We had another good night of meeting with the folks at Magnolia Baptist Church last night. The Lord blessed the preaching and I am grateful. I would ask you to pray for the Pastor’s wife, though. Sister Chasity has an abscessed tooth that is causing her a lot of pain and swelling in her face. She has been to the doctor twice already and is scheduled for another appointment today.

We are in the town of Crossett, AR. Actually, we aren’t in town, but in the country outside of town. The people here are some of the friendliest people we have ever met. There are some places you go where the people just aren’t friendly at all. A week may pass with just a few people even speaking to you. Maybe it’s my deodorant, I don’t know. Anyway, it isn’t like that here. These folk are very outgoing and welcoming. Nearly everyone in the church has approached us to introduce themselves and to welcome us to their church. That is a blessing! These ladies can cook too! Each evening a different Sunday School class has taken the responsibility for preparing a meal for us. The food has been exceptional. Just good old country cooking. If I stayed here long, I would be an even fatter Baptist.

Pray for our meeting as it continues through tomorrow. I would love to see the Lord meet with us in a powerful way.

Alan

When our meeting ended in North Little Rock, Ar last week, Joan and I flew home to North Carolina. I arrived back to find several of our people in the hospital. I visited with them and went to a local nursing home to visit with a lady who was in the process of dying. I had no been there more than ten minutes when she passed away. We had her funeral on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, it was a great day. It was youth Sunday at Calvary and our youth taught the Sunday School classes and our youth choir performed the music for the day. They did a wonderful job, as usual. It seems that the Lord always moves in power when they sing, and He did not fail to do so on Sunday. I praise the Lord for our young people.

Yesterday, Joan and I boarded a plane and flew to Greenville, MS. Actually, we took two planes. The first flew us to Memphis, TN. The second, a very small turbo prop plane flew us to Mississippi. The Pastor of Magnolia Baptist Church in Crossett, AR, Brother Michael Griffith, met is at the airport in Greenville and we drove for a little over and hour to the church. We are spending the week in an unused church parsonage. At any rate, we had an excellent service last night. there was a good crowd and great liberty to preach. I praise the Lord for His presence and for all that He did in the meeting. Please pray for us as the week progresses. I am looking for the Lord to do some great things for us.

Alan

We had  a really good service at Pilgrim Progress Baptist last night. The Lord showed up and He honored the preaching of His Word. I have been coming to this church for four years, and last night was the best altar call response I have witnessed. The church, in their tradition, is not used to having altar calls, so it is something of a novelty for me to preach and invite them to come forward to pray. Several responded last night and seemed to get some real help from the Lord. If nothing happens, we will finish the meeting tonight and fly back to North Carolina tomorrow. I am ready to be home.

I have received two calls within the last twelve hours to inform me that two church members have relatives that are in the process of dying. I would like to be there for my people, but the best I can do today is take the matter to the Lord in prayer. Help me pray that God will give sufficient grace to His children during these difficult hours.

Alan

Our meeting with the fine folks at Pilgrim Progress Baptist Church in North Little Rock, AR began last night. The Lord met with us in a powerful way. I praise Him for what He did in the service. It seems that several people got some real help from the Word of God. I praise Him for that.

Pilgrim Progress is a black congregation, located in the inner city. It is a large congregation, at around 600 members. It is a lively congregation. they love to praise the Lord and truly love good, solid, expositional preaching. It is here that this congregation truly shines. I have preached in churches all across America. I have preached in churches both small and large. I have been in quiet churches and in shouting churches. I have preached in churches that loved preaching, and I have preached in other churches that just wanted you to stop so they could go home. But, I have never been in a church like Pilgrim Progress. There is a constant emphasis on the Word of God.

A typical service is opened by the deacons. They lead the congregation in singing and they share a passage of Scripture with the congregation. After and opening song, one of the young ministers in the church will take about 10 minutes to do a quick exposition of a passage from the Bible. The choir will sing, and another minister will come to the pulpit. He will take about 15 minutes to give a biblical exposition. There will be more singing, some words of exhortation from the Pastor, Dr. Gerald Parker. By the way, his comments are always laced with biblical references. Then, it is time for the preaching. All of this tends to produce a longer service; somewhere in the 2 hour plus range. The point is, however, that the Word of God, as it reveals Jesus Christ, is the centerpiece of every service I have attended in this great church. They love preaching! They will help you and they want you to preach. It is an honor to be asked to come here. It is an honor to have the privilege to preach in their pulpit. It is an honor to preach Jesus in an atmosphere where He is worshiped and where He is wanted.

Please continue to pray for the meeting. God blessed the first night, and I am sure that He will continue to do so as the week develops.

Alan

For the meeting in Little Rock, AR to begin. In about an our, our driver will come by the hotel to take us to church. We had a good flight out and a restful afternoon. I am looking forward to the meeting this week. Dr. Gerald Parker, the Pastor, his wife Sister Wanda and the rest of the Pilgrim Progress Baptist family are so gracious, kind and welcoming. This is my fourth year at Pilgrim Progress, preaching their fall meeting. I appreciate the open door, the great things God has done and the new friends I have made in this great church.

