Randy and Dawn Nicholas

Randy and I have had the privilege of meeting Randy and Dawn Nicholas, who arrived in Bucuresti about the same time we returned from the States. On this cold blustery evening we had taken them to Kaufland for a supply of groceries and snacks for their upcoming language classes.

Randy and Dawn were one of the last Masters units that will be coming out of The Mission Board. Due to the economic crisis and how it effected the Southern Baptist Lottie Moon Christmas Offering of 2008, many changes and cut-backs have been made. At this point in time there will no longer be a Masters Program. They are both very thankful to have made it in before the final cut was made. Randy and Dawn, after completing their language course, will work in Braila, Romania with Troy Geddess.

During their remaining time here in Bucuresti, it is a pleasure to worship, fellowship and form a new friendship with these nice people from Tennessee.

We ask that you would make it a matter of prayer that each and every one of you would dig as deep into your pockets as you can for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year. There is much at stake and many missionaries that want to remain on the field serving the Lord. We thank you for all your prayers.

Sharing Jesus With The C.I.A.

Mat 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Last Wednesday night, Sept. 16Th, I had the privilege of being the guest at the C.I.A. meeting at Bethel Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO. Kimber, Emma's big sister invited me to come speak to her class. Each member of the class received a badge for getting to meet and interview a "real live missionary"!

I was warned by Michelle, their leader, that the group thought I was a celebrity. I assured them that I was an ordinary person just like them, no one special; just a person that loves Jesus and had answered the call the go and tell the good news about Jesus Christ to men and women and boy and girls in Romania.

The boys and girls watched a 5 minute dvd with pictures of Romania, I talked a while and then we had a question and answer session. They were very attentive to the dvd, asked very pertinent questions and were a very polite audience.

I presented each of the children with a bracelet from Romania and asked them to pray for Randy and I and the people of Romania each time they meet on Wednesday night. I was richly blessed to share with these precious children about God's work going on in Romania. Who knows, God could call out one of these children to be a missionary someday.

Home

My Pastor Donny Emmons (on the right) and my associations Director of Missions Matt Tanner. I am very blessed to have these Godly men in my life. They are great encouragers.

Hello everyone, I know it has been some time since you have heard from us here on the blog or by emails.
We arrived in Kansas City to meet our family who lives there which includes Emma. We have been having a great time getting to know her. We have been traveling a lot to be with other family and friends. We still have several stops to make.
It has been good to get to go to some of our churches who pray for us, but we have only had time to visit a few of them. This past Sunday I was at our home church Living Word and at our old home Lone Hill. I had previously been to FBC Cameron, FBC Charlestown, and am planning on being at First Liberty this Wednesday. We have been encouraged at every stop so far. Our family and friends are taking very good care of us. I want to thank them all for the kindness and love that they have shown for us.

Our Bags Are Packed...We're Ready To GO!

This picture is a little exaggerated, we don't have THAT many bags! However, 2 days ahead of our flight time and we are packed!

Folk needless to say, this is a time of which we have eagerly been anticipating. Randy and I are both so excited. It's like Christmas in our apartment,we've made a list and we've checked it twice. How dreadful it would be if we left behind even one of the special little things we have picked up for Emma, our precious Granddaughter! Not to mention all the other important things we mustn't forget.
Randy and I are going to enjoy every minute with our family and friends back in the States. We both have been blessed with wonderful Christian families and friends who have been an important prayer support for us these last 17 months on the mission field. Spending time with them will be a refreshing soothing ointment to our body and souls.

On another note, are you ready to go? When your time comes to travel, are you ready? Do you have your ticket, your boarding pass are you clear to proceed with no problems? I'm talking on a spiritual level, when you die and leave this world, are you going to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus Christ or eternity in Hell with Satan? Have you checked the destination on your ticket? I'd advise you to do some serious soul searching, the Bible says our life is but a vapor. Your appointed time for travel from this world could arrive at any second and catch you not prepared! Choose for yourself where your destination will be. God's word also tells us that it is not His desire that any man should perish.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Please heed the word of God, be ready, be prepared when your time arrives for travel...Be ready to go!

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Late January 2008 was the last time we saw many of our friends and family. September 1, 2009 we will board a plane for our mid term trip home to visit those we left behind some eighteen months ago. It seems like a lifetime ago in some ways and yet it has passed rather quickly in other ways. The old saying I've heard all my life "you don't miss the water till the well runs dry" certainly has made itself brilliantly clear to me. I didn't realize how much I loved and cherished my family until I was in the position where I couldn't hop in the van and go visit them anytime I had the urge. Oh, but our God is so gracious, loving and compassionate. Morning by morning His mercy was there for Randy and me to carry us through each day.

