July 10, 2014
Now
that we’ve been here at our Perry, Maine house for six weeks it is time for me
to start blogging again. Not that I am subject to any narcissistic delusions
that masses of humanity eagerly await my pontifications – I do, however, wish
to keep a record of these beginning days of our ministry in Downeast Maine. A
history of any work of God is important but, considering the faultiness of most
memories (especially mine), it is perhaps prudent to keep this record. The goal,
of course, is that all we do will glorify God, not attract attention to us.
Karen
and I arrived in Perry on May 30, 2014 after driving from Georgia for two and a
half days. The past three summers traveling to Maine have been easier treks
than this one. I was driving the F-150 towing a car trailer with a used Subaru strapped
to it. The cargo area of the truck and the interior of the Subie were packed to
the gills with ‘stuff’ we would need for the house. It was slow going. But,
thank God, we made it here that Saturday with no problems on the journey. Oh,
we also had our two dogs in the back seat area, Lil Bit the Malt-Zhu puppy and
Anakin (Ani) the elderly Golden Chow.
For
those of you who aren’t aware of why we are in Maine I’ll bring you up to date.
In 2011 we began coming to Maine for the summer to get Karen away from the heat
and humidity of Georgia. Her MS reacts badly to those conditions and we found,
by the grace of God, that the climate in Maine is ideal for her health. It didn’t
take long for us to fall in love with Maine, its people, the scenery, and, of
course, lobsters. We spent parts of three summers in Eastport, a small,
quintessential New England working fishing village.
Last
summer (2013), God placed upon our hearts a calling to found a Christian school
in the Eastport area. I’ll say more about the need for this later. He also
directed us to this house, which had been on the market for about a year. (If I
can figure out how to imbed photos in this document, you’ll see why we love our
place so much.) It sits on about six and a half acres on a cliff overlooking
the Passamaquoddy Bay, which opens up to the Bay of Fundy. The border with
Canada is a few hundred yards in front of us in the middle of the channel
leading into the St. Croix River. We can see St. Andrews and Deer Island, New
Brunswick, probably no more than two or three miles across the water. The vista
we enjoy is simply breathtaking.
The
house is not old as far as houses go up here. It was built in the late ‘60’s
and its décor had not been altered since. While the exterior looked okay, we
hired a contractor and had the interior gutted. Karen designed everything (with
a little input from me) and the final product is quite nice. We are very
pleased with the work our contractors did; in fact, it is appropriate that I
give them their due here. The general contractor was Michael Cushing, plumbing
and heating was done by Eric Hoche, and the electrical work by Forrest Beale.
The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail are astounding. We will be
very comfortable here and, even better, this will eventually be a perfect base
for our ministry.
When
we arrived the remodel was 99% complete, with only the kitchen
countertops/backsplashes and the bathroom backsplashes to be installed. The punch
list was inconsequential, reflecting the high quality of work done by Mike,
Eric, and Forrest. As it turned out, it would be three weeks before the
countertop company finally finished their work and got our kitchen up and
operating. We got really tired of microwave meals. After two weeks my grill was
delivered by Sears and we could do some grilling. Now, the kitchen has been
complete for about three weeks and it sure is nice.
Rather
than boring my readers with more about the house and the few problems that had
to be worked out, let it be said that the finished product is fantastic. The
task of setting up housekeeping from scratch, though, has been challenging. My “Internet
queen,” Karen, has been awesome about ordering all the little (and big) things
needed to turn a building into a home; we are on first-name bases with our UPS
and Fed-Ex delivery men.
Now
that the inside of the house is pretty much ready, it is time to get the
exterior cleaned up. The house had been unoccupied for about two and a half
years and, before that, the previous elderly resident had been an invalid. The
landscaping has been seriously neglected and is far more work than I can
handle. A landscaping company begins this job in a couple of weeks.
Enough
about the house, except to say that God has been exceptionally magnanimous in blessing
us with such a wonderful place to live and do ministry. We give Him all the
credit and glory for it.
I
would like to say something about the unique peacefulness of our home. For
those living in or near a major metropolitan area the quiet up here is actually
a bit eerie at first. This region is very sparsely populated and near no major
transportation routes or big cities; thus the lack of noise, pollution, crowds,
traffic, congestion, crime, and distractions. Sitting here looking out on the
Bay, breathing the fresh, slightly briny ocean air, and only hearing the sounds
of birds and breezes wafting through the trees is rejuvenating. The natural beauty
is difficult to describe. The gently tossing water in the Bay reflects the
usually perfect blue sky. The Canadian isles dot the scene and the occasional lobster
boats checking their traps provide periodic reminders that there are people
about. Trilling birds and raucous sea gulls are a symphony of God’s creation.
