Victoria (on right)
On Saturday morning, I spent two hours speaking with two godly young men who had been at the address the previous evening at Zion Free Reformed Church, Fenwick, Ontario. One of them wanted to speak with me about his sense of calling to the ministry. This was time well spent. In the afternoon, I spent some time visiting with relatives who came for my older brother John’s 66th birthday. John and his wife Miekie had an open house all day long for their family. By late evening most of their thirteen children and forty-three grandchildren had stopped by. What a wonderful family God has blessed them with! I got to see Victoria again as well. She is doing quite a bit better. After I prayed with her, she wanted to show me her injured legs. I then had a great talk with her. She said to me, “I am so glad that all these owies happened to me and not to my baby sister.” That was a tear-jerker.
On Saturday evening, we drove back to the Keunings. I preached in their church, the Hamilton Free Reformed Church, on Sunday morning and evening, and for the St. George Free Reformed Church in the afternoon. Both congregations, which each number about 400 people, listen attentively. I felt particularly helped during the evening service, preaching on how believers wrestle for inward holiness.
St. George Free Reformed Church Building
We arrived home on Monday morning, in time to attend the funeral of Henry Roelofs, a former elder in our church who died at the age of 64 from cancer, leaving behind a large family. He had been orphaned at the age of 18, and had to shoulder the responsibility of caring for all his younger brothers and sisters. At that age, he got a trucking job, and later said, “The cab of that truck became my prayer closet.” He will be sorely missed by many. After the funeral, I rushed to our biannual Board of Trustees seminary meeting, which again went very well under the able chairmanship of our president, Kevin Ash. The following day (yesterday) our seminary semester started. This semester we have several new students, including one from Egypt and one from England. This semester I am teaching Puritan Theology and co-teaching Homiletics I with Dr. David Murray. My Puritan Theology class has 44 students—the largest I’ve ever had—from thirteen countries. Yesterday I left with my wife Mary to speak at a conference in Georgia, and to preach in two churches there on Sunday, D.V. Your prayers are coveted.
Most of My Puritan Theology Students
