August 2009 Newsletter

News: I have a 3 hour weekly stint with an editor to help with the development of my memoir – he keeps me on track, and helps me avoid historical and rhetorical mistakes. At present, we are revising for omissions of spiritual or personal items importance.

I am working on boldness in my personal witness. It is so easy to miss opportunities through carelessness or timidity. My older sister, also a Christian worker taught me a lot about real quality witnessing. A poor witness is usually a missed opportunity, because the listener recognizes the difference and responds to it accordingly. Too, it’s easy to scare people off by being over-zealous, because modern mentality shies away from truly religious persons. So anyone who truly loves Jesus, and wants to share that love with others in an effective manner has a real job. A successful approach requires care and thoughtfulness in order to avoid having one’s ideas be completely discounted.

For this reason, many Christians have given up open witnessing, and thereby miss out on the joy of soul winning. Since the Bible is still the world’s “Best Seller” in our modern, hi-tech era it means that the new generations find the 2000-year-old a book with a message that still addresses current spiritual questions and needs of humanity. And that’s an earth-shaking conclusion that should not be ignored – as many unbelievers attempt to do. Humans do not change, they still require a moral compass and spiritual guidance: the Bible – the most sought after spiritual guide of modern times. There is nothing to be ashamed of in that truth!


Our family is hoping to get together this fall. Although my sight, hearing and balance continue to deteriorate, I am able to fully enjoy their company when the visit. More on the health front, I did have a minor heart attack in mid-June that was followed by a brief hospital stay. I seem to be back to normal though, and am forging ahead to the next milestone – age 99 on November 27th of this year. I can still run up and down the steps for fun (an inexpensive stress test too!) and give the other residents at Copperfield something to talk about( hopefully Heavenly Love).


In His Keeping

Homer Payne

April 2009

Spring has finally come to Minnesota; piles of snow and overcoats are disappearing and wildlife is taking over the seen again – warm, living green replaces ice and snow everywhere.

Amid my constant medical appointments, I discipline myself to move forward with my life story. The Lord graciously sent a close OM couple who unexpectedly offered their helpful services after it turned out that Art Farstad (William McDonald’s usual editor) had followed him to glory. It’s a real stimulus to have a serious, on-going task to fill the days. I’m trusting the lord to keep me going ‘till the story is finished in due form. But I must also count on your prayers so that the story is stimulating and spiritually helpful.

I’m not trying to amuse people, but coming home from a camp board meeting one Saturday afternoon, I told the story of my 59 years’ marriage. All was going swimmingly until one couple in the group insisted that I visit their Sunday School class and tell them the story too. Once again, I’m in for it! Questions at the end, and No Holds Barred. Here’s hoping there’ll be no embarrassing moments.

Easter will have come and gone by the time you receive this note: surely our country needs a revival or better yet a re-birth. If the “Powers that Be” are ordained of God, we must pray earnestly that their activities will be guided by God, and that their actions will be for the betterment of our country. We all have a duty to participate in any way we can if we expect our democracy to function free of the corruption it currently is steeped in.

My days continue to include nursing visits due in part to diabetes and poor circulation in my extremities. My feet are bandaged, and my blood sugar and pressure is regularly monitored, and my daily ration of medications is dutifully administered and ingested. It’s a blessing to live in a country and era that has  this level of medical help available – but assisted living “ain’t cheap”.

Due to some local difficulties, there won’t be a Bolivia team this year. Please pray that the order of things will be restored and that the Velez will be able to return to the work they founded and brought to such a remarkable fruition. Pray that through their ordeal, God’s work may proper and grow even more.

In His Keeping

March 2009

Time passes so quickly!

I’m going to try and be serious about communicating with you at least on a quarterly basis. Please note all the information at the top of the letter which is my correct contact information.

This letter is actually a group of correspondence I have been working on throughout the first quarter of 2009. The group that was helping with production and distribution of the newsletter could no longer keep up, so there has been a hiatus in the news as you have noted. My son Pierre, who owns a communications firm, is taking over publication of the newsletter for the future.

We do want to continue to keep you all in the know, but would also like to be able to keep the cost down to the extent we can.

- If you have an e-mail address we can use regularly and would prefer to get the newsletter that way, please send it to ppayne@mgicommunications.com.

- If you have moved, please let Pierre know so he can update the contact list and send you regular updates. You can send this information to the address above.

- My Newsletters will be published on a blog so that those who are used to using the web to stay on top of the news can be served in that way.

My autobiography is now front and center in my daily activities, and the Lord has provided an editor to help with the presentation and organization, the historical and the stylistic. I also hope to have a well known outsider do the foreword. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated.

Biographies can give young believers a tremendous boost if properly written – I always think of those of Hudson Taylor and Bill Hybels as great sources of inspiration and guidance.

Our shrinking world seems to be readying itself for a major financial melt-down – one that will go beyond the boundaries we have seen in any part of our past. And our leaders seem ill-prepared. One can only guess at the eventual results.

Meanwhile, fresh opportunities for witness and counseling with both young and old continue to present themselves within the church and without!

Please continue to be sure of my constant prayers for each of you. As I tread these steps in final the final years of my life, walking with Jesus, seeking to be a continuing blessing by sharing the gospel of our lord and working daily to make the world a better place.

In His Keeping

February 2009

I misplaced the initial draft of this letter in a very busy Christmas time. Between travels to Milwaukee to see my son Pierre, and Philadelphia to visit my daughter in-law and her family, it slipped into some unknown location and was lost forever. That is why this new version is arriving so late. Very sorry!

Please find here the usual warm thanks for a wonderful mass of loving greetings and gifts all of which I am incapable of answering personally. Surely greetings and good wishes are a bit stale at this late date. Nevertheless, be assured of my warmest affection and appreciation for the flood of beautiful greetings that warmed my heart. I trust that each of your holidays were heartwarming and times of effectual spiritual renewal. May the Lord bless you everyone, and particularly those of you whose celebration was saddened by illness or other untoward events.

With the advent of the New Year, we certainly are entering a period of social and financial stress during which the world will be tested beyond levels of resistance humans have know so far. Never before has prosperity been so widespread – never before has our government and personal debt been so deep. Never before have we been so vulnerable.

As believers, we need to examine ourselves, our relationships with others, and our duties to those around us so that we are prepared for the stress that we will inevitably face. Let each family prepare to care for its own and those around it.

Let each of us also heed the lessons of the inspired Word and really pour out our hearts to God. It is within our power to help right our country’s course: for evil to succeed only requires that good men and women stand by and do nothing. What a good reminder to each of us to pray and act on His behalf each day.

Be sure of our warmest on-going thanks, and heartfelt appreciation for all you are doing through your daily prayers and loving care.

In His Keeping