11/25/2024
Here's the team's log from the trip to West Virginia in October:
October 16
Charleston, West Virginia
On our first day in West Virginia, we met with Randy Ledsome, a pastor from Elk River Nazarene Church (https://www.facebook.com/ElkRiverNazareneChurch/). We learned about one of the church’s ministries at another location in downtown Charleston. After a teenager was killed down the street, they held a vigil, during which Randy sensed a deep need in the church because its atmosphere was dark and unwelcoming. Afterwards, he felt led to initiate a ministry at the downtown church, where they currently offer a drug recovery program to transform lives in response to the state’s opioid crisis. In addition, the original church now has a flourishing Awana program, which provides discipleship for children and youth. Overall, he was very encouraged and joined us in prayer.
In the Capitol, we prayed for the needs of West Virginia in both the House of Delegates and the Senate. We met Steve Harrison, the clerk of the House of Delegates. He welcomed us and told us about a program of reading the entire Bible on the steps of the capitol. We also went to the Supreme Courtroom and prayed there. Dan and Lisa spoke with a senator who was head of the Finance Committee. He told us about writing to Warren Buffet, who sponsored a new 3-billion-dollar titanium industry in WV.
We are glad to report that Mary and Stephen Setliff, Bobby’s sister and brother-in-law, stopped by for a visit while we were at the capitol. We are also grateful to Lydia and Dakota, friends of Becky from high school, who were our hosts for dinner on Tuesday night.
October 17
Charleston, West Virginia
On our second day, we set up the prayer table outside the capitol. Our visitors included:
Matt: attended Anglican Church, and his wife just had a baby
Chris: girlfriend had a baby and was suffering from postpartum depression. He and his girlfriend weren’t married because of financial issues. Bobby encouraged him to trust God for his finances and marry his girlfriend.
Iris: 5-years-old. Doctor’s can’t figure out what is wrong with her. She is at Duke University Hospital.
Jenny: shared with us about life in a coal-mining community.
Stacy: just diagnosed with terminal cancer. A fellow believer with a very positive attitude.
We thank God for all who came to the table and shared with us.
Afterwards, we drove to Columbus, Ohio. Stay tuned!