LOVE MERCY SALVATION

My friend Danny died of a massive heart attack. What I've come to realize is that I'm not as loved as much as I was two days ago when Danny was alive. Danny loved me--and not just because I'm so handsome! Danny and Karen walked with us through a very difficult time in the late 80s. It's good to have friends who will walk with you and even pick you up when you can't walk. Now he's with Jesus and I miss him even though I haven't seen him for many years. I know, God loves me more than Danny did. But God hasn't picked me up and hugged me so hard I nearly burst. Danny did. Danny used to call me a "sorry dog" when I'd beat him in a tennis match. I'd call him a "sorry dog" just because I love sorry dogs. God never called me one. He calls me other things. But you are right of course. God does love us and His grace is more than sufficient and His love is a bozillion times better than that of anyone else's. I'm praying all that love and grace flows to Karen. Join us, please, in praying.


LOOK, THERE'S NATHAN, LEAH AND JACKIE

THERE'S LAUREN. NATHAN SAYS HE'S GOING TO MARRY HER!
Have you ever thought about love? Paul said this about it: 1Ti 1:5 The whole point of what we're urging is simply love--love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God (the Message). Nancy Honeytree sang to us about love and I was pondering how it happens. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't. Jackie goes to Ampai, the kindergarten, and all those little curtain climbers climb on her. They like to sit in her lap and they like to kiss her on the cheek and they like to be hugged by her. They are all children of Buddhists and they have no idea why the Farong (white person) shows so much love to them. They couldn't tell you Jackie is a Christian. They couldn't tell you they were going to be Buddhist in a few years. They don't even know Nancy Honeytree. But we know why they love her. It's cause God loves them through Jackie and they get their God hugs and kisses daily and they like it. Jessica works there too and she gets to give them God-hugs and get sat on and hugged and kissed by them. Isn't it a wonderful thing to get to be in the middle of a mob of kids? Who's Jessica. She's our new 19 year old house mate. Oh no, a teenager in the house! She's awesome.


AND THERE'S THE WILD BOYS, ZACHARY AND JACOB ABOVE AND ELIJAH, THE 3rd MUSKETEER BELOW

If you read Romans enough times, you will start seeing that God is bigger than you. Romans has this to say: 9:15 For he says to Moses, "I will be merciful to the person I want to be merciful to, and I will be kind to the person I want to be kind to."
9:16 Therefore, God's choice does not depend on a person's will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy....
9:18 God has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses. If you read Ephesians 1 a few times, it even gets scarier, this salvation thing: Eph 1:5 Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. What pleasure he took in planning this!(The Message). Well, thinks I, if He already planned this all out, why pray? Because I believe in Star Trek. When the Enterprise crew flew back into time to help out, Kirk scolded Scotty for giving a "magic" formula, that only was known in the future, to a scientist living in the past. "What havoc could this reap?" asks Kirk. Scotty's response was classic: "But Captain, how d'you know that he wasn't supposed to get it now so we'd have it to give to him?" That's why we pray for mercy. How do I know who I'm supposed to ask mercy for? I haven't been to the future and I usually forget what happened in the past. I just ask for those God puts in front of me and maybe that's the one He planned to give it to. I want to see mercy for our friends so we pray for mercy. And we pray for grace. We ask God for our hearts to be big enough and warm enough to love as He loves and to care as He cares.


COOL NATE DRUMMING IN THE CAMPUS CRUSADE WORSHIP BAND

So that's what's going on in our lives. We are thrilled that you love us enough to read this rambling thing. We are glad Danny is with Jesus, but we miss him. We are glad Nancy Honeytree told us that LOVE WAS ALL THAT MATTERS. We are glad to be able to give God-hugs and kisses to our students. He makes the seed grow and He gets the praise and honor for whatever happens. Oh, the pictures, you wonder. They are totally unrelated to the ramblings, but that's our privilege as the authors to show off our kids! Hope you enjoyed them. With tons of love,

Bob & Jackie

Thai Treks

So, what's going on in your lives? We'd like to hear. Actually, we'd like to hear really bad cause...we are out of sight and seemingly out of mind. Anyone out there?


CHUCK & BOB fighting the weeds

We usually update this blog monthly, but there's a new semester starting up and the race begins tomorrow, so I thought I'd send this on out ahead of schedule. We've got some exciting news: Jackie is pregnant! Got you...she isn't. She still loves our kids and grand kids, and she loves her student kids (32 in her class the last couple of weeks because of camp days) and she even loves me (Bob, by the way). So, what's the exciting news?


