Where There's Smoke There's Fire

This past month has been one of the busiest and most tiring months that we ever had.  When we were here at Fir Point last year we worked many hard and long days.  But this year was different.  This year there was a sense of urgency.  Last year we arrived at camp the first of May and had two months to get the camp ready for campers.  This year due to my knee surgery we did not get here until June and we had only two weeks to get things ready.  We put in some very long days.  We have done so many projects around the campus that we had to write them down in order to remember what we have done.

Some of the major projects were:
1. Install lighting along the path to the fireside area.  Here we had to trench 150 feet for the underground wire; dig four post holes; and install the fixtures; and tap into the main power supply for the area.

Newly installed pathway lights

2.  We also had to bring power to the newly  installed building (the one from my previous blog  post).  We trenched 30 feet to the neighboring  cabin and ran a 50 amp circuit to the new  building.

The "Hidden" Cross with back lights

3.  Repair and organize the chapel.  In the chapel  we had to replace several floor panels that were  rotted.  Dayle applied her cleaning skills to the  entire building.  The projector that was used for  Power Point presentations had died so two 51"  flat panel TV screens were purchased and  installed.  Once installed all the overhead  paraphernalia was removed.  We removed the  projector, the beam that was installed for the projector, and the  large screen.  This then exposed a large and beautiful cross that  was built into the wall with colored glass.  When the sun shines  on the cross it is absolutely beautiful...and no one knew it was  there!  I then had the idea to install back lights to light up the  cross at night.

Shelley with AJ in chapel time

4.  We have been busy raking, cleaning, and beautifying the  grounds.  We have created a burn pile approx 45' long and 6' high  of branches, leaves and other  burnable material and we are not done yet.

The highlight of our time here has been the actual Fir Point camps.  Although we didn’t have much to do with the campers for the junior and senior high camps it is such a joy to see the Lord working.  There were many professions of faith, commitments, and even some baptisms.  But the best week was the 5th and 6th grade camp because I was the “missionary speaker” and we had lots of interaction with the campers.  I spoke to the kids about being a missionary and that every Christian is a missionary for Christ.  Our grandson “AJ” was able to attend the camp for the week.

I was also asked to provide the music for Family Camp.  Family camp was quite a challenge because of the age spread.  But I did some older hymns and older contemporary songs.  The people really liked it.  But when I did “I’ll Fly Away” and “Life’s Railway to Heaven” the people applauded.  Now that has never happened to me before.  The speaker liked the railroad song so much that he wanted me to do it after his message on Saturday night.  Then he asked me to come to his church which is near Sacramento and play when I am in the area.  I told him we will be there in October.

We were looking forward to the next week of camp which was to start Monday, July 29th.  But God obviously had some other plans.  On Friday night we had a violent thunder storm with many lightning strikes in the area which started 54 fires.  The largest fire now called the Douglas Complex Fire threatened the city of Glendale.

A shot from the center of town.

So far the fire continues to head south from us and there is no danger of fire but the smoke is extremely thick especially in the mornings. The air quality is so bad that we will wear a mask when necessary which we received from the Red Cross which is set up in the elementary school. 

The Glendale High School is the actual fire base and it is literally a tent city with over 2000 firefighters scattered about.  All totaled there are 2337 firefighters here from all over the country  battling this huge fire which, as of this post, is

Tent City at the Glendale H.S.

32,535+ acres.  Needless to say it has been quite exciting around here.

Some of the many fire fighter's vehicles.  Notice the smoke.

  On Saturday afternoon the Forest Service rolled into camp and recommended that we close the camp and evacuate all non essential personnel by the end of Sunday.  The recommendation was because the fire was completely out of control and could turn in our direction.  We were only 3 ½ miles from the flames.  And even if the flames do not come our direction we will be experiencing unhealthy air due to thick smoke.  We took their advice and cancelled all camps until further notice.  This would mean a huge financial loss for the camp.  But it was something that had to be done for the safety of our campers.  Then a couple of days later the Forest Service returned and asked if they could use our camp for their firefighters to sleep and they will pay us.  Now we are housing the night crews.  Today we had 170 men and women sleeping in almost every cabin and building.  Wherever they can find a cool quiet place they were sleeping.  Of course this means that we cannot do any outside work that makes any noise.  So now as we make our way around the camp we are walking and whispering to each other so as to not disturb our fire fighting heroes.

 The music leaders for this week was two guys from nearby Medford.  Bryce was the singer/guitarist and his brother-in-law Trevor was the drummer.  These two were really good.  They have a whole band but the others could not get away for the week.  When they arrived to set up in the chapel I was in there trying out my newly acquired bass guitar and they asked me to accompany them all week.  I had a blast playing with them.

My Dayle working hard.  Look at those biceps! 

In our last post I mentioned that Dayle needed surgery for her knee.  We decided to wait to return to Lake Havasu to have it done by the same doctor that did my knee.  But her knee is not bothering her that much and she continues to work all day long, everyday. The only set back she had was when she stepped on a rake and it hit her in the face give her quite a shiner.  Yes, she stepped on a rake just like in the cartoons.  I wanted to put a picture of her black eye but she would not allow it.

We began attending the nearby Baptist church and have become friends with the pastor and his wife.  I will be preaching for him next Sunday (August 11th). 

