June, 2008, Montpelier, VA, USA
Life has been very busy since we landed April 7 in Richmond, VA, and began loving on Isaac. We soon learned that Isaac would have a brother or sister in December. We are all excited and though we started having grandchildren late, we might catch up with many of you. HA. We are not happy that gas is $4 a gallon, since we are 25 miles out in the country from Richmond and Isaac; but we love where we are staying and have been blessed to have this lovely country home among deer, bluebirds, quail, horses, farms, honeysuckles, blackberries and wonderful paved, marked, country roads. We have enjoyed times of riding on smooth roads and with the wind in our faces and very little traffic; which has been orderly. And to enjoy walks in the mornings and not feel we will be hit by taxis, bodas, weaving drivers or inhaling gas and oil fumes; as we did in Uganda. But on the other side of “happy” is also a deep void of not being with our Ugandan brothers and sisters and feeling the warmth of their sincere love and greetings and smiles and happy spirits. We are happy to say that Anthony and Misti Shelton report things continue to go well with the ministry there in Kampala. Ministry has been very busy this summer in Kampala with a record number of volunteers and much good work has been accomplished. Please continue to
PRAY for the work there and for their health and endurance as the Kampala Urban Team-the Sheltons, the Berrys, the Carsons and the Dormans-continue strongly in the work.
On our way to the US, we spent 6 days in England/Scotland We enjoyed the train ride from London-Edinburgh, the history and beautiful scenery. Then on to Richmond and after two weeks here with lots of hugs on Isaac, our friends, the Kights, brought our 8 trunks from Georgia, which a volunteer team brought back to US for us. Then they drove us to Danny’s mom’s in Atlanta. We spent 10 days with mom and during that time spoke at the home church of those volunteers,
Mt. Zion Baptist Church, near Talledega, AL. This church has sent volunteers to Uganda for the past 3 years with plans for the 4th in January, 09, so we were so happy to be a part of the worship services and share about our work in Uganda. They are a wonderful supportive group to us and to the work there. We helped mom with some various issues such as doctor’s appointments, checking out some assisted living options and other business items and also spoke at her church,
First Baptist, Fairburn, GA. Danny’s 90 year old uncle, Fred Hood, died while we were in town and we were able to attend his funeral and see family members on the Hood side that we had not seen in years. He lived a godly life and we were grateful that we could attend his funeral. We headed with mom to Myrtle Beach on May 2 to celebrate Danny’s brother, Charles’, 65th birthday. His daughters threw quite a party and many friends joined him for a roasted “Pig Pullin” with many tasty food items and delicious fresh huge strawberries. I had really missed the berries and Danny had missed good pork. It was great to celebrate time with them.
The following week we attended a Candidate Conference in Richmond to continue our process of going career. It was a week full of interviews, medical exams and training on items necessary to be done in this process. All seems to be going well with our application but we still have a few medical issues that have to be checked off the list. Pray that we will get a clean bill of health and can move forward in this process. Our consultant will present us to the SBC, IMB trustees, June 24. That is our last major hill but we still must have everything checked off with the medical. If all this goes well, we should be appointed September 10 in Jonesboro, GA. We have tried to keep things on schedule so that we could be appointed there which would be near mom, family and lots of friends and she could attend the appointment easily. So
PRAY that we can have everything cleared within this next month and stay on schedule.
Jason surprised us on Mother’s Day and stayed with us for 6 days and that was a great time with him. Mom was with us six weeks and we traveled to St. Louis, MO, to spend a few days with Mable, dad’s 95 year old sister. While we were there we spoke about Uganda at her retirement center and also at a friend’s, Rudy Pulido, church, whom Danny had known in college. While Jason and Mom were in town, we had a family picture made and that was a delight to have 4 generations present. Please look at it…I am sure Danny will have it somewhere with this update.
We took mom back to Atlanta and we spent a VBS weekend at a former church,
Fellowship Baptist, Rome, GA, and had a wonderful time sharing about Uganda and visiting with all those wonderful people. Their VBS offering of $3,362 was given to us for the work in Uganda and we were so blessed with that love gift and know what it will mean to the ministry there.
We left mom in Atlanta and went to Thomson, GA, near Augusta, and enclosed a shed we purchased and placed on Danny’s uncle Ralph Bullard’s place. We had not done such physical labor in the direct hot sun in quite a few years and it really was a hard three days of labor and my wrists and Danny’s shoulder still aren’t quite the same as before. Now we have to arrange a time to get to Florida and bring our things which we have in storage there. We are planning our trips carefully with the price of gas, and also working with our schedule of times we need to be in Richmond for meetings, so it may be August before we can get to Florida.
We are anxious to be with the dear folks at Kathleen Baptist. And we still have not been to Mississippi to see my two sisters and I want to do that soon.
So, we are now in Richmond for a few days and have a speaking engagement in
Charlottesville, VA, at Springhill Baptist, June 29, and then another week of Stateside Assignment meetings, July 7-14. We are also hoping to get some much needed rest and follow up with some other business issues. Last week, our friends, the Caldwells, who served in Uganda, came to see us in Richmond and we shared some time with them for 3 days before they began their journey back to Brownsville, TX. As you see, life and ministry have not been quite the same as our time in Uganda but we have enjoyed being a part of it all and have really needed to be back with family, friends and new acquaintances. It has all been a blessing. Please continue to PRAY for us that our schedule might work in such a way that we can be with several different groups as we travel. It is cost prohibitive to just go to one place and then return to Richmond and then go somewhere in a different direction.
PRAY also for our career process and that it will continue as God so wills.
PRAY for the ministry in Kenya. This work will be a challenge and a much needed job and we want to serve well there.
PRAY for more to hear the call of God to dedicate themselves to missions. We need so many more to tell the story and to disciple new believers.
Thank you for your continued love and interest in our lives and we do pray our paths will cross with many of you. Thank you to many of you who have said, “Where are you???” Our contact numbers and address are included on this page and we would love to hear from you. Know of our love and interest for each of you and please update us about your lives and prayer requests.
Once again, we want to thank your support of the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions. Southern Baptists have over 5,000 missionaries serving in over 135 countries.
We love you,
Danny and Claudia
Committed to the Unfinished Task,
Danny and Claudia Hood
4608 Grinding Stone Circle
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Danny's Cell 678-925-5079
Claudia's Cell 706-802-7028
Claudia's Email
claudia1944@gmail.comBlogsite
www.HoodsinVirginia.blogspot.com
