Greetings from the beautiful state of Pennsylvania! It is truly breathtaking with its rolling hills peppered with corn fields, pastures of cattle and sheep, lazy rivers and creeks and billions of leaves that proudly display their fall colors. As I write...huge reddish gold maple leaves are falling like snowflakes...ugh, let's not mention that word! The Weather Channel says here in Clarion, PA, which is just a skip and hop from Pittsburgh, may get its first flurries tomorrow. With that in mind, Larry is urgently working along with a couple of partner friends getting some maintenance done on the motor home. We need that done before we head out tomorrow to Salisbury, PA, which is not far from Cumberland, Maryland.
It's a beautiful fall day...there's a nip in the air which has spurred on the trees to turn the leaves bright and burning colors. As I write this in our motor home in Indiana, I can see a little black squirrel hustling back and forth carrying what appears to be a walnut in its mouth. The way it's racing around there's no doubt it has a mission in mind...it knows another season is coming quickly, and it's preparing for it. Larry and I feel the same way when it comes to our ministry. The "signs" of Christ's coming are all around us and we are doing all that we can do to reach as many as we can with a simple salvation message. The bible says in John 9:4, "As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work."
We just arrived back in Sisseton, SD from an exciting Fun and Fellowship tour to Louisville, Kentucky where we attended the National Quartet Convention. We hosted and brought along 40 friends from the midwest and one from Mesa, AZ.
A week ago, we were thrilled to be with all of our family, even if it was only for a few hours. We hadn't all been together for over a year. LaShawn, her husband Liam, and our son Donovan came from Nashville, and LaDawn came with our grandchildren, Dante and Myanna, and met Larry and I for a few hours of fun at the Minnesota State fair in St. Paul, Minnesota.
We had two wonderful services here in Iowa. The first one was at the Joyce Lutheran Brethren church near Lake Mills, Iowa. It's a beautiful country church nestled and surrounded by corn and bean fields.
What a warm welcome we received. As we sang and ministered, we were cheered on by smiles and tapping of toes and clapping.
What a warm welcome we received. As we sang and ministered, we were cheered on by smiles and tapping of toes and clapping.
At this stage of life I miss all those wonderful moments we had as a family; taking short vacations here and there. I recall one time we camped out in the Woodlands State Park in Colorado. Tents, the camping stove, towering pines and the aroma that would put you at ease, the blazing fire, roasted marshmallows, hotdogs…yes, right now I'd love to go back. In fact, at this point, I'd be willing to go anywhere just to get away and get a little rest.
As I was writing this, I thought about an article that I wrote years back and would like to share with you.
As I was writing this, I thought about an article that I wrote years back and would like to share with you.
Larry and I just came back from a momentous Brook's family reunion in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Again, we left for home with memories that will last forever. I mentioned momentous…as my mother will be turning 95 years old in November so we combined her birthday celebration with the reunion.
On July 11th we were at Wisconsin for a Sunday a.m. and p.m. service at Crosspoint Assembly of God in Portage, WI. It's a beautiful small community, just a few miles out of the resort area of the Wisconsin Dells.
We were greeted so graciously by Pastor Randy and Debbie Mantik. As we were loading in I was visiting with Debbie. She had a somewhat distant look on her face…like a look of disconnect…then she piped up and smiled, "I can't believe you are really here. I've known you since I was a little girl. My family used to go to all the Lundstrom concerts and rallies and watch you on television.
We were greeted so graciously by Pastor Randy and Debbie Mantik. As we were loading in I was visiting with Debbie. She had a somewhat distant look on her face…like a look of disconnect…then she piped up and smiled, "I can't believe you are really here. I've known you since I was a little girl. My family used to go to all the Lundstrom concerts and rallies and watch you on television.
In the 40th chapter of Exodus verse 34 it talks about the "tent" being a "meeting place" with God. Well-Regent had a tent that became that "meeting place" for those looking and longing for God. It was such a sweet service.
It was also thrilling in the past two weeks to meet numbers of friends who have come to Christ under our ministry in the past several years. That truly is an energy transfusion to Larry and I that gives us strength and joy to keep pushing on.
It was also thrilling in the past two weeks to meet numbers of friends who have come to Christ under our ministry in the past several years. That truly is an energy transfusion to Larry and I that gives us strength and joy to keep pushing on.
We just completed an exhilarating DADFEST weekend that was hosted by Minot First Assembly of God in Minot, ND with Pastor John and Naomi Brady. This entire event was a gift to the city.You name it, they did it. It almost looked like a county fair had come to town.