The hardest part about ministry, in my opinion, are the good-byes. We’ve had people leave our church and those good-byes, or lack thereof, are very sad. Their spot is empty; their smiles are missed. We’ve also had to relocate ourselves, leaving precious saints of God to follow His call to a new work. Oh how hard that is!

Our first pastorate was in a small town about an hour northwest of Austin, Texas. We were there almost three years before the Lord moved us to southwest Arkansas. I was very happy there. We had the best people in the whole state of Texas! It was a thrill when a dear lady was passing through and wanted to stop by and say hello. Two of her sons offered to drive her to Indiana to visit family. They were only able to visit a short time, but it was a sweet time.

The kids hugged her neck and rode their bikes for her. She brought us cookies – all the way from central Texas! It was a great joy to our hearts.