I am (along with Joseph & Nathan) at the Bible Baptist Church in New Bloomfield, PA for their Missions Conference Wednesday through Sunday. We left Rock Hill, SC last Friday (4/16) toward one of our supporting churches in Penndel, PA. On the way, we stopped and spent the night at another one of our supporting churches in Clinton, MD. On Saturday we arrived at the Grace Independent Baptist Church in Penndel, PA, where we again met Pr. Danny Vanhoose. We had not seen him since our last furlough in 2003. We chatted with him for a while before setting up our display and preparing the DVD player and projector for Sunday’s service. We then went to our hotel for the night. The next morning we had a good time in Sunday School and church there, giving a report of our ministry and preaching. After the service, the pastor took us out to the Old Country Buffet before we left to go to another church for the evening service.
We arrived at the Liberty Baptist Church in Ephrata, PA around 5:15pm, met the pastor, and he showed us to the prophet’s chamber. On the way, I saw their map of the world and the missionaries they support. I was surprised to see a prayer card of our colleagues, Garry and Pam Tyler. When I made a connection with the Tylers, the pastor asked me to preach, besides setting up our display and showing our DVD. We had another good service, and the people there were very gracious.
As I mentioned at the beginning, we are at the Bible Baptist Church in New Bloomfield, PA for their Missions Conference Wednesday through Sunday. We arrived on Monday since New Bloomfield and Ephrata are only about an hour and a half apart. On Monday afternoon we were taught and allowed to ride a four-wheeler for the first time. On Tuesday we were taken to a shooting range for a little target practice. 
We have enjoyed our time here as the folks here are so generous to us every time we are here. Pray for me as I will be preaching tonight (Thursday, 4/22), showing our DVD on Friday, and then preaching again on Sunday in the morning service. We will be leaving and returning to Rock Hill on Monday, April 26.
Becky’s down to 15 days before the baby is due. Pray for her as the pregnancy winds down, and that all would go well during her C-section, scheduled for May 7. Thanks for your prayers. God bless!
Missions Conference at Southside Baptist Church
The annual Faith Promise Missions Conference got underway yesterday (March 3, 2010) at our home church, the Southside Baptist Church, located at 1229 South Anderson Road in Rock Hill, SC. The conference speaker is Dr. Dick Webster, pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Lewisville, TX. Bob and Deb Thompson are here with Bibles International, as well as Amos and Jennifer Moses who are missionaries to India. We are honored to be able to participate this year while we are back in the States for our furlough. We heard a good message last night from God’s Word in the English service, and I heard that Bro. Moses did a good job as well in the Spanish service. We look forward to seeing what God will do through our home church in the area of missions for the upcoming year. If you are in the area, please stop in for one of the services. There are services for both English and Spanish speaking people tonight and Friday night at 7:00 p.m. There will be a church-wide breakfast on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. in the Family Life Center, then our Missions Banquet on Saturday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. Sunday services will be at the regularly scheduled times (9:45 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.). Hope to see you in church this week!
The Home-Going of a Precious Lady
Before I say anything about my grandmother-in-law, I would first like to begin by talking about her Savior, because I believe that she would want me to do that. We have a PRECIOUS Savior! I would like for you to think with me about the words to the following song.
HE IS SO PRECIOUS TO ME
Words & Music by Charles H. Gabriel
So precious is Jesus, my Savior, my King;
His praise all the day long with rapture I sing.
To Him in my weakness for strength I can cling,
For He is so precious to me.
Refrain:
For He is so precious, so precious to me;
For He is so precious, so precious to me.
’Tis heaven below, my Redeemer to know,
For He is so precious to me.
He stood at my heart’s door ’mid sunshine and rain,
And patiently waited an entrance to gain.
What shame that so long He entreated in vain,
For He is so precious to me.
Refrain
I stand on the mountain of blessing at last,
No cloud in the heavens a shadow to cast,
His smile is upon me; the valley is past,
For He is so precious to me.
Refrain
I praise Him because He appointed a place
Where some day, through faith in His wonderful grace,
I know I shall see Him, shall look on His face,
For He is so precious to me.
Refrain
Here is another song that tells of the PRECIOUS name of Jesus.
PRECIOUS NAME
Words and Music by Lydia O. Baxter, 1870
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.
Refrain:
Precious Name, oh, how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n;
Precious Name, oh, how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Refrain
Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.
Refrain
Oh, the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!
Refrain
At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heav’n we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.
I love those two songs that remind us that Jesus is PRECIOUS! His name is precious. The Bible tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ is precious. (1 Peter 1:19 – But with the precious blood of Christ…)
The Bible also tells us in 1 Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.” Those of us that believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, He IS precious to us. Jesus was precious to “Grandma.”
But now I want to change my focus a little to something else in the Scriptures that is said to be “precious”. The Bible says in Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
It’s interesting to note that the same word is used of Jesus, His blood, and the death of His saints. We can understand that Jesus and His blood are precious, even essential, to our salvation, but how is the death of a Christian precious in the sight of the LORD?
Let me try to explain it by using a simple illustration from the airport. We have been to airports and many times have seen it when one person is about to enter the line that reads “EMBARKING”. There is a circle of friends and loved ones around the person that will soon be departing. They are hugging, crying, and kissing the soon departing loved one. It is truly a sad time as they say their goodbyes.
