money to repair it to pass the safety inspection so off to the scrap yard it went. We got 8 months and 11,000 miles for our $300 so we consider that a blessing. We will see how the replacement car will do. Kent drove it to Dundee last week which is around 1300 miles round trip and it ran great.

Austin's car is in for it's inspection and will need a few repairs to get it through. We are going to try and squeeze another year of of it if possible.

Church tonight, dinner with the Dudleys tomorrow night and then Friday night date night. What an action packed week we have in store.

Catch Up

2009-10-18T14:38:00.002+01:00

Hello,

This week has been a week of contrasts for us. Everything that was fun and enjoyable was tempered by the news of Bro Luke Onley's death. They visited with us for 4 days back in May on their survey trip to England and we enjoyed having them around. When I spoke with Rebecca this week I told her we considered her one of us and that would never change. Does a person become a missionary when their plane lands on foreign soil or when they surrender their heart and life to the field God has called them to? We tend to go with the moment of surrender because your life irrevocably alters as that point. I was in Scotland this week for a preachers conference and I always stop in the town of Penrith in the north part of England for fuel This is the same town the Onleys felt God was calling them to. As I fuelled the car, I looked around at the people going about their lives and asked God if He would send another man and his family to preach the Gospel to those who have never heard. I will never claim to understand all that God does and Luke's death is one of those events that we just have to trust God in.

The conference in Scotland was good this year. Not too many pastors from the States came over so it as mostly just us missionaries. Kind of like the inmates were running the asylum. We did see one young lady get saved in a morning session this year and other decisions were made a well. Probably the biggest blessing was the people that came from the States to help with the meeting. The church is Dundee is not a large church and the hosting of a meeting can be labor intensive. It is always a blessing to see church people from the States come over at their own expense for the sole intent and purpose of being blessing. Thank God for those churches in the States whose pastor encourages their people and especially young people to go visit the mission field.

Family is good. Boys and dad went surfing for an afternoon the Saturday before Kent went to Scotland. Not much in the way of waves but all we need at this point of our surfing careers. Austin takes the ACT test in London next weekend and has an exam in relation to his Microsoft certification/apprenticeship in the next few weeks. Ben has started Tae Kwan Do and Chris turn 16 next weekend. Time for him to hit the weights.

The Great Liskeard Balloon Race

2009-10-04T22:14:00.004+01:00

Hello,

Yesterday was the St Matthew's Fayre here in Liskeard. The ancient town of Liskerrett received a charter in 1471 from the king of England to hold a fayre in honour of St Matthew. While the town not had a fayre each of the past 538 years, it has become a recent tradition. Organizations set up booths and a carnival with rides sets up in the Cattle Market Car Park. This is the second year we have participated and provided a balloon race for children. We had a good turnout and even some looking for us from last year. We gave out a large number of tracts and also had a few good conversations with some people. We were the only church in town that participated and that is just fine with us. We had a newspaper photographer take pictures of our booth as well as the launch and so we will keep and eye out for those.

Down a few at church today but James is sick and Connie stayed home to look after him. Please pray for James. When you get 89 years old what seems a small bout with the flu can become a big problem.

10 Years of Blessings

2009-10-02T11:20:00.003+01:00

Hello,

As mentioned the other day, the end of September marks several milestones for us as a family. This Sept 30th is the 7th anniverary of our arriving in England and the 10th anniversary of our going full time in the ministry. While these do not seem so momentous of decisions in retrospect, they were huge leaps of faith at the time for us as a couple and as a family. Many told us we were ruining our lives and would regret our decision. Wrong, wrong, wrong. We have had an incredible 10 years serving God. There are some times we sit around as a family and recite all the blessings God has bestowed upon us in the past decade. We have not starved, we have always had transportation and we sleep warm at night (at least by English standards). Our children have been able to see many sights both in the States and in Europe that would just not have been possible if Kent was still an accountant. We also believe we are much closer as a family because of the ministry and thank God he called us. The years have not been without trials but God has always seen us through them.

We know not was the next decade holds for us should the Lord tarry, but we do know that He will never leave us nor forsake us. It is with that promise we gladly continue on the path God has set before us.

Surfing Pictures

2009-09-28T13:42:00.003+01:00

Hello,

I had promised a few surfing pics from the trip a week ago.

Good To See Family

2009-09-27T22:39:00.005+01:00

Hello,

Gotta love September! It has been an excellent month of weather. Some very nice sunny days and warm temps. We have been having a nice visit with the Bairds. Hard to believe that it has been a year since JC's surgery and subsequent battle with cancer. He is looking quite healthy. We went out to eat on Thursday evening with James Dudley's daughter. She is visiting from New York and brought a friend with her. Come to find out, they fellowship with a church that supports us. Small world!!

Friday was bbq ribs and steak night and we all ate till we were full as tics and Saturday evening we went to the Brown's for dinner. It does sounds as if all we have done is eat and that is not far from the truth.

We had a good day at church today. It was a special service this morning to have JC sing and play the piano for us. God has been very good to us to allow him this extra time and health to come and visit us. We have already started working on him about coming back but he was not too thrilled with the long plane ride. Can't say as I blame him.