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of Bonnie & Louis Rushmore |
March 31, 2010
Later in the day, we visited dear friends and brethren Emanuel and Judy Daugherty (Wheeling, WV) and Gene and Shirley West (Moundsville, WV). For 10 years, I served as faculty member at West Virginia School of Preaching with these men (and others). I left a big box of books with brother West for the school library (where Elizabeth Robison is the Librarian). Then, we were off toward Winona, MS. A snafu in reserving a motel room in the vicinity of Cincinnati, OH slowed us down and aggravated us. We couldn't even find the motel that was supposed to be alongside I-71 (our route of travel) and wasn't. Onward, barreling down the road, we finally lit for the night in Carrollton, KY at a Super 8. March 30, 2010
March 29, 2010
March 27-28, 2010
March 25-26, 2010 The 25th we finished working on the next issue of The Voice of Truth International magazine and shipped it to the Editor, Byron Nichols, for his final review. Routine work balanced out the day. Friday, we received visitors from the Tipton Church of Christ in Kosciusko, MS. They scouted out our periodical room where they have volunteered to build more shelving for us. We gave the grand tour of the facilities, gave them some books and dined at the best (only) Chinese restaurant in town. By a little after 12 noon, we are on our way north toward West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. An apparent confluence of travelers for what reason I know not in Cave City, KY caused us to veer from our usual stopping place at the Super 8 to the Econo Lodge instead. Too bad that for just a little more money we have a little less in a room and no Internet! March 24, 2010 During the day I feverishly worked in the print shop. That evening, we visited a sister congregation for Wednesday evening Bible class, whereupon the devotional speaker (not knowing me or aware that I was within arms reach of him) vigorously refuted my book, Beverage Alcohol, which he held up as a prop. Aside from the awkwardness for all present, it was somewhat amusing to hear the brother repeatedly refer to "that guy."
A free PDF of Beverage Alcohol is available at www.gospelgazette.com/pdf/beveragealcohol.pdf. Nearly 14,000 printed copies have been given away, courtesy of the late brother Victor Durrington. March 22-23, 2010 Our days are made up of shipping orders via the US Post Office to customers stateside, fielding phone calls and emails, as well as feverishly working to ready The Voice of Truth International magazine to send to the printing company. Oh yes, I have been printing volume three of Panoramic Views by Wyatt Sawyer. Tomorrow, we expect to ship the completed manuscript for volume 64 of VOTI to Byron Nichols, Editor for his final review. After we tweak it at his direction, we will transform the document into a PDF with embedded fonts and pictures before FTPing it to Faith Printing in Taylor, SC.
March 21, 2010 Sunday morning we worshipped with the Huntsville Church of Christ in French Camp, MS; I made an appointment for a later date. That evening, I preached for the first time at the Courtland, MS Church of Christ, where we were well received by a small group of Christians. I nearly made a mess of things when I thought I was arriving about an hour early, only to find that services were to begin 15 minutes after we arrived. Sunday was funny weather day—cold, rainy, hailing and snow. March 18-20, 2010
March 17, 2010 Other than office routine, we headed off for Columbus, MS, leaving Winona about 4:30 p.m. Bonnie and I met again with the 10th Avenue Church of Christ; this congregation always receives us enthusiastically. Rebecca accompanied us this time, and was mistaken for a teenager (she's a schoolteacher). Robert and Emma Johnson serve this congregation and extend friendship and hospitality toward us. The 10th Avenue Church of Christ is one of the first black congregations for which I preached (and I speak for many such churches every year) two years ago, and I remember the dumbfounded look on the congregation's faces when I asked for respondents to the invitation to come forward; I learned that customs can vary stateside as well as abroad. Especially Robert is a great encourager of us, and we feel at home in Columbus, MS when we enjoy the company of brethren there. March 16, 2010 Bonnie worked on office accounting. Together we packaged and shipped seven packages to various addresses stateside. We worked on The Voice of Truth International (at the office and at home, too). I printed thousands of postcards that we will be sending out later in the week to acquaint brethren with our missionary efforts.
