Well… at the risk of sounding grandiose, we have come to the end of an era! Sort of.

We are through running the roads of the Atlantic District for the purpose of raising awareness of, and support for, our AIM term in France.  This doesn’t mean that we’re at 100% of our budget yet, we are still accepting both one-time support as well as monthly Partner in Missions commitments, but it does mean that we will be home on weekends and better able to focus on the practical preparations involved in getting ready for departure.

Last Service – Temperance Vale, NB

Perhaps it’s only fitting that our final service be in Temperance Vale, NB with our Atlantic District Superintendent and his wife. We drove up on Sunday afternoon, after having attended morning service at Mission Point and had no trouble finding the church, although we’d never been there before.

Besides being with the Brewers, I was also looking forward to being in Temperance Vale for another reason as well. Early on in my experience of Pentecost, Sis. Laura Priest would visit the church in Saint John periodically and Bro. Goddard would always have her sing.

What a lady!

There was something very appealing about her – without question the hand of God on her life after a lifetime in faithful service to God. I was a bit disappointed when I learned that she wouldn’t likely be there that night due to fragility and advancing age, but my spirits soon lifted again when her daughter Ann (also mother of our District Youth President, Bro. Paul Thornton) got up to lead worship. She looks so much like Sis. Priest and sang with just as much gusto!

Afterwards, we headed back to the Brewer’s home in Nackawic for a short bite to eat and a bit of fellowship before hitting the road home. The kids, too, enjoyed sweet moments of fellowship…. playing “Crossy Road” an iPad / iPod app by Hipster Whale (a.k.a modern youth fellowship). 🙂

Glad to be done

Although we’ll miss the opportunity to spend time visiting & fellowshipping with other pastors in the region, we are glad to now begin focusing a little bit more fully on preparations for our departure (storing some items, shipping others and preparing the house).  It has been tiring to travel and be away from the house pretty much every weekend (although full-time missionaries must do much more than we did and are to be commended).

Training Program @ Church

One of the other things that will be a focus of my attention this month is handing off responsibilities to various people who will be taking my place. Bro. & Sis. Mark Robertson (formerly of Miramichi, NB – although Mark is originally from Hatfield Point, NB) moved to the Port City on Sunday and have been spending their days unpacking and preparing. As the dust settles for them, I’ll begin attempting to get a lot of what I know out of my head and into Bro. Robertsons.

Pray for he and his wife as they makes the transition.

There will also be a couple of other individuals relieving me of some responsibility regarding the Pentecostal Messenger – the official publication of the Atlantic District, of which I’m the editor.  I will continue to do layout and editing of this 12-page paper, but will need others here on site in Saint John to handle the logistical details (picking up the finished papers, preparing the mailing and handling finances and subscriptions).

News from “our Missionaries”

I encourage you to come back on Saturday morning to read some good news of what God is currently doing in France through the hands & lives of “our missionaries”.

Thank you for your support on every level.
God bless & strengthen you today!