August 8

There was about 1,000 people in attendance for the week. Brother Phil Kidd closed the meeting out on Friday night, and the altar call lasted about an hour. I believe it was 34 teenagers that got saved that night, so there was lots of rejoicing and weeping. I didn't go to present our work or raise support, so it was good to just sit and watch God work in the lives of so many people.

August 7

Brother Tony Hutson preached tonight and just "knocked it out of the ball park." Phil Kidd followed him and preached a sobering message on sexual impurity amongst teenagers in America, including those raised in church. The altar call was full of young people making committments.

August 5 - Faith Baptist Camp

My wife left this morning to pick up her sister (Becki) in Nashville, Tennessee. Their mother will fly in on Thursday, and they will all be staying at Nina & Brad's for the week. They will all drive to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to visit Joshua over the weekend. Meanwhile, Josiah and I drove down to join the Maunsells at Sammy Allen's camp meeting in Resaca, Georgia. I'd heard of Sammy Allen for years, but had never been to his church or camp meeting, so since it was only an hour down the road, we went and stayed for the week. There was lots of shouting, running the aisles, good old-fashioned hymn singing and family groups playing fiddles, guitars & banjos, and some real good preachin'.

August 4 - Resaca, Georgia

Today my daughter Bethany went down to Sammy Allen's camp meeting with the Maunsell Family. She is pictured here next to their daughter, Bethany, and 2 of the many girls that stayed with them in the dorm.

August 3

This is the Bill Maunsell Family (minus their oldest daughter Bethany). Brother Bill is the son-in-law of Brother Allen Jones, and has been the associate pastor of his church there in Lebanon Ohio. Their family drove down from Lebonon, this Sunday to spend the night with us on their way down to Resaca, Georgia for Sammy Allen's camp meeting. They attended the evening service with us at Bible Baptist Church in Rossville, then I cooked a big fish dinner for all of us. The kids had a good time getting reacquainted from our meeting with them back in April.

July 29 - Atlanta, Georgia

It's been 22 years since I've seen a major league baseball game. My Bethany got into baseball during our last year on the field, so I promised her we'd go to a game "sometime" on furlough. She likes the St. Louis Cardinals, so when they came to town, I took her, Josiah and 2 boys from Bible Baptist Church (who just lost their father) to see the Atlanta Braves. We got there early enough to watch batting practice, but it started pouring rain about an hour and a half before game time. It let up to a slow drizzle, so they went ahead and started on time at 7:00 pm. Yep, we sat in the "cheap seats" way up in the "nose bleed" section (only $6 a ticket), but it was fun. Braves lost 8-3 that night, and 3 out of 4 in this series.

What's A Ball Game Without a Dog?

Yeah, they're way overpriced, but I've gone 22 years without a ball park hot dog, so I splurged and got one for all the kids and myself. Besides, I ran 10 miles the day before, so my waistline could afford it!

July 28 - Running 10 Miles Now

I told you earlier how I bumped my routine up from 5 to 7 miles. I did that for 3 weeks, but today I started 10-mile runs. It sure takes longer, but I love the challenge and I continue to shed the pounds. I'm weighing in at 145 pounds now and feel great. I would encourage all you men (40 and up) who have been putting off the idea of working out to just go ahead and get started. Yes, you WILL feel pain, but I am compelled to quote that wonderful phrase used by the Marine Corps - "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY." Ooo-rah!

When I started running last September, my chest and lungs burned on my first quarter mile lap, I was out of breath and I felt like quitting. But, being the athlete that I am, I HATE to lose, even to MYSELF. I learned to run through the cramps; now I never cramp and I can run 10 miles without breathing hard at all. Even when I ran my first 13 miles, I wasn't out of breath; just a little sore. Believe me, I'm not being boastful. I simply want to push those of you who know you need and want to work out, but just can't find the motivation. YOU CAN DO IT... JUST DO IT!!

July 25-27

Yup, our Nina is almost 21 weeks along now (19 weeks in picture), and is due on December 29. She just had the ultrasound done this week, and it's gonna be a girl. Our family left Milan and stopped in Carthage to visit for the weekend. Her and Brad are doing well, and couldn't be happier. We were scheduled to return to Congo in September, but we will be extending our furlough to stay for the birth. I really don't want to stay longer, but I also don't want to pay for another ticket to fly my wife home just 3 months later. But, I am glad that we will all get to be here for this special event, so I trust you all understand.

