Chick-fil-a!

Yesterday was a great day to eat chicken! Kelly Jo and Odie went through the drive thru at Chick-fil-a to grab us all a bite to eat and support the right of free speach in America. The place was absolutely packed!

Way to go Chick-fil-a!

Church For Sale in Wichita, Kansas

Yep, the church I am preaching at this week, Bethany Revival Center, is up for sale. No, my preaching has not been Sooooo bad that they closed the church! Not yet anyway but I do have two more nights...

No, they are growing and expanding and relocating. Pastor John DiZazzo and his church have a great burden to reach those that are down and out and bring them to Christ.

They regularly minister to those that have drug and alcohol dependencies, those that are incarcerated and many other hurting folks.

A few years ago they began to search for a building where they could expand their "Hope For The Hurting" ministry into a residential program. What God sent their way was even better.

They found a church building about six blocks from their current location. It is big enough for their residential program and their church and some room to spare. It is also right on a major east/west artery in the city.

The new church

It is amazing how God has worked incredible miracles in the acquisition and remolding of that building. God has certainly been faithful and has guided them every step of the way.

They are so very close to moving their church to the new location. They Have some more work to do in other parts of the building but the church is basically ready. It is an exciting time for our friends.

As part of that process they need to sell their current location. It is a beautifully remodeled brick building with a nice concrete parking lot. All they need is one buyer!

Last September I put up a post that included a letter from Pastor DiZazzo and I am reposting some of that below. Since that time God has provided miraculously for this little congregation. They have spent every dime of it on this building. I am talking over $300,000!

They have done all of this on faith and now they have virtually no money but NO debt. Praise God for His blessing.

Please pray for our friends as they reach out to others with the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Davy


(Part of a post from September, 2011)

I asked Pastor John DiZazzo to write the following letter to introduce their ministry to you. If you would read and post this letter I would appreciate it. If you would carefully pray for them I would appreciate that too. It may be that the prayers and support of our friends across the country may be a great blessing to our friends in Wichita, Kansas and to many, many broken lives.
God bless,
Davy



From Pastor John DiZazzo:
I would like to share with you the vision that God has placed in our hearts and how He has been miraculously working to bring this vision to fruition. It is my desire that God would use this letter to raise up prayer warriors and intercessors, all across the country, who will join us in prayer for this ministry.
First, I would like to give some background. Growing up as a preacher’s kid in the inner city, my wife, Judy, saw firsthand the effect that poverty, abuse and broken families had on individuals’ lives. Finding no way out, many turned to drugs and alcohol. Crime and prostitution became a way of life as people sought for the means to support their habits. Anger and hatred boiled over into the streets, leaving hurt and broken lives in its aftermath.
As a child, Judy would often accompany members of her father's church into the housing projects and alleyways of inner-city Boston, where they would share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lives of drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes were miraculously transformed by the power of God. When Judy was very young, God placed in her heart a love and compassion for those who hurt and struggle with life-controlling problems.
I was saved at Judy’s parents' church in 1980. In May 1984, my wife and I were married, and in November 1985, God sent us to pioneer a work in Wichita, Kansas. Together Judy and I share a tremendous burden for those who are bruised, broken and hurting. And God has placed a burden and vision deep in our hearts for a Christ-centered, residential discipleship program that would bring hope to hurting people. It will be called “Hope for the Hurting.”
Many of our church members are actively involved in street and jail ministry. We are thankful that God has blessed us with people who share this vision and are committed to praying it through to fruition. We are compelled to action by an overwhelming desire to be God’s hand extended to those in need.
The vision has gradually unfolded over the years as we have earnestly sought God’s direction. The turning point came in June 2010, when Brother Davy Boggs preached a message entitled, “It Is Time to Paint the Nursery.” The message was about God’s promise to give Abraham and Sarah a child. After many years, the time came for Abraham and Sarah to "paint the nursery" (i.e. get prepared, because God was ready to fulfill the promise). Brother Boggs exhorted that there is a time when we need to step out in faith and prepare to receive what God has promised. That message really spoke to our church and into my heart. That night God spoke through prophecy and told us it was time for us to move forward in faith because "it was time to paint the nursery.” And He said He would show us what to do as we sought Him.
At the time I really had no idea what the Lord was referring to, but as we prayed it became clear that God was saying it was time to launch out in faith and begin to prepare for the Hope for the Hurting ministry. We shared in a message at church what God was doing and the vision that was in our hearts. God spoke through prophecy that night and instructed us to pursue the Hope for the Hurting ministry aggressively. Soon $90,000 in combined donations miraculously came into our possession. Shortly thereafter we received another donation from outside our church for $15,000. We have not conducted fund-raisers or asked anyone for financial support. It has been the hand of God that has moved on our behalf.
We then began to look for a building that would suit our purposes. We looked at several but never felt any leading to attempt to purchase any of them. God eventually led us to a 15,000 sq. ft. church building located in the heart of the neighborhood we have been called to and on the main street that passes through this end of town. When my wife and I looked at it, we were amazed at the potential for housing on the second floor of this facility. In addition, the rest of the building could accommodate our church's needs for many years to come.
Some of the building had been water-damaged, so they were asking only $125,000 as is. After much prayer, we saw God move miraculously, enabling us to purchase the building for $120,000, which was all we had.
Now we owned the building but had no money to renovate. We began to pray, and God has provided another $125,000 in anonymous donations, some from our congregation, and some from far and wide. Talk about a miracle! To date we owe nothing; however, the work is not completed.

