Aloha from Hawaii! On January 15th we boarded American Airlines in Minneapolis, 
MN, at 9:00 AM. It was one of those mornings I did not want to get out of bed as it was 4 below zero outside, and there were two below cozy blankets (this would be Larry and me). We were at our daughter, LaDawn's, home when the alarm went off at about 6:00 AM. I peeked out the windows and the outside world appeared frozen...and it was! The thought of leaving a warm bed, and cozy house to go outdoors was at that moment undesirable.
I tried to cheer myself up by thinking that once we arrived at the airport and boarded the plane to Hawaii, we wouldn't experience this arctic weather again until next winter. That thought immediately energized me. While I was fixing myself a slice of toast I shared this with LaDawn, to which she responded, "It seems you and dad always know when an arctic front is moving in, and you leave for a warm climate, and I'm stuck here to endure it." I felt a bit badly that I had said that until we arrived 12 hours of flight time later and 3,776 miles across the water at the Honolulu airport. We disembarked the airplane, sauntered through the open-air terminal. Larry and I looked at each other with a look of glee and chuckled, "Yes...it was worth the miles and hours on the plane to see these palm trees, feel the soft trade winds and warm ourselves in the 75 degree temperatures." It was awesome!
Just before we left Minneapolis some friends chided, "Yeah, it must be rough having to go to Hawaii to minister." To which I responded, "I'm sure thankful there are people in these warm climates that need Jesus and need encouragement! And... Larry and I are willing to go."
We've been ministering in the Hawaiian Islands every two years since 1990 when I spoke at the Hawaiian Islands Women's Convention for the Assembly of God in Kona, on the big island. Women flew in from all the surrounding islands. What a wonderful time of spiritual refreshing we had! Larry and I bonded immediately with our island friends. These precious people wanted ministry, not entertainment, and that's where we bonded. Since then, we've come back every two years, and there have been multiplied hundreds who have made decisions for Christ.
This past Saturday we drove to the other side of the island to Rev. Janet Cordeiro's church in Waimanalo. We were greeted by Marilyn Ah Zat who assisted us in our set up for the upcoming Sunday service. Marilyn hugged me and said "Gloria, do you remember me? I was at the conference in 1990 in Kona and I asked you to pray with me for my unsaved husband. Then, in February 1994, you and Larry came to Waimanalo and sang and preached at our church. When Larry gave the invitation for those who would like to receive Christ into their hearts, my husband, Ernest responded. I was so thrilled, and I'm still thrilled!"
That testimony gave me energy and encouragement to start this Hawaiian Island ministry outreach.
Sunday morning we had a precious time of ministry with Pastor Janet Co
rdeiro and her congregation. She is such a precious woman of God. This past year she and a few members of her congregation have started a prison ministry and over 160 inmates have made commitments to Christ. They go back each week and do Bible studies with those who gave their hearts to C
hrist. That's what I call, "Getting ministry out of the four walls." Sometimes we are willingly confined within the churches four walls. We are content to come, receive, eat and go home to go about our own lives for another week. I believe what God really desires is for us to come to church, worship Him, get set spiritually, be discipled, and then mentored for the entire purpose of taking His Light to the workplace, prison, hospitals, or whatever doors God opens for us.
Please, let me challenge you. The next time you go to church take a notepad with you. Take notes on what you've received and pray and ask God where He wants you to share this message. Someone will be waiting to be spiritually fed. You can change the eternal destiny of someone this coming week. Take the challenge! Respond to the Great Commission in Mark 16:15. "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
We appreciate your prayers for us as we minister here. Thanks!
