HAVING VISITORS - BEING VISITORS!

This past Sunday our church was blessed with several guests. Our family tends to be somewhat transient - sometimes it might even appear we have two different church groups because people come and go, people are busy. I find it fascinating when we have new people come. I'm always curious to where they came from, what brought them to our church - and where they are heading to.

One thing which is strange and wonderful is that quite often while meeting and greeting one can invariably draw some string of 'connection' between them and somebody in our congregation. Sometimes its a loose thread - but once in a while there is something immediate and powerful revealed.

And its always in my mind, the scripture:

Hebrews 13:1-2 says, "Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

For we cannot know what we might have for a thirsty soul - and what they might have for us too. As a church family {body} we are one, so guests bring in variation, challenge, fresh thought - and they remind us that our mission is not simply to minister among ourselves, rather these people who we are blessed to have worship with us carry a part of us with them when they go out the doors after a service.

This past Sunday, among the several guests we had come were Steve and Eve DeSort, visiting from Bend, Oregon. They had wound up 'by chance' at our church - but they both blessed our congregation with an uplifting testimony and also gifted us with a small interview after the service. While Eve graciously spoke with me I began to realize that she was sharing some thoughts which are right in line with our dear sister Kaye. If you like, you might like to visit back to our March 5, 2009 blog post where I spoke about Kaye - she is a Prayer Warrior for CANADA. And here was Eve, who has never been to our church before, delivering a word about Canada. And I was led to capture Eve's thoughts in sound. And Kaye was NOT able to be with us last Sunday due to a bad back... but how today I was able to play Eve's words to Kaye. Ahhh - chance? I think NOT!

To hear the sound clip interview with Eve just click on the picture of our Canadian Flag. Click on the MP 3 file to play it - and you might consider turning your volume WAY up on the computer as I guess I recorded it on a quiet setting.

Thank you Eve and Steve and to your friends for blessing our congregation. We will lift your journey and ministry in prayer as you follow the bidding of the Holy Spirit on your journey to Alaska. We look forward to another visit on your way home if you are encouraged to visit upon your return. We are looking forward to finding out your adventures and testimony of what the Lord had you do along the route! Thank you for being obedient to the ministry the Lord has called you too. Osoyoos Christian Centre is praying a prayer of safety and protection upon you as you venture forth.

All this is a reminder to us that 'church' is not simply the building, rather it's the blessing of the Holy Spirit within each one of us, within each one of our guests... that we would leave a favourable impression with each visitor - that the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour would be glorified from the mouths and hearts of those who have spent time within our family.

Another way to look at this theme is to know that at some point each of US of the OCC will be a visitor to someone else's church - or even a church TO others {without the building} It comes to mind right away of two of our members - Dale and Florence Archibald.

Dale and Florence are long time members of our church and are very active in our church body. One ministry in particular is Florence's passionate pursuit of making and organizing the drive for the Operation Shoebox ministry. She often has dozens of beautifully decorated and thoughtfully and carefully assembled boxes ready in mid-summer!

But besides this ministry, Dale and Florence are RV'ers and travel out where they minister to others. We are so very proud of the calling they fulfill - so glad they call our church 'Home' when they return from the mission field. Here is some information which they provided me to share with you:

We have spent our tenth season out of the snow and cold of Canadian winters, feeling very blessed to have the opportunity to travel and thanking God for His guidance over our lives.

Dale and I are long time members of the Escapees RV Club, a huge American and Canadian organization. Though secular in nature, the club does have within its boundaries a Christian Fellowship segment that focuses on developing and nurturing strong Christ-centered bonds and relationships among its travelling members. One effective and popular method to do this has been to have regular rallies in Arizona and California. Last winter we were involved with the planning and leadership of four such rallies, the first being a “Put Christ Back Into Christmas” event. In a somewhat remote area in south Arizona we brought our trailers and motor homes together and celebrated the birth of Christ, enjoying the refreshment of Bible study, shared meals, and the uninterrupted fellowship of other believers, making it a true old fashioned Christmas. We plan to meet again this year for our fourth Season.

Each of the four rallies had a different emphasis and was held in different localities, so we move about from place to place, enjoying some of our favorite places in the south. The March Rally was unique in that some of our single Christian Fellowship members brought along a number of their single friends, all being at different levels of belief and un-belief. It was wonderful to see how they were drawn into the circle of love and caring and ministered to by their fellow campers.

The last event we were involved with this winter was held at a very vibrant community church in a tiny town just north of the California/Mexico border. The pastor, a dear friend of ours, who left the travelling lifestyle to become their pastor, invited us to use their parking lot and Church facilities. What a super time we both had with the RV’ers , who were there from all over the USA, and the church congregation who opened their arms to us. We hope to join them again next April.

Between rallies we have time to relax and take in the rugged and sometimes stark beauty of the Sonoran Desert. It really grows on you. A particularly nice time was three weeks spent at Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge near the Mexican border in Arizona. I was able to identify 95 bird species which pleased me well.

Our lengthly stays in Arizona increasingly attract family and friends. In fact, we are getting to see more of my numerous cousins in the south than we do in Canada. It was also nice to have two sisters and one brother-in-law share our dry-camping desert experience for a while. Neither of our two children made it south this winter, but Joy and family have been down 3 times and Rick four times, planning to come again this Christmas.

God bless you all,

Florence Archibald

*****

PRAISE REPORT:

For Peter - who went for an interview this past week and has been hired at a

Luxury Resort in Salmon Arm, BC.  As he told us he'd made a list of three

essential requirements he'd prayed for, a job at the resort, a place to live

and a church where he would feel at home in.  Every one of his wishes were

fulfilled.  You've been a positive and encouragement to our church and we will

miss you here.  We will pray for you that you shine the LIGHT in your new home! 

A few of us gathered at Kaye's home to pray for Kaye a week ago when she

was unable to attend due to severe back pain.  I spoke to Kaye on Monday and

she was feeling much better!  Please continue to pray for a bond of protection

and healing upon her. 

An anonymous donation was received in our church post office box and it

contained funds enough to cover the needed cost to go ahead with our parking lot

curb project.  Thank you to whomever was led to help.  May God Bless you! 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Cecil: health issues

Nathan: for a back injury which has required him to be off work.

Keremeos church: as they search for a new pastor

Tony Essex, Princeton: healing

Paula: cancer
RCMP - ambulance - firemen

*****

It's close to one week away from our concert with Penny Buhr Johnson.  This is a

free-will concert and we will provide the desserts and beverages.  It will be held

at our Church - Osoyoos Christian Centre {beside McDonald's} 42 Finch Crescent

at 7:00 pm. 

If you are able help setting up, tearing down tables etc.  Please let us know if

you can help.  You can reach our church by calling 250-495-2550.

*****

As always, if you like to chat you are welcome to join our OCC Women's

chat-night on MSN messenger to join us for an hour of fellowship, sharing and

prayer time.  We begin at 7:00 sharp!   Just send me a request - my username

is lalalime.