Fallon, NV April 3-10, 2016

I like to share these trip updates, but I really cannot describe what is happening in Fallon, NV.  Unless you are military personnel, you may have never visited or heard of it.  The Naval Air Station there is the base for the most advanced tactical fighter training in the world.  And surrounding that base is a small town community similar to thousands of others across America.  It is always amazing and powerfully moving to see a local church, the body of Christ, give their lives for a community.  I wish you could just go there to see it for yourself.  Simply, God is moving in that place and Jesus is clearly demonstrating Himself in and through a group of people to the community around them.  There is a special unity among this church family --- and it truly is like family.  It is not always common to see a church where people love to linger and visit with one another after the service is over.  It is even more uncommon that people stay 1 or 2 hours or more to fellowship after a service, and when those are multiple nights in a row.  We had revival services Sunday through Wednesday (and what powerful times those were as we shared Jesus from the book of Jude --- amazing truth!), and I would find myself needing to eventually find a chair to sit on at some point after the service just because my feet were getting tired or sore.  But what a refreshing thing to be among a group of people that so loves one another.  And is that genuine love of Jesus Christ that is overflowing to the community through their compassionate ministries.  I don’t know what to say about the weekly food distribution on Thursdays as I have never seen anything like it.  I can simply post some photos to attempt to give some sense of the magnitude of ministry that is taking place week in and week out.  350 families were served on this particular week.  

But the Thursday distribution is the culmination of the work that goes into it by so many not only on that day but throughout the week.  The ministry of the thrift store continues to grow, now in two locations.  Pastor Paul Slaton’s prayer has lately been, “God, give us the lost.”  It is stirring to see how God is doing this and the way He is reaching people and transforming lives from every walk of life.  I know I say this every time, but if there is a group out there looking for a place to minister for a few days or for a week, I could think of no better plan than going to Fallon, NV (and don’t forget the recreational opportunities nearby in Lake Tahoe!).  It is a place to see the kingdom of God at work in a very real way.  

​Carey and I then began services on Thursday night and continued through the following Sunday out at the Stillwater Indian Church on the Paiute Shoshone reservation just outside of Fallon.  I believe this was our fourth consecutive year to have the spring revival services with this special group of people. ​

The people are always excited and eager for us to come.  I was encouraged this year by not only the attendance, but by the response of many of the people.  There were one or two services in which there was an overwhelming response of people coming forward to pray and respond to Jesus’ call from 2 Timothy chapter 2.  I was particularly gripped to look at the young people there in these services and ponder God’s call for them to carry the flame in the same way Paul was admonishing young Timothy.  I continue to pray for these young people at Stillwater to completely respond to Jesus and allow Him to work through their lives to lead the next generation to Him.  

Stillwater Indian Church

​On a related note, we are thanking God for His touch on the life of Sandra Plants, wife of Pastor Tim Plants at Stillwater.  On Tuesday April 19, one week after we were there, Sandra suffered a massive pulmonary embolism in her lungs, causing her heart to stop three times.  She was revived through CPR, and then transported to the hospital in Reno, where she has shown miraculous progress, being able to now breathe on her own, sit up at moments, and do some talking.  We continue to pray for Sandra’s full recovery, and for the continued work of running the race, carrying the flame, and handing off the baton through their lives.  I pray the same for you and for each of us.  As Paul wrote about to Timothy, may we continue to fight the good fight, finish the race well, and keep the faith. 
 
Running together in Christ,
 
John