FFM Online Newsletter - June, 2006

June has been an incredible month of ministry opportunities for the Gilley gang! God has opened doors to 11 different churches and places of ministry this month, and we have traveled 3,400 miles!!  Every church represents an open door to share the hope that lies in the Lord Jesus Christ and to encourage families to be prepared for the soon coming of our Lord, and we praise Him. We try to be a witness along the way, often singing in stores and restaurants and trying to share Christ with those whom we meet. We are so thankful for the hand of God on us as we travel, and that He has granted us safety throughout all those miles.

We began the month at a wedding in Lenoir, NC where Christ was lifted up and worshipped in a marvelous way! What a joy it was to see a young couple beginning their lives together with such a service of worship and praise, and with such dedication to serving Him together. This was a first for us: we've never sung the "Hallelujah Chorus" at a wedding before! We went from Lenoir to Gastonia, NC where we enjoyed a homecoming service with the Love Memorial Baptist Church. After the service we "inhaled" our meal so that we could sing while the congregation ate! The fellowship there was so sweet! From Gastonia we traveled to Lawrenceville, GA to attend the Gospel Preacher's Association Annual meeting at the Galilean Baptist Church. There, we heard so many dynamic messages from God's Word and were so encouraged by the many missionaries who attended. We were privileged to sing several times, and thank God for that opportunity. We left there and headed out in the boon docks to the Victorious Valley Homes in Sunset, SC for their annual Jubilee meeting. We had met Johnny and Susan McGill in Conestee, SC and absolutely fell in love with the girls from the home who came with them to sing and testify. God is doing a mighty work there in the hearts and lives of those girls and boys! We felt such a burden for these precious children and for Johnny and Susan and their family. They have given their lives for these "unwanted" children and have given them a reason for living through the Lord, Jesus Christ! Please join us in prayer for this ministry.

As we left Sunset, we meandered through the Pisgah National Forest and stopped at every scenic lookout and waterfall that looked interesting! Now, this is not our usual travel style, but we certainly did enjoy having the time to enjoy the beauty of God's creation along the way! We stopped at Looking Glass Falls and waded until (of course!) several accidentally slipped in and soaked their shoes. We got to sing there at the falls, and pray that we were a testimony for Jesus. We finally reached Knoxville, TN that night, fully refreshed from our relaxing day. In Knoxville we sang at our "usual" church, N Knoxville Baptist, in the morning service. We have been there each June for 6 years, so we feel right at home and love the people there so much. That evening we sang and Rick preached at Ball Road Baptist Church. What a blessing that was!

The next day found us on the road again headed to Newnan, GA for the Annual Camp Meeting at Calvary Baptist Church. This was our first outdoor meeting, and we were thankful that the Lord blessed us with some cool weather, and few bugs. Of course, there were enough spiders to keep the boys occupied! God worked in a marvelous way at that meeting and even though we had to leave after the first two days, we saw God save several by His grace! We left Newnan and headed for Valley Falls, SC where we assisted Bro John and Tammy Lancaster with their VBS. They focused on a different country each night, so we were privileged to speak on Taiwan and Mexico and to share the burden that we have for those specific countries through Rebekah and David. That was a blessing from God, as we are usually heavily involved in VBS preparations at this time of year, and it helped ease the sadness of not heading up VBS this year!

We breezed by home for a day and a half before we drove to Grace Baptist Church in Ozark, AL for Father's Day. There Rick preached on the family and we sang and shared during the Sunday School hour as well as in both services. What a blessing that godly pastor and church were to our family!

We then enjoyed two whole days at home before heading out to the great Taylorsville Camp Meeting in Taylorsville, NC. We have wanted to attend this camp for years, and finally made it this year!! This is another outside meeting that gathers under a huge "tabernacle" that seats about 1,000 people. It was packed every night! There we saw God move in an unusual way through the preaching of the Word of God. What fun it was to sing and praise His name there! On Saturday we enjoyed a family day at the Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC!! After that time of refreshment, we finished our time in Taylorsville by singing at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday morning where God met with us in an amazing way. That evening Rick preached at the Poplar Springs Baptist Church and we saw God move again, and work in hearts. We finally headed for home on June 26th, and as always, we thanked our God for the lovely, comfortable home He has given us here in Decatur, AL!! It is truly a "haven of rest" for us. God is so faithful!

As we reflect on the events of the month, we have to say "Praise the Lord for his mercy and grace!! How exciting it is to see His hand at work as we travel, preach and minister. The altars have been flooded with people at each meeting, mostly men who are committing themselves to seeking the Lord and being the Spiritual leader of their families. What an answer to prayer!! One of the greatest joys of this ministry is meeting the MANY godly pastors and fellowshipping in the many godly churches across this country!! Do not despair, friends!! God is still at work in the hearts and lives of men. We thank Him for allowing us to be a part of what He is doing. We thank YOU for your love and faithful prayers for our family as we minister in His name! He is Worthy!!