Emmett and Wanda Pillault: News archive

---

October 2002 through February 2003

Saturday, February 22

Now it is definite! We are going to Scotland! Emmett will leave on March 6, and Wanda on March 16. We'll return in late April though we don't know the exact date yet. We are still in great need of financial support.

Friday, February 21

We are really feeling the tug from the Lord to go to Scotland! We are in need of some financial help. Our time is running out! We need about $2000 to cover our bills and food for the trip. An anonymous donor has covered our plane fare, but we cannot leave until our bank has the monies to pay our bills while we are gone. So we are being positive about the trip. But it is still tentative until we get all our ducks in a row! We do not have the tickets in our hands yet. We don't want to take them until we know we are covered financially for everything else in March and April here at home! Please consider supporting us.

Wednesday, February 19

Remember Jerry Goodin, our friend with colon cancer who we ministered to a couple of weeks ago at Ochsner Hospital in the New Orleans area? We are glad to say that he is home now - and very happy about it. But he is still not completely out of danger! So please keep him in your prayers. We will keep you updated as we hear!

Tuesday, February 18

We are possibly going to Scotland on March 16 for 6 weeks. We are praying that God will touch people to help us with support to go on such short notice. We know God waits until we are against the Red Sea so He gets all of the credit. We are just hearing about this trip. This is why we are just telling you about it now. We don't know why they waited until now - but anyway, we are willing to go. Praise the Lord!

Monday, February 17

We had a blast this weekend. On Friday - Valentine's Day - we were in Walker, Louisiana at Shady Bower Church for a banquet. The entire church came out dressed fifties-style! The hall was decorated that way as well. Ladies were in their poodle skirts. Even the pastor popped up in Buddy Holly glasses and rolled-up blue jeans. Some people even danced! We ate barbecue and had a great time.

On Saturday, we traveled over to Millbrook, Alabama and rested up for Sunday at Grace Community Church. On Sunday morning, we sang a special song at their service, and Sunday night we had the celebration of the grand opening of their new church that we helped build last October. We were so blessed.

We have been invited back to Scotland! So please be praying for God's will to be done. We would love to go again!

Wednesday, February 5

Another busy weekend! On Friday, January 31, we ministered at the House of Joy Christian coffeehouse in Slidell, Louisiana. We were blessed with just a couple of chairs empty. The place was crowded. So awesome to see God at work!

Saturday, February 1 was our first Mardi Gras parade to ride in this year. We were in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. It usually feels like such a long ride on the float. But God moved in a mighty way and it felt like we just got on the float and it was over. Thousands of tracts, and thousands of pounds of candy, were thrown off the float. Emmett sang until he lost his voice. We had a great group of people on the float.

On Sunday, February 2, we ministered in song at our home church, then rushed off to Woodland Village Nursing Home in Diamondhead, Mississippi. There was standing room only. It is so awesome to see those special people being so blessed when we are there singing their special songs. They hate for us to leave. We rushed off to go and see our very good friend Jerry Goodin who is at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. Our Hymnal CD was recorded in his studio. Jerry Has colon cancer! They took out 5 inches of intestine. He has been very sick. The doctor said that if Jerry doesn't have a change by this coming Thursday, he will have to go back into surgery on Friday. We are praying that God moves on Jerry's behalf right now in Jesus' Name! Please keep Jerry in your prayers?

Monday, January 27

This weekend was not planned! God worked out the entire weekend!

Don Bell - a friend of ours from Gretna, Louisiana, who has been battling cancer - called us and asked us to come over to visit him. We checked out HisMusic.com, which lists Christian coffeehouses in the New Orleans area, and found out the nearby Upper Room Coffeehouse would be open Friday night. So we decided to go into town early, so we would be there early on Saturday morning. We were so blessed at the coffeehouse. The Holy Spirit moved in such a way that we cannot describe it. We were so tired, and we thought we would stay for an hour or so. But we didn't leave there until after 10:30, and people were still coming and praising the Lord!

