After A Stop in Larned, Great Weekend in Great Bend

Pastor Plato Shepherd

We attended the missions conference at Larned Independent Baptist Church with Pastor Plato Shepherd on Thursday and Friday night. We had a great time giving testimony on Thursday night and showing our video Friday night. Friday nights service really had a good group with the auditorium being full. Pastor Shepherd is a veteran church planter who has started five churches. He started this church in 2015. He has a real pastors heart for small towns in Kansas. They are difficult fields and take time and patience to establish churches in these areas. 

On Saturday we stopped by Riverside Baptist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas and went door knocking with Pastor Richard Haley. I was able to lead one lady to Christ as we were out pounding doors and giving out Gospel tracts. We then moved on to Great Bend, Kansas.

Pastor Ken Gray

We spent Sunday with Pastor Ken Gray and the Heritage Baptist Church in Great Bend, Kansas. Pastor Gray started this church in 2004. I was able to present our  ministry in the morning service and and I preached. They had a great crowd for both Sunday school and the morning service. There was a couple that got saved after the morning service, After lunch we went soul winning for a couple of hours in the afternoon before the evening service.

Gilbert and Julia

I then preached the evening service and God really blessed. The service was almost as full as in was in the morning! By the time the morning started Pastor Gray had one person lined up to get baptized after the evening service. Then by the time the day ended they baptized seven people. Praise God!

I was able to lead five people to Christ and see four of them make a public profession of faith with two following the Lord is believer's baptism. (Gilbert and Julia) Then my wife was able to lead Lacy to Christ and she followed the Lord in believer's baptism too. They have a leak in their baptistry so they go to a lake close to town to baptize. (That is why they do it after the evening service.) 

Lacy after getting baptized!

The excitement level was very high among the church after this baptismal service. In fact five were baptized at the lake and then a storm came up so they baptized the final two at the swimming pool at our hotel. The church was super excited. We were excited as well and especially when the pastor conducted an impromptu business meeting and voted to take us on for support starting in September! Praise the Lord on an absolutely great day in Great Bend, Kansas!

Gilbert getting baptized at lake!

Julia getting baptized at lake!

From Harrisonville, MO to Wichita, KS ~ Staying on the go!

Pastor Kaighen

We spent the weekend in Harrisonville, MO at Grace Baptist Church with Pastor Charles Kaighen. They had just completed Vacation Bible School right before we got there. They had a successful VBS averaging about 165 kids each day. We went out soul winning with them on Saturday morning. My wife went door knocking with my daughters and they were able to see one man trust Christ who just newly moved into the area a few blocks from the church building. I went out on one of the bus routes with the pastor and I also was able to see someone trust Christ as their Saviour in one of the apartment buildings we visited.

Pastor Kaighen working with kids before S.S.

On Sunday we saw Pastor Kaighen do an incredible job with some of the kids before Sunday school starts. He definitely has a real knack for working with children. Then I taught the adult Sunday school class and preached the Junior Church during the morning service. After the morning service Pastor Kaighen baptized two kids that had trusted Christ during their VBS. It was a blessing! Then I presented our mission in the evening service and I preached the message that night. It was a blessing being with the folks and fellowshiping with them at the Mexican Fiesta after the evening service.

Pastor Kaighen Baptizing

Then Wednesday night we were with Temple Baptist Church in Wichita, Kansas. Pastor Con Howerton is the pastor there, but he had to be out of town. We were pleased to have his Assistant Pastor David Prince hosting us. We were able to present the ministry and participate in a question and answer session with the church. They asked some really good questions. Brother Prince preached a wonderful evening message. Then afterwards we spent a long time answering many questions about Thailand with some of the people. They are a warm and friendly church that seem to really love missions! It was a blessing to be with them. Pray for us as we travel to Larned, Kansas for a missions conference today.

Brother David Prince

  

From Union, MO to Pittsfield, IL to Rochester, MN

Pastor Phil Hudson

We started out the weekend going soul winning on Saturday in Union, MO with Union Baptist Temple. Pastor Phil Hudson has been the pastor there for 27 years. Faithfulness is a wonderful thing! I was able to lead a man named Ryan to Christ while we were out door knocking in some very serious heat! Then on Sunday I was able to teach the adult Sunday school class and present our ministry during the morning service. We also had with us Paw Ku Moo from our home church. Paw Ku Moo was born in Thailand and was saved and baptized in our church in Lincoln. She is a very good friend of our daughters.

Paw Ku Moo and my daughters in Karen dress

Then we travelled to Pittsfield, Illinois to be with Pastor Gary Dice and Grace Baptist Church for the evening service. Pastor Dice has been very sick, but he was in attendance Sunday night and in great spirits. The girls sang a special and I present the ministry. Then we enjoyed the preaching of Evangelist Craig Bryan. God blessed and we had a great service.

Pastor Gary Dice

Then on Wednesday we were in Rochester, Minnesota at Midwest Bible Baptist Church. Pastor Caleb Hanson has been there for five years and is doing a fantastic job. We really enjoyed fellowshipping with him and his people. I was able to present the ministry in the evening service and his people got excited. I was excited to see such good attendance on a Wednesday night. It was really full! God has been good. Pray for us as we travel. We are back in Lincoln and getting ready to go to the Thursday night soul winning. Then we will be heading to Missouri for the weekend!

Pastor Caleb Hanson