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posted by Jonathan on 02/6/07

We had snow on the ground for over two weeks and the temperatures were in the teens for the last couple nights so are little pond froze over. We tested it out every day to see if we could go ice skating. On Sunday night the temperature dipped down almost to zero. So on Monday James went down and tested it . . . it was thick enough! So we all bundled in our very warmest cloths, grabbed are ice-skates and ran outside.

First we had to shovel off all the snow and sweep it off to make it as slick as possible. David was the first one to try it out and it worked! It was as slick as ice. In no time at all we put on our skates and where enjoying this thrilling winter sport. Preparing the ice was tremendous work but fun because we were doing it together. It has been a test on our patience especially since last year it never got cold enough.

8 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by James on 02/5/07

Saturday, February 3rd set some new records. First, we woke up to the coldest morning of the year and of the winter season. Hovering at 8°F., the frigid weather formed ice on my eyebrows from the condensation of my own breath.

But the freezing temperature was not the only record of the day. When the temperature had risen all the way up to the teens, Jonathan, Daniel, and I set off on our bikes to take a winter tour of scenic route Buffalo Calf! The road was completely covered in snow and seemingly treacherous. But as we slowly wound our way through the bright and picturesque landscape, we found that the road was not nearly as slick as we expected! We made incredible time and biked the 2 miles of Buffalo Calf, a feat we had never done before on bikes in the dead of winter.

Yes, it was easier than we expected, but that didn’t mean it was without difficulty. We found that biking on snow and ice is much different than under normal circumstances. Faith in our bikes’ abilities slowly decreased as brakes refused to work, spinning tires became unpredictable and unavoidable, and sliding became a factor when taking curves at high speeds. The many hills didn’t help that much either. It was a completely different type of recreation and we were all tuckered out and sweating hard when we got home.

If you ever get the chance to go snow-biking, you really ought to do it. It’s a good object lesson on faith. The temporal things you put your faith in during fair weather just aren’t good enough when conditions are unfavorable.

6 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Robert on 02/5/07

Yesterday was the conclusion of the five-day Dad’s Conference here at the Indianapolis Training Center. Over five hundred fathers were here, including my Dad, who drove up with Mr. Wilkes. The spirit of revival that took place was incredible!

The time that I got to spend with Dad while he was here was very meaningful! And the time the fathers spent together in prayer was powerful. Here is a short report that Dad wrote up:

“Following the openness, honesty, and brokenness of the men’s testimonies, we assembled in groups of three to five to pray for each other.

The same spirit came upon us that we had felt during the time of testimonies and I felt like I was entering into the heart of those I was praying for and with. Their needs became my needs and my needs became theirs. We poured out our heart for each other – our chairs were watered with tears for our brothers in Christ.

We were one in spirit and I arose from these times with greater love for my wife and children than I have ever known before.”

Praise the Lord for answered prayer!

5 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

posted by Daniel on 02/4/07

This book is incredible. To the western mind it is almost hard to believe as true. Yet it is. Surprisingly recent as well, this amazing story of a dedicated Christian in Communist China is virtually packed with miracles.

Brother Yun made the tough decision of dedicating his life to God at a young age in a nation with a government extremely hostile to such beliefs. However, from the very beginning God’s faithfulness was evident through the many miraculous incidents He worked in his life.

Yet the primary message of this autobiography, I believe, is on how to respond correctly to suffering. God brought Brother Yun through many purifying trials and tribulations, ye he was able to rejoice because he saw what God was doing through them. This book is a remarkable demonstration of the power in a life which is full of the fear of the Lord, yet totally free from fear of man or what man can do.

Title: The Heavenly Man

Author: Liu Zhenying (Brother Yun)

Publisher: OMF  Literature, inc.

Date: 2002

7 Comments » | posted in Book Reports