We were well over 6 weeks late receiving mail due to the hurricanes and so when I received a letter this past week dated September 6 I was so disappointed to read that Howard & Jackie Holton of Revival Center in Lake Charles had retired after over 50 years in ministry. They have been such a blessing to Dottie and myself and to not have been able to congratulate them at the time of retirement was sad for us. He helped me through the valleys of early ministry and I will forever be grateful.The many lives he has affected is countless. His church building and evangelism in South Louisiana a half century ago still has people giving testimony to what God did. I am proud to call them friends.

One of the kids was playing American football and broke his collar bone. Not much you can do for that but Melvin & the nurse just left for the hospital with him.

Jan will arrive the first of December to begin the writing and ministry for the sexually abused children.

We had the CAT Scan and the MRI done on Friday so the results for Michelle should reach her neurologist Monday afternoon. Dottie and I are praying it is a medication problem and not another tumer.

A number of folks have asked for specifics on the financial situation so I averaged the months before the hurricane and our offerings monthly were $74,500. Following the hurricane they have been $52,600 so you can see we are about $22,000 per month below what we need. BUT all our bills are paid and we are also getting those extra salaries paid. So God is faithful and I am totally at ease.

The one thing that you hear constantly is MONEY. The world is so fearful of high prices, debt, interest rates, lack etc. But God has us right where He wants us. We get to choose who our God truly is. When all is well we just sing and shout and love the Lord. When troubles hit & the purse is affected the gloom and fear sets in. But He is God and He will take care of His children-Matthew 7:11.

Greed destroys but Giving cures greed. Yesterday Jose & Maria were here for lunch. It is Jose who has helped us to build churches here in Guagtemala. Four are being built as I write this. No matter what happens with the finances we will continue to build churches, Sunday school buildings and pastor's homes. Forty churches have been built and more than 40 homes over the years. We just purchased property to build a home for a blind pastor. He has been in ministry almost cotinuously since the day the police shot hime 25 years ago leaving him blind for life.

Be thankful, be generous, be faithful, be confident in your giving. The alternative is so sad.