2007 Annual Report of Activities

The Board of Directors of Investing in Futures, Inc. is thrilled with our activities for the year.  However, they are not thrilled with the finances.  They told me, Rodney, you must get more monthly supporters.  So I appeal to you, as you read through the list of activities, please come onboard as a monthly supporter.  Just make out your check each month to Investing in Futures, Inc.

 

 

2007 Annual Report of Major Activities

 

 

Jan 10 – Trip to Valdosta  - Rodney, Vance, Orton, Gary

Jan 27 – Preached in Alabama (Centenary A/G – Luverne, AL)

 

Feb 01 – Trip to Valdosta – Horse Trailer - Rodney, Vance, Gary, Theron

Feb 08 – Trip to Valdosta – Horse Trailer

Feb 08 – Trip to Valdosta – Semi - Johnny Strickland, Rodney, Gerry

Feb 08 – Trip to Valdosta – Semi - Steve Watkins – Rodney, Gerry

Feb 15-16 – Pour Widow's Driveway – Vance, Rodney

Feb 24 – Missions Banquet at Suncoast Cathedral, St. Pete, FL

Feb 25 – Preached Suncoast Cathedral, St. Pete, FL

 

Mar 27 – Trip to Pen FL District office to get copy machine and 40 station collator –

                                                           Horse Trailer – Rodney, Vance

 

Apr 03 – Trip to Bartow First A/G to pick up load of computers - Rodney

Apr 16 – Trip to Valdosta – Horse Trailer - Rodney, Vance, Gary, Trent

Apr 24 – Mango First Baptist Church to pick up hurricane supplies – Take to Sumterville

                                                            First Baptist -  Horse Trailer (Vance, Rodney)

 

May 15 – Loaded and sent out 40 foot container to Randy Herring – Honduras

May 20 – Preached at Bartow for missions group going to Panama

May 21 – Trip to Valdosta – Horse Trailer - Rodney, Vance, Gary, Ernie

May 22 – Trip to Elizabeth Town, NC for desks – Semi – Phil Robinson

May 30 – June 4 – Preached in Tobago for Pentecostal Assemblies of West Indies

 

Jun 06 – Trip to Valdosta – Horse Trailer - Rodney, Vance, Gary

Jun 08 – Trip to Valdosta – Semi – Wayne Gillard – Rodney, Gerry

Jun 13 – Trip to Valdosta – Semi – Wayne Gillard – Rodney, Gerry

June 20 – Trip to Valdosta – Horse Trailer - Rodney, Gerry, Vance, Sharon

June 26 – Trip to Tuscaloosa to get desks – Rodney, Gerry

 

Aug 01 – Trip to Valdosta – Horse Trailer - Rodney, Vance, Mike Thornton

Aug 18-25 – Preached in Venezuela – Venezuelan Assemblies of God

Aug 31 – Trip to Orlando DOT – Semi -  Rodney, Vance, Johnny, Clyde

 

Sep 09 – Preached at Vietnamese Christian Center – Tampa, FL

Sep 18 – Took forklift training/certification course

Sep 23 – Preached at King's Temple A/G – Temple Terrace, FL

 

Oct 04 – Trip to Hillsborough School Warehouse for textbooks – Rodney

Oct 14 – Preached at Sanford First Assembly of God – Sanford, AL

Oct 14 – Preached at Enterprise First Assembly of God – Enterprise, AL

Oct 16 – Attended special-called Alabama District Council to elect new DYD

Oct 18 – Attended Tuscaloosa Sectional Council

Oct 23 – Trip to Bartow DOT – 16 Foot Truck - Rodney, Vance

Oct 25 – Trip to West Palm DOT – Horse Trailer - Rodney, Vance, Johnny, Ron

 

Nov 3-5 – Preached in Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Centro Evangelistico de A/G

Nov 07 – Trip to Pen FL District Office to pick up computers – Rodney

Nov 16 – Investing in Futures approved as a Nonprofit Organization

 

Dec 06 – Loaded and sent out a 40 foot container to Harold Suggs – Guyana, So.Amer.

Dec 12 – Loaded and sent out a 55 foot semi to Operation Compassion – South America

Dec 14 – Loaded Horse Trailer with Food for Tots – Vance, Rodney

Dec 19 – Trip to Pen FL District Office to pick up wide-screen TV – 16 Foot Truck –

                                                            Rodney, Vance

 

 

Summary Total for 2007

23 trips to get computers, desks, and things -

Preached 24 services – Both Stateside and Overseas

Made three trips overseas – Tobago, Venezuela, Honduras

Attended Alabama District Council and Tuscaloosa Sectional Council

Certified as Fork Lift Operator

Approved as a nonprofit organization

 

What a great year

 

 

 

Dr. Rodney White

Investing in Futures, Inc.
PO Box 6451
Lakeland, Florida 33807

www.investinginfutures.org

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Tet: Vietnamese New Year

I have been given the privilege to preach the Vietnamese New Year Celebration and Outreach on February 10!  Glory!  A Southeastern graduate is pastoring a Vietnamese church in Tampa and has invited me to be the guest speaker for Tet.  This is quite an honor.  The church is using the New Year Celebration as an outreach to the community.  Please pray for this special time. 

