Wrapping Things Up in the Northwest

Preaching Wednesday Night

On Wednesday night we presented our mission at the Berean Baptist Church in South Hill. This church is led by Pastor Bob Reno. Pastor Reno was at junior camp this Wednesday, but I did get the opportunity to drop in the Sunday night before and meet him and spend some time in fellowship with him. The church has beautiful facilities and a great group of friendly people. I also preached the evening message and hearts seemed stirred at the invitation time. God is truly blessing this missions minded church.

Pastor Joel Byram

Then on Saturday we went to Kent to go soul winning with Open Door Baptist Church. This church was started by Pastor Joel Byram in 1997. They have a very culturally diverse church and are starting churches on mission fields on the other side of the world. What a fantastic vision they have for reaching the world!

My girls and Tira out soul winning

While out door knocking I met a Spanish lady that was loading a bounce house into the back of a vehicle. After talking with her, I discovered that her and her husband have a business renting things for birthday parties out. I invited her to church and began to talk to her about eternity. She said she was not sure if she would go to Heaven or not. I presented the Gospel to her from my New Testament. Her husband came out from behind the house and asked what I was showing, so I explained to him what we were talking about. I then took him through the same plan of salvation and both the husband and the wife bowed their heads and asked Christ to save them. Praise God! This was truly a divine appointment as these folks were just here picking up their equipment. They live almost an hour away. 

Jerrse Wang and Na Ny Sar

On Sunday morning I met a married couple staying across the hall from our hotel room that come from Thailand. Their names were Jerrse Wang and Na Ny Sar, they are Rawang. (That is a people group that comes from Burma.) I gave them a tract and witnessed to them a little bit. The wife didn't speak much English, but the husband spoke great English. (The wife is actually still living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. They are recently married and she has not gotten her visa yet.) They were on a vacation trip out here to see Mt. Rainier and the husband actually lives in Fort Worth, Texas. I got his phone number and will actually be in his area the end of August. I told him I would call him so we could sit down and go over the Scriptures more closely. Please be praying that he will get saved!

Teaching Sunday School

On Sunday morning I gave my testimony in Sunday school and taught a lesson. Then the pastor preached the morning service. Then at the invitation time a lady named Kenya who thought she was saved already came forward to make sure of her salvation. My wife was able to lead her to Christ and give her assurance of salvation. She is getting ready to take a trip out of town, but then wants to be baptized after she returns. Praise the Lord for His conviction on lost sinners.

Kenya after trusting Christ

Sunday night I presented more of our mission and showed another video. Then Pastor Byram preached a great message. We enjoyed visiting with many of the church folks after the service. Please pray for this church as they are doing great things in the way of missions. (Nine of them just returned from Africa.) Also, please pray for us as we will now journey toward Ohio for our next series of meetings. We thank the Lord for the month we spent out here. We already had one church from a meeting out here contact us and tell us that they are going to start partnering with us in August. (Liberty Baptist Church in Tacoma.) That is the third church we picked up this month as we had two others from previous meetings in different parts of the country pick us up. One church was from a meeting over a year ago. Glory!!! We rejoice that we are getting closer to our goal!    

More Great Meetings Just Outside of the Tacoma Area

Pastor Terry Minge

On Wednesday night we went to Bethel Baptist Church in Spanaway, Washington. This church is led by Pastor Terry Minge who is doing a great job. They have beautiful facilities and the people were extremely friendly. This church is very international because of the heavy military influence in the community and the church. 

Preaching the evening message

I was able to give testimony and preach the evening message. Hearts seemed stirred as the invitation began and many people came by our table after the service. It was a blessing to talk missions with the people of the church. Especially since many in the church had been to Thailand at one time in their life through the military, some even having spouses from Thailand.

Bro. Nichols running Saturday meeting

On Saturday we attended the soul winning / bus meeting. It was a blessing to listen to Brother Jerry Faulkner preach the morning message. I had just listened to him the week before at a men's meeting at Liberty Baptist Church in Tacoma. He did another fantastic job stirring hearts before we go out with the gospel!

