Dear Friends,

March was a great month for us and April has begun with so much going on that we are late again in getting our news letter out. However, some of the news is worth waiting for.

We began March with a trip to Kansas City where we had a great weekend with Pastor Hale and his wife at Sherwood Bible Church. We also spoke that weekend at Grace Bible Church in Stilwell, KS. On Saturday we had lunch with long time friends, Joe and Mary Jane Everett. Then on Saturday evening we went out to eat with our Grandson, Eric, and his then girlfriend, Sarah. On March 5-7 we were in meetings and in classes at Calvary Bible College with the leaders of the IFCA Church Extension Agencies. From Kansas City we flew to Wisconsin. On Thursday night, March 8, we stayed in Mazomanie with Leroy and Barbara Kenney, retired BMW missionaries. Then we were in a Mission Conference at Calvary Bible Church in Marshfield, WI. We had a great weekend there and stayed with a long time friend, Am Amundson. On Monday, March 12 we visited with former students, Don and Beth Wedel. Back home that weekend we played catch up with many details and I spoke on Wednesday, had a church planters network meeting on Friday, taught Sunday School on Sunday and hosted a men’s luncheon on Monday.

Our next trip started on Tuesday, March 20, when we drove to Winston Salem, NC. I spoke in Chapel at Piedmont Baptist College on Wednesday and we hosted the IFCA Regional on Thursday and Friday. On Friday and Saturday we drove to Narragansett, RI with a stop in Lanham, MD to spend the night with our friends, Sam and Jackie Martz. Les Lofquist, Executive Director of IFCA also traveled with us on this trip. It was a very fun trip. Les and I spoke at a Bible Conference at Calvary Bible Church in Narragansett on Sunday through Tuesday. On Monday Les and I also spent the day at the Naval Base in Newport, RI. We visited with three IFCA Chaplains and also got to spend some time at the Naval Chaplains School and at the Naval War College where all Navy Officers get training. It was a fantastic day for us and one we will remember for the rest of our lives. On Tuesday we sponsored a pastor’s luncheon at Calvary Bible Church and had about ten people attend. We had a great time and two former students were there. Calvary Bible has been a supporting church for 26 years and we have many friends there.

We then drove to Winsted, CT, where I spoke at Faith Bible Church and we stayed with former students, Joe and Becky McNally. On Thursday we drove to Honesdale, PA where we had a Mentoring for Ministry Workshop on Friday and Saturday at Honesdale Gospel Tabernacle. I spoke three times there on Sunday. On Monday morning, April 2, we drove 3 hours to East Earl, PA where we had a breakfast with about 20 IFCA pastors. That afternoon we drove to Richmond, VA and spent the night with my sister, Pat and, her husband, John. My sister, Laurette, also was there and we watched the NCAA finals with them. On Tuesday, April 3, we drove home.

On Wednesday, our daughter, Susan, arrived to spend her springbreak with us. We are having a great week with all our daughters together with us. Now for the big news. I mentioned having dinner with our grandson, Eric, and his “then” girlfriend in Kansas City. We got a call last night with the announcement that she is now his fiancé. They were engaged last night, April 6. The wedding is planned for May 31, 2008. Sarah is the daughter of our dear friends Rich and Patti Toliver. Rich is pastor of Branson Bible Church, Branson, MO. We are all very excited about Eric and Sarah's engagement and their desire to serve the Lord together.





Thanks again for your support, encouragement and friendship.

Jerry and Amy Smith