Yes, winter has arrived. We had a brief snow shower this evening that caused quite a bit of excitement in our family.  The kid's and Katie were excited as well.  It wasn't "normal" snow but you could pack it together. I'll put a pic. below.

We had a good service last night. It was our "regular" group that we count on being there.  We praise the Lord for their faithfulness. Counting our family and all the kids, we had 19.

The Lord gave me a couple divine appointments yesterday in Loanhead. It's encouraging to see the Lord's hand at work in our community. I told one man where we are going to be living and he said, "Oh, you are moving into the heart of Loanhead."  We are going to be living on the main street. The packing is coming along. I'll attach a picture of the "mess" we are living in.  The Lord provided another bed today. It is close to where we are getting our truck which will make it easy to collect on Monday. Thanks for your prayers.

The packing is going very well. We have boxes everywhere. Thankfully, we are getting close to being done. We are all getting pretty excited.

Nelson has been my cute assistant as I go to get boxes. He enjoys being daddy's helper. Everyone else has been doing a bit of packing every day. The kids have also been able to do school everyday despite the mess. Katie has been working very diligently to pack up everything. The Lord provided a bunch of kitchen items this week for a very good price.

The Lord also provided a bed for Kay Lee today. We have a used items website here called, "Gumtree."  We got a Laura Ashley, 4 poster with curtains, white, all wood, single bed for Kay Lee. It will look great in her room. She is obviously very excited.  It only cost 20 pounds.  Isn't God good to provide more than what you "need?"  Thanks for praying for our move.

Please pray for the man who sold me the bed. I was able to give him a tract and briefly speak to him about faith in God. He was very kind and shared how they had recently visited a church. He was interested to know that I am a minister.

We were tired last night but God gave us a refreshing day.  (We enjoyed heading to Dundee for a baby shower for Kirk and Carrie. We spent the night Friday night and came back yesterday evening.) 

Adele and the Hikins were with us all day.  Constance, Alec and Margaret joined us for the morning service. This morning I preached on Romans 16:25-27, "Our Stability." And tonight our topic was joy. Praise God as believers we have TRUE joy. 

We begin packing up this week. Don Dillman is going to help me by teaching and preaching next Sunday morning. So, that will help us as we get ready to move this week. Please pray for his ministry.  Thanks for your encouragement and prayers.

Everything is speeding up as we get closer to moving. This has been a wet weather week and a busy week. So, evangelism has been limited. But, the Lord gave us a good service last night.  The Hikins, Christine and her boys, and Alec were with us. We enjoyed a good discussion during our Bible study on Psalm 34.  I really enjoy the mid week service.

We are getting excited about our move to Loanhead on the 29th. We've changed our utilities, forwarded our mail, paid deposits, changed automatic bank payments, reserved a moving vehicle, bought some items for the new house etc.  The Lord is helping in the process and we appreciate your prayers. Please pray for good weather.  3 days this week it rained hard most of the day. Those would not not have been fun moving days. But, we'll take what the Lord gives us. He's given us plenty of volunteers to help us on that day.

There are some exciting "future" ministry opportunities opening up. Evangelist John Van Gelderen has put us down for a week of meetings in late 2013 or early 2014. Please pray as we nail down those dates.  Another evangelist friend is praying about coming late summer next year.  A young man in grad school who believes God has called him to missions in the UK is praying about a trip in May next year. A supporting church is praying about assisting our HBT next year. So, please pray for God's power, provision and guidance for these ministry opportunities.

It is a gorgeous day today with clear skies and no wind. I put out flyers this morning. It was pretty but also very cold in the 30's when I began. By 11 I was getting hot and wishing I didn't have a heavy coat on.

The Lord gave me 3 divine appointments. The first was a witnessing opportunity. The second was with a lady who is a Baptist but has just moved back to Loanhead. She is leaving on a 3 week trip to the US tomorrow. I hope she will visit the church when she returns.  The 3rd opportunity was the "best."  Jim has thought about coming to our church. We chatted for about 15 minutes. He mentioned that he saw our family putting out flyers this summer in his neighborhood. Please pray that he will be encouraged in his heart to come and visit. God is working there. Thanks for praying.

We had a testimony time this morning at church and it was good to have our people participate. Margaret has become a faithful attendee. She asked if she could sing a song that she wrote at a time of trial.  What a blessing. I want her to sing it while we record it. It was very Biblical and lovely. She has a lovely scottish accent. You would have been blessed to have heard it.

