Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Dryden Rd. Indoor Fellowship Meeting 2016 - Tuesday

During campmeeting most of our posts are pictures since that is usually about all we have time to put together. Odie will probably give you a summary of the preaching on Saturday.

There was only one service at Dryden Rd. Indoor Fellowship Meeting on Tuesday but it was a very good one. Bro. Randy Webb preached outstanding and God touched several hearts in the altar service.

Here are a few pictures from Tuesday night.

Davy



























Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Travel Days - New York to Dayton

We are back in Ohio and parked at our home church, Dryden Rd. Pentecostal Church in Dayton, Ohio. It is very good to be back and we are anxious for campmeeting to begin tonight!

Our exit from New York City went according to plan and I could not be more pleased. We rested Sunday afternoon while we waited for traffic to clear. Taking main city streets to I-295, across the Throgs Neck Bridge to I-95 and across the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey is only about 20 miles. That is not far at all. But at times Sunday evening Google maps had that route figured at nearly two hours with traffic.

No thank you! I was not in a hurry so I could afford to wait, sleep and leave at my leisure. It always takes me much longer than Goggle Maps says it will when I am in the bus so the two hours estimate was unacceptable.

A little before the 11:00 PM the estimate for the 20 mile ride to the George Washington Bridge was about 30 minutes so we kicked into gear. We cranked the bus and were ready to ride in short order. 

You may remember that when we came in to the church Tuesday morning we had a difficult time getting around this black car and into the parking lot.


I worried all week that when the time came to leave, we would be hemmed in and unable to exit. My Dad suggested we park the Green Machine there when the spot was open. DUH! That is why I call him Dad!

Sunday night we pulled up to the exit, Kelly Jo moved the Green Machine out of the problem spot and I pulled the BoggsMobile onto the street. Easy-Peasy! At the second stop sign I hooked up the Green Machine and away we went at about 11:15 PM.

We had 5.5 miles of city streets this time before hitting the interstate and that took us 25 minutes. For our future reference with went Central, Linden, Elmont, Hempstead, Jamaica and 212th St. Soon we were paying the $43 toll to cross the Throgs Neck Bridge again and then zooming across.


We darted through the Bronx on I-95 and 50 minutes after we left the church we were crossing the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey. As you can see in the picture below, the east bound traffic was crawling. They were backed up for miles!


After threading our way through New Jersey the roads were wide open and we drove about 211 miles to a rest area near Loganton, Pennsylvania. We snagged one of the last spots at the rest area and we were in bed by 4:00.

Monday's drive of 449 miles across Pennsylvania and through Ohio to Dryden Road was smooth and uneventful just like we like it. We stopped for diesel right after entering Ohio and that was pretty much our only stop of any consequence.

That is until we arrived at Golden Corral in north Dayton. I called Bro. Chris Whiffen to see if they were coming to campmeeting and he was already in Ohio and preparing to go eat. They drove north and met us for a great meal and fellowship at Golden Corral. These have been some of our closest and dearest friends for many, many years and it is always very good to spend time with them.


Kailey and Kristen finished the trip to the church in the bus with us. I tried to get them to drive but they both declined.



We pulled into the church just before dark, greeted our Pastor and some of the church folks and came inside. It was a long day and we are glad to me "home."

The meeting starts tonight. Come be with us.

Davy

Monday, August 22, 2016

#34 Weekend Woundup and Weview

It has been a great week and a super great weekend in New York. This is our second trip here since February and all of it came about as a result of City Reach. We met several Pastors last visit and many, many more this visit. It is a pleasure to meet such fine folks and to be privileged to minister to them and among them.

I appreciate Pastor Sunny Philip for inviting our family to Gateway World Christian Center. He took a chance on us and we are very thankful for that. God met with us in each service and I believe we will hear testimonies of future blessings as a result of His presence.