Saturday morning, we went to Don's house to spend time with him. The doctors say he now has leukemia. We had a great time in the Lord with Don all day! We sang music and played with his grandchildren. Don was in a lot of pain all day, but he enjoyed worshipping the Lord.

We stayed for Sunday morning and went to Don's home church, Anchor of Hope Baptist Church in Gretna. Don is the praise and worship leader. We ministered in song and had a great time in the Lord!

What a life when God is in control! Wow.

Friday, January 24

Last night, we ministered at the Woodland Village nursing home in Diamondhead, Mississippi. Our concert lasted a little over an hour. Even though we were in the main hall, it was an unusual meeting, in that only women showed up (although as the concert closed, we did have one couple arrive; they were there to visit their mother).

The ladies, and the nurses and aides, all had a great time. We were able to give out some stuffed animals that had been donated to us to give away. The ladies were so happy. Most of them usually are so sad, and it takes a lot to make them smile; but the joy that came upon their faces when we gave them that small gift was amazing. God knows everything. We are not able to buy things like stuffed animals to bring to nursing homes and hospitals, but the Lord supplied them, through a couple we met at the Christmas City USA show in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who were reducing their inventory. They were so happy to be able to give them to us, and we were so happy to be able to take them and give them away.

Please keep us in much prayer, spiritually, mentally, physically, and financially. This is a time of the year we are feeling the pinch. Mardi Gras season is right upon us. So many needs. Pray that God will supply all of our needs?

Sunday, January 19

We have been just so busy that we haven't had a chance to sit down at any computer and write our news for the rest of December and this part of January. But here are some of the highlights:

On Thursday, December 19, we attended the Women's Aglow meeting in Baton Rouge. The Holy Spirit moved in an awesome way. The meeting was held in the meeting room at a Christian bookstore, and people from the bookstore came in and listened while we were in concert. What should have been over about 8 pm kept going until about 10ish. What a night.

On Saturday, December 21, we answered a last-minute invitation to sing at Crossroads Coffee House in Mobile, Alabama. This, too, is located in a Christian bookstore. People were out with last-minute Christmas shopping. We had a great turnout for no advertising. People came in and had a great time.

On Sunday, December 22, we were moving fast all day. It started with our church service at 10 am, then lunch with friends at 1 pm, then ministry at Woodland Nursing home in Diamondhead, Mississippi at 2 pm, then dinner with Emmett's brother Roger, then off to sing Christmas carols at Jackson Square in New Orleans, then a reception at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans for the birthday of Archbishop Hughes of New Orleans. A very full day!

On Sunday, December 29, at Faith Church in Slidell, Louisiana, we did praise and worship and a little concert in the morning service. We were blessed. God spoke to us and fed us at this church on this day! As soon as the service was over, we drove to Yazoo City, Mississippi, to the Yazoo City Church of God. We were not booked there, but we did sing a couple of songs in their Sunday night service. We stayed with Grady Howell and his family, and ministered at his huge restaurant, called Howells, for New Year's Eve. We were truly blessed there. We had enough, with the love offering and the donations for our CDs, that both of us got our eyes examined. We tried contact lenses, but to no avail, so we each got new glasses. We stayed the rest of the week and had some much-needed rest and restoration time. We ministered on Sunday, January 5 at Yazoo City Church of God, and left for home after lunch.

On Friday, January 10, we ministered in song at the Country Village in Tickfaw, Louisiana. Wow!!! So many people came out to see us. We were surprised with groups from Ames Boulevard Baptist Church in Marrero, Louisiana, and White Dove Fellowship in Harvey, Louisiana, and also some ladies who saw we were going to be there by reading the Country Village Web site. It was so grand. We met a bunch of new people who we have fallen in love with. It is so great to meet more family of God!

On Saturday, January 11, we ministered all day at the Baton Rouge Flea Market. The outreach was a blessing. We enjoy doing that so much - touching souls that would not usually go to a church.