March 15, 2010 I slept past my alarm, and glancing at the clock on the nightstand, I leaped (as close as leap gets for me these days) from the bed; it simply wouldn't due for brother Brown or the carpet installers to find me still in the bed that I was supposed to have moved! After moving the furniture and before the carpet installers arrived, brother Brown and I made the floor register holes smaller. The house, 50 years or so old, had holes in the floor for which we could not find contemporary registers to fit. The former registers were badly rusted; the solution was with 2X4 and 1X3 and 3/4X2 pieces, nails and screws to make those holes smaller before the carpet installers cut holes in the carpet too big to accommodate the new registers we purchased. While the carpet installers installed the carpet in the living room, dining room, hallway and three bedrooms, Bonnie, Rebecca and I retreated to the office. The daily routine was our chore, plus working on the next issue of The Voice of Truth International magazine. Later that night, toes appreciating the new carpet, relaxing in the living room, the three of us enjoyed a movie together. Bonnie and I also worked on Voice of Truth. The essential furniture items have been put back in place, but plenty of miscellaneous items cry for attention to be placed where they belong. We also installed a modem/wireless router at the house and got it working nominally. This will make us more productive so that we can work on various projects that require Internet communication at home as well as at the office—as well as on the road. (One of our favorite songs is On the Road Again!) March 14, 2010 Early Sunday morning, we left for Dyersburg, TN, where during the day we would be at two congregations. In the morning, it was our good pleasure to return to one of our supporting congregations, a small, predominately black church. I made my Because of the Center Cross PowerPoint presentation during Bible class, and during worship, I preached my lesson, "What Is the Mission of the Church?" We were well received, and enjoyed a great, home cooked meal afterward with one of the preachers and his good wife. Bonnie and I derive so much encouragement especially from this family. In the afternoon, we visited with a missionary couple in their home before worshipping with a large, predominately white congregation in Dyersburg. My sermon that night was my PowerPoint presentation, Beverage Alcohol. Most, but not all, were appreciative of the prohibitions in the Bible brought to light (and we would expect that in our society that has been immersed in popular and permissive contemporary trends). We were well received and look forward to returning at some time in the future to be of whatever service we may be. It was necessary for us to drive straight through back to Winona, MS after evening worship. Rebecca preceded us in heading for our home in Winona, and Bonnie gave her a grocery shopping list to fill on the way. In addition to the fact that Rebecca was on spring break from teaching school at our house, we proceeded to Winona because carpet installers were to come early Monday. Brother Robert Brown was to arrive earlier than the carpet installers to help me move furniture and otherwise make some preparations toward that end. We arrived home about 15 minutes before midnight! March 12-13, 2010 Friday morning, Bonnie and I pulled up the carpet in the living room and dining room. No hardwood floors there, but instead we found plywood in the living room and vinyl tile in the dining room (some of which was missing or broken). Later that day, we dragged the carpet to the road. Most of Friday we spent in the office catching up on office work (accounting, book orders, correspondence, repacking the car with books for the weekend appointment, etc.). Back at the house Friday evening and Saturday we moved furniture, cleaned the car and cut a board for Rebecca's house. In the afternoon, we proceeded to our regular bed-and-breakfast (Rebecca's home), whereupon I installed a board above her front door to discourage birds from nesting there. Our payment for room and board on this occasion was to help Rebecca disassemble a 30 gallon fish tank; now, she has a 30 gallon and a 10 gallon fish tank for which she would like to find new homes. (She had been waiting for the last fish to die on its own—a nine-year-old tetra!) More importantly, Bonnie and I met with Rebecca and Randy Gaddy to discuss our June trip to Myanmar (Burma). We will be there for two weeks, essentially providing a VBS for elementary through senior teens. Burmese brethren see this as an important first step in preparing this upcoming generation for appointment years later to the responsibilities of deacons and elders in the Lord's church. Since our laptop computers travel with us, and they are the computers we use in the office, too, our office travels with us—stateside and abroad. Hence, we worked on the next issue of The Voice of Truth International magazine