upbraiding america
Greetings, fellow believers, prayer partners, and friends. I awake to a gorgeous sunrise over the silhouettes of the mountains just south of Albuquerque, New Mexico, having traveled 2,600 miles since leaving the confines of Vale, NC back on October 29th. Thank you for your prayers: much has transpired to the glory of God, and a hedge of protection has surrounded our work. Many miles, much preaching, sorrow for the state of America, spiritual highs and lows, demonic oppression, weariness . . . please keep praying.
to the west, from the west
This evening, I and two Christian brothers head west, making a beeline for Laramie, Wyoming. Lord willing, we will rendezvous with Shawn Holes (luketentwo.com) at the University of Wyoming at 11:30am, just in time for the class change. Thus will begin a solid month of preaching the Gospel on college campuses, culminating, Lord willing, at the Boise State / Utah State football game in Boise, Idaho on December 4th. Please pray for us: that the Lord would open a door of utterance.
the sinful kingdom
After nine straight days of open-air preaching at local festivals and college campuses here in the heart of America’s Bible Belt, I mourn for our nation and its churches. Things are far worse than I had imagined. The Bible Belt holds up the pants of hypocrisy in America; fellow “Christians” seem the greatest enemy of those that would share their faith openly; student ministries on college campuses mock biblical truth; police bully, intimidate, and videotape Christian witnesses; middle class college students tout communism, desecrate the American flag, and openly fancy anti-semitism and shariah law; so-called “Christians” boast in their sin, “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).
summer's curtain call
I am very grateful for all the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who have kept up with us these 7+ years. Your prayers and support have been an impetus to keep preaching the Gospel, and by God’s grace, we will never cease. The only thing that is changing is the way we’ll go about getting word out to you.
newfoundland
Back in May and June, we drove 6,692 miles, taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ all the way up through Quebec, across Labrador, down Newfoundland’s West Coast, over to Prince Edward Island, and back through New England with Bishnu Shrestha, FPGM’s national partner from Nepal. In my last update, I wrote of our adventures on the Labrador. Allow me to continue the tale.
the lure of the labrador wild
Over the next couple of email updates, I will attempt to recap what the Lord did this summer in Labrador & Newfoundland, up on Prince Edward Island, amongst Nepali communities here in the States, and in terms of local outreach. I pray these stories will edify and exhort unto steadfastness in the Gospel of Jesus Christ amidst perilous times about which the Scriptures forewarn (II Timothy 3:1-7; 4:1-5).
home again
It has been six weeks since my daughter and I met up with Bishnu in Pennsylvania and headed north. A little over three weeks ago, we rendezvoused with my wife and remaining children in Canada’s Maritimes. A few short days ago, having added 6,692 miles to my vehicle’s odometer (900 miles of which were on gravel road), the Lord brought us safely home. Though hot and humid here in North Carolina, it’s good to be home. And, it’s sweet to reflect upon what the Lord has done and how He has answered your prayers and mine regarding another missionary journey to the end of the road, to uttermost corners.
prayers coveted
Lord willing, Bethany and I will leave here on Wednesday morning, bound for New York City. There, I’ll pick up Bishnu, with Canadian visa, hopefully, in hand; and we’ll make a beeline north to Montreal and then up through Quebec City and along Route 389 to the Trans-Labrador Highway (approximately 700 miles of gravel that eventually intersects with the pavement along the Labrador Coast). All along the way, as our custom is, we’ll be seizing opportunity to proclaim Jesus Christ in the streets and lanes of the cities and the highways and hedges, distributing the Word of God and Gospel tracts unto another uttermost end of the road system.
sweet reminiscence, part 2
Well, I am finally getting out Part 2 of the update that I began more than a month ago. Again, I apologize for the negligence in this matter. Things have been very busy around here as we continue to become accustomed to a larger family and another newborn. Mom and baby have done well, and we are finally getting a little more sleep at night. Thanks for all your prayers in the matter of Josiah McCandless’ home-birth.