 

Dr. Rodney White

Investing in Futures, Inc.
PO Box 6451
Lakeland, Florida 33807

www.investinginfutures.org

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The Bible on CD

Vance and I went to Orlando today and picked up seven pallets of the Bible on CD and on cassette tapes plus Devotions on CD.  The company that produces them said that no one buys cassettes or CDs anymore since M3 Players and IPods have come on the scene.  They gave us an entire horse-trailer load of CDs and Cassettes in English and in Spanish.  These will all be given to the Truck Stop Ministry who will use them in their evangelism and discipling program throughout the United States. What a blessing these will be.  God is so good.

 

Maybe you have heard or seen the News today about the 75 car pileup on Interstate 4 today between Lakeland and Orlando.  It happened before we traveled to Orlando so we were able to take back roads to Orlando and back.  It took us all day long (from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) to make the one hour up and one hour back trip.  But, Glory, we made it. 

 

Dr. Rodney White

Investing in Futures, Inc.
PO Box 6451
Lakeland, Florida 33807

www.investinginfutures.org

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Devotion for the day

In my personal devotions each morning, after I read the Bible, I always read a chapter from a good book or devotional guide.  I would like to share the devotion I read today.  It pretty well describes my feelings.

 

This devotion comes from Walk with me up the Mountain By Steven G. Beam, President and Founder of Missionary Ventures International in Orlando.

 

 

"Have Faith"

 

"It had been a hard mission trip.  There were lots of problems to be solved along the way.  Every missionary I met had incredible circumstances to overcome that only God could handle.  We prayed and prayed.

 

Several of the projects (schools, clinics, orphanages, Bible Schools) needed more money and the shortfall was way more than we had.  On top of this, my plane had to make an emergency landing on the way home.  The compression went out at 40,000 feet but the pilot was smart enough to drop to 9,000 so we could all breathe.  My nerves were shot.

 

So after the Sunday service, I was so burdened with problems from around the globe – needing $130,000 by Friday, ill missionaries, trying to solve a conflict that could erupt and destroy our work in a country – to just name a few.  I had to go to the altar at the end of the service to pray.  A well meaning elder came forward and prayed with me.

 

After we prayed, he looked me in the eye and said, "Just have faith, my brother."

 

"HAVE FAITH!  That is easy for you to say," I thought.  You have a secure job, a secure paycheck, insurances for everything including every possession you own, you have large amount money in the bank, you have a comfortable home, and a church, and work.  How can you tell me to HAVE FAITH?

 

I cannot tell you how many people have come to me with words like:

            "Trust the Lord."

            "God always comes through."

            "God will take care of everything."

            "God does not intend for you to carry these things on your own."

            "You are trying to do too much."

            "You are living in fear."

 

To be honest with you, all these words are true, right, good, and pure.  They should be stamped on my heart so I do not forget them.  But I find that my faith ride can be a bit like riding a roller coaster.  One minute I am ready to tackle the most difficult assignment, but the next day, I am rethinking my sanity.  And I just plain get afraid.  Yes, sometimes words are not enough.

 

Most of the time, those who do not have to believe God for anything deliver those words.  It is easy to say all of this when you do not have to believe God for your monthly support, for visas, for rent, for food, for gas, for health, for retirement, for funds for projects, for people in the ministry, for travel, for everything.  Complete dependency of the Lord for everything, everyday, all the time is hard for me.  I have to pray continually, listen intently, submit repeatedly, control my emotions, fight fear, grasp God's promises with all my might, and just hang on.  The ride will stop shortly.

 

Thought for today:  It is ironic that sometimes we have to work at relaxing.  Sometimes it is just plain hard to rest in the will and promises of God.  Most of the time there is peace and rest.  But sometimes we have to work at getting back to that place of peace.  It is kind of like a little child who lets go of her fathers hand and then needs to find it again.  I am so grateful that God does not move and is easily found.

 

Prayer for today:  Lord, I trust you, but I struggle with my humanity.

 

Verse for today:  "Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.'" – Mark 9:24

 

 

 

Dr. Rodney White

Investing in Futures, Inc.
PO Box 6451
Lakeland, Florida 33807

www.investinginfutures.org

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Another Container Sent Today

We shipped out another container today.  This went to Operation Compassion out of Cleveland, Tennessee who will be sending it to third world countries for distribution.  What a blessing to be networking with them.

 

Here is a list of the items we shipped today.

