Wow.

I feel like the last seven days have been one long day. It's been great, but I'm a little fatigued.

Friday 18-Jan I got on the train to Chicago where the next day I helped Devon Church, take apart and reset their sound system. We shifted components around, bought a new component and tuned up the room. Just as important, I brought a line tester and my sister Beverly had the job of testing all of the audio cables. Nearly a full third of the cables had shorts in them.

They seemed generally happy with the results, and we did a sound check for praise team.

Sunday 20-Jan, I enjoyed assisting with worship (bass guitar and vocals) with Beth Hedges (guitar and vocals), and then had the privilege to preach.

It was a productive weekend, and I felt like I was able to make a contribution to Devon. I also had a chance to talk about our mission to the Czech to lots of people.

Then the weekend turned just a little surreal when my 6pm train was delayed until 9:30. Then I fell asleep on the train. When I woke the train wasn't moving. I fell asleep and woke up again, and the train wasn't moving. We pulled into the station about 2am. I'm thankful for cell phones, because I was able to call and wake Marge at home when we were getting close to Kalamazoo.

Thankfully Monday 21-Jan was a Pfizer holiday, but even by Tuesday I was still groggy. Tuesday night I had the opportunity to present our missions call at the home of my high school choir teacher Mr. Barber. It was fun. Afterword, his family sang this gorgeous song that Mr. Barber had written. It made me miss all of the great choir music we had in high school.

Wednesday night, we had my high school orchestra teacher over at our home, and that was a great time. Mr. Marsceau and I have lived in the same town for years, but for a number of years just fell out of touch. I was cool to reconnect.

In the midst of all this I managed to make phone calls and talked to a pastor in Nebraska.

Saturday, it was all day and into the evening on my son's jazz band. The product of that day is at www.shadestunes.com. That brings us to today.

I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow so that I can recoup, and try to catch up on some mission paperwork that is due.

Adam

Quick Update

I'm quickly jotting this note before I leave for my "day job". I'm truly thankful for my job and the management is very supportive of where I'm trying to head. That said, it's becoming quite difficult to give my employer my 100% while I'm there at work and then turn around and do the same thing for missions preparation while at home. My employer has offered a new benefit of Flexible Working Hours. I'm discussing this with my manager, and then will make application for the benefit. My application will be to work 4 ten hour days Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri. I would stay home on Tuesday and work on missions. This could really be a help.

I'll be in Chicago this weekend at Devon Church. Saturday, I'm helping them reset and possibly upgrade their sound system. Sunday I'm preaching there. I'm not there as a missionary candidate, but the pastor encouraged me to speak freely about it and hand out prayer cards. This is a church in which I have a developing relationship. I'm leaving by train Friday afternoon.

There is a group of six adults at Bethel that are working to make cold calls to churches for us. They call and find churches that are willing to receive an information packet. I send out the packet and then make a follow up call. Pray that God would raise up a few more contact team members, and that the Lord would guide us to the churches He has for us.

We are starting one of our required classes next week. It is in Bible study/interpretation. The text is called Grasping God's Word. I'm looking forward to the study, but not the extra responsibility of keeping up with the work.

It seems lately that Marge and I at least once a week suffer from insomnia. Up in the night thinking or fretting about .... you name it. We both need a good night's sleep. One of the biggest worries is how our house will sell. We plan to put it up for sale once the kids start summer break from school.

Please continue to pray for us.

I really enjoy visiting with people in their homes to explain how God has called us and where we are going. If you would like a visit, please click this link and send me an e-mail.

Adam M Parmenter

A Good Weekend

Had the opportunity to show our mission presentation to a coworker and her family from work.

Sunday there were more expressions of support and encouragement for our efforts to reach the field.

Momentum is building. It makes me nervous and excited.

At the same time, finding churches that are willing to have us come and speak is proving to be a challenge. In Michigan, budgets are tight, and often churches are already supporting numerous missionaries. Could God be using this circumstance to move us toward a different geographic area to raise support?

Marge and I have been doing some thinking about that. We are testing the waters in some other areas. Keep praying for us.

For now, it's back to work at Pfizer. Pfizer is going well for me. The work is challenging and it keeps me busy. On the down side, I know that at any moment the layoff notice could come. Pfizer is just that predictable right now.

I hope that you all have a great week.

Adam

Can't Sleap

It's nearly midnight on the first day of the year. My family and I celebrated New Years Eve at home, watching a movie, playing cards, and the grand anti-climax of watching the ball drop in Times Square. I enjoyed it.

Tonight is my last day of freedom before returning to work, and I'm too wound up to sleep. Everything is crowding into my brain. In 2008 we expect to raise the majority of our financial support. How could that be possible. We want to put the house up for sale March 1, how will we get it ready to sell? How can it sell in this market?

I'm even jittery about going back to work tomorrow, because even though I'm doing well at work, my heart is in Ceske Budejovice where I belong. Even so, I'm a little worked up about coming potential cuts in our department (again).

How will I do as a missionary? How could an eccentric goofball like me ever do it?

So, all this is swirling around in my head when I would rather be sound asleep. It doesn't help that I've been battling a cold all week.

I'm not unhappy by any means, and I've been fighting back the doubts with the 23rd Psalm and meditations on the Lord, but I would rather just be asleep. I have no doubts whatsoever as to my calling, and I know that God will bring it all into place at the time He deems right. It's an exercises in faith that I'm glad to have. It's just not all that conducive to sleep.

Adam