However, at another location, perhaps half-way around the world is someone else anxiously awaiting the arrival of the aforementioned person getting ready to embark on his trip to a new and different place. The people in this place are excited about the arrival of the traveler. Everything has been prepared. They can’t wait for the long-awaited loved one to arrive as they count down the days, then the hours, and then the minutes. This excited waiting party is at the airport early with flowers in hand, checking the flight status on the computer monitor in the terminal. They eagerly watch out through the window, wondering if THAT’S the plane he is on, wanting to see when the plane lands, and then whispering a prayer of gratitude when the plane has safely landed. Then, as excited children on Christmas morning, the arrival party practically runs to the “DISEMBARKING” area to be the first to get a glimpse of the one arriving.
But wait: the traveler left a group of sobbing loved ones just a short time ago. It was a tough trip, both emotionally and physically. Now he is anxious to see the arrival party at the airport. It was a long, tiring journey, and the traveler is ready for the journey to end, and to finally get home.
As our weary traveler nears the end of his journey, he sees HIM. The ONE who loves the traveler with an everlasting love. The One who gave His life for the traveler. The One who had prepared a place for the traveler. Everything is ready for the traveler to arrive. As the eyes of the weary traveler makes visual contact with the One waiting, he sees Him running toward him with tears of joy streaming down His face. As the two embrace, the tired traveler hears, “Welcome Home, My child.” The journey has ended.
As we return to think of the departure of our dear mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, and great grandmother, we can rest assured that her arrival on the other Shore was a grand reunion with her Savior. As we on THIS side weep over the departure of our beloved one, there was joy on the OTHER side upon her arrival. The LORD was there to take her in His loving arms, and not only did He say to her, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” but He also said, “Welcome Home, My precious child.”
The Home-going of a precious saint of God is precious in the sight of the LORD. And since it is precious in the eyes of God, it should be precious to us as well.
“Grandma, you will be missed, but we know that you are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, and surely it must be precious!”
That is how the death of a Christian is precious in the sight of the LORD.
Now THAT is PRECIOUS!
December 2009 News Letter
December 28, 2009
Dear Praying Friends,
We greet you in the precious name of our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Not only that, but we greet you from our home church, the Southside Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Yes, we are back in the United States for our furlough. After five and a half years we have made it back to the States for a much needed furlough. On Sunday night, December 6, we had our farewell service. It was encouraging to see a good number of people there to send us off. There were people there that we have led to the Lord since the church was started, people whom we have discipled, baptized, and are now faithful church members to this day. We also had people there that we have worked with over the years, but have not yet trusted the Lord as their personal Savior. While we rejoice to see what God has done in Osasco, we still know that the work is not done, and it was tough to leave the people with whom we have worked and grown to love. There was a going-away party for us after the service, and many tears were shed as we said our good-byes. We left Brazil on Tuesday night, December 8, arriving on Wednesday the 9th.
Web Woes
Technology is a wonderful thing… Until something goes wrong! We won’t even act like we are going to explain what the problem was, what caused or how it got taken care of. All we know is that our website was down and now it is back. We are grateful for this medium to keep in touch with those of you who pray for us. Please pray as we continue to rebuild the site. Thanks.
July 2009 Prayer Letter
Dear co-laborers in the ministry,
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Prov. 3:5
We praise the Lord that He is trustworthy and omniscient, and we don’t have to depend upon our own weak, finite understanding. God’s ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best, no matter how, or when, or where they may lead.
We had our annual Faith Promise Missions Conference in April, and we praise God that we were able to increase the support of the five missionary families we now support.
As you may remember, we had Vacation Bible School in January when we had our first deaf person come to church from the neighborhood. As a result, we began our deaf ministry. On Sunday morning, April 26, Becky had the joy of leading Cristiane, a deaf lady, to the Lord. Becky has begun to disciple her, and it is so refreshing to see her desire to learn and grow spiritually. Read more
Osasco Update
God is good!
We had 6 deaf in church this past Sunday (05/17/09) – two from the deaf church in SP that came to help and four others!
We had Renata back again, but this time her (common law) “husband” brought her who is also deaf whose name is André. Becky scheduled a visit with Renata for this Saturday at 3pm. André and Renata have a hearing boy named Luis Eduardo who is nine years old.
Giovana (ten years old) came again also, but arrived late.
Becky and I made a visit with Cristiane on Friday, the deaf lady that was saved a few weeks ago. She showed us her Bible where she had copied Renata’s spiritual birth certificate that David made for Renata. We found out that Cristiane’s mother became pregnant with her when she was only 17 years old, and tried to abort Cristiane, but instead of coming out dead, she came out deaf. Now, 30 years later, a girl that should have died by abortion was born again on April 26, 2009. Becky will start a Bible study (discipleship) with her beginning this coming Friday. Cristiane is married to a hearing man named William, and they have an 11-year-old daughter named Amanda.
Edson and Sonia came also from the Igreja Batista da Bíblia in São Paulo (IBB-SP). We actually had more in the morning (40) than we did tonight (36). Read more