It's been a while!

To those who read this blog, I am sorry that I have not written in a while. To those who read this blog for pictures, I will post some more pics when I find my camera cable or get a new one.  Meanwhile, let me update you all on why I have not found much time to write-our building project. 

When we started this project, our little congregation of about 75 knew that God was going to have to work miracles in order to get it done.  We signed a contract with a man who purported to be a builder as a limited liability corporation specializing in building churches.  We called several other projects he had accomplished and had great recommendations.  His contract price was reasonable and though a bit low, not far off from other contracts.  We gave ourselves an extra six months as a cushion before we had to vacate our current building.  Around December of 2006 some irregularities began showing up.  He wasn’t paying his bills.  Evidentally, he was out of money and having some kind of real difficulties.  We took over paying all the subcontracts and continued to build.  Around the middle of January, we discovered that he had not paid his project manager and he was going to leave the sight.  Incidentally, the job was licensed under the project manager.  We had to release him and soon found out, he had legal troubles in another state.  I won’t go into the gory details, but I do not believe that we will probably see him again.  So we had to take over the rest of the job.  When we started putting the pencil to the paper, we realized that to finish a half-completed church building; we would need 250,000 more than the contract amount.  On top of that, we almost everything we had so far on the building.  We were faced with a half built building, an empty checking account, and few signed contracts to finish the church building.  The church decided that it would be worse to stop the project, so we began praying.  We are living from bill to bill at this point.  I do not know how God is going to finish this building by May 31 of this year.  I don’t know when we will see the blessings of God.  I do not know why God has brought us to the middle of Jordan River and what appears to be waves about to crash down upon us, But this I know–God delights in giving gifts to his children.  No matter the roughness of the path and no matter the steepness of the climb, we must give thanks unto God for His mercy endures forever.  We walk by faith not by sight.  The just shall live by faith.  Scripture after Scripture assures my heart that God will not leave this undone.  And no matter the outcome, I pray that this little congregation will shout from the rooftops, “Blessed be the name of the Lord!” 

PS. Maybe you have or are a rich uncle?  What. . . I’m just saying maybe God would have you pray about how He could use you in this situation!??  In the end, if he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, maybe He could slaughter a few for us-but maybe the cows are in your pasture.