We send greetings from Florida, where the temperatures are dropping! YAY! The cooler weather is very refreshing.
The end of August, we were travelling to Michigan with George’s parents (The best travelling buddies ever!) and at we stayed in West Virginia the second night of our trip. At 4 a.m.(8-31-14) my phone rang and it was Tim. He and Charity were on their way to “Grandma’s house” in Michigan for our little family reunion time, and he started by saying, “I swerved to miss a mailbox, and lost control, and hit a mailbox, and a tree.” OH MY! We are so thankful that both kids are ok, with minor bruises and a couple of cuts. The car did its job and protected the kids. The mailbox did not fare so well, and the tree is still standing! They ended up being towed back to Charity’s folk’s house near Green Bay and then after a little sleep, went to the Manitowoc-Ludington ferry across Lake Michigan, and David picked them up on Sunday, and brought them up to the house.
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We had a lovely time with family (Debby & Brett and girls, Cody and Beka, Tim & Charity, and David were all there—we just missed Amy & Hector and Judah-but we skyped with them!) and celebrated several birthdays that fall the first week of September (and David’s too, even though it is the 26th). The lake was beautiful and the weather was nice. September 4, we had a storm come through and the kids were down by the lake taking awesome pictures of lightening, when we told them they probably should come inside due to the thunder and lightening. They came in and the wind picked up, and at one point we heard the “freight train” sound that is usually associated with a tornado. The power was out, and we lit the candles and oil lamps and enjoyed a special time singing songs with David playing the guitar. SO thankful for our family! When the rain stopped and the wind died down we started looking around, out the windows and could see that several trees had blown down. Come morning, we saw the extent of the damages! WOW!! 5-7 very large trees, very near the house were down, and one was 6” from hitting the roof!!! Smaller trees broke the fall of some of the bigger ones, and we were awed and very thankful, for God’s hand of protection.
So, George spent most of his birthday this year, cutting trees, and engineering with the kids on the best way to drop the leaning ones near t
he house, to t
he ground without hitting the house. There were 4 large trees-Pine and Oak that needed to be dealt with right away. We spent the day without power, our Jungle Camp training served us very well! About 6:30 the power came on for 5 minutes, then we heard a “Crash, boom, pop!” and the power went out again. A tree down on the electric line by my brother’s house broke the wire, and gone was our power. That’s another story, on how we finally got power on again that same night. (If you want to hear it, let me know. J) Thus was our very EVENTFUL birthday week reunion!! God is faithful and how we thank Him for his protection and provision!
We also thank Him for your part in our ministry. We enjoy our work at the NTM Home Offices in Member services. It is a privilege to serve the NTM family around the world. (Romans 15:25 has encouraged me-“For Now I go to Jerusalem (Sanford) to serve the saints.”) We will continue faithful to our FAITHFUL God, serving until He comes!
Have a beautiful Fall! The leaves are turning in Michigan. We enjoy a change of flora in Florida as the “season’s” kind of change”. We are busy with Church activities, and preparing for a friend’s wedding. George will officiate, and Linda is sewing for the bridal party, and catering the reception.
Thank you, again, for your care for us. We appreciate your prayers and know God is protecting always. He is good-all the time. All the time, He is good!! In His grace is our sufficiency for all our needs.
In His Grace,
George and Linda Heckman
NTM US Home Offices/Member Services