On Sunday, January 12, we ministered at the New Day Christian Center in Rosepine, Louisiana, not too far from Lake Charles. We did a concert, and God allowed us to minister. An entire family rededicated their lives to Jesus - 10 family members to be exact! There was one happy grandmother and grandfather who had been praying for their children and grandchildren. God is so good!

On Monday, January 13, through Wednesday, January 15, we had a revival at our home church (First Assembly of God in Waveland, Mississippi). Brother Hassler, from Gulfcoast Worship Center in Long Beach, Mississippi was the guest minister for the revival. We were blessed. We ministered in song each night.

On Thursday, January 16, we ministered live on the air at WOSM radio in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We love touching hearts all over; only God knows the hearts that are touched.

We love to be experiencing God and to be in His presence daily! God is good all the time!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 17

It's been a big week of ministry! Last Tuesday, December 10, we ministered at the Women's Aglow meeting in Mandeville, Louisiana. We had a great time in the Lord for quite some time ministering in song, then more time ministering and praying with individuals. There was a great lunch with the ladies. We didn't leave there until 3:30 pm. Everyone there was so wonderful and loving. Of course you know Emmett - he loves all the hugs and kisses from all those girls. Amen!

Thursday evening, December 12, we ministered at Lakeview Nursing Home in Gulfport, Mississippi. There were plenty of new residents since we were there last. We were a little late; Emmett had gotten home a little late for work. God had blessed us with Beanie Babies, so each person in the meeting room had a blessed night, with us singing Christmas carols and receiving their gift from us. We were blessed, seeing their eyes when they received their new Beanie Babies.

On Friday, December 13, we had a great formal at the Magnolia Room in Picayune, Mississippi with the Safe Haven Church group. We had a wonderful dinner served, and ministers and pastors were from all over the area, giving a word and blessing each person there. We ministered in song throughout the evening.

On Saturday and Sunday, we were so tired and drained that we ran away from home and got some rest. We saw the Nutcracker Suite, and went to the annual Celebration in the Oaks event at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. We had some people with us at their home, and we had church! It was an awesome time in the Lord.

On Monday, December 16, we ministered from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm at the Piccadilly Cafeteria in Metairie, Louisiana, with the Metairie chapter of Women's Aglow. We really opened with prayer at 10 am, but the ministry began as soon as we walked in the room. It was a thrill just by having time to talk to the staff working at the restaurant. After we ministered in song and prayed for each lady at the meeting, we had a wonderful lunch and told the ladies a little bit of our adventures, then prayed for some more of the Picadilly staff. It was a day that just did not want to quit. We had another blessed time in the Lord.

Monday, November 25

This weekend was chock-full of ministry. Jesus moved all weekend. Friday night we ministered at Lil Philly's Cafe & Coffee, at their new location on Kabel Drive on the West Bank of New Orleans. There were children from the neighborhood who came in to have some nachos and listen to the music. The Holy Spirit prompted me to talk to the boys, and ask them, if they died right now, where would they go? They shrugged their shoulders, as if to say, I don't know - so I asked them to come in front of the stage and asked if they wanted to make sure they did know where they would go. Of course they said yes. One of them asked Jesus into his heart. The other two said they did have Jesus in their hearts.

Then two homeless men came in, very hungry and cold. A sister in Christ who was there paid for their dinner, and they ate very well. They stayed until we closed. Emmett prayed for them, and they accepted Jesus in their hearts. They did not want to go to a mission on the East Bank, so they left walking to the woods to sleep under blankets they said they had. Their names were John and Mike. Please keep them in your prayers.

Saturday morning, we got up early, and drove back from New Orleans to Diamondhead, to the nursing home there. We ministered from 1:30 to 3:00 pm. We had a full house. Some of them even danced. We had a blessed time with them. Then we rushed off, to go to a Baptist church in Pascagoula, Mississippi to minister at their Thanksgiving dinner. They fed us some great food, then we sang for a little over an hour. God moved in such a mighty way. There were infants to grandparents there. All were blessed.

