February 3, 2002
Greetings, dear Shannon!
Praise the Lord!!! He is so good, and I wonder what He has planned for us in the days ahead as He provides challenges and opportunities for us to serve and glorify Him as He sanctifies us. I pray that He will bring you closer to Him and closer to your family. Everything reminds me of you, my child. You are always in my thoughts and prayers --- even in my sleep. The Lord blesses me with wonderful dreams about you. I'm sad when I awaken and you're not near me. Even though I've been a Christian only five years, I've become the "Titus " older woman at our church, teaching the younger women. My conviction regarding the truth of all that Paul writes in Titus (well, the truth of every word of Scripture!!!) is enhanced by the fact that I lived thirty years of my adult life as a non-Christian, so I've been on both sides of the fence and know that the "green grass" is found only in Christ. Oh, Shannon, I miss you so much and just pray that someday I can be the older woman in your life who is blessed by and a blessing to you. I thank God for blessing me with both an older woman (Claudia) and a younger woman (you) who loved me enough to focus my attention on the Lord's calling me to Him.
He was so good to send me to the Middle East for 18 months so that I could glorify Him among the Muslims, but I'm so delighted that He has brought me back to my church, children, city, and country to serve Him by serving the international community in the Washington, D.C. area. As an English-as-a-Second-Language professor at Prince George's Community College and Stratford College, I meet new students every semester and invite them to church. Nothing I can say to them is more profound than their participating in the worship and fellowship of a healthy church. They know the Word is truth because they see it at work among the members of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
Although CHBC excludes from membership unrepentant sinners such as homosexuals and fornicators and even those who claim to be Christians but choose not to attend worship services, we welcome those who are seeking the Lord and a biblical lifestyle. Shannon, may I spend a week or two with you and your church? I want to better understand and learn more about your church. Please let me know if and when and where we might meet. God bless you!!!