Asphalt miracles

I guess that dealing with constant set-backs is the heart of our commission. It is the sick that need the doctor, the weak that need someone to lean on, those caught in peril in need of some form of rescue.

Today my Romanian transport company informed me, that the will not be able to have a truck here on Monday to load on Tuesday.
There was a holiday in Tschechoslovakia on Friday, so the truck had to stand. It could have taken the route via Austria. Even that would not have solved the problem, for it turned out, that the company that is waiting for the delivery from Romania will be taking off from Friday afternoon till Wednesday. Monday is a holiday in northern Germany and Tuesday is a Catholic holiday in our and four other states.
So transportation sensitive operations end up on the back burnern.

Now, if I were not leaving on Wednesday for our annual tour of Romania (2 teaching seminars, 1 Bible conference and about 6 meetings) - we could have the truck in on Thursday or Friday.

This means, that we will have to postpone everything till the end of November or even December when I return from Romania.
By then the sunny warm weather will be over, making everything more difficult - but so be it!

Sometimes we just have to learn to rest in the LORD's timing and planing!
But we never are allowed to doubt HIS wisdom!

HE has ways and means to allow things to grow and bloom, even in adverse circumstance.
Just like in the picture of the flowers that are growing right in our street.
If you would try to immitate - you would never achieve such glory - because flowers are not meant to grow in asphalt - especially a road regularly travelled by all sorts of motor vehicles!

So learn to leave things to HIM, who is never amiss of how to make things happen - even if it has to grow through the asphalt of adversion, difficulty, setback!

one down - another to go

On the left you see the truck fully loaded after a record 6 hours. On the right you see our flexible truck bed. It takes four of them to load one big one.

I have not heard anything from the receiving end yet, which usually means: No news is good news!

All the same we are gearing up for November 1st, when we expect this truck (or a another similar truck from this company) to resurface for the next load.

I was asked to send the next load soon, as these loads are going to flood victims.

The pastor of the church is quite anxious to cause as little dissapointment as possible by providing everyone he is targeting to receive assistance with at least a small quanity as a sign of shared concern.

I was invited to attend the 20th aniversary of a church I preach in regularly. I shared the pulpit with four other bretheren. I greatly enjoyed how each worked out an asepect of the 3rd epistle of John - without any prior coordination effort!

I also greatly enjoyed meeting new folks that I had heard about for some time now personally!

Pray for Mihai Chidesa

Mihai Chidesa is a Baptist pastor in Targoviste, Romania. As he has been consistent in developing daughter churches instead of "going big" - he is in much demand.
He also has developed an outreach ministry to flood victims - that is why a truck we loaded on Monday is due to arrive today (Thursday) and needs the tedious processing through Romanian customs.
He also has an exam this week-end for a seminar he attended.
And - as if all this were not enough - his baby son will undergo an operation.
Either all of the above will either take his mind off of his son's operation (in Annapolis, MD, USA) - he had to stay in Romania - or the burdens will be horrendous!!
Do pray for him!

Here the report from pastor Dick Skinner, from the Evangelical Baptist Church in Annapolis, hosting Felicita, Mihai's wife and their son Stephen:

Mihai - I am writing this e-mail for Felicia so that you will know the schedule for Stefan's surgery tomorrow 20 October - the surgery is scheduled for 1:00 pm tomorrow here in Annapolis - Felicia is due to be at the hospital at 11:00 am two hours prior to the surgery - I will go with her to the hospital and will stay ther with her - Doina and her husband Mircea are planning to come to the hospital as well - we do not know how long the surgery will last - we also do not know if Stefan will stay in the hospital overnight - either Felicia or I will call you tomorrow and give you all of the news about the surgery - please ask the Church to pray for Stefan's protect, for wisdom for the doctors, for peace for Felicia and her family and for good results from the surgery - Felicia wants all to know that she is resting in the Lord and is looking to Him for her hope and confidence - more to follow when we call - our greetings to thr Church - God Bless - Dick

loaded truck on Monday

Finally I get around to sharing the great news that we loaded the truck which came on Monday. There was enough volunter help. The truck driver did the main loading himself. It only took 6 hours to finish the job, but about another 2 to get the paper work done. We are now praying, that the Romanian customs will be benevolent and allow the vehicle to pass. Most everything on board is for flood victims. Will include picture as soon as processed.

truck coming Monday

I received a call this afternoon. I was informed, that the truck will be coming on Monday - LORD willing!

But - a neighbour had to build a scaffold in order to repair considerable hail dammage to his roof. His insurance finally came through with the permission to hire a company to replace his roof.

Now we are praying that this company will get it's work done before Monday!

Tomorrow, I am scheduled to leave to a town about 1 hour north of Nuernberg. I have a short week-end Bible challenge: "Understanding the epistle of Galatians as a handbook for counselling".

I was able to coax a friend to join me for the ride. He has his best friend there, and I thought beside being able to spend ample time with him in the car - and having a second driver along, the fact that his best friend attends the church I will be speaking at - all might contribute to help him over a slump that he is bogged down with now.

My accident car is being repaired. These fine people are doing it for half of what the regular auto body shops have asked for ...

slow procedures

I drove down past Thun, Switzerland, to a window factory nestled right under a mountain about 2200 metres. Just one huge rock. I regretted forgetting my cammera! I picked up a load of windows for a Swiss mission in right on the border to Bulgaria, due south of Bucuresti.
They have a working crew there remodelling one of their homes for the upcoming winter.

The truck company informed me today, that they will inform me soon, when they will be coming.

At least something - or?

Still waiting for truck

Was silent the last couple of days as there is still no news of the next transportation date. It seems that many carriers are warry of the Romanian customs, as Romanian entry ports can mess up your transportation schedule up to a week or more!

We had another collection drive and the cummunity here in Kandern responded very favorably! We packed 100 banana boxes, but there is more than enough to pack at least that many more!
On Monday (tomorrow) we are hoping that enough people will come to help us finish up.

Our church rented part of a factory building that went out of business around 15 years ago for our youth programm and to provide more rooms for our senior saints ministry. This is also the new collection point every other month for donations for our mission outreaches every other month.
It is much more readily accessible, and we do not have to pick up right away, as the facilitiy usually is not needed till Wednesdays (where we collect and pack).

So this is a real benefit as it avoids time crunches on Saturdays, when everything had to be picked up and cleaned for Sunday services.

still no truck / car accident

We are still waiting for a 40 ton truck to show up to pick up a load for flood victims in Romania. I hope this week to obtain some definite information when they will come.

I was scheduled to hold a seminar & conference in Hungary. In Switzerland - on my way to Austria/Hugary I ended up in the guard rail while passing a truck. I am not shure what the real cause was - but I am greatful to the LORD that nobody was hurt, and that damage to the vehicle was such, that I was able to at least turn around to my auto dealer. It will cost about 4000$ to repair all damages.

The seminar had to be cancelled. I was able to visit the wedding of my niece instead. It was a very beautiful and meaningful occasion!