...We are working almost weekly with potential Hope for the Hurting candidates, and it breaks our hearts that we are not ready to offer them the program. However, we are confident that the God who has provided to this point is the same God who will move once again.
We are presently putting together our staff (all volunteers from our congregation), and we are putting the final touches on the program and volunteer manuals. My wife will direct the program and we will soon begin training staff and other volunteers from our congregation who want to work for God.
Once construction is completed, we will be able to house up to 16 residents and four staff members. However, we intend to start off small (with about four residents) and gradually grow to full capacity. The program will be a minimum of one year and is designed for individuals who show a true desire for Christ and for permanent life change. The program will be strict and well-structured with a full schedule of Bible and life skill classes, counseling and activities. We will instruct residents in all aspects of Christian living and assist them in all phases of integration into independent living. They will not graduate from the program until they have obtained employment and an independent residence. Then we will continue to work with them to assure that they become stable Christians and productive members of society.
We are asking for individuals and churches to join us in prayer as we embark on this faith journey. We know that when God’s people unite in prayer, great things happen. This is God’s work and He will respond to our prayer of faith.
If you would like to know more about this ministry or would like to receive our monthly Hope for the Hurting news-letter, please let us know. We would be glad to keep you updated on our progress now and once the program begins.

Please contact:
Pastor John DiZazzo
pastorjd@cox.net
(Cell) 316-409-2712

Judy DiZazzo (Program Director)
judizazzo@cox.net
(Cell) 316-680-8577


In His Service,

Pastor John DiZazzo

Sedgwick County Jail

The last six revivals here in Wichita I have been blessed with the privilege to preach a few days in the Sedgwick County Jail. This week I am preaching there twice.

The service today was at 9:30. Tomorrow I will preach to a different crowd at 1:00. This morning the men were a little more subdued than normal during the worship but God really helped during the preaching.

I love preaching to these guys so much. Today they pulled the preaching out of me. They responded in the altar with so much feeling. It's amazing when those sin hardened inmates hug me afterwards with tears running off their faces.

I know that once these guys are in the system it is so hard to change their ways. The rate of reoffenders is super high but a relationship with Christ gives them a chance. God can break the chains in the hearts of men and set them free even while in jail.

Praise God for the power of the gospel! That power is the reason I am willing to spend and be spent for the gospel. To touch a life with the message of hope in Jesus is to breathe life into soul that would otherwise die in hopelessness. What an amazing privilege I have.

I thank God He has called me to reach others for Him. Would you pray that God would strengthen me and empower me to be an effective soul winner for Him?

Davy

No Waynesville, Ohio Tent Revival This Year

I have decided NOT to have tent revival in Waynesville, Ohio this year. I had set aside the week of August 12-17 for revival there but I can not juggle all of the pieces into place.

The property we were able to use last year is an ideal location for tent revival. It worked wonderfully. The problem now is that our current tent will not fit on that lot.

I have asked about other places and good sites have been suggested but nothing seemed right. I have prayed and sought direction from the Lord but could not feel at peace proceeding with the tent revival.

I have had numerous folks ask about it and I know there will be people that are disappointed but the reality is I am disappointed myself. I love tent revival and I loved having one in our hometown. That tent revival last year was a highlight for us.

