ON STICKATUATIVITY...

There is just something special about tent meetings. As a child I always looked forward to going to tent meetings when Freddy Clark would be in our area. I remember his big white nylon tent when he had it set up in Caribou, Maine. I’m not sure how many center poles it had but it was huge! Very impressive! I remember when he set up a tent in Blaine, not far from what used to be Smitty’s Truck Stop. One of my uncles gave his heart to the Lord in those meetings!

VBC Website Header

We have erected a tent here at Victory Bible Camp every summer since 2001. It’s a four pole Pikes Tent 35’ X 70’.  We only set up 2/3 of the tents capacity with just two poles rather than four. Today I received 100 chairs from my brother Jason from his church in Brockville.  What a tremendous blessing to get these chairs!

As I was setting up the chairs yesterday, I recalled a story that I just had to share today.

When Esther and I were first married, we lived in Bathurst, New Brunswick for just a few months.  At the time my dad was building the mobile chapel and I was able to give him a hand on the project.

Dad began having Home Bibles with a couple from a small town just north of Bathurst called Petit Rocher (Little Rock). It was during that time that Dad felt on his heart to have a series of tent meetings. News quickly spread that the Pentecostals were coming to town.  We figured people would be excited about a big tent coming to their village! Dad was able to secure a field right on the main road into Petit Rocher. We printed up some announcements and planned to have Bro. Lloyd Williams as the main speaker. It was quite exciting!

I remember bringing everything to the site on the trailer. We had the tent, poles, chairs, ropes, steel stakes, lights, sound system and anything else that was required. Dad and I built a platform. Together we began raising the tent. It was a lot of work!  We worked all one day setting up the tent and placing the chairs. We set up the sound system, hung the lights and got the platform in place. 

That afternoon someone stopped by and gave us a subtle warning that we should keep an eye on things, especially during the night. He said he had heard some rumors going around town that some people were planning to do something. Dad took the warning serious and went home to bring over his travel trailer.  He and I decided we better spend the night in the trailer just to make sure there would be no trouble. Dad said I was the official Security Guard! We went to bed at around 11:00pm and sure enough at 1:30am there was this truck that came barrelling into the field. We were both startled out of our sleep and jumped up to see what was going on. As we looked out through the windows of the trailer we heard a loud “War Whoop!”  And then we watched as the entire tent came floating down to the ground! We stayed inside the trailer until there was no more commotion. Then we both went out to survey the damage. The tent was completely flat! All the ropes had been cut! I remember how sad my dad felt. We had both worked so hard. Dad said “We’ll, worry about it tomorrow.” We went back into the trailer and went back to sleep.

When we awoke in the morning, for a split second I thought it was just a dream that I had had. But as we got up and made some coffee we looked at all the mess. It was like a tornado had ripped through in the night. Now I don’t know if you can picture it, but it wasn’t just that the tent was down but everything that we had put inside was now buried underneath. It was a bit embarrassing because people would drive by and stop and look at the mess. Some would circle back to take a second look. Funny...no one offered to help!  But my Dad wasn’t a quitter! He said, Son, we better get this tent back up because our first service starts tonight.” I said, “Really?” He said, “Why of course! We’re not going to let this discourage us! Let’s get busy! This isn’t the end of the world!”

First, we had to remove everything from underneath. Not a pleasant job! Once everything was out, we began standing the outer perimeter poles and then we stood the center poles just like we had done the day before. People continued to drive by and stare at us. I’m sure they thought we were nuts!

Just as we got the tent up for the second time, a man stopped in and began to talk to Dad. I kept hearing Dad say, “I understand...Yes, I understand. No problem.” The man was an important man in the community and he told Dad that there were a lot of people in the town that were not very happy with what we were doing and he asked Dad to take the tent down. He said if we didn’t take the tent down, he knew it would be even worse that night!

Well, it was disappointing for both of us. Bro. Lloyd Williams arrived that afternoon as we were taking the tent down. Dad felt so bad to tell Brother Williams that there would be no tent meetings.