We slept at a friend's house in Gautier, Mississippi, and went to church with them at Vancleave First Assembly of God. Their pastor invited us to sing a song. Of course, Emmett decided to sing Shut Up and Listen - it was the funniest thing. Their pastor happened to minister on that same subject. He has invited us to come back on a Sunday night to give our testimony and do a concert.

We got to our home church for prayer time for the evening service, then went home. Please keep Emmett in your prayers this week. It is going to be one of those weeks, with us in ministry every night, and Emmett having to get up so early for work. Please keep us in prayer, and ask God to give us His wisdom on when to say a holy "no" to ministry. We are very tired, and still have not gotten the rest we need from our Scotland trip!

Tuesday, November 19

Emmett left early this morning on a trip to Ohio. He is on his way to pick up and drop off something for the company he works for. He will be back home late Thursday night.

When I am home like this, I get a lot of work done around the house. Right now, I'm cleaning closets in my kitchen. This is the only time I get to do this. Our kitchen is so small. When Emmett is home he takes up the whole kitchen!

I have been down with a cold since we got back from Scotland, so I get tired quickly. I am on my way to get a nap. Please pray for Emmett as he travels, and for me while I rest and recuperate? The next couple of months are very busy for us. Thanks and God richly bless you!

Monday, November 18

This past weekend was so much fun!! We worked with Ron Meyers at Christmas City USA at the Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. There were over 400 booths this year. Wanda worked the booth called Pure Joy, demonstrating and selling the product (bath-and-body items produced by Joy Williams). We sang on and off all weekend, and on Saturday night we sang at a concert on stage at the Coliseum with the Bibletones, and Cindy Simmons. We saw a lot of friends we haven't seen in a very long time, and met a bunch of brand new ones.

Emmett left to go to work early this morning, and Wanda slept in until almost 8. We still have jet lag from our trip to Scotland. It feels like we threw our suitcases down and kept on going. Christmas is upon us, and we have so much this month and through February. Please keep us in prayer, that we have time to get the rest we need, in between each time of ministry.

From Friday, November 1 through Tuesday, November 12, Emmett and Wanda ministered in Scotland. Read about their trip on the Scotland 2002 diary page.

Monday, October 28

God is still working on us! We have had another wonderful weekend with the Lord. On Friday we ministered at Joy Fellowship in Slidell, Louisiana. There was an awesome move of God, even more so than all the other times we have been there.

On Saturday, we stayed home, and spent the day working really hard around the house, cleaning up from Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili. They were a few weeks ago, but we have been on the go so much that we haven't had time to do anything about taking the tin off the windows, and picking up trash in the yard from the storm. We were blessed that just some trash was around the place. We had no water damage or wind damage. Not that we had time for this on Saturday either - but the insurance company wanted to cancel our policy, apparently because they thought the place looked abandoned, even though we had not filed a claim! We know that it is the devil trying to stress us out because we are leaving for Scotland on Friday evening. Please pray that we get it all up to par for so we will have insurance.

We had to leave about 4:30 Saturday afternoon to get to Mobile, Alabama to minister with Charlie Wyckoff at the House of Horrors. It was an awesome time in the Lord. So many people, youth and adults alike, were working there to touch many souls for the Kingdom of God. We were in awe. We went through the entire House of Horrors. We are praying that someone here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast catches the vision and opens one here for next year. Thousands have gone through, and thousands have made a decision to become born again! Praise the Lord. We sang in a coffeehouse there at the end, where we got to see many people just after they had gone through the entire House of Horrors. Their faces were so different. The coffeehouse is where they came to fill out their decision cards. In just the couple of hours we sang there, we saw hundreds come in and do that.

On Sunday Morning we woke up and rushed off - we almost forgot about the end of Daylight Savings Time! - to minister at Brother Bob Ledger's church, Christian Faith Assembly in Silverhill, Alabama. Brother Ledger Preached an awesome message. His church had hardly any seating space. We didn't leave there till almost 1 pm, and then we went directly to Foley Nursing Home in Foley, Alabama, where they were waiting for us - over 100 residents plus most of their families there too. We had a wonderful time in the Lord till almost 3 pm. We gave away all of our CDs there at the nursing home. I am right now - at 1:30 am Monday morning - trying to make more before Wednesday and Thursday night services this week, and some for our trip to Scotland.