Gloria
En route to Hawaii from Minneapolis we had a few moments before boarding. I decided to make a quick dash to the airport bathroom which was a ways from my departure gate. I scurried in, closed the stall door, and grabbed a paper tissue seat cover (by the way, I always appreciate in a public bathroom). I placed the seat cover on the toilet seat, and when I was finished, I pulled my slacks up and continued to automatically flush. I quickly made my way through the crowded bathroom and patiently made my way to the sink to wash my hands. I walked through another crowd of women to the exit door, and continued on about 8 feet into the main terminal. As I always do, I reached back to pull my sweater down and then...I felt it! The seat cover protector was stuck on my backside like it was glued to me. At first I panicked as I pulled it off and tried to ignore the countless number of passengers who saw it and who must have wondered if I really knew how to follow instructions like, "Please place seat cover on the toilet seat for your protection." And not on your seat after you have your slacks pulled up! Oh well...don't ask me how or why it happened. Laughing, I told Larry about it. He just chuckled and said, "If something crazy is going to happen, it will happen to you!"
So this week--- the chuckle was on me!
Easy Beef Stew
1-1 ½ lbs beef stew meat, cubed into ½ inch pieces
3 large potatoes, cubed
4 medium carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 envelope beefy onion soup mix
2 cups water
Combine beef, potatoes, carrots, soup, soup mix and water in crock pot and cook on low heat setting for eight hours or on high for four hours. Recipe serves about four.
HOUSEHOLD HINT OF THE WEEK
Don't wrestle with a slippery cutting board. Use a section of foam fabric shelf liner (or rug gripper) underneath any glass, plastic, or wooden cutting board to hold it securely in place while you use it.
Greetings from Minneapolis, Minnesota! This month already reminds me of a speedometer on a car---each day is clicking away at an amazing speed. Nine days have already vanished! 
taking care of office needs in Sisseton. We are now feverishly preparing and packing for our next on the road tour. It has been great to be home, allowing us the opportunity to work out of our home office wading through the various piles of paperwork that seem to accumulate in our absence. But now...both of us are ready to hit the road! We are anxious to sing, preach, and see lives changed through the grace and power of God. 
before we knew it. It was action-packed and so much fun! Our daughter, LaShawn, and her husband, Liam, along with our son, Donovan, drove i
n from Nashville, TN. LaDawn and her children, Dante' and Myanna, drove in from Minneapolis. The house was alive with laughter, story-telling, game playing and of course, much eating! We were blessed to all be together for four days. The grandkids loved making Christmas cookies, and playing Monopoly, Sorry and Catch Phrase. Of course, they so enjoyed having Uncle Donovan, new Uncle 
Liam and Auntie LaShawn here. The weather was bitterly cold so as 
they say, "We hunkered down"... staying cozy inside our warm home and sharing memorable times together. I tried to cook everyone's favorite dishes and we enjoyed consuming every single calorie! HA! 
Grandma Julie, and three of my brothers and their families. It is always a joy to have Grandma (92 years old) with us. She is such a pillar of joy and strength to all. There were four generations represented at that Christmas celebration. 
fast. I just wanted to rewind the clock and relive those four glorious days, BUT...life goes on and as the old saying goes, "I owe, I owe so off to work I go!" Thus is the reality of life, we must all go back to work. We will savor all the hours and precious minutes of this Christmas through moments stamped in our memories and photos until we all meet again.
In a few short minutes, the ceremony began. Our son Donovan walked me up first and then Liam's father was ushered down to the sound of the bagpipes being played. Liam's family is from Irish decent. The bridesmaids and Myanna walked down to meet the groomsmen.
Everything was just so beautiful and memorable. We are so happy to have a son-in-law and we dearly love him.
message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity- hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory- because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on the cross." 
to leave so Larry insisted I stay home and rest up as our daughter's wedding is December 9th, and we didn't want to jeopardize this event we have been anxiously awaiting. Larry and I have hosted tours for over 42 years and this is the first one I missed...so I guess my running record is still okay! HA! I sure hated being left behind however. 
morning and headed off. Guests joined us from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Arizona. For many of them, this was a reunion tour as over 35 of them have gone with us before. After you have gone once, family bonds form and many desire to make it a tradition or annual event. 