But guess what?  Dad baptised his first convert in the Bathurst church and she was from Petit Rocher! Her name was Viola Haché.  She became a wonderful blessing to the church and still is! God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform! It was as though God was saying, “Don’t fret...at least we got ONE!”

I learned a lot from that incident! I learned things like, Never quit! Never give up! And never give in! God always has a way of bringing the good out of the bad.

Today the church in Bathurst is still going strong. I will always admire the “stickatuativity” of my Dad! I too want to be determined to push through, even when things look difficult.

C’mon, say it with me STICK-A-TU-A-TIV-ITY. I WILL NEVER QUIT!

ON STEVE'S BLOG...

Greetings Everyone!


Just want to let everyone know that I haven't given up on writing. For that would be a shame! The last few days have been very busy getting everything ready for camp. 


Tonight we have a Spanish Pentecostal group of 60 arriving. They will be here for the weekend and then on Tuesday we begin our 5 day Children's Camp which looks like we will have a very high enrollment. Then the following Tuesday we will begin our 5 day Teen Camp. It's gonna be a lot of early mornings and late nights over the next few weeks. Pray for Victory Bible Camp and for Esther and I.


Then I should be able to get back to writing some more goodies! Feel free to go back and review some of the past blogs I've written.


Love and Prayers,
Pastor Steve and Esther


PS:  Jason drove up from Brockville today!  We had it out! He was limping, rubbing his nose and crying when he left! Reminded me of when he was 3 and had to have stitches! (read the July 27th Blog and you will understand!)


Oh, and thanks for giving the camp 100 chairs today Jason!  You're such a lovely Brother!   :-)

ON MY BROTHER JASON...

Since I did an entire Blog on my brother Joel, it would only seem right to do one on my other brother Jason.

Jason is a lovely brother.


:-)

ON MY BROTHER JOEL...

Leaving the house

My youngest brother was born Caesarean Section....that’s why whenever he leaves the house he goes out through a window instead of the door! It’s just a habit that he was born with!

His name is Joel.  He had the biggest cheeks you ever did see.  What a cutie he was. I didn’t have the opportunity to grow up with Joel since I was already married and gone from the house. It so happened that he was born just six months before our oldest daughter Estelle was born. Joel is now 32.

Joel seemed to have a rough beginning in life. On the night Mom went into labor, dad and I were at the Married Couples Retreat in Fredericton. Dad was one of the speakers so he felt he should go. Esther was in Bathurst with mom. Dad had left his car at home and we went in ours.

That evening everything seemed normal and while mom was talking to Shirley Lewis on the phone, in the course of conversation mom calmly said to Shirley, “I think I’ll be going to the hospital tonight.” Then just a few seconds later said, “Oops, my water just broke, I guess I should be going.” Esther heard what mom had just said and went into high gear trying to get mom off the phone and ready to go!  Mom wasn’t too concerned, in fact she asked Esther to do a load of laundry. Esther threw the clothes in and set the washer to “short load” and then when it just started the wash cycle she jumped it ahead to spin! Esther says, mom just took her good ole time. Finally they got into the car. It was the end of February so there was a lot of snow to contend with. It was the first time Esther had driven dads car, plus she had no idea how to get to the hospital so mom was giving her directions as they went. Every so often mom would grip the door handle really tight, either having a contraction or tense with Esther's driving...we're not sure which. When they got close to the hospital mom said, "Turn here!" But it was the wrong street. Esther got the car turned around and just as she pulled back onto the main street a car was passing in their lane straight toward them. They had nowhere to go because of the high snow banks. Esther said she just closed her eyes, and said, “OH LORD HELP US!” She just knew that there would surely be a head on collision!

Mom didn’t know at the time that Esther was three months pregnant herself expecting our first child, Estelle. There were four in the car! Not just mom and Esther! When she opened her eyes the other car had miraculously passed around them and all was well. They arrived at the hospital and mom was in labor for many hours. Dad arrived from Fredericton before Joel was born and since mom had been in labor for so long the Doctor decided mom would have to have a C-section and said, "We only have four minutes to get this child out!" Joel was born on February 29^th.  A leap-year baby!

