Friends Forever

God is good...all the time!

         I am exhausted physically from the trip to Jacksonville with my baseball team, but I am riding a spiritual high will last for long, long time.  This past Saturday night, my baseball team had the opportunity to spend some quality time with our friends in Pierce County. We were just coming off of a long day of baseball.  We started the day with a 6:00am wake up call and finished the afternoon with a second baseball game in 75 degree heat.  Although tired, we knew that we had friends waiting for us 60 miles away in Blackshear, Georgia. Several players on our team spent time in the Dominican with some Pierce County players last summer. The bond between the Wesleyan and Pierce players is strong.  We showed up at the high school baseball field in Blackshear at 6:45pm to a happy group of Bears and enough BBQ to feed an army.  Good food, good friends...nothing could be better.

        Three of the people waiting with open arms for us that night were Dave, Kim and Hunter Rowland.  As I wrote in an earlier post, The Rowlands lost their beloved Holt this past November. Holt is with the Lord and loving it. The reason why (other than spending time with friends) we decided to stop off in Blackshear on the way home was to celebrate Holt's life along with Layne Dixon's. We are truly honored to have been invited to be with the Pierce County community.  The fact that they see us as friends is so amazing. The hugs we received from the Rowlands and the Mobley's (Coach and wife) cannot be explained in words. It felt like the feeling of seeing old friends that you have missed for 20 years. We ate a lot of food, shook a lot of hands, hugged a lot of friends, and told a lot of stories.  Just like old friends. The best moment was seeing Wesleyan and Pierce County players playing the game of "flip" in the batting cage together, laughing and joking. Young people do not care where they are from, they just want to have fun.   After a few hours of fellowship and the opportunity for me to tell a little bit of my story and our future in the DR, we headed back to the hotel in order to get some much needed rest.

           The following morning we met 300+ people from Pierce County at the baseball field for a church service and dedication for Holt and Layne.  I can with absolute certainty say that it was the best and most memorable day of my coaching career. To see the influence that those two young men had on their community and beyond is inspiring and a testimony of God's amazing grace and love.  300+ people from many different churches and towns praised Jesus for who He is and gave thanks for the gifts of Holt and Layne. At the end of the emotional and inspiring service, with the sun and and blue sky behind him, the Pastor asked the 300+ if anyone would like to receive God in their heart.  At that moment, as I always do at those occasions, I thanked God for what He has done for me and my family. I also asked Him to reveal Himself to my players that were in the stands at the time.  Not but a few seconds went by that one of my players raised his hand.  In front of all these people, one of my players (Joseph) made a decision that will change his life forever.  Soon after, a very happy coach with tears in his eyes told his players that this was his best day in his coaching career.  In 3John 4, John tells us that their is no greater joy than to hear that one of his children are walking in the truth.

           To top the morning off, if it weren't already emotional and inspiring enough, Coach Mobley and the Rowlands surprised us by giving the collection from the service to our ministry in the DR.  WOW.  Jodi and I were once again brought to tears.  Last November, the Rowland's asked their community to support our ministry in lieu of flowers, in Holt's memory. (Holt spoke about his trip to the DR often to his family and showed excitement for the future FCA ministry)  Our friends from Pierce County once again want to be a part of our ministry.  We are so excited to bring each person from that county with us to the DR.  Holt will no doubt be with us in the DR and because of his influence in Blackshear, the whole community is now involved. The Pierce community will be blessed by God's work in the Dominican Republic through FCA baseball.  God is good...all the time! 

Each of the times I have spent with Dave Rowland I thought of this Psalm.  Although he does not understand why he lost Holt, Dave is steadfast in the Lord.

Psalm 112

Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

             Next week we head out to the Dominican Republic from March 20th-25th in order to get settled.  We plan on spending time with our neighbors, having dinner with our new teachers (culture/spanish), signing up our kids for their new school, and of course, resting.  Please pray for our trip.  Also, please throw in an extra prayer for our process of trying to sell our house in Duluth.

We love each of you and pray that God draws you near each day.

In His grip,

The Shaheens