Please continue to pray for Fir Point Bible Camp and for some upcoming decisions that they have to make.  Also please pray for our continued ministry and future ministry opportunities and for clear direction for us.  Dayle continues to feel great although here fingers hurt sometimes due to the osteoarthritis.  But that doesn’t ever slow her down.  Please pray for our house in Klamath Falls to sell before April 15th.  If our tenant doesn’t purchase it we will have to move back in and make it our primary residence once again so we can avoid capital gains taxes when it does sell.  We will still be living in our 5th wheel as we travel, but the house will be our legal residence for tax purposes.  That means no tenant and a loss of income.

God bless......Shelley and Dayle

Back at Fir Point Bible Camp

Psalm 100:2 reads, "Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!"  Oh it is good to serve the Lord!  Dayle and I were talking the other day about how wonderful it is to be actively serving the Lord in whatever capacity He has for us.    We love this freedom to go where ever and when ever we are called.  For the past three years we have been seeking churches in which to serve.  Except for Bethany Bible Church, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona and pulpit supply here and there nothing has come up.  So we again returned to Fir Point Bible Camp where we are busy working from early morning to dusk.  It may seem like it is just manual labor, which it is, but there is a lot of things that we have been doing for which we have been uniquely equipped.

We arrived on Monday evening and began working Tuesday morning.  There have been some leadership and personnel changes here which has created some additional work for all of us.  There was a lot of grounds keeping which has kept Dayle quite busy.  I have been involved in repairing the camp WiFi  system and installing one of the antennas.  The camp owns a small bulldozer but with the personnel changes no one knew how to operate it.  So, "how hard could it be?" I asked myself.  I jumped on it and a few minutes later I was operating it like a pro and piling up debris in the burn pile and even leveling off a section for an additional cabin.

Dennis May (camp caretaker) and I also had to move a 9' X 14' office, which was already on a flat bed trailer, to its new location which I had prepared with the bulldozer.  I hooked up the tractor to the trailer and ever so slowly inched it to it's new spot.  We had to drop a WiFi cable, cut some branches, and do a lot of maneuvering to get this building between the trees.  At one point I had to get the building exactly in the center of two trees in order to squeeze it through.  It was touching the tree trunks on both sides but we made it.  Then we had to get it off of the trailer.  This was another difficult operation but, we did it without any damage or injuries.  Now mind you that I have never worked on a WiFi antenna system.  I have never even climbed on a bulldozer; and I have never moved a building on a flat bed trailer.  Yet, the Lord seemed to equip me for each task.  It seems that we are uniquely equipped to work at Fir Point.

I also was called upon to replace the temporary shower curtain frame in the pool showers.  Since the main bathrooms are under new construction the campers are required to us the pool bathrooms and showers.  They previously made some dividers out of PVC pipe and that lasted for only one week of campers.  So, I got the idea to make it out of electrical conduit which we have lots of just laying around in the storage area.  After a few hours work we now have solid and unbreakable shower curtain rods which will very nicely divide the showers. 

We also decided to get a new mobile home.  What do you think?  Nice huh?

OK just kidding,  Here I am driving the tractor and moving the office building which will be used for summer staff quarters.

Dayle was able to help Dennis' wife Janice make over 700 cookies for the upcoming "In Faith" kid's camps in July.  There is a lot more to make but it is a start.

There is still lots of Spring cleaning that needs to be done and other repair work so we will be quite busy.  But it is all good as we know that we are serving the Lord in the place that He has us.

My knee is almost completely back to normal.  Now Dayle is going to need surgery on her knee.  Before we left Lake Havasu she had an MRI and the doctor said that she needs to see an orthopedic surgeon.  Now we are trying to figure out when and where.  We are very thankful that Dayle's fingers are continuing to improve, and we are pretty sure that her osteoporosis is getting better.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Surgery Concluded!

Praise the Lord! Surgery is done and all is well.  I arrived at the hospital at 11:30 and was finally rolled into the operating room around 3:30.  I woke up in the recovery room about an hour later with my knee wrapped up.  The doctor said that there was a lot a damage in the knee but he was able to clean it all out and that were no complications.  Then he said that if the pain comes back that we can do a "partial knee replacement" and I will be as good as new.  A partial knee replacement???? Now that does not sound like fun!

Ready to get my knee fixed.

I am already walking around and I have a cane for support. Physical therapy begins on Tuesday (6/4) and my follow up appointment with the doctor is the 10th.  So hopefully we will be heading north to Fir Point Bible Camp on the 11th.  We are so anxious to get back to the camp and get to work there.

However, we have been quite busy here at Bethany Bible Church.  Last week, along with Stan and

Children's Sunday School room

Stephanie Broder, we spent every day cleaning and organizing the children's Sunday School room, the nursery, the storage room and the two lower bathrooms.  I am still helping out with the Sunday music and we rehearse every Wednesday evening after prayer meeting as well as Sunday morning before service.

We are also praising the Lord for His continued blessing upon the church.  Last Sunday we had a get together at one of the new couples house. We had lots of fun and a great time of good old time gospel music and singing.  Within it the last three months we have four new couples.

The Nursery

The Storage Room.  Affectionately called "the dungeon"

Removing water stains

Cleaning deep stains in the bathrooms

Don't worry, I'm only fixing the broken toilet!

   Please continue to pray for us as we are continually striving to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He so provides.  What a blessing it is to be able to serve Him!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and support!. 

Surgery is Scheduled!

 Dear family and friends,

I received great news today.  Worker’s Comp approved the arthroscopic surgery.  I really expected them to deny  the claim because there are two meniscal tears which they might have considered to be a new injury.  But I simply put it in the Lord’s hands and whatever would be decided would be alright with me.  So now we are rejoicing and the surgery is scheduled for the 30th of May.  I told the surgery coordinator that if there is a cancellation before that to put me in.  Otherwise we won’t be able to leave here until the middle of June. 