Bald eagles soar back and forth regularly, usually chased by crows protecting
their nests. Dolphins and seals emerge from the water below our cliff. When the
wind picks up a bit the splashing of the waves against the bluff is a subtle
melody that blends beautifully with the other natural sounds. To sit and ponder
God’s mighty works with all of this filling your senses is a spiritual feast,
especially while reading through the Psalms.
With
all the work dealing with the house there has been little opportunity for
actual ministry. However, Karen and I are strategically working on building
relationships with the people we have encountered. Mainers are leery of people
from away (PFA’s) who come up here and try to tell the locals how things should
be done. Pushiness, rude behavior, and impatience will get you a negative
reputation real quick. Everyone we’ve met has been extremely friendly and, by
God’s grace, we pray that we have been viewed the same. Eventually we will try
to draw some of these folks into a home group fellowship and begin the process
of spreading the gospel. Please pray that God would lead the way in this
effort.
Cornerstone
Baptist Church and Pastor Lee Cross are doing well. This is our church home
while in Maine and Lee is our pastor. The body of Christ at Cornerstone is
wonderful and welcoming. We love them very much and the feeling seems to be
mutual. The church here has some very unique challenges and we can only pray
that God will empower them – and us – to spread the love of Jesus in an area
that is woefully lacking very much “salt and light.” Please keep all of this in
prayer. Satan has established himself firmly in this region and we are under no
illusions that spiritual warfare will be a constant, trying presence. But, He
is greater than anything the enemy can muster and, through Christ, evil will be
confronted and defeated by the good news and His power.
Cornerstone’s
annual revival begins this Sunday, lasting through Friday. A guest evangelist
and various musicians are scheduled. Many of us will be conducting daily
door-to-door visits in the area inviting people to come and sharing the gospel
as the opportunity arises. Please pray for this revival, for our protection,
and that God would be glorified no matter how the situation develops.
This
past weekend Hurricane Arthur paid an unheard-of visit to Downeast Maine and
the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Making landfall in Nova Scotia (which is not
far from here) Arthur pounded us pretty hard all day Saturday. Electrical
service was lost for three days, along with our water supply (which is from a
well with an electric pump.) Fortunately, we have a spring or Artesian well
about fifty feet from the back door so were able to get water to flush toilets
and wash dishes. I even took a quick, very cold, bath in that spring after
three days with no shower: invigorating to say the least. The locals tell me
that hurricanes never come up here and that the electricity is never
interrupted in the summertime. So, this was a rare event for Maine indeed. My
neighbor blames me for bringing it with us. By God’s grace, though, we have
heard of no one who lost their life in the storm and very few homes were
damaged. They build houses well up here to endure the winter.
We
have had a house guest this week – our very first in the new home. Linda
Maphet, a friend of Karen’s from Georgia, came for a visit and it has been a
real pleasure to have her here. She and Karen are on an overnight trip to Nova
Scotia right now, returning tonight. Linda was a real trooper during the storm
and the power outage, describing it all as an adventure which God had
orchestrated. That’s how we should look at the bumps life (?) throws into our
paths. We really have enjoyed having her and especially playing Scrabble
together by candlelight.
Most
of you know that our son, Taylor, has been in Kenya for the past year on a
missionary apprenticeship through World Harvest (now Serge). He is finished
with the mission and is heading home. As I write this he is in the Nairobi
airport awaiting his flight to Qatar, then to Philadelphia. He’ll spend a day
there and then come up to Maine to spend ten days with us. We are looking forward
to seeing him again and spending some time reconnecting. That we are proud of
him is the understatement of the year.
Taylor
will begin graduate studies at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY, in
mid-August. After completing his MA in Theological Studies he will likely
return to the mission field, perhaps in Europe. Please keep him in your
prayers.
I
have spent far too much time this morning typing and need to get to my chores.
When you live in the country those never end. There is still some storm
clean-up to attend to.
Our
heartfelt thanks to all who have been praying for us as we seek to be obedient
to the Lord’s call. It is humbling indeed to face such daunting challenges, but
the good news is that we do not face them alone. I will write again soon. Love
to you all.
