2014 has been a fun ride as usual and this post hits some of the highlights of the year. I added some links along the way through this post like I do in a lot of our blog posts. If you see a bold highlighted word or phrase like THIS, you can click on it and the link should open in a new tab! I hope you enjoy seeing our 2014 in the rear view mirror.
We started 2014 in Claremore, Oklahoma. We were supposed to be in Central City, Kentucky that week in revival with Pastor Alan Harris and the saints at Trinity. Instead we were in Claremore with our dear friends the Millikins mourning the passing of Bro. Marty from earth to glory. His funeral was on December 31st and we stayed a few days to visit with Bro. Jimmy and Sis. Shauna and elder Bro. and Sis. Millikin.
It almost unbelievable that a year has slipped through our fingers since those painful days. Marty made it, no doubt about it, but his leaving left a huge empty place in the hearts of bunches of friends but especially his immediate family. One year has done little to change any of that. We still miss you, Marty.
We started 2014 preaching that Wednesday night for Pastor Darrell Meadow at Claremore and then we spent the next seven weeks in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas trying to have revival in spite of the blistering cold, snow and ice. I am not sure if we had one complete week of revival without a night off for bad weather or not. We had some great services but the weather was miserable.
In fact it was enough to drive me away. We spent the first several weeks of the year preaching revivals in that area for 12 years in a row. Other years had tested me. Other years had tempted me. But the winter of 2014 tortured me. Yes, I am a wimp but at least I am an honest wimp. I gave up on Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma in January and February, at least for now!
By the third week in February we were headed south to Mississippi. Even though the south had a severe winter too, we were glad to be going the right direction for warmth. We spent the next several weeks in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia thawing out and enjoying the blessings of God.
By the first part of April we were in Tennessee for PFYC and revivals in Kentucky before heading back west to Texas, Oklahoma and beyond. The first day of revival in Salem Kentucky with Pastor Philip Sanders and Faith Church Odie woke up completely blind in her left eye.
We immediately sent out calls for prayer and took Odie to a eye specialist in Paducah. He could find nothing wrong with the eye itself. On his recommendation we canceled the next few weeks and begin to navigate the arduous process of doctors hospitals and the Extremely Un-affordable Care Act!
After nine days God began to restore the vision in Odie's left eye. You can read some of the praise reports Here and Here and at the end of this post Here. The devil did not die and he has been back around since then and will continue to attack the saints but praise God for the miracle God gave us concerning Odie's sight! To God be all the glory!
After a few weeks preaching close to home while all that was going on we left for a big loop to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Indiana. We had four great revivals before heading back home for some revivals and follow up doctor appointments in Ohio. We had a refreshing revival at our home church, a great tent revival in Goshen, Ohio as well as other revivals in our home area.
Then we started a loop that included several churches in eastern, Kentucky, time with family and friends at Carter Caves State Park, and revivals in Illinois, western Kentucky and Tennessee.
We dropped the bus at home and took the Green Machine on an epic trip to all of the north eastern states. Our main objective was tent revival in Vermont but along the way we saw New York City, the 9/11 Museum, Boston, Maine, Niagara Falls and enjoyed many other sights and special friends too. It was a quick trip with memories that will last a life time.
We returned home for Homecoming at Dodds and the annual Indoor Fellowship Meeting at our home church on Dryden Rd. Then loaded up in the BoggsMobile, hooked up to the tent trailer and left for our longest tour of the year. The first four stops were great tent revivals in Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi.
We left the tent trailer in Mississippi and pointed the bus toward the west. The next several weeks we had revival in Arizona and California. We had a wonderful time seeing California, seeing friends and having revival. It was a great trip.
One of the highlights of the California trip was taking part in the church dedication at Amazing Grace Holiness Church in Atwater, California. It was awesome to see pastor Jared Burris and the saints rejoice in their new location. It was one of the greatest moments of the year for our family. Praise God for His faithfulness.
We finished the long California tour with a revival in Texas, a weekend in Oklahoma and a City Reach vision and planning service in Wichita, Kansas. Speaking of City Reach, we announced in May our burden to hold tent revivals in larger cities during 2016. We had been dreaming and planning for two years and now we are in hyper planning mode. God is placing the burden on churches and individuals to help with the logistics and expenses and we are very thankful for that.
We arrived at the Ranch on December 11th and pulled into the barn for the first time. It was good to be home but it was too good to last. After a revival, open heart surgery for Kelly Jo's Dad and a great big Christmas it was time to hit the road again. We are now in revival in Kilgore, Texas and we are ready to crank up 2015!
That pretty much covers 2014. Well, that pretty much covers it except for visits with friends. things learned, things remembered, and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of bus fun. Wow! We have had such a fun year, maybe we ought to start a blog.
Thank you for joining us for the ride in 2014. We rolled the BoggsMobile 15,421 miles and we took you all with us every mile of the way. Meet me right here tomorrow and we will start on 2015 together.
May God bless you with a great New Year!
Davy
