Off to Orlando Again

Partners in the Gospel,

I am so thankful to each one of you for your great kindness and bearing with my family in prayer for guidance and provision.

Some of you have written me in recent days asking how things are going since my last email. It has been a whirlwind. The last few weeks have been filled to overcapacity with activity, work, sickness, and travel.

• Sandy and I had the opportunity to attend the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago. Last year we attended the Together 4 the Gospel Conference in Louisville and it was a time of refreshment and renewed conviction. We are truly thankful for the opportunity that we had to attend the Gospel Coalition. One special opportunity that we had was to meet the man who wrote the curriculum that we are leading our Friday night Bible study through (Tony Payne).
• Sandy and the kids came down with a cold. While the kids are still doing some nasty coughing but mostly back to normal, Sandy is still fighting this thing off. Please pray for her strength as I travel.
• Sandy’s grandmother (Ruth Buehler) died last week. I was privileged to perform her funeral service on Saturday. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate her life in Christ and to be reminded of the hope that we have that because His grave is empty we too have the hope of resurrection insofar as we are united to Him by faith.
• I had a wonderful conversation with Chan Kilgore (see previous update). I am meeting with him and some of his elders tomorrow (2011-04-26) for lunch. Please pray for good communication and a shared vision for an opportunity to apprentice with him in Orlando.

So that means I am presently in Orlando … again. I am also spending this week with some of the other church planters that will be working in this movement in Florida.

It is truly encouraging to be here with these special people. I believe that I can see the end of this long road of discernment and it fills my heart with joy.

But I also ask for your uplifting in prayer. I think my whole family is a bit exhausted and we just long to be together for a while.

Please pray

• that I will make the most of this time in Florida.
• that I will be able to answer all of the questions that are in Sandy and my heart and mind.
• that I will be able to return home on Saturday to my family with a vision and provision for our future in ministry as a family for the sake of the gospel.