Dennis after getting saved

My family and I went out with a group of four men door knocking at a residential neighborhood not too far from the church. While going door to door my daughter Debbie and I met Dennis who was working in his garage. I visited with him for several minutes telling him how beautiful his home and yard is, to which he thanked me and told me that he works very hard on it. We got around to discussing his eternity. He told me about a community church in the area that he faithfully attends with his family. (Some of the men from Bethel told me later that it is a Gospel preaching church.) He also told me that he thinks he might go to Heaven, but his reasons all revolved around good works. I asked him if I could show him from the Bible how to go to Heaven. He was very willing to listen. I started by showing him from several Scriptures that it is not good works and then I showed him the Romans Road map to Heaven through Jesus Christ. He almost had tears in his eyes as he bowed his head and asked Christ to save him with his voice cracking. Praise God!!! I showed him eternal security before I left and he thanked me multiple times for helping him to clarifying about his Salvation. He told me that I was able to make it crystal clear for him! I say to God be the Glory and thank God for Jesus Christ and His precious Word which shows us the way!

Faith Baptist Church

Sunday we traveled to Ashford, Washington which sits at the feet of Mt. Rainier. Here we attended Faith Baptist Church which is beautifully nestled along the highway just outside of the town. This was a church plant from Faith Baptist Church of Tacoma and was started in 2005 by Pastor Joe Koehler.

Pastor Joe Koehler

    Pastor Koehler had me present our ministry during the Sunday hour and teach a lesson. Then he had me preach the morning message as well. God blessed as their seemed to be a good crowd on hand for the service with a couple of visitors. Several seemed touched by the morning message, thank the Lord for the working of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Koehler is doing a good job in reaching this area. They are building relationships in this rural community and they also ministering to thousands of tourist coming through each year.

Preaching the Morning Service

Sunday evening I did not have an actual scheduled meeting at any church, so we attended the evening service at Berean Baptist Church in South Hill. This church is led by Pastor Bob Reno and is a great church. I will be presenting there Wednesday night, but I had previously found out that the pastor will be gone Wednesday. So we attended in order to have a chance to meet the pastor. We were very glad that we did. The service was a blessing as there was a missionary to India presenting. Afterwards we went to dinner with the pastor and the other missionary couple. It was a blessing to fellowship with Pastor Reno and we look forward to spending more time with the church folks on Wednesday evening.    

Two Great Meetings in the Tacoma Area

Pastor Mark Smith

Last Wednesday we were at Faith Baptist Church in Tacoma. This church is led by Pastor Mark Smith who has been there for 25 years. This church actually took us on for support last Fall before we came, so we are very thankful for them. However, since we were going to be in the area we wanted an opportunity to meet the church and give out our prayer cards. Pastor Smith had me present our work and preach the evening message. It was a blessing. While we were there Pastor Smith showed us their King James Bible Museum that they have assembled together in their church. It was amazing! I love the King James Bible and it was great to be able to see someone standing up for it and promoting it. God is truly blessing this church for their stand and for their great missions emphasis, as they regularly send out mission teams to help in different mission fields around the world. In fact they sent out a group to Honduras last Friday. Please pray for their safety and prosperity in accomplishing their mission there in that needy place.

Part of the Bible Museum

On Saturday we went to Liberty Baptist Church in Fircrest to go out soul winning with the church. This church is led by Pastor Michael Richter who has been here 9 years. He is doing a fantastic job at reaching out to his area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We really enjoyed our time at the church meeting the church folks and getting to know the pastor and his family. 

Pastor Michael Richter

On Saturday we went out and knocked doors in two different areas speaking to many different people. When we knocked on the last door, there was no answer so we began to walk away, but then someone answered. I returned and began speaking to a lady at the door, she didn't speak English, but held up a finger indicating she would be back in a minute. We waited several minutes and were about to leave when a man named Carlos came out the door. Carlos spoke very good English as we invited him to church. Carlos said he attends church sometimes, but not as often as he should. He said he knows it is important and he would like to come and visit. I then asked Carlos about his eternity. He said that he doesn't know where he will go when he dies, but he would like it to be Heaven. I was able to take my New Testament and explain to Carlos that good works of any kind don't save us and that it is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. After I finished explaining it to Carlos he bowed his head and asked Christ to save him. Praise God! I then took my New Testament and explained eternal security to him. Carlos wasn't able to come to church on Sunday but I am praying he will be able to make it the following week as Pastor Richter is going to be follow up on him. Please pray for Carlos to come and for spiritual growth in his life.

