The Wonder of it All

A Life Saving Transfusion

 Romanian Mission Trip -  Leigh Baldwin - 2011

God made it possible our mission team to return to Romania in August.  Following is a "smattering" of all that He accomplished in those phenomenal 2 weeks:

I concluded in the few days before we left that God was going to do some really great things on this mission trip because Satan was working overtime during the last 48 hours before we flew out!  Thirty-six hours before we left, a couple had to drop out because of a medical emergency.  They were able to find 1 man to take their place at the last minute, and he proved to be a most vital part of our group.  PRAISE GOD!!  THEN, on the day of departure while standing in line to check bags [2 hours in advance to make sure we weren't terrorists!], our mission leader discovered that he had left his passport in another suitcase at his house because he had changed into a larger one at the last minute!!  If he didn't get on the plane w/us, he would be delayed by TWO days because no flights were available the following day.  GOD BE PRAISED!!  His next door neighbor [a school teacher] was at home, and she volunteered to drive it [at 90 miles an hour!!] to the airport, but would she get there in time?!?  She arrived w/45 minutes to spare, and because he notified the airline that his passport was being driven in the minute he discovered that it was missing, as we were starting to board the plane, we saw his jacket scurrying towards our gate to get on board with us.  PRAISE GOD!! 

GOD BE PRAISED!!  The 1st thing we were supposed to do was to lay the foundation on the vacant lot for the new church we were going to build.  We are literally "church builders".  Because when you deal with concrete and it must set [per Phil!], our 1st concern was the foundation.  However, because enough $$ had come in AND because so many in this very poor village were unemployed [90% of the people were unemployed, the Romanian church was able to hire a supervising contractor who actually laid the concrete before we arrived!!  Since many of its members are also unemployed, they had time on their hands and were willing to work for free for the glory of God!  Thus, we arrived to an already poured AND dried foundation!!  PRAISE GOD!!  We immediately began raising the walls by laying the large bricks. 

Last year, I learned about the "Bread Project" [Romania is the poorest country in Europe.  As a result, many Romanians live only on bread and water during the winter because they have no $$ to buy food], and how God has used it by distributing bread through the 7 churches we are working with through the "Bread Project", I began to fully understand the lack of vitamins and minerals that many Romanians face during the winter.  The oldest and youngest among them often die; last year, everyday, a woman came to the jobsite and begged team members to take her 2 month old baby to the USA because she was convinced it would not live through the winter, for example.  This Bread Project has quite literally saved lives in Romania, and through it--many have also been saved by Jesus, who--as you know--is the Bread of Life.  When the 2 Pastors who lead the entire 7 churches came to our church last March, I asked them if they would be open to a new "Canning for Christ" ministry to compliment the Bread Project which God had laid on my heart.  They were, indeed, open to it, so we launched this new ministry this year to compliment the Bread Project.  I am happy to report that we canned a total of 146 jars, so 146 families will get a large loaf of bread this winter along w/a liter of canned vegetables which will provide them w/some much needed vitamins and minerals.  May this effort add EVEN MORE to God's kingdom!  Please join me in asking for this very thing! 

All the books I read about Romania before I went last year said to prepare oneself to go back in time 50 years when visiting the country.  Since my team works in the poorest villages, it is more like 90 years.  When you are in a village where 90% of the adults are unemployed, they have no money for anything but food.  As a result, there is no $$ for songbooks in the churches.  I am happy to report that this does NOT hinder in ANY way their making a joyful noise to the Lord!!  Each mission has purchased 2 songbooks --1 to keep at the church at all times for the music leader to use on Sundays, and the other to be passed around to each family in the church so that they can hand copy the words to the songs, along w/the song number, which will be sung next Sunday.  Thus, when we worshipped together in Danes that afternoon, each family opened its handwritten version of the songbook, and when the music leader said, "Please turn to page 96", we all sang the same words together from their family songbooks!  Are we in America not spoiled? 

As God did last year with the wood paneled ceiling [fully installed along w/light fixtures in 1.5 days!!], my strong sense in the Holy Spirit was that God sent down angels to work alongside us during the last day and a half.  Because the foundation was already laid, it gave us more time to work on the roof arches.  This turned out to be critical, because as I mentioned to you last year, most village homes have NO electricity or running water.  [Each village church has its own outhouse!  I am NOT kidding!!]  Thus, we had no hydraulic lifts or heavy equipment to hoist the roof arches up on the roof.  This project was even more complicated because it was decided that the 1st floor height would be 14 ft. instead of our traditional 12, which made it even higher for the arches to be hoisted.  The arches are made w/2 two by 4s, and stabilized w/1 long 2 by 4 and one short.  The wood is very heavy because it must last for years.  Our tallest man asked me how much each wood piece weighed, and I told him I had no idea.  He said each piece weighed more than my weight and his put together, i.e. more than 300 lbs!  Thus, each arch--when completed on the ground--weighed approx. 1,000 lbs.!!   

When ordered, we were told that the metal roof parts would not be delivered to the jobsite until Tues., the day after we were going to fly back to the USA.  However, as we started lifting the arches to the top of the walls, word came into the camp that the metal roof would be del'd on Friday!!  I am convinced that God sent angels down to assist us in installing the 14 arches.  I truly do NOT believe that it was humanly possible for them to be installed AND set in place, AND the metal roof to be installed without direct intervention from God.  Please understand the gravity of what I am telling you.  Nine days prior, there was an empty lot.  No one in the village believed that we would lay the foundation, put up 4 walls, install the arches and put plastic over the arches before we left 10 days later.  However, as the days progressed, the villagers all took notice and we hope that this will cause them to come to the church to find out more about our God, WHO IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK!!  Ephesians 3:20a  Amen?  With God's help, we finished installing the roof on Sat. afternoon!

