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December 29, 2008 I am writing this the
morning of December 29th, 2008. This past week has been
filled with every emotion possible, I think. We have been
overly excited about our beginning services in the Watertown
Event Center on January 4th. Chastity and I had a wonderful
Christmas Eve service with the Lupo's in our church. We
enjoyed Christmas together. Here is how the week went though.
This past Monday, December 22nd we were
able to help a needy family in our town. The Mother was
fifty-one years old, had many complications from diabetes, and
had been in the hospital in Sioux Falls most of the month of
December. The Dad was disabled, and had been so busy with his
wife that he didn't have any time or money to really think
about getting Christmas for their fourteen year daughter. The
Lord allowed us to take them shopping, get them gifts and
food, and that was such a happy time. We brought the gifts
home and wrapped them so they would be a surprise for the
family. They seemed so excited.
Tuesday evening was when everything
changed. I had been out in town, and when I arrived home, I
saw Chastity running across the street to our neighbors
house. I soon found out that our neighbor's brother-in-law
had been accidentally shot. He passed away within an hour or
so of our hearing the news. He was only twenty-nine years
old, and had only been married to her sister four months.
Suddenly all of the excitement and happiness turned to
sadness. The Lord allowed us to cry with them, and try to
help them over the next few days. Please pray God will
continue to allow us to help them. Our neighbor's sister's
name is Diane Langenfield. She truly needs your prayers for
God to comfort and help her.
After I attended the funeral on
Saturday, I was in my study getting ready for Sunday's service
when the phone rang. It was the gentleman we helped for
Christmas. I about fell out of my chair when he told me his
wife had passed away Friday morning. The funeral for his wife
will be Tuesday, December 30th. Please pray for Wayne and
Taylor Laskowske as they face these days of grief. Death is
never easy. But, when it involves young people, and when it
is at this time of the year it seems so much more difficult.
Diane, whose husband died, is only twenty-six, and Taylor
whose Mom passed away is only fourteen.
Please pray the Holy Spirit will fill
us, and allow us to be a help to these families as they face
these hard days. I know I am nothing, and even if I could
help, it would only be temporary. But, Praise God, I know one
who has peace that passeth all understanding, one who is The
God of All Comfort, and the One who is The Answer! Thanks for
your prayers!
Looking For HIM,
Lamar Whittemore
Ecclesiastes 9:4
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December 11, 2008
Yes, it is getting cold here, and snow is
on the ground. The weather men, you know how reliable they
are, are pretty confident we are getting more snow Sunday with
temperatures falling below zero every day next week. When we
were approaching winter, I felt the Lord would let us continue
to witness to people we have met, and make some new
relationships. We have been praying for the Lord to join our
hearts with three families by April, at which time we are
praying we could move in a building. Honestly, I was
expecting God to do that, but was not expecting much more. Oh
How Wrong I Was!!!
These past few weeks have been filled
with miracle after miracle. First, the day we sent out our
most recent news letter, I had a call offering us a building
and radio station here in town for only $150,000. The
greatest thing about the radio is it has a construction permit
(permission from the FCC) to go 25,000 watts. It is only 200
watts now. That would allow us to reach all of North East
South Dakota, part of South East South Dakota, some of North
Dakota, and a good ways into Minnesota. WOW! Please help us
pray as to how the Lord would have us walk through this door.
As far as the building, I don't believe we can use it for our
church, but it probably could be sold for $70 to $75,000 which
would allow us to only have $75,000 or so in the radio. If
you don't know, I have worked in radio since I was fourteen
years old, and love it, love it, love it!
Secondly, we had a special Thanksgiving
meeting, and had a couple of visiting preachers. On Tuesday
night of the meeting our neighbors, who we have seen the Lord
working on their hearts, and their children came to the
meeting. While we were just getting over the excitement of
their showing up, the door bell rang, and another lady who we
invited came. Bro. Jesse Hailey from Pierre, South Dakota
preached on "I Am Thankful Someone Showed Me The Way" out of
John 14. He said it has been a long time since he had been in
a service where people paid so close attention. Yes, we were
and are excited and thankful to the Lord for answered prayer.
Thirdly! The blessing just don't stop!
We have been having services in a couple's home, and had the
special services at our home. But, I could not get peace this
is what the Lord wanted us to continue to do. So, the Lord
placed on my heart to contact the Watertown Event Center to
see how much it would cost to rent a conference room through
the winter months; through April. I had told the other couple
in our church that if we had to invest $200 a week it would be
worth it to get the word out. Well, I talked to the event
center, and they sent me a proposal. In the proposal it
said: "To suit your agenda, utilizing 1 meeting room every
Sunday; standard meeting room charges are valued at $170.00
per week (Based on 2008 meeting room rental rates). However,
based upon expected longevity of your booking, the Watertown
Event Center is excited to reduce meeting room charges to a
total flat fee of only $40.00 per week!" Yes, I had a fit!!!
You can see the facility at
www.watertowneventcenter.com. So, beginning January the
4th we will begin meeting at The Watertown Event Center.
Hallelujah!!!
Thanks for your prayers for us and the
Harvest Baptist Church. God is so good!!! Chastity and I
pray you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed
New Year.