The first stop was at the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri, and they then journeyed on to Silver Dollar City in Branson. The next three days were filled with nonstop action and excitement consisting of attending Christmas shows including Baldknobbers, Pierce Arrow, Celebrate America, Daniel O'Donnell, and the tour climaxed with Dino's Christmas Extravaganza, America's premier pianist and showman. Sunday morning, the group met
in the hotel for a special church service with an hour of music, testimonies and a message by Larry. Sunday afternoon, the group motored to Carthage, MO, and visited the world-known Precious Moments Chapel. 
several cousins and other family members and friends. Of course, Connie had a delicious turkey and ham dinner with all the trimmings...and all the calories! That reminds me of a cartoon I saw a few days ago...Grandma is standing in the kitchen with her apron on preparing dishes for the big Thanksgiving meal and she says, "I love Thanksgiving, all the relatives come over-- we have four generations getting indigestion together." How true. Someone else said, "Thanksgiving is the home version of the 'all-you-can-eat buffet'." With Christmas coming up quickly, I'm sure it will be another repeat of that "all-you-can-eat buffet".
The Friday after Thanksgiving, the Christmas fun- or should I call it frenzy- shopping began. In Minneapolis, a few of the stores opened at 1 am Friday morning. Our daughter LaDawn had to be at work at 4 am, so she had to get up at 2:30 am to get ready to go. Needless to say that was an early morning start!
The season now is in full swing as everyone is preparing for Christmas. All of our calendars will be filled with parties, family gatherings, Christmas programs, shopping, etc. Each of us will come in contact with many, many people--saved and unsaved. It is our season, as Christians, to shine and let the world know where we stand. One simple way is by using two words - "Merry Christmas". Dozens of business and establishments forbid their employees to say these words, and inform them to greet customers by saying, "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings". We all know the true meaning of Christmas- the birth of the Christ child. With those who are fighting to remove Christ out of Christmas, remove the manger scene and the tree, we need to take every advantage we have to keep Christ in Christmas. I would encourage you this season that when you meet others greet them, "Merry Christmas", and if they greet you with "Happy Holidays" quickly and kindly respond, "Oh, it's Merry Christmas- the season of celebrating Christ's birth...isn't that wonderful?" Be a light in this dimmed world- it needs it. Let's not lose Christmas.
The highlight of this past week was celebrating my mother's 92nd birthday. What a gift it has been to have her a part of my life for all of my 63 years. Monday night, about 25 family members gathered at "Mom's" for her birthday. We had planned on having a potluck meal but she loves pizza so we had a pizza party instead. Larry commented to me the next morning, "Gloria, your mom is the happiest when the family comes home. I watched the expression on her face when she heard the siblings, cousins and mates laughing and interacting. Her greatest joy is having the family together." Another observation he made was, "Your mom is so loved by everyone in the
family!" (There are now nearly 110 of us in the immediate family scattered from coast to coast.) My mom has a unique gift of loving each of us personally and equally. Also, she prays every day for each one individually. We all know her deep love for God and we all agree, "When Grandma Brooks prays, all heaven is at attention!" Her great faith in God has been instilled in each one of us and has left a great impact on our lives. 
After our meal, Larry pulled out the ol' family slide projector along with slides that Mom and he had taken over 40 plus years ago of all of us kids. You should have heard the laughter filling the house when those old photos hit the screen. Of course, each sibling took their opportunity to tease one another about their hairstyles, clothes, expressions, etc. It was a very rich time spent together...there is just nothing like family! 
