Godfrey and Bessie Isaacs - Holiness Heroes

Note From Davy: I added a two pictures to yesterday's post.

Odie's Saturday Post

Hello, Friends this is Odie reporting in on Saturday. Later this morning I will climb into the BoggsMobile and we will start making our way south. Our time at home has come to a close this time around. I sure do appreciate my grandparents for taking such good care of me while we have been close to home. It has been wonderful. I must admit that it is good to be rolling again. 

I want to say thank you to all of you who left comments or let me know my post last Saturday encouraged you. I love hearing feedback from blog readers!

I have written posts in the past about different Holiness Heroes that have impacted my life for the good. I am very thankful to have been exposed to so many good people in my life. 

Today I am writing about two very special people that left a Godly legacy for me even though I was born too late to know either of them personally very well. I never got to know Godfrey and Bessie Isaacs but their lives have influenced me greatly.

 

The were my Great Grandparents, the parents of my grandma Martha Boggs. Sadly Grandpa Godfrey passed away the summer before I was born. I wish I could have known Grandpa! I love to hear my family tell stories about him.

Grandma Bessie was Holy Ghost filled saint. I did get to meet her and I have two vague memories of Grandma. Here she is holding me when I was a small baby.

She passed away when I was two years old. She was a very precious woman. I wish I could have known her better. 

They lived in the mountains of Kentucky and raised their family. Life was not easy for them. They raised their own food and worked hard for everything they had but they held on to God and served him faithfully to the end. The log cabin where they lived is still standing in Jackson County Kentucky. 

 

Seventeen children was born into the family. Fourteen children lived to be grown and have children of their own. Those fourteen children produced 98 grandchildren and my generation of great grandchildren is still growing. 

We were left with a wonderful heritage. I wish I could have heard them pray. Some of my favorite stories Dad tells are of prayer meetings at Grandma and Grandpa"s. I am proud to be a member of their family. I am looking forward to the day I get to see them in Heaven. 

I enjoy looking at pictures and seeing videos clips of my Great Grandparents testifying and singing. I remember listening to Grandma Bessie sing on a cassette when I was a little girl. 

While researching for this post I found a blog post about Godfrey and Bessie Isaacs from 2009 written by Sonya Isaacs. I think you will enjoy reading it.

Have a fantastic weekend. 

Odie 

GoodNews In Abeokuta, Nigeria

Update with two pictures 9/24/2016 12:01 AM

I only have a moment to write just now so I today's post will be brief. Bro. Shobanke called this week with super great news. The new classrooms for the GoodNews Christian School in Abeokuta are nearing completion. The school had 160 students at the end of the school year and they were expecting more growth. They were completely out of room.

Bro. Shobanke told me in May of their need to build more classrooms and we immediately jumped on board. The school is very near and dear to our hearts and God is using it to touch many young lives And their parents. We, along with others, sent money to get started and the project has snow balled since then. Bro. Shobanke was praising God for the progress and we are as well.

They are lacking some funds to finish. I am not sure of the exact amount but we would like to help supply it. When we go to Nigeria we are taking funds for other commitments we have made to the school and in other areas and we always take extra to put in the right places as the Lord opens doors. In addition to that, we would love to take whatever is needed to finish the school when we go in November.

We also plan to take at least one suitcase and possibly two, loaded with school supplies that can not be purchased easily there. If you would like to help with these projects, please let us know. Whatever you designate for the classrooms or school supplies will be used 100% in those areas. 

I hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by and reading.

Davy

Revival In Pictures - Dodds Pentecostal Church

We closed revival Wednesday night after five great services with Pastor Kelly Rogers and the Dodds church. We appreciate the fine hospitality and the kindness of the folks and we especially appreciate God moving in the services. It has been a wonderful week!

Odie snapped several pictures the last three nights and I think she had some help from my sister Theresa as well. I hope you enjoy the Revival In Pictures.

Thank you for stopping in.

Davy

City Reach Richton

Last night the service at Dodds was tremendous. We were blessed with friends and fellowship but much more importantly we were blessed with the presence of God in the house. I can hardly wait to see what happens tonight!