At the age of one Joel was playing and somehow got his hands on a large diaper pin that was OPEN and got it into his mouth and swallowed it! He began choking and dad and mom rushed him to the emergency. The X-ray showed that the diaper pin was located part way down his throat, open in a V position with the needle end pointing upward. They explained to dad that there was nothing they could do for Joel in Bathurst and that they would have to rush him to the Hospital in Moncton two and a half hours away. 

Joel, Misty, Gracie, Ava

Dad immediately ran out of the hospital and jumped into the car and took off toward Moncton before the Ambulance left. Dad told us how that he was driving extremely fast down through Harcourt, sometimes burying the needle! Just then he looked in the rear view mirror and here came the lights and siren of the Ambulance literally flying! It passed him like he was sitting still! They rushed Joel into Emergency. Somehow they were able to get the diaperpin out by pushing it all the way down into his stomach, turning it around and pulling it back up through his throat! He recovered fine. Thank God!

Ava and Gracie

Then there was the time the family were at a place where Joel was swimming in a pool and the next thing they knew, there was Joel floating face down struggling to get his head out of the water. Dad quickly rushed to his rescue pulling him out of the water by the scruff of his neck! Another close call! Joel was only five!(see correction below)

I could go on telling about his terrifying situations like his trip home to Oklahoma just a couple years ago when his wife Misty had to rush him into Emergency with severe bleeding ulcers! He was one sick boy!

I think you get the picture. This boy’s life has been spared several times for which we thank God! He has an incredible ministry as he connects with people, preaching the Word of God, in a most extraordinary way! He is definitely an extension of our dad’s Children’s Ministries ability. Joel assists at John and Jody's church in Lone Grove, Oklahoma. He carries a wonderful testimony of God’s protection! He and his wife Misty, have two beautiful daughters, Ava and Gracie! We thank God for this wonderful family!!

Joel just getting home!

Well, I guess I better sign off for now because it looks like Joel just got home!   SRR




STORY CORRECTION BY MOM ABOUT THE NEAR DROWNING: 
Mom says:  I was cooking at the camp site. Dad was talking to Grampie. All of a sudden I said to dad you should go check on the boys. And he started talking again with Grampie. I said in a more firmer voice Ray I feel like you should go right now so he got up and went down. Jo'el was at the bottom of the pool and dad jumped in and grabbed his hair and pulled him up. There were bubbles coming from his mouth while he was under the water. Dad asked Jo'el later were you trying to say something under water, Jo'el said I was trying to say help me! 
Jo'el was standing on the edge of the pool. Randy went down the slide with his arms opened up wide - and by mistake his arm caught Jo'el and swept him out into the pool. And of course Jo'el couldn't swim. It must have been at that instant that I felt Ray should go now and check on the boys. Ray told me later the boys didn't even know Jo'el was in the water. Jo'el threw up a lot of water! It was a miracle!!

ON THE BACK ROADS OF HOYT....

Don’t try this at home, unless you are a professional!

Bell Bridge  Juvenile Settlement

Back a number of years ago, we were spending a couple of nights at our cottage in Hoyt, New Brunswick. We loved that little place! No running water, just a spring at the bottom of the hill. An old covered bridge with lots of hilly twists and turns in the road.

The first day that we were there we were driving on the Juvenile Settlement Road out in back of Hoyt, not far from the Bell Bridge. I asked my two girls if they had ever ridden on the hood of the car before.  They both emphatically said, NOOO!!  I said, “Would you like to?” Michelle, our sporadic one, was quick to say, “YES!” But Estelle was a little more cautious. She said “Really, Dad? What if something happens?” I said, “I’ll go slow, you’ll be fine.” To which Esther said, “NO! YOU’RE NOT DOING THAT!” I insisted, “They’ll be okay!” Then she gave me that, “Don’t be so dumb, look!” I said, “Aw it’ll be fun!” The girls, now, were in full agreement! Esther wasn’t excited about it at all!

Anyway, I changed the subject and we continued on our little ride.

