This morning I put flyers out in Loanhead for about 2 hours. I enjoyed catching up with several friends in Loanhead. One elderly Christian couple, Robert and Ruth, have been precious friends since we arrived here. Robert has terminal cancer and ended up in hospital a month ago. Please pray that God will allow him to come home. The Covid rules here still do not allow for hospital visits. I prayed with Ruth and she is demonstrating sweet confidence in the Lord.

Thank you for praying for our building need. The primary burden may be different from what you think. Many would naturally think that we are burdened primarily to own a building. However, though we desire that, it is not our primary burden. Our primary burden is that we are not currently able to meet in our original church location. (We are 3 miles away from Loanhead.) Secondly, we are not able to meet together for all of our services because the rental facility does not have our hours available. I would say that thirdly would be our desire to own a buildling and have 24/7 access. We appreciate your continued prayers.

God gave us a good weekend. Katie and I did door to door on Saturday. We had one interesting conversation with a young father. He grew up evangelical and through higher criticism became a staunch unbeliever. Please pray for God's grace to awaken His heart. It reminds me of what Hebrews says about casting off the crucifixion of Jesus - there is no second option. If you reject the remedy you perish. Please pray for his salvation.

While we were knocking on doors, we walked up near a small primary school building that closed this past year. Workmen were there emptying the building and we enquired if it was going to go for sale. As it turned out, it is going to be a school for special needs children. We're glad that they are going to use it for those kids. We asked because it is one of the building we thought may come available in our area.

This past week I also enquired about a Catholic school property in Loanhead. The response was basically, there is no chance that we are going to sell this as we just refurbished it. :)

We are aware of church properties in our area that are going to be for sale in the near future. Our concern is their location. Please pray for great wisdom. When you plow fields in an area for a decade, you don't want to give up establishing your farm there. We are looking to God for His provision.

Thanks for praying for our services. I preached on, "What You Hold in Your Hand" (The very word of God) from 1 Peter 1.We had a LOT of illness/jobs/isolation requirements/covid/chicken pox impacting those who could come yesterday. Please pray for God's grace to get us all back together. Next Sunday is our 11th anniversary as a church and we are planning a church picnic. 

God has given some good opportunities to speak with people this week. Tommy and I put out flyers in Loanhead yesterday. We met a 27 year old young man who said that his brother has just started going to church. He seemed open to visiting our church. We witnessed briefly to one other man whom I know in the community. He's hard against God, but I'm praying that God will work in his heart.

Today, Don and I put out flyers near their church location in front of a Mall entrance. God gave me an opportunity to sit on a bench with a 62 year old woman who attended her brother's funeral yesterday. Please pray that God will awaken Janice's heart. Satan doesn't want her to get saved. A friend called her while we were chatting and invited her over for a drink. I was showing her Bible verses and the Gospel presentation was ended by that call.

I also had a good opportunity with a 21 year old man and a girl in her late teens. The young man said that he would look at the Journey. At the beginning of our conversation I asked him what he was trusting in to go to Heaven. I really think he had never thought about it before. Again, please pray for God to awaken these hearts.

Thank you for praying for divine appointments.

Our attendance on Zoom today was very good. Tonight, due to covid in children's (SCHOOL) classrooms, we have two kids in isolation with their families. Please pray for God to get us past these days of illness or isolation hurting our ability to get together. 

I enjoyed preaching to our Fathers and to everyone else on the bond slave. My message was, "Say It Plainly" - I love you, I serve you, I belong to you, I Identify with you.

We had a great time around the Word of God. Thank you for praying for God's blessings on our day. 

I don't know that I've mentioned very often my Zoom ministry with New Hope Residential in Ireland. It's a men's home and our church supports the man who runs it. (Layton Kelly) I've been doing this every Monday for the past few month as I share with them our Bible study going through the book of Proverbs. Please pray for God's grace and strength for these men to overcome and be used of the Lord.

God's given us a refreshing week. I was able to do flyers in Loanhead on Tuesday (with Tommy) and Wednesday (with Don Dillman). We probably put out around 600 flyers this week. I had a good divine appointment with an asian lady who I hope will bring her daughter out to church. It will be interesting if she comes as I believe our meeting was of the Lord.

Katie also had a great visit with a young woman who accepted Christ this past year. We hope to do discipleship with her if she is willing. Please pray for God's direction for her.

Door to door this morning was tough. It was interesting how hard everyone was. We spoke briefly to over half a dozen people who said in effect, "Here's your hat, what's your hurry." But, God refreshed us as we bumped into a sweet Christian girl who was refreshed by meeting us as well. We were done doing door to door and were looking at a church building in our area. She was near it and we struck up a conversation. Please pray for Hannah as she seeks God's will for her life. She just finished high school.

We don't know of any leading yet on our building pursuit. We were looking at the church building (outside) this morning because we heard that the Church of Scotland is going to be selling some properties in our county. We have no idea if this one will be put up for sale or not, but it is one that seems likely.

