Arnie and Arlene

We have been helping our neighbor get ready for a “Tool Yard Sale.” Her husband passed away a year ago and she is cleaning out his storage shed and tool closet. It’s been hard for her. Everything reminds her of Arnie and she acutely feels the loss all over again.

As we sorted and priced multiple boxes and jars of nails and screws, wrench and rachet sets, screwdrivers, hammers, tape measures, power tools, painting supplies, plumbing paraphernalia, etc, Arlene shared stories of how Arnie helped others build, tear down or remodel. She would pick up a tool and with a chuckle tell us about a project Arnie and a friend tackled with varying degrees of success. It became very clear that Arnie was a servant leader. Actually, Arnie is how we ended up at Greencastle Baptist Church.

The week we moved into our current home, Dick and I met Arnie as he got out of his truck with his dog, Mitzi. We talked briefly and over the next few days we talked whenever we saw one another in our adjacent driveways. Then one day Arlene asked if we would pray for Arnie. He had fallen while walking Mitzi in the park. The doctors subsequently discovered Arnie had advanced bone and liver cancer. He passed away on July 10, 2024.

Out of respect for our new friendship, Dick and I attended Arnie’s funeral at Greencastle Baptist Church! Pastor At Arnie’s request, Pastor Rob Sheldon preached a salvation sermon that pulled no punches—clear and to the point but full of love! Many people spoke about Arnie and how he was always doing for others. Pastor Rob explained why—it was because Arnie loved Jesus. Dick and I decided that day that we would give Greencastle Baptist Church a try. We have been blessed to be a part of their fellowship ever since.

We never know what an influence our life, and sometimes our death, will be on someone. Arnie’s friendliness led us to go to his funeral and to become good friends with Arlene. His funeral brought us to a church home. And immersing ourselves in the worship and outreach of Greencastle Baptist, a church Arnie and Arlene helped start 50 years ago, has stretched and grown Dick’s and my faith. Thank you, Arnie and Arlene! Thank You, Jesus!

Be encouraged!

©2025 Pamela D. Williams

SERVE Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Recently Dick and I were part of a team from Greencastle Baptist Church who participated in the SERVE Wilkes-Barre/Scranton missions weekend. Partnered with the Baptist Resource Network and the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, 500 volunteers descended on the area to minister to first responders, nurses, and veterans, and to help a Spanish-speaking church plant reach out into their neighborhood to share the Gospel.

The team we joined up with made hundreds of bead and rawhide “Witness Bracelets” like the one in the picture. Our team then divided up into groups of 3-4, with at least one Spanish speaking person in each group. As we walked the streets, we passed them out to anyone the Lord put in our path who was willing to listen as we explained what each bead meant:

Yellow: Heaven is God’s holy home. (Revelation 21:22)

Black: Everyone sins and is far away from God. (Romans 3:23)

Red: Jesus died on the cross as payment for our forgiveness. (Romans 6:23)

White: Jesus blood cleanses us from sin (1 John 1:7)

Green: We need to grow in grace and knowledge of God. (2 Peter 3:18)

Through the efforts of all the teams, 24 people came to know Jesus during the SERVE Wilkes Barre/Scranton missions outreach! So awesome! Hundreds of people were prayed for and invited to Christ-centered events and churches. We pray that the spiritual seeds that were planted will be watered and nurtured by the Holy Spirit.

This mission opportunity showed me that I need to work on my face-to-face witness to others. While it’s easy to talk about Jesus on this blog, it’s not so easy one-on-one.

If you ever get the chance to participate in a community outreach to share the gospel and pray with others, I urge you to do so. I guarantee you will come away with new insights and a sense of awe at what God can do when we are willing to step out in faith.

Be encouraged!

©2025 Pamela D. Williams