In mid-January, I traveled to Washington, DC, for the annual Armed Forces Chaplains Board (AFCB) Conference for Chaplain Endorsers. After an open door of witness in route, I was able to make a clear presentation of the gospel to Frank, a young man seated next to me on the plane. My nephew, Jonathan, picked me up at the airport and extended that witnessing opportunity by giving Frank a ride to his destination, while I continued to explain salvation to him. As we arrived, the young man was praying to receive Christ! Before we dropped him off at the Job Corps training center, Jonathan had made arrangements to pick Frank up for church that Sunday at his request! After the AFCB meeting, I enjoyed a morning with Jonathan's family at Mount Vernon.

Another FBFI Pastors' Tour of Israel beginning the last week of January, provided exciting opportunities to encourage pastors and wives, as well as some wonderful time with my son-in-law Tim on his first trip to Israel. One day while the group was touring in the North, the sky was clear and snow-capped Mount Hermon was in full view--breathtaking!

While the group continued north, I was privileged to visit a special center for children with autism learning much that I was able to share with Dr. John McCormick at Hidden Treasure Christian School on my return. I was also blessed to meet Oren and Orna the host family where Catherine and Jenny Duvall ministered last October for two weeks harvesting olives. While I was away in Israel, Becky had a nice, restful visit with my sister in Marietta, Georgia. On our return home in early February, we were met with loads of desk work and local ministry: the BJU Seminary Conference and Bible Conference, staff coordination and counseling appointments, not to mention preparation and immunizations for Bolivia. 

On my return, we were expecting a week of rest at our time share in Surfside, South Carolina, but Becky was struggling with a small wound that required her to visit the Wound Care Center for two months! We are thankful that she was released from Wound Care last Friday, and she is very much looking forward to getting out at last for Joe's graduation. Joe is receiving his MDiv from BJU this Friday! Becky can't wait to get back to church and to have more time with friends, although she greatly enjoyed their visits to her while she was out of commission. Some of them stayed with her in late March while I spoke at the South Regional FBFI at The Anchorage Camp on the shores of beautiful Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina.

In April, in addition to busy ministry producing FrontLine magazine for FBFI, enjoying Evangelist Morris Gleiser in our home church Spring Revival, and making several trips to the VA Clinics in Columbia, as well as caring for Becky during her recovery, we had to cancel a scheduled trip to Ohio to speak at the Ohio Bible Fellowship and four days of meetings at Morrow Bible Church in Centerburg. Becky couldn't travel, and I could not leave her alone after all the travel in March. I learned that I will need gallbladder surgery soon and will find out on May 18 when it will happen. I have discovered one of the easiest ways to eat less and lose weight: fear of another gallbladder attack! Becky and I are both encouraging each other to lose weight and make life easier on ourselves. It's working!

Of course, we enjoy the opportunity to travel and serve the Lord, and as regular readers of our Update know we have done a lot of it in recent years. No doubt, when Becky's book is finished, she will begin to get more and more invitations to speak, just as her mother did for many years. But, for now, we have to write. We have several small projects nearly ready to print. Joe had his tract translated into Spanish and had a supply printed for me to take to Bolivia. When I set them out on a table, they were gone within minutes. It is an excellent tract. We have some funds that have come in and are praying for an additional $800 to be able to print 10,000 of them; printing costs have gone up!

Folks often ask us how we have afforded to travel so extensively and reach so many different states and countries. The answer is simple: The Lord provides! Whenever one trip costs more than it brings in, the next will bring in more than enough. Or, whenever we are led to make a trip entirely at our own expense, your generosity balances the accounts. God is faithful, always. In recent weeks, we have carefully analyzed our expenses and support and have found that if we are frugal, we can continue to serve in many ways at our current level of support which represents about 70% of the actual need. When we are challenged by needs beyond our JCVEA ministry income, we are always able to meet them from personal funds or gifts. As we hunker down to write, we will be praying for some new financial partners to help us at least until Becky's book is published. As you might imagine, there are many up front expenses in writing books, even though we will likely submit Becky's manuscript to a major publisher at first rather than self-publish. We are deeply indebted to those who help us and who make our ministry of encouragement possible.

Thank you and God bless you. This truly is an extension of your own ministry.

In Christ,

John Vaughn and Becky