Back to New Brunswick!

Hello dear brothers and sisters!

It's hard to believe that it's already been six months since moving to Logan this last January. As I've said to many people, Utah was the last place on earth I expected to find myself living. God has been most gracious to me by bringing me here: not only is there an abundance of gospel work to be done, there is an abundance of opportunity for me to grow and mature as a child of God in Christ. Serving alongside brother Brad Scheelke has been a privilege I think could seldom be matched. I've secretly nicknamed Brad, "the apostle of love", because of his endless self-giving and servant heart for people. Jesus Christ loved people, and Brad has demonstrated, by grace, this "greatest of all" (1 Corinthians 13:13), challenging me to no end. There are so many individuals in all our lives that desperately need to be shown the love of God through willing saints of God who have themselves tasted of the goodness of the Lord. May God challenge us all more and more to radical Christ-likeness.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)

The last few months have been increasingly more busy in our preparation for the campus ministry quickly approaching us this fall. We recognize that having a bold Christian witness up on campus will create no small stir in this little valley that makes up the highest concentration of Mormons in the world. Your prayers are eagerly coveted in this crucial hour. Jesus told the parable of a lost sheep that went astray from its fold in Luke chapter 15: Christ, the good shepherd, notices when one little sheep is missing from the ninety-nine. He cares enough to go out of the way to find it. He seeks diligently until He finds it, never giving up or turning back around until He's got that little sheep on His shoulders and has brought it safely home. Do we notice the lost people all around us? Are we too busy to care? Do we search diligently for the souls of our fellowmen, not content until we find them safe in the grace of God? There's only one thing worse than being lost: being lost, and nobody looking for you. Saints, pray for us as we take the gospel to the Mormon population in Utah; join the search by interceding for the lost!

Brad and I had been praying about starting a Bible study up on campus for anyone who would like to attend, inviting all who hear us open air preach or watch our television program, etc. While we weren't exactly sure how we would get a building to use, the Lord has provided marvelously for His work. Recently, and without warning, a board member from the ACMU (Agency for Campus Ministry Utah) walked into the bookstore, sat down, and said, "We've got a building up on campus not being used for anything, and we would like you both to do a Bible study in there, anytime you want. And we've also a got a load of money sitting around doing nothing; we want to throw it your way." Yes, God has provided marvelously! Not only will we have a building, but we will have money to finance the book table we set up in connection with the open air meetings and give away hundreds of books, which is very expensive. God is already way ahead of us!

Continue also to pray for the television program. Next week we will be recording our sixteenth episode of "Practical Christianity" which is played throughout the valley as well as on the university channel. Our messages are always strongly evangelical, and the potential is there to reach many souls in the valley with the gospel who could otherwise not be reached. Please pray!

Pray for our mid-weekly Bible studies that we conduct in the bookstore. People have been coming in from the streets and others who have read our tracts and have been joining us as we are reading through Romans. One young man God has saved, and we are trusting Him for many more. Pray that people would continue to come into the bookstore to talk to Brad and I, that hearts would become anxious concerning their eternal welfare. Pray that God would give Brad and I wisdom and kindness to share the good news with everyone who comes in.

"And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles." (Acts 14:26-27)

Lastly, and the reason I'm writing this, is to let you all know I'll be coming home to New Brunswick for two weeks this month, July 15-28, and hope to see some of you when I return to Fredericton shortly! I have missed all my brothers and sisters back home and have not stopped thinking of you. America is great, but Canada is my "home and native land"! (by the way, happy late Canada day!) I'm definitely looking forward to this visit, to see my family, and to recuperate for the coming challenges ahead.

Until then, may the Lord richly bless you and keep you; may He cause His face to shine upon you and fulfill the plans He has prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

To God alone be all the glory,
-Eli