I preached this morning on Zacchaeus. One point that stands out to me is that Jesus went to Jericho on purpose to "seek and to save that which WAS lost."  Praise our Lord, He found Zacchaeus.  May God help us to go into evangelistic opportunities on purpose to seek and to save that which was lost.

Thanks for your faithful prayers.  This young missionary family needs them.  We need God's help in everything we do. Thanks for praying.

We enjoyed a good midweek service last night despite the heavy rain. We've gotten an abundance of rain this year. I wish we could share it with all of you who are experiencing drought.

I had a neat divine appointment last night. There are two halls at our meeting location. The other larger hall is rented by a group that looks pretty American. They do a country western dance once a month or so. Thankfully it begins after we leave. But, sometimes they are setting up while we are there. John is from Texas and was the entertainer last night. I know God's hand was at work in our conversation. When we met I had the thought, "That guy would make a good preacher." He reminded me of some fundamental American evangelists. I didn't tell him that and he said to me later, "When did you decide to be a preacher? I've had two different times in my life when people told me that they thought I should preach." I still didn't tell him what I had thought. John may be saved but if not we clarified the Gospel. Please pray for God to work in this man's heart in a mighty way.

Today God provided a telephone table seat. (It's really cool.)  We've been praying about furniture for the home to which we are moving into on the 29th. On the way to collect the piece I prayed for an opportunity to witness to the man who was selling it. God gave me a great opportunity and we talked for about 20 minutes. Please pray that God will do a great work in Bill's heart.

It felt good to be out doing flyers again. We've had a bit of a different schedule the past two weeks. I'm sure that it will be an odd schedule for a while as we move this month. (Note: We are moving on the 29th.) It is a sunny day with heavy frost this morning.

The Lord gave me a wonderful divine appointment this morning. Please pray for Mark. I've talked with him before and appreciate his honesty. He had some good questions this morning as we talked for half an hour.  I "bumped into him" again about a half hour later in front of his house and enjoyed going in for a cup of tea.  His wife and her friend were there and I hope that they will visit our church. God's hand was evident. 

I don't know if I've shared an illustration that I like to use about a designer.  I like to point out that if someone saw a robot just like me in a field they would be amazed. But, that they would also know that there is no way a robot like me could exist without a designer.  But, we are much more complex than a simple robot even if it could function just like us.  We have emotions, likes and dislikes, memory, life, a conscience, individuality, morality, etc. 

Please pray that God will give me wisdom and power in my witnessing and preaching.  Thanks for your burden for what God is doing on our field.

The Lord gave us a very good Sunday. It was well attended and Jim and Valerie Knies were a real blessing. We had visitors in both services. Please pray that God would continue to work in the hearts of those who attended. Tomorrow morning, Alec, Jim, Mark and I are heading over to Livingstone for a men's prayer breakfast. God is at work.  Please keep praying.

Those who have followed these updates for a long time may know that we have an annual professional golf tournament pilgrimage.  Today was the day we attended the Dunhill Links Golf Championship played at Carnoustie, St. Andrews and Kinsbarns.  We went to Kingsbarns because the major players were there.

My two oldest went with me and Jim Knies. We collected Don Dillman on the way and met my brother in law, Kirk.

I'm smiling as I type this. (If you are uninterested in golf continue reading because you may know some of these.) Benson and Kay Lee got a once in a lifetime experience.  Benson got a golf ball from Martin Kaymer's caddy. Martin signed it for him and signed Kay Lee's brochure. Next Oscar Pistorius', the South African Paralympic blade runner, caddy gave Benson a ball. Oscar then signed Benson's ball and Kay Lee's program. Pablo Larrazabal gave Benson and Kay Lee a ball. AND (drum roll please) Michael Phelps, American swimmer, signed Benson's ball and Kay Lee's program.  Don Dillman got a good picture of Michael which I'll put below. Sir Steve Redgrave, Olympic rower, gave them both autographs as well. Wow...what a day.

The Lord also gave a few divine appointments today to witness briefly and give tracts. Two of those divine appointments helped Benson and Kay Lee get autographs. Sometimes the Lord just gives you the icing on the cake.  Praising the Lord for a good day.

Oh, and one more thing to make all those who enjoy watching golf just a tiny bit jealous....this is a free tournament. :)

(Michael Phelps autographing Benson's ball for him.)