Well back at the church we continue to work and serve.  We have all been concentrating on the music.  We now actually have rehearsals.  We have added some instrumentation and the music selection is better planned and arranged.  Here we are last Sunday night and look who is on bass. 

Left to right is Lynda McBride vocals, Pastor Dennis on guitar, me on bass, Barb Stephan on the banjo, and Eric Stephan on the mandolin.  

We at Bethany are praising the Lord for two new couples:  Ray and Judy; Randy and Donna.  Both of these couples have brought a new excitement and energy to the church.

My Dayle has already seen some improvement in her fingers.  They do appear to be getting straighter and the pain is subsiding.  We are sure that the warm weather is helping too.  Today it was only 100 degrees.  Two days ago it reached 108.  Oh we sure love the warmer weather.

We have so much to be thankful for:
1.  My Dayle’s fingers doing much better.
2.  My surgery being approved.
3.  New people have come to the church and are staying!

Prayer Requests:
1.  Bethany Bible Church
2.  Dayle’s physical conditions.
3.  A successful knee surgery and speedy recovery.
4.  For our house in Klamath Falls to sell.
5.  For our future ministry at Fir Point Bible Camp and elsewhere.
6.  Financial Support - Our monthly financial support has dwindled to almost nothing.  We now have only one supporter.  Our biggest expense is fuel.  With diesel at almost $4 a gallon it costs us $125 for every fill up.  When we are stationary at a ministry it is no big deal. But when traveling it really adds up fast.  We do not want to be a burden on the struggling churches or ministries that we serve at so we don't accept any payment from them other than perhaps some utilities.  If you feel the Lord leading you to help with our support please send your donations to:

         Northwest Independent Church Extension
         P.O. Box 2225, Sumner WA 98390-0490
         Phone (253) 826-7881

Any support sent through NICE is tax deductible and when sending to NICE be sure note our name on your check. 

Surgery is Required!

Dear family and friends,

Today I went to the doctor for a follow-up to my MRI.  I have not one but two meniscal tears.  There is one on the right side of the knee and one on the left side and arthroscopic surgery is required to repair the damage.  Well I guess that explains why I have been having so much pain all over the knee.  The doctor’s surgery calendar is backed up until mid June.  But since we were planning on leaving Lake Havasu City by the end of the month he will fit me in.  I asked him if we could do in when we return in November and he said that would be very dangerous and that the surgery should be done as soon as possible. 

So now once again we have to wait for my Worker’s Comp to approve the surgery and the physical rehabilitation.  We hope to have their approval no later than Monday or Tuesday.  I am still hoping to be in surgery next week or the week after.  We will stay in Lake Havasu for as long as necessary.

My Dayle continues to feel so much better here in Lake Havasu City.  We ordered and received five stainless steel splints for her fingers which she wears as often as she can.  Aren’t they pretty and fashionable? Someone has even asked her about her new "finger rings."  These splints are adjustable and are designed to prevent her fingers from deforming any further.  We adjusted them to straighten her fingers and we are hoping they work for that too.  We also got her a paraffin wax bath for her hands.  This wax bath is very soothing and she uses this every other day.

Regarding her osteoporosis it has been decided to NOT do the injection therapy (Prolia) because of the dangerous side effects.  Dr. Deb sent Dayle to a herbalist and they have come up with a natural treatment plan.  Dr. Deb is approving of this plan and is confident that it is going to work.  The herbalist expects to have her osteoporosis conquered in six months.  Yay!

The Lord continues to bless at Bethany Bible Church.  Our summer time attendance has stabilized with twice as many people as last summer.  Last Sunday we had 25 people in attendance.  I know 25 doesn’t sound like much but it is a 100% increase over last year.  Pastor Dennis McBride is an excellent bible preacher and the people are really being fed.  Recently we have been concentrating on improving the music program.  This past Sunday one lady was praising the Lord for the wonderful music during the morning worship service.  We had the organ, piano, two guitars, mandolin, banjo, and me on the bass guitar.  Our song selection was well thought out and we even got together to rehearse.


Prayer Requests:
1.  Bethany Bible Church 
2.  Dayle’s osteoporosis treatment to work and for her fingers to not hurt so much. 
3.  My knee surgery to be approved by Worker’s Comp and for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
4.  Our financial needs as medical bills are beginning to increase.  (Our insurance covers 80%)
5.  For our house in Klamath Falls to sell.
6.  For our future ministry at Fir Point Bible Camp and elsewhere.

The Lord Never Ceases to Amaze Me!

Just yesterday I published our blog post requesting prayer that my Worker's Comp will accept the new claim for my knee.  I did receive word that a couple of you were praying.  Well, this morning I got a call from my Worker's Comp and they have approved my claim.  I now have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday).  I could have the surgery very soon!

Time after time it has been proven to me that when we commit something to prayer and remain faithful to His Word, that He works all things out.

Thank you for your prayers.

Shelley

Together Again!

Last Saturday my Dayle returned to me after spending four long weeks with Stephen, Neeley and Jack in Sacramento.  Since she came home we have not been out of each others sight for more than a few minutes.  Once again we vowed to never be apart again except in the case of an emergency.  She did have a good time with the kids though.

