Missions with Don & Rosemary

A few problems and obstacles notwithstanding, we have still had a very successful mission trip here in Key West. We have had 16 bible studies with two or more people studying with us and have one more scheduled at 4:00 this afternoon. (Wed.) A total of seven people have put on Christ in baptism and we are having many follow up studies with them to help teach them about worship and life as a Christian. The people of the community have been very receptive to us. Rosemary has taken several pictures of our work here, and we will try to get them on a forthcoming blog. We are staying for bible study here tonight. We leave tomorrow morning to work for a couple of weeks with the Driftwood Church of Christ in Hollywood, Fla. This church is located on our old family farm and when I was a young child up to about the age of 15, I spent many hours herding cattle on this farm. We had a very good mission there last year. The brethren there are most receptive and helpful in the work. The sojourners that work here in Key West were Neil&Thelma, Joe&Gladys, Jack&Marlyn, and Don&Rosemary. These new converts are very interested in the church, in bible study and I believe, they will be a real asset to the work here. Don

A few problems and obstacles notwithstanding, we have still had a very successful mission trip here in Key West. We have had 16 bible studies with two or more people studying with us and have one more scheduled at 4:00 this afternoon. (Wed.) A total of seven people have put on Christ in baptism and we are having many follow up studies with them to help teach them about worship and life as a Christian. The people of the community have been very receptive to us. Rosemary has taken several pictures of our work here, and we will try to get them on a forthcoming blog. We are staying for bible study here tonight. We leave tomorrow morning to work for a couple of weeks with the Driftwood Church of Christ in Hollywood, Fla. This church is located on our old family farm and when I was a young child up to about the age of 15, I spent many hours herding cattle on this farm. We had a very good mission there last year. The brethren there are most receptive and helpful in the work. The sojourners that work here in Key West were Neil&Thelma, Joe&Gladys, Jack&Marlyn, and Don&Rosemary. These new converts are very interested in the church, in bible study and I believe, they will be a real asset to the work here. Don

Just to update. The brethren from We Care left Key West this morning. They had been invited to be here while we were here. They taught several seminars and classes in doing personal evangelism. We enjoyed being with them. This was my first introduction to them and they certainly seem to be very dedicated to the work. Joe, Gladys, Rosemary and I had another bible study this morning. On this study, we used the Jule Miller Video on the organization of the church. This afternoon, Thelma, Rosemary and I are going on another study at 3:00. We also have another study at 6:00 this evening with some young people who are still in school. Joe and Gladys will again go on this study. We already have another study for Sat. morning at 10:00. Brethren, who said people are not intered in studying the bible anymore? We are working right now to get a couple of studies tomorrow. Maxine and Doug because of health problems haven't been able to be here, but they are sending 20 books to give the new converts in the mission work over the next month. I hope we have to ask them to send more. Camp B is sending 20 more New Testament Bibles to use in the studies. This has just be a great mission working with so many dedicated sojourners. Hope to put pictures on the blog tomorrow. Our photographer, Rosemary has taken several showing this work. Thanks for your prayers and support. Don

This has been one of the best mission trips that Rosemary and I have ever been on. We are in Key West. We had heard that people were not interested in the bible here. We have had many bible studies and baptized several people so far. When we finish here we will try and have the correct numbers. We have several studies lined up for the rest of the week. In fact we have a study scheduled in just a few minutes before Bible Study tonight. We are useing the Open Bible Method and reinforceing the study with the Jule Miller videos. Thank you so much for your support of this effort, please remember us in your prayers. God is no less powerful today than He was in Bible days. It is a joy to be used by Him. Brethren, don't let anyone tell you people are not interested in the Bible, Church or God, any more. We have found here in Key West that they are very interested and receptive. We start a class tonight on how to teach useing the Open Bible Method. Don

Rosemary and I have arrived with six other sojourners in Key West. The church here is made up of about 35-40 members. It was started right after WWII about the same time the Marathon Church began. We will be here knocking on doors trying to set up bible studies, teaching a personal evangelism class and preaching a meeting. Br. Neal Holt from the Church St. congregation in Lewisburg, Tn. is the team leader, and I am his assistant. The other members of the team are Jack and Marlyn, Thelma, Rosemary, Joe and Gladys. Key West is about 12oo miles from Cornersville, Tn. Plan to write more on the blog as situations develop. Please remember this mission in your prayers. Don

