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Hagerstown, Maryland update

We had a wonderful conference at Harvest Baptist Church in Hagerstown, Maryland where Dr. James Moore is the Pastor. Dr. Moore and the folks of Harvest Baptist love missions and missionaries and we were the beneficiaries this week.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Gene Burge and as usual Dr. Burge made faith promise missions come alive from the pages of the Bible and crystal clear in our hearts. It was Dr. Burge who recommended me to Pastor Moore. Around 2002 or 2003 Bro. and Mrs. Burge came to Inuvik for one of our early mission conferences and immediately our hearts were knit together. I was surprised to see shortly thereafter Dr. Burge featured our ministry in the Baptist Mission to Forgotten Peoples “family news.” Since I was not a BMFP missionary, Lois and I were greatly honoured and figured since we were not BMFP they were considering us “kin!”

At the close of the conference Sunday night, the other missionaries in the conference, The Lyons family to Spain, and Miss Nancy Butkevich missionary to Siberia/Russia and Lois and I were waiting for the church to dismiss by manning our display tables. Upon dismissal, Dr. Moore greeted the missionaries before the congregation did and informed the Lyons and Miss Nancy that the church had just voted to increase their support! Approaching me he extended his hand and declared the church had just voted to add us to their supported mission family! It had been nearly 15 years since a church took us on while we were standing there. What an encouragement and boost to our resolve to honour God with every fibre of our being.

Dr. Moore had inquired as to my upcoming schedule and I told him of my meetings in Gettysburg, PA this Sunday. After finding out I did not have the coming Wednesday booked with a meeting, he invited me to come back and preach at Harvest! What a gracious Pastor and church.

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Ontario update

Lois and I leave Ontario tomorrow (Sept 19) and head toward Hagerstown, Maryland. Our time in the Greater Toronto Area has been quite nice. Our first conference was with Pastor Alcock and Brampton International Baptist Church. It was an exciting conference and the church had its best attendance ever the Sunday the conference ended. Next we reported to Heritage Baptist Church in Barrie. Pastor Pennell was a gracious host and very encouraging. We ended with Pastor Wiebe of New Life Baptist Church in Maple and helped celebrate the church’s second anniversary by participating in their mission Sunday. New Life is an exciting young church.

We thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with Pastors, church families and fellow missionaries. The campground we stayed in was quiet and relaxing. One of the best things about the trip was that we know of two souls that came to Christ on the particular Sunday I preached in Brampton.

Our truck is still in need of a minor repair. We still have issues with the heater. I had planned on picking up the part at a junk yard and complete the repairs myself when we get settled in the next campground. But Pastor Wiebe rallied his church family to give toward the need. Their generosity met the need to buy the part new and forgo the junk yard plan. We praise God for meeting our need and we head south in good health and joy in our hearts.

I emailed the believers in Tuktoyaktuk a few days ago just to keep in touch. I told them of our travels and offered encouragement in the Lord. One response came back and it touched my heart. “We pray that you will eventually become our Spiritual Leader.” This simple expression of hope affected me deeply. Would you join this believer in Tuktoyaktuk in the same prayer?

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September 2011 Update

Dear Praying friends,

We had driven 14,164 kilometers (8,795 miles) since June 13th, most of which has been with our camper in tow. I must give sincere praise to the Lord for His watch care over us. We have had no problems with our travels at all. One day we decided to stop earlier than usual for our evening meal only to find an accident had happened on the route we were travelling while we ate. Some would call that coincidence, but I believe it is a physical peek into the realm of spiritual warfare. Thank you for praying for us.

Our reunion with family and friends has been sweet but cut short all too often. The pressing need to report to supporting churches and visit prospective supporting churches has kept us busy. In four days we will depart for Ontario to participate in two mission conferences and report to one church. We close September in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Hagerstown, Maryland. September started by Lois and I celebrating our thirty-third wedding anniversary. We celebrated by meeting up with family at a Cabelas in West Virginia, enjoying a meal together and spending some precious time with our granddaughters.

Our website is up and running and features a video of our ministry. Go to: iceroadpreacher.ca More content is going to be added as I provide it to Paul Conner. Paul, who is youth pastor at Greater Vancouver Baptist Church is the brains and technical maestro behind the website and video. You can contact Paul through paulconner.ca.

We have a cell phone that we carry with us while in the USA. The number is 907.347.7993. In Canada we are limited to email only. minus40@northwestel.net. Pastors, please feel free to contact me if I have not yet contacted you to schedule a meeting between now and late May of 2012.

We hear good things from the churches in the Arctic and are homesick already in a way. That is one of the most difficult things to understand and explain about being a missionary. Our hearts are truly pulled in two directions. One to the place we loved first and the other toward the place we love because of God’s love. The key to dealing with this is to accept God’s Word as our final authority. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? So we have to reject the deceit of the heart whether we are pulled north or south and do the task before us heartily as unto the Lord.

We again wish to express our gratitude for your faithful support and prayers. We have added 2 new supporting churches and neither one was expected or booked when we left Canada. That my friend is the result of prayer and a wonderful God.

Steve, Lois and Angie Donley