So here back in warm and sunny Lake Havasu City, Arizona we are continuing our quest for treatment for Dayle's osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.  She met with the doctor again last week and they are getting closer to a treatment plan.  We thought that it was settled until it was learned that Dayle is having trouble taking large amounts of calcium in tablet form.  This is a requirement for the injection treatment plan.  But Doctor Deb is working on it and we will hear from her soon.  Regarding her osteoarthritis there is really nothing that can be done to reverse the damage to her fingers but there is some things that can be done to prevent it from getting any worse.  She met two times with a physical therapist who has set her up for finger splints and some other treatments to give her comfort.  Of course one of the best treatments is the warm and dry climate.  Therefore, we are kicking around the idea of making Lake Havasu a more permanent arrangement.  But we can't do anything until our Klamath Falls house sells.  We are still praying that our tenant will purchase our house in Klamath Falls.  Please keep this in prayer also.

I was finally able to get to see the orthopedist for my knee.  My right knee has been hurting for the past year and for the past few months has been swollen and full movement has been limited.  The doctor suspects that I have a torn meniscus.  That is what I suspected too since it feels just like it did the last time.  This is a Workman's Comp injury from my LAPD days.  So now we are awaiting approval from them to get an MRI and possible surgery.  There is a real possibility that my claim will be denied.  If it is denied I plan on going ahead and have the MRI and surgery done using my Tricare insurance.  I would really like to get my knee repaired before we return to the Pacific Northwest as we have a lot a work ahead of us.  Not to mention all the bicycle trails to ride.

Our mission director asked me if we would be willing to go to Loomis, Washington as they may be seeking an interim pastor. Of course we are willing to go.  We are willing to go wherever we are needed.  Please pray for the Loomis Community Church as they seeks the Lord's direction.  Our preference is to be serving in a local church and we do greatly miss it.  

We have less than a month left here in Lake Havasu City before we return to Fir Point Bible Camp in Oregon.  We are really only committed there for the month of July.  The next commitment is speaking in a men's retreat in May of 2014.  We do hope to find a church or two in which to serve.  Please keep this as a matter of prayer.

Bethany Bible Church is doing well, 7 new people are now calling it home.  God is working in the hearts of people who are seeking the truth of the Word.  We just finished the intermediate course in evangelism called "The Way of the Master" with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron.  It has been a good challenge for us to share our faith and have a passion for the lost.  They supply some very unusual tracts which we have been giving out all over Lake Havasu.    

Our friend Stan Broder is recovering remarkably well from his bypass surgery, thank you for your prayers.  We thank the Lord for his grace and mercy.

A Very Close Call

Easter Sunday began as most Easter Sundays.  We got up early for the Son Rise service.  Then enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast followed by our regular Easter service.  Later that afternoon Stan, Stephanie and I went for a walk along the canal when Stan began to experience shortness of breath and some mild chest pain.  After a quick trip to the emergency room we learned that Stan was in cardiac distress.  He was admitted and tests were done which revealed that he had an arterial blockage.  Three days later (Wednesday) Stan had a double bypass surgery.  This is Saturday and Stan is recovering in the ICU and is doing well.  The amazing thing is that Stan, who is 70, has never been sick or had any real medical problems other than an occasional bout with the flu.  He is strong and an avid hiker.  That is why the doctor called his condition “a widow maker.”  We are very thankful that we were able to catch this early.  Please pray for Stan as he continues to recover.  Also pray for strength for his sweet wife, Stephanie, as she has been by Stan’s side the whole time and will continue to do so as she will be his nurse for the next couple of months.

On Sunday after Stan was in the emergency room for a while, I returned to the Broder house to feed the dogs.  As I opened the garage door, I heard water running . . . not a good sound.  I opened the door and stepped into “an indoor” swimming pool.  A pipe had broken and literally flooded the entire house with at least ½ inch of water.  I made a couple of phone calls and within minutes several people were here to help with the clean up.  It took two wet/dry vacuums, squeegees, push brooms and a bunch of towels to get up all the water.  The whole job only took about two hours. We were very thankful that their house is wall to wall ceramic tiles with just a couple of throw rugs and there were two low drains in the two bathrooms.

                       

Look at that floor shine!  But it is not from floor polish.

Yesterday I had the blessing of attending the Arizona IFCA Regional Conference where Gary Gilley was the speaker.  Gary Gilley is one of my favorite authors.  He wrote the book “Is That You, Lord?”  A book I highly recommend to everyone.  The theme was “Reaffirming the Sufficiency of Scripture.”   The regional was in Phoenix which was a four-hour drive.  That’s eight hours of driving for seven hours of conference but it was well worth every mile!

My Dayle is still with Stephen, Neeley, and Jack.  She will be home in 13 days.  Meanwhile, I have been keeping myself quite busy with preparing for my summer camp lessons.  I also took two days to re-carpet the trailer.

Please pray for Stan and Stephanie.  Also pray that I can get an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon for my right knee.  I have been having a lot of pain and I think that the meniscus that was damaged in an LAPD on-the-job injury needs to be repaired again.  I would like to get it fixed before we leave Arizona because I have a full summer of work ahead us.

It's a Blessing to Serve the Lord

I can't believe that it has been a month since my last posting.  We have been so busy at the church with various things that I lost track of time.  We have been here in Lake Havasu City for 2 1/2 months already.  It has been such a blessing to be here and to personally see what the Lord is doing here at Bethany Bible Church.  We all have been praying for the Lord to bring in the people and since my last post He has brought us another new couple and one single man all of whom have said that they have found their new church home.  And the best part is that they are not snow birds.  Pastor Dennis has been on the Christian radio station a few times and his name and the church is once again getting out into the community.