The next day Esther stayed at the cottage while I and the girls went for a ride in the car down to the spring to get some water. When we got out of sight of the cottage, once again, I asked the girls if they would like to ride on the hood of the car! Michelle said, “YES!” Esther didn’t object this time. So I stopped the car. We got out and I sat each girl on the hood of the car side by side and told them to lay their backs against the windshield. I said, “Now hold on tight to the windshield wipers. Cause here we go!”  As they lay against the windshield they looked at each other and grinned from ear to ear! The second the car started to move they let out a deafening squeal. Then their screaming turned to hysterical laughter as I accelerated a little. Once in awhile I would turn the wipers on and they would scream their heads off! I would speed up and slow down and they would squeal all the more! I’m sure they will never forget the day when their dad lost his mind and turned the car into their personal roller coaster! Esther still didn’t say a word!

After our episode of fun we went back to the cottage and the girls ran in to tell their mom what THEY had done. She just shook her head!

That afternoon we were at the little restaurant in Hoyt and when we came back to the car it wouldn’t start. I wasn’t sure what to do so I called Bro. David Ferrell who was pastoring the church there at the time. I explained my dilemma and told him I needed to be back to our church that evening for Bible Study and that I didn’t know what to do. He gracious loaned me his car.  I assured him that I would be back with it in the morning.

My family got into his car and as Pastor Dave was standing at the driver’s side window while we were saying goodbye, all of a sudden from the back seat behind me came this little voice from Michelle saying, “And Dad...don’t do anything stupid!”, obviously referring to our ‘hood of the car’ experience. I remember glancing back at her and frowning but not saying anything. Have you ever had an awkward moment? This was mine! I glanced at Pastor Dave and I know he was wondering what in the world could this little girl be talking about. Perhaps he was wondering, “What is this guy going to do to my car?” I was a little embarrassed as I drove away in Pastor Dave’s car. I brought his car back the next morning and I don’t think I ever did explain to him what my daughter was talking about. I’m quite sure he checked all the fenders when he got the car back though!

Well, the moral of this story is.....

Actually there is no moral other than, “Just have fun and make your kids laugh a lot!”

C’mon up sometime and I’ll take YOU for ride on the hood of my car!  It’ll be fun....I’ll just go slowly!  HAAA!  Maybe Esther will join you! SRR

ON THANKS...

Hi Everyone! I have to tell you all how much I appreciate those who are faithfully reading my Blog each day. I have a statistics counter that gives me a daily report and the numbers are so amazing! I had no idea there would be this much interest! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


I have many more stories that I think you will enjoy! Today, however, is going to be one of those extremely busy days. We have a group of 25 coming in from the Sates to help us get everything ready for our Youth Camps that begins in just a few days. Perhaps I can write you another story this evening.
Have an awesome day!! I love you all!  SRR

ON SERVING HIM...

Our concept of "church" is so very important! In the early 80's, Christianity in North America was characterized by selfishness. A message was preached that didn’t fully line up with the Holy scriptures. Preachers taught people that the church or even God Himself owed them something. And we ended up with people crying, Bless ME! Bless ME! Bless ME!” 

When we preach a message of selfishness we present a wrong picture of the church Jesus desires to have. Too many churches have tried to be a “user friendly” church with a modern self-centered appeal. In doing so, churches tried to please and appease people being careful not to step on anyone's toes in order to build 'numbers', and as a result wound up with very shallow Christians. Don't misunderstand, I'm not against large churches. But church should not be “what I can get out of it” but rather “what can I contribute to it”. Many looked to what God could do FOR them rather than looking at who He is. 

I’ve often said, there are three types of people who followed Jesus; Those who followed Him because He gave them food to eat, Those who followed him because they liked watching Him perform miracles. And those who followed Him simply because they LOVED Him. 

We forget that the greatest reward of Christianity is not "prosperity" or even what the church can do for me. The greatest reward is Jesus Himself! Sadly the church produced a whole generation of "birth defective" disciples who through no fault of their own were taught to value what Jesus could do for them, forgetting that victory is in Jesus Himself! Isn’t it time that we let the world know that it’s all about Jesus and not all about us? We serve Him today because we LOVE HIM! 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

So let's all go to church this morning with the idea of serving Him rather than being served! I LOVE HIM!! HOW ABOUT YOU?   SRR