Miss Glenda was mad! Oh, she was smiling, but there was irritation in her voice as well! We have known and ministered to Miss Glenda since the day we began working at Good News Ministries 16 years ago. She's an elderly lady that is the grandma of the projects. She isn't any "sit on her porch in a rocking chair grandma", though. She is and always has been very active.
She was raised "back in the holler" outside of Byrdstown, TN about 20 miles away from the projects where she lives now. Although she dropped out of school way before her high school years to work on the family farm, she is still as smart as a whip. She may not be good at any academic subject, but she probably knows how to get by in life better than the most educated of us do. When someone says that a person has "street smarts" it makes people think that someone knows how to get by living in a big city. I don't know if I would say that Miss Glenda has "street smarts", but she sure has "life smarts" and knows how to get by in life.
She can tell you stories about growing up on the farm and cutting tobacco in her youth. Then working, raising three daughters, and taking care of sick and elderly relatives in her adult years all while protecting her family from an abusive, alcoholic, husband and father.
When I first met her she was "tending to" her second husband who was bed ridden and dying. She had met him at some of bluegrass music festivals where she would join in some of the musical groups and play her guitar. They ended up forming a musical group and playing together and then ended up getting married.
Miss Glenda is in her 70's now but still as active as ever. She usually goes to bed before dark and is frequently seen at four in the morning sweeping sidewalks or collecting trash from people's yards to make the projects look better.
Today, however, she wasn't collecting trash or sweeping sidewalks, she was mad at me! Why was she mad? Because I hadn't come around to visit with her in a long time and we hadn't been having our regular adult Bible Studies! Unfortunately with Sarah and I both working part-time jobs and with us conducting day camps for the projects kids this summer, there hasn't been much time for the adult Bible studies and my every other day or so visitations to chat with the residents of the projects and make sure some of the elderly ladies were okay. In fact, I have heard that some of the residents had been asking if anyone has seen me and where I was lately.
Well, hopefully, soon I won't have to feel the wrath of Miss Glenda or any of the others. After much prayer and talking back and forth with Sarah, I have turned in my notice at my part-time job in order to concentrate on raising support and being a missionary again. We plan on starting up at least two Bible Clubs this fall for children as well as some adult Bible studies as well and, of course, my every other day or so walks to chat, minister to, and visit everyone.
Please be in prayer for us! We really can't get by on the money that is coming in now but we really can't carry on the ministry that God has given us when we are working part time either. Pray that more individuals and churches will join with us in our ministry by financially supporting Good News Ministries and our family. Pray for more prayer supporters as well. People that will commit to praying for us regularly are the foundation stones of our ministry. We cannot do it without them.
If you would be interested in coming along side of us as a financial supporter or prayer supporter please contact us for more information. Our address and phone number are below.
Thank you so much ahead of time!
No comments:
Post a Comment