later that night. March 11, 2010 Morning found us in the bed Rebecca bought for us; she may have had to do that in self-defense since our travels north, west (around the Mississippi River) and northeast often involve an overnight stay going or coming at her home. Sure hope we don't wear out our welcome. It took us six hours to travel the two hours between Collierville, TN and Winona, MS. We stopped first at Xpedx in Memphis to pick up cases of paper and envelopes for the office. Next, we stopped at Cracker Barrel in Southaven, MS. (Bonnie said last night that my blog entries make it sound sometimes like all we do is eat!) Next, it was off to Home Depot for some items for the house update. (Oops! We got the wrong size of floor vents, and we must return them when passing through again—which will be Saturday.) We stopped at Target to return something we had gotten for the house and didn't use. We got gasoline at Sam's Club. In Grenada, MS, we stopped at Wal-Mart to return a couple of items gotten for the house update that we did not use, and of course to pick up a few things as well. We stopped at Shoney's for two Diet Cokes and two hot fudge cakes. Finally, we arrived back in Winona, unloaded the car at both the house and at the office; we spent the afternoon at the office attending to various routine matters. After five now, we are about to head back to the house. We will take time tonight to begin moving items ahead of carpet layers coming on Monday. We will be out of town (out of state) this weekend, whereupon I will be speaking in two congregations. Not able to rent or buy a home, we are more than willing to help renovate or maintain the parsonage in which we are living, including to invest some money that we otherwise would be paying for rent or mortgage payments. March 7-10, 2010 Bonnie and I enjoyed the lectures Sunday through Wednesday. Lectures began each morning at 8:30 a.m. and continued throughout the day until around 9:00 p.m. nightly. We set up tables along with other vendors; we had one table of display about World Evangelism and one table of books for sale (though we gave several away to students and the school library). We gave away copies of The Voice of Truth International magazine, Beverage Alcohol and the newest edition of Global Harvest magazine; this issue of Global Harvest had just arrived in Winona on Friday. We also left two cases of Beverage Alcohol with one of the elders of the Karns Church of Christ (site of the East Tennessee School of Preaching and Missions) for free distribution to families of the congregation there; we sent a case of Beverage Alcohol and a case of the latest issue of The Voice of Truth International magazine to Glasgow, KY via brother Steve Higginbotham.
I suffered from a painful backache off and on for several days; I may have strained my back loading and unloading tractor trailers or working on the house for weeks or by driving for eight hours plus per day or perhaps a combination of these. Consequently, I took Bonnie up on her invitation to share the driving with me Wednesday afternoon as we headed toward home.
March 6, 2010 About 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, we left for Karns, TN where we would spend several days in the home of Evelyn and Jody Apple. The Apples have been good friends for many years, and we appreciate greatly their kind hospitality. Not only were we their guests, but nine others also stayed with them, and another couple were expected but did not come by. That's HOSPITALITY with all capital letters.
March 4-5, 2010 Thursday and Friday were consumed with the J.C. Choate School of Missions, which convened as it usually does in Winona, MS. Attendees were from Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama on this occasion. The seasoned missionary instructor this time was Don Green from East Frazier, TN. Thursday evening we ate catfish together at a small cafe in Carmack, MS. Between that meal and the meals we fix for those in attendance, we were well fed to say the least. Despite the heavy demand on our time with the school session ongoing, I was able to get several things accomplished at the office/warehouse. I double folded Jerry and Paula Bates' newsletter, and Bonnie and others present tabbed and labeled it for mailing. I made introductory packets for our upcoming stateside trips. In addition, I packaged and shipped off the black drum for our digital duplicator (along with a check for $402) to have it repaired; without it, we are hampered in the production of tracts, newsletters and internal forms and stationery. If it cannot be repaired for that amount, we either will have to buy a refurnished drum for about $600 (we can't afford a new one for about $1,550). I also placed an order for 2.5 billion dollars to be delivered to World Evangelism. Let me explain. Half of that amount of imitation money (one million dollar bills) has the plan of salvation on the back of them, and the other half of the fake funds introduce