We had a wonderful time last week in Louisville at the National Quartet Convention.  It was great to see lots of old friends and meet some new ones too!  Once again this year we were presented with the “Most Babies in the Booth Award”.  It was definitely interesting trying to keep the girls contained this year… so we invested in some leashes!  I used to think that was cruel to see a kid on a leash, but not any more! LOL.  Be sure to check out the photos on the Photos page above!  What was your most memorable moment from NQC this year?

Many of you will remember that we requested prayer a few times for our friend Ben Lewis from Hogansville, GA.  He was involved in a motorcycle accident nearly 2 years ago that left him with severe injuries.  We received word last week that Ben passed away after suffering a massive heart attack.  Ben was only 51 years old.  Even though it seems unfair to lose him… Ben received his complete healing last week and we’ll see him again in that Beautiful City!  Please keep his wife Pam and the rest of the family in your thoughts and prayers.  Do you have any encouraging words for Pam and the rest of the Lewis family?

Here’s your chance to get a great deal on some speakers!  We recently upgraded our speakers and now need to move these since we do not have enough room in the bus to haul them around.  Here are the details:

(2) EAW KF300 isR 3-way Speakers  –  new price $2,400 each

(2) JBL MP418SP 18″ Powered Subwoofers – new price $1,400 each

All for only $3,500 SOLD

The subwoofers are powered by an internal Crown amplifier that will also provide power to the EAW tops!  NO external amplifiers are required.  If interested please send an email to tim@thedills.net

I’ve just got to let you know what happened on Sunday morning in Louisville.  I had been trying to fill the date since we had a last minute cancellation.  I often struggle with wondering why things like that happen, but this time it became very obvious!  We have been to Cloverleaf  Baptist Church in Louisville, KY several times in the past, but never on a Sunday morning.  Last week the pastor agreed to allow us to lead in worship during the morning service and then he was still going to preach.  I told him that would be great.  Then a few days later he indicated that because of a rough and busy week he would not have time to prepare an extensive sermon… and wanted us to do the majority of the service.  (That’s the intro to the story.)

So… after we finished our part of the service on Sunday morning, the pastor gave a very challenging 10 minute sermon and then gave the invitation.  There were 12 public decisions, and 2 of those were for salvation!  One of the young ladies was in her early 20’s and the other was in her 80’s!  We were absolutely blown away and we had many the members that said it was the best service ever!  Seeing lives changed is what it’s all about!

WOW… what a day it has been for us!!!  Bridget and I planned on having an uneventful Labor Day with family and maybe even a little quiet time around the house, but that was definitely not the case!  We did go to Bridget’s grandmother’s house for lunch, but the trip was cut short by a massive poo-poo explosion (courtesy of Bryleigh) and a puke event (courtesy of Ansleigh).  And the day went down hill from there!  To spare you from all of the details I will conclude by letting you know that our Labor Day was full of labor… and lots of laundry!  Ansleigh ended up with 2 baths today and Bryleigh had 3!  Please say a prayer for all of us because we have a very busy week ahead as we prepare to spend next week at the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, KY!

Have you ever wondered how you could get involved in a ministry that was making a difference in the lives of others? We have been praying and working to develop a system that would allow you to get plugged in to the ministry of The Dills. Our aim is to attract partners that believe in our cause and have a desire to help power our ministry! The tangible benefits that you will receive are only a small token of our appreciation of your support. Please take a moment to prayerfully consider becoming a Power Partner of our ministry!

Click on the image above for more information about how to get plugged in today!

It has definitely been an interesting and busy couple of weeks. As you can see from the photo below Shawn and I have spent a lot of time working on the bus… well, actually repairing the radiator. I told someone the other day that Step 2 of repair was completed and they asked, “How many steps are involved?” I replied, “Step 1: Take off the old radiator. Step 2: Put on the new one. Step 3: Pray that it all works!” After our trip to Mississippi and Alabama last weekend, I can now say that Step 3 was also a success! Thank you, God, for another answered prayer!

