Praise the Lord for keeping us safe in our travels. We had some mechanical issues on the way from Florida to Georgia, including 2 new tires for the trailer. Then, 11 hours labor for the van with ignition problems. 10 new spark plugs(evidently hard to change in E350) a new coil pack, and a fuel filter and we were back on the road. Before leaving Georgia, we scheduled an inspection for the trailer, just to be safe. Good timing, as God knew we would have an interesting ride soon enough. We praise God for the quick and professional work to replace all the brake shoes on the trailer. You know it's not good when the mechanic comes into the waiting room, shaking his head, and saying "y'all gotta see this!" No worries, as the Lord provided for the work to be done in a timely manner, and we were back on the road and headed for Hinton, West Virginia by lunch time.
Of course, God knew that we were going to need new brakes when the GPS put us in the wrong place on a dirt road (goat trail is more like it) coming down the side of a mountain. Loose gravel and hairpin turns accompanied our 1200 foot drop in elevation over the last 2 miles on this road. The new brakes held up, along with a newly tuned engine, praise GOD! This harrowing tale ended up being a good conversation started with locals, and I think we may have earned a spot with the Darwin awards folks for following that road with a 33' camper in tow, but here we are safely. All is well that ends well, they say.
Hinton held in store for us God's marvelous work, evidenced in the Sandstone Falls (see our Picasa albums for pictures) , Grandview, and much of Creation's testimony to the marvelous and creative nature of our God. Another marvelous work of the Lord that we saw was in the hearts and lives of the people of Riverview Chapel. Of their own admission, this was a dying church and many of the men there told the stories of how they allowed religion to trump relationship with God in their lives. We were so blessed to see the revival of hearts toward God that has come in the recent past.
A brother in Christ recently moved there with his family. His name is Avedis Bastajian. We met at the Myrtle Beach Bible Conference this past winter, and Avi invited us to visit Hinton, WV if we ever had the chance. The brothers in Hinton shared personal stories of how their lives had lost focus of what God had for them to do, but with the loving correction of God's Word, they have repented and renewed their passion for Christ as the gathering center of the church. These men labor together in the Lord's work, and I saw great love among them evidenced by their humility and service one for another.
As a result of this repentant spirit, God has given them a renewed desire to reach out with the Gospel, to live out the command of Jesus Christ to love one another, and I am excited to see what will happen as time goes by. There are plans and schedules for a Vacation Bible School, a week of kid's camp, and a weekend family camp for this summer. The chapel has been sending out evangelistic and informative newsletters to 500 homes in this little town, with invitations to upcoming Gospel meetings and such. There is much more to tell, but I only have internet at the local library right now. We are just so blessed to see the spirit of the Lord working in the folks of Hinton, West Virginia. They admit that there is much more to do as they grow in the grace and knowledge of God, but I am encouraged to see a self professed "dead church" come to life, and what God can do when His people humble themselves, seek His face, and get to work for His glory.
We will be with the saints of Bluegrass Bible Fellowship for the week. We always enjoy our time here, and we will try to write more about some of the other things the Lord has been showing us in our personal walks with Him. Sara has posted a blog post recently, be sure to check it out. I pray it is an encouragement to you all.
May the grace of God be with you all.
