June/July Newsletter
Dear Friends & Prayer Warriors,
It has been a while since I have written a newsletter. Steve has been writing most of the newsletters recently. He took that job over because of my schedule with teaching private piano and voice, homeschooling and being a housewife as well. He is an awesome husband that goes above and beyond to help me out. I could not do what I do without him. The summer has proven to be very busy for us with the children's activities as well as the ministry opportunities the Lord has given us.
The first two weeks of June, Caris did swimming lessons and was successful in learning to swim in the deep end of the pool. Joyce Pate from Mathiston has taught all of my kids to swim.
June 3-6 we had the privilege of leading worship and providing special music for the revival at Doty Springs Baptist Church in Ethel, MS where Bro. Tony Fortenberry pastors. The visiting minister for the week was Bro. Dick Hill, pastor of McCool Baptist Church. We once again were thankful to minister at Doty Springs. Chloe and Caris attended Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church in Mathiston in the mornings and Blythe Creek Baptist in Mathiston in the evenings.
June 19-23 I had the joy of visiting my best friend in Franklin, TN. Michelle Wilson and I have been friends for 34 years. Christian and the girls attended the Jeffress Music School at Chester Baptist Church in the mornings that week. The girls attended Vacation Bible School at our church, Kilmichael Baptist Church in the evenings. It has been a blessing to have a child that has his license. Christian really helps out a lot getting the kids where they need to go.
June 24-28 Christian attended Camp Electric, a TobyMac music camp in Nashville, Tennessee at Trevecca Nazarene College. For his area of study that week, he chose acoustic guitar. Caleb went with him to Nashville and stayed with Michelle, my best friend for his very own Carver Camp. Meanwhile, back in Mississippi, Steve and I led worship at Shuqualak Baptist Church in Shuqualak, MS. A dear friend of ours, Russell Mord who is the Associational Missions Director for the Golden Triangle area brought the messages. We are thankful to Bro. Larry Yarber, the pastor for inviting us.
We met Christian in Alabama on June 30 and took the girls so that they could have their very own Carver Camp with Michelle, and we picked up Caleb. Christian attended Camp Electric for a second week July 2-6 focusing on bass guitar.
Caleb attended Mission Fuge with our youth group from Kilmichael Baptist Church July 2-6. Steve and I enjoyed a week just the two of us while everyone was gone. July 4 we enjoyed sweet fellowship at our home for an evening meal with Dale and Lana Taylor.
Then we kicked it into overdrive. July 8-12 we had the wonderful opportunity to minister in Nanih Waiya, MS at Harmony Baptist Church where Bro. Jerry Lundy pastors. Steve Blackwell, the music minister, invited us. Bro. Wayne Hudson, a full-time evangelist preached the revival messages. I experienced revival in my heart!! Bro. Wayne talked about laying our self down and taking up our cross and following Christ. I believe the church experienced revival as well. People came to the altar and prayed, and Praise God there was one salvation. Steve and Pam Blackwell and Steve and I sang a special song together one evening.
July 15-18 we ministered at Clear Creek Baptist Church in Oxford, MS. We thank Bro. Ray Nicholas, the music minister for inviting us. It has been a number of years since we were there. It was great to be back. Bro. Charles Lipe is the pastor. The visiting minister for the week was Bro. Dan Robertson. We enjoyed singing with he and Mrs. Jane a couple of nights. Bro. Ray even joined us one of the nights.
Standing in the Gap at our church was the next event. It is a time when the church does local mission work in the town of Kilmichael and surrounding communities. Three meals are served at the church. At night, we have worship and testimony time. This event was July 19-22 and overlapped with our next event.
We were invited for the sixth time to lead worship for Tabernacle Campmeeting in Ethelsville, AL. This year was probably the coolest weather we have ever experienced there. The campmeeting started on July 21 and went through July 29. Christian led worship there on Saturday evening, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon. We went there after our night service at Kilmichael. Beginning Sunday through Friday, there are 3 services every day in an outdoor arbor. The service times are 10:30, 1:30 and 7:30. On the second Saturday there is only a 7:30 service and the second Sunday there is a 10:30 service. The visiting preachers for the week were Bro. Eric Pridmore, pastor of First United Methodist in Poplarville, MS and Bro. Mike Childs from First Methodist in Louisville, MS.
Our final event for the month was at Lake Tiak O'Khata in Louisville, MS. We led worship and did a concert for the senior adults of Petal Harvey Baptist Church from Petal, MS. We had ministered with their pastor, Bro. Dustie Dunn at a revival previously this year. We are thankful for him sharing our ministry with Bro. Wendell Frazier, the senior adult minister. They were having a retreat at the lake.
We did have to have some major work done on the motorhome in June and July. We are thankful that God provides. I read a saying a long time ago that said, "Where God guides, He provides." We are thankful that He is Jehovah Jireh, our Great Provider. We are so thankful for the doors of opportunity the Lord has opened for us. We are thankful to our home church, Kilmichael Baptist, for supporting us and allowing us the opportunities to minister at other places and also there at home. We are thankful that God is opening doors of ministry for Christian. We are thankful to have he and Chloe minister with us most of the time and Caleb and Caris to minister occasionally.
In the next week we will be starting school. Pray for us as we start school. Pray that we will be able financially to record. We are long overdue on a new music project. Pray that God will allow me to write songs again.
Thank you so much for your interest and support of One Way Ministries.
In His Service,
Steve & Becky Carver