sweet reminiscence, part 1
Yes, I am safe and back with my family in Vale, North Carolina, having returned from South America and a very fruitful missionary journey more almost two weeks ago. We are busy around here, expecting a baby any day now. Please pray for Jamie and the health of the little one. Again, we are excited to be doing another home birth, so please pray that all goes well.
hello from south america
Greetings from a lonely, but cozy, hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Outside, the noise of a city that seldom sleeps rings into the breezy night. I believe that’s a cat in heat that I hear. Anyway, after a week and a half of incredible outreach in Bolivia and Peru, I am on my way to rendezvous with friends in Bariloche, Argentina tomorrow morning.
arrival & departure
I apologize deeply for my recent lull in communication. Some of you may still be wondering whether or not we returned home safely after my last update, a report that had us hunkered down in South Dakota back on December 8th. Yes, we bade a difficult farewell to Ricky as he boarded a bus in Kansas City several days later. He made it home safely, and not long thereafter, we crossed the threshold of our domicile with much gratitude for our Lord’s mercy in bringing us home.
north to alaska
In summary, this missionary journey (May 8-December 11) involved 4,208 miles of pedaling a bicycle for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ and 21,714 total miles of driving. Great strides were made towards FPGM’s goal of publicly taking the Gospel to the downtown streets of every significant city and town in America as 74 American cities and towns were targeted for outreach. In addition, 19 Canadian cities and towns were visited with the Gospel.
even in skagway
Greetings brethren. Presently, I am nursing myself back to 100% and am quite confident that I can get back on the bicycle soon. To clear our heads, Ricky and I drove down here to Skagway, Alaska, hoping for some witnessing opportunities and a little respite back in our own country. Miraculously, my injuries after being run over by that ATV, were minor, as was the damage to the bicycle.
montana's highline
Greetings, beloved, in the name of God the Father, the Great Spirit (John 4:24) and the Creator of all things, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the only One who can save us to God (Romans 5:1-2) and from God (Hebrews 2:3). Since my last update in Malta, I have pedaled another 200+ miles on U.S. Hwy. 2, otherwise known as Montana’s Highline, and we have been busy about the work of the Gospel here in Great Falls, one of the largest cities near our route thus far.
sowing wind, reaping whirlwind
I begin typing as I sit here with Jamie at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, waiting for our flight back to Romania. ‘Twas a crowded and hectic subway journey just to get back here from the old city. Wow, we had quite a time in Istanbul . . . but wait, I must not get ahead of myself. Truly, much led up to this point, and the Lord has been very good. Thank you for all your prayers.
destination eastern europe
Well, ‘tis yet another eve of departure: the destination, this time, being Eastern Europe. Please keep our evangelism team and the upcoming work in your prayers over the coming weeks. On Wednesday (January 7), I will leave for Romania and Moldova where we will be witnessing on the streets and conducting several martial arts demonstrations as an avenue to preach repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).
dangerous statements out of hickory
This commentary about the recent arrest of my brother and me in Hickory, NC should be a boisterous alarm to all Bible-believing Christians in America who still think we live in a land of freedom. Articles in the news media and recent public statements by City Officials demand a response.
hickory saturated again
On a day marking the celebration of our nation’s Independence, I preached in the open air concerning deteriorating religious freedom in America, the biblical principles upon which the United States was founded, the Law of God as written on the conscience of every man, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the command upon all Christians to preach the Gospel message even if it means persecution, imprisonment, and death (Mark 16:15; Acts 5:29).
hickory, the pressure is on
First, I want to express my deepest gratitude for all the encouraging emails and spiritual support we have received since last weekend’s arrest for the sake of the Gospel. The Hickory Police Department and the Jaycees have been flooded with emails and telephone calls, and certain wheels are now in motion. It is Wednesday, and the charges still have not been dropped; but, I am confident this will soon happen.