 

281 Monitors

30 Inkjet Printers

154 boxes Textbooks

2 network Printers

12 laser printers (Big)

 

 

Dr. Rodney White

Investing in Futures, Inc.
PO Box 6451
Lakeland, Florida 33807

www.investinginfutures.org

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The Container is Loaded

Let me tell you about Vance first. 

 

 I received a phone call from him at 7:00 this morning saying that he would not be able to help load the container because he was going to see the Doctor.  When he woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, he saw a bone sticking out of this upper chest right where the seatbelt held him, so he wanted to have it checked out.  I phoned him about 9:30 and he said the doctor told him he has a dislocated shoulder and would need to go see another doctor at 2:30.  He phoned me at 5:00 to say that the doctor told him that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.  The bone Vance saw was just his collar bone and he is perfectly okay.  I told him that I had received email after email from those of you who were praying for him.  Thank you so much.  Your prayers were not in vain.

 

Now about the container.  I received a phone call yesterday from the shipping company telling me that the container would be delivered at 9:00 this morning as planned.  When I arrived at the warehouse this morning at 8:45, Orton Queen was waiting for me to help load the container. 

 

But two minutes before I arrived at the warehouse, I received a phone call from the shipping company informing me that the semi bringing the container to the warehouse had broken down ten miles from the warehouse and that they would be there as quickly as they could get the truck repaired.

 

Orton and I brought all the items for the container from the back of the warehouse up to the loading docks ready to be loaded in the container when it arrived.  By this time, Missionary Harold Suggs and his neighbor Tony arrived.  Harold immediately began picking out more stuff from the warehouse he wanted, like a copy machine, 25 battery back-up systems, etc. 

 

I received another phone call from the shipping company informing me that the semi could not be repaired today and said that I had two options; load the container Friday or they could bring a container from Miami and that it would arrive at the warehouse around 2:00 p.m.  Dr. Johnny Strickland with Network of Promise is loading out several semi's tomorrow with Food for Tots.  He needs a lot of room and I would really be in his way loading Harold's container at the same time, so I told the shipping company to bring the container from Miami, that I would wait for it.

 

Since there was nothing more we could do but wait, Orton and Harold headed back to Lakeland.  No sooner had they left then Pastor Jerry-John Comellias of Channelside Church and his brother Chris arrived to help load the container.  We packed a couple of things but since I needed some stretch-wrap, we went to buy some.  On the way, at about 11:30,  I received another phone call from the shipping company informing me that they had a container leaving Jacksonville headed for the warehouse and that it would arrive in about two hours.  After treating me to lunch, Pastor Jerry and Chris hung out until a little after 2:30.  Missionary Harold Suggs and Tony arrived from Lakeland with  8 boxes of commentaries and we all unloaded them and put them on pallets.  Pastor Jerry and Chris had to leave, and about 30 minutes later, the container finally arrived.  We started loading at 3:00 and finished by 5:00.  Glory!  It was a long but great day.

 

In case you are wondering what goes in a container, here is the Load List:

 

141 Boxes of Textbooks

  78 Students school desks

    3 Overhead Projector Screens

    6 Large Televisions

    1 Minolta Copy Machine with a collator

  25 Battery Back up systems

    8 Boxes of Commentaries

    4 Pulldown Wall Maps

  64 Computer Systems

 

Don't forget, we are now a nonprofit corporation and can give you a tax deduction for your donation.  Thanks for your generosity.

 

 

Dr. Rodney White

Investing in Futures, Inc.
PO Box 6451
Lakeland, Florida 33807

www.investinginfutures.org

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Vance had an accident

Vance Street is man right-hand man and friend.  Today, the two of us were working at the warehouse getting the shipment for Guyana ready for shipment at 9:00 in the morning.  When we knocked off for the day, we both headed to our homes.  About three minutes after we left, Vance phoned me and asked me to come get him because he had had an accident and had really messed up his van.

 

When I got in sight of the van, I found the front-end totally hugging a huge power pole.  A big pickup pulling a big trailer had stopped in front of Vance.  It seemed the driver could not decide whether to turn to the left or the right so he just stopped.  Vance was unable to stop so rather than hit the trailer and possibly knock it into another vehicle, Vance turned sharply to the right but there happened to be a light pole in his way and he hit it hard dead center.  Vance had on his seatbelt and other than being kind of sore, he seems to be okay and plans to be at the warehouse tomorrow to help load the container to Guyana.  We are both sure his van is totaled.  He has only had it about six months.  But, Praise the Lord, Vance is okay.  Remember to pray for him that there will be no whiplash.  Hitting a light pole at 20 miles and hour is a sudden jolt.

 

Dr. Rodney White

Investing in Futures, Inc.
PO Box 6451
Lakeland, Florida 33807

www.investinginfutures.org

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