September 2006

     Another summer at Keswick has passed. We will soon begin our trek toward the West. As I look over the past three months. I am once again in awe at how God has worked each day here at Keswick.
     We have made new friends and renewed old friendships. After spending our fifth summer here, we truly feel at home at Keswick. We have been blessed to hear some of the best speakers in the country. This past month we were able to welcome our dear friends Dr. Bob and Amelia Alderman, Dr. Roger Wilmore, my college friends Dr. Kenn and Betty Gangel, as well as many of our missionary friends.
     On August 8, our friend and fellow staff member, Dave Shoppy, was ushered into the presence of God in an instant, apparently as the result of a massive heart attack. Many teens were present at the time of Dave’s homegoing, and in minutes as I hugged and prayed with many of the teens as well as fellow staff members, I knew I was here “for such a time as this.” The very next day one of our missionary speakers collapsed and once again the ambulance was called to America’s Keswick for the second time in less than 24 hours. Fortunately the missionary was released from the hospital the next day and at last report, he was doing fine. Needless to say everyone at the conference was a little skittish for the rest of the week.
     I think the highlight of the summer for me was getting to speak at the Families For Christ conference in July. The FFC conference is held each month for the current and graduate colony men and their wives. At that conference Glen and I got to know so many of the colony men and their wives and I think I can safely say God allowed us to learn to love each one of them. I have committed to praying daily for many of the men and their families. This past weekend, I was not feeling well and missed much of the Labor Day Conference. It was so neat to hear that the men at the Colony were praying for me.
     It is amazing to hear some of the stories that the Colony men share. Some of them were actually homeless and living between buildings or under bridges, and yet as they have found Christ and received Him as their Savior, God has not only changed them internally, but also they have changed externally. When the men first come in, they look weary and discouraged as life has gotten the best of them. But as God begins a work in each of them, the true man begins to emerge.
     We were able to host Tom and his son Thomas for dinner this week. Tom is a Colony grad who chose to stay on at Keswick, and he is now the head of the housekeeping department here at Keswick. We first met Tom five years ago, shortly after he graduated from the Colony. In that time we have seen Tom emerge as a faithful follower of God and I would call him one of God’s trophies of grace.
     As I listen to these men share their stories, I am amazed at the power of a life God has changed. This week we attended our last Wednesday night program at the Colony, called TnT. It sort of turned out to be a Farewell to the Heavilins. Many of the men shared how we had touched their lives this summer. We were in awe to think that God has allowed us to touch the lives of these precious men, and to think they shed tears as they said goodbye to us. The Colony men laid hands on us and quoted their theme verse from Deuteronomy 31:8

Dr. Bob and Amerlia Alderman

Dr. Roger Wilmore

Dave Shoppy

Tom and son Thomas

Colony men singing Victory In Jesus