However putting the tent up is such a huge responsibility. Having it up at the right place and the right time is very important. Having it up at the wrong place and the wrong time could be tragic.

I have ask advice from several good men but ultimately the responsibility is mine.

As bad as I hate not to put it up I do feel a big relief now that I have made the decision. For whatever reason now is not the right time and place.

Perhaps I can set it up next summer in Waynesville. I will certainly be praying about it over the next few months.

We are still planning to put up the tent in New Castle, Indiana for Pastor Brian Hisle. We hope to have tent revival there August 5-10.

We are also scheduled to preach homecoming services for Pastor Randy Brown in Sharonville, Ohio the morning of the 12th and for Pastor David Webb in Hodgenville, Kentucky at noon on the 19th.

Dryden Rd. Campmeeting is August 21-24 and we hope to be there for all of that as well.

Please pass this blog post to any one you know that might have been planning to attend. I would appreciate it very much.

God bless,

Davy

Bethany Revival Center, Wichita, KS

We had a great crowd both services Sunday to kick off revival in Wichita. This is our tenth year in a row preaching revival at Bethany Revival Center and we love coming here.

Pastor John DiZazzo and his congregation are always a great encouragement to us. They always respond well to our singing and preaching and the moving of the Lord.

Today we had good response in the altar both services and it feels like God is doing something special among us. Praise God for his blessings.

We have to leave Thursday night after church so we only have four more services. We are all anxious to see what God is going to do.

I will also be preaching two days at the county jail while we are here. I think this is the sixth year that I have been blessed to do that.

I am posting a few random pictures from today and tonight. I still can not email pictures to the blog but can post them with a Blogger app. It is not perfect but at least they are here.

The pics with the weather are interesting.

God bless you all.

Davy

More Travel Days - Montana to Kansas

I put this post up several hours ago without pictures because blogger is having trouble with emailing pictures. Later I was trying to finagle another way to get the pictures posted and I noticed the whole post was gone. How in the World??

Thankfully I had saved a rough draft of the text so at least part of the post is preserved. Now it has pictures but I sure can not guarantee the correct order. Anyway, here you go. I hope this one does not get eaten.

We drove about 297 miles the first evening. I did not set the GPS until we were hooked to the trailer a couple of miles from the church. We slept in a rest area near Greycliffe, Montana.

Wednesday we drove 631 miles. Most of the day was mountainous until we were near Nebraska. It was a good day of driving except for the rock chip in the drivers side windshield. It cracked several inches immediately so it will have to be replaced soon.

I have never replaced that side although it has had some small chips since we bought the BoggsMobile. We had a softball size hit on the passenger side and replaced that one. The new one was chipped inside of two months. Life is interesting!

We were up early at Cabela's on Thursday. It was a cool morning and we figured we would drive until afternoon when the temperature was supposed to soar.

We drove about 2 hours then stopped for a quick break in a rest area. I walked around the BoggsMobile and trailer and discovered a low tire on the trailer.

I put the spare on the trailer and it blew out in 17 miles. I should have replaced the spare when I replaced the other tires in June. The spare looked brand new but was aged out. I was hoping not to have to use it!

I was able to air up the original tire and put it back on. We drove 30 miles to a tire store and they discovered the aluminum rim has a whole in it.

That is the second one to leak so I may have a bigger problem on my hands. I may do a post about that later.

I had them put the good tire on the steel spare rim and a junk tire they had on the leaking aluminum rim. If I need a spare at least I know I can air it up and get 30-50 miles closer to help.

By the time the tire situation was straightened out it was well above 90 degrees. We drove about 40 miles and stopped at a Walmart in York, Nebraska.

We stepped out about 6:00 and saw this storm brewing in the Northwest. We were in Walmart when it let loose. You should have seen the reaction when people inside heard the rain on the roof.

People literally ran to the doors to see it rain. From their reaction and what I could hear them saying it was the first rain in a long time.

Unfortunately it did not last long but it left behind some beautiful rainbows. I could not capture it on the camera but the bottom brighter rainbow actually had another one tucked up right against it so there were actually three rainbows. It was really neat and beautiful.

We left York Walmart before 5:00 Friday morning and drove about 233 miles and beat the near record heat into Wichita by 10:00. It was 104 in the afternoon and the next few days are forecast to be even hotter.

It is good to be back in Wichita. We start revival for Bro DiZazzo Sunday morning and I am sure God will meet with us.

