Pastor's Journal

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers! May God especially bless you on your special day.

My own mother, who celebrated her eighty-third birthday two months ago, knows something about motherhood and more. She and Dad, who will soon celebrate their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary, reared seven children. Despite any anxiety we children imposed upon them, our parents are in good health and of sound minds still. When I spoke with Mom this morning, she told me that they have accumulated twenty-one grandchildren, thirty-one great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Zambia’s annual camp meeting concluded Sunday, April 15, with many spiritual victories won. As of Saturday, 59 had received salvation, 29 had received sanctification, 73 had been baptized with the Holy Ghost, and 102 had been healed. There were a record number of people in attendance (2,221) including 44 from the neighboring country of Zimbabwe.

Debbie and I have been enjoying the remainder of the Norway camp meeting. The Friday morning teaching featured a ten-piece bell choir conducted by Janice Calhoun. The participants ranged in age from four to almost sixty. They played three numbers, and the congregation sang along to one. The London mixed quartet also sang. Then District Superintendent LeRoy Tonning gave a Bible teaching from Revelation 3:11, “…hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” He emphasized the value of the Latter Rain Gospel that the pioneers of this work preached and passed on to us. While the new is often best in this world, this is not the case when it comes to matters of faith—the Bible truths of old continue to be as valuable as ever.

The weekend of Easter services among our Botswana churches has just concluded. They were hosted by the headquarters church in Labotse. The saints there are an enthusiastic group. The Friday morning Bible teaching opened with a robust welcome: a brass quintet exuberantly played the Star Spangled Banner four times through.