September 2006

Dear family and friends of The Narrow Way Ministry:

We want to extend our greetings to each of you on this beautiful “Autumn” day in the Ozark Mountains. No, it is not yet Fall, but the weather has cooled down significantly from the long heat wave and drought that we had been experiencing this summer, so it seems like Fall weather to us.

FAMILY NEWS: Our family has been enjoying having horses around since last October. But, you know, even they are full of surprises. We seem to never know what to expect next. One day Natalie came running into the office asking, “Dad, may I borrow the camera?”

“Why? What’s going on? What are you wanting to photograph now?” (The children are enamored with our “new” digital camera, and I often think they are going to wear it out taking pictures of anything and everything that moves, or, for that matter, that doesn’t move!)

“I need to take some pictures of the horses”, Natalie answered.

“But you’ve only taken hundreds already”, I objected.

“But, Dad,” she pleaded, “this is important! Please!?”

“Oh! All right. But don’t use up the SD Card.”

Some time later, both children returned to show us the pictures they had taken. “Look at this, Mom & Dad!”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“That’s Pokey’s udder, up real close! And look at this one!”

“Yes, and what’s this?” I asked again.

“That’s Sweetie-Pie’s udder!” (The kids had been up under both our mares taking pictures of their udders! What were they going to come up with next?) “See the difference?” they asked.

Well, yes, I could see a difference! One was much fuller than the other one, which happened to just look like loose skin!

“Dad, Pokey’s pregnant!! She’s going to have a baby!!”

And you know? They were right. Pokey was carrying a surprise package which was delivered just a few weeks later on June 11, a beautiful little “Princess Nunnawon” (something precious…), a black and white paint like her mother - indeed, like the other two horses as well.

As it turned out, the registered Fox Trotter stallion of the previous owner had gotten out several times into Pokey’s pasture last summer. So, we ended up with 2 horses for the price of one. Not bad!

Grandma Rose Ann was the first on the scene when Princess was born and began the “imprinting” process as we were out of town that day, wouldn’t you know! Up to that point, the children and we had been up during the night and very early every morning checking on Pokey’s status. The one night we were out of town, well…!

We rushed home that day to see the new member of the family and to continue the imprinting. This is the process in which one handles the foal from birth to get it used to people and noise and things around its face and feet, etc. This way the foal grows up accepting people as a part of the herd and also accepting people as the authority figures in its life. Training an imprinted horse is much easier than breaking one later.

I suppose the same principle applies to raising children, doesn’t it? As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.

Although we don’t get to do it enough, trail riding the horses as a family outing is a special activity for all of us. Little 3-month-old Princess enjoys frolicking along with us as we ride through the trails in the woods. And it is a great way to spend more time in God’s beautiful outdoors, and more time together as a family.

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MINISTRY NEWS: It has been a long time since our last newsletter went out. We have been very busy trying to keep up with all our responsibilities in the local church, our concert/speaking engagements, our web site ministry (www.victorjadamson.com), the radio station, and our overseas opportunities and obligations. We praise the Lord for the wonderful ministry to which He has called us, even though it does seem overwhelming at times.

Sharing my testimony over television has been a new and challenging experience. But it was really a blessing to dialogue in this way with Danny Shelton on 3ABN, the program being aired in November, March, and then again in July.

After reading my book last year, Shawn Boonstra from “It Is Written” asked me at the General Conference Session in St. Louis if I was ready for television. I told him that I had been praying that the Lord would provide that opportunity at the right time and with the right person. I’ll never forget his response: “Well, now’s the time, and I’m the man!” And he was absolutely right.

Our television interview turned into a series that was aired throughout the month of June, a very significant current events month to tackle the subject of my testimony. “It Is Written” packaged the series very professionally on a DVD entitled, “Compassion Without Compromise”. (If you are interested in a copy, please contact us, and we will make it available to you for a donation of $20.00 + $3.00 Shipping and Handling.)

As a result of these global outreach television programs our web site ministry has been very busy for the past few months. And it is thrilling to see how the Lord can convert one’s degraded past into an outreach ministry that has such positive results as we are now seeing. Of course, we do face some opposition, but the positive far outweighs the negative.

As I am writing this letter, we are preparing to embark upon a new journey in ministry, leaving for San Diego, California for the 1st of nine Partnership Weekends with “It Is Written”. They have graciously invited me to be a presenter this year with message and musical concerts with the Marimba. These special weekends from September into December are held in the following locations: San Diego, CA - Gatlinburg, TN - Battle Creek, MI - Virginia Beach, VA - Portland, OR - Orlando, FL - Monterey, CA - Palm Springs, CA - and again in Gatlinburg, TN.

MAKE ME A BLESSING: By the way, we have just completed a new CD project entitled, “Make Me A Blessing”, another collection of classic sacred melodies: “Make Me a Blessing”, “O Glorious Love”, “Down From His Glory”, “Do You Know My Jesus?”, “The Lord Is My Shepherd”, “O Lord Most Holy”, “Hold Thou My Hand”, “The Captain Calls”, “Jesus Is Coming Again”, and more - 48 minutes of uplifting sacred instrumental music.

Enclosed you will see a flier advertising it. Steve and Judy Evenson assisted with beautiful grand piano and acoustic guitar orchestration. And Tim Crouch did a masterful job with stringed orchestration, (primarily violin and cello). The initial response from the “screeners” is very positive. We are very pleased with the final product, and we hope that you will choose to be blessed by it as well.

