A-Town
Gazette
December 15, 2000 - Amendment
Dear Friends,
This is Mary! As you recently read, we just finished our youth camp. Vernon
wrote to you the highlights without mentioning one very important “amazing”
feature. (HE is much too modest, whereas “I” on the other hand am not). The
theme of camp was loving God with all your heart, soul, mind AND strength.
Vernon was preaching the challenge about “strength” and told the campers to
pick out the four strongest guys at camp. All of these were in their 20’s
(you are a teen in this culture till marriage) and two of them over 6 ft
tall. Vernon had placed a table up front so all could see. He challenged
them to do as many push-ups as they could. Many did under 20, but one of the
young men did 49. Everyone congratulated them as Vernon continued to speak
about “strength”. VERNON then got up on the table and the place went wild.
He then proceeded to do 60 push-ups with little (okay, maybe a little)
effort. The campers were ecstatic and electrified as particularly the Arusha
teens beamed with pride that “THEIR” pastor had beaten the strongest guys at
camp. Even after arriving back home, the word went out how this almost 50yr
old guy squashed the competition. Yes, I the wife of “such a man” beam with
pride as I write this appendix to the recent A-Town gazette. Of course it
brought home the point that strength comes from “practice” whether it is
physical or spiritual. Strength spiritually must come from practice.
Forgive me if this issue
of the A-Town Gazette seems prideful. However, I am proud of my husband’s
strength physically, and much more for the spiritual strength he possesses
every single day! I count myself blessed more then I could ever explain!
Mary