It is with great excitement and joy that I announce my third adoption :-)

My dad adopted me when I was three, I was adopted into the family of God in 1984, and now Ramoth BC in my hometown has adopted our family! What this means is that we will become more actively involved with one another in terms of "whatever it takes" for ministry in the US and overseas; naturally, this is new for both of us, so we'll be looking at the "adoption papers" and what obligations, responsibilities, and privileges are involved.

Many of you know my heart for my family of origin to fall more and more in love with Jesus and to manifest it by being actively involved in a local group where Jesus is Lord. After one of my nephews showed interest in "being baptized" but not knowing what it meant to sin, some of Ramoth's Sunday School teachers promised to "take care of him" in the days ahead. It will be wonderful to see my family involved in a group where obedience to the Word of God is final authority.

This is the same place, by the way, where my youngest sister and her husband surrendered their lives to Jesus and were baptized two weeks later. They also decided to rear their four-month-old daughter (my niece) in a Christ-centered home. I think you could say that, yes, I've given Ramoth quite a bit of work and follow up : -)

Along those same lines, the Marriage Amendment was brought to our attention and, wow, can this make a big difference in the life of the US! It's sad to imagine what things would be like if some chose to redefine the concept of marriage to fit the morals of American society. Polygamy, among other things, would be acceptable and so would the Islamic concept of multiple wives. Given that, just how long do you think it would be before we heard the Islamic Call to Prayer from the steps of the US Capitol or an Islamic flag flying over the White House?

So that led me to wonder when the US began her move away from God? Oh, I'm sure it wasn't a brazen (?) all of a sudden move; instead, it was probably more like the "frog in the kettle" approach. Remember, tossing a frog in boiling water will make him jump put, but putting a frog in warm (lukewarm) water and bringing the water to a boil will cause the frog to stay in and be boiled to death. So it must be with Americans' acceptance of behavior contrary to God's standards :-(

On the bright side, join me in welcoming a number of new West Virginia Wednesday Weekly Wintercessors to our family! Our time in West Virginia has seen a lot of new prayer partners from this neck of the woods and across the river in Ohio. It has been a joy to get reacquainted with people who've been praying for us for a number of years and to shake hands with new prayer partners. We're delighted to give a face to overseas work and to hear what God is doing in the lives of those He brings across our path!

We have the joy once again to send the Wednesday Weekly from the home of one of you, and has Jasmine found a new "buddy." We were at a park yesterday, enjoying the swings and the giggly laughter of a five-year-old being pushed by her daddy <g>.  When it was time to go, Jasmine said, "I'm going to miss my Uncle Jack when we leave." We are blessed to have such a strong base of prayer support : -)

However, we always need "one more" person to pray for us, so please feel free to recommend the 'Wednesday Weekly' to other like-minded intercessors in your circle of friends. Invite them either to send an e-mail or to subscribe at our website.

Matthew 24:14

* Be sure to sign up for the Wednesday Weekly.

+ You prayed that the three speaking opportunities last weekend would allow people to see what God is doing through the International Prayer Center of Jerusalem (IPCJ) and that they would join Him at work... wow, did He hear your prayer! At least two dozen people said they would be willing to pray with us, and a number of them offered to join God at work through the IPCJ. Thank you for praying!

+ You asked God to grant us continued peace of mind as we packed up (once again) for our next visit... although it seems we constantly pack and unpack, the 'habit' does not make it easy. Your prayers, however, made a great difference on Monday as we took the next leg of our journey. His peace of mind prevailed : -)

+ You joined us in asking God for travel safety on the highways and back roads of West Virginia... He gave us travel safety and, wow, did he show us His creation in this beautiful state! As we drove along, noticing three crosses on the hillside every so often, I thanked Him for allowing us to travel in His arms. I asked Him to bless those in the homes we saw, realizing that 7 out of 10 West Virginians are unchurched.

+ You prayed that an upcoming presentation with a faithful group of intercessors would allow them to see the impact of their prayers... I believe they saw the impact, and we certainly felt the love of their faithful intercession. Again, God has blessed us with a group aware of our needs and how we wish others would be equally as blessed.

<T H I S  W E E K><

<>< As we head back to our Guest House, ask God to grant us a new dose of His travel mercy as our hearts go out for the people of this beautiful state.

<>< Pray with us as we close another chapter of our journey and tie up loose ends to begin the next one; specifically, pray that Jasmine will see His hand in our moving about.

<>< Jasmine begins her first ever week of camp and, boy, do I wish I could convey to you her level of enthusiasm! Pray that her time at camp be even more than what she's expecting.

<>< Ask God to use me and Shirin to speak to the campers this week, especially in the area of work overseas.

* I am unable to stay online long enough to retrieve a new people group; however, once that changes, your specific intercession will be much needed!

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* I regret to inform you that my paper copies are, uh, in Jerusalem and my soft copies are inaccessible : -(