July 19 to 24 - Milan, Tennessee

We attended a Missions Conference at Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor Doug Powell. Milan is in west Tennessee, just north of Memphis and Jackson. It was a good meeting with several new missionaries on deputation and a few of us veterans.

"Tearing Up Jack!"

Brother Powell put all us missionaries to work this week, as the church is doing some serious rennovating. We tore down paneled walls, 2 bathrooms and 2 block walls. We ate good, but we earned our keep! Preacher was pleased with what was accomplished, and the title of this post is how he described our efforts!

A Fellow Runner

While in Milan, I needed some work done on the brakes of our Suburban. The pastor referred me to a Mr. Charles Reagan, who owns and runs a muffler shop. "Charlie" quit smoking when he was 42, started running, and within a year entered the Boston Marathon! He came in at 3:01, but has bettered that to 2:52. In this photo he is holding a box of Wheaties featuring him on the front. Charlie is 51 years old right now and still competes in local races, sometimes winning overall, besides beating out those in his age group.

I never thought I would be able to run 13 miles, let alone a marathon. However, after my latest accomplishment and meeting Charlie, I am inspired to possibly one day run my first marathon. I'm nowhere near fastest enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which requires you to run a prior marathon in 3 hours 25 minutes or less. My goal is to simply finish one, even if it takes 4 hours or longer. I doubt I will be able to do it this year, but perhaps next furlough. (?)

July 16 - My First Oyster

Here in Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia, there's a fine Chinese buffet with seafood. I worked at a steakhouse in San Diego that served oysters everyday as appetizers, but I never had a hankering to slurp one down. My family and I took Mrs. Dave Gilbert (Judy) out for supper this night, and since my daughter, Bethany, ate one, she challenged me to do the same. Not too bad with a little cocktail sauce, similar to a clam!

Sushi

While in San Diego, one of my wife's friends took her and Bethany out to a nice Japanese restaurant. They ate sushi, among other first-time items, and actually enjoyed them. This restaurant in Georgia had a pretty good selection as well, so Bethany is sampling some of those.

July 7 to 12 - Lost 20 lbs in 2 Months

Had a good rest over the 4th of July weekend, so on Monday I increased my normal 5-mile run to 7 miles. It felt pretty good, so I was able to do it again on Wednesday and Friday. For those of you who may be wondering how and why it is that I've taken up running so seriously, it's like this:

Nearly 6 years ago, January 2003, I weighed 150 pounds. In February, just 1 month before coming home on furlough, I got sick with malaria and spent 3 1/2 days in the hospital. That, plus working up in our hot and humid attic afterwards, brought me down to 137 pounds. I probably weighed about 145 when we hit the USA in March, but after 4 straight years in Congo, I was craving my Burger King Whoppers, BIG TIME. Needless to say, with all the cross-country driving we did and everyone feeding us so well, I gained 15 lbs. by summertime. By the end of furlough in March 2004, I was up to 170 lbs., and it hurt to tie my shoes!

When we got back to the field I lost 10 lbs. quickly, and kept my weight around 160 for the rest of the term. So, just before we came back to the States this time (September 2007), I remembered what happened last furlough, did the math, and said, "Oh no!" I determined that things were going to be different this time, and I purposed in my heart that I was gonna work out regularly as we traveled all over America. I would do sit-ups, push-ups, and as much as I hated it, I determined I would also run.

Well, sure enough, after just 1 week of tacos and burgers, I gained 5 lbs! I started running last September, and it killed me to run 1 mile, but I forced myself to do it. However, in spite of pretty faithful workouts this furlough, and improving my running to 5 miles regularly, I wasn't losing weight. I didn't gain much, but I wasn't satisfied with my weight at 168.5 pounds on May 5, 2008. So, for the rest of May and all of June, I biked as much as 30 miles a week, ran a lot, and seriously cut the calories and fat intake. When I completed my 13-mile run on July 4th, I weighed in at 147.5 lbs. Thus, I beat my goal of trying to get back down to 150. So, as ESPN's Stu would say, "BOO-yeah!"

July 4 - Ran My First Half Marathon

For many years now, the 4th of July has lost its luster, as compared to when I was a boy. However, this year's was a memorable one for me. During the spring months, I faithfully ran 5-7 miles at a time, 3-4 days a week. My previous longest run was 8.4 miles, back in January in San Diego, so I was due to try my first 10-mile run. On Friday, June 27, I knew I was ready, so I set a goal of doing this the following Friday, not realizing it was the 4th.