Thank you for praying for us in all of our travels.

Davy

Travel Days - Florence, Montana to Wichita, Kansas

Well I guess the problem is not all in my set or my head. Google is having some problems with some blogger accounts and mine is one of them I suppose. Here is some of our travel day story. I have more but it will have to wait. We did make it to Wichita!

We left Tuesday evening from Sun Valley Church. Bro. Gary Lockwood pulled the tent trailer from the church to a parking lot down the road. We hooked up and headed east on I-90.

I wanted to climb the Continental Divide in the evening while the temperature was cooler. There are several big pulls all the way through Montana and Wyoming but that one is definitely the hardest.

The divide tops out some where near 7000 feet above sea level. Praise God we made it just fine. The engine temps on the bus were close to perfect.

Some of the pictures above were taken while easing down the 6 mile 6% grade on the east side. We slept in a rest area near Greycliffe, Montana.

We were up early Wednesday morning and made a pretty long day of driving. We stayed on I-90 to Buffalo, Wyoming and then south on I-25. At Cheyenne we turned east on I-80.

It stayed cool all day because of some storms in the area. In fact the storms were so bad after we turned east on I-80 that we had to pull into a truck stop for nearly an hour to let it pass.

The weather on our phones said 50 mph wind gusts and I believe it. It was hitting us broadside and it was time to get off the road.

After the storm we traveled another hour or so and parked at Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska. It was only 6:00 so we walked around the store for a while before going to bed.

More later.

Davy

No Phone Service/Short Post

Long, long, long, long day Thursday and almost absolutely no phone service at the end of it. I have a long post ready but can not get it live. I tried to get Kelly Jo to walk over to the Hampton Inn and ask for their Wifi code but no go. We are getting closer to Wichita. Full story later. Davy

Rueben Casserole at The Metzger's!

When my parents came to Montana with us in 2007 we really had the time of our lives.

We saw the Badlands in South Dakota, Wall Drug, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, the Needles, Crazy Horse, Devil's Tower, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Beartooth Pass, Grand Teton National Park and probably a few things I have forgotten.

The reason for the whole trip was revival at Sun Valley Church. The revival and the great fellowship with the Metzger's and the rest of the church family really were the highlights of the whole adventure.

As always fellowship with the Boggs family includes food right at the top of the list. Often at meals the topic of conversation is other meals and future meals!

During one of the great meals at the Metzger's we somehow came upon the subject of my Mom's great dishes. That is how she came to introduce the Metzger family to her famous Reuben Casserole.

Just like that a Metzger/Boggs tradition was born!

Monday we gathered along with the Blantons at the Metzger's and carried on the tradition. The Rueben was delicious. In fact, I told Sis. Metzger it might be some of the best I have ever had.

We sure appreciate the Metzger's for their fine hospitality and kindness. I can hardly wait until the next time.

Davy

Jessie with Sid.

You want a little pepper with your Mac & Cheese? Oops the lid broke off the container and the rest is history.

Tent Revival Wrap Up - Florence, Montana

This is where the tent was set up.

After months of planning, praying, fasting and preparing the Tent Revival at Sun Valley Church near Florence, Montana has come and gone. It is almost unbelievable but it is over.

We had a wonderful time during this tent revival and we want the Sun Valley church to know how much we appreciate you allowing us to be a part of it. Our family has been greatly blessed.

Although I would have loved to have seen many more people attend from the community I am thrilled that we had visitors each and every night. Many of them were touched and blessed and we praise God for that.

The Sun Valley church jumped into the services with both feet and that was a thrill to see as well. They sang, worshipped, prayed and responded to the preaching every service.

They all worked so hard to prepare and then cooked, cleaned, served and pushed toward the success of the meeting all through the week. It was an incredible job and they did it flawlessly.

There was nothing lacking in effort from these wonderful people. May God bless the fine folks of Sun Valley Church!

I believe that the prayer, fasting and hard work will continue to bear fruit in the future. I believe the seeds that were planted and watered this past week will spring up in the days and weeks to come.

Please continue to help us pray for the Sun Valley Church as they work on in this field for the Lord. Pray for those that were saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and encouraged during this meeting as well.

We are headed toward Heaven at a tremendous pace folks. Let us pray for one another and reach for those that need to be saved around us.

Thank you for all that prayed for this tent revival. I need it and appreciate it so very much.

God bless,

Davy