THE HARDING GATHERING

by | Jul 26, 2018

THE BLUE RIDGE ASSEMBLY
YMCA
Black Mountain, NC

 

It actually happened!

After over a year of planning, 76 descended from around the world for the first Harding reunion in almost 20 years. Just one could not make it as Kirk Harding was taking final exams at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. We sure missed him! We started the gathering with an Ethiopian feast of injera b’wut. Grace and Kara prepared the wut and we were able to secure the injera locally in Charlotte. What a hit that was!  Before we ate, we formed a huge circle and sang “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” in harmony raising the roof. Amazing! What a legacy Mom and Dad have left!

Yep, it all started with them, Bill III and Elaine Harding!

One of the many highlights was celebrating my Dad’s 90 birthday with huge birthday cakes and a BIG party. As patriarch, with clarity of mind and strength in body, he was able to point us to Jesus in a way we will all remember. Mom passed away back in November 1999, yet her legacy lives on. All are thanking God for their legacy of the centrality of the cross and the primacy of the mission of Christ in the world. Kara and I produced a video that showed their journey and pics of each of the families who will carry on that legacy. It ended with pics of Dad and Betty, who continue to demonstrate the love of Christ.

The Bill and Grace part of the tribe: Drew & Janna, Ryan & Melissa, Kara, and Kyle & Margaret and the 12 grands!

It did not look like Drew and Janna and the K-5 would be able to make it from their ministry in South Africa but the Lord provided at the last minute for them to secure tickets to attend the reunion. Thank you, Lord, for this provision through your people!

Ryan and Melissa plus three traveled in from one year of service for the Lord in Australia at Capernwray Bible School. They are now planning on settling in the Charlotte area. Yay!

Kara, “The kid magnet”, is nannying for Kyle and Margaret’s four little ones as well as working with Grace in inspiring healthy living in promoting Juice Plus, the “easy button” to get fruit and veggies in one’s body.

Kyle is working at Bank of America and Margaret is a nurse anesthetist at a local hospital all the while doing an amazing job of raising four kids ages four and under.

We are so blessed to see each of our children walking with the Lord and raising their children to do the same.

PRAYER AND PRAISE

– REJOICE WITH US! Thank God for the amazing fun and fellowship we had as a huge family. Unforgettable!
– That each of the family members would intentionally, with God’s enabling, continue the legacy left before them to glorify and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Bill travels this week to the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton IL to speak at the 30th Anniversary of KIMNET, The Korean umbrella organization of the Korean evangelical mission agencies in North America.
-For the over 800,000 Gedeo IDPs, Internally displaced people. This is the tribe we have served for the past 35 years. Conflict has erupted again over tribal and land issues by the West Oromo/Guji. Many thousands have fled to Yirgacheffe and Dilla.
-Pray for the burdens that the SIM related churches have with this massive influx of people. Pray also for the UN and government as they seek food, shelter and restoration.
-Pray for Ryan and Melissa as they look for a home to rent, schools for their three children, a good job for Ryan here in Charlotte.

THANKS FOR PRAYING FOR THESE HEART-FELT NEEDS