From Mocksville, NC to Baytown, TX

Dr. Darrell Cox

This past week has been a whirlwind as we finished the conference in Greensboro and traveled to West Park Baptist Church in Rockwell, North Carolina to stay in their prophets chamber. A special thanks to Pastor Sechrist for allowing us to stay. Wednesday evening we had a scheduled meeting with Trinity Baptist Church in Mocksville, North Carolina. This church has been led by Dr. Darrell Cox for 35 years. They are in a very small town and have a tremendous attendance and a tremendous bus ministry. 

Presenting our mission

Pastor Cox introduced me and told the folks in the church that he remembered meeting me when I was in Bible college. I was able to give testimony and show our video. Pastor Cox seemed stirred and very excited about our presentation. He led the church to vote to take us on right away. This was a tremendous blessing to us to be able to gain a new partnership. Then Pastor Cox taught the Bible study that night which was a blessing to us as well. After the service we had nearly every person present come by our table and take a prayer card. We sure do appreciate the friendly folks at Trinity Baptist Church. The entire meeting was a great blessing to us.

Dr. Cox preaching

The next day we had to begin to journey to Baytown, Texas to be there by Friday evening. It was a long journey but we arrived by late afternoon and got ready for the evening service at Iglesia Bautista Victoria. This church I have been to before and preached at and spent time going soul winning for them. So our family was no strangers to these folks. This church was started 11 years ago by Pastor Isaias Rodriguez and is absolutely a miracle church.  Their attendance is incredible and they have truly been blessed with their property.

Pastor Rodriguez

The conference was kicked off with some special music from their church folks and then they had a singing group from Pastor Orellana's church in Tenaha, Texas come up and sing both Friday night and Saturday afternoon. All of the singing groups did a fantastic job of blessing the soul with the special music!

Men's group from Iglesia Bautista Victoria

On Saturday morning we went out soul winning with some of the folks from the church. My partner was Brother Martin Rodriguez with whom I have gone soul winning with in the past. While we were out I got to meet a man named Frank who had just moved from El Paso, Texas. In fact he had a U-haul truck in the parking lot full of his stuff.  While I talked with Frank I asked him about his eternity. He said he didn't know if he would go to Heaven but he desired to know about it if he could. So took my New Testament and began to share with him the Gospel. After I was done Frank said he wanted to pray and he bowed his head and asked Christ to be his Saviour. Praise the Lord. Frank said he really needed this... he was going to be busy moving, so he is going to come to church the following week.

Frank holding up the Gospel tract

On Saturday afternoon the service started at 3:30 PM. There was a lot more good singing including a group of young ladies dressed up as people from all over the world. They did a great job!

International ladies singing

At this service I presented our mission to the church. Pastor Rodriguez translated for me. The folks seemed to enjoy our video. I was the second missionary to present at this service. I enjoy the multiple presentations because the people really begin to get stirred in their hearts as they see the presentations.

Presenting the need

Then Missionary Ruben Murillo preached the message to close out the service. He is the guest speaker for the conference and he preached a fantastic message that afternoon from Genesis 24 called "Lower Your Pitcher." He used the illustration of Rebekah at the well relating it to what it takes to be successful in missions giving. Brother Murillo has been a missionary on the field for 42 years. That's incredible!

Missionary Murillo

After the service there was a very festive international dinner put on by the church people. It was a blessing and everyone seemed to really enjoy it all. The food was fantastic!

International Dinner

On Sunday morning I taught the junior high boys class while my wife taught the high school girls class. I had a great time teaching for Brother Jonathan who has been faithful for three years as the teacher of this class. 

My wife also had a visitor come Sunday morning that she met out soul winning on Saturday. His name is Felix and my wife talked to him while he was doing his laundry on Saturday in the apartment complex. He is previously saved but has been out of church for a few years. He really enjoyed the church and came back Sunday night. He even filled out a Faith Promise commitment card! 

Felix at church

Then on Sunday afternoon at the hotel my wife was getting a cup of coffee in the lobby when she struck up a conversation with the hotel clerk named Milton. Milton has only lived in Baytown about a month. My wife asked him about his eternity to which he said he didn't know he would go to Heaven. My wife then presented the Gospel to Milton with her New Testament and Milton bowed his head and trusted Christ as his Saviour. Thank you for a God that still saves sinners!

Milton

Sunday evening was a powerful service that lasted about 3 1/2 hours. It concluded with a ordination service for one of the missionaries that is being sent out from this church. I was asked to serve on the ordination council for Missionary Alvarez who is leaving next week for Mexico. I have gone out bus calling and soul winning with Brother Alvarez before. He is a good faithful man in this church! May God use him mightily on the field.

Praying for Brother Alvarez

I remember what a special time an ordination can be as I was ordained on July 4, 2001. God truly blessed this missions conference as it was capped off by the church raising their Faith Promise giving enough to take on all four missionaries for support. We thank the Iglesia Bautista Victoria for becoming a new partner with us. I will be heading to Shreveport next and will be sending out my monthly letter in the next day or two as my schedule has kept me from getting it completed on time. Please pray for safe travels.

Pastor and missionaries