BIG DAY for our Native Praise Choir! We begin recording our 2nd CD tonight. Pray for us as we want to express true praise to God Almighty! He is worthy!!!!
March 18 will forever be a memory for me. Never did I realize that meeting Willene Pierce in 1998 would change the direction my life would take 15 years later. I should have seen it coming. From the moment I met Willene, we were "linked". Girls' camps, women & girls retreats, the Native Praise Choir, the Native American LINK Executive Board, visits with missionaries, visits to mission points...on & on. I accepted the role of Executive Director, and my husband, Mike, as Treasurer of The Native American LINK, Inc., upon her retirement, but we felt confident, knowing Willene would mentor us.Then on this date, three years ago, God called her home, only nine months into our new posts. Using the wise counsel given us from Willene, & total reliance on God Almighty, the ministry continues. We miss Willene & honor her legacy, in the work of The Native American LINK, Inc. Thank you for your support & prayers.
Warm Southern Hospitality! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the WMU headquarters in Birmingham. Everyone was so friendly & treated us as if we were very special guests. It is wonderful to partner with such a caring organization. We can be confident in the leadership of our new national WMU Director, Sandy Wisdom-Martin. Thank you, Laura Harper, for setting up such a fine afternoon of learning & fellowship. Dinner with our dear Catherine & Lee Allen, & friend, Janie, was such a treat. Now, Mike is tired, road weary & fighting off illness, so we are Oklahoma bound today. God has surely blessed our travels. Thank you for praying for our Native American LINK ministry.
To visit special LINK friends is always good. A quick visit with Dan & Susan Gaske on Tuesday at Williamsburg included a Lent luncheon & a tour of Williamsburg, & LOTS of talking! Then, on to Indian Land, SC to visit Patsy Davis (on her birthday!)in her new retirement home. You go on a world tour in Patsy's beautiful home, seeing so all the decor which represent places where Patsy has ministered through the years. She served on the mission field & with Baptist World Alliance. We also attended a Bible Study with her at her church, meeting ladies who had heard the choir sing in South Carolina. They asked us to sing, so, of course, we did!
Birmingham tomorrow! Last Thursday, Mike, Merry Monroe, Marisue Rowe & I embarked on a journey to visit two churches in Maryland & Delaware, as well as a host of individuals who have faithfully given mission support to The Native American LINK, Inc. ministry for several years.
It is wonderful to report how God has used this ministry. It is also such a blessing to personally say "thank you, wado, mvto, yakoke", give handshake or a hug. We have met some for the first time. People have been gracious to host us in their homes & feed us meals. It's been so good to reunite with friends & make new ones along the way. From Oklahoma to Arkansas, to Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and homeward bound, God is with us. So very blessed! On June 8-14, 2017, The Native American LINK will be chartering the Muscogee-Creek Nation bus for a trip to Phoenix, AZ. The purpose is to attend the Native American Leadership Conference, sponsored by the Fellowship of Native American Christians (FoNAC). The Native Praise Choir will be singing for FoNAC, and, in addition, also hope to attend portions of the WMU Annual Meeting and the Southern Baptist Convention.
I can't sleep, thinking about all that God is doing in our Native American LINK. A Saturday morning spent with the Native Praise Choir as we prepare for our 2nd recording in March. Excitement in the air!
Yesterday, Mike & I traveled to a small Choctaw Indian community in Oklahoma named Honobia. A Native Praise Choir sister had lost her younger brother quite suddenly, so we went to support Hanna during this time. I had received numerous messages from her fellow choir sisters, sending love & condolences for Hanna's loss. We have been together as a choir, representing numerous tribes, since 1999, & I knew each of those messages to be genuinely from their hearts.
Happy New Year! The Native Praise Choir will have their first monthly choir practice session on Saturday, January 14, 2017 @ First Baptist Church, 313 N Ridley, Maysville, OK. It will begin at 1pm. Choir members will wear their red long-sleeved polo shirts, as we will have a brief "worship concert" at 3pm for anyone who wishes to hear the beautiful hymns of our native tribes.
(Of course, it will take place, weather permitting). “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. -Revelations 3:8 NKJV
What lies ahead for 2017? God promises us many opportunities of service for Him. We can be sure that the adversary will not be content when we step out of our comfort zones to accomplish much for the cause of Jesus Christ; however, God will go before us. We can do little of our own strength, but with God, all things are possible. Our prayer is that God will use the ministries of The Native American LINK, Inc. to bring salvation to those who have yet to know Him as Lord & Savior. If you have never asked Jesus into your heart, won't you make 2017 a year of newness for your life? |
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