Poor Em is out like a light, trying to get a couple of hours sleep before he takes off at 4 am to get to Biloxi for his ride to Hattiesburg to work all this week - he will be commuting there for his job. Praise the Lord - he will be off Friday, so we can do our last-minute packing before we take off for Scotland. We need a financial miracle before Friday. God always waits until we are at the Red Sea, so we are standing like a tree planted by the water with our faith and hope and trust in the Lord!

Wednesday, October 23

We have finally finished our fifth CD, entitled "Favorites." Audio Mark Studios is cleaning it up. Hopefully, when we get back from Scotland we can begin duplicating CDs, to have on hand to sell at our upcoming events. If you would like to order one, let us know.

Tuesday, October 22

Wednesday, October 9: We left very early in the day, and stopped in Brookhaven, Mississippi to pick up a product called Pure Joy, manufactured by Joy Williams at her home. It is a suite of items for the bath. The main product is a body message scrub. We are just in awe, when we have a chance to use it, how wonderful it is. Joy Williams is a dedicated Christian who wants to help people commissioned by God to go. We left Brookhaven in the late afternoon, on our way to the twice-a-year flea market in Canton, Mississippi. It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived. It took a while for us to find the place where we had to set up the tent and arrange the display for the flea market the next day. We worked on the display until almost 11 pm, in the rain and mud, trying to make things look nice.

We caught a little sleep and got back at 4:30 am. The flea market opens at 5 am, and people were there that early, in raincoats and carrying flashlights. It was crazy. No one could see in front of their faces until after 6 am but the diehards were there. We did not have lights in our tent so Em just sang to people until the sun came up. We didn't do as well as Joy expected we would do, and we were very disappointed, because Joy had planned to help us out with our trip to Scotland. Things looked pretty grim that day. We are so happy to know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior Who supplies all of our needs. We could have gone into depression without the Lord on our side. We rejoiced and kept going. We had everything packed in the car by 6:30 pm. We back to Brookhaven to drop off the tent, product and display, pick up our music equipment, and then continued to Vicksburg to spend the night.

The next day - Friday - we got up about 9 am, and took our time getting ready to leave for our next destination - South Carolina. The event was the Berry family reunion - a friend of Emmett's from work, who invited us to come and minister to his family. We thought it was only 6 hours from Vicksburg, but we didn't arrive in South Carolina until 2 am. Our car was beginning to lose air suspension and we had to drive very slow. A few hours of rest, then we were up about 8 am Saturday morning, and on our way to the reunion. We set up and were singing from 10 am to 5 pm. When we got outside to load up the car to go home that evening, our air suspension was no more. The car was down to the ground. The folks from the old Beverly Hillbillies television show would have been proud! We had a car designed to automatically pick up roadkill!

We loaded the car with our music equipment and began to drive home. Wow! Was that an experience. We caught a bunch of rain again through Atlanta. It was not fun driving that big car without shocks. It was like riding a bucking bronco.

About 10 pm, we called our pastor friend Mickey Green in Demopolis, Alabama. We hadn't seen him in a long while, and he invited us over. We arrived in Demopolis about 2 am, and got a room at a hotel to sleep, so that we would not wake Mickey up needlessly when he had a church service that Sunday morning. We passed out until 8 am and went to church. Nick and Linda Manchi were there doing a revival. We needed to be there to be fed. We were so exhausted, but God knew what we needed.

While in the service, we mentioned the trip from South Carolina, and how rough of a ride it had been. A precious couple told us to get the car to the Ford dealership for the next morning - and they would pay to get it fixed! So Mickey and his wife Marie invited us to stay with them. We had a great time of fellowship and a much needed time of rest. Em got the car to the dealership for 9 am, and it was ready to roll at 3 pm. We got back on the road and back home by 10 pm that Monday night. We took our leisure riding back and enjoying our nice new air suspension. What a big God we have.