Pastor Dennis, Deacons, Jim King, Eric Stephen, and Stan Broder, and myself attended the Shepherd's Conference at Grace Community Church.  As always, it was a great time of encouragement and instruction.  Dennis and two of the deacons stayed for the Sunday service while Stan and I  returned for Sunday services at BBC.  I preached in both the morning and evening services.

Last Thursday evening we had a concert by the Durocher family.  What a wonderful family and a wonderful concert.  They had nine of their 12 children and everyone sings and plays an instrument.  I would highly recommend them to your church.  As a matter of fact I gave them a few contacts in other churches so some of you might be getting a phone call from Paul Durocher.  It was very refreshing to fellowship with this family for a couple of days.  I even had some very intelligent and  deep theological conversations with them all....even the kids.  And yes, they are all home schooled.

The Durocher Family      http://durocherfamilymusic.com

I should keep a journal to remind me of all that I have been doing at the church.  I'll try to remember now though.  I have preached several times already and I will be preaching again for the Good Friday service.  I had to do some repair work on the church doors.  All the locks and door hardware needed attention and all the locks needed to be re-keyed.  This was a full two day project.  We also had to remove the rain gutter on the entire east side of the building and replace the boards to which the gutter attaches.  This was another two day project.  There are still many projects yet to be tackled and we are getting them done.  Fortunately they are mostly repairs which as of yet has not cost much money.

Two of the church's five air conditioning units had stopped working.  We had a repair man come out and he said that they both needed to be replaced.  So we figured that it would be a very hot summer in the church because each unit costs about $5000 which is just not in our budget.  Then one of the deacons decided to have a friend come out and check out the units.  After a couple of hours and replacing just a couple of parts we had all five a/c units working just fine.  That bill was only $900.  What a blessing!

Another blessing, a little more personal, was a new computer.  Yes, our computer problems continued.  Remember that all three of our computers had major malfunctions.  The replacement computer that I was able to find for Dayle died a couple of weeks later. I took my laptop computer and my desktop computer to the repair shop.  My desktop was repaired and is working great, but my laptop was not repairable.  On the Sunday after the Shepherd's Conference I was preaching on the doctrine of Biblical Contentment. Whenever I fill the pulpit I almost always preach on what I had just went through so it is like I am preaching to myself.  This Sunday was no different and I used the example of all of our computers crashing and two of them are now just paper weights.  Then after the service one of the men came up and asked me if I wanted a laptop computer.  He said that he bought it and never used it.  Well, of course, I wanted a laptop computer.  So we went to his house after the service to pick it up.  He handed me a computer carry bag with the laptop inside and several accessories.  Once I got home, I could not believe my eyes.  I pulled out what appeared to be a brand new and very expensive HP laptop computer. It is almost four years old but I don't think that it had anymore than 10 hours of use.  This computer has more bells and whistles than any laptop that I have ever seen.  It even has a remote control device.  This is the computer of my dreams.  Four years ago he paid $950 at Costco.  I don't know what this would cost today, but it is more than what I would ever spend on a computer.

One other unexpected blessing was that our car got totaled.  We left Dayle's Mercury Sable with Mel and Annie in Grants Pass.  Someone broadsided Mel while going to work,  He was not hurt.  But the car was totaled.  The insurance company paid us a better that fair price for the car.  The amount they gave us was the exact amount of our tax bill this year.  Does God take care of His own or what?

HP Pavillion DV6 Entertainment Computer

My Dayle is feeling much better in the warmer and drier climate.  We went to a rheumatologist last week.  He said that Dayle has Osteoarthritis in her fingers and that there is not much that can be done  for them.  The doctor did confirm that the warmer weather is much better for someone in her situation.  So, we may be spending much more time each year in the warmer climates.  Sorry kids, but I don't think you will see much of us in the winter months.  Washington and Oregon are just too cold for mom these days. Her cute little fingers are sore and swollen and are beginning to become deformed due to the osteoarthritis. The doctor also sent us to a physical therapist who examined Dayle and made several suggestions and is ordering some splints to keep her fingers from deforming any more.

Right Now Dayle is in Sacramento with Stephen, Neeley, and Jack.  Jack is three months old and he loves his grammy very much! Dayle flew to Sacramento on Saturday and will be gone for four weeks.  She will be back in 24 days (but who's counting).

 

 Our future plans are now just short term plans.  We now plan on leaving Lake Havasu in early May and will be spending the Summer at Fir Point Bible Camp.  I have been asked to be the missionary speaker for two of the youth camps.  We are just waiting on the Lord to direct us further.

Please continue to keep my Dayle in prayer for her osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.  Also pray that our tenant will purchase our house in Klamath Falls.  He said that he is interested but will have to wait until he gets some personal matters worked out.  He is a good tenant and it would be a huge disruption to his family right now if we were put the house on the market with a realtor right now.  So, I told him that we will wait. 

Also continue to pray for Bethany Bible Church.  Specifically for people to come who want to serve the Lord and for financial provision.  

