Holland Report

Praise God! It's a battle ....

Tuesday, September 21, 1999 5:23 PM

Praise the Lord, we are in the battle! No warrior for the Lord should be surprised when the enemy attacks.

When I arrived in Holland this afternoon, I was told that one of the churches who was receiving a team backed out on Sunday. This was a real shock to me. However, it did not surprise the Lord!

Two of the other churches said they would take all the folks over to their teams, for they have so much for their teams to do, that even more would be great. What a great, great spirit! And the people coming readily agreed to split up and go to new locations. My, my! How special.....

Some of the folks coming do so at great sacrifice. I am humbled to be a partner with so many of God's best people and churches around the world.

All hotel arrangements have been confirmed. I actually have part of the morning off (sleep!).

God bless you all,

And on the 7th day... rest!

Wednesday, September 22, 1999 2:02 PM

I really took most of the day off. I have been trying to put a few last minute touches on details.

I also had an opportunity to do some work for breakaway the business luncheon at our church. With the Internet, I could do the work from Holland. What would the apostle Paul have given for jumbo jets and the Internet!

I have heard that the groups have started this direction. Some on the road, some awaiting flight, other airborne. Please pray for their safety in travel.

The troops have landed! (mostly)

Thursday, September 23, 1999 5:40 AM

I am sending this early to let everyone know that all those who are supposed to arrive today are now here and getting settled in. Only 5 arrive tomorrow (however, one of those "onlies" is my one-and-only sweetie!). Some are going into Amsterdam this evening for dinner and to get a little feel for the Dutch culture. It should be interesting!

Our hotel is wonderful, howbeit somewhat out in the countryside. Many choices of restaurants (from Burger King to gourmet continental and everything in between) and great food. The rooms are spacious and CNN is on the TV.

We have one short meeting for group/team leaders and preachers this afternoon, then the rest of the day is for rest. Tomorrow, a little look around Amsterdam, including Corrie Ten boom's home in Haarlem, in the morning and orientation meetings in the afternoon.

Pray for the homes where people will be staying. Some/many are not believers ..... yet! Praise the Lord for the courage of the churches who jumped in the gap when the church cancelled. Praise the Lord for the obedience of those who have come at peril of job (one fired for coming, another promised to have no job upon return) and health (broken ankle, recent discovery of major health problem, etc.).

I stand in awe of His call and the obedience of so many!

Standing on the edge of eternity for so many,

We're off!

Saturday, September 25, 1999 6:02 AM

What a wonderful morning this has been: great joy, celebration, long-lost friends who had never met before. I think heaven will be like this--celebrating the memories of things and people we have never done nor met!

The Welcoming Rally has held at the hotel this morning (Saturday). We had more than a hundred in total, 68 from America, Romania and South Africa and 35 Dutch form the 5 churches, hugging and laughing and crying like old friends, yet almost all never having met. The music was wonderful, the spirit great, and God sent all into the battle.

Some have come with significant health issues, other placed their jobs on the line to be obedient to the invitation of the Lord to come and still another got word after arriving that an uncle had gone to the Lord back in the USA.

Then the long caravan of 25 or 30 cars left, snaking out of the parking lot toward the 5 cities throughout the country where God will do His work this week.

I will be in touch with Janice by email to hear how things are going in Holland and I will return here Monday night. I will keep you informed.

I leave this afternoon for Rome and an opportunity to meet many there to discuss the future of cooperation for Italy. Pray for the time there.

Thank you for your prayer partnership and encouragement for the Kingdom!

Early days

Tuesday, September 28, 1999 7:06 AM

As always, the early days are a time of sorting what can be done, shat should be done and finally what will be done. Certainly, that is going on here in Holland.

There are few nightly services, but we knew that going in. However, there seems to be fewer home meetings as well. Please join me in praying for more home evangelistic meetings.

The enthusiasm of both hosts and volunteers is holding strong, but creativity is being required from everyone. Please pray for the rookies who are struggling with the early days of some confusion and also pray for the veterans that they will be patient and let the Lord and the Dutch work out the details.

I will be going to visit one of the teams this afternoon and Doyle is going to see 2 others. We should have more details tomorrow. We don't know of decisions that have been made, but hope to know about that too.

We have had another participant going to Hungary lose a family member. The brother of Steve Evans was killed in an incident with horse in Texas. Steve drove from Denver to Dalhart, Texas, to the funeral on Monday night and will drive back to Denver on Tuesday and fly out to Budapest on Wednesday. Please pray for his strength and peace as he leaves.

Another participant in Holland received word that a family member has died, but is staying here.

We feel like it is a war-zone! Pray for peace: for our hearts, for the hearts of those who do not know the Price of Peace.

God bless you,

Holland update

Wednesday, September 29, 1999 3:02 PM

We (Doyle & Carolyn Enloe and I) have been able to visit in 4 of 5 of the churches in the Netherlands campaign by Tuesday. They were to visit the last one today, then join me in Hungary tomorrow, along with Bobby McCain, who will participate in both campaigns.

I spent the evening with the team from my church who are working with Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam. The evening service was seen as a great success, since the people of the church actually came. However, it was a Bible study and prayer meeting. God used the testimony of one the guests to stir hearts for the lost. There seemed a real spirit of commitment to engage colleagues and family members for Christ. In fact, while the church was meeting, several were making visits. I had to leave before they returned. The group was to go to schools today.

The churches are getting plans in place to have home meetings and other opportunities for witnessing. There was an encounter with people who have a seaman's ministry, and two ladies worked with them yesterday. Perhaps more will be involved through the week.

God has been using the gospel singers in a powerful way.

I have arrived in Hungary and am preparing for the teams arriving tomorrow and Friday.

Pray for those traveling to Hungary from England and the USA.

Also, pray for our Dutch brothers and sisters to discover exactly what God would have them plan for the volunteers to do.

As I hear more, I will let know of God's touch on both Holland and Hungary.

Watching and waiting ......

Holland Wrap-up

Monday, 10/4/99 8:35 AM

We just finished the celebration rally for the campaign here in Holland. In all five churches there was a stirring of the Lord. People were saved, there was a commitment to Baptism (in a Reform church!), the hearts of believers were encouraged and about a dozen Dutch believers said they will go to another country with us to share the gospel there! How wonderful!

We never know the extent of the decisions, but as best we can tell there were 40-50 saved, according to the Dutch leadership. Many more indicated a desire to know Christ. And many others heard the gospel, some for the first time.

Janice shared that in every campaign there is some question which presents a difficulty in the culture. Sometimes it is "Do you believe God loves you?", sometimes "Do you believe you are a sinner?", etc. But this was the first time in 26 years that the first question was the stumper: "Do you believe in God?" What a great evangelistic opportunity lies in this beautiful country.

Our team members, who came from Romania, S. Africa and 8 states in the U.S., quickly understood the complexities of the situation here. They adapted beautifully! Praise the Lord! It was not an approach we would have chosen, that's for sure. Most of our preachers did not get to preach as often as they expected, since there were fewer services and the local pastor preached instead. But the spirit of our folks was in tune with the Lord, and His grace was sufficient.

As each church had a guest and a member report, there was a clear communication that God worked in the hearts of people this week; in the lost, the believers, the volunteers. Someone said this one was really an "icebreaker campaign." And, like an ocean-going icebreaker, the role is not transportation itself, but to make future transportation possible.

The Dutch leadership said "We must do this again." And we will, because so many emptied themselves of their own expectations and were willing to be slaves for Jesus sake.

Praise God.

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