“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105, NKJV).
It seems as if the jungle, the mountains and rural areas are favorite destinations to send new ministers. I was no exception. My first district was in the deep forest of Nicaragua, surrounded by rushing rivers and deep lagoons. Our congregations resided in small communities nestled around these lagoons. Ninety percent of travel between them was by river, so we used an outboard motorboat to carry out pastoral work.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19, NIV).
Many people live from paycheck to paycheck. In fact, many are one paycheck away from being homeless. I’ve been there before.
I had three small children living in Texas. There was no food, no job, no money and no husband. I had one cup of rice and one cup of beans, and, like the widow in the Bible, I was going to make that meal and then try to figure it out from there. She had made up her mind to die; I wasn’t quite there yet, but I was very discouraged.
I was living in a town where I had no friends, church or family. My baby daughter needed milk, but I didn’t have any way to get it. I felt hopeless.
Story by Kasper Haughton Jr.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13, NKJV).
When I got the news that I was moving to Ohio, I was so mad at God. It was so unfair that I had to move again. I felt like I was just getting used to living in Tennessee, but now I had to pack everything up. It was so hard for me to let go of all the friends I had met.
Moving to Ohio was hard at first, but then things got easier. I started to realize that God sent me here for a purpose. If I had only trusted Him from the start, then things would’ve been a lot easier.
Story by Vicki Swetnam
God has blessed Ohio Conference's Spring Valley Academy (SVA) with unprecedented growth over the past several years. With an enrollment nearing 500 this school year, the current facility is at maximum capacity. As SVA completed the first phase of the Fritzsche Center for Worship and Performing Arts in 2018, it became clear that the next project needed to address the need for more classroom space. Plans began for a new high school addition along the southwest corner of the existing facility.