Seeing Old and New Friends in Texas

Pastor Louis Horton and Dr. Bob Ross

We went to Decatur, Texas to Immanual Baptist Church this last Wednesday night. This church is led by Pastor Louis Horton who has been in this church since 1975, and has been the pastor since 2003. Pastor Horton really had the crowds coming out for the Wednesday evening service. My wife and I saw several old friends there starting with Dr. Bob Ross who drove over to hear me present and preach. I was truly honored by this and glad to see Dr. Ross as he has become a very good friend of mine. Also, a young lady by the name of Libby came and spoke to my wife, she just recently moved out here from Madison Baptist Church in Madison, Alabama to attend a linguistics school in the area. We originally met her when we ate dinner with her and her parents while we were at the missions conference there. It was a blessing for my wife to see and talk to her. I was able to present our video and preach the evening message and the folks seemed stirred as several came forward at the invitation time. God is blessing this church and Pastor Horton is doing a great job!

During the week we went to go see Jerrse in Haltom City who we met back in July in Kent, Washington. He and his wife were staying in the room across the hallway from us in the hotel we were staying at back in July. I gave them a tract, but didn't have time to sit down and present the Gospel to them. They are from Thailand, in fact his wife is still currently living in Chiang Mai, and was just here for a visit. When we went to the address in Haltom City that he gave us, his wife was not there, but was visiting someone else. However, we were able to present the Gospel to him. After I finished, he actually gave me a good testimony of salvation. Praise the Lord that he has already trusted Christ as his Saviour. We are hoping to send some missionaries in Thailand by to see his wife when she returns in October so they can witness to her and make sure that she is saved.

Pastor Mansfield singing (behind pulpit)

On Sunday we were with Victory Baptist Church in Commerce, Texas. This church was started in 2016 by Pastor James Mansfield. On Saturday evening there was a men's activity at the pastor's house. There were about nine men that came out for it, which I thought was a pretty good attendance. On Sunday, I taught the adult Sunday school class, it was a blessing. In the morning service I preached, I presented our ministry and then preached the morning service. There was a good crowd of folks filling up the auditorium. It is obvious that God is blessing this new church.

Preaching Sunday morning

Sunday afternoon we headed to the Paradise, Texas area for a meeting at First Baptist Church of Cottondale. This church has been led by Pastor Charles Pugh since 1997. The pastor is doing a fantastic job as they had a good group of people show up clear out in the middle of nowhere. This is a out in the country church! They are currently in the process of remodeling their church auditorium. It is going to be beautiful when they finish it up in the next few weeks.

Pastor Charles Pugh

While there we had a chance to visit with Brother Phil Erickson Junior who is the assistant pastor at this church. His dad was a very good friend of mine from all the way back to my bible college days. In fact I was with Pastor Phil Erickson Senior at Jersey Shore Baptist Church back in 2018, at that time Brother Erickson Junior was there in New Jersey with his dad. It was a blessing to see him and his family again as he has just been working here about three months.

Brother Phil Erickson Junior

During the service time Brother Erickson Junior and his family sang the special. Then I presented the ministry to the folks and preached the evening message. Many seemed to enjoy the message and we had several come and speak to us about Thailand and the great need there. Please pray for them as they finish up their remodel and their church continues to go forward reaching this area for Christ. Also, pray for us as we will be having several meetings in Nevada.

Brother Erickson Junior and family

Back in the Lone Star State Again

Pastor John Yow

Our first stop in Texas was at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Pastor Yow has been here a little over a year and the church is a newer church plant still meeting in a hotel room. However, they are praying about a particular building in the town to purchase and he and I spent some time early Saturday morning praying over that building. 

Debbie and I out door knocking

About mid morning we went out and pounded doors for almost two hours in the good ol' Texas heat. I started out with my daughter Debbie and then later Pastor Yow and I went to together. We spoke to a lot of people and knocked a lot of doors. We found a few interested in coming, but no solid commitments for the next day.

Lydia at church on Sunday

Later that afternoon while out visiting with Pastor Yow I was able to meet Lydia who is a neighbor of some of Pastor Yow's church members. Lydia wasn't currently attending church anywhere and did not have a clear testimony of salvation. So I was able to go over God's plan of salvation with her and she decided to bow her head and ask Christ to save her soul! Lydia committed to come to church the next day, which she followed through on. She also came forward and made a public profession of faith in Christ. Pastor Yow announced that he would be visiting with Lydia about baptism the following week. Please pray for her to continue to come and grow in God's grace! 

