6 February 2010
Dear Pastors and friends supporting us with your prayers,
Three weeks ago, Glenda was in church on Sunday morning! I hurried over to greet her. Glenda looks timid, lost and alone even sitting on a pew with other people because she feels so out of place. She has lived in the world of alcoholics who have hit rock bottom for a long time now. I shook her hand and told her how good it was to see her in church. She nodded her head. As I turned to someone else, she tugged on my sleeve. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she whispered, “I came today to repent.” On the way to a quiet room, I asked what had happened that she had made that decision this morning. In the mumbled answer, I only caught the words “I could have died.” We sat and read a few Bible verses and each of us prayed. (It looked like Glenda was saved!) Pam told me later that Glenda had come to visit on Saturday morning. In an effort to witness to her sister, Pam put in a DVD of chalk talk Bible stories and they watched the whole video of 20 Bible stories each closing with an invitation for the lost to come forward and accept Christ as their Saviour! They had discussed the stories and Pam had urged her sister to make a decision for Christ. Glenda finally left saying ‘I need time to think’. Surely Sunday morning was the result of her thinking it over and the Holy Spirit speaking to her heart? Since then it has become obvious that Glenda has slipped back into the world of drinking, fighting, lies and petty thefts.
In Calvinia, Neels Baadjies, walked to Pastor Strafford Frantz’ home to tell him,” I think God wanted me to come here today.” (Neels and Strafford worked together a few years ago painting window and door frames as the new hospital was being built. They are neighbors now and Strafford has been witnessing to him.) They talked for quite a while and then Neels bowed his head and asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins. Afterwards Neels didn’t want to leave. He told Strafford that he was so afraid that he’d go out the gate and right back to the drinking! Strafford assured him that the same Jesus who forgave him was now going to give him the victory over the sin. He went home with Philip. 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” and instruction to crumble all the cigarettes into the toilet and flush it! Neels was in church Sunday morning and evening. Monday morning he came for the first lesson in the series for new believers and asked if we have church tonight, too? “Pastor, no cigarettes or liquor have touched these lips in 2 days! Do you think it’s going to continue to be this easy?” He’s looking forward to being baptized and joining the church.
2 Corinthians 7:10 “ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Peter denied the Lord and went out and wept bitterly. He was sorry and turned in faith to God for forgiveness. He never denied the Lord again. Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord and was so sorry that he threw the money away and hung himself. I talked to Glenda about the difference between the remorse Judas felt and the repentance and faith of Peter. Surely the Lord will continue to work in her life. In some ways it is hard to leave for furlough.
We are flying to Kansas City on the 15th of February. Thank you for the wonderful response to our letters, emails and phone calls to help fill our furlough schedule. We still have a few dates open. If you would like us to report back, we can be reached at joblanton @gmail.com
Your Missionaries,
Jeff & Judy Blanton
