Day 31 - June 18 - Vinita, OK to Joplin, MO (65 miles)
Today we left our 5th state, our 6th state and entered our 7th state! We took about a week to cross Oklahoma, and about an hour to cut through the corner of Kansas and now we're in Missouri! We were on state highways all morning, and despite several flat tires, arrived in Joplin in the early afternoon.
We were nearly run off the road in Joplin by an old guy in a pick-up truck, leaning out the window and speaking to us in Chinese! It was Ted Skiles (missionary in Lotung, Taiwan)!
We went to College Heights and then to the campus of Ozark Christian College. Our hosts were Coach Chris and Dawn Lahm. How generous and thoughtful they were to us! I hope to see them again in Taiwan -- maybe at our Sports and English Camp! :-)
College Heights had me for supper and to speak to their 9:38 group -- missionaries in training -- what a wonderful group! And, then, they hosted a gathering in their chapel for anyone to attend! I wish we could clone CHCC, and what they are doing around the world with UPG's! They have partnered with Team Expansion in several projects! If there were 7,126 churches like CHCC, there wouldn't be any UPG's left!
Several familiar faces came to the evening program at CHCC: my Uncle Donald Atkin (hadn't seen him in 20 years), old golf buddies -- Boyd and Blaine Cornwell, Phoebe Reese (from grad school days at LCS), Craig and Emma Thompson (past co-workers from Taiwan) and Ted and Bev Skiles (serving in Lotung at the Home of God's Love orphanage). What a great crowd! What a blessing!
Please, please, if you want to adopt a UPG, go spend a few days with College Heights and then go talk to Team Expansion! You'll not regret doing any of the above -- all for God's glory among the nations!
Thank you for praying!
Dave, Luey and Andy
PS - I know what you might be thinking! You may say, "CHCC is a mega church, they have a Bible College in their backyard, of course they can do more in the area of missions!" I don't believe that's the reason for their success! I believe it comes down to two things: vision and passion! CHCC has both, and Jesus said, "I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given!"
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