Dear
Praying Friends,
It was a
hot Sunday afternoon as I left church. My mind
was a bit sluggish with the idea of a nap
swirling around the calls to paper work and
email. About a 1/4 mile from home is a little
flea market and as I passed by I saw Sarah
selling there. After changing clothes I went
back to visit her for a bit. While visiting we
watched a sheriff pull over a vehicle then all
four occupants get out. Three started to walk
up the road towards the reservation carrying a
cooler while the owner stayed back for
questioning. My obsessive thoughts about the
paper work and email got the best of me so I
decided to head home to get some work done if
sleep didn't overcome first. I traveled about
15 feet then was flagged down by the cooler
carriers. Thinking they just lived up the hill
on the rez I pulled over. Turned out they
wanted a ride to Ganado which is at least 45
minutes away. I wasn't wanting to go near that
far so they asked for a ride six miles up to
Chambers to which I agreed. We picked up the
fourth person then headed west on I-40 to
Chambers with the smell of alcohol filling the
truck.
The
gentlemen, "GJ", sitting in the front asked if I
was a teacher, since most of the white people
here are teachers. After learning I am a
missionary he asked if I was LDS? I said, "No"
then smiled and asked the Lord how to explain
what I am. I then told him what I believe and
what the Lord has done for me which opened up
endless questions. I felt they were sincere and
not crazy talk like when a person is really
drunk, so I told them I would take them to Wide
Ruins because I wanted to keep sharing and
answering questions. Then I decided to go to
Ganado to which "GJ" said "I believe I really
want to hear what you have to say now." It was
a Divine appointment!!!!
I am
regularly asked, especially by Native Americans,
"How do you know what to believe when there are
so many religions out there and we have our own
traditional beliefs?" This may seem simplistic
but I challenge people to seriously look at the
major difference between Christianity and all
other beliefs. In true Christianity God has
reached down to us through all Jesus did for us
to provide forgiveness of sins and eternal life
which we can only receive by grace through
faith. In all other beliefs man is trying to
reach up to God or gods by trying to work to be
good enough to be accepted, but never really
knowing for sure he'll make it. If the Bible is
true, and I have staked my life on the fact it
is, then I know for sure I am a child of God and
an heir of salvation through faith in Jesus as
my only way to Heaven. : ) "GJ" and his friends
heard me repeat that along with some scripture
many times over on that trip.
I have
been fighting the fire ants again this year and
am making progress now that I'm torching
them!!!!! I am also using a Perma Gaurd product
where I cannot torch. Last Friday I came in for
a late lunch and was almost finished and about
to head back outside when a knock at the door
broke through my warrior plans. It was "MF" a
teen gal who just graduated from high school
this spring. She wanted a reference from me for
a Native American Art School up in
Oregon. Conversation led to my asking questions
about her salvation. She has grown up in a
Christian family but really didn't know
what a Christian was. She thought she would get
in to Heaven because of the good things she's
been doing. She's one who really wants peace in
the world and kept wanting to believe that God
would look down on the sincerity of people in
false religions and just let them in to Heaven
because they were sincere. I'm a firm believer
in using God's Word as much as possible which
was what I did during that three hour
conversation. : ) She ended by saying she knew
she needed to receive Jesus as her savior but
she wasn't ready yet. There was no pushing on
my part, even though there were some thoughts
leaning that way going through my mind!!! It's
better to follow God's leading than my own
thoughts!!!!!
The
evening of July 4th was a special time with
Sarah, Della and their Mom at my place for a
cook out and games before going to see the
fireworks out here. Ever played croquet in
three inch tall grass? It was fun. : ) Sarah's
Mom's name is "Bah." Sarah is amazed at how
her Mom likes me and so am I. Sarah also says
that her Mom has said she's saved, but the way
Sarah says it leads one to not know if Bah
really is saved. I continue to pray for her and
an opportunity to talk with her through Sarah or
Della one of these days. I sure enjoy leading
Bible study for Sarah and whoever else comes
along. Sarah really gets into it!!!!!!
Remember
the horse that almost died? He's doing fine
with just one eye!!! I have been trying to
spend some time with the teacher who owns him.
We've gone riding together, did a town trip
including bowling and worked on a horse's wound
together. I'm still praying for her salvation.
Thank you
for your prayers for my strength and help for
all the outside work here!!! The puncture
vines/bullheads/goatheads are coming up all over
now. I have had some help fighting the ants a
couple of Saturdays and I have one other person
helping with the weeding around the arena some.
: ) Please do continue to pray for help and my
strength. : ) I have an electrical problem in
my home where the dryer is concerned. six weeks
ago my faithful dryer, given to me when I was
still at Broken Arrow Bible Ranch, sounded wore
out when I started it up right away to finish
drying a load. It just didn't sound right for
about 10 to 15 minutes then it died. I take it
in to Gallup where I'm told it was a fuse. I
didn't believe them and didn't want to sink
$75.00 into it to have it happen again since the
dryer was fairly old, so I bought a new one.
Got it all set up but it wouldn't start!!! Now
we have a problem in house. Our mission
has just accepted a new part time missionary who
is a handy man. Lord willing the AIMI director
will bring him out to my place next week to
evaluate the situation and give me some input on
the security light plan for the horse barn. : )
Thank you for praying about that!!!
I know our
country is in tough times financially and some
of you may be really in a hard spot. God bless
you for your faith in Him!!!! Keep looking to
Him and following His lead!!! If He leads you
to continue helping me to be here to serve Him I
am very grateful and humbled!!!
