Bee, Worship, Floor

Wow!  The internet connectin has been so slow (or else it's my computer) that I've been unable to do this blog for over a week.

ECHO-GENI is a program where three area schools send kids to participate in academic competition.  Last Saturday we had the spelling bee.  This is a first for our town...inter-scolastic academic competition.  It went very well.  The kids enjoyed it.  It was tense, serious, and yet positive.  A young girl from the BREAD OF MAN school won the sixth-grade competition.  She was nearly eliminated when she misspelled toilette.  The other three remaining spellers made errors as well, so she remained alive.  A few rounds later they fell, and she spelled mangue correctly to become the first champion speller in the ECHO-GENI program.  ECHO-GENI is sponsored by Asaph Teaching Ministry.  I'm working with three local teachers to initiate the competitions which will be expanded next year if all goes well.

We've had no electricity in our church for the past few weeks.  That means no keyboards, bass, or amps...or microphones.  We tried doing accoustic instruments for a week or two.  It was nice, but for the past two weeks we've used only voices.  It's amazing to me how distracting an instrument can be to the person playing it.  I push musicians here all the time to worship (in spirit and in truth) while they play during a service.  I realize I've been doing music more than worshiping lately myself.  It's good to 'get back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you, Jesus!'

The house is coming along beautifully.  It looks like it'll be finished this week.  And we'll be perhaps only $100 or so over budget.  They did the floor yesterday.  I walked on it this morning.  Smooth.  I've slept on the roof already, but not yet inside the house.  (It has been smoking hot here lately.)  Looking forward to moving in next week.  

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD.  HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.