This Sunday morning we will be in concert at our home church, Hillcrest Baptist Church! We’re really excited since this is one of the very few times each year that we are able to attend our church on a Sunday! If you’re in the Jackson, TN area, we would love for you to come worship with us this Sunday morning!

We have also added a new and really neat feature to the right sidebar of our webpage! We will be adding pictures to the site right from our cell phones… at anytime! So you never know when or what’s going to be added! Check back often to see the latest pics!

As many of you know, LeeAnn has been a dental hygentist for the past ten years. Since we relocated to Jackson from Covington 5 years ago, she has tried to find a job that would be flexible with our ministry schedule, but nothing ever materialized. With much prayer, she started checking into the accelerated BSN nursing program at Union University here in Jackson. Our prayer was that if it was God’s will, the doors would open. She received a letter in the mail today that said “congratulations, it is a pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted into the program.” There were only 36 people chosen, so needless to say, I am very proud. Her classes will begin in January 2010 and she will graduate in December 2010, so that will be a pretty intense schedule.

Now as Tim stated in a previous e-mail, this does not mean that we will be looking for someone to fill her position with the group. I have been chosen to sing her part if there is a date or two that she might have to miss, but I’m hoping it will be a minimal amount. We hope you will join us in praying for LeeAnn as she starts this new chapter in her life. I know there will be a lot of late nights studying, but I’m going to do the best I can to help her by staying out of the way. HAHA! Thanks to all of you, our friends, for your support in what we do and for all of your prayers as we travel from place to place. Without that, we could not go on.

Shawn

Do you ever spend a lot of time working on things, but never feel like you get anything done? That has been my week so far! On our last several trips we’ve noticed that the bus engine has been running hotter than normal and we’ve come to the conclusion that the radiator needs to be replaced. We have also had a few problems with the starter on the bus and knew that we would have to replace it in the near future. So I’ve spent the last couple of days trying to research the most “price conscience” (cheapest) way to resolve these problems.

The cost for a new complete radiator assembly from Prevost is approx. $3,500 but you can purchase just the core for $2,000. That would seem like the best option… but after some research I found out that we could get a core built for only $1,300! So that has been ordered and will hopefully arrive on Monday of next week. I also ordered a new starter for $350 that will arrive tomorrow and be ready to put on next week. Just part of the joy (and responsibility) of owning a bus! So, if you’re in the Jackson area and would like to get a little greasy next week… come on out!

It seems like this is the most excitement that we’ve had around here lately. Tim thought that he needed a new look. This is the shortest that it has been in nearly 5 years! What do you think? Do you like the before…or after? Let us know! I know that he’ll be glad to hear from you.

We had an interesting time on the road last weekend! Last Friday night we got to worship with our friends at Crossroads Worship Center in Braggadocio, MO. We shared the stage with the groups, Gloryland and New Ground! We made some new friends and had a wonderful night of worship! Saturday night we sang at Providence Baptist Church in Lafe, AR. Since the church was preparing for VBS at the church, they had it decorated with all kinds of wild animals! It was the first time that we had ever shared the stage with bears, a bobcat and a skunk! Also during the service a gentleman, Mr. Ray Coln, had to be carried out because he had a seizure. Ray’s family said he just got filled with emotion during the song I was singing, “Leaving on My Mind”, and that seemed to have led to the seizure. (He has them often when anxious or excited.) Ray is doing better, so we praise God for that! Sunday morning, we witnessed another young lady accept Christ in Piggott, AR… Hallelujah! Then after lunch on Sunday we noticed there was a large bolt in a back tire on the bus that resulted in a flat! We found an Auto Zone and attempted to plug the tire… but it didn’t work. However, while at the Auto Zone, Bridget and LeeAnn had the opportunity to witness to a young man that worked there. As we left, he thanked us for being the confirmation he’d been praying for… Just goes to prove that God has plans even in bad situations! After the service Sunday night in Jonesboro, AR we prayerfully drove nearly 200 miles with the tag axle raised up to make it back to the house. We are still praising God for a safe, uneventful trip home! Ain’t God good?!?!