Treatment Approved

We went to Dr. Deb the other day and we were told that the treatment plan was approved.  Yea!  The treatment for the osteoporosis consists of one injection every six months for two years.  This injection is extremely expensive...it must be made of liquid diamonds.  Each injection costs $2700 but our Tricare insurance covers 80%.  Dr. Deb also set Dayle up with a rheumatologist for the osteoarthritis in her fingers. Her appointment is on March 19th. So finally things are getting done to get my Dayle the treatment she needs.  Praise the Lord!  We hope to leave Lake Havasu around the first of May and return to the Pacific Northwest but again it depends on Dayle's treatment.  Dennis at Fir Point Bible Camp called the other day asking when we will be returning.  I told them that if nothing else comes up that we will be there the end of May.

We are still quite active in serving at the church.  And I am still nursing my wounds from that most dangerous sport--Softball.  My knee is almost healed, my toe doesn't hurt anymore.  But yesterday while fielding a hard hit ball it took a bad hop at the last moment and the middle finger on my right hand got in the way.  The ball hit the finger straight on at the nail causing the nail to be pulled up just a little.  My finger then began to bleed a lot.  We had to stop the game and wrap up the tip of my finger to stop the bleeding.   But we won so it's OK.  We have only two more games left in the season and even if we should loose both games we still win the league championship.  Dayle wants it to be over now so I will stop getting hurt.  Even though playing on the team is a lot of fun and great exercise (and a great reminder that I am not 30 years old anymore) I have had many opportunities to share my faith.  Please pray for Tony.  His wife is a Christian and he and I have had several conversations about the Lord.

Before my softball injuries, we took an afternoon and went for a hike.  We also took our two dogs and Stan and Stephanie's dog, Tramp.  Tramp is a golden retriever.  See that cupcake looking mountain in the distance.....that is where we hiked.  I wanted to hike around that whole thing.  It is actually a lot bigger than it looks.  But I did go around the whole thing.

We made it.

Tramp was tired....

...and decided to take a nap.

A picture from the top facing north.

It has been over a year since I was the interim pastor of Bethany Bible Church.  During that year Pastor Dennis McBride has been grounding the people on what a church is to be all about, and training up leadership.  Attendance has been quite low and there are only 12 members.  We have been praying for god to bring the increase.  In the past three weeks there have been two new couples and both have said that they are staying.  Both said that they love the friendly people and the great preaching.  It does appear that God is in-fact bringing the increase.  Please continue to pray for this small struggling church.  There are some real financial struggles right now.  Two of the heating/cooling units are inoperative and one needs to be replaced. These are very costly.  One unit costs in the neighborhood of $5,000.  but we are also convinced that our God will supply!

First Month In Lake Havasu City, AZ

I looked at a calender the other day and discovered that we have been in Lake Havasu City for a month already.  Wow, the time has gone so fast.  So, I guess it is true...the older you get the faster the time goes by.

Since we have been here we have been busy at the church fixing, and cleaning, and organizing.  The sound system in the sanctuary needed an upgrade and some sound issues sorted out.  This took a couple of days and is still a work in process.  My good friend Stan and I have made quite a team in all these various projects.  I have been participating in leading music and filling the pulpit.  Pastor Dennis hurt his back really bad and I had to fill in for him.  We have made Bethany Bible Church our official home church and we are now actual members.  It is really a good feeling to have a home church and to have a pastor again.

Dayle jumped right into ladies ministry.  She has been attending all the ladies functions including a bible study on Tuesday morning.  She helped plan and set up for a Valentine's Chocolate Extravaganza.  There was so much chocolate that even a chocolate lover would get their fill.  Dayle has also been ministering to a couple of shut-ins by visiting them and taking a cleaning crew over to their homes.

Remember my last post where I was whining about having a Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Week?  Well, it is amazing how the Lord worked everything out.  I was called by the Senior Softball League and was put on a team.  I was able to finally fix my computer by putting in a new hard drive and reinstalling all my programs (Until my new hard drive crashed just the other day.  Another new hard drive is on its way).  Dayle's replacement lap top computer arrived and I put in her old hard drive and everything works perfectly.

But the best thing was that Dayle found another doctor here in Lake Havasu City.  We were a bit skeptical at first.  This visit to the doctor's office was completely different than the first one.  Dr. Debra Gulyanics walked in to the room and introduced herself to both of us and said, "Just call me Deb."  Doctor Deb sat with us to get to know us.  She gave my Dayle a full examination and addressed every concern.  She said that her condition is very treatable but we just have to find the right treatment for her.  She ordered a full blood work up.  She also said to not take the drug that the previous doctor prescribed.  A couple of days later we went to the lab and they took six vials of blood.  After the results came in we returned to doctor Deb and went over the lab results one by one.  Each and every test was either in the normal range or better than normal.  Then Deb said, that she cannot figure out why Dayle has osteoporosis.  So Dayle in now on Doctor Deb's "problem child" list.  Deb consulted with some older doctors in the office and they suggested a treatment plan which involves an injection every six months.  So, the staff at the doctor's office is seeking approval from our insurance because it is very expensive.  We will know more this coming week.  So it looks like  we will be returning to Lake Havasu City every six months, unless the doctor can arrange for Dayle to get the injection elsewhere.

Dr. Deb Gulyanics...Our new best friend.

We are really enjoying the warmer weather and the bright sun.  We love being in a church again and being able to serve.  I will be preaching again on March 10th in both morning and evening services.  We have also had much opportunity to get out and enjoy God's creation.  I am riding my bike almost every day which keeps me in pretty good shape.  The softball league also keeps me active too.  We had a double header the other day and there I discovered that senior softball can be very hazardous to one's health?  See picture.  It looks worse than it really is.  Just a scrapped knee and a stubbed tow.  I think I need new baseball shoes.  I also tweaked my back.  But it is all OK because we won..both games. 

