We have always enjoyed singing and preaching outdoors. It is a thrill to take the gospel outside the four walls of the church. Nearly every year for the last 11 years we have conducted at least one outdoor revival. It has been in our heart to do more of these type of meetings especially as we see the perilous times we are facing. We see the need, we feel the desire but we could not see a way to devote more than a week or two a year to outdoor meetings.
In the spring of 2009 we began to pray about a summer full of tent revivals. It still seemed impossible but I felt like we needed to start making plans to do it. We set aside 2011 as the time appointed and asked God to lead us each step.
As we prayed, the details began to fall in place. God began to stir the hearts of Pastors and they expressed to us their burden to reach out to their community. We now have 6 tent revivals scheduled over a 10 week period in Oklahoma, Kansas, Virginia and Ohio.
We felt we should ask Bro. Jimmy and Sis. Shauna Millikin to participate in as many meetings as they could so they are planning to join us in singing and preaching the first 3 tent revivals. We are so glad to have them on board with us for three revivals. They are going to be a blessing as they minister each night.
We also hope to have a couple of young men join us each week to help with set up and tear down of the tent, canvassing neighborhoods and working in the altars. We are asking God to direct us to the right ministry minded young men.
We have secured the use of a tent along with chairs and a portable platform. We have been planning to pull a trailer behind the BoggsMobile with the tent, chairs, platform and extra sound equipment. That meant Kelly Jo would have to follow behind in Mr. Jeep about 3500 miles this summer.
In the last few weeks a brother told me he had a trailer big enough to haul the things we needed AND the jeep. It is a 2009 24 foot enclosed car hauler made by Interstate. It is very nice. He was willing to donate nearly 1/3 of the price and that made it very reasonable. We bought it Saturday and you can see the pictures below. I certainly would not want to pull it every where I go but it will be a blessing to us this summer.
The cost of the trailer when factored in with all the other expenses of conducting these revivals is part of the impossibility of devoting a summer to tent revivals. It would be much easier and cheaper to pull up to a different church every week and preach revival. But we feel that God has directed us into these tent revivals and He has never pointed us where He did not provide us with the means to do it. The potential harvest of souls will be worth every mile we drive and every dollar we spend.
Please help us pray about a few key areas concerning these tent revivals. Pray that:
1. God would saturate each revival with His presence.
2. Men and women would be gloriously saved from sin.
3. God would miraculously heal the sick and encourage the saints.
4. God would protect us and each person that attends or works in the meetings and all of the equipment.
5. The weather would be good each week.
6. God would supply the necessary finance to conduct the meetings, for us to bless the Millikin's and other workers, buy the equipment and pay all the expenses.
Thanks for your prayers. I lay all of this out because I know that many folks read these posts every week that are interested in seeing God's work progress. That is exactly what we are trying to do.
God bless
Davy
