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“Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin,
You won’t come out the way you went in.”

Despite it’s unfortunate reputation, God is still doing a work in Lynn, Massachusetts.
Located just north of Boston in a very urban setting, New Hope Baptist Church continues to preach the gospel and evangelize this spiritually needy community. We had the opportunity to spend the entire day with this remarkably warm and friendly congregation. I had the privilege of preaching both services, and Nikki sung a couple a specials. Praise God for the lady who received the Lord in the morning service! Due to the large Cambodia population in the area, there was a great deal of interest in our mission. Several Cambodia Christians in the church also spent some time sharing their testimonies with us and encouraging us as we prepare to go to their home country. We pray that many of the inhabitants of Lynn will indeed be changed by the ministry of New Hope Baptist Church.

We had a “minor” difficulty with our car this past weekend – an electrical one that caused all our turn signals to go out. Needless to say, it was extremely interesting driving through the busy cities of the North Shore of Boston with no turn signals. We found that my arm signals were not particularly well received, and will never take turn signals for granted again! By God’s grace, that problem is now cared for, and we praise Him for the gifts of His people that paid for the repair.

A special treat this summer has been catching up with much of my extended family here in the Northeast. We are currently in Bangor, Maine with one more stop in New England before traveling south of the Mason-Dixon line. Thanks everyone who is praying, supporting and encouraging us!

Just letting everybody know – we’re still here! We have had a great few weeks here in Massachusetts visiting with my family as well as meeting some wonderful churches. Mountain View Baptist Church in Holyoke, MA especially was a blessing to us. While there, we met a Cambodia lady and her family. She had actually survived the Khmer Rouge and escaped to America back in the 1970s. Now she and her family plan to return to Cambodia to work at an orphanage. This was our first time to meet a Cambodian in the US, and we greatly enjoyed getting to know her, her husband, and the friendly folks of the church.

Another blessing has been being involved in Cornerstone Baptist Church. This church, is located in Pittsfield, where we have been staying for the past few weeks. They met for many years in an old grange hall. Just a few years ago, the grange recognized the faithfulness of this church by giving them the building. Much work has gone into renovation. The building now looks like a church, with fresh paint, a steeple, and a redone interior. I was privileged to help Pastor Neiner in the ongoing work of remodeling the kitchen, the last leg of the project.

We still have a couple of weeks to enjoy the New England summer before heading back south. Thanks everyone for your encouragement, prayers, and support!

Another busy week behind us – last week was Family Fellowship Week for our mission agency, World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions. Thanks to the hospitality and graciousness of Valley Baptist Church, we spent this week in beautiful Edinburg, VA. Preaching and teaching were given by the experienced pastors that make up the board, as well as by several veteran missionaries. We were excited to finally meet many of the others who are involved in this mission for the first time, and God blessed us greatly.

On another note, we have just completed three months of full-time deputation, and by God’s grace, He has given us over 30% of our needed support already! Thanks to all of you who are aiding us with your financial support and, most importantly, your prayers. They are certainly being heard.

My family was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC in the early ’90s, and we joined a recent church plant called Northview Baptist Church. We met in a storefront at a shopping mall in those early days, and I can still remember hearing the Tae-kwon-do class in the space next to us during the Wednesday night services. All of us were greatly blessed by the ministry there – I was baptized there when I was 8 years old. We moved away in 1995, and in the years since then God has continued to bless the church and has given them their own building. It was so exciting to return last Wednesday and reunite with Pastor Grimes and other friends whom I had not seen for 15+ years.

Last Sunday, Pastor Prather and the people of Harbor Baptist Church in Hampton, VA, gave us a warm welcome. We were able to present our ministry as well as give a challenge from the Scriptures. Nikki has family who were members there when they were stationed at Langley AFB, so it was enjoyable to spend some time in this church.

Another highlight this week was a pastor’s fellowship in Fredericksburg, VA. This group of pastors meet together for fellowship but also to join their resources for the purpose of church-planting. What a wonderful emphasis! It was a blessing to see pastors not in competition, but in cooperation for the sake of the Gospel. While there, we saw our friends Michael and Krystal Goosman, who have been called as missionaries to Scotland. They will be starting on the deputation path soon as well. It’s exciting to see God’s hand in the lives of those around us!

To the Jews of the Old Testament, the Jubilee was to be a time of great joy and rejoicing. We found that still to be the case at the Central Georgia Jubilee last week. This meeting is hosted by Pastor Danny Mundy and the Calvary Baptist Church of Gray, GA, but preachers and church members came from all around the region to share in the festivities. Plenty of good old-fashioned preachin’ and singin’ (or should I say sangin’…) characterized the meeting, and the Lord’s Spirit was at work. We were greatly blessed to be a part, and also to have the chance to minister through song and preaching.

On this trip, my sisters Elizabeth and Abigail accompanied us. This was their first experience of Georgia, so we got to introduce them to some local traditions like The Varsity and the Atlanta Braves, as well as to the camp-meeting spirit. All in all, this has been a time of Jubilee!

For many, this abbreviation means nothing; but for others, it evokes memories of sea breezes, sand dunes, and long beaches. The Outer Banks of North Carolina, affectionately known as “OBX”, are a series of islands on the Atlantic coast familiar to many Easterners as a resort area. In this unique area, Pastor Tony Facenda and the friendly people of Still Waters Baptist Church are faithfully standing for the truth. During their missions conference this past week, we had the chance to experience some of the distinctive features of the Outer Banks: beautiful views, history, and fresh seafood. Most special, however, were the wonderful services and the chance to be challenged afresh to the burden of world evangelism. Much time was devoted by the members of the church to learning about us and the other missionary families there, and they truly went above and beyond to take care of us. We now have a one more great reason to visit the Outer Banks!

“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” Psalm 126:3

Central Baptist Church in Yorktown, VA, has a long and rich heritage. In the past, this church was used of the Lord to start many other churches and have a great impact on their area. This past week, we were able to be a part of their first Faith Promise Missions Conference in many years. Pastor John Charles has a remarkable heart for missions, and has communicated that love to the faithful members there at Central. We were challenged all week by powerful preaching by Brother JohnO’Malley, and then on Sunday the much prayed-for Faith Promise commitments were taken. Praise God, this church topped their goal and will be increasing their missions giving by about 300%! Time spent with members of this and neighboring churches on the Virginia Peninsula encouraged and strengthened our hearts. We had the privilege of meeting a dear lady who served on the mission field of Japan for over 50 years. We are so thankful for the faithfulness of God’s people.

Many of you know that Nikki and I spent some time working at Chick-fil-A. In her role as the marketing director, Nikki had the chance to interact with many folks in the community. One family in particular took a great interest when they learned that God had called us to Cambodia. Little Jordan decided that she wanted to do what she could to help the children in Cambodia, and led the effort last week to raise some funds for the mission work over there. Thank God for the faith of a child!

In addition to all this, many dear friends have taken the time to learn about our calling, to encourage us, to help us, and to pray with us. Surely, God is in the business of doing great things.

 

Smithfield, Virginia is best known for it’s delicious country hams.This past week, however, we enjoyed the gracious hospitality and fervent heart for Christ at the Calvary Baptist Church. Pastor Gray and the congregation helped us to enjoy every moment we spent in this historic town. The highlight of our stay, though, was the opportunity of seeing this church pray and give towards their faith promise goal. In the end, they exceeded their goal by almost 20%! We were privileged to be able to share in this special time, and to make friends with so many loving Christian families. Many of the members devoted much time and effort to making sure we were well kept. Churches like this truly make this ministry a joy.