She is the best....

Voted Most Godly SBC Wife

I want to be the first to congratulate my wife for winning this very prestigious award. There are 18,000,000 Southern Baptist Members (of which 3,000,000 the FBI, CIA, and the beloved Jack Bauer of the Counter Terrorist Unit, ect. couldn't find). So you can imagine that being voted the most godly SBC wife is quite an honor. (She was up against some pretty steep competition...I am thinking about those SBC woman that are setting some extremely high standards and speak at those conferences and write all those books!)I am so proud of my wife for the 21 years that we have been together but I had no idea that she would be given such an honor.

Wow! I am married to the most faithful, God fearing, proverbs 31 woman within the Southern Baptist circles. Now, of course I know that her children love her, and I know that she has put up with me for all these years but I had no idea that so many people would turn out to vote. This is Thanksgiving week in America and I am so thankful to God for this beautiful red headed, southern girl, my bride of 21 years. She has really been there for me to lean on over the years. I am thankful that so many others.... also see her radiant beauty!

So I thought it appropriate for me to enter her in this "convention wide" proverbs 31 competition. You know how the SBC like to compete and give out awards especially for the ones that are most humble! I was really taken back when we learned that Karla, my dear wife won this award. She is so quiet and submissive that she would never utter a word about this great achievement. But I am the boastful one in the family so I just had to let you all know. My wife is the best!

I am so fortunate to be the husband of this wonderful peaceful daughter of God, I'm am sure she would mention many names of those that helped her on this journey to Sainthood but no one more then Jesus Christ who redeemed her and her wonderful Mother...Dorthy Gunter!

So consider this her thanks to them as she will probably not say a word and just keep on serving us sacrificially and taking care of the daily chores around the house...those that never end.

She reminds me of that which our Lord spoke: " When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of the sheep, SHE doesn't just sit down and eat. SHE must first prepare her master's meal and serve him his supper (and boy are they good), before eating HER own. And the servant is not even thanked, because SHE is merely doing what She is supposed to do (raise up children and take care of the house hold duties). In the same way, when you obey me you should say, "We are not worthy of praise. We are servants who have simply done our duty."

On this basis and criteria I believe she collected the greatest amount of votes.

Proverbs 18:22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the LORD.


If you would like to write her and let her know how proud of her you are then be my guest... her email is karged@gmail.com now she is completely unaware of this competition as you also were! But I thought it be a nice surprise to "make up this little contest" and reward her myself. After all it was only my VOTE that won the day!

The Wedding Supper has been prepared

And they say Christ's death was in vain....that He didn't come out of the grave....that His death accomplished nothing...that He was just a Jew that the Romans hated....they are so wrong! If anybody knows about Suffering it is our Christ, if anybody is truely the provider it is our Christ, if anybody knows the Mercy of God they understand these pictures perfectly....AMEN!

JESUS CHRIST OUR GLORIOUS KING

Chirst and His Eternal Kingdom marches on...and on....and on.....He knows suffering!This group heard the Gospel and Luke 14:15-24 . I asked them if they had time for God before the flood....?

I love these people! There is something about them that just grips my heart as they just defy the way we handle problems in America "with Christ" compared to how they handle problems here "without HIM"!

The blocks for new houses....next spring!

The food supplies that the people can come and get...Your's truely moved about half this stack of potatoes because I couldn't feel much like a man watching the 70 year old widows carry them ...! Yes....my back is a mess....but hey for the Cross it was a picnic! Schultz Engineering is represented here...I have my old SES sweatshirt....How bout that STAN>>>>

Some of the people who came for supplies that were so very grateful....

Yes the only thing worse then carrying potatoes all day is carrying stuff from a semi-truck full of supplies up five flights of stairs....in the after noon! Praise the Lord for the 15 or so helpers that showed up to help....we started with only three...people. This was a great sight to see the relief coming for the people....this truck came from Holland.

For God So LOVED These people.....John 3:16

Focsani and Mera

A time of visitation out in the country...was great for ME!

These little girls are precious. The one above is 31/2 yrs old and deaf...(please pray for her family as this is a very difficult situation for them..and the little nine month old below is the fifth child.....only girl! Praise the Lord....she is soooo cute!)

A little fellowship after preaching and serving the Lord's Supper at Focsani...

Then a little visit out to some of the farthest preaching points..four believers about 30 Km up in the foothills....beautiful country..and a little muddy!

Fall Time!

(The play ground for those two little girls pictured above)

The little but long village of Mera.....an outreach for the church at Focsani....

Then we had a small group study at Iluian's house that evening introducing them to the Cell Church model of building the Kingdom. I really enjoyed yesterday and hope that it was an encouragement to the believers at Focsani as I taught on the promises of God....and how Abraham tried to HELP God keep his promise.....by sleeping with Hagar. I basically said that working your way to heaven is like trying to bribe God...! (That hit fertile soil if nothing else did!) Ouch.....! Well pray for this group as they really have not had a new believer in there midst now for several years....they dearly need our prayers.

We studyied chapter one of the 2nd Reformation by William Beckham. They loved it! Much laughter.....it was nice to hear them full of joy when discussing the way we do church today compared to the way the early church did church! (It is much better to laugh then to cry!)

The People of Tecuci

The People who are the Ones God cares for....the houses can be rebuilt..it is the lives of people that we work towards restoring for Jesus and His Kingdom.....

This elderly lady is over 80 and is sitting in the only part of her large house that is now safe....well it is the "safest" place in her house. Honestly the rest of her house is destroyed and her and her husband look at the stars at night through the huge gaps in their walls of the home.