I hope you will pray for the meeting as it goes forward this week. Pray that God will move in power and that He will be glorified through the preaching and the worship of His people. Lord willing, I will update as the week moves forward.

Alan

It’s 4:30 AM in Jackson, WY and we are getting ready to fly home this morning. We need to be at the airport by 6:00 AM to turn in our 10 vans, go through security and make our 8:00 AM flight. We should be back in Charlotte around 4:00 PM eastern time. Pray for a safe trip today. Thank you all for your prayers for our little journey. While somethings did not go as we had planned, they went exactly as the Lord had planned. I would just remind you that He is a sovereign God. Every event in our lives was planned in eternity past; even the events of this past week. None of it caught Him by surprise. That comforts my heart and makes me thankful to be His child.

Alan

For the last day and a half, we have been in Driggs, ID. I never knew this town existed, thus I never expected to spend any time here. All in all, our visit here has been a great blessing. Some of our group needed rest and they have had the opportunity to get it while they are here. Some have been out exploring the area. It is beautiful here, with the Tetons Mountains to the east and the Big Hole Mountains to the west. The Teton River and the Snake River are nearby. Wildlife is also abundant in this area. Moose, elk and deer are very common. The weather is amazing. For you folks back in the south, imagine August at 75 degrees with no humidity. It is wonderful! Of course, winters here are a different story. They have several feet of snow, beginning on September and ending in June.

While Driggs is a beautiful, friendly place, my heart is broken for these people. I have discovered that this area is predominately Mormon. About 92% of the people report Mormonism as their religious affiliation. I did not know this, but Idaho ranks second behind Utah in the number of Mormon congregations, and third behind Utah and California in Mormon population. I also discovered that there is not a fundamental Baptist church in this entire county. The nearest on being many miles away. Back home, Baptist churches, good ones, are everywhere. That is another story here. The spiritual situation in this area is extremely sad. In my opinion, it would be difficult to start a fundamental Baptist church in this area. Of course, I am, and will continue to pray, that God will raise up someone to come to this area and work this field for the glory of God.

Today we will leave Driggs, ID and return to Jackson, WY for the night. Tomorrow we fly home. While this trip has not been what we expected it to be, some good has come out of it already. I have seen 55 people become close over this last week. This should translate into a closer fellowship within our church when we return home. Also, my eyes have been opened to the deplorable spiritual condition of the west. These people ned to hear about the Jesus of the Bible and no one is telling them about Him. They are hear a heresy, but they do not hear the truth. What a tragedy!

Please pray for our continued safety as we travel. I am ready for home!

Alan

We made the journey from Lander, WY to Driggs, ID yesterday. We checked into the Best Western here around 4:30 local time. The people here have been super nice and accommodating to our group. The hand of the Lord is evident in our trip. I praise Him for His faithfulness to His children. Nothing much is on the agenda for today. Some of our folks are fishing, others are sightseeing and the rest are, well, resting. Tonight, we will have our Wednesday evening service in the hotel conference room. Oh yeah, we moved from the Best Western to the Super 8 this morning. We will move again tomorrow, back to Jackson Hole, WY. Then, we will fly home on Friday. It has been a most unusual trip, to say the least. Of course, God is well aware of our circumstances, and there are no accidents with Him. He is a sovereign God and He works all things according the counsel of His Own will, Eph. 1:11. While this trip has been a comedy of errors, we can praise Him for His grace as we have traveled, for His creation so amazing and beautiful, for His love unfailing, and for bonding the hearts of 55 of our precious people in a way they will never get over. God is always working, even in the ,midst of events that seem to indicate otherwise.

Alan

Due to an unforeseen set of events, we are not staying Lander, WY. We are leaving tomorrow for Driggs, ID. I will explain everything to the church when I return. For the rest of you, well, some things are better left unsaid. As a man in our church says, “Less said; less mended”. Anyway, everyone is excited about the change of plans. The Lord has a way of working things out.

So, here are some pictures from the last couple of days. Enjoy!

We drove from Cody to Lander yesterday. On the way, we stopped at Thermopolis State Park. This is the site of the world’s largest hot springs. While we were there, we conducted a worship service and ate lunch. We were there for about 3 hours. The hot springs are worth a visit. We left there and drove through Wind River Canyon. It was absolutely breathtaking! Pictures will follow at a later date. Last night, we attended church at Calvary Baptist Church in Riverton, WY. It was a LONG service, and very different from what we are used to. It must be a cultural thing. Today, we toured a few of the sites found on the Wind River Indian Reservation. We visited the grave of Sacajawea, she was the Shoshone guide who served as a translator for Lewis and Clark in 1805-1806. We also visited the grave of Chief Washakie, who was chief of the Shoshone for 60 years. He was a brave warrior, who always sought the best for his people. We also visited the ceremonial grounds for the Eastern Shoshone people. It has bee na great day thus far. Tonight, we are supposed to go to a service on the Shosone reservation.

Please pray for our trip. We have been blessed with great weather, safe travel and patient people. Some things have not been as advertised, but we are trying to cope. We will see what the next few days hold for us!

ALan