Dear Church,
May is always a busy month for us because of birthdays, our anniversary, the beginning of summer, and preparation for the Old-Fashioned Gospel Tent Meeting. We are so thankful to have a few days of sunshine here in rainy Astoria and thankful to have faithful supporters like you who provide encouragement and prayer. We appreciate the thoughtful cards and encouragement!
When the extra days of sun came, I decided my home-schooled boys needed to share the experience I had as a kid. Hobby Lobby in Vancouver had model rockets for sale. The guys were excited when I came home with an exciting science experiment, and we put that thing together in a flash! I scrimped on the expensive launch pad and opted for a metal rod from the hardware store which we just stuck in the ground. The ignition source was easy enough, we just used a Makita drill battery and some wire. The first two launches were a great success, but the rocket caught the marine air and crossed the road and two soccer fields. By the third launch, we had the parachute packed correctly and the rocket sailed into a swamp with Sitka spruce trees surrounding. We lost sight of it!
The boys and I headed across the road and into the swamp. I don’t know the scientific name of the plant but there is a certain stinkweed out here we call skunk cabbage. The name comes from the aroma that is released when you step on it. Caleb is quite the climber, and he scaled a large Sitka spruce for a lookout. I had the foresight to place my phone in my raincoat chest pocket right before dropping into a water hole up to my waist. After about 40 minutes in the swamp, the rocket was spotted. It might have been 70ft or higher in a spruce. Caleb couldn’t climb that one because there were no branches. We went to the house, but Caleb kept thinking about the rocket. He persuaded the tired group to get an extension ladder and we headed back. Even with the ladder extended, he couldn’t reach the bottom branch, so he climbed it like a bear! Once there, we had to send up a 30ft extension pole to him. Caleb was in that tree for a couple of hours, but he GOT THE ROCKET! It was a ten-dollar model rocket that taught a million-dollar lesson.
In church, we have been learning about virtue. Dedication, devotion, perseverance, and commitment are virtues that seem hard to come by in 2022. The Lord used a fun day launching rockets to teach a valuable lesson to some soaking wet boys that day. The rocket launched three more times in good weather from the house just a few days later. It was appreciated more by four boys and a dad who didn’t give up. 2 Peter tells us to add virtue to our faith. If we add the entire list, we are promised a fruitful life without falling. Pray for us as we apply these principles to church!
The tent meeting is getting closer, please scan the QR code in this letter and ramp up the prayers! We have already raised the amount of our budget from last year! Several people are coming out to help but we always need help getting out the gospel. This outreach is a great opportunity for churches to be involved in home missions. Each year keeps getting better. Thanks for supporting us!