I'm sorry there are not the usual number of pictures this month. The laptop I've been using for 2 years belonged to the Baptist Church so I had to give it back recently and the family laptop doesn't have any editing software. By the way, I'm in the market for a new laptop so if anyone has any recommendations I would appreciate it. The popular brands in the UK are the same as the US.
Meanwhile we're still waiting on God and the job/visa application process. It's slow going but it's not been hard to find ways to keep busy even though I'm not leading worship or preaching on Sundays. I've simply been concentrating on the Street Pastors and men from the Monday drop-in ministry where I'm still a volunteer. I've also been visiting other drop-in centers during the week and local churches on Sundays.
Speaking of Street Pastors, we had two patrols in January: a rowdy one and a quiet one. Here's a "highlight" from the rowdy evening...
Around 2AM a shoving match began outside a club where a large group of young people were leaving at closing time. We were not sure what started the rough behavior but the crowd more or less dispersed before anyone was hurt. We observed that a group of the more aggressive young men headed up the street so we followed. Within less than 100 yards we discovered a young man who had been hit in the head several times with a bottle. We don't believe he was part of the earlier mob but had been attacked by several of them as they moved up the street. Fortunately the police arrived about the same time we did and taped off the area as one of my team, a medical doctor, sprang into action with rubber gloves and a minimal supply of bandages from our first aide kit (photo on Facebook) until an ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later. There was a lot of blood but fortunately no serious injuries.
The really interesting part was that my daughter, Ashley, was with us as an observer that night. She'll be starting Street Pastor training next month and get her uniform when she turns 18 in July. |
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At the moment we are still totally financially dependant on gifts from churches and friends. To make a contribution, please send a check payable to First Baptist Church of Clermont, directed to the Ecker Fund. The address is 498 W. Montrose St., Clermont, FL, 34711. Our address in London is 71 Windsor Road, N7 6JL.
Sincerely grateful,
The Ecker Family
He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. You won't need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day. -- Psalm 91:4-5 |
