“Who made God?” How would you answer a seven-year-old who asks that question? Simple answer:  Nobody! Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God…” Revelation 1:8, "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending…” He always has been and always will be. That is what makes him God! My favorite is from a 15 year-old girl who asked, “What is salvation?“ What a delight to share the Gospel with this young lady. We are anxiously waiting to hear from her again.

But then there are other questions such as “My friend says it takes two months to read the Bible, is that true?” or “My friend says that God doesn’t know nothing! Should I tell him he’s the one who doesn’t know nothing?” There are days when it takes a long time to get through all the lesson papers. We currently have 49 active students ranging from age 6 – 15. We also have one adult who has requested Bible lessons. Hopefully, he doesn’t ask questions harder than the ones from kids or we may be calling on you for some answers.

In our last letter I told you that Bob continued to have trouble with his hip. However upon consulting with the doctor, we found it wasn’t the hip but another totally worn out knee. August 18th was the date of that surgery and he is recovering well. SOOO, Congratulations are in order! Bob has finally graduated from the “Joint Academy.” We kid you not. Our small community hospital actually has classes for people having joint replacement surgery. Now that Bob has had both hips and both knees replaced, he is considered an alumnus. (Maybe he could teach!) The doctor said, “Now you are bionic!” (Whatever that is?) We told our son in Phoenix that we would send pictures when Dad began leaping tall buildings. But alas, he seems to be confined to the exercises you see in the picture. His job was to lay there, endure the pain and let the machine do the work of bending and straightening his knee for three hours.

During Bob’s recovery time, we were listening to a preacher on TV who made this statement: “Nothing you do for God is insignificant!” What an encouragement that was to us as we sit stuffing puppet arms or grading discipleship papers. We are so thankful that in spite of physical difficulties the Good Lord has given us opportunities to be a part of reaching boys and girls for Jesus.

The big news is that Shirley is moving. Jeff and Steve have decided she needs to have a downstairs office. Perhaps they are tired of watching her slowly and with difficulty climb those stairs to her office. Moving is always quite an undertaking and this is no exception. First they had to move Jeff out of his office to give her a downstairs office space. Then there is the process of giving the new office a fresh coat of paint. Next, they must put up shelves to store all the discipleship lessons, mailing supplies and gifts for those who finish the lessons. All of that has actually been taking up the space of two offices. This will also free up space for Julie and Nicole, the young ladies who are part of the Knobloch team and will join us part time this fall. The final step will be to bring Shirley’s office furniture, file cabinets, book cases and all her books downstairs. Oh my! It is so good to have younger and stronger men on staff. Bob is pleased with this new arrangement, as he will no longer have to climb stairs to talk to Shirley. With the time saved not climbing stairs, maybe we will both get more work done.
Just before Bob’s surgery, we decided to take a get-away vacation. We have not done that for several years and it was wonderful. We went to Branson, Missouri, to enjoy some light entertainment and beautiful scenery. Probably the most enjoyable experience was to see “The Noah Musical” produced by Sight and Sound Ministries. The evidence of the love for God among the staff was profound. If you ever are in Branson, do not miss seeing this musical. We became so involved in the emotions of Noah and his family as they pleaded with the people and their families to believe and come aboard. Then God shut the door! The rain and flooding began and our hearts broke as we listened to the people now pleading to get on the boat. Following intermission, the curtain opened around the entire auditorium and there we were sitting inside the ark! Once again we became part of the family as short tempers and impatience arose while they waited for the rain to stop. Then, what a praise service was held when God finally sent them from the ark to dry land. We would also highly recommend that you take advantage of the backstage tour held in the afternoon. One of the actors will be your tour guide and it will thrill your heart to hear his testimony and the testimony of the mission. It was amazing! Another special treat we enjoyed was the two-hour trip on the Branson Belle paddleboat. It consisted of a ride on the river, a fast-moving program and a delicious dinner. It was on Shirley’s birthday so her ticket was FREE! It wasn’t just because she is so old, but that is a routine perk for the Branson Belle. Bob said that her ticket was his birthday gift to her.

PRAISE

1. So many children who desire to continue in the Bible lessons.
2. Bob’s good recovery
3. Vacation time

PRAYER

1. Wisdom in answering questions received from kids doing the lessons
2. Frankie, student who asked what salvation is
3. Bob’s continued healing so he can get back to what he loves the most—GHH ministry

We praise God for all He continues to do for GHH and for us personally through you. One of the greatest blessings is YOU!

Because of Jesus,

Bob and Shirley Friedl

P.S. If you would prefer receiving our prayer letters and The Glance by email, please contact us at office@ghhinc.org