Brothers and Sisters We all know that this is the most stressful time of year with so many trying to meet unrealistic expectations. Friends on the job suddenly are struggling with depression, difficulty, divorce or death ( the highest level of any time of the year).

Is there someone with a story of encouragement that we can share this advent season?

May God cover and protect you all this advent season.

Love from a warmer climate

P.S. Rev. Denise, are you still considering coming to Bermuda next month?

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2002

Answers

Brother Nalton, you are such an encourager. I have a praise and a prayer request. Today Dec. 1, is the first day of Advent. I was so excited about today's service I only got four hours of sleep last night. So this morning I was running late and the phone rang, I told my daughter to take a message. She said it is Todd and he urgently needs to speak to you. I picked up the phone and it is a man who has moved to Bozeman from Portland, Maine and he said he just had to get to an A.M.E church. He said I had met his wife, the more he talked I remembered his wife. I had met her and there two baby girls in a coffee shop, we hit it off. His wife shared with me that they had moved to Bozeman from Maine and that they were not going to be able to go to church because they were A.M.E and there were no A.M.E churches in town. She was really upset, it was all I could do not to jump up and down and praise God. I told her I am an A.M.E pastor and that there is an A.M.E church in town. She and her family are white and they came to God in a small A.M.E Zion church in Portland, Maine. She went to california for the holiday but gave her husband my card. It was he on the phone, he came to church today and felt right at home. Afterwards he said Pastor I do not want to just sit in the service, I am a musician a percussionist, can I play during the service. We do a lot of call and reponse in our church with music. So this is a blessing! He spent years in Ghana and senegal studying drumming and now he and his family are at our church. It was a perfect sunday for one of other members came by himself with their nine month old baby. His wife had to work. It was such a blessed day!!! God will not let his children go long without him when they seek his face. You asked if I were planning to come to Bermuda in January. I really want to!! But we are planting our second church on January 18th, 20003 in Missoula, Montana. So our monies will be going there. Please pray for our second church. Brother Nalton I know I will meet my Bermuda family one day soon! Keep up your hard work for the Lord. P.S The fabulous Michigan Conference Lay Organization sent us some more brand new hymnals. This has been a blessed week for our church. Also lift the Michigan Conference Lay organization up in Prayer, they are on a mission for the Lord. Because of the hymnals they have sent us another new church will be able to sing to the Lord. It is indeed a time to praise his name.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2002