BOLIVIA, SOUTH AMERICA: Last April I joined a group from Oklahoma Academy on a mission trip to Bolivia, South America. While there we worked with the international Spanish television network A.D. Venir to provide music and message for their viewing audience thoughout the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Taking my marimba was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experiment. The marimba survived, but the cases suffered major damage during the abuse of air baggage handling and then got wet during flooding of theTV station one stormy night. Fortunately, the marimba was up on stage during the flood and escaped water damage.

In addition to working with the TV studio we also did programming at one of the local churches. But we spent Sabbath with the prison ministry working with incarcerated women and their children. A number of the women inmates came to me afterward asking for special prayer, and it was a privilege to serve them in this way.

A RESPONSE TO THE 10 COMMANDMENTS COMMISSION:

The following is an appeal to pastors made by the Ten Commandments Commission entitled, “AMERICA IS AT A CROSSROADS!”. It is followed by my reply, “TO DISPLAY, OR TO OBEY?!”: AMERICA IS AT A CROSSROADS!

Dear Friend: Our nation is at a crossroads. The Supreme Court recently ruled against Ten Commandments displays in courthouses in Kentucky and Texas. Liberal “civil liberties” groups have threatened lawsuits against communities all over the nation, intimidating city officials into removing Ten Commandments monuments that have stood for nearly 50 years. These and a host of disturbing trends we witness daily throughout our culture clearly show us that our nation is rapidly forsaking the Judeo-Christian principles upon which it was founded. Pastor, THESE ARE THE VERY VALUES THROUGH WHICH GOD HAS BLESSED OUR NATION FOR OVER 200 YEARS.

But there is something you can do. We founded the Ten Commandments Commission to facilitate a broad-based, unified expression of our national commitment to God’s Commandments and His eternal authority. And on Sunday, February 5, 2006, Christians and Jews from around this nation and world will celebrate Ten Commandments Day, a day in which all who are concerned about maintaining God’s righteous standard join together in a massive and unified show of support.

We would be honored if your church or ministry would join in this unparalleled display of support for the Judeo-Christian values and principles so vital to America’s continued blessings from God….

We have also developed a dynamic symbol - the Ten Commandments Pin - that uniquely expresses the reverences generations of Americans have felt for the Ten Commandments and the Judeo-Christian values that have guided our nation from its inception. This fine piece of pendant jewelry, with its striking gold and silver tones, will help your church members and supporters demonstrate their allegiance to God’s eternal authority…. Friend, the time is NOW for all of us to stand in unity for God’s righteous standard as represented by His Ten commandments. Why not join us today!

Ron Wexler, President/CEO, Pastor Myles Munroe, Chairman, The Ten Commandments Commission

“TO DISPLAY, OR TO OBEY?!”

Reply: Hello, Pastor Myles Munroe:

I am excited about the attention being generated regarding the Ten Commandments and their positive role in the history of our country.

On your web site I saw this statement, “We must not let the opponents of traditional values succeed.”

I would like to suggest that we as ministers not hold to our own traditional values above the very Ten Commandments law that we so zealously want to protect. We need to be just as zealous in keeping all ten of the commandments as we are in displaying them. It saddens me to see so much energy spent on defending the right to display these Ten Commandments, when in the next breath we might suggest that the law of Ten Commandments was nailed to the cross if anyone points to the 4th one…!! (Which, by the way, is also Judeo-Christian…) I truly do not believe the Lord can bless our efforts if we are not consistent. We should not take such a bold stand to display 10 commandments if we only accept the authority of 9 of them, do you think? It is a weak argument that states the 4th commandment to be Jewish and the other 9 to be Judeo-Christian. If the 4th commandment is Jewish law, then the other 9 must also be Jewish law. How do we convince someone from the world otherwise?

As I was struggling to accept Jesus some few years ago as my personal Savior from sin (sin being “the transgression of the law”), I was constantly thrown backward by the inconsistencies I saw within the messages of those who strongly stated that I needed to obey the commandments of God. I was encouraged to repent of my own degraded lifestyle (regarding the 7th commandment), while they openly taught that the law was nailed to the cross if asked about the 4th commandment.

The people of the world, as I was at that time, clearly see these types of inconsistencies and turn from the “hypocrisy” of Christianity in disgust. As I chose to acknowledge the authority of God in all 10 of His commandments, He then gave me complete victory over my life of violating the 7th commandment. Fourteen years now I have been “free indeed”, as the Bible says of those set free by the Son. Should I ever renounce His authority in the 4th commandment as “Jewish law and tradition”, I would have no assurance of His sustaining grace regarding any of the other 9 commandments.

Please, think on these things. And God bless you as you continue to uphold as well as display His authority so clearly revealed to us in all 10 of His commandments. “If you love me,” He says, “keep (not just display) my commandments….”

“Behold, to obey, (not display), is better than sacrifice…” (1 Samuel 15:22)

Respectfully, Pastor Ron Woolsey

Our Appreciation: Claudia and I want you to know that we greatly appreciate your prayers and support of our ministry and mission as we continue to finance Bible Workers and Pastors in Romania, to minister internationally through music and message, to reach out to our 80-mile signal radius through our own Gospel Radio Station with the 3 Angels Messages, and to also minister in a very focused outreach to the “unchangeables” through our Web Site ministry. I am again pastoring the local church when home, but now on a completely volunteer basis with the conference.

Please continue to remember us in your prayers. May God sustain you by His grace as you travel the narrow way which leadeth unto life.

Ron Woolsey and family