The Shepherd's Conference is just a little over two weeks away,  Myself and four others will be attending.  Dayle will spend the week with my sister.  Dayle will also be going to spend a month with Stephen, Neeley, and Jack.  She leaves the middle of March.  Neeley needs to go back to work for one month so Dayle will babysit while Neeley is at work.  Then Neeley will cut back to just two days a week.  Stephen will watch baby Jack one day and a good friend from their church will watch him the other day.  God really answered our prayers concerning this situation.

Jack 7 weeks old...holding his head up.

As far as future ministry plans there are a couple of things in the works although nothing is definite yet.  But if nothing else, we will return to Fir Point Bible Camp to serve for the summer.  We love having the freedom to go where ever we are needed.  And we just pull our house with us.  What a blessing.

Please keep my Dayle in your prayers as she gets treatment for her osteoporosis.  Also pray for insurance coverage.  One injection costs several thousand dollars.  (It must be made of diamonds or something.)  Also, pray for me to have witnessing opportunities on the softball team.

A Horrible, Terrible, No Good Very Bad Day/Week

We left Stephen and Neeley and our new grandson, Jack, just 10 days after he was born.  Even though we would like to stay and watch the little guy grow up, we knew that Stephen and Neeley needed to be alone with their son.  Besides, we had to get to Lake Havasu City by January 13th.  We also needed to spend a couple of days with my sister, Andrea and her two children.  She had a "Shelley Do List" for me.  After completing the work list and spending time with Spencer and Madison we completed the final leg of our trip and arrived in Lake Havasu City at the home of our good friends, Stan and Stephanie Broder, just in time for dinner.

Sunday morning I preached "Seek No Vengeance" from Romans 12:17-21.  I spoke on biblical humility and love for others even when one's enemies, or anyone for that matter, may have wronged or offended you.  In the evening the message title was "A Proper Attitude Towards Government" From Romans 13.  I had some very good responses.  One man said that it was like I hit him with a baseball bat.

So far, so good.  We have been in Lake Havasu for about 36 hours and all was well.  On Monday morning we went to Dayle's appointment with the "perfect" doctor for her osteoporosis.  I was so happy to finally get this started.  Then the disappointment began and so did the beginning of a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad week.  This doctor was a "flake."  This doctor walked into the room and totally ignored me and gave Dayle a brief handshake.  She asked Dayle a couple of questions and then prescribed a different drug for her to take for two years.  This doctor totally ignored anything Dayle had to say or anything that any previous doctor had recommended.  This doctor was very young and obviously inexperienced and did not display any concern for the patient.  When Dayle tried to ask her about two other problems that she is having the doctor said, "they only give me 15 minutes for each visit and I only discuss one thing per visit.  So, you will have to make two more appoints to address the other issues."  We couldn't believe what we had just heard.  I suppose we got spoiled by every other doctor that we have ever had who truly cared for us.  This new drug is supposed to be very successful for osteoporosis but Dayle called the doctor to ask a question concerning drug interaction......the doctor never called back.  So we figured that we better find another doctor.  She has an appointment this Friday with this another doctor.  Pray that this will turn out for the better and will have wisdom (and time) to help with the issues concerning Dayle's health.

After we got home from the very disappointing doctor's visit, I unpacked my desktop computer.  I love my desktop computer.  I use dual monitors which makes my study and sermon preparation productive and very enjoyable.  When I turned it on the screen displayed absolutely nothing.  My hard drive had totally died. (Fortunately I had all the important stuff backed up.)  I contacted a couple of computer techs and they told me to get a new hard drive and get the recovery disks from HP to make my computer just like new.

Then I pulled Dayle's laptop computer out of the cupboard.  Her ancient laptop hasn't been used in a few months but this is where she has most of her lessons and studies.  When I plugged it in it started smoking, literally.  I quickly unplugged it before everything melted.  I opened the case and found that the power connection had broken and shorted out.  So her computer was now toast and nothing was backed up.  I got on eBay and found a used identical laptop computer for $50 which arrived yesterday (Monday).  I pulled out her hard drive from the old computer and put it in the new one and all is well.  Yay!

One of the joys of being in Lake Havasu is the that I get to play senior softball on Monday's and Thursday's. There are lots of opportunities to share about the Lord and our ministry there. So this past Thursday I showed up at the ball fields with all my equipment.  Most everyone remembered me and it was good to see everyone.  When asked what team I was on I discovered that the league play had started and I had missed the sign-up.  The league lasts for seven weeks.  So I cannot play until the league play is over unless 11 players get injured.  I am number 11 on the waiting list.  I was so disappointed I wanted to cry.  But this is a senior league and these old guys do get hurt so I may have a chance.

I went home all disappointed because I couldn't play softball.  So I thought I would take my mountain bike and go for a ride in the hills.  Bike riding is so enjoyable for me and I knew it would cheer me up.  (Am I sounding like a whinny baby stinky pants yet?)  So I went to Sara Park and was going to ride the rugged trail all the way to the river.  It was such perfect riding weather. I was feeling so good. As I was going down a fairly steep hill my seat post bolt snapped in half sending my seat in one direction and me in another.  I didn't get hurt for which I was really thankful because I now had to walk the bike out almost two miles.

Well I still have my road bike, so the next day I thought I would go for a 20 mile ride, at least that was my plan,  I went only 6 miles when I got this terrible cramp causing excruciating pain in my right inner thigh and almost had to call for Dayle to come rescue me. I was able to stretch it out and walk it out each time it flared up.  I made it home finally and was sitting with and ice pack for the rest of the day.

