road trip

Operation: Año Nuevo: (essentials for the skimmers)

• My knee is on the fritz, but a visit to the doc and a x-ray prove say it's still intact. Just some pain from hyper extending it.
• My wrestling team is doing so-so. Currently 8-12, but i've had some stinkin' awesome conversations about the Bible and Jesus with them.
• Racheal's also had some good conversations with people that come in the coffee shop.
• Christmas was flippin' awesome. Racheal and i got each other djembes. Oops.
• We are hours away from beginning Operation: Año Nuevo. (*itinerary tentative)
• The SMOi website has been updated. Check out the new missionaries!
• If you have an extra 3 minutes check this video out.
• PrayeRequests below.

Operation: Ano Nuevo: (extras for the readers)

Dear amigos y amigas,

Christmas was grand. We had some good times with the various branches of my side of the family. It was the first time i can remember at some of the gatherings that we sang, read, and shared what Christ had done in our lives. It was a nice escape from the radio, news, retail outlets, and the economy exploiting the Savior's birth for it's own financial endeavors.
So here's the very flexible itinerary for our "Operation: Año Nuevo" ("Operation: New Year") road trip:

• December 31 - Leave Tobaccoville.
• December 31 - Spend the new year with the Mulroney family in Chattanooga if the car makes it.
• January 1 - Pick up Bobby and Maridith Lane in Memphis.
• January 2 - Arrive in near Dallas for the Echelon meeting to fast and pray about going to West Africa around 2011.
• January 5 - Leave the Echelon meeting. (Bobby and Maridith fly back without us.)
• January 6 - Arrive near Las Vegas to visit Racheal's brother, Randall and his wife, Fiona.
• January 7 - Visit the Grand Canyon with Randall and Fiona. (They return to Las Vegas alone.)
• January 9 - Spend the night with Racheal's Uncle Tony in Houston.
• January 10 - Go to Racheal's brother Ryan and his girlfriend Jacqualine near Tampa. Spend the night.
• January 12 - Arrive at Racheal's parents' house in Key West. Relax. Hang out.
• January 17 or 18 - Return to Tobaccoville.

Alas, the road trip has yet to begin and it has already had an obstacle. We had smoke momentarily coming from the steering column on the Buick tonight. We were hoping to leave at 5am tomorrow, but we'll need to get this looked at before we head out as it might cause an electrical fire.

PrayeRequests:

• Please continue to pray for Nick Diaz. His next hearing is 1.5 years away; so he's got at least that long as a missionary behind bars. He is in the largest prison in Peru which was built to hold 10K inmates, but currently has about 20K and growing. Nick shares a 10'x20' cell with 41 inmates. He gets 2 meals/day that he has to pay for. He is allowed visitors on certain days, so if you're in the neighborhood... But, praise God that Nick has begun to share stories with other inmates from the Bible and has found some other Christians. Some of the inmates have begun asking him questions about Jesus.
• As many of you know, Greg, the pastor my parent's church has resigned. I don't believe it's appropriate for me to share all the details i know, but, to put it lightly, he has undergone some serious legal accusations. Please pray for this church (350+ members), Greg's family (wife, Beth, and 6 kids), and the testimony of Christ in this community.
• My grandfather Satch White has suffered a heart attack. He also has some non-cancerous growths in his stomach. He needs a quintuple bypass open-heart surgery asap, but cannot until the bleeding is stopped in his stomach. That won't be stopped until he has the growths removed.
• Racheal's friends: Richard, Darla, Casey, Tyler, and Liz. Pray that the Lord would move them in obedience to Christ and that they would give up the idea of Christianity as a culture and begin to experience the freedom from sin that is in Christ.
• The Buick. 'nough said.
• We plan on picking up some hitchhikers so pray that God would send us some so we can tell them about Him.

†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

another one

Bread and Butter: (essentials for the skimmers)

• My ACL (knee) continues to heal properly, thanks to your prayers. It will be at least a couple more months before i can run on it.
• I'm still working for Pendergrass & Holder Plumbing.
• Ewnay otosphay. (pig latin)
• My wrestling coaching career is off to a fair start. We're 7-6 so far... and i gave up a team point by yelling at the ref. Ooops.
  
• Racheal is still working at Foothills Juice and Java. Lots of good conversations about God going on there.
• Been sharing at a few churches about my experience overseas.
  
• PrayeRequests below.

Spice in the Soup: (extras for the readers)

Dear you,

Do you know the "muffin man?" Evidently that's my new nickname in the plumbing world. A couple of weeks ago i spent my lunch break with a homeless guy in Greensboro, NC. "Bubba" and i had a good conversation on as he shared with me from his surplus in gifts of food including a cup of coffee, a Hardees Thickburger, and some Panera Bread Co. muffins (hince, the nickname). I was dressed in some tattered work clothes so he even suggested a shelter i could go sleep at.

This was my first Thanksgiving with family since 2005. It was so stinkin' great. My wife has been so accommodating as we spend the holidays with my side of the family. However, we will be taking a much needed roadtrip around the country in January to visit her side as well. Covering over 6000 miles, we hope to pass through Chattanooga, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Key West. I'm really looking forward to this. I hope God will bless out times with my new family.
In the meantime Racheal and i have been buzzing around in North Caroline at a few churches, sharing about our experiences overseas. It's been fun meeting other parts of the Body who want to support and encourage missions.

PrayeRequests:

• Please pray for my coaching. I'm in a serious spot to be a role model to these boys. I'd love introduce them to my Lord.
• Please pray for Racheal and i as we learn what marriage is. I really believe this trip in January will give us some much needed quality time in the car to not have any burdens on our plate except keeping a travel budget.
• Nick Diaz, a Peruvian who just finished the Xtreme Team training to become a missionary, just received a gut check. He has only been a believer a few years and was in trouble with the law before. He has already served 2 years for this issue, but was re-trialed and has been sentenced to 30 years. His fiancee is of course devastated. Before the sentencing Nick shared that he is prepared to be a missionary in the prison like Paul. Please pray for Nick as they try to reverse this sentencing and also prepare for his new mission assignment from the Lord, wherever it may take him.

†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass