Getting Ready To Leave This World! No, I'm not being raptured or returning to the Red Back Hymnal...Lord, help us on that one! But I am leaving the country for a few days, Monday while others are celebrating Halloween or having Hallelujah Nites, I'll be headed for Kenya. This is my third trip, the second this year, and I am excited. I get anxious about this time prior to any trip, but am especially anxious this week, I know the Lord has many wonderful things in store for us, we are establishing a permanent residence for our ministry in Nakuru, which is north of Nairobi, we are speaking in a convention in Eldoret, north of Nakuru, and we will visit our pastors and friends in Kengami, which is in the southern part of the country....all of this in 11 days. Kenya feels like home to me, can't imagine living there, but neither can I imagine my life without Kenya being a part of it. When I get off the plane something inside of me begins to churn, a sense of destiny overwhelms me and I am drawn into the hearts of the people. It's a wonderful place, I would love to take friends, family members, and especially pastors, with me on my next trip next Spring. Pray for us that God will protect us, the He will guide us, and that He will use us to touch this country for the glory of God.

Here we are again, waiting for the storm. Don't know if it's coming our way or not, can't predict if it's going to hit us, miss us, go above, through, or below us. I have to admit waiting for the storm is unnerving, I contemplate what will take place, lots of wind and rain, will there be any damage to our home, our church, our members, what will life be like if we are hit hard? Another thing I ponder is why shouldn't we be hit? Am I any better or different than those people that have already suffered? I don't think so, I'm not that important. Hurricanes frighten me to the core, my mind races, I think of evacuating, then I think of moving, then I think about how much I love Florida and how much I hate the snow...do you think I think too much! What I realize when the dust settles and my mind for a few moments begins to rest is that the key to it all is being prepared and trusting in the Lord. My heart must be right with God, I must take the necessary precautions that I can to provide protection for my family...so I bought two cases of water, four gallon jugs, six two liters of soda, some pop tarts and some peanut butter crackers. We have popsicles and lunch meat, so if the power goes out we're good for a couple of days...and I have a word in my spirit from God: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me! Folks in the southern part of the state must be emotional wrecks, or true Floridians who have grown adjusted to hurricane living. I'm a newbie, only 15 months living here, perhaps some day I'll adjust, until then...I'll stay prepared! May even be a sermon in this!

The past two weeks I have been away from my office preaching revivals. Two different churches in two different churches with two totally different congregations and pastors. It has been an amazing journey, in both places there was an intense need for God to reveal Himself, in both places the hunger level was quite real, and in both places God exposed Himself as a real, relevant and refreshing God. I never ceased to be amazed at how much the Lord loves us, how much He wants to reveal Himself to us, and how much He longs to touch our lives. What also amazes me is how simple it is to receive what God has for us. There's a song Joseph Garlington sings on one of Israel Houghten's cd's that says "It's so easy to love Him, because He's marvelous, wonderful!" I'm thankful for the relationship we can have in Christ, with Christ and with each other!