BUM & GLEN Scurbbing away

A couple of years ago we started going to Baan Athiitaan, which was a Baptist church plant. We've been cruising along there and stay involved as much as we can. I preach every few weeks and Jackie dances or teaches dancing or teaches kids. The pastor, Michael Johnson and his wife, Hope, are good friends and we enjoy being a part of this exciting work. Their daughter, Elizabeth, is Jackie's #1 dance student.

We started out in a small room of a house 2 years ago and then moved to a bigger room in another house about one year ago. Well, we are moving again into a bigger house and we don't expect to have to move from this one for quite some time: We can put 600 + in one of the rooms. It was a restaurant and club and had set empty for 7 years until we came along and rented it. There's only about 60 in the church so this is a huge step of faith. The rent is almost $1000 a month! But when God is in something you just kind of have to leap off the cliff and trust He's there to catch you.

LEK & GAE at play


There's been some drama involved too. A couple of months ago, the Baptist International Mission's Board--IMB-- told Michael he had to stop what he was doing and do something else. Well, he's been here about 6 years or so and the relationships go way too deep to just walk away and start something new 5 hours away. The wisdom didn't seem to be evident in what they were saying. We all prayed and Michael decided to resign instead of moving. That was quite a step of faith and God was there to catch him. Although the IMB doesn't like what we are doing too much, a bunch of other Baptists churches in Mississippi do and they are going to pay the rent for the building for 2 years and help us with renovations. God has brought teams in to help too.

Michael and Hope need to support themselves and their 4 kids living here, so I talked to my boss here at the university and it didn't take 2 beats of a heart for him to be hired. Michael taught my classes while I was away in August so they knew him quite well. Plus, he's a really good teacher and they know that. So now there's three of us from the church working here and one more joining us November 7th. It's so cool what God is doing. We have good relationships with the students already and the new church is only 10 minutes from this campus and 5 minutes from the other university campus. So there's 16,000 students within 10 minutes of our church property. We can't wait to see what God might do.

WEED EATING isn't all it's cracked up to be!

As a bit of encouragement to us, actually a big encouragement to us has been 2 new Thai young people coming to the Lord. In Bum's cell group a high schooler came to the Lord and Ja led her cousin to the Lord 2 days ago. In Ja's family, which wasn't happy about her conversion about 5 years ago, there's Ja, her sister, Jip, and her cousin Mic walking with the Lord. We are praying for her mom and dad to convert as a Christmas gift. Please join us in praying. We are praying the same thing for Bum's parents, who are still pretty upset with her.

You want to help? Here's what you can do. READ THIS: 1 Timothy 2: 1-4 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks...this is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. AND THIS: Romans 9:16 So receiving God's promise is not up to us. We can't get it by choosing it or working hard for it. God will show mercy to anyone He chooses. When you put those 2 verses together you get this: If we want people to get saved, we need to be praying for God to extend His mercy to the lost. Which ones? I don't know. I've decided to start praying for everyone in my universe because Timothy tells me that God wants everyone to be saved. Well, if everyone includes the people you are around, pray for them. And, you can support our church plant by praying for us too. We desperately want to see these Thai people that we are in contact with come to know Jesus.

The other day, 4 of my students came over to visit with Jackie and I (and to get help with homework!) and as we were talking I was overwhelmed by the thought that all four of them, which are quite close to us, are on their way to hell. We've shared with them, given them Thai Bibles and loved on them. Pray God's mercy to be extended to them. I don't want to see any of God's kids lost.

So, that's what's going on with us. We greatly appreciate your prayers and support. If there's stuff in your lives that you'd like us to pray about, email us and we'll be happy to join in with you.

Bob and Jackie



PRAYER REMINDERS
How about an outpouring of God's mercy and grace on the two university campuses near our church? That would be awesome. Karen Fleming, whose husband, Danny, died last month still needs our prayers. Our friends, the ones with the daughter who's been put in a hospital for 90 days of psychological evaluation, need your continuing prayers. Us? We finally have Internet at our house, but our computer won't work. (UPDATE: The computer wouldn't go, so we had to buy a new one. It's a cheapo but at least we can get Internet at our house! Yea.) Jackie has had a migraine for about 10 days in October. It comes for a couple of days, leaves for a day or two, comes back. 31 years it's been this way so we'd love to see God heal her.
Money? It goes to YWAM Montana. Checks payable to YWAM/MT and sent to 501 Blacktail Road, Lakeside, MT 59922. Don't put our name on the check but do put a note saying it's for the Robinsons in Thailand. Thank you.

YWAM: To know God and to make Him known