Pastor Sunny Philip and Davy



Kelly Jo and Sis. Mercy Philip



Our last service was Sunday morning but by the time the dinner was completed and we had visited with old and new friends, it was very late in the afternoon. We checked the traffic between here and New Jersey and decided to stay put a few hours and hope it clears out some. Since we can not drive on the Parkways we are relegated to several miles of city streets before we hit the interstate. Both the surface streets and the interstates have been clogged all evening.

I am writing this and putting some of this together Sunday night about 9:00 and we are still waiting. I did have a very good two hour nap in the mean time! That is what I am talking about!

Most of your week in New York was spent with friends and in church. Here is a picture from Brooklyn Tabernacle and you will see many pictures from friends later in the post.



We visited the 911 Memorial and Museum in August of 2014 but as I was walking away that day I knew I would be drawn back there again and perhaps again. There is too much emotion in that place to absorb it all in one day or one visit. I will never be able to explain the way that place makes me feel but I imagine it is the same feeling for many thousands of people.

We purchased our tickets online in advance as we did the last time and that seems to be the best way to do it. The advanced tickets are timed so you bypass the big line and walk right to security. This week we walked through all of the Museum again but concentrated on parts of it that impacted us the most last time and exhibits that we were not able to spend much time in our first visit.

We only snapped a few pictures this week but you can look at our full post from 2014 HERE.





We walked all the way around the footprint foundation of the North Tower. I do not have a handle on all of my emotions yet but viewing and reading about the foundations of these buildings moves me to tears.











Odie had to have a Philly Cheese Steak even though we were in New York. (For the record, she said the ones in Philly were better.)



Thursday evening right before dark I gave the BoggsMobile a much needed bath.





Thursday I had lunch at an Indian Buffet with Pastor Sunny Philip and Friday I took Kelly Jo there. It was excellent. This restaurant also catered the special meal after the anniversary service Sunday.



The Gateway Christian Center has been in this building for 8 years this weekend. This meeting is celebrating that 8 year anniversary. It has taken a series of miracle to bring them to this place and it so interesting to hear the stories of God's direction and provision.



This was a Jewish house of worship before Pastor Sunny Philip and Gateway purchased it 8 years ago. You can see they have room for more pews.





They have a beautiful fellowship hall.



The Anniversary Meeting began Friday night and we had four services. Friday night, a Baptismal Service Saturday Afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday morning. Each service was outstanding.













Davy and Bro. Winston. Winston  plays guitar at the church and drives a bus in Queens. My hat is off to anyone that drives a bus for a living in New York City!


Bro. Paul Hardyal and his wife and Pastor Ivan Hardyal and his family took us to eat after church Friday night.






Pastor Victor Ramlall and his wife with Davy






The candidates for baptism were seated in the front row Saturday afternoon.



I did not get a picture of each of them but Pastor Sunny Philip had each one of them testify.























This is some of the folks that were baptized along with Pastor Philip, Pastor Ramlall and their wives.





















Pastor Timothy Ofoha from Nigeria and Davy.






Odie and Pastor Gee. We met and preached for Pastor Gee in February.






This is Vinoj and Nitha and their son Nathan. They are recent immigrants from India and Pastor Sunny is her Uncle. They live in North Carolina and came up for a visit and especially this meeting. We should get to see them under the tent in Fayetteville, North Carolina in October.










































Pastor Gege Paul and his family along with our family.


This little mother is from Nigeria. She is originally from Abeokuta which is our adopted hometown in Nigeria. It was so sweet to meet her.



Pastor Ivan Hardyal and his family came to be with us in service Friday night, Saturday night and then came for a visit Sunday afternoon following their Sunday service. We love this family. Bro. Ivan was the very first Pastor in New York City to invite us to sing and preach and I will always honor him for that.

We enjoyed their fellowship and the wonderful meal they provided Friday night after church.





That pretty much wraps up our week and weekend in New York. This whole trip, Boston, Maine, Vermont and Connecticut will be cherished in our memories for a very, very long time. Thank God for opening this wonderful door of ministry to our family.

Thank you for reading.

Davy