June 2, 2005

 Dear brethren,

The threat of frost has vanished until the end of September or the first part of October. Now, the sound of lawn mowers is an oft heard noise over the warbling of the birds of Spring. We’re thoroughly enjoying very nice weather.

May began with Charlotte and I traveling to Ames, Iowa for a Fri/Sat/Sun meeting May 6-8. The Friday meeting saw about 47 souls in attendance. The room was about 14’ x 20’ and was very packed. The air conditioning had not been configured…so it was quite warm by the end of the service.  Four non-Christians were in attendance at the Sunday morning service — it was Mother’s Day which accounted for one couple’s attendance. I was able to spend about 2 hours Sunday afternoon with 1 of the visitors. His marital condition and other personal life issues is a mangled mess. I left him with the first 2 lessons of a Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) but have had no feedback from him at all. The saints there spoke kindly of the lessons and how helpful they were.  This was the schedule of lesson topics:

 

Fri Night                       The Shame of Selfishness

Sat Night                      Magnifying Christ In Life & Death

Sun   9:30                     The Subjection & Silence of Women

Sun 10:30                     The Love & Leadership of Men

Sun   3:00                     Practicing Patience

 

Our local meeting ran May 15-18. Brother David Diestelkamp who preaches for the West Aurora congregation about 45 minutes away delivered very excellent lessons. The local brethren worked very hard getting out invitations to the meeting. Collectively we covered 600-650 homes as well as posting public notices about the meeting. We did have a woman visit from Morris (10 miles west of us) who had attended here in the past but never identified with the saints here. She attends nowhere regularly. She did come again on Sunday evening, May 22. Through our BCC program we had a couple from Marseilles (32 miles west of us) visit the last night of our meeting. I had mailed her the BCC and subsequent to their visit, she e-mailed me saying she likes music and dancing in her worship and would not be interested in “arguing the matter.” She returned the BCC without doing one lesson.

 

This week I will begin sending to new residents a CD with a 5-minute “Welcome” message and a 20-minute lesson, “The Word — God’s Saving Power”. I will then follow up with a visit and try to get a Bible study with someone in that home. Also, today we begin publication of a 4”x8” teaching ad — Heed The Warning; Avoid The Consequence — in a new free weekly newspaper reaching every home in Minooka and Channahon. I’m enclosing a copy of today’s ad. We solicit your prayers for the success of this endeavor. Housing construction continues at a feverish pace and we’re trying to capitalize on such expansion.

 

We thank you for your public and private prayers for the work we’re engaged in here. We’re doing everything we can think of to make a difference here.  Your financial support enables us to be here and do what we do. We thank you for your fellowship with us in this work.

 

Until next month, I remain,

 

Yours in His Service,

 

Al Sandlin  al.sandlin@sbcglobal.net

 

 

ATTENDANCE
Week Of:	Sun B.S.	A.M. Wshp	P.M. Wshp	Wed.  P.M.	Local Visitors	Out-of-Town Visitors	Home Studies	(R)estored (B)aptized
May 1	19	20	18	16	1	1	1
May 8	14	14	16	18	1		1
May 15	24	25	28	21	4	7
May 22	13	13	17	18		1	1
May 29	20	20	14	17			1