ONE MAJOR PRAYER REQUEST:  Remember the supervising contractor I told you about that the church hired who had concrete experience, so he could lay the foundation before we arrived?  He is not a Christian.  He was one of the villagers that said we'd never be able to finish all that we had planned.  As you know, with God's help--we did MORE than what we planned!  Because the church was so thrilled to have 4 walls up w/a complete roof on the land, its leaders insisted we dedicate the church the Sunday before we flew back to the USA.  I noticed that the supervising contractor AND his wife and 2 kids attended the dedication.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will use ALL of the words we said that day, all of the songs that we sang, and all of the prayers that we prayed to bring this man, his family, and other villagers to Christ!   

Lastly, know this.  "Unless the LORD builds the house, those that labor to build it.....labor in vain."  PSALM 127.:1a  My mission team believes strongly that this village church was built for God's glory, and His glory alone.  Pray that it be used powerfully in the village of Saes for Jesus!               AGAPE--Lee B.

The Wonder of it All

A Life Saving Transfusion

Vernon Showers - My fall increased my faith

"Falling off a rooftop has increased my faith"

On January 14, 2007 while working on a Habitat for Humanity house, Vernon Showers tripped and fell off a roof breaking his back.
On Sunday August 13, Vernon shared what he had learned in the past 7 months

"The fall crushed a vertebrae - T12 in my back and the Doctors still don't like what it looks like but anyway..."

"and I have been trying to make the best our of a bad thing and in doing so I have strengthened my faith.... Sometimes it is hard to understand pain and suffering."

For the next 10 weeks Dale McPherson took care of Vernon.  During this time Vernon did a lot of thinking.  " I had three questions:
                      1. Why me?
                      2. Where is God?
                      3.  How am I going to get through?"

"I couldn't drive or do much, but I noticed a book that I had bought in April of 2005 but I hadn't hadn't time to read it.  This is the book -- It is called Unspeakable."

The Wonder of it All

A Life Saving Transfusion

Though they did not meet at the time,
the paths of these two men crossed
some 47 years ago.

Their story bears
testimony to the wonder of God

Gary Hearon was born in Rock Hill South Carolina.   He became a Christian at age 9.  By the time he was 15 years old
he began to doubt his salvation.  He felt that "There was no way God could have a plan for my life".  But Gary had a
praying Mother.  She prayed for Gary's Dad for 47 years before he was saved.  One day when Gary was feeling down
She asked him to read 1 Kings 8:56 aloud.  After reading it she said "If God has kept his promise to everyone who ever
lived before you, then he will be faithful to you".

At the age of 16 Gary first announced that he had been called to the Ministry,  Gary's pastor, Brother Cason announced that
the following Sunday night Gary would preach his first sermon.  The text for his sermon was Matthew 27:42.  He worked
hard on that sermon.  He wrote it by hand, practiced it aloud, rewrote it and practiced some more.  He finally felt that he
had a good 25 minutes of message.  He was so nervous that he delivered it in 9 minutes.  Afterward his sister told him
"that was so good - but it was so short".  Gary says "no one has told me that since"

Even though Gary had scholarships to other universities, he felt that he should go to Baylor.  He had to borrow money
to do so.  In 1959 he began a three day train trip to Waco.

Gary drove from Rock Hill to Charlotte  to catch the train at midnight.  While in Charlotte he went to hear an evangelist named J. Harold Smith.  The text for the sermon was Ecclesiastes 10:1.  The sermon was titled "Dead flies in the ointment"  That night he heard a song titled "The Wonder of It All" sung by a young man with a booming voice. 

Though Gary had not heard the song before, it had quite an impact on his life.

In his junior year at Baylor Gary met Paula.  They have been married for 42 years.

Curtis French taught in the Barnabas department for several years before he and wife Kathy were called as Pastor to the Friendship Baptist Church in Pecan Gap.

Gary is a member of the Barnabas class and attends when he is not out preaching.

After Sunday School one Sunday in 2002, Gary, Paula, Curtis and Kathy went to Lunch

A short time later Gary and Curtis related this to the Barnabas Department.  A tape recording of Curtis singing "The Wonder
of IT All"  was made.  Gary sent a copy of the tape to George Beverly Shea.  When hearing the tape, Shea's wife thought she was hearing her husband sing.

Letter to Gary from George Beverly Shea thanking him for the story and the tape

George Beverly Shea and Gary at the
Billy Graham Crusade in Dallas 2002
Shea is signing the sheet music that Curtis used

The sheet music that Curtis used signed
by Shea

Dr. Ron McCullum is a family physician in Garland.  In April,1999 he suffered from a life threatening illness and is alive today because of experimental treatment, a group of doctors who went forward with the treatment against the recommendation of the insurance company, an adult stem cell donor who was found against all odds, a supportive wife and perhaps most importantly by the Grace of God.  Today he is restored to full health and is taking no medication although he does now have an allergy from his blood donor whose blood now runs through his veins. His story is truly miraculous. 

James 5:14 - "Is anyone among you sick?  Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord."

On June 21, 2001 a formal search was started for a transplant donor - Number of possible DNA human genome sequences 10 to the 2,400,000,000 power.  Write out that number with 1" wide zeros - the paper would be 37,000 miles long

Most likely donor was the 1st sample returned.  The match was extraordinary - "doesn't get any better than this" and they did not look any farther

Kristine is a first responder at Engine Co. 16, Seattle F.D.   Dual scholar athlete. Regular blood donor.  She almost walked away from joining the donor program.

Through Kristine's selfless gift, acting as the instrument of God's mercy, the transplant team at Sammons Cancer Center and Andrunette, my wife who daily supported, cared for and loved me, I have the opportunity to live again - in a somewhat different / new body - which is truly a miracle