Great Week In Cherokee

I preached revival services at Cherokee Baptist Church in Cherokee, North Carolina last week. I had a great time even though it got off to an interesting start. Let me share some of my experiences with you.

The Travel.

Right off the bat, the trip got interesting when I missed my flight on Saturday morning (March 10th). I was able to take another flight about two hours later. I arrived in Ashville around 4:00 PM, but my baggage did not. Now, I must admit, I was a little concerned. I could just see me preaching the next morning in jeans and tennis shoes, because when you're 3'10" tall, you don't just go buy new clothes and expect them to fit without alterations. Fortunately, the bags arrived on the next flight from Charlotte a couple of hours later. Whew! Praise God!

I'm happy to say that the return trip was not near as "eventful" and all my bags arrived on the same plane as I.

The Services.

The services went very well, in spite of the preaching. I enjoyed the music and the fellowship. Some of the music and prayers during the week were offered in the Cherokee language. That was cool! We had a young lady to get saved on Sunday night and four people saved on Wednesday night! God was dealing with a lot of people all week as they came to the altar for prayer and to rededicate their lives to His service.

On the last night, the church presented me with a hand-made Cherokee Bolo Tie. It is beautiful. I'm sure you'll see it at a future revival service.

The Fellowship.

The church was filled with very loving and friendly people. They made me feel very welcome. The pastor, Rev. Percy Cunningham, and his wife Pam were excellent hosts. I have known them for some time as he pastored in Union County, Florida for a number of years. I must say, you have to be on your toes all of the time when you're with him. He has an excellent sense of humor. We had a lot of laughs during the week.

I was able to have fellowship with several members of the church outside of the services and it was a lot of fun. I think our group was always the loudest laughing group in each restaurant we visited. Hey, I believe in having a good time.

I also got the tour of some of those beautiful mountains and it is always breath-taking to me. Unfortunately, a wildfire was consuming some of the land and a few homes too during my stay. Our prayers went out for those that lost their home and possesions.

Pastor Dwayne Rathbone of Hemphill Baptist Church in Waynesville, North Carolina and some of his family joined us for one of the services. I preached a revival meeting at his church a few years ago and it was great to see them again.

The Blessings.

The people.
My new friends.
The laughter.
The cherished memories.
The beauty of God's creation.
Wonderful music and services.
Five souls now on their way to Heaven.

The blessings of this trip are priceless. I give all praise to the Lord and thank you Cherokee Baptist Church for the opportunity.

May God bless your work for Him in the Great Smoky Mountains!