.

Pastor Deas took all the men and boys with him and the women took off together.  We later learned that Pastor Deas took the brothers on a real hike that they would never forget.  He also ministered and talked to them along the way. The women, of course, went shopping.  Other activities included horse back riding, a boat ride, arcade games and site seeing. Our delicious evening buffet meal was at the Golden Corral in Pigeon Forge.

Saturday evening was a fun filled time of fellowship and laughter. The retreat committee presented a short program "display God's gift" which included songs, praises, and words of exhortation by Min. McInytre, who was excited about his second church retreat.  At the conclusion of the program, Sister Bush, a committee member, gave large canvas bags to all of the women in attendance containing small keepsake items. The evening ended with board games and a hula contest by those who dared…A senior citizen, whose name we won’t say was one of the declared winners…Yes, really.

Sunday morning worship on August 20^th began with prayer at 10:00a.m., followed by the morning worship service.  The spirit of the Lord was high as jubilee songs were sung accompanied on the guitar by Bro. Eldrin Deas.  Many powerful testimonies were heard, some of which we will share excerpts: Sis. Blanche Holmes began by excitedly testifying how her part- time job was about to come to an end, but God stepped in right on time and allowed the job to continue.  She also stated that she was unsure about attending the retreat, but Sis. Murphy called her and said let’s go, and she was so-o-oooooooo glad that she was able to come.  She is truly excited about Jesus and stated that God has come through for her over and over again.  Sis. Yolanda Murphy told of how God continues to bless her on her job, and how she is receiving training that she thought she wouldn’t get.  She is also thankful for the training she has gotten at the leadership conferences in Columbia, SC and has been able to put her training to the test. She gave thanks also to God for her children.

.

Sis. Bush testified of how real God is in her life.  Recently someone they took in stole all of their money in their home, but she thanked the Lord that it wasn’t at a time when a bill was due.  It was just extra money. She told how God kept them through all of this and that she told her husband that she trusts the Lord to protect them, and not a weapon. Sis. Verlene Brown testified of being thankful for her driver and prayer partner driving her up after she had worked, to the retreat.  She told of how excited she is about nature and the handiwork of the Lord and stopping along the drive up viewing what the Lord had done.  She is thankful to have a prayer partner that she can connect with.  She appreciates her church and church family and is thankful to the Lord how he keeps her during her travels.  Bro. Greg Marsh told of how someone pulled a gun on him and pulled the trigger.  He was supposed to be dead.  But God allowed the gun not to go off, saving his life.  Even though he got lost and frustrated on the journey to the mountains, he was glad he came.  He sees God giving him another chance and he sees the changes in his life and God working with him.  Sis. Dawn Deas testified about God being a keeper.  She is grateful for not being at home when someone recently broke in and ransacked her home.  The enemy tried to put fear in her heart but she was determined that she would not be afraid to stay in her own home.  She is also thankful for the Lord keeping her on her job dealing with children who come from mostly Foster care homes and have many behavioral problems.  Sometimes the children are bigger and stronger than she is, but she gives thanks to the Lord for blessing her to be able to handle her classroom. 

.

Sis. Betty Arnold told of an accident that totaled her car on July 4^th.  However, she walked away with barely a scratch.  After her accident, a visit to the hospital revealed spots on both her lungs, which were pointing to cancer.  She told of how she is trusting the Lord to heal her.  She has gotten prayer and asks the saints to continue to pray for her healing because she wasn’t claiming cancer. (Since her testimony, Sis, Arnold recently testified that the CAT scan she took showed no spots on her lungs at all.  She knows that God healed her!  The doctors said that those spots were there, but they don’t see them anymore.  To God be the glory!)

Pastor Deas' sermon topic was “A Mountaintop Experience,” and the scriptural text was taken from St. Matthew 5^th Chapter.  He expounded on various aspects of this scripture and also referred to St. Matthew 24:23.  Among the many nuggets given he also stated that it is good to sometimes just steal away and pray as Jesus often did. He was glad for our mountaintop experience and truly praised God for allowing us to come.  By utilizing the church van while on the trip served as a witness everywhere we went.  Some were able to talk to tourists and others they met while on the retreat.

Our many thanks to Sis. Betty Arnold, Sis. Ernestine Bush and Sis. Jamala Sampson for all of their hard work to help make our mountaintop experience very favorably remembered.