You have no options but to fall in love with these Romanian children

House is completely gone....!

Her eyes say enough! She is 88....
house is gone...

That is where my house was.....

My hip hurts....I can hardly walk..any more....over 80 years old...

The flood took five lives ....all older people... living alone..

Two families living in two destroyed houses....We prayed for her and she just couldn't hold back the tears...Her name is Rodica

This lady shed many tears as she shared about the experience of the flood...she was so happy to have someone listen ....

Pray for the relief work in Tecuci....thanks!

Tecuci Flood Damage

Yesterday I spent working in Tucuci a town about 1 1/2 hours north of us.
Sept. 5th it was flooded and 75% of the town was under water. From 3 to 10 feet under depending on where you lived.

Five people died...

Many houses were destroyed. The SBC is trying to lend a hand as many others have. Please pray for this....more picture next blog....please pray for this little church of 40 people that are working so very hard to reach those that were affected by this. Winter is coming...

Yes, two months ago a family lived in here.....

This is one of the greatest ways to present the Gospel! Praise the Lord for this little church that is a bright light in this community. More later...I must go...please pray!

Matthew 25 verse 40

Food for eleven people....Dorotea's group moving beyond Bible study and going out to actually do Matthew 25:40

Dorotea asked me if I would help them go get supplies today, I was very much in favor of this....they are purchasing food for eleven families that are very poor. They spent around a months wages in dollars of their own money and that of the churches to help these poor families. Not all of them are in the valley actually only a couple are. Bogdon and Paula are on the list....praise God!




Here they are with their carts full of food for the hungry...what a sight for sore eyes and hungary stomachs!






Karmen preparing for tomorrow when they and the rest of the group will go out and help distribute goods.

Valerica gets a job

I don't have a picture of Lanuta's daughter but I wanted to report on something that has really blessed this family. About two years ago her daughter Valerica gave her life to Christ. I believe her husband is still waiting but has been more responsible to work from that time. Well, the other day while Karla and I were at the NEWEST store here in Galati which is almost exactly like a Wal-mart. No not Selgrows for you that have been her....A NEWER store then that. It is called Real and is from Germany. It is really nice....any way while walking out I ran into to Valerica. She and her husband both have jobs there now....she said things are going better now for her and she gave credit to God. I praise the Lord that she now has a job. When she saw me her eyes just lit up as she was sooooo very proud to show tell me the good news. I believe this is a direct result of them beginning to follow the Lord.

Pray for the Valley as I have many things on my plate right now and the work in the valley is almost at a stand still. I know that God is working and has always been working but I hate not to see it first hand. Anyway praise the Lord for this good report.

http://www.imbromania.ro/Geddes.htm to see our latest web update for team Romania

Knights amid Evil

As a promise I made to my wife for our 21st wedding Anniversary I said that it would be good for us listen to some sermons on marriage by John Piper. He mentioned something in the very first sermon that really caught me ear....and more important my attention. He has really changed my mind about some things that I knew but didn't take to heart about the concept of marriage. I now want to be a Knight in Shining Armor to my family....I thought I was but the truth is I was just thinking....that I was! (By most peoples standards we have a wonderfu marriage that God has blessed as after 21 years we are still very much in love but....the truth is I am not sure that it is even close the marriage that Christ had planned for us....it could be so much better....and that is what I am striving for....for HIM!




These are notes from John's sermon that got my attention.....conerning the mind of Jesus and the ideal marriage.

That was the case in Jesus’ day as well, and ours is vastly worse. When Jesus gave a glimpse of the magnificent view of marriage that God willed for his people, the disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matthew 19:10). In other words, Christ’s vision of the meaning of marriage was so enormously different from the disciples, they could not even imagine it to be a good thing. That such a vision could be good news was simply outside their categories.

If that was the case back then with the sober, Jewish world in which they lived, how much more will the magnificence of marriage in the mind of God seem unintelligible to the world we live in, where the main idol is self, and its main doctrine is autonomy, and its central act of worship is being entertained, and its two main shrines are the television and the cinema, and its most sacred genuflection is the uninhibited act of sexual intercourse. Such a culture will find the glory of marriage in the mind of Jesus virtually unintelligible. Jesus would very likely say to us today, when he had finished opening the mystery for us, the same thing he said in his day: “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. . . . Let the one who is able to receive this receive it” (Matthew 19:11-12).

Marriage Is the Doing of God, to the Glory of God
Last week we saw that the most fundamental thing we can say about marriage is that it is the doing of God. And the most ultimate thing we can say about marriage is that it is the display of God. The reason it is the display of God is that in Christ, God has made a new covenant with his people. In it he promises to forgive and justify and glorify all who turn to him from sin and receive Christ as the Savior and Lord and supreme Treasure of their lives. Marriage between a man and a woman was designed from the beginning to be a reflection and display of that covenant relationship.

With this in mind I have decided to strike out against any and all things that would attack my family and the idea and concept of marriage. I am now daily asking God for mercy and understanding on just how to fight this battle against the enemy of our soul. I decided that I would use the "Knight in Shining Armor" as a way to train up my sons, and I have dedicated this work to them. I have created a blog dedicated to this task and Men you are invited in....if you dare....and us help stand against one of the gravest dangers that we have facing us today. The destruction of the family. The link can be found between the pictures of my family on the right side of this post. May God bless this effort in returning "chivalry" to the forefront of our minds and I don't mean just opening car doors and saying nice things.....I mean protecting our families and keeping our word!