Preaching at Gospel Light Baptist Church

On Sunday, I preached the morning service and hearts seemed stirred as some came forward at the invitation time. There was a luncheon to follow and then an afternoon service at 1:30 PM. I presented our ministry in the afternoon service and preached a message. Many seemed fired up for missions! Please pray for Pastor Yow as he is doing a fantastic job in Mount Pleasant. He has just recently bought a house and he and his wife are completely committed to claiming this town for Christ. 

Brother Andrew McClain

After the service ended around 3 PM, we took off and headed for Irving, Texas for an evening service. I went to Fellowship Baptist Church and was met by Brother Andrew McClain a faithful laymen to Pastor Carl Carlson. He informed me that Pastor Carlson was sick this evening and unable to make it to the service. I was sorry to hear that as Pastor Carlson is a friend I was looking forward to seeing that evening. Pastor Carlson has faithfully led this church for over 18 years. In fact their church supported me for a year when we started Lincoln Baptist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska back in 2002. Brother McClain even remembered me coming and going soul winning with him back in 2001. Wow, how the years go so quickly... it is great to see a faithful man still here faithful serving God all these years in the same church, lifting up the arms of the man of God.

Preaching Sunday night

That evening I gave testimony about Thailand and the work we plan on doing there. I also preached the message that evening. God seemed to move as the crowd was very responsive to my preaching... evidence of a well trained group of believers! At the invitation time the altars filled up and I felt like God had really moved. We enjoyed visiting with many of the folks after the service and even had a couple visit with us about a trip they are planning to take to Thailand next year. Pray for us as we will be continue on in the Lone Star state.   

Having a Great Time in Ohio and Indiana Area

Pastor David Spears

We are back on the trail in the Ohio and Indiana area. Even though we were staying in Richmond, Indiana we were actually with Calvary Baptist Church in West Alexandria, Ohio. This church is lead by Pastor David Spears who has been the pastor here for six years. The church had five people in it when he took the pastorate and they are regular running over 60 now with a high day of around 115 recently. 

In the soul winning van

We started out Saturday morning meeting at the church for soul winning. Several went in cars to different areas, but we loaded into the van with the pastor and a several church ladies and traveled to New Lebanon about 12 minutes from the church. New Lebanon has about 8,000 folks in it and no bible preaching New Testament church there. I was privileged enough to go with Pastor Spears. We knocked for almost two hours but with little success other than the fact that we did our part. Sadly, we met several who knew they weren't saved, but uninterested in getting saved. However, my wife and her partner were able to lead a 13 year old girl to Christ on a different street. Praise the Lord for the one! That is why we go... for the open one who wants Christ as their Saviour!

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On Sunday morning Pastor Spears taught a wonderful Sunday lesson. Then the pastor had me preach the the morning service, many folks told me after words that the message was a blessing to them. Then I presented our mission in the evening service and preached the evening message. The Lord blessed the service and I think many were encouraged for missions. Please pray for this church as they have bought property in a better location in the main part of town and they will be going forward to start building in the near future. (Their current building is really hidden away on a dead in road outside of town.) I am excited to hear what the Lord will do for them once they get out into an easier to see and find location. Pretty good for a church about to close before Pastor Spears came!

Pastor Ryan Marsh

On Monday we traveled to Berne, Indiana to stay in one of the prophets chambers of Faith Baptist Church for Monday night and Tuesday night. Faith Baptist Church is one of our partners and has been a tremendous blessing to us by providing a place for us to stay many times when we in this area. Pastor Marsh told me that they were having a back to school teen revival on Monday and that my girls were welcome to come. My girls went bowling with their teenagers Monday afternoon and we all attended the evening service. The guest speaker was Brother Abdel Judeh, youth pastor from First Baptist Church of Hammond. He preached an excellent message on Jonah that night and many decisions were made by the teens to start living for God more. It was a tremendous blessing to be there and to see Faith Baptist Church again. God is really blessing this church as they are quickly out growing their auditorium.

Brother Abdel Judeh

On Wednesday we traveled to Toledo to present our ministry at Hope Baptist Church. This church was started by Pastor Rick Sowell 40 years ago... what a testimony of faithfulness and dedication that is! We appreciated a chance to meet him and several of his staff people including the pastor elect, Pastor Jonathan Marshall. He has been on staff here for 15 years and will be taking over the church next month as Pastor Sowell is stepping down.

Pastor Sowell and Pastor Marshall

 I was able to give testimony and answer questions from the pulpit about Thailand and the need there. Then a guest speaker from Maryland, Pastor Snow preached a great message out of Daniel. After the service Pastor Marshall had us go to our table and hand out prayer cards. We visited with many people for almost an hour after the service was over. They have a very deep love missions and missionaries! Praise the Lord for their vision for world evangelism! Pray for us as we travel to our next meetings...

Giving Testimony