Greetings from South Dakota! Last Thursday we were in Phoenix, Arizona where there were temperatures in the 90s! As we were sitting outside eating lunch with a friend who was going to take us to the airport, Larry and I, simultaneously looked at each other and whimpered, "Do we really want to leave this beautiful weather and head back to the Midwest?" Even if we had a choice, we still would've left. You see, we had three good reasons to fly to Minneapolis...our daughter LaDawn, our grandson Dante, and our granddaughter Myanna. Those three were enough incentive to get us on the move back to the Midwest. 
arrived at the Minneapolis International Airport. We shuffled through the ever long halls from one terminal to another. Larry chided, "Well you like to walk...this will definitely fit your quota for the day." It did, especially when we were loaded down with laptop computers and carry-on suitcases. We claimed our luggage - four HUGE suitcases- at the baggage claim and headed off to the curb. What a wake-up call when that 32 degree air hit our face! But what a joy to see that little white car of LaDawn's pull up to the curb. There's nothing sweeter than to be greeted by loved ones at the airport. 
Many responded to the altar call and made decisions for Christ. That's energy to Larry and me! When someone comes to Christ it's like a blood transfusion to us; it just gives us new life
and determination. We love seeing couples like Kelly and Becky McCoy who recomitted their lives to Christ at the Gothenburg rally. We thank God for pastor friends like Rev. Randy and Deb Dilts that have a burning desire to see their community reached with the Gospel. Rev. Randy Dilts commented, 
said unto me. "Let us go into the house of the Lord." Psalm 
Before we left North Platte, NE Larry insisted on going and seeing the train yards. LeRoy Black was so kind to take him out and see them as he is employed by Bailey Yards. It's the biggest train yard in the U.S. and the second largest train yard in the world. It has over 400 tracks by which approximately 175 tracks are for sorting and they travel to destinations all over the U.S. There are freight cars, box cars, tank cars, refrigeration cars, flat cars, auto rack cars, plus many more! Bailey employs about 3,500 people. Needless to say, Larry was mezmerized by the endless web of tracks that headed every direction. 
bliss" as they say. But, Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." You can't depend on the goodness car, the baptismal car, the confirmation car, the catechism car, church attendance car, tithing car, or the just believe car to get you to the right place. Jesus said that no man can come to the Father but through Him. We all have to aknowledge that we've sinned, confess our sins and believe in Jesus Christ. When you get connected to him by repentance and conversion and grow and mature in Him you can be assured you're on the right track going the right direction and ending up at the right destination, which is Heaven. 
Prayerfully, you are on the right track. If you're not sure you can pray right now and ask Jesus to come into your heart. He will meet you and He will give you the ticket to eternal life. That, my friend, is exciting! Have a great week!
Last weekend we drive to North Platte, Nebraska, for a weekend of ministry. What a sweet time it was! Again, we were greeted by a loving congregation and a kind and compassionate pastoral couple, Rev. and Mrs. Dennis Leitner. Everyone was so gracious and they came to church with anticipation of what God was going to do. If we just lift up Christ, He does the rest! Larry and I stand on the side watching God draw people to Himself. Awesome! All ages responded to the altar call with many recommitting their lives to Christ along with others who gave their lives to Christ for the first time. 
refreshing to hear the Gospel message emphasizing the Lord's call to the Lost. Our whole church body was blessed and ministered to by the anointed songs, testimonies and the Word. Many responded to the altar calls...both for salvation and rededication. Thank you, Larry and Gloria, for your ministry and friendship to Calvary."
One of those people is Clenda Krizek, the church administrator of Calvary. She is electric with the love of Jesus-and she definitely gives off a sweet aroma of Jesus. She had this to say regarding our time of ministry there,
through the trial, but I weary of the battle, the winds of discouragement; I just want a simple key to victory. However, it doesn't always work that way. Someone once said, "Many times we pray and ask God to remove the storms from our lives, but oftentimes God will allow the storms to rage and He will calm the man in the midst of the storm." Our key to victory is available and it is right there. Jeremiah 33 says, "Call on me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things." Jesus is the Key, but it requires time in the throne room to connect with Him. Our tendency is to be impatient wanting the answer now, in our time and how I want it. Robert Schuller said, "Within every adversity lies a slumbering possibility." Yet, I love what Jesus says in Mark 9:23, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible." 