November Stepping Stones

SMITHS STEPPING STONES
Psalm 37:23-“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way.”

Greetings to all,

As we explained last month, we have decided to combine the two e-mail letters that we were sending out each month and we have chosen to call our monthly letter “Smith’s Stepping Stones.” We trust you like the new heading. We will continue to keep you updated with what is happening in our lives, and we will include our schedule in each letter. Stepping stones symbolize the path ahead that the Lord is laying out for us. Last year there was a need for more offices at the BMW headquarters so I moved out of my office so another person who is in the office daily could have my office. I have been working in a cubicle and most of my books, files, etc. are in storage. Some new offices are now being built in the basement and I will be getting one of them. It will probably be ready by January. I am seeking to raise a couple thousand dollars to help furnish this office. If you would like to help with this project, just send your gift to BMW and designate it for Jerry Smith’s office. I am especially looking to get some nice office furniture and a picture for my wall that emphasizes “stepping stones.”

Jerry was in Kansas City the first few days of October and had some good visits with our grandson Eric. Amy went to Chicago with Vince and Jill’s family to attend a reception for our granddaughter Aimee and her husband, Bill Townill. They were married in September. On October 8-10 Jerry led a combined IFCA Regional meeting at Cedine Bible Mission in Spring City, TN. The Cumberland Regional and the Dixie Regional met together and we were blessed by the ministry of Gary Gilley. Amy and I drove to the Gulf Coast for a week of ministry. First we were at Bible Fellowship Church in Pass Christian, MS and we were really encouraged by the response of this church to the Change Workshop that I taught over a weekend. It is exciting to see how great this church is doing after a full recovery from the hurricane damage of Katrina. From there we went to Camp Pearl in Reeves, LA where Jerry attended a Pastor’s Conference and an IFCA Regional meeting. Amy enjoyed spending time with friends in the area. I also spoke at Reeves Bible Church and Kinder Bible Church while we were there. We were able to spend a few days at home spoiling our grandson and getting involved in a work day with our neighborhood Homeowners Association as we worked to make the entrance to our neighborhood more attractive. The last weekend of October we flew to San Francisco, rented a car and drove about five hours north to Burney, CA, where Jerry taught a weekend workshop at Grace Community Church and ministered at the church on Sunday. We had a blessed time meeting new friends there and seeing some of God’s beautiful creation in northern California. On the way back to San Francisco we stopped in Sacramento to spend the night with friends and Jerry met with some area pastors for a lunch. The night before we flew home Jerry taught a class at Fellowship Bible Church in Belmont, CA, and while he was speaking we experienced a 5.6 earthquake that lasted about 30 seconds. That is about as strong as we want to experience! Amy said that was a powerful sermon—it shook the whole church building!

We are presently on a three week trip to Michigan and New York.

Thanks for praying,

Jerry and Amy

PRAISE:
1-Jerry is getting a “real” office!
2-Two great workshops in October.
3-We are meeting new folks in our neighborhood.
4-Our car loan is down to about $3500.

PRAYER:
1-For our church plant in Bethlehem, GA.
2-For family who will be traveling to Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with us.
3-Our daughter Susan’s family has some special needs at this time.

SCHEDULE:
November
1-2 ---- Drive to Michigan
2-3 ---- Possibly a workshop in Michigan
4 ---- AM, SS—Ottawa Center Chapel, Coopersville, MI
4 ---- PM—Allegan Bible Church, Allegan, MI
6-9 ---- IFCA Board Meeting, Grandville, MI
9-10 ---- Workshop, Whitneyville Bible Church, Alto, MI
11 ---- AM-East Arlington Baptist Church, Lawrence, MI
13-14 ---- Drive to NY State
15-17 ---- WOL Pastors Conference, Schroon Lake, NY
18 ---- AM-Martindale Community Gospel Church, Craryville, NY
18 ---- PM Grace Bible Church, Wappingers Falls, NY
19 ---- Drive to Richmond, VA
21 ---- Drive to Atlanta
December
1-27 ---- We plan to be home for most of this time and will be having Christmas with many of our extended Family.