Bored Becki

You never really realize how quiet the house is, how neat things stay, how long food supplies last and how your time really is your time until you are the only person at home. And add to all of that, shoveling the snow, taking out the trash, answering mail and e-mail and sitting by the electric fireplace logs knitting all alone, all evening. So peaceful.....so boring!! I am such a whiner!

Ray has been able to communicate with me some. A two line e-mail took him almost an hour to send on Sunday. This morning tho, we were both online at the same time and it was so cool to get that immediate gratification of answers to my questions!!! I'll get spoiled if I'm not careful!!

Mary Penn, you will glad to know that there is a pastors wife in Dangriga area that is asking for a cake decorating book with lots of pictures. She does a little now, but wants to get better. I'm thrilled to bring her one as that will be a means of earning money for her family!!! Maybe you can come down and have a cake decorating class for beginners!!! Yum!!

I hope that you-all, our friends, will be praying for Ray during his month long stay there. He has no set plans and just is making himself available for what and whom ever the Lord puts in his path. An EXCELLENT way to live life, I think!! I can't wait to join him for a week March 1-8.

Apparently the footers on our house have been dug. Of course RAY didn't tell me this. I had to read it in someone elses e-mail that he wrote. I'll be excited to see the progress when I am there.

Thanks to those of you who think of us, pray for us and support us emotionally. These past 6 months have been a whirlwind and God is in the middle of it all making things amazing and miraculous day by day!! We serve a Mighty and Awesome God!!

Blessings to you all!! Becki

SOUTH ZANESVILLE CHURCH

This is TO and ABOUT the people at this amazing church. We want others to peek over our shoulder, so to speak, to share in the testimony of what God is doing.

Wow!
It is difficult to explain to others how much this little church means to us. It is interesting to see how God works in unusual situations.
They were without a pastor for awhile and I was without a place to minister.
They were a bit far from our home but made us feel right at home.
They did not know a thing about us, we did not know a thing about them.
They embraced this simple pastor and his wife (& grandkids, Rachel and David) and made us feel right at home over the last few months, we embraced their open hearts.

They gave us an opportunity, we gave them our all.
Both sides feel enriched for the time we shared together.

From the very first Sunday morning until the last Sunday night, God stirred among us. There was an unusual atmosphere, open acceptance and anointing on the services. Hearts were challenged, changed and encouraged. It is a rare thing to experience such a hand-in-glove type of fit between a pastor and a congregation, but you folks made it easy. Filling in after a pastor leaves can be a dead end sort of proposition. Nothing much is expected, and often nothing much is gained. We are so proud of you that you did not take this approach but embraced what God had for you and you have been amazing. Your church is ready to take off! Welcome your new pastor and Go! Embrace all that God is speaking into your hearts and Run with Him! We know that you can!

They say that some people are for a reason, some for a season, some for a lifetime.

We are not sure right now, which of those will ultimately be the final answer, but we certainly enjoyed the short season we had with the fine folks at South Zanesville Church of the Nazarene. You are no longer strangers to us, but dear friends.

Thank you for your love, your obedience to the Father and just being genuine.

We love you and will miss you,
Ray & Becki

BELIZE BOUND !!

It’s time! Ray leaves for Belize this week. 3 teams from Grove City Nazarene will be going to Belize over the next month and Ray will be there to lend assistance. Becki will go during the 2nd team, a teaching team that will train children’s workers, musicians and adult Bible study. Pray for all the people involved in these teams. The first team is a medical ministry and the 3rd team is a teen group focused on outreach. Each team will serve a specific purpose in the work of the Kingdom in Belize. Each team will face its own challenges and enjoy its own blessings. Every person will have the opportunity to be a blessing to others and be blessed by others. These are always exciting times as we see God work in the midst of our work for Him. Pray for the teams and pray for the individuals. Pray for those they will minister to and those that minister alongside them.

We are not going to Belize to begin some new work. We are going to Belize to encourage the work already being done and fan the flames! Pray that we will see an increase in the Kingdom from everything that each team offers.

Also, pray for us, this will be a different month. Ray will remain in Belize until after Easter. Becki will be in charge at home (as usual!) but will also be very busy with the Teaching team, with the Walk to Emmaus, with the grandkids, with covering all the stuff that Ray did not get done before leaving! (Sorry honey!)

Chilly in New Jersey? No way!

But we did have some GREAT Chili !! I was privileged to be a guest judge at the Chili Cook-off at Seashore Commmunity Church and I gotta tell you - I LOVED IT! Being the first to sample all the wonderfully flavored chilis was just my cup of --- well, chili! Thanks to everyone who made the chilis, and to all who came and made the night such fun.

Our visit to see so many friends was wonderful. Thanks for all the hugs and love and prayers and well wishes. There's just something special about being with you all that keeps drawing us back again and again! We really do have sand in our toes as even in the winter, Becki and I made a couple of trips to the beach. Didn't get in the water but loved picking up shells!

Update on Carl in the Philippines -

Greg Taylor, the missionary just called me moments ago. It was the middle of the night and he should have been asleep b u t he was sharing a room with Carl - who fell asleep right away - and the tremendous snoring noise coming from the room kept Greg from being able to sleep at all! Those who have been on a trip with Carl, please extend your condolences to Greg! Greg says "Hi!" to the friends at the shore and extends an open invitation to come back to the Philippines whenever you'd like. He said that this trip Carl was on was one of the most spiritual groups he has ever had. God really did some neat things. Praise the Lord!

SIMPLY THE STORY

If you haven't caught wind of me talking about this yet - you WILL! This has completely captured my attention and is rapidly spreading around our globe! Since going to the training for this style of Oral Bible Instruction - I have become an STS evangelist! I tell everybody, including Greg on his very long distance call awhile ago!

Every person and group I have shared this with - LOVES IT! STS brings the Bible alive like nothing else even can. Groups I taught this last week in Jersey and in Ohio were thrilled with what they learned from simply thinking through a Bible story. Many find that they never realized how much the Bible truly had to say and how easy it was to find it when you use this method.

If you want to know more and cannot wait for me to tell you - go to www.simplythestory.com
and read all about it. But -trust me, nothing is better than getting a group of people together to find out for yourself!!

Having fun telling THE Story...

Ray & Becki