2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Dear praying friends and supporters,
As we send out this update, we look back with thankful hearts at what God has done so far this year! He has sent so many blessings and answers to prayer - it has been overwhelming to see His hand at work! Truly, we know that these blessings haven’t scratched the surface of God’s ability, yet we are so thankful for each one! They help us, as we move forward, to have faith in Him for the miracles needed in the future!
The year started with us at home, helping out at our home church and working part time to pay the bills in the slower winter months. Though we were not out and about very much in those months, it was evident God’s hand was at work! One prayer request that had been heavy on our hearts for quite some time was our need of a good diesel truck for pulling our home. We had been able to raise some funds last year toward a possible trade, but when that trade fell through we were left waiting. Finally, the Lord moved in a clear and miraculous way! He laid it on a man’s heart to sell us a beautiful Chevy Avalanche for whatever we could give him (enter the funds we raised last year toward a truck)! After that, an opportunity arose for us to buy a fifth wheel for a very good price. Since we were needing to move in the direction of getting a larger fifth wheel trailer (and unfortunately still are, because this fifth wheel ended up falling through), we began to look at our options in pursuit of that end. It was clear that the truck that we had been basically given was beautiful but would not be able to pull a larger fifth wheel trailer. With the blessing of the gentleman from whom we got the truck, we were able to sell it, and begin looking for a truck capable of pulling the trailer we were looking at getting. It was not long before we found a truck for a very good price that was a diesel, had a nearly new transmission, a motor that was known to be very reliable, a full extended cab, and was in very nice condition! We contacted the seller, made an agreement with him on the price, and picked it up the next week! Suffice to say, IT HAS BEEN A MAJOR BLESSING! Pulling our trailer and knowing that the truck that is pulling is well-sufficient for the task is a wonderful thing! We cannot overstate our thanks to those that have prayed and given to help us attain that end!
In April we had our first opportunity to use the truck for its intended purpose when we pulled our trailer to TN for the Go Reach America Campaign and God Bless America Rally there. We spent about six weeks helping with canvassing and door-to-door soul-winning. This culminated in three nights of area-wide revival meetings and a one-night area-wide evangelistic meeting. Perhaps the neatest thing that happened in that time was the salvation of one of the area mayors after the evangelistic meeting ended!
From there we headed up to Worcester, Massachusetts to help with the second Victory Gospel Crusade. This area-wide evangelistic tent meeting was scheduled to go for one week, preceded by three nights of revival services. By the grace of God, we were able to see the Spirit of God work in such a way that the one week meeting turned into five weeks with over 150 individuals bowing their heads to trust Christ! A meeting like that anywhere in America today is significant! Perhaps all the more, because the meeting was taking place in New England, we were all amazed, humbled, and extremely thankful to God for what He did! Truly, God desires to work in America today more than we desire it! If only we will humble ourselves and make ourselves clean and usable, He desires to do so much more than we realize! Sadly, too often we don’t even believe He wants to - or even can - work anymore, but IT IS JUST NOT TRUE!
After the meeting ended, we were able to be in the area for a few more weeks to be available to help with follow up. During that time we had the opportunity to visit and help a little bit with a church plant in Connecticut as well as take a little mini-vacation in New Hampshire and Maine! We were blessed with another large answer to prayer at that time, in that we were introduced to a dentist in New Hampshire that was willing to do all of my wife’s dental work for free because we are in full-time ministry! This was an immense blessing and answer to prayer!
Then it was on to Charlottesville, VA, which is where we are currently. We have been helping a supporting church reach young people in their community with the Gospel! It has been neat to see several parents and grandparents coming with the children each Wednesday night! VBS here will be Sunday through Thursday, August 6-10, led by the Vermaas Family. Please pray for many young people and families to come, that we might see several saved and added to the church!
We then plan to leave the following week for another God Bless America Rally in Suffolk, VA! There we plan to take the Gospel to the streets for about four weeks, followed by a large two night area-wide evangelistic meeting! We are humbly seeking God, that He would use us to make a significant impact in that area for His glory!
Perhaps the single most anticipated meeting for us this year, could well end up being one of the smallest. It is scheduled for September 17-30, in NC. The Lord has laid it on my heart to work with two smaller supporting churches to lead an area-wide meeting in pursuit of revival. Though the two main churches involved are small in number, they have both been a real blessing to our family and ministry in faithful prayers and support! We are praying that the Lord would bless them richly for being such a blessing to us, and we hope this meeting will be one in which God is able to do a great reviving work in our midst! Please pray with us to that end! (More details about that meeting should be coming out soon on our website and social media!)
Our last prayer request is one that was mentioned earlier. That is that the Lord would open up the right door at the right time in regards to a larger fifth wheel trailer. The bumper pull trailer that we currently have truly has been a God-send! We had nothing, and my wife’s parents purchased it for us at just the right time! However, we have been living in it full-time for over two and a half years. Between the overall age of the trailer, the constant wear and tear, and - perhaps largest – our two growing boys, we are feeling the definite need of getting a larger home! (Our family is starting to feel like a size 11 foot trying to fit into a size 10 shoe!) We are specifically praying for a fifth wheel that is at least the year 2000 or newer, around 38-40 feet long, with three or more slideouts, and that would have (or be modifiable to have) a bedroom in the rear for the boys. Currently they do not have a bedroom and the bedroom that Pepsi and I have is quite small. A fifth wheel with a bedroom in the front with a slideout for the bed, a bedroom in the back with a slideout, and at least one large slideout in the living room would be a good fit for our family at this time! Practically, we will likely not be able to get one until this coming spring. The Lord knows what is best, so we are trying to be patient, pray, and wait on His timing! Even in the spring we will need the Lord to help us get our trailer sold and then find a fifth wheel trailer that fits our needs and is within our price range! It isn’t impossible, but please do join with us in praying that God would work out every detail!
God is good! We are grateful! Revival in America is more than just a dream – it is happening! Not everywhere yet, but pockets of revival fires are beginning to burn! We need to fan the flames, and the fires need to grow and spread! We would do well to ask ourselves, “What is hindering me from being on fire for God?” Revival may not be everywhere yet, but we can each be revived - if we want to be - if we care – if we are willing to pay the price . . .
His servants,
Joshua and Pepsi Lancaster
2 Chron. 7:14; James 4:8-10