I started my day (at 9:00 am) playing tennis with Bro. Terri Thrun, missionary to Papua New Guinea, and a long-time friend. We then joined his family and a couple other missionary families for a BBQ around noon. I passed on the wonderful smelling burgers and dogs, beans & potato salad, chips & cokes. Instead, I ate a grilled chicken breast sandwich and some cole slaw, and washed it down with grapefruit juice. We played a little backyard baseball with the children afterwards, then went home about 4:30. My family had been invited to another friend's BBQ in the evening, so I told them to go ahead while I stayed home.

For the carbs, I ate a small baked potato with salt and cayenne pepper at 6:15, then started my run at 7:00 pm. The weather that night, here in the Chattanooga valley of north Georgia was perfect - hot and humid, but overcast with a slight breeze. Now that dusk was approaching, several families along the asphalt, 2-lane state highway we live off of were enjoying the preliminaries of their private festivites, setting off small firecrackers and bottle rockets. These homes run along my normal 2.5 mile course (which I do twice to complete 5 miles), so tonight I passed them all several times. My goal was to run 10 miles, but at my 6.5 mile mark, I felt really strong and confident that I could go longer.

After I finished 10 miles, I figured I would try for 12, but then I remembered that a marathon is 26 miles, so I shot for 13. So, at around 9:15 pm, good and dark now, I completed my 13 miles as the big fireworks began to fill the air. The one home near my "finish line" indulged in a very expensive load of fireworks, the kind you see when you go to an event. Thus, as I began my 2 mile walk home, I was accompanied by lots of colored explosions, smoke and the smell of sulpher! I stopped at another home where a little 5-year-old girl always waves to me, and they were kind enough to give me a bottle of water. I sat and chatted with them for a few minutes as we all watched the neighbors shoot off the last of their fireworks, then started my way home again.

It was a long walk, but I felt very gratified and relieved when I walked in the door at 10:30 pm. My family wasn't home yet, so I took a nice hot shower, then soaked my muscles in an Epsom salt bath while sipping on cranberry juice. My family returned at 11:00, asking me about my big night, so I proundly recounted all these details to them as we sat around the living room. And that's how I spent my 4th of July!

July 2 - Rossville, Georgia

We went to 1 night of Revival Meeting at Victory Baptist Church. I'm holding the Thrun's newest addition to the family (#6), Hannah Grace. Sometimes I'm the only one who can pacify her!

June 22

45 years old today. My wife gave me a picture frame of Joshua in his dress blues.

June 15 - Fathers Day

Just another quiet Sunday. Church in the morning, rest in the afternoon, and service again in the evening. My family gave me a few "fun" T-shirts and a bottle of Braggs organic apple cider vingegar.

June 12-13

After our softball game on Tuesday the 10th, my friend Mike said he was going to put up a chain-link fence in his backyard. I asked him if he's ever put one up before, and he said no. I offered to help him, and to make a long story short, he was so glad I did. We dug and set 14 posts on Thursday and stretched 120 feet of 5 foot chain link on Friday. Mike's wife took some pics, but they still haven't emailed them to me yet.

June 8 - "Give Us The Old Paths"

This Sunday morning, we visited Oakwood Baptist Church in Chattanooga with Mike's family, but while residing on the east coast, we regularly attend Bible Baptist Church in Rossville, Georgia. Brother Ricky Gravely (seated) has been the pastor there for about 12 years. The pastor before him (for 37 years!) was Bro. Berman Cape, pictured here singing with his wife. He is 86 years old, is still preaching Revivals, and is on the platform every Sunday when he's in town.

June 7 - A New Friend

The day after we returned from Florida, I answered an ad in the paper and bought a used washer & dryer set from a Chattanooga resident named Mike Taylor. Mike and I hit it off right away, as he's a young Christian and also a sports nut. Years ago, he actually tried out for the Braves and the Dodgers, but even though he could hit home runs, they never called him. Hence, like so many of us, he settles for playing for the church softball team (pictured here playing 3rd base)!

Mike and his family attend Oakwood Baptist Church, and their team was gracious enough to allow me to play with them for the last 4 games of their summer season. I only played a few innings each game, but I made the most of it. I went 7 for 8 at the plate, made an awesome diving catch off the 3rd base line, and turned a bare-handed double play at 2nd base for the final out in the last game. I doubt I'll ever make it on ESPN's SportsCenter, but I had fun anyway!