Pig Pen to Pig Palace!

What a wonderful month of ministry:  Thanks to your prayers, July was truly a blessed month!  As you know, we finished June with a week of sharing with the Fellowship of Christian Firefighters in North Carolina.  Then it was off to Hawaii for almost three weeks of Melva’s family reunion and rest.  While in HI we prayed with family members, conducted a chapel service for the reunion, and spent some wonderful time with sons Steve and Tim along with their wives Annie and Sara.​

Upon returning home we “hit the ground running” with a Saturday evening worship service, Sunday rodeo service, and a BBQ/concert with our western music friends Barry and Victoria Ward (barrywardmusic.com) .   We shared the gospel and gave away Cowboy New Testaments.   Over 75 attended the rodeo service and one woman approached us and told us I did their wedding on top of Crested Butte, on skis, 38 years ago!

“Pig Pen to Pig Palace”:  In 2000 I was fighting a forest fire in Montana.  We were staying in the Hamilton fairgrounds and I set up my tent in a pig pen, clean and with a slight cover!  A week after this year’s Gunnison rodeo service, Melva and I conducted a rodeo service in Norwood, CO.  The service was held in the “Pig Palace” where livestock is shown.  Talk about coming up in the world!  Over 100 attended the service which is sponsored by three churches in the area.  What a privilege to be invited!

In between, we conducted a memorial service and our Saturday night worship services.  What a joy it is to see the changed lives of these men and women as we go through God’s word, verse by verse.

Family: Stephen and Joy, Hannah (7) and Bethan (5) are enjoying summer with Vacation Bible School and Stephen preaching almost every weekend somewhere in Scotland or England.  He’s getting positive feedback and we know the Lord is using him to bless many.  Hannah and Bethan are involved with sports and art and loving life!  Nick and Rebekah are in their busy season running their restaurant in Edwards, CO (near Vail).  Steve is at work on a new television program which started the day after they returned from the family reunion and Annie is preparing for her new assignment as a second grade teacher.  Tim and Sara are back at work after the reunion and preparing for their first child in December!

Bibles:  Every month we continue to receive requests for our Answering the Call New Testaments.  This month was no exception as we sent them to Nebraska and Colorado fire chaplains.   Two years ago you helped us make a special printing of these Bibles and now we’re the only place they’re available.  We’re also sending out cases of police New Testaments at no charge, although they are still in print.  

Finances:  The Lord continues to provide for our needs as well as allowing us to assist others.  Because of your faithful prayers and support we are able to serve without charge and many are giving Him praise!

Prayer Requests:  Please pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to remain upon us and increase as we share.  Please pray for “alumni” missionaries Cisco and Naomi Villasenor and baby Vanessa (church planters in Mexico).  Vanessa is 4 months old and has serious medical problems.  Unless the Lord intervenes she will join Him in heaven soon.  Also, please continue to pray for Frank and Steph Goetschel (Costa Rica).  Frank is fighting a bone cancer.  The Lord’s workers are on the front line fighting the enemy.  Please pray for your pastors, teachers and missionaries!  And, please pray for wisdom for Melva and I to discern His leading.

Special opportunity:  Steve Vidinha, a former policeman and one of Melva’s relatives, has contracted Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).  The Governor of Hawaii has appointed him as the state spokesperson for this fatal disease.  We’re all pitching in to raise funds in his name for research.  If you can, please send a tax deductable donation to the ALS Association, Golden West Chapter, P.O. Box 11284, Honolulu, HI, 96828 and put Vidinha Ohana (family) in the memo.  Their daughter Barbara shares Jesus around the world!  

Mahalo! (thanks in Hawaiian)

​By His grace and to His glory!   Rick and Melva Barton

3 pastors at Norwood, CO Rodeo Service

Rick sharing at family reunion chapel

Relaxing on Kauai

Rick & Jim Higgins at Gunnison Rodeo Service