Back to my desktop computer..... the Recovery Disks came and the new hard drive came.  I installed the new hard drive and followed the instructions for the recovery disks to no avail.  Got an error message telling me that the operating system is not compatible with the hardware.  After several hours of messing with the hardware, I finally gave up.  Now I would have to buy a new operating system.  Then the new hard drive stopped working.  Arrrrggggg.  I figured that it would be more cost effective to just get a new computer.  Staples had a good one on sale and it will be here Wednesday.

Then on Friday afternoon Dennis asked me to preach again on Sunday morning because he is still in a lot of pain.   So, I asked Dayle if she had any suggestions for a sermon topic and she said, "Humility, and the Sovereignty of God."  Ouch, I guess I was being a whinny baby.  I had mentioned several times that I was having a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad week.  There is nothing like preaching from personal experience. So my sermon title was "How Not to Have a Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day/Week." I used Titus 2:13-14, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  This of course speaks of our attitude that is to always be in the forefront of our thinking.  After all, God is in control of all things even when things don't go the way we want them to go.  But if we keep looking for the blessed hope and and the appearing of His glory, all these things don't have to bother us (or me) at all.   But we could and should live denying ungodliness and worldly desires, and live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age all the while looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  All that happened to us this past week is nothing when you compare it to all that Christ suffered for us.  I think sometimes God allows all these annoyances to teach us that this world is not our home so don't get to comfortable!!

Please keep my Dayle in your prayers.  Also pray for our church here, Bethany Bible Church, that God would bring the increase. also for pastor Dennis who is still in great pain due to two herniated disks and hip problems.  He will be having an MRI very soon to determine the extent of the damage.

Jack Louis Wetzel has Arrived!

On 12-30-12 at 12:05 AM our newest grandson, Jack Louis Wetzel, arrived.  Neeley and Stephen are doing fine and there were no complications.  They are due to come home today.  We praise the Lord for His mercy and grace.

Jack just a few hours old in his PJs

My Dayle..the proud grammy
 

I can't believe it...another baby in the family.

All of our children and grandchildren we able to come for Christmas although not all at the same time.  Jason and Shelli and kids arrived on the 24th and left on the 28th.  Mel and Annie and kids arrived the evening of the 28th and departed yesterday the 30th.  Jason's family and Annie's family did meet up in the northern California mountains for lunch and to play in the snow.

 

We plan on being with the Stephen, Neeley and Jack for al least another week then off to Lake Havasu City, Arizona with a short stop with my mom, sister, and niece and nephew.  I am still scheduled to preach on January 13th and Dayle has a doctor's appointment on the 14th for her osteoporosis.  Please keep us in mind for these things as well as our time of ministry at Bethany Bible Church.  We expect to be there at least three months.

No New Grandson Yet--Almost Lost a Grandson

Our daughter Neeley is so ready.

First, let me apologize for not posting an update sooner. Ideally I try to update every 2-3 weeks.  Well here we are in Sacramento with Stephen and Neeley awaiting the birth of their first child and our 6th grandchild.  Tomorrow (12/22) is the actual due date but the doctor said that "Jack" is not ready yet and it may be another week or two.  So in the meantime I have been a handyman here at the house, helping with painting, repairing, refinishing tables and counter tops, gardening, and more. Stephen said, "Having me there is like having his own private handyman. All he has to do is feed me and make sure I get a good bike rider every other day." Dayle, too, is keeping herself busy by decorating and hanging pictures, and housework. Stephen and Neeley bought their home a few months ago and now it is finally looking like it is really their house.  Dayle also accompanies Neeley to all her doctor's appointments and, of course, lots of shopping trips.

Wednesday night our Daughter Annie called with a very frightening story.  She said that AJ, her 10 year old son, ran up to her to give her a hug when she got home from work and then grabbed his head in both hands, screamed, and fell to the ground unconscious.  He was out for about twenty seconds.  She scooped him up and rushed him to the hospital emergency room.  To make a long story short, AJ  had a brain aneurysm.  The doctors conducted numerous tests, brain scans, and more tests are being conducted even as I am writing this blog entry.  While at work yesterday one of the hospital doctor's came into her dental office, where she works, and he told her that this event with AJ was the talk of the hospital because most often aneurysms result in death or at the very least brain damage.  Yet AJ has came through this life threatening incident unscathed.  The doctor told Annie that they need to count their blessings.  Please remember AJ in your prayers and also for Melvy and Annie and AJ's brother, Andy.  Pray especially that God would use this event to draw them closer to Him.

We are all set to be at Bethany Bible Church in Lake Havasu City by Sunday,January 13th where I will preach in both morning and evening services.  Then on the 14th we have Dayle's doctor's appointment.  We plan on staying in Lake Havasu for a minimum of three months and possibly longer if the treatment plan for the osteoporosis so requires.

Next week is Christmas which is our favorite time of the year.  We love all the decorations, the Christmas Eve service, the church Christmas get togethers, family gatherings and all the fuss all because of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Our entire family is coming to Sacramento.  This will be the first time that we have all been together in several years.  We are very excited.  We were hoping to have Jack with us by Christmas but we don't think that is going to happen.  But at least his presence will be seen in Neeley's tummy.

Our wish to every one is that you will have a wonderful Christmas as you remember the birth of the Savior and more importantly the reason why he was born.