So I haven't blogged in awhile. I actually got very busy after my last blog which I thought was bit mundane. I don't see any end in site either to the running since we are going into football season.
Anyway on July 7th our mission team from ODBC flew out of Charlotte at 8am bound for Montana Browining to be exact. I was a bundle of emotions from excitement to being absolutely scared to death. I never expected what would happen and how God would work things out once we got there. I had heard all the stories from the previous 2 years of how He always did but WOW!!!
I have to first say I have never seen such beautiful scenery as these few pictures show. I know I come from a beautiful area but every turn we made I just said WOW again and again. I know that sounds so corny but hey it is true. We traveled though Glacier Park on a road called Going To the Sun road. Believe you me that is what it feels like. You keep going up and up.... As my computer is unbelievably slow I don't know how many photos I will post now but I will share as many as I can and I encourage you to go to my My Space page and check them out
http://www.myspace.com/lisamomwife I am posting them in one of my albums.
Zack got to go on this trip with which was such a blessing. Anyway we traveled on through God's beautiful creation and we finally got to Browning. That area has some amazing people. I don't think they truely know it.
This picture is of a little girl I met a Black Feet Youth Days she was a joy. Her name is La'Rae. She came up to me and asked if I knew where Chris was. Now I have to say out of all the Black Feet people there she picked the big hipped curly blonde lady, go figure. As we walked because I can never tell a cute kid no we chatted and she wasn't real sure who Chris was so I asked her if she knew who Jesus is. She said yes he died for us and lives up there (pointing to the sky) I asked her if she knew how she could be with always here and live with him in heaven when she died. She said she didn't so in my way of being a kid I told her. We sat at the picnic table and talked and I began to notice some of the teens ecspecailly Zack following behind. We prayed and she said she wanted to live with Jesus always. She gave me a GREAT BIG hug and just melted my heart. I would have brought her home if I could. I called Henry right after and told him I was in tears. She would have been worth the whole trip but God had so much more in store.
We had a booth set up at the Pow Wow where the Indian people gather to celebrate their heritage. We were on the corner near the carnival and had lots of traffic. We had purchased a tv and basketball goal to give away. The young men and women are great basketball players. I think there is alot of raw talent there.
Anyway we found it funny how the devil was fighting us. Set up next to us was Planned Parenthood next to them was the Lutherans and down from them were the Scientologist. The Scientologist had a sign saying "Something Can Be Done" so one of the memebers of Glacier View Baptist Chapel made the sign shown in the following picture....
The scientology people broke their necks to see what we had to say. We were there hoping to only double what God had done last year. The first year 7 were saved last year it was 14 well God was gonna use our small team in great ways. By the second day we were up to 29. Can you believe it?! By the last day at the booth we had been privelaged enough to lead 44 souls to the Lord. AMAZING.... I say that normally anyway but we really paddling up stream so to speak. Our first day at the campground we got a call that a wonderful man in our church passed of a heart attack at the age of 53. He was a hard worker but we know we will see him again someday. On the second day one of our deacons had a very severe heart attack. Also that same day one of our little widow ladies who has NEVER been in the hospital and she is in her 90's broke her hip. Then on to the next day one of our members had a pancreas attack. We were at war but didn't stop.
I have to share this story but I have no picture of her. On Sunday after a wonderful Montana potluck we went to the jail. I was ok at first and once they took us into the "tv room" (which by the way had no tv) I began to get very nervous. Maybe I have watched too much tv. I got sick to my stomach and began to cry. Todd, Eric, Debbie, Phillip and Jordan made sure I was ok. Then the door opened and the guard said there was one girl who wanted to talk. Her name was Charonda. She is 22 and has a 6 month old baby. She had been picked up on Friday for drinking. She told me when she left she knew she should have stayed at home with that beautiful little girl Winter. She had gotten pregnant just before going off to school on a scholarship and lost it all at one night of being careless. The father left her and she had no one but her mother, all her family were either drug addicts or alcoholics. She was broken I sat and read the Bible with her and showed her ways that she can get her life under control. I shared my testimony with her and told her it will not always be easy she will be tempted but that is the moment she can shine for Christ. She accepted Christ that day she told me she could feel that things would be different for her. The real thing about this story that really broke me was this. She told me her mom couldn't afford her bond. I asked her how much it was and she said $75. I was shocked and I know how I take things for granted. If noone could come up with that money when she went to court the next morning she would have to sit in jail until someone paid it......
This is a shot of where we camped.... we actually found out there was a bear nearby one night.
We did enjoy fellowship as well and here a couple of goofy moments
Oh yeah one more thing Mr. Todd.... told us if we hit 50 being saved he would shave his head.... HEHEHE
Check out the Mama Moose we saw and the beaver that my son hit with a rock trying to get its attention.... It was an accident. The moose had 2 babies with it.... very cool