Good News for us today. My Dad had his upper g.i. series and there was not any cancer, although further studies are needed to determine the cause of his "heartburn". My Dad is of what Tom Brokow called the "greatest generation". He was honed by early farm life, the depression, and service as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, serving in the invasion of North Africa. So... when he decides to do something, thats it. He is very hard of hearing. When he came to from his procedure, the nurse told him to get his clothes on and go accross the hall to the conference room. He heard, get your clothes on and go. So... he got dressed and went, right out thru the nurse's station into the waiting room, heading out. Here comes the nurse shouting, "he's escaping, he's escaping, Dr. he's escaping". They caught him before he got out the door. Brought him back with us and told him no cancer, but some other problems that are treatable. We leave tomorrow for Key West and are looking forward to a good mission effort there. It may a few days now before we can answer our email and write on the blog hopefully by Mon. Don & Rosemary

Good News for us today. My Dad had his upper g.i. series and there was not any cancer, although further studies are needed to determine the cause of his "heartburn". My Dad is of what Tom Brokow called the "greatest generation". He was honed by early farm life, the depression, and service as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, serving in the invasion of North Africa. So... when he decides to do something, thats it. He is very hard of hearing. When he came to from his procedure, the nurse told him to get his clothes on and go accross the hall to the conference room. He heard, get your clothes on and go. So... he got dressed and went, right out thru the nurse's station into the waiting room, heading out. Here comes the nurse shouting, "he's escaping, he's escaping, Dr. he's escaping". They caught him before he got out the door. Brought him back with us and told him no cancer, but some other problems that are treatable. We leave tomorrow for Key West and are looking forward to a good mission effort there. It may a few days now before we can answer our email and write on the blog hopefully by Mon. Don & Rosemary

Good News for us today. My Dad had his upper g.i. series and there was not any cancer, although further studies are needed to determine the cause of his "heartburn". My Dad is of what Tom Brokow called the "greatest generation". He was honed by early farm life, the depression, and service as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, serving in the invasion of North Africa. So... when he decides to do something, thats it. He is very hard of hearing. When he came to from his procedure, the nurse told him to get his clothes on and go accross the hall to the conference room. He heard, get your clothes on and go. So... he got dressed and went, right out thru the nurse's station into the waiting room, heading out. Here comes the nurse shouting, "he's escaping, he's escaping, Dr. he's escaping". They caught him before he got out the door. Brought him back with us and told him no cancer, but some other problems that are treatable. We leave tomorrow for Key West and are looking forward to a good mission effort there. It may a few days now before we can answer our email and write on the blog hopefully by Mon. Don & Rosemary

Had a couple of good studies with new members of the Church yesterday. We taught the second lesson in the "Open Bible Study Method" and are going to use lesson 3 of the Jule-Miller Video as reinforcement. We also had opportunity to study with a person who as yet is not a member or the Church. They are however, very open to further study and I anticipate that Br. Doug will be baptizing them before long. My Dad has been having some health problems of late and is to go in for some tests tomorrow morning. If everything turns out all right, we will be leaving for Key West, Friday. Our Dad however, at this time is our number one mission. We met with several members of the Peace River Church at Punta Gorda yesterday. They have the building "dried in" and are seeking help to finish it. As you read this, please take this information to your church leadership. Please ask them to contact Br. Doung English at 941- 628-6472. They are welcomed to call me. This church is very much into out reach, esp. thru visitation and home bible study. My cell number is 931-698-3150. Don

We had a great day with the church at Punta Gorda yesterday. It was a joy to teach the bible class and preach in the morning service. This congregation, though rebuilding, and in the midst of building a new building, is very interested in outreach. Br. Doug English and his wife, Evie and Doug are well known by the church for there vivisitation's Br. Doug had a bible study already for us when we arrived. This bible study opened the door for today's work-at least two studys this afternoon and possible another study this evening. This congregations has had several baptisms this past year and is involved presently in teaching several others. Br. Doug serves this congregation unselfishly and because he refuses a salery, this money goes to trying to finishing the building. This congregation, The Peace River Church of Christ, needs some assistance now. As you know there building was totally destroyed. They could have quit, or gone somewhere else for "Charley's" devastation for their building was total. As you read this, please call Br. Doug English at 941-628-6472. He will be glad to answer any questions about the congregation at Punta Gorda. Brethren, Charlotte Co. is a heavily populated area that needs the gospel. We have a small congregation at Peace River that is doing their best to reach out to others with the message. They are very evangelistic minded and they deserve our help. They really have the potential in making a real impact for the Lord in the Southwest Fla. area. Please call Br. Doug for more info about this church and tell others about their need too. I personally believe this church deserves our financial help. I also believe we will be glad we did. Don

