Honoring a Special Friend of WME

Since the beginning of the Honduras Church Planting Movement Project, Oasis Christian Center in Paducah, KY has been one of the Primary Partnering Churches in supporting this work.  This church has given financially and sacrificially, and has been partnered with the work in intense prayer and fasting as the work has grown and multiplied to impact thousands of people.  I have seriously told the people of Oasis, that if it had not been for their partnership, the Honduras Project could not have been born.  This precious church is to myself and to the work in Honduras, like the Phillipian Church was to the Apostle Paul.  We thank God for their love and friendship.

Pastor Larry Starnes and his wife, Sister Judy Starnes, indeed, feel like family to myself and we have such a special love for them and for all of their family. 

Last night, Sister Judy went home to be with the Lord.   Our hearts are heavy for our loss, but joyful with the thought that she is in the prescence of our Savior, in that prepared home in Heaven.  Our loss is Heaven's gain.  Our prayers, and those of our missionaries who know this special family are with Pastor Larry Starnes and all of the family and also for the precious church family at Oasis.  We know that the special comfort of the Holy Spirit will be with them during this time.

Sister Judy was a prayer partner for the work in Honduras, and God has used her to undergird this work.  Before our extensive training trip in April 2011, realizing that there were some dangerous aspects of that particular trip, I went to Oasis the week before we left and asked them to pray in a special way for that trip.  The congregation gathered around me and the prayers touched the throne of God.  When the service was over, Sister Judy drew me aside and gave me a word of encouragement from the Lord.  It had to do with our being covered with Divine Protection.  And it really came to pass.  Those training events took place, and even though there was great spiritual warfare on that trip, God's power triumphed over everything.  We believe that as a result of the work that happened on that trip, the work approximately doubled in the next year and reached Church Planting Movement Level.  How we praise God for that, and how grateful we are for the prayers and Spiritual Sensitivity of Sister Judy and all of the church at Oasis.

So today, I want to honor Sister Judy Starnes.  We thank God for her life and ministry and pray for God's prescence to surround and comfort Pastor Larry and all of the family and our brothers and sisters at Oasis during these days. 

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