July 15, 2009

Celebrating Independence Day in Boston

"Old Ironsides" salutes the nation

“…let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”
Heb 12:1-3

Dear Friends,

It has now been two weeks since you heard from us, and we want to let you know how the Lord has been answering your prayers! Unfortunately, the length of this update will reflect the busyness of the last two weeks; feel free to skim through to find our “prayer points” in bold type.

Last week’s Vacation Bible School went very well. We had over 50 children attend throughout the week. Noah and I had the privilege of teaching half a dozen teenagers, and were both challenged and blessed. I was personally convicted by our lesson about Mary and the joy with which she obeyed the Lord.

Teens joining Abraham's "faith walk"

The teachers of the three younger classes had their hands full, as each class was at least twice as large as ours. But they did a great job, and the children heard the gospel every day. The highlight of the week was the salvation of Gwen, an older elementary-age daughter of a family who attends the church!

The Lord clearly answered your prayers for good weather: although it rained some days earlier in the morning or later in the day, it never rained during the hours of VBS, and the kids were able to play outdoor games each day.

Craft Time! Alyssa tie-dyes a T-shirt

God continues also to work in the life of Carol. She volunteered to help all week in the younger elementary class. She too heard the gospel every day and had many questions for Rebekah, who taught that class. During our cleanup on Friday afternoon, Carol asked if I would like to spend some time together this week. So yesterday morning we went shopping. Before she & I even left for the stores, Noah & I had a good talk with her about spiritual things. While she seems to have a mental understanding and assent of the facts of the gospel, she still seems unsure about what it means to personally receive Christ.

Last Sunday afternoon, we went out to eat with a couple who have been visiting the church for several weeks, and who also need to know the Lord. Rick & Joy have been enjoying the teaching and preaching; please pray that their need for salvation will become clear to them. Pastor Kinney’s sermons the last two weeks have been strongly evangelistic. As we wonder about the response of his unsaved hearers, we are reminded that “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4). Praise the Lord that HE does “give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (v. 6).

We have had other opportunities to be a witness in the last couple of weeks, particularly to some unsaved relatives in both of our families. It was fun to be close enough to get to visit with them, but we are definitely burdened for their salvation.

What’s new this week? Well, the Kinneys are gone on another trip in their camper, so we’re “holding down the fort.” Pastor Wells, the older missionary here, will be teaching during tonight’s Bible study and on Sunday morning, and preaching on Sunday evening. The verses at the top of this update will be his text. I will be teaching Mrs. Kinney’s children’s Sunday School class this week, and we will also be ministering with music, Noah leading singing with his guitar and the two of us doing a special for Sunday morning.

It is hard to believe, but the end of our time here in Massachusetts is just around the corner. In only ten days we will pack up and head back home to North Carolina. Noah will have many things on his plate, including reading a book and writing a paper for this internship, continuing his online class, and looking for a job. I will need the Lord’s strength and joy (like Mary’s!) as I return to work full-time and continually adjust to the changes that pregnancy brings. We do thank the Lord for a healthy pregnancy so far!

Prayer Points:

Give THANKS for:
Successful VBS
Good weather
Salvation of Gwen!

PRAY for:
Spiritual growth for Gwen and other believers here
Salvation of Carol & her family, and Rick & Joy
Salvation of our unsaved relatives
Our preaching/teaching/music ministries this Sunday
Our return to NC and responsibilities there

Thank you once again for your faithful prayers!
~Noah & Lois Kelley

July 1, 2009

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Tim 2:15-16

Dear Friends,

Another week of our internship has quickly passed, and it is time for another update!

The big event of the last seven days was the town parade, for which the church prepared a float to promote next week’s VBS. The lessons for the week will focus on five “extremes” demonstrated in the lives of different Bible characters: trust (Abraham), obedience (Josiah), joy (Mary), forgiveness (Peter), and love (the Good Samaritan). The float was an attempt to reflect the whole theme of “Polar Extremes.” As you’ll see in the pictures attached to our “June 24” posting, they designed a pretty cool mountain, and we had an ice fisher & his wife catching & frying fish in the back, and a bunch of us warmly-dressed, riding up front. The Lord made it clear that He was answering our prayers for good weather: After almost everyday rain, Saturday turned out sunny all day until an evening thunderstorm including hail!

Thank you for praying for John & Carol. She & their kids rode the float, and after the parade, they invited us all over to their home for pizza. Neither John nor their son was at church on Sunday; please pray for the Lord’s continued work in their lives. The Kinneys have been praying for them for several years.

Thank you for praying for Noah as he prepared to preach the last couple of Sunday evenings. He is discovering how difficult that task is; but the Lord definitely used him to speak His Word. Noah will have a break from preaching for a couple of weeks while we concentrate on VBS, but he would appreciate prayer for his growth & more opportunities in this area.

We asked you to pray for another lady named Effie. Effie is an Albanian-American lady who owns a little café down the road. One day a couple of weeks ago we ate breakfast there and, while making Father’s day cards, caught Effie’s attention. We ended up making some cards for her grandchildren, which definitely broke the ice with her. Last week we went again and had lunch, and she shared her amazing story from Albania.

We understood before arriving in New England that evangelism here would not be accomplished “door-to-door” or with similar methods. Building relationships tends to be the best way to gain an entrance into people’s hearts for the gospel. With that in mind, we wanted to find a way to meet people with whom we can talk periodically and to whom we can witness. Since we will only be here a few more weeks, we are praying that another believer will pick up where we’ve left off with Effie, and continue to witness to her.

Prayer Points:
Thank the Lord for good weather for the parade—pray for kids to come to VBS.
VBS—our preparations; kids’ & teens’ hearts to be open; good weather.
Salvation of John & Carol, Effie, and other unbelievers
Time with some unsaved relatives we hope to visit with while we are in MA over the next couple weeks.