Looking For HIM,
Lamar Whittemore
Ecclesiastes 9:4
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June 19, 2008
We arrived May 16th here in Watertown, and are busy
setting up residence in the state/town and unpacking
boxes. Who knew that it would take so much to
establish residence? This is our first cross
country move, and there are so many little things
that have to be taken care of. We've been fixing up
the house as well. We now have a front porch so we
can actually walk through the front door. Praise
the Lord He provided the money to buy a premade
porch. It was built here in town and delivered for
free and a great relationship has been made between
Lamar and that business... another open door of
opportunity to witness. We had to build a ramp for
the moving truck and that same company cut the wood
for free and delivered it for free just to be a help
to us.
We got here late on a Friday night. We called one
of the families we met this summer and they asked if
we could meet that Sunday morning for bible study.
We've met 5 Sundays now and also are
having Wednesday services. We meet in their home
because the man is in a wheel chair. They are such
a sweet couple and strong Christians. The Lord
deffinately placed them here to be a blessing to
us.
We hired some locals to help us unpack the truck.
Through this we met 5 teenagers and an adult. The
adult "Todd" was still suffering the consequences
from his drinking the night before, but the Lord
gave Lamar an open door to share his testimony and
to influence those men. Please pray for them and
pray that we can reach them for Christ.
Until we find a building we have an extended Sunday
morning service, meaning we meet at 10am and don't
leave until 3:30 or 4 we also have lunch together
this gives us time to fellowship and get to know
each other and to discuss bible topics and dream and
plan for the church. Then we have Wednesday night
services at 6pm.
The other Sunday morning was so sweet. We are all
taking turns telling our testimony and a little
about what the Lord has done in our lives. Ms.
Vonnie gave her testimony and through tears of sweet
remembrance of the Lord's blessings she shared with
us what the Lord has done in her life. Although
there are only 4 of us the Lord is present and
encouraging us throughout the week. We are praying
for the Lord's direction and perfect timing and will
concerning where and when to begin Harvest Baptist
Church.
A man with our mission board, Brian Coates, raised
money to have printed the plan of salvation in a
book form along with the book of Romans for us to
hand out. Brian and Lamar handed a number of them
out Father's Day weekend. It was amazing to hear
the reports of how the Lord met them at each door.
We have invited several to come to our Sunday bible
studies but none have come yet. We know that the
Lord will send people in His time.
We do have a new home number, which is (605)
753-6956.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Lamar Whittemore
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April 9, 2008
It is amazing how time flies. We have just returned from
a two week trip out to S.D. It is hard to believe that in
it just less than six weeks we will make our move. We have
been in some wonderful meetings recently.
I guess the biggest news we have is that the Lord allowed
us to buy a double wide in South Dakota. When we applied for
financing the mortgage company said there would be no way
possible to get financing. But God had bigger plans. Two weeks
later the mortgage company said 'we don't know how, but financing
was approved'....Can God? God Can! Amen!
On our trip we were able to take Chastity's Mom with us and
show her 13 states in two weeks... in every type weather possible.
I believe on her next visit she'll choose flying over driving.
We were also able to get the house ready to move in to.
One night we had the privilege of having dinner with a dear
family in Watertown. The Lord allowed us to meet last summer
at the tent meeting. They have been praying with us and for
us and are excited to be a part of what the Lord is doing
in Watertown. They are dear sweet people and a blessing to
us already. Praise the Lord for co-labourers!
From SD we headed to Illinois. We were able to spend a very
relaxing weekend in Chicago. We enjoyed our visit to the big
city and our stay with Pastor & Mrs. Tom Brennan and family
and the congregation of the Maplewood Bible Baptist Church.
We were able to attend their Bible Institute on Friday and
go soul winning on Saturday morning. Then we enjoyed attending
and worshipping in their Sunday morning service. For Sunday
evening we headed to Rockford, IL to Cathedral Baptist Church
with Pastor Tommy Freeman and his dear people. Needless to
say we got a taste of the big city literally....we ate like
Kings! A very special thank you to these Men of God that have
invited us into their homes and churches. We have made some
very special memories while on deputation.
To God be the glory every open date, between now and May 15th,
has been booked! We are thankful for the open doors He has
provided for us. Please continue to pray for us as we travel
and head toward Watertown, SD and the dear people He has called
us to minister to.
To God be the Glory!
Lamar Whittemore
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August 14, 2007
We have now entered our second week of the Harvest Time Tent Crusade in Watertown, South Dakota. The Lord is doing miraculous things. No one has made a profession of faith in the Lord at this time, but words cannot explain how He is working. We have had over thirty visitors fromt he Watertown area with twenty-three of them not being associated with a church. We have had a few that you could tell God was definately working in their heart. Please pray for us as we finish up this week that we would continue to see God work in the hearts of the people here in Watertown, South Dakota. Thank you for your prayers.
Looking For HIM,
Lamar & Chastity Whittemore
P.S. So you will know possibly when to pray a little more, the meeting here in Watertown is nightly at 7:30 central time.
July 29, 2007
I am writing this e-mail from Watertown, South Dakota. We have been here for a week, and are preparing for a mission team to arrive on Tuesday. The reason for this trip is our two week tent crusade here in Watertown August 6-17. The mission team will be here for a week passing our flyers and gospel literature. Please pray for God's presence to be with us and His power to be on us. We are excited about what God is doing and what He is going to do as we plant a church here in Watertown, South Dakota. Thank you for your prayers!
Looking For HIM,
Lamar Whittemore
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