Well, this afternoon, Fri, we arrive here on the West Coast of Fla. We are in the Punta Gorda, Ft. Charlotte area at my Dad's. He seems to be doing well. We are looking forward to attending a brunch at Doug and Evie's tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon about 3:00 we are to be involved in a bible study with some people who as yet I have not met or know their names. They are friends or relatives of the people we baptized when we were here last. We are looking forward to seeing the progress of the new building of the Peace River Church. Rosemary is a big help in these bible studies. It is a big help for the student when they turn to the page of the passage and it is already marked for them. This is a big help to the student and also can be a real confidence builder to them. Rosemary marks these bibles for the student. Hope to be writing tomorrow night with good news. Don

This will be our last message for a few days. We finish packing the rig tomorrow and leave early Wed. morn. It will be a few days before we get hooked up again, probably Sat. We usually stop in Dothan the first night and go to my brothers in Gainesville the next day. Now while we always look forward to seeing him and my sister-in-law, Marie, this time is going to be a special treat. Big Mike, a full time volunteer with the DRT. and a dear friend of Rosemary and mine is going to be at my brothers also. We have worked many hours with Mike in Katrina and are quite fond of him and his efforts. When we leave my brother on Fri. morning we are going to stop in Port Charlotte and spend a few days with my Dad. While there, we already have bible Studies with interested people set up. We have not met these people before, but the last time we had a study with some folks, they are now Christians and have invited some of there friends to study the bible as soon as we get there. We are then going to Key West, where several of us Sojourners will be working under Team Leader Neal Holt. This will be an evangelistic sojourn. After a couple of weeks there we go to West Hollywood for another evangelistic sojourn. After that we go to Cape Coral for another evangelistic sojourn there. On these evangelistic sojourns, we are planning to, with other sojourners, preach meetings, teach bible classes, teach the Open Bible Method of Bible Study, door knock inviting people to church and trying to set up as many bible studies as possible. I want to ask you if you know of congregations that could use our volunteer help, please encourage them to contact the Sojourners. We look forward to helping. If you have acquaintances in any of the areas of our travel that you feel we might be of help, please contact us. 931-698-3150 Don

Lesson Six: Some methods of finding opportunity for teaching
Lesson five closed with using opportunities of teaching. This lesson involves another very powerful tool for finding people to teach. Prayer. My brethren, it could be that sometimes, we forget just how powerful prayer can be. One of my favorite passages about prayer is found in Jas.5:17&18 and begins, "Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we..." James is telling us, Elijah was just a man, but he prayed and God used him mightily. God can use you too. Jesus taught us in Mt.6:10, "Thy will be done". Peter says, "The Lord is not willing that any should perish." IIPet.3:9. Paul says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels.." From this I learn, God wants His will To be done, especially when it comes to being saved. That's why He sent Jesus. The Lord doesn't want any to be lost, you can be an instrument of God to help reach people with the message of Jesus. Now isn't that amazing? Besides using opportunities, and praying for opportunities, we can make opportunities. Very probably there are people that you know that have some pretty tough problems. Should it be health problems, we might visit and ask, "may I pray with you?" It may very well be that someone trying to find meaning in "stuff" might be taught real meaning in Jesus. Marriage problems, family problems, I believe any problem can greatly be help when a compassionate christians sits and listens and prays. Now you may, in helping people with problems, experience some with an attitude of "we don't want anybody with those problems brought in here." Just remember what Jesus said, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Mk.2:17 Don

There are many opportunities within the Chruch of Christ to do mission work. Sometimes, I know we wish we could work in all of them. The DRT, Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team, DRT, has been involved this past week in Van Cleave, Miss. helping repair houses. Volunteers have come from Ala., Freed-Hardeman, and Maryland to help in this effort. Talking with Mike, the big fellow in the red shirt in these pictures, he says the next work camp will be at the Fla. Bible Camp beginning Jan. 28.
Just talked with people in S.W. Fla. where we baptized a mother and daughter a couple of weeks ago, the lady we baptized has set up several studies for us when we get down there next week. We will do these Studies using the open bible method before we go on to Key West with the Sojourners.
A suggestion I have concerning studying the bible with people: Do not be discouraged with people if they do not immediately agree with you even if it is written in "black and white and red" Many times they may have been or are now very active in some group and may have been that way for years. It is hard for some people to agree to change in a few short days or even weeks. Don't count that a failure on your part. Sow the Seed, Water the Seed, God will give the increase in His Own good time. Remember, the Apostle Paul said, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: " ICor.1:17 Don