Thank you once again for your faithful prayers!

June 24, 2009

(Click on a picture to view it bigger)

Three of the Kinney "kids" hanging out at John & Carol's.


Carol is sitting right behind me--on the right side.

Working on the float... Ice fishing... ...and frying fish!

Noah studying at the kitchen table in the camper.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
(1Co 1:18)

Dear Friends,
Greetings from rainy Massachusetts! The seeds that Noah helped plant in Pastor Kinney’s garden have not lacked for moisture to help them grow! God promises that in the same way the rain does its work to cause seeds to sprout, His Word will accomplish what He sends it out to do in people’s lives (Isa. 55:10-11). This is an encouragement to us as we communicate God’s Word to people here—it is Scripture that has the power to convert souls and to mature souls!

The Kinney family returned safely home last Friday from their missions conference in Maine. They had an enjoyable and profitable time, and when they returned, we “traded spaces” with them, moving into their cozy camper, parked across the street, beside the church. We still enjoy accompanying them & helping with ministry to various people during the day, and visiting with them in the evenings, playing guitar and singing with the kids, talking, and eating ice cream!

Thank you for praying for Noah’s sermon preparation for last Sunday evening. The Lord enabled him to preach from 1 Corinthians 1:1-8, about our position in Christ. Today as I type, he is diagramming the sentences from verses 18-25 for next Sunday evening. There is a handful of unsaved people who have been attending services at Hampton St. Baptist Church, and we pray that God would enable Pastor Kinney and Noah to clearly present the gospel as they preach.

You may remember the lady we mentioned last week with whom I (Lois) was going to visit. Carol was raised Catholic, but her children have been attending Hampton St.’s after-school “Joy Club” for several years, and recently she and her husband, John, have been coming to church services here. On Sunday, Pastor Kinney said that John was “on the edge of his seat” during the entire sermon! Oh, may the interest of this couple be a sign that God is working in their hearts!

Not only are we burdened for the unsaved people here, but there are also quite a few new Christians in the church who have many needs. It has been fun to get to know these people, and it is evident that God’s grace is working in them, too. The Kinneys have many opportunities to counsel with them, and so do we, as we interact with them this summer on a more informal basis. One dynamic that I need to learn how to handle is how to provide counsel or an example to women who are older than I, but younger in the Lord.

Prayer Points:
Noah & Pastor Kinney’s sermon preparation & delivery
Salvation of John & Carol, and others attending the church
Salvation of Effi, a lady in the community we are getting to know
Growth of the believers at Hampton St. Baptist Church
Growth in our ability to minister one-on-one
Good weather on Saturday for the parade float advertising our VBS

Thank you once again for your prayers!

June 16, 2009

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
2 Cor. 4:7

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your many notes, letting us know you are praying for us! We need God’s wisdom and blessing every day, that we might be pleasing to Him.

We have spoken with the Kinney family several times since they left for their “round-robin” mission conference in Maine. They are headed to the next church today, and things are going well.

Sunday here in Auburn was a very enjoyable day of worship, learning, and fellowship with the church. Noah led the music for all three services, and we both shared our testimonies in the morning. In Pastor Kinney’s absence, one of the growing men in the church preached two very good messages from Deuteronomy 6.

The church's building

We have already enjoyed the gracious hospitable spirit of the people here. The Wells, an older missionary couple also serving here, brought us lunch on Sunday, even though they are in the middle of unpacking boxes in their new home. Another older lady from the church took me (Lois) shopping yesterday, so I could learn where the stores are. We will also be joining her and her husband this evening for supper. And tomorrow I have been invited to come visit with another, newer attender at the church. Please pray for my time with her, as we are not sure of her spiritual condition.

Noah has decided which Scripture to preach from for his Sunday evening messages (1 Corinthians) and is getting busy with studying. He would appreciate your prayers for his sermon preparations and delivery. He also will continue leading music whenever the Kinneys are out of town, and we are working on special music. The church is very excited about the upcoming Vacation Bible School, and everyone is jumping into the work of preparing the VBS float for Auburn’s July 4th parade, studying lesson plans, preparing craft supplies, etc. Please pray for the Lord to prepare the hearts of us teachers, as well as the children and teens who will be attending.

Thank you again for your support and prayers. Let us know what specific prayer requests you have also, as we try to remember you on a daily basis.

Until next week,
Noah & Lois Kelley

Pastor Kinney taking over his lawn with his garden

(Noah & the neighbor kids got their hands dirty, too!)

May the soil of people’s hearts here in MA become fertile for the seed of God’s Word!

June 12, 2009

Hey everyone,

Hope you are well. We certainly have reason to rejoice in our Lord!

Lois and I made it safely to Auburn, MA yesterday. We are staying with the Kinney’s tonight, and then they will be gone for a week at a Missions conference and we will settle in with the Wells (an older Missionary couple working up here). We have really enjoyed getting to know the Kinneys and their kids and are excited about being up here with them. They are very gracious people who love the Lord and His people.

Our first clue we were in New England: They told us there was one on every corner!

Eating for two!

We wanted to let you know that if you have asked us to keep you updated or have committed to praying for us, we will be sending you weekly emails. This will be the last time we send a huge email out, so if you want to receive weekly updates and have not let us know yet, please email us so we don’t miss you! Also, If you don’t get an email after about a week (we hope to send them out by Wednesday), let us know incase I goofed and didn’t put your name on the list.

We also wanted to let you all know that the Lord has been incredibly gracious to us by providing through you for our needs. We made request for $1,610 and we have received more than that so that we have been abundantly supplied. Thank you for your generosity and praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

Thank you all for your love and your participation in the ministry of the Gospel!