the missionary work that Bonnie and I do. Also before the school of missions concluded Friday morning, a tractor trailer arrived and had to be unloaded—5,000 copies of Global Harvest, all the way from China. Friday afternoon, a preacher from the Tipton Street Church of Christ in Kosciusko, MS stopped by, and we gave him four cases of my book, Beverage Alcohol, and printed with personalization 200 of my tracts (The One True Church of the Bible). These items will be used in an upcoming youth rally by the two congregations in that city. It had grown dark by the time Bonnie and I loaded the car for our trip to the East Tennessee School of Preaching and Missions Lectureship in Karns, TN. Off to the house we finally went to make further preparation for leaving in the morning. March 2-3, 2010 Tuesday, Bonnie directed her attention to Betty's newsletter, and I worked on printing the newsletter for Jerry and Paula Bates. Other office work behind the scenes for the production of The Voice of Truth International magazine, etc. command some of our attention regularly. Wednesday, I worked with limited success on the sewer drain at the house, snaking it from the outside; I told Betty Choate I was going home early from the office to play in the sewer, and she seemed to be amused. Another day, possible with a shovel in my hands and rubber boots on my feet we will meet with greater success respecting this reoccurring problem. March 1, 2010 Monday morning found us awakening in the Super 8 Motel of Dickson, TN; the room was recently remodeled, clean and reasonably priced. However, we were disappointed in the so-called SuperStart breakfast; there wasn't anything super about it! I got my hopes up the evening before when we checked in and Bonnie was told in response to her request that there would be waffles for breakfast. In reality, there was one small, cold, premade waffle—no waffle machine as some motels have in their breakfast nooks. Passing up the corn flakes and milk, I opted for the honey bun and a few sips of some orange juice. The strong cigarette smoke filtering down from ceiling vents in the hallway was a disappointment considering we lodged in one of the non-smoking rooms in the hallway of non-smoking rooms. With our mobile offices with us, we were able to attend to some computer work both before we checked out of the motel and Bonnie worked for hours as we traveled on the last chapter of a ladies' class book that she is writing. We also handled some incoming phone calls en route to Winona (traveling 70 MPH across the interstates); one call pertained to scheduling a speaking appointment in May for a congregation middle Georgia. Getting off I-55 at Grenada, MS, we had an early supper and bought a few groceries before continuing the last 21 miles to Winona, MS. After unpacking our suitcase, etc. and after doing just a little repair work on the house, we settled in the living room—watching a little television and working on our computers (proofing and formatting articles for Volume 64 of The Voice of Truth International magazine). Goodnight and may God bless you richly! |
About 10:00 a.m. we pulled up in the Hadley, PA driveway of my father, Cliff. Mom passed away years ago, and Dad and his doggie companion, Babe, greeted us. It was a pleasant visit except for the dense cigarette smoke in his small trailer home.
Bonnie and I traveled to the small town of Cambridge Springs, PA where her mother resides in a nursing home. We took a cut flower arrangement to Mary, spent time with her at the home (including an Easter Egg Hunt in which 6th Graders from a nearby school participated) and took her to Meadville, PA for supper. There, we met and dined with Bonnie's brother, Jim, and his daughter, Robin, and her two small children. Mary's health is failing; Bonnie's father, Roy, passed away several years ago.
Monday, Bonnie and Martha were off for some shopping, not in Hanoverton, as the village boasts a small branch bank, a little Post Office, hardware store, a mini grocery and a couple of restaurants. Abandoned, Bob and I consoled one another and bonded over lunch in a 50's diner in Minerva, OH. We also made a couple of home visitations after lunch and before heading back to the metropolis of Hanoverton. The girls beat us back to the house, and Bonnie bought a new dress for worship—as she pointed out, not having had a new dress in a year or more.
Saturday evening, our Gospel shuttle landed in the driveway of our dear brethren and friends, the Rodney and Julene Nulph family. He preaches for the Sandyville Church of Christ and is the Associate Editor of Gospel Gazette Online; Julene also writes for GGO. Their children, Joshua, Brielle and Steven, are precious to us and some of the smartest little ones I know. Julene fixed us sumptuous meals Saturday night and Sunday morning. In Bible class, I showed the PowerPoint, Because of the Center Cross, about our mission trip last fall. For worship, I preached, "What Is the Mission of the Church?"