On Wednesday, October 16, we went to our home church - First Assembly of God in Waveland, Mississippi - and gave our testimony and had potluck dinner. The next day, we were invited to Wolf Creek Baptist Church in Pass Christian, Mississippi, which was having a revival. We sang several songs. We got blessed there.

Friday, October 18, we had been scheduled to play at Lil' Philly's Coffee Shoppe, a Christian coffeehouse on the West Bank of New Orleans. But Lil' Philly's had closed temporarily to move to a new location, so instead we enjoyed our great-nephews and grandchildren. Sure do miss that bunch when we are gone so long.

On Saturday, October 19, we were at Ames Boulevard Baptist Church in Marrero, Louisiana, at their annual Gospel Fest, from 10 am until 5:30 pm. Along with other artists we sang at different times during the day. The feast had arts and crafts booths. It was a beautiful day - sunny and cool - a perfect day for an outdoor event. We made it home to minister in song at our home church Sunday morning. We love getting time to go home to see our church family. They pray so hard for us when we are gone.

It would be nice to get financial support from God's people who read about our next trip, to Scotland in November. Not sure what or how to say we are need of support and prayers. We may be going with nothing in our pockets for this trip. We know that we know that we have to go. (Editor's note: Go to the support page for information on making a donation to Emmett and Wanda's ministry...to the audio page for information on ordering CDs and cassettes.)

Monday, October 7

More on the side trip to Scotland, part of our forthcoming trip to Amsterdam: We will be staying in a castle called Overtoun House. At their Web site you can see their history, vision, and more about what God is doing there. We will minister to abused women and children there. One entire floor of the castle is used for housing abused women and children. While we are there, perhaps Em might swing a hammer and use some of his other tools. God is so cool. We have never been to Europe. This will be a special a time for us because it is a first for both of us. We have never had a honeymoon. We thank God for this special time in Scotland.

Sunday, October 6

We had a great weekend in Millbrook, Alabama. We completed the part of the building that we were assigned to do - part of the work on the second floor. Some of the flooring is now in place, and so are the 2-by-4s, the 2-by-6s, the plywood, the metal studs, and the windows. We had an awesome time at the two Sunday morning services. God moved throughout the entire time we were there. What an awesome God we have! We didn't get away until after 4 pm. Then, as we were going home, we got a call from Mobile. A friend of ours was getting ready to serve dinner and wanted to know if we were in the area to come over and eat. Well we happened to be...so we stopped and had dinner and visited until after 10 pm. So we are very tired again! Em has to be at work Monday morning at 6 soooo he doesn't have much time.

Friday, October 4

We are in Millbrook, Alabama, ministering and helping to build their new church, Grace Community Church. Everyone is so precious. We didn't have to sleep on mattresses; Kathy Parker, a lady in the church, brought us home to her house to sleep in a bed. The people sure are feeding us great! We are really having a great time!

Meanwhile, we learned that while we are in Amsterdam next month, we will also go on a mission side trip to a castle in Scotland. Wow! We don't know what else is going to happen to us! God is so good! There is a revival going on in Scotland - we hope we're near enough to go while we're there.

Tuesday, October 1

From Thursday through Sunday, October 3-6, we will be in Millbrook, Alabama, volunteering to help build the Grace Community Church there.

The pastor of this church, Chuck Hood, has made numerous trips with groups to Guatemala and other locations. He will be reuniting with several other contractors and church groups in an "old fashioned barn-raising."

Our job will be to erect the stud walls, place the joist and the deck over for the second floor. We'll work Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Sunday, we'll attend a celebration service and finish with a meal after church.

We will sleep on mattresses within the metal building skeleton. So indeed we will be roughing it. Our meals will be provided by the church congregation, as will be housing (such as it is). Showers will be taken at church members' homes, and the facilities on site will be a basic port-o-let.

We are donating our time, heart and energy. We will be united with some other builders who have worked with us in Honduras.

Please pray for us!




News page . News archive index . Home page