Welcome to the players, coaches and parents of our North Florida Christian School football and cheerleading teams, and band program. We are honored to have you in our services today and look for a great season ahead. To you and all of our guests we offer our church family to you. We would be honored beyond expression to have you worship with us every Sunday at North Florida!

It is Tuesday, August 24 around 12:30 p.m., I have just gotten back to Tallahassee from Kiev, Ukraine where I spent time with our dear friend Victor Kublich. As you know Victor is a ministry partner of our church. Each month we send funding to Victor who is doing a marvelous work in Ukraine, Russia and other former Communist block nations. Dr. Bobby Welch and I were there to make some new connections with brethren in the Baptist Union or Ukraine. On Sunday morning I preached for Victor at the church God used him to begin. The folks there still remember Larry Martin and the ministry team that went over a little while back. They look forward to a return visit from Canopy Red and others from our ministry. This is a very good and productive partnership for our church.

As an aside, you may know that Victor’s father recently passed away at age eighty-one. Mr. Kulbich was a pillar of the church during the days of communist rule, serving as the minister of music at the Central Baptist Church in Kiev. Saturday, August 21, was Victor’s fifty-third birthday. Dr. Welch and I attended a party in Victor’s home where we were privileged to meet Mila Kulbich, Victor’s eighty-two year old mother. Close your eyes and imagine your image of a Russian grandmother, a babushka, and you will have the picture of Victor’s mom. Every line in her sweet face tells the story of tragedy and joy. What a privilege to be in their home again. Speaking of being at home, we were so much a part of the family that I took my shoes off and Bro. Bobby fell asleep in a chair! These are priceless moments and memories.

Such memories will become reality for a team from our church traveling to Durbin, South Africa to become part of a historic visit to our missionaries, Henry and Janet Houk. We will be the first missions team to ever visit with the Houks and participate in the work they are doing among the Zulu tribe in the outskirts of the city. You will find the names of each of these team members listed in today’s bulletin. Please keep the team in your prayers throughout the days ahead. The trip will be from September 1st through the 9th. For some, this will be the first time in another country and for most the first time on the continent of Africa. I believe the time zone is about one hour ahead of Tallahassee. Pray without ceasing!