We have started throwing things into suitcases, preparing for our voyage. It's amazing the quantity of stuff we have bought for Emma! Needless to say our adrenalin is reaching a higher mark each day. We are anxiously awaiting the moment of arrival at the airport in Kansas City, MO. Among those waiting to greet us will be Emma, our first grandchild. Emma was born in January. She is 7 months old, we have seen her numerous occasions on skype, talked and laughed with her and have enjoyed her so very much. However, we haven't had the joy of holding that precious bundle in our arms. I have warned our children who will be there that I will try not to be an embarrassment to them.....but whether I will be able to contain myself is another story. I just wonder who will reach Emma first......me or Randy? It is wonderful to be Grandparents, even though it has been from a long distance. Our little blue-eyed gift from God has captured our hearts without a doubt.

Of course, we are very excited to see our children too! We have missed them terribly. We are looking forward to a blessed visit with all of them. We are praying that God will have used this time apart as a tool to strengthen our relationship with our children, cause our love to have grown deeper (if that was possible)and to be a bold witness to each one of them.

Pray for us as we make this very happily anticipated trip home. We want to have a wonderful time of rest, fun and reunion with our family and friends. Most importantly we want everything we say and do to bring glory to God.

Preparing To Go Home

Over the next 6 weeks Teresa and I will travel over 13,000 miles (21000 kilometers) to be with our family and friends. Some of these we have been blessed to have gotten mail from, to have talked to on the phone, seen and talked to on the computer, and even been visited by here in Galati. We are very thankful for the technology that allows us these opportunities to communicate with all of them. But there are many which we have not been in direct contact with, these include some of the most important people in our lives, those who are praying to our Father and asking on our behalves for things like understanding, wisdom, courage, boldness, safety, strength, health, and only God knows what else. Of course many of the people we have had contact with have also prayed a great many times for us as well, but they know how much they mean to us, I want to thank those who only take time to pray for us right now for they too are near to our hearts.
We are here to be ambassadors for Christ, which we were at home as well, but here we really are in front of people representing the Kingdom of God. Not only is this a humbling position to find yourself in, it is also a spot where you have to regularly think, am I able to do this?
What comes to my mind is that the best way to be an ambassador is to represent in the same likeness of the person or Kingdom that you were sent from. Ours is the Kingdom of God, and God is love.
That brings me back to those who show God’s love by praying for us, we would not be able to show God’s love through all the pressures of being here if people were not praying for us! Thank you forever, those who take time to ask our Father to watch over us, it is by His power we are able to carry on!
So I ask you to continue to pray for us as we travel that we can encourage others to serve God and lead others to Him and His saving power.
I thank my God for you every time I think of you; and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy because of the way in which you have helped me in the work of the gospel from the very first day until now. Phi 3-5

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Joh 13:34-35 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

1Jo 4:16 We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God's love live in God, and God lives in them.

2Th 3:1 Finally, our friends, pray for us that the Lord's message may continue to spread rapidly and be received with honor, just as it was among you.
2Th 3:2 Pray also that God will rescue us from wicked and evil people; for not everyone believes the message.

Would You Call These Feet Beautiful?

Rom 10:15 .... How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!


Names and faces aren't important in this blog. Romans 10:15 makes it very clear, the heart of this blog is the "feet". This picture was taken while Randy and I were in 8 weeks of training prior to entering the mission field. The feet you see belong to members who shared the same quad we lived in for those 2 months. During that period of time, we became like family. At the completion of the training session and commissioning service, it was time to say a difficult good bye once again.

Each one of us had attended all the classes, completed our assignments, joined in the worship services and we felt we were ready for the mission field. Everyone was anxious to leave for their place of service, but at the same time there was a little dread of leaving that place of peace and security we had called home for 8 weeks.

Since that time, all those beautiful feet have been scattered to the corners of the earth. Each unit or individual sent out to proclaim the gospel and bring glad tidings of good things. We have had the privilege of seeing some of these fellow servants of the Lord at various meetings since our time together in training. It is always a blessing to see them and have a time of sharing our stories. All of us have had very similar experiences of difficult times, joyous times and praises of how God has richly blessed. It's the same determining factor that keeps all these feet on the mission field: You must remember Your Call, Your Commitment...

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written,...

I am so thankful that Randy and I received the call and made the commitment. Please pray for us as we continue to keep our feet pressed toward the goal.