I can say I am not disappointed that I was in the cool of Alaska last week when we hit 118 here in Phoenix, but I was here in 1990 when we hit 122, so I can honestly claim to be a “veteran” the record heat in the Valley of the Sun. My alarm clock is going off these days, normally with a “3” at the start of the time, so as to get out in the “cool” of the day (i.e., mid to upper 80s) before the sun rises and starts to scorch everything in its path. A good friend made sure I have a really bright light for those early morning rides in the darkness.
Heat is just a part of life here in Phoenix. Some folks love it, some hate it, but that’s just the way it is. With the heat comes the absolute necessity of air conditioning, especially if you have electronic devices operating, such as the computer I am using to write this entry, upon which I also am writing my books. Or, if you listen to the Dividing Line, or have discovered that we are now running a 24/7 “Wayback” machine airing the DL’s from 1998 onward, those broadcasts come off of computers right here in our small offices in Phoenix. And those computers need air conditioning.
Which brings me to the reason for this brief note: I am sitting in my office right now, cool and comfortable. The air is quietly cycling above me (we had a storm last night, so it barely cracked 102 today). In fact, it is very quiet today…because it is a brand new unit. The old unit decided to start making loud moaning noises a few days ago. We knew it was old. Every time the compressor kicked in lights flickered for miles. OK, not really, but my UPS under my desk would pop every time it turned on, meaning it was really pulling a huge load. The AC guy said, “It’s on its last legs.” We had a choice, either replace the compressor and get only a one year warranty (and continue paying large bills using an old, non-efficient unit) or pony up close to $5,000 for a new unit with a ten year warranty (and the hope of electrical savings of half of that or more over that time period). Well, you do not play games with the Arizona heat, nor do you run the risk of frying the precious computer equipment you have been entrusted with to do the work of the ministry. Hence the shiny big box on the roof above me.
We do not send out fund raising letters. We do not spend 20-30% of the DL seeking to instill guilt in you if you don’t support A&O. And nobody has ever been interrupted during dinner by a fund raising cold call seeking monies for this work. That just isn’t how we do things. We are small and, we like to think, lean and mean when it comes to the financial aspects of things. But every once in a while we let folks know about needs. Well, here’s one. $5,000 to keep the offices usable all summer and the DL going regularly. (I might note the unit heats as well, but Rich will tell you I simply do not turn heat on during the winter on “my side” of the offices).
There are other costs coming up as well that we would ask you to pray about. We are praying toward a trip to London and Germany next April. We truly wish to take up the invitation we received to debate at the South London mosque, the largest physical mosque in London. Flying across the proverbial pond takes money, but we really wish to bless the saints in Germany, and we will need your help to do it as well.
So if you can help us to press forward in the work of the ministry, we would greatly appreciate it. We do not have a group of large donors who make all of this work. We have regular folks who think what we do is important and they want to see it continue. Your partnership in ministry is greatly appreciated.