God's good. We know that He has a plan. He gave us some Scripture last night to remind us again of His authority. Please continue to pray for God's very clear leading.

God blessed us with a great day of ministry today. It was a refreshing time together in the Word of God and a great spirit. Our attendance was much better, but one family was unable to attend. 

I preached on John 21 and 3 things you need from Jesus. (Jesus blessing, Jesus fellowship and Jesus commission.) 

After church we Facetimed with Kay Lee and Benson. This was our first time to speak with Benson in two weeks. They have been super busy at camp and have been loving it. Benson has a birthday this week (20th) and he told us that some churches had sent him Birthday cards at camp! Thanks for thinking of that! It's a blessing to know you are keeping up with our family.

We've been blessed as well with many emails of people who are praying for the building need. That is also much appreciated. Thank you for your much needed part in our ministry. 

(We have two opportunities this week to disciple/ Bible study, your prayers are appreciated for those ministries as well.)

Thank you so much for praying in faith with us about the bank property. The bank finally got back to us today (after 3 weeks of waiting) to let us know that they have accepted someone else's offer. We thank the Lord for His grace guiding us. We know that He will direct us to our permanent home in His perfect timing. My wife quoted Paul, "Perplexed, but not in dispair." We are looking up.

Please pray with us that God will give us wisdom. We are currently only able to meet in person on Sunday PM's. We also recently found out that it is unlikely we will be able to go back to our former location in Loanhead. So, our current meeting location appears to be our only option and they have limited availability.

We don't just want a building, we really need a facility. We have missed opportunities several times this past month to have visitors as we weren't meeting in person. Please pray for God to soon meet this need and to do so abundantly.

"Through God we shall do valiently, for He it is that shall tread down our enemies."

God blessed our day of prayer yesterday. I twas a blessing to be with 3 other men on our knees seeking God's face. Thank you for praying for God's blessing upon that time.

On Monday night God gave us some encouragement on the Journey Channel on Youtube. A woman who received a flyer posted the following as a comment after quoting the sinners prayer from the flyer, "Thank you for your flyer today. I appreciated reading the message you have written, God bless you." I messaged her back, but have not yet had a response.

Today I was over to the Dillmans to do flyers with Don in their area. We put out a few hundred flyers, but didn't have any conversations this morning. It was some of the best weather we have had for doing this work and it was enjoyable to be out.

We continue to wait to hear back regarding the bank property. Our solicitor was going to contact the seller's agent today, but we've not received any communication regarding that chaser email. Please continue to pray with us for God's will to be done regarding this property.

God gave us a good Lord's day although several were absent. Our down attendance was due to illness in a couple families and two teenagers being away. On the other, two of our college students from Ireland were back with us. It was great to see Daniel and Emily. They had to leave at the end of last year when Scotland went into lockdown.

I enjoyed preaching a message on "REJOICE!" from Psalm 33. It's a great text to refocus our life when we forget how much we ought to be praising the Lord. 

We continue to wait on the Lord regarding the bank buildling. We've had no word yet on our offer although we were told that our's was not the highest. 

In other news, normally I teach a Zoom session with a men's home in Ireland (New Hope Residential Centre.) It's a holiday there and so I didn't have that on my schedule this morning. It was a fine morning and so I went into Edinburgh and did some evangelism. It was a bit slow this morning for one on one conversations. 

I finally had a divine appointment after being down there for about an hour. Andrew is a strong atheist (middle aged.) I told him at the end of our conversation, "I could have left this conversation, but you are worth saving." I told him that I'm going to pray for the Spirit of God to convict Him of sin (blaspheming and taking God's name in vain.) He knows that he isn't bothered by taking God's name in vain. If God in His mercy would so convict Him, it ought to "prove" to His sin blinded heart that there is a God. 

The second opportunity was with Josh, a traveler (gypsy) from Ireland. He said that his uncle is born again. Josh has messed up his life and knows he needs something. Please pray for God to open his eyes to His truth. He lives down in the Scottish Borders about 40 miles away, but was up in Edinburgh for work. (Thank you for praying for God's blessing on our evangelism.)

One other prayer request, I have scheduled a minister's day of prayer tomorrow.  Three men have had to back out last minute. Please pray for God's blessing upon our prayer time. I think there will be three of us driving a few hours to meet up in Central Scotland for prayer. 

Katie and I enjoyed getting out doing door to door today. It's a beautiful day and a great day to visit with people at their doors. God gave us several good divine appointments. One older woman indicated she is open to visiting and said she enjoys visiiting churches. We hope she comes. Another middle aged man may come. He gave us an elbow bump before we left and appreciated our conversation. Please pray that God will meet these soul's needs. 

God continues to encourage us with unusual open doors to speak for Christ. Please pray for it to continue and that it will bear fruit. Thank you for praying.