On to Susy and Jame’s near Totnes in Devon…

Stopping at pretty spots along the way to Totnes

Trust me, you can miss the turn off and find yourself miles from where you intend to be. It all looked so easy, but we did go about twenty miles too far, parked the van, found her cell number but, guess what? My cell phone was about out of battery and I was left with time for one desperate call. If I missed, I would be on my own trying to find Susy who lives in the country. I had been warned ahead of time that I would likely need her help to come and meet me. I suddenly felt like I was on the Apollo 13 space shuttle and running out of vital support systems and, in my case daylight, very quickly.

Totnes, finally

I made the call and connected long enough to be told what to do and where to go. She would come and meet us there in about forty-five minutes. We fumbled our way back to the main highway, found the right turn-off, and finally made it to Totnes with time to spare. Along she came and after exchanging hugs and “howdies” we got in behind her and followed her some ten miles along a very narrow road to their small farm. As soon as we arrived we were hustled off to a neighborhood barbecue  across two fields dotted with manure droppings and Suffolk / Hampshire blended sheep.

Susy and Jame’s place

We met a lovely and welcoming group of folks who made us a nice supper on the grill. After a good visit, we retired with Sunday on tap. James would go up to the village church and the rest of us would get ready for a trip to an elegant historical home, Dartington Hall.

Dartington Hall

James, Susy, Jeanne and me…

From there we would all go together for fish and chips along the coast in the village of Brixham, where our daughter-in law Noemi’s sister Elizabeth and her husband live.  There we would part company with Suzy and James, who would head back to Totnes, while Jeanne and I would travel in the opposite direction, along the sea. We would spend our second day on the road in Plymouth.

Shades of “Tell It Like It Is!”

Many of our older friends will remember our early days in evangelism when we bought a Winnebago, procured a small circus tent that seated about two-hundred fifty people and traveled on the weekends from Maniwaki, Quebec to Orillia Ontario preaching the gospel from town to town and farmers field to farmers field. Those were fun but complicated days. I am older now and my life has slowed down a little – at least until last weekend.

The best we can under the prevailing circumstances.

One of the problems with teaching is that your students finally grow up, take on ministries of their own and unfortunately remember the stories that you told in the classroom. Such was the case when I got an email from Stephen Bounds on the other side of Charlotte.

Young people from Child Evangelism present the gospel.

Stephen and his wife Julie were in my evangelism and bible classes at Bethany some six or more years ago. They now have three children, another on the way and have lived in 17 different places since they were married. Stephen wound up overseeing the Plaza Baptist Church in the north Charlotte area dubbed with the regional distinction NO-DA (North Davidson).  NO-DA has an interesting reputation. On one side of the street you have the emmerging arts community. These folks have moved in, buying the older and at one time fashionable art-deco homes, remodeling them while on the other side of the street there remains WW II tract housing where as many as twelve or more African-Americans live with their extended families in two (rather small) bedroom homes. In effect, there are two communites in economic and cultural tension.

Here an unidentified man comes forward to get literature.

Stephen felt that he must do something to reach out to the surrounding neighborhoods so he invited me, Jeanne, eight  area churches and ministries like Child Evangelism Fellowship to join Plaza Baptist in a festival on their parking lot. Stephen went right ahead facing down the ominous weather forcast of rain, rain and more rain. Stephen is English so this may account for his lack of concern.  The weatherman was right. Nevertheless, the churches stood their ground and in the pouring rain continued all afternoon to preach the gospel in a variety of ways from clowning and worship groups to food and clothing give-aways to Hickory Baptist Church and their 2500 grilled wieners. In the picture below, it appears that I have had my fair share of wieners.

Preaching in the rain. Not a good day for drawing.

I did what I always have done when opportunity presents itself. I did drawings of both “Zaccheus” and then later “The Rich Young Ruler” and preached the gospel. I was once asked by a seminary professor of how I preached my last sermon. He inquired, “Was it expositional or topical?” In those days I didn’t know what those words meant so I just replied with the truth, “Loudly.” I preached “loudly” and in spite of the rain I got of attention and “Amen” agreement with what I had to say. The Baptists can be faulted for many things but one thing they are clear about, they know the old-fashioned, Bible gospel when they hear it.

Jeanne trying to stay dry.

I am home now, at least until Jeanne is on the mend. It was great to have her with me. Just like the old days when (it is not her calling) she went with me everywhere, supporting and encouraging. I will never take her for granted again. She has been the Lord’s “help meet” and my help mate.

The Book of Acts BCOM

It’s a good batch of folks.

My sixty-three waiting students.

I manage to pick-up about three gigs a year here at the college where I spent almost ten years. I am teaching Acts but will come back in a month for Corinthians and then in the summer I do two weeks on Apologetics for Evangelism.

There are 28 chapters in Acts. I have been given 24 hours to get through the entire thing and also provide two in class tests. Let me tell you how well I am doing at this. It is Wednesday, I have completed nine hours of my alotted twenty-four and we have just finished chapter 3.

I like these kids (a few adults are sprinkled in among them) and consider it a pleasure to be their instructor for a short time.