Thank You Wichita Eastridge and Emporia!

We had a great time with the folks at Wichita Eastridge and Emporia on Sunday. Pastor Will Haworth and his wife Diana took us out to dinner on Saturday evening and were great hosts on Sunday morning. They spent three years as missionaries in Montevideo Uruguay and remember former South America Regional Director Bruno Radi as a young, up and coming pastor. The Eastridge church has a wonderful ethnic and cultural mix that would do many more urban churches proud. (The picture on the right shows Pastor Will getting a toy missionary plane to fly for some of the children in the church.)

Gloria and Daniel, a Nazarene pastoral couple originally from Columbia, are ministering to the Spanish-speaking community, and the church is also reaching the African-American and Asian populations. Even more impressive, it was clear that the older members of the church are literally and figuratively embracing the newer members. Wichita Eastridge makes it clear that they have a local as well as global commitment to missions. Thanks to Pastor Gloria for her warmth and morning solo in Spanish, to Cheryl for help with our media and to Pastor Will and Diana for their hospitality!

We were also impressed with the work going on at the Emporia, Kansas church under the leadership of Pastor Mark Hensen. Dr. Sheryl Lidzy, a professor of communications at Emporia State University, is the newly-appointed NMI President for the Emporia church and clearly has a vision for the work of the NMI at Emporia. Dennis and Sonia Irwin, the primary leaders for the new Celebrate Recovery ministry at the church, spent some time talking with Nancy about her experience with the ministry at Nampa First. After the service, we had a good meal and time of fellowship in the church activity center. Thanks to Pastor Hensen for his help with the media and for his prayer after the service, and thanks to Sheryl and Rusty Lidzy for their hospitality.

We continue to be blessed by the fact that at each church we visit people are attempting to hear the Lord's voice and to establish or strengthen ministries that will meet needs in the community and bring people to the Lord. Thanks to everyone at Wichita Eastridge and Emporia for your time with us this weekend, and for your faithfulness to the Kingdom!