FFM Online Newsletter - August

August has been a month of happy reunions for the Gilley Family! After our wonderful week at Collins Blvd. Baptist Church in Louisiana, we headed for Louisville, KY where we picked up David at the Louisville airport!! What a joy it is to be together again after 7 long months!! We rushed to Nancy's parents retirement home where we had dinner and sang for the sweet people at Brookside Senior Living. The next day we celebrated Nancy's mom's 80th birthday with a special celebration with family and friends, and the next, we honored her parents for their 58th Anniversary!

It was then time to head to Indianapolis, IN for our annual ATI Home Education conference. What a wonderful week of encouragement and training it was! Our family sang twice during the week, and we left refreshed and with renewed commitment to train up children mighty in Spirit and strong in the Lord.

The next Sunday was spent at First Baptist Tipton, IN where we enjoyed the worship and fellowship with dear friends, Mark and Susan Ward. We left IN and headed for Oak Brook, IL for a family reunion with Nancy's aunt and cousins. The next day we headed to IBLP headquarters to pick up Rebekah after her month on staff with VOICE. (For more details on that program, please visit Rebekah's website at www.xanga.com/island_dweller) Words cannot express the joy we feel at having all 9 of us together again!! Singing together is like being in heaven! That night we sang at Highland Baptist Church in Highland, IN and praise the Lord for the precious spirit of Pastor Eddie Heavner! The Lord continues to work in the hearts of men, and we are so humbled to be allowed to be a part of it.

 We then headed HOME for two nights, and rejoiced to have all of our family under one roof! This was the first time David had seen our new home in Decatur, and only the 3rd night Rebekah had spent there. All too soon, we packed up and left for Traveler's rest, SC where we led in a family revival at Parkwood Baptist Church in nearby Greenville. This is our heart cry, and we  thank God for the opportunity to minister there. Rick had the opportunity to teach the men during the Sunday School hour, Nancy taught the women, and Rebekah, David, Leah and Jonathan taught the youth class. Rick then preached on the family, and we shared in music, Scripture and testimony throughout the week. God's Spirit was at work and we rejoice in the way he worked in hearts and lives that week. What precious people they are! Pastor Stan Wardlaw and his wife, Teresa, have such a sweet spirit and a heart for their church. The next day we headed to Fletcher, NC to spend time with Pastor Roy Waldroup and his dear wife, Sandra. We enjoyed their fellowship greatly, and finished the day at a tent revival near Ashville, NC led by Ralph Sexton. Folks, some people only read about revivals like this in their history books!!! God is at work there! This meeting has been going for 4 weeks with over 50 people saved every night!!! The tent holds over 3,000 people, and the night we attended, there were 54 souls saved by the grace of God! We heard that the meeting is being extended a 5th week at the request of the local folks who are flooding the tent with their lost family and friends! Praise His name!!

We left Fletcher, NC for Kannapolis where we enjoyed a little bit of "home" and fellowship with precious friends from Wilmington at the Homecoming service at Lakewood Baptist Church! There is no fellowship like that of Christian "family"! Leaving Kannapolis was sad for all of us. God then led us to Snellville, GA and Community Baptist Church where Pastor Bill Byers had Rick preach and we shared in song. That night we made it to Covington, GA where we spent the night with dear friends, the Comptons, who have 10 children. Believe me, we have a TIME when our families get together!!!

Today we traveled home and we are thanking God for our beautiful, comfortable home! We have 11 days to spend here. This Wednesday we will be at Myrtle Baptist Church in Myrtle, MS where our precious friends, Pastor Earl Farley and Miss Betty serve. Rebekah and David just HAD to see them before they leave for the mission field! Bro. Earl and Betty have been used of God in our lives more than we could say.

Now we are enjoying our time at home and reflecting on God's marvelous calling on our lives these past 6 months. We have traveled almost 19,000 miles since March and have ministered in 42 churches. We have met SO many godly pastors and seen many wonderful churches. Most of all, we have seen the hand of God at work. He is so faithful! He is merciful! His grace is available to all who will call upon His name. His strength is sufficient for families who desire to serve Him!! He will use us to bring glory to His name if we will humble ourselves and seek Him with our whole hearts!