Sunday in LaCrosse

What a great weekend!

The team (Dr. David Menton, Buddy Davis, Stacia McKeever and I) ministered in one way or another to nearly 5,000 people (including 1,200 children, 1,000 young people, 300 University students/profs and the general public).

Today (Sunday) I spoke to around 1,500 people at two services at the sponsoring church for the conference—First Evangelical Free Church in La Crosse. The pastor basically turned the service over to us. Buddy sang for 20 minutes, then I spoke for 50 minutes. While I spoke to the congregation, Buddy conducted special programs for the childen. Some of the highlights…

• One lady told me she took her 13-year-old daughter to the School assembly on Friday afternoon—then the daughter asked to go to the whole seminar. The mother was excited. We find young people are hungry for this message, and when they hear it, they want more. What a difference this message can make in young people’s lives.
• The pastor announced from the pulpit at both services that he knew of three people who were saved as a direct result of the conference Friday/Saturday—including a young girl who is the daughter of one of the church staff.
• A number of people told me they wanted to donate their services to the Creation Museum—we exchanged contact information (offers like these are such a blessing).
• One man told me of a friend he brought to the seminar who had only become a Christian recently. After my talk on One Blood (where I also talked about marriage and not being unequally yoked, etc.), the new Christian was “hit between the eyes”—he had a non-Christian girlfriend and realized he had a big decision to make concerning his future. Just another example of how important it is for new Christians to get this teaching so they can understand and develop a truly Christian worldview.
• A number of young men came up to me to ask if, as Christians who were going to be teachers, they could be effective in the public schools. I made sure I told them they had to do what the Lord was directing them to do. As part of their responsibility in determining the Lord’s leading, they needed to think about the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult (more so in some areas) to be witnesses as teachers in the public school system. I suggested the possibility that they may be even more effective in a Christian school where they could freely (hopefully) influence many young people to stand on the authority of the Word of God so they could really influence the culture.
• One young man told me he had just obtained his degree in science and now he was going to get his Ph.D.—and how he would love to work for AiG one day. Another young man asked me how he could obtain an internship at AiG (in the Answers Dept. or Museum) so he could learn how to communicate the creation message to others.
• One lady who had attended the seminar and purchased a Walking Through Shadows book (a powerful publication about coping with death and suffering) purchased another copy for her aunt—she just found out that this aunt lost a child and grandchild in a house fire—she believed this book could be a help. One never knows where the publications we produce end up.
• A University student who attended Dr. Menton’s lecture at the University came up to “complain” about Dr. Menton. This student was a Christian, but had obviously been influenced by the evolutionary profs. After talking at length with him, I believe the problem he had was that Dr. Menton didn’t allow compromising Professors to say they had a valid view—he wanted Dr. Menton to approve of their position or at least say their compromise with God and evolution was a valid position. Others who were at the lecture by Dr. Menton praised him for his gracious and kind attitude. This student is really struggling and I would ask you to pray for him—the Lord knows who he is.
• One humorous story: So many people want to talk to me, or get me to sign books or get my photos taken with them that at times I can’t get to where I need to be! Between services, I decided to go to the rest room—but on the way people stopped me to ask questions. I was asked to autograph books; I was asked more questions; people wanted to thank me; people wanted to give me interesting feedback—by now I’m really uncomfortable! I think I’ll have to have a special sign made up for the future that at the appropriate time I hold it up stating “I need a restroom break—please wait!” After the service, we had to go straight to the airport—but of course the same thing happens—people want to ask questions, get autographs, give feedback, ask for photos, etc. I do try my hardest to accommodate everyone, but it is difficult at times. I’m not complaining of course—but it sure can get interesting at times!

Well, I am so thankful that the flights today were all on time (both landed early in fact)—and my luggage came quickly when I arrived in Cincinnati. Home again! Now I need to write the next newsletter article and monthly letter to our supporters, prepare for the Museum fundraising banquet on Tuesday evening (I’m doing up a new talk for this) and I have some meetings scheduled during the day tomorrow. I hope to get home early enough so I can take our youngest daughter Kristel on an 8-mile bike ride at a local park—one of our favorite things to do.

As always, thanks for stopping by! Keep Praying!

Ken