After a fellowship meal with the Sandyville brethren, we pointed the silver shuttle toward Carrollton, OH where I spoke for the North Suburban Church of Christ. These brethren are longtime supporters and encouragers of Bonnie and me. That night, we lodged with our dear friends and brethren, Martha and Robert Noland in Hanoverton, OH.
One of the PowerPoint lessons I routinely present at various congregations when requested by elders (
Recently, we had some million dollar bills printed, some with the plan of salvation on the back and others with information about our mission work on the back. We haven't advertised the million dollar bills yet with the plan of salvation, but we have already sold hundreds of them (a nifty, eye-catching tract) to the few brethren with whom we have come in contact since their arrival via UPS. It is real easy to give these away, and people actually thank me for giving them this funny money with a very serious message on the back.
Bonnie and Rebecca worked in the warehouse these days, restocking shelves and updating location signs. Besides the daily routine, I played in the sewer again, finally liberating the obstruction—mud that had descended through the skylights in the sewer line (sewer lines aren't supposed to have skylights!) I got some pretty pictures of an ugly mess. Total, five holes were discovered in what I exposed with the shovel when snaking the lines was unsuccessful. (Planting the shovel at the determined site of the clog undammed a flood of liquid, chief of which was full of acid applied weeks ago to no avail—and it melted the souls of my work boots!)
The fifth hole was discovered upon investigation of a developing sink hole. Another sink hole revealed a cavity leading to an abandoned septic tank.
I learned that one type of pipe called Orangeburg (researched on the Internet) was discontinued not long after its introduction into the market because of weakness and bubbling layers in the pipe. Our sewer lines are a patchwork of Orangeburg, black plastic, white plastic and iron pipes meshed together frankensteinishly. Well, it works now, howbeit, with skylights until I can remedy the aging sewer lines. Oh, what fun!
Bonnie, Rebecca and I unloaded two pallets of books from a freightliner. My wife and daughter would not let me unload them from the bed of the tractor trailer because I have hurt my back from previous loading and unloading trucks and working on the house. They chided me as well for stacking the boxes in the warehouse after carting them inside with the hand truck. The title we unloaded was, Biblical Companions: Geography, Archaeology & Sacred History. This is one of my books, originally published in 2000, but now revised and reprinted with a nice, full-color cover. I used it when I taught a course by the same name at West Virginia School of Preaching, where I taught for 10 years.
Besides lectures, displays, eating and good fellowship, I was able to assemble enough opportune moments to finish and upload to the Internet the belated March issue of Gospel Gazette Online. The last feature to be added was the audio lesson produced by Tim Childs; his voice is perfect for this feature, and his lessons are great (of course, from the Word of God). No, I didn't say he has a face for radio, but, yes, he has the voice for radio (as well as other venues such as the pulpit and classroom where he utilizes his voice and Scripture).
We had traveled to the lectureship through Alabama and Georgia, but had decided to return via Memphis and the Becky Our Daughter Bed and Breakfast. However, we stopped for supper in Jackson, TN at The Old Country Store and Restaurant in the Casey Jones Village. We always enjoy this country style (similar in decor to Cracker Barrel, another favorite haunt for us). We had the buffet; a couple of items had toughened up, but otherwise (except for the soupy instant potatoes, which I very much dislike) the meal has few rivals. I heartily recommend this stop anytime its open. For railroad buffs, there are engines and rolling stock for close up examination, a small train museum, a train gift shop and the Casey Jones home. An array of little shops are worth the stop and visit as well. Easy off and on from Interstate 40, ample shopping, gas and lodging make this exit a good one for about anyone. Yet, the stop, at least for me, is not complete without visiting The Old Country Store and Restaurant. I'm sure that you will like it, too. 
On the way, we stopped for lunch in Tuscaloosa, AL at a Chik-fil-A. This was the first time we ever experienced dissatisfaction with meal at one of these restaurants; the chicken was undercooked, and we did not eat all of our sandwiches. The best of restaurants have their off days, and many other favorite restaurants fall down on the job from time to time (and still other franchises are so unreliable that we do not frequent them anymore). The most interesting feature of our stop was the Chik-fil-A rocking cow!