Carlos after trusting Christ as Saviour

On Saturday evening there was a men's meeting. Brother Jerry Faulkner was the guest speaker from Bethel Baptist Church in Spanaway. I thought that was interesting because I will be presenting at that church this coming Wednesday night. He did a great job speaking to the men and I think everyone felt encouraged in the Lord! 

Bro. Jerry Faulkner

On Sunday I taught the adult Sunday school class and Pastor Richter preached a good Sunday morning message. Then on Sunday night I presented our mission and preached the evening message.

Preaching Sunday night

There was great special music Sunday morning and Sunday night, this church has been blessed with many musically talented people. I was very impressed with the energy put into their music by all those involved from the song leader down. Please pray for us as we continue on with our meetings in this area for a few more weeks.

Special Sunday night

Great Kickoff to a Month in the Pacific Northwest

Pastor Jeremiah Baird

We kicked off our month of July in the Pacific Northwest at Central Baptist Church in Silverdale, Washington. This church was started four years ago by Pastor Jeremiah Baird who had previously been a pastor in Fredonia, Kansas before coming to the Pacific Northwest. There was a good crowd as we presented our mission during his Sunday morning service time. After we presented, the Baird family sang a special and then Pastor Baird preached a great message out of the book of Genesis.

Baird family singing special

There was a luncheon following the morning service and the evening service was held in the afternoon. I preached that service for the church and the folks seemed to enjoy the message. Please pray for this young church as they continue to go forward reaching their area for Christ.

Pastor Rick Wilder and his wife

Then Sunday evening we were with Olympia Bible Baptist Church in Olympia. This church is led by Pastor Rick Wilder, who started the church in 2002. This was great for me to meet him, because we started our church in Lincoln just about the same time and shortly after we started there was a missionary on deputation that came through our church in Lincoln named Daniel Wilder. This is a younger brother of Pastor Rick Wilder. His brother Daniel was the second missionary that we ever took on for support and our home church still supports him to this very day. It truly is a small world sometimes!

Preaching the evening service

Pastor Wilder is doing a great job as his church has a great group of people and they have been blessed by God with a fantastic building and property. Pastor Wilder had me present that evening and preach the evening message. His people seemed stirred and a man came forward and got saved at the invitation. Praise God! I also enjoyed visiting with so many of the members after the evening service. I think every single adult got one of our prayer cards.

Victoria Ann Painter

After returning from Thailand and before leaving Lincoln to head to the Pacific Northwest, we received several blessings. First one was the birth of our fifth grandchild. My son and his wife were blessed with their second daughter, Victoria Ann Painter. She had a little rough go in NICU for over a week, but she is out now and doing well. Please pray for her and the family as she was diagnosed with down syndrome. It is considered to be a milder form of it, so we are thankful. Praise God for His goodness!!!

Shelia after getting baptized

Secondly, I was please to see one of my converts Shelia follow the Lord in believers baptism. It is always a blessing to see a convert go forward in their growth in Christ. She was actually one of two baptized that day. God is sure good! Please pray for us as we continue in the Seattle area trying to get the rest of our support needed to head to Thailand. 

Anniversary Celebration

Gathering for Church Picture

This past Sunday we had a chance to enjoy celebrating the 17 year anniversary of Lincoln Baptist Church before we head out to Thailand. This is always special to me because I started this church in June of 2002. It is always a blessing to have a reunion with many familiar faces. 

Pastor Steve Johnson and his wife

The church has been having a nightly revival meeting that ends on Sunday night and Pastor Steve Johnson from Lighthouse Baptist Church in Denver is the guest speaker for it. He preached several great messages. On Sunday morning my wife took their picture with some of the Karen boys that come to Sunday school.

Pai Pai with Mu Doh and my wife

My wife had a visitor come Sunday morning with Mu Doh. The visitors name is Pai Pai. The wonderful news is that Pai Pai trusted Christ as her Saviour during the invitation time and made a public profession of faith! Mu Doh (pictured on left) is an old convert of my wife's from several years ago. It was good seeing her again as well. We always love seeing our Karen friends that we spent so many years ministering to when I was the pastor here.

Eh Kaw

I was glad to see Eh Kaw after Sunday school. I led him to Christ last March