Spring 2024 Blog 2

Spring 2024 Blog 2

March Madness:
Moving Forward Locally & Globally, Even In Recovery

Well they call this month March and that sure has in some ways been the word best used for it, with everything going on both locally and globally. The NCAA basketball world calls it March Madness and that was actually a great way to describe it. It was hard to keep up with and I am so thankful for those God has brought alongside HiS Print to carry on His ministry while recovery for others is needed. That is where the word March wasn’t the best used word for the month. The best word for me personally would be recovery! I had two planned surgeries during March and both were successful and as a result, a better quality of life was achieved from the first one and for the other, pain was removed to relieve pressure around the nerves in my lower back. This is the first time in over 5 years that I am without lower back, hip and leg pain. It has been a relief, even in the short time of recovery from the surgery that took place on the 20th. I look forward to physical therapy that will begin April 16 to help me regain the strength and mobility I have lost over the last 5 years and help my balance return.

Shadycrest Baptist Church I was able to share and create awareness about HiS Print and all that is happening around the world as well as with HiS Print and what God is doing locally, with Shadycrest Baptist Church. I was invited to speak at their Awana program on a Wednesday night and followed that up with the opportunity to share with their congregation on a Sunday morning. My bride and I shared with many of the people who were curious about what HiS Print has been doing. The thank you notes I received from the kids at Awana brought me to tears. Below you see a couple of those precious notes of encouragement. A&M Adoption We had a visit from Chariss and Christy from the Texas A&M Agrilife Department in Webster. I had invited them out to see what we have accomplished and get their ideas and expertise on how to proceed with making the property at HiS Place the best representation of plant life we could in and around the pond. They loved what we have done and actually have adopted us as one of their nurseries. That means they will give us native plants we can plant in the pond and on the property and they can come and harvest every three years from the growth that has occurred. We are very excited about this partnership and Chariss and Christy were so helpful. My oldest son, Grant, came when they visited and it was a real blessing to have him come and walk the property with them. He works at the Bayou Preservation Association of Houston and having his knowledge will help us maintain that.  Masters Road Youth Workday We had another visit and workday at HiS Place from the Masters Road youth group in Manvel. They came out to help us with our butterfly garden and tortoise enclosure. They also helped clean all the animal pens. What a huge help that was! The animals couldn’t stop talking about it.   New Parking Area Developed at His Place We received a beautiful gift of 45 yards (a lot) of crushed concrete that we were able to use to build a new parking lot, which allows us to park all the ministry vehicles and farm vehicles out of the way and allow more parking for visitors. Brett and his father-in-law got busy spreading each dump truck load before the next one came. We look forward to more and more visitors who God brings out to HiS Place. You all are invited and would love to have you come out and enjoy His creation and spend some time pausing with God while sitting on the porch and watching the animals, walking around the prayer loop, sitting up on the prayer hill or taking a kayak ride on the pond. Always welcome!  Reorganizing Collected Equipment Equipment, Equipment, Equipment! God continues to collect it and requests keep coming in. The hard part of all this, is that we don’t have room for all the collected equipment and a warehouse where we can properly put shipments together and fulfill all the requests received from around the world. We are still diligently praying for God to grant a 10,000 square foot garage on HiS Place so that we could be good stewards of what God has collected and accomplish the shipping to meet those needs the requests represent. PLEASE join us in those prayers. In the meantime, we are able to put together smaller shipments to missionaries across the US who can take the equipment with them to the countries God has called them to. We have spent the last month organizing and consolidating the equipment we have so that we are more organized. A young man, named Josh has been my right hand, left hands and feet this past month and what a blessing he is. Couldn’t have accomplished what we have without him. Traveled to Hill country and met with Coach Reeve  We headed to the hill country at the beginning of March to meet Coach Mark Reeve who collected a lot of football gear from the schools in his district and there is plenty more where that  came from. Mark has blessed us richly by going overseas with us. He also shares the word to others about what HiS Print is doing across the globe.   Lordan & Martina This March, myself and and many of our other HiS Print team members were unable to travel, so Coach Mike Norman, carried the torch of love by himself to Croatia and Bosnia. He was greeted warmly at the airport by Martina and Lordan and they shuttled him around to the different places he needed to be. We couldn’t do the ministry without them in The Balkans. Huge thanks and prayers for them!  Mike with Eldar and Matt in Sarajevo Mike was able to travel to Bosnia & Herzegovina to visit with Eldar and Matt. Matt works in Sarajevo and Eldar is the President of the local American football club there. Mike was able to spend several days there with Eldar and Matt while working with the team.  Vukasin and Janko with Mike  Our Serbian brother in Christ, Vukasin, drove to the border to pick up Mike and bring him to HiS House and spend a little time there with Mike and Janko. Janko has been such a blessing and his love for people is evident in all that he does. He is a vital part of the HiS Print team.  Croatian National Flag Football Team at HiS House This was the second year we were able to host the Croatian National Flag Football team at HiS House and run a football camp over one weekend. They were treated well and loved being at HiS House and enjoyed the food provided for them.  Sisak Storks in Serbia  We also had two baseball accomplishments happen in the month of March in The Balkans. The Sisak Storks went to Serbia to participate in an indoor baseball tournament and they had a great time, It was good to see the team back together and participating.   Bears vs Shrimps in 1st competitive little league game in the south of Croatia Secondly, we had the first Little League competitive game played between the Gracac Bears and the Split Shrimps. The Bears were formed from the camp we helped host many years ago. Stefan who now lives in Split helped coach the Shrimps and Dino, helped coach the Bears. Pastor Ronnie has really done a fantastic job of keeping the group active. Dino and Stefan are special brothers in Christ and they have spent tireless hours sharing God’s love through baseball.    Thank you for your support and please keep us in your prayers. We have a lot happening in the near future and our summer MiLO will be here before we know it. God bless and remember Jesus loves you and so do I!  HE DID IT!  David