On the Road Again (Week 2)

On Sunday,  April 21, the girls and I sang and Lee preached at Fellowship Baptist Church in Central, Louisiana.  This is the church that Lee's papa, John Merck, started many years ago.  It was quite an emotional morning as Lee stood in the pulpit that his Papa had stood in so many years ago.  They had a wonderful meal for us after church.  Then we headed back to Lucedale to spend the week with Lee's parents.

We enjoyed the week with them working in the flower beds, seeing his grandmother, and just visiting.

 G.G. (great grandmother) Jeanne Bryan with the girls

Lee and Granny

 

On Friday, Lee and I took Maggie to the University of Mobile so that she could register for her classes.  She is all ready to go!  Then we drove to Hattiesburg to spend the night with my sister, Jennifer, her husband, David, and our nieces, Kaitlyn and Peyton.

 

Saturday, April 27, we traveled from Hattiesburg, MS to Montgomery, AL for the Alabama State Bible Drill.  Caroline participated in the preliminary drill and scored high enough to participate in the final drill.  We were thrilled when she won 3rd place in the State of Alabama!!

 Caroline in the middle.

Our 3rd place winner!!



On The Road Again (Week 1)

 

 

 

I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog!  We have had an extremely busy two months.  In this post, I want to share with you about our "Partnership Development Tour".  On Tuesday, April 16, I got up early and took Lee, Maggie, and Colleen to the airport in Bozeman.  They flew to North Carolina to meet our friends, speak at Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church, and for Maggie to purchase a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Then they drove down to Mississippi on April 18.  Meanwhile, Caroline, Abigail, and I caught a ride with a friend to the airport (on Tuesday, April 16) and waited for our flight.  We soon realized that our flight was late.  The attendant in Bozeman told me there was a good chance that we would miss our flight out of Denver.  So I decided to take my chances and we flew on to Denver.  As soon as we landed, mama text me and said that our flight out of Denver had left 5 minutes before we landed!  So we deplaned and made our way through the airport.  I talked with an airline representative on the phone and she told me there was not another flight our of Denver to Gulfport that day.  I found an attendant at the airport and she, too, told me there was not another flight out.  Finally, I spoke with a gentleman at the gate and, miraculously, he found 3 seats on the red-eye.  We spent 7 hours in the Denver airport, riding the people-movers more times than I can count, and finally left at 12:59 AM.  From there we flew to Charlotte, and then finally made it to Gulfport Wednesday morning around 10 AM.  What a way to start our whirlwind tour!

Mama and Daddy picked us (Caroline, Abigail, and me) up at the airport, we went for some Cracker Barrel, then headed to Lucedale.  After a quick shower, we headed to Grove Hill, Alabama, where I spoke to the children and youth of Grove Hill Baptist Church about our work in Montana.  Caroline practiced Bible Drills with the team there in preparation for the District and State Bible Drill. 



GHBC with their Prayer Bracelets

 



We spent the night in Grove Hill and the girls and I went to see our dentist.  Then we headed to Mobile for the District Bible Drill.  All of the team passed!

 Emily, Caroline, Samuel, Andrew

 Prayer with Mrs. Kim before the drill.

 Awards!

On Friday, April 19, we had a birthday/graduation celebration for Maggie at the Rocky Creek Catfish House and then had a dessert bar at Mama and Daddy's house.  It was great to get with all of our friends and family for this wonderful occasion.

(L-R) Colleen, Abigail, Maggie, and Caroline



 

Cousins!  Peyton and Kaitlyn

 

On Saturday, April 20, (Maggie's 17th Birthday), we had our 2nd annual LOF Board Meeting.  It was held at Grove Hill Baptist Church.  Some members even attended via internet.  After the meeting we traveled to Central, Louisiana, where Lee would speak the next morning.

Movin' On Up (in altitude, that is!)

Once again, my house is full of boxes!  We plan to totally get rid of every box we have once we are settled in Red Lodge :)  I only have a minute, but I wanted to share two videos of our recent activity.  The first one is from our last simulcast.  It is short, but very insightful.

Then last Sunday, Caroline, Colleen, and Abigail participated in their spring violin recital.  They have progressed nicely this year with their teacher here in Livingston.  Hope you enjoy their playing.  I was one proud mama :)

 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our partnership development trip and our move to Red Lodge!

