Sunday, July 14 Martha and I assembled with the Wildwood, Florida Church of Christ. I presented my PowerPoint “2019 Guyana, South America” for the Bible class hour. That morning, I preached, “Youth Ministry Begins in the Home.” Later in the day, I preached, “A Lost Generation.” About 1 p.m. the next day, Martha and I left for Winona, Mississippi. (Rebecca had already departed in the morning for her home outside of Memphis, Tennessee.) Though Martha and I would like to have traveled farther, we lodged Monday night in Demopolis, Alabama.
Tuesday afternoon, Martha and I had dental cleanings in Jackson, Mississippi. Later, we arrived in Winona and were guests of brother Jerry and sister Paula Bates through Friday morning. I had worked with them from day to day in Winona for 11 years. Martha, of course, joined me in the work following our marriage a little over 2 years ago.
Wednesday evening, Martha and I met with the Elliott, Mississippi Church of Christ. I showed those present the PowerPoint, “2019 Guyana.”
Thursday and Friday, other missionaries and we gathered at the annual World Evangelism team meeting in Winona. We encouraged each other, told of what we had been doing and shared our plans for the coming year.
Friday night, Martha and I traveled to Meridian, Mississippi to the home of brother Therman and sister Sadie Hodge. They weren’t there, but they opened their home to us. Martha and I rested on Saturday and were treated to a superb supper at the home of brother Bill and sister April Koch.
On the Lord’s Day, Martha and I assembled with the Union, Mississippi Church of Christ—about an hour away. Once more, I made my PowerPoint presentation, “2019 Guyana,” and for worship, I preached my lesson, “Youth Ministry Begins at Home.” We were pleased to share a fellowship meal with the congregation following worship. Afterward, we returned to the Hodge Lodge and awaited the arrival of brother and sister Hodge. Monday, we returned to our home in Ocala, Florida.
For me at least, returning to Winona and spending time with coworkers resulted in a rush of eye-moistening emotions. The earthly remains of my late wife Bonnie lie about 30 minutes west of Winona in the cemetery of the Old Union Church of Christ—only a small clearing in the kudzu-covered woods permitting the presence of the meetinghouse and the graveyard. In addition, some of our fellow missionary families are battling cancer and other maladies; this too, is a little unsettling. Several associates have passed away in the last dozen years.
During the week, I managed to get the files for the next Rushmore Newsletter to the printing company in Minnesota. Further, I was able to get all of the files for my next book to the same printing company. My books are the result of studies over decades that occasionally make their way into print.
We were looking forward to sleeping in our own bed. We had only been home for about two weeks from our last trek before making this trip. Tuesday was a down day; we relaxed. However, I was able to do a quick mowing of the yard before the rains began. Later, Martha’s son and daughter-in-law shared our afternoon and a meal with us. That was pleasant.
Wednesday was punctuated with doctor appointments for both of us. We received the results of recent lab tests. I’ve flunked my AC1 test twice in a row, and so, I will begin taking diabetic medicine again. In the afternoon, I had a biopsy on my thyroid.
There is always something to keep us busy and give us purpose in life. We hope that by what we say, where we go and what we do stateside and abroad that we can glorify God and edify our fellow man. Hence, among other things, I need to feverishly work on the next edition of Gospel Gazette Online, and soon I must devote primary attention to a future issue of The Voice of Truth International. Shortly, I need also to arrange travel plans for our anticipated trip to Myanmar and India. It hardly seems that we’ve slowed down any since we moved from the daily activities at the World Evangelism Building in Winona, Mississippi to my office in our Ocala, Florida home. Martha and I are driven in the service of our Lord no matter of where we reside. We are fortunate to be associated with some of the most enthusiastic servants of our Lord, and we are thankful for good brethren who make it possible for us to devote ourselves fully to the cause of Christ.
nded to publish 
This morning, I put the finishing touches on The Voice of Truth International #101. Of course, this is not a singular effort but the result of collaboration between several brothers and sisters in Christ. Sister Betty Choate (who along with her late husband J.C. Choate began VOTI decades ago), brother Jerry and sister Paula Bates, brother Shane and sister Emily Fisher, several brethren whose articles we use, and Martha and I team together to make the quarterly magazine possible. Naturally, without the financial participation of subscribers and congregations of the Lord’s church, The Voice of Truth International would not be possible.
Bobby’s wedding on Saturday, June 1 to Sharon, both members of the 
Monday and Tuesday, we visited with my father, my brothers and one of my late wife Bonnie’s brothers in Pennsylvania and New York; James and Kay Reed and we three, per Martha’s request, visited a causeway where we fed fish and geese that congregate near a spillway between sides of a large lake. Wednesday we made the second of two visits to the grave of Martha’s late husband Bob Noland in Calcutta, Ohio. That evening, we assembled with the 
Thursday, June 6, we three drove to Mineral Wells, West Virginia to meet with several of Martha’s siblings and a brother to Bob Noland. Friday through Sunday afternoon, we lodged with my son Raymond and his family in Pickerington, Ohio. Sunday morning, we assembled with the 
Sunday afternoon, Martha, Rebecca and I began our return journey to Ocala. Finally, we arrived Tuesday afternoon.
Whenever and wherever we go, Martha and I make sure that we visit brethren, even if we are also traveling to spend some time with family members. We are ever conscious of being a servant to our Lord Jesus Christ, at home or while traveling stateside or abroad.