Throwback Thursday 12/12/24

 Hey Friends,

Thanks for stopping by for a visit for this Thursday. It is a pleasure to have you drop by.

Mom found an old photo album the other day. The pictures brought back a lot of good memories. I scanned a couple of the photos to share with you. I may choose some others in the future.

These pictures are from our first trip to Mexico with Bro. Larry Landress in the early 1990s. Bro. and Sis. Landress were still in language school. If my memory is correct, Bro. Larry also preached his first full message in Spanish the day these pictures were taken. It was an honor to experience that moment in history with our friends!

Dad also preached with an interpreter for the first time here. Bro. Craig Benner interpreted that message. Dad often said he could not get his message out that day. He also said Bro. Benner must have preached a great message in Spanish. The people listening to the message were touched greatly by God!

Below is a snapshot of our family on this Mexico trip. I remember this photo being taken. It is crazy to me how random memories are engraved in my mind.

I am so thankful for all the moments I was blessed to experience with our family. We can look back on many of them in the blog archives.

See you next time.

Odie

Pray For Bro. and Sis. Landress

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in from Ohio. I hope you are having a good Tuesday. 

My parents are doing well. I am thrilled they are getting some needed Rest and Relaxation! This means you are stuck with my updates more than usual. 

Dad does have several posts scheduled. There will be a Word For Wednesday tomorrow from him. He may decide to pop in from time to time. Yesterday's post from Dad was great. He shared an interesting video. Did you know a ladder can walk? Check it out here.

Today I come to you with a heavy but thankful heart. Our dear friends, Bro. Larry and Sis. Rosemary Landress needs prayer! Many of you are probably already joining us in praying for them.

Bro. and Sis. Landress are missionaries to Mexico. Providing good Spanish Bibles for their ministry and other missionaries is a big part of their ministry, Holiness In Mexico.

Friday Morning, they were driving in Texas to pick up Bibles. When their vehicle and box trailer was struck by a delivery truck. All reports let us know that it was a horrible accident! It is a miracle they survived! I thank God for preserving their lives!

Bro. Larry and Sis Rosemary both experienced horrible injuries. They have had extensive surgeries to repair their injuries. The road to recovery ahead of them is long!

Here are a few things I am praying for right now. God, please give them both a full, speedy and smooth recovery. Also, I pray for guidance and wisdom for the doctors involved. I pray for all the Landress family that are there on the front lines with them right now.

When we received news of this accident on Friday. It was a fresh reminder of how quickly life can change. I praise God for being there with each of us at all times!

We can not understand when or why bad things happen to those we love. I am resting in the truth that Dad echoes here a lot "God Is In Control! 

Thanks for visiting with me today.

Odie

Mexico Mission Trip and Beyond

Keep Praying for Bro. Marty Millikin

We are still planning to travel to Mexico with Bro. and Sis. Landress on December 12th. Bro. Larry has planned a three night Tent Revival in the state of Chiapas in the southwest part of Mexico. We will be singing and preaching each night and we are really looking forward to it. 

Bro. Larry and I both ordered our tents from Miami Missionary Tent Company in Miami, Oklahoma. Even though we will be in a part of Mexico that we have never been before it should be pretty comfortable working under the blue and white Gospel tent!

He and his mission organization, Holiness In Mexico, have been having good success with tent revivals for several years in Mexico. They generally have very good crowds with several folks saved in each meeting. Although I always feel very limited because of the language barrier in Mexico, I know the Lord will send His Word into the right hearts. 

This will be our third foreign mission focus for 2013 in addition to our home mission project of tent revivals in the USA. We have taken on much more than we can handle when it comes to missions projects this year. 

The first project of the year was trying to provide as much funding as we could for the completion of the new branch church in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria with Bro. Shobanke and Christ Ambassadors Holiness Church.

The second project was the near spur of the moment trip to Nigeria to dedicate that new church earlier this month. 

The third project in order of completion but the first one actually planned is this upcoming tent revival with Bro. Landress to Mexico. 

By the time the airfare and other traveling expenses are paid and offerings are given, the total for these three projects will probably be very near or beyond $20,000. That is in addition to the expenses of tent revival that have been that much and more each of the last few years. 

There is no way we could do all or any of that on our own. God miraculously and faithfully provides the resources for these mission projects through revival offerings plus special offerings from churches and individuals. 

Dryden Rd. Church, Amazing Grace Tabernacle, Dodds Pentecostal, Corwin Pentecostal, House of Deliverance, Bethany Revival Center and other churches and individuals helped with the new Abeokuta church project. 

Richton First Assembly, Zoar Holiness, Ellisville First Assembly, Bethany Revival Center, Beams of Light and few individuals helped with this last trip to Nigeria. 

Bethany Revival Center and some other friends have already given toward the upcoming Mexico trip. 

In reality every church that has us for revival helps on these missions projects since we try to save as much as possible out of our own income. But it is obvious that we could not do it on our income alone. As I said earlier we have taken on much more in missions projects than we can handle this year but each step seemed to be ordered by the Lord. 

Every time we try to follow God's direction we sense God's protection. Every time we following God's guiding we experience God's providing.

At times it looks like God is asking us to do impossible things. I am not talking about difficult things but impossible things for us to complete. This is where faith gets exciting. If God is asking us to do impossible things then we must learn to trust Him to work out all of the impossible details. Think about it. If we can see a clear path into every future endeavor then faith is not worth one thin dime.

I know this is true. He has proven it to me personally and to my family time and time again. Yet when I am looking at bus payments, repair bills, repairs not yet completed, the price of diesel and then I feel God nudging me with a new vision or leading me into a new venture it is easy to become paralyzed with fear. 

When we have no extra money at all and I know it will require $5,000-15,000 for a mission project or ministry expense it is sometimes difficult to squeak out "Yes, Lord." I have folks say to me often, "How do you do that?" or " I could never afford to do that." I completely understand. I get it. But faith often requires risk. I can not afford it either. Not by a long shot.

Faith does not mean you are leaping into the dark. No, but faith does require leaping. It is still scary. It is still hard. It is still breath taking. But it is not a leap in the dark. Faith requires leaping into the hands of God! It is a wild ride sometimes but it is totally worth it. The hand of God is the safest place I know.

On December 12th we will be leaping again. We already have some big leaps on the radar for 2014 and God has been quickening my heart and enticing me with tidbits of big leaps in 2015 and beyond. I think it is bound to be exciting. Come join us on our journey of faith.

Thanks for reading.

Davy