Nothin's Gonna Change My Love for YOU

Change is a part of life.  If I have learned anything during my short 38 years (and especially in the last 18 since I have been a Merck) it's that things change!  Most of the time, change is good, but it is never easy.  Only 10 short months ago my surroundings changed.  It was a little scary moving to Montana from south Alabama, from all family and friends.  But God called and we obeyed.  And it has been a wonderful year.  We have met new friends we would have never known.  Hopefully we have made a positive impact on the people we have been acquainted with here in Livingston.  But just this week, I got this sorta sick feeling.  I told Lee, "We're about to do it all over again."  It is a little scary, again!  But I wouldn't give anything for the journey we are on with the Lord.  There is a wonderful peace, even in the midst of "scary", in trusting God - literally trusting God for everything!  He is our peace!  He is our Jehovah Jireh!  He is everything I need!  HE IS MY RISEN LORD!!

 

 

Maggie and I went down into Paradise Valley with a friend of ours last week to make some pictures.  Thanks Mr. Vern Ladoux for sharing your "baby" with us!

Last Sunday night, we had our last simulcast.  I hope you have enjoyed them as much as we have.  It has been great to know that you are praying with us on Mondays and watching the monthly simulcasts.  This time I snapped a few pictures before we started.

Bro. Greg Payton, Lee, Dr. Fred Hewitt

 

 

I went to bed last night with a headache.  I took two Advil before bed, but I could tell this was not just any headache.  I woke up this morning and knew I needed my migraine medicine.  I took it and laid back down until about 9:00.  My dear friend, Kim Baker from Alabama, text me "good morning".  I told her it wasn't that great of a morning for me.  She insisted she was bringing supper for us.  And at 5:50 this evening, my doorbell rang.  She had ordered Pizza Hut for us and had it delivered!!!  Wow!  Amazing how miles can't separate true friends.  Thanks to the Bakers for feeding us supper from 2,000 miles away.

 

It was attacked before I could get the camera out!

 

Please keep Red Lodge in your prayers.  I KNOW God is up to something big.  Please remember us as we finish up school, pack the house, and pack for our trip back south.  Pray that we will all stay healthy and be able to get everything done.  Continue to pray for housing for us in Red Lodge, too.  Finally, we pray for each of you as you celebrate Easter this weekend.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I KNOW He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives!

 

No matter what changes come your way, don't let anything change your love for your Lord!







Our First Community Care Team in Red Lodge!

Today, it's official.  We began our work in Red Lodge.  We met a team from Powell, Wyoming (First Southern Baptist Church, led by Bro. Don Rushing) at The Lodge at 8:15 this morning to clean out the building.  And did we ever clean it out!!  They were such a great team to work with - willing to do whatever needed to be done.  They brought 2 trailers, loaded them down, and will take the items back to Powell to have a yard sale.  The building is now ready for the team from Starkville, MS who will come and paint. 

 



It was so wonderful to just be in Red Lodge.  To be where you know God wants you to be is a wonderful feeling.  Please pray for us as we must finish our time here in Livingston.  We so want to be in Red Lodge!  Also, pray about the house we are buying.  We are just waiting on the appraisal now.  There have been a few bumps along the way with the loan.  Satan does not want us moving into his territory!  We should close on April 9.  And pray for the girls as they finish up their school.  There is so much to do, but that is our priority.  Pray that they would press on and finish up.  Hope to catch you on the corner. . . . . in the south!

MPACT MONTANA

 He said "University of Mobile?  Mobile, Alabama?"

Dr. Luter and Colleen

 

On Thursday and Friday, March 7-8, we went to Great Falls, MT for the MPACT MONTANA Conference.  It was a great time of fellowship with other pastors in the state.  The highlight of the conference was when our SBC President, Dr. Fred Luter, preached on Friday night.  He "shucked the corn" as we would say in the south! 

Caroline will be going on a mission trip to Romania this summer with a team from Mississippi (including Mama and Daddy).  So she and I have been making scarves to sell to raise money for her trip.  We were able to sell some while in Great Falls for the conference.  We will have more when we come down south, if you are interested!!

 

 

Hope you all have a great week.  It will be great having longer days, now that the time has changed.  And don't let Easter slip up on you!  Begin now to prepare yourselves for the celebration of Easter.  Thank God for His gift of Jesus!

Skiing at Bridger Bowl

As we look toward moving to Red Lodge, we (the girls and I) have been trying to learn how to ski.  Now this girl from South Mississippi/Alabama doesn't have a clue!  The girls make me look like the old lady I'm becoming :)  So today was our 3rd lesson.  It is becoming more fun each time we go.  We are definately making memories.  And while we were there, it starting snowing.  Even though we have lived in Montana for almost a year now, we still get excited when it starts snowing.  There is just something about watching the snow fall.  Anyway - enjoy the pics and videos!

 The girls waiting in the ski lodge.

 Maggie "resting" while waiting for our lesson!

 Caroline

 Colleen

 Abigail

Maggie (not resting!)