Travel Day and Revival In Wichita

Saturday was a travel day but we did not have far to go so we were not in a hurry to get rolling. We visited a while with Bro. and Sis. Searcy and then Bro. Mitch and Sis. Lynn Boggs came by for a few minutes before they went home to Missouri. They had come down for church Friday night with four of their boys and we sure enjoyed their fellowship. 

It was after noon by the time we got every ready to go, the car hooked up and we started north toward Wichita. We only made three stops. We stopped once for a break at a rest area on the Kansas turnpike and twice at Kansas toll booths. 

In less than 170 miles we were pulling into Bethany Revival Center in our old home town of Wichita. The "new" church desperately needed new approaches from the road when Pastor DiZazzo bought it but they had much more pressing needs at the time. Last year we had to come in through the alley. We came in pretty easy but we barely got out. I do mean barely.

This year we were able to come in via one of their brand new approaches. We did not even have to disconnect the car before going in. That was nice. Thank you, Bro. John and all the folks at Bethany.



We were parked in a few minutes and had everything hooked up, the bugs washed off the front of the BoggsMobile and the road grime washed off the Green Machine.



After setting things in order inside, Kelly Jo ran down a couple of blocks and bought some tacos from a taco truck. They were absolutely fantastic! I perceive we may eat a few more of these tacos this week. This is our kind of food.

We cranked up revival with two services Sunday and it was a joy to do so. We met these folks when we were pastoring in Wichita from 1999 - Jan. 2003 and Pastor DiZazzo invited us to preach our first revival during the summer of 2003. They have been kind to invite us back every year and they have become very dear friends. We have shared a lot of joy and tears through the years and we always experience great blessings during revival.

Bro. and Sis. DiZazzo

We had a first time visitor Sunday morning and he prayed during the altar service. That is a good start to revival and we are expecting many folks to pray for salvation this week and for the saints to be encouraged. We took a few pictures but I am sure we will have many more toward the end of the week. I plan to post several pictures from revival in Oklahoma City tomorrow.

If I have a chance to type it up I hope to have a special post concerning some future plans on Wednesday. I have some special announcements to make that we are pretty excited about. I have been talking to friends, Pastors and advisers about these plans and I think it is time to lay it all out for you here. I believe God wants to reach many souls in these last days with the message of the Gospel and I certainly want to be right in the middle of that if God will allow it.

Thanks for praying for us and thanks for reading.

Davy

Odie and Mt. Vernon

Hey friends, it is Odie writing today.  We had a great week in Oklahoma City. We finished up revival in the open air last night. It has been fun. I am sure that Dad will have several more pictures of revival at Mt. Vernon to post next week. 

Friday's Post

It is always good to be with the folks at Mt. Vernon. As Dad was saying in a post the other day we have had some great times here with our friends. As I was reading that post I had a flashback of some of my own special times here with these great people. 

Oklahoma City marks the place of the beginning and the end of my elementary and hight school education. We were in revival at Mt. Vernon the first two weeks of my school career in September 1991 and I went to school here during those two weeks. This place and these kids were my introduction to school.

Fast forward 12 years later to Saturday May 3, 2003. On that day I received my diploma from Eagle Heights Christian Academy at Mt. Vernon Holiness Church back where it all began. 

Here are a couple of pictures of that day. I sure was skinny then! LOL  We will not even discuss the size of my clothes I wore on my graduation day. 

On the day of my high school graduation I was joined by three kindergarten graduates.  Two of those kindergartners will graduate from high school next Saturday. Now that makes me feel old!

All of the kids behind me in this picture are now grown.  The boy right behind me is Michael Joe Searcy. He was married two weeks ago.   Did I say I feel old?

As Dad told you Thursday I got to see my very good friend Rebecca Blankenship this week. Rebecca and I have been friends for a very very long time! I am so thankful to have her as a part of my life. I am proud of the work of God Rebecca, her husband Jeffrey, and their two girls Madeline and Andrea are doing on the mission field. 

While I was searching for the graduation pictures I came across this picture of me and Rebecca.  September 24th marks 10 years that Rebecca and Jeffrey have been married.

2004

This Week

2004

This Week

Here is an interesting side-note. The first time I met Jeffrey was 11 years ago at my graduation.  I guess after 11 years I will allow him to be my friend. No, really he is is a great guy!!  Jeffery celebrates the big 30 in a few days. Happy Birthday, Jeffery!

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Odie

Tent Down But Still Having Church

Yesterday's Post

A Little Sentimental Musing

It was a pretty bad storm that rolled through Oklahoma City Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The rain was hard and the wind was strong. But it really did not seem strong enough to do this.

As you can see nearly every vertical pole was bent or completely broken. Some of the horizontal poles seemed bent some too.

This is a frame tent and it is not designed to take the amount of wind that a pole tent can take. However it should have taken a whole lot more wind than it did if it had been set up properly. Some of the poles did not even have a stake driven next to it and the ones that did were driven right next to the pole. That is way too close to do much good at all. The tent rental company set it up and told Bro. Rickey to drive the stakes in some if it seemed to loosen up. He did that the day of the storm.

Bus Projects

I was shocked that it was still standing at midnight after the first squall passed through. Sometime during the night the poorly set up tent bit the dust. My heart sank when I saw it Thursday morning. I thought about parking the Green Machine under the tent to protect it from hail but I really did not have much confidence in the tent standing if the storm was bad. Still, I was surprised the tent came down.

Even though there was a chance of storms Thursday evening the sky looked clear as could be so Bro. Rickey decided to have an open air service and that is what we did. We had one of the best crowds and had a very good service. I really felt God reaching out for folks and we had good response at the altar service.

So even though the tent is down God used it all for His glory. We have one more night and if the weather cooperates we will have service in the open air again. Pray for the service tonight. We had several down the street listening in and I would love to pull some of them to Christ before we close this meeting.

Thanks for reading.

Davy