As I had promised when I
spoke to a number of my patients
recently, I am giving here a quick update of the changes occurring in
our
lives. Glenda and I are beginning our
ministry
under the sponsorship of Scope Ministries International. You may learn
a lot
about this organization by going to www.scopeministries.org
We have sent a letter to
our friends and people that may be
interested in having a part with us in the ministry. That letter is
reprinted
below.
July 21, 2004
Dear friends,
You will probably not be
surprised by the contents of this
letter. We decided to leave the formal practice of medicine and become
associated with Scope Ministries. We intend to help Scope in several
ways, but
also to pursue a form of medical missions. I assure you we did not do
this
lightly but after much prayer, searching of our hearts, and spiritual
counsel
from a number of brethren. Most people do not know that in 1964, even
before Glenda
and I had finished our college education we went hand in hand to the
front of
our church in Decatur, Georgia,
and said “We want to be Medical Missionaries.” We ended up in Oklahoma,
God’s detour through the “heart of the USA”.
Praise the Lord for OK!
The kernel of “missions”
has always been in our hearts.
While in Oklahoma we
began the
short term missions effort to Peru
in 1993. Yet we know that medical practice has been a mission field to
us, and
discipling runs in our veins. We believe that God has given Glenda
and me a gift to speak to the heart of people in need. We continue to
grow. We
are also aware that “missions” is following the desire of our Heavenly
Father
by worship and keen awareness of what the Holy Spirit puts in our
hearts and
lives daily.
The Lord has trained us
through His Word, the wonderful
ministry of Metropolitan Baptist
Church
and many other sources
including Scope Ministries. As you may know, I translated and/or edited
the
Spanish version of the Scope workbook “Be Transformed”.
I will most likely continue to do some
translation, and Glenda and I will
continue our
training. Scope is a Biblical counseling ministry and I am sending a
brochure
for your information.
My last day to see
patients in the office was the 29th
day of June of this year. Glenda
and I are persuaded that God has appointed us to a specific task for
Him at
this time. We are very excited. We see local, national and
international
ministry for us, especially Latin America.
We desire to be “your
missionaries”, so that what we do in
God’s name “may be credited to your account” (Philippians 4:12, 13, 17). We have no funds for
the future and will
totally rely on God for our support. If God leads you to help us,
please send
your offerings directly to Scope Ministries using the card and envelope
provided here.
