Update - May, 2006

I just returned from a one week trip May 4-11 to Tennessee and Kentucky. I arrived there on Thursday, May 4 already scheduled to speak the following Saturday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night at different churches. I also knew I'd be speaking each weekday at Jellico Community Hospital. The odd thing was, I had a glaring and obviously large hole in my schedule for Sunday morning with no where scheduled to speak. I prayed the Lord would show me what He had in mind.

I had arrived in Jellico, Tennessee on Thursday, May 4. The next day, Friday, I spent meeting up with some of our friends who had come down to Guatemala back in November to do a medical clinic and construction work. One great friend I saw, Dr. L.B. Moses, lives and practices dentistry in Williamsburg, Kentucky (about 15 miles north of Jellico). During our visit in Williamsburg he passed along a donation he had received for our ministry from a small country church called Good Hope Baptist Church located back in Jellico. I had never before visited or heard of the Jellico church, but the pastor had learned of our work in Guatemala and took up an offering to help us. The pastor had a special interest in Guatemala because he and his wife had recently adopted a baby from there.

I decided that later in the afternoon when I returned to my home base in Jellico, that I'd try to locate the church and personally thank them for the support. Upon returning, I found the church was not listed in the Jellico phone book so I decided to stop in at a couple of nearby convenience stores to see what some of the locals could tell me. A man at one store informed me that the church, Good Hope Baptist Church had actually changed their name to Oswego Missionary Baptist Church. He explained the church was located just at the opposite edge of town, but there probably would not be anyone there until Sunday morning. I drove out to the relatively isolated church and pulled into the small, gravel parking lot. I pulled in past a pickup truck containing a man and a woman that was just pulling out. They stopped just before entering the road and backed up to see if they could be of some assistance. I introduced myself to the driver, John, and his mother Francis. John was
an assistant pastor at Oswego and had just pulled into the parking lot for a moment. I explained I was looking for Good Hope Baptist Church, but was told they had changed their name to Oswego. "Nope, Good Hope is right up that hill, hidden behind those trees," he said pointing across the street and up a winding road. We visited a little bit as I explained why I was in town and shared some of how God had miraculously called us to begin a work in Guatemala. I gave each of them a copy of my book. The following evening, Saturday, I was reading Scripture preparing for my
daily presentations at Jellico Hospital. It was about 8:30 PM when I suddenly had a strange urge to drive up to Williamsburg, Kentucky (15 miles away) to drive through and see the town that I'd be speaking in the next night. It was very unusual in that it was already dark. What could I possibly see? After twenty minutes on the highway I pulled into Williamsburg and began to drive around. I took peculiar notice of road
signs pointing the way to "The University of the Cumberlands" located near downtown Williamsburg. I suddenly became really interested in seeing the campus. After driving a few more minutes I found the university where every building seemed to have a steeple on it. What denomination was behind this school? I was compelled to find out. I drove around campus in search of a brochure, but everything was closed.
I gave up and headed back to the highway where I noticed "The Cumberland Inn." They should have a brochure, I thought, Since they share the same name. I went inside the majestic, two-story lobby and made my way around an exquisite cascading staircase. As I came around to the front of the staircase I was stunned to see my new friend, assistant pastor John from Oswego. Our eyes met and we were both taken aback. "What are you doing up here?" I asked. "I'm helping chaperone the Jellico High School prom." John continued, "What are you doing here?" "I'm trying to find a brochure about Cumberland University." John shook his head and said, "This is weird." He then invited me to visit their church the next morning. "Sunday school starts at 10:00."

I attended their church the next morning where I was invited by the pastor and John to share the miraculous Guatemala story with their congregation. It was a divine appointment, but it would not be until later that I knew how much God had orchestrated the initial meeting between John and I in the church parking lot.

John actually lives about 35 miles from Jellico and had gone there to pick up his mother who lives near Oswego Church. He was at a stop sign close to the church when the Holy Spirit told him to pull into the parking lot. He obeyed even as his mother was questioning, "Why are we at the church?" "I don't know mom, but the Holy Spirit told me to pull in." After a few moments of wondering and looking around the small lot, John began to drive out and there I was pulling in. God had made a divine appointment for me with John and Oswego Missionary Baptist Church. Please pray for me as I travel to Guatemala May 18-25 with Albert Solis, a youth pastor from Bethel Temple Christian Center in Abilene, Texas. How the church and I came together is another amazing God story. We're looking forward to seeing what God has planned.

In Christ,

Steve