02/19/07 UPDATE

GOD IS GOOD!!! I make that statement totally seperate from anything related to church starting. rather, it was 40+ degrees and sunny yesterday!!! WOOHOO! I never thought 40 would feel so warm. I went for a long run just to enjoy the sun. I have heard many people say this has been the worst Jan and Feb in a long time. It hasn't really been that bad, but it sure is nice to have it warmer.

On other news, you know the housing market is in the tank right? Well, my mother-in-law has a new idea. She's been in the process of retiring, selling her house and moving out here with us. She decided to sell her house by doing nothing. No sign in the yard. No ad in the paper. Certainly no realtors involved. She got a call on Feb 7th from her neighbor about a lady interested in buying. Her neighbor mentioned Juanita's place. The lady (who's 81) looked at it, liked it and brought her son to look at it on the 9th. They closed last Friday (16th). Go figure. The week before she had started to pray for God to send the right person who could buy it and would enjoy it the same way she had. It looks like she'll be here around the end of April. Now we have to get that basement finished:)

I also finished my prospectus last week and emailed it to several people. If you have any interest, email me and I'll send you a copy (can't figure out how to post it here). Please pray that God will use it to show people the need for churches in Omaha and lead them to either help us or someone else in the work. I met with a pastor from Lincoln, NE that is starting a new church and has a vision for starting one church in each of Nebraska's 93 counties. Many of them are very rural and have NOTHING - not like they have a Lutheran or Methodist, but not a Baptist. i mean NOTHING. I have a vision for planting several churches in the Omaha area, so there is a huge need and several opportunities. Please pray for a movement of new churches in Nebraska.

Saturday, I thought I would take a day off and take the family to a fish and game expo. OK, I know it sounds like something I would want to do, not the family, but I think J enjoyed it more than I did. She and the boys watched guys tie flies, talked dog food, watched a seminar on dog training, and sampled several things they'd never tried (elk, duck, pheasant, etc.). The really cool part for me was that there were several people I have needed to talk with that I haven't been able to catch. I think I saw just about every one of them there and had several productive discussions.

One specific request I have is that you would pray for openings for the gospel. We have several people we've gotten to know and are trying to follow up on those. There are a lot of open doors. Much of evangelism in my book involves these repeated contacts, sharing, praying, until God opens their hearts. I am probably most productive with this approach, but we really need a quicker harvest. it has been difficult to meet people lately (they all bunker down with the cold), but I really need wisdom on how to meet them, opportunities to share Christ, and some to respond. Salvation is God's work, not the result of our efforts alone, but concerted prayer to open the hearts of unbelievers moves God to work. You have not because you ask not.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:
Supporters for a church planting movement in Nebraska.
Open doors to share the Gospel - and fruit from it.
God to call those who are to be involved in the Launch Team.

Thanks for the prayers - they move heaven and earth!