Mid-Year Update
GoodSoil NewsletterJuly 2008 Half-way into 2008 our news is very encouraging; excepting is a single note of personal sadness. Katie Inez Meeks
09/12/35 – 06/21/08
At approximately 9a.m. on June 16th I woke my Mother. She’d fallen asleep in her chair, which was not unusual. Orienting herself as she woke she realized she’d fallen asleep in the chair and made a comment accordingly. I looked away for a moment to see if she’d already taken her morning medicines. Though she was sitting, she said, “I’m falling.” This she repeated twice more and then she fell unconscious. The doctors later ascertained that a massive blood clot had entered her heart and ruptured into her lungs. On June 21st, Donna, my Brother, Mom’s Sister, and a few close friends stood at her bedside and witnessed the final beat of her heart.
My Mother’s suffering with pain covered three decades—day and night. Her final years were greatly helped by the kind and able care of several physicians from Indian Mountain Clinic here in Jellico. To them we are deeply indebted and grateful. To the very final moments they exhibited the professionalism and Christian spirit Jesus must certainly have demonstrated to his patients.
No more pain. No more tears. Safe. Home. The grace of Our Lord has never been more precious or more powerful to us. Though we grieve, we rejoice. I spoke at her funeral. My message honoring Mom is posted at www.goodsoilministries.org if you would like to share in that day with us.
N.C. Family Retreat
The summer began for us, however, in early May. Donna and I held a weekend retreat in North Carolina on the topic of “How to Rear Children”. Feedback was positive, especially from one young “not yet believer’s” couple who attended.
Media Mission Camp #3
Focus: Advertising
This year’s camp was even more successful than the previous two camps. The camper’s developed a website (www.JellicoCR.com) and produced eight commercials of 30 seconds to help promote our Celebrate Recovery outreach. Their commercials are being aired on television daily throughout East Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, and West Virginia to almost 400,000 homes. The commercials are also viewable at www.godtube.com (key word: “Jellico”). The camper’s only critique for us, “Camp needs to be two weeks long next year!”
This was our 9th Mission Camp since inception in 1989. This unique training method is unsurpassed for getting teens both the heart for missions and the basic tools. As I pass my 50th birth date anniversary, the full development of this sort of intense simulated mission training for teens is now at the top of my “10 yr. Goals” sheet. Reviewing my past 20 years of mission work, these camps have perhaps been the most beneficial contribution I’ve made to the global mission of God. If you are interested in more specifics or playing a role, please contact me.
Jellico Community Church
Our Appalachian Church is growing! God is adding in both numbers of members, numbers of visitors, and in depth of relationship with Christ. Drug addictions are being overcome. Alcohol has been poured down the drain. Pornography is being confessed and accountability partners are being chosen and consulted. Sexual immorality is being brought under the control out of obedience to the Spirit of God. The Word of God is being read and studied publicly in groups and privately by individuals. Prayers for one another are being offered outside of the worship assemblies. Praise is lifted weekly. Men have been released from prison (literally and spiritually) and set on a new path. Marriages are strengthening. Parents are training their children in the path of life. People are caring for one another’s financial burdens….and the list goes on. The Church is growing and the Kingdom of God is making a scratch into the mountain community of Jellico, Tennessee.
We love our Church. They are honest. They are ‘no frills’. They’re serious about faith…they have to be. There are tears. There is true joy. Grace is more than a word. Forgiveness is received and dispensed. Sin is confessed, not in generic terms, but in specifics and publicly. We’re rough, but we’re real. I have never been in a Church that practiced the spirit of the New Testament Acts Church than this one. It is wonderful! Praise God we’re growing at last!
Short-Term Mission Teams and Trips
Since Mom’s passing and funeral we have attempted to keep up with the busy summer activities which had been planned for these succeeding weeks. Hannah and Donna traveled to Kenya and visited in the area near Eldoret where we lived and worked and an area south of Eldoret where the Greek family lived and ministered. They’ve spoken almost daily to groups of believers and non-believers.
They also toured an orphanage site being built. It is Sam’s Place and donations to it can be made to the 11th Willis Church of Christ in Abilene Texas. The need for orphan care is huge in Kenya due to high incidence AIDS deaths. Many of you donated to this orphanage in the form of an tribute to my Mother in lieu of flowers at her funeral. Thank you all for your care to her and to these children.
GoodSoil hosted two short-term mission groups: the Hendersonville, NC Church of Christ youth group, and the World Servant’s annual mission trip. Both have helped us with our Celebrate Recovery program and the NC group remodeled a portion of our building. They had approximately 20 in each group and we were happy to contribute to their mission-hearts in a small way.
Closing Note
God continues to amaze us after almost 13 years of trusting Him for provisions. His instruments are often the least we’d suspect. Last week a little seven year old Chinese girl from Canada was helping her family at the World Servants mission week events. One evening her family approached me. They said, “Our daughter had a birthday last week. She asked her friends not to give her toys, but money that she could give to help someone else. She wants to support your ministry here in Jellico.” The little girl then handed me $200!
Humbled is not strong enough for how I felt accepting that precious gift. Awestruck also falls short of my growing sense of how good and thoughtful and wonderful is Jehovah-Jireh.