City Reach Richton

Hopefully we will be on the road in a few days on our way south to Richton, Mississippi for City Reach. Richton is not a major metropolitan area or even a large city but it is the place that the vision for City Reach was birthed in my heart. Pastor Scott Morris and his church erected a tent and had a tent revival in the city park in 2010. In 2011 we were doing our first complete summer of tent revivals and Bro. Scott invited us to be a part of theirs.

We showed up that fall with great hopes for revival. Those hopes were generated partly because we were working with folks that wanted revival and partly because we had experienced an absolutely wonderful summer of tent revivals in several states. Our faith was high that God was going to move.

And He Did Move!

Before the meeting was over Bro. Scott was figuring out dates for the next year and we were locking it in to our schedule. I had already decided to purchase a more durable and larger tent and by the time we rolled in there in 2012 the Blue and White Gospel Tent had already been the site of revival in a bunch of places. We had another great move of God that year and we have been back every year since.

It was evident from the first meeting that God was doing something special for the people of Richton And in our hearts. The meeting is sponsored completely by First Assembly in Richton and they do 99% of the work that needs to be completed, but other churches starting coming and taking part. The community began to look forward to the tent revival in the park. We even had people that were not a part of any church telling us they anticipated the tent revival every year.

God was working in a way that was bigger than one church and bigger than one evangelist. It seemed that God was taking all of our efforts and adding something we could not produce on our own. It was amazing to watch God bring it all together. 

I began to see the possibility that  God might duplicate that in larger cities. I shared that vision with Bro. Scott and he and his church jumped on board that instant. As I shared that vision in revivals across the nation I received the same encouragement.

We prayed. We preached. We prepared. We saved resources. And over the last 12 months we have reaped the harvest in City Reach. God birthed it in my heart. We made ourselves available. Bro. Jimmie Racliffe has added his all. Churches have pushed the effort. individuals have prayed and given. You have worked hard. People all over the nation have helped bring this to pass.

And God has given the increase!

Numerous folks that had never been inside the local churches have been saved. People have been encouraged and healed. We have testimonies of lives being completely changed. Churches and other ministries have been inspired to be the hands of Christ and are reaching for the lost and hurting in meaningful ways long after we are gone.

It almost seems like a dream. A good dream for a change! It some sense it seems as if I have watched it unfold and I was only along for the ride. What a ride it has been!

We are down to two more City Reach campaigns this year. As I mentioned, Richton is next. The church and Pastor that helped birth my vision and in many ways made the fulfillment of the vision possible will begin on October 3rd. I am anticipating the best City Reach yet!

I am believing God to saturate Richton, Mississippi with His power and presence in unprecedented ways. I believe God is going to bring the blessing they have sent around the USA back home to them. I believe that God is going to save. I believe that God is going to heal. I believe that God is going to deliver. And I believe God is going to do it in a big way!

Join with us in prayer. Join with us in person if you can. There is no telling what God will do! I and trusting God to change the spiritual climate in Richton, Mississippi!

Thank you for reading.

Davy

Another Good Monday

We tried to have low key day on Monday. Kelly Jo and I worked several hours late Sunday night on some of our book work and we are close to being caught up for now. I did some more Monday morning while she rested and kicked around on a few things in the barn but resisted starting on any major tasks. 

I was doing my best to spend my time trying to be prepared for service at Dodds Monday night but we did take a few minutes to stop by for a late lunch at Acapulco. We had to run to the bank and post office anyway and Acapulco was right on the way, don't you know.

I believe that place gets better and better! The salsa was awesome! I "may" have to go back again today.

I do not have a picture because it was dark when he arrived, but Bro. Jimmy Radcliffe is back with us. He spent Sunday night and part of Monday with his parents in Illinois and arrived here safe and sound about 9:30 PM or so. It was so good to see him and it is wonderful to have him back.

We had another good service last night at Dodds and we had a special treat too. All of my siblings and both of our parents were in the revival service. Theoretically that should not be too hard since Steve and Theresa and Dad and Mom attend Dodds all of the time and we are there in revival. But in practical terms it is a little harder. Tommy works a lot of hours on crazy shifts plus he drives along way to work. For him to be able to be there was a special treat.

For those that do not know my family, this is from left to right,

Front: Steve and Tommy

Middle: Mom and Theresa

Back: Davy and Dad

It was great for us to all be together in revival. Maybe it will happen again soon.

Please pray that God will help us in the remaining services. We are asking God to help in great ways in lives.

Thank you for reading.

Davy