Dear family at Landmark,
Well, the tent revivals are over. I am writing this from Mt. Salem, where they were kind enough to put me up for the night. After trying out the swimming pool, I've been reflecting on some of what's happened over the last month.
One person I keep remembering is Kathy. She's a bus girl who goes to the Lehighton church, and I remember her staring at me intently when I preached "Father of the Fatherless" on the bus that day. The next night she got saved. One of the bus workers on that route told me later that they had witnessed to her many, many times but she had always refused Christ. I hope she is doing well now.
A couple weeks ago Carrie Anne Breedlove made public her decision to marry me. I said she'd have to ask my parents after she grows up. :)
The last two weeks of revival were very different. We went from Baltimore, a large city, to a church in the middle of nowhere in Virginia! Each location has its own challenges and blessings. Starting in Baltimore, each of the preacher boys started giving some testimonies in our classes. It turns out that almost all of us have been twisted in some way. It's interesting how some people have unexpected backgrounds.
I got a chance to preach a 5-minute sermon in Virginia, and since then Randy Taylor has remembered my name! :) Yes, for almost a whole month he only referred to me as "P. A. man" or "sound guy"! :)
Overall, this has been a good experience. I've learned a lot, especially watching how different churches interact differently with the revival team, and observing how Brother Taylor adjusts his team to meet the needs of that church. I am preparing a writeup for the other preacher boys so they will hopefully know more what to expect next year.
As for myself, I'm going east for a bit. This month has been fun and very instructive, but the schedule has been insane - I was really hoping for some more time alone. I expect whan I return home to be kept busy with my new business, in addition to what the Lord has instructed me to start doing - indeed, I have no idea how I'm going to keep on top of all that. So for the next little while I'm just going to explore a bit and spend a bit of time just with me and God.
I'm keeping y'all (as they say here) in my prayers, and I appreciate your prayers for me!
One blessing in the last church was their bookstore, which was a ministry instead of a business. They had an excellent selection of books with minimum markup. I restrained myself and only got about a dozen books. :) That was actually Pastor Stegall's church, where we stayed. They had some very nice ties for only $3, too.
I miss home a lot, especially the church. You're always in my thoughts and prayers. This may be the last chance I really have to write for a while, but know that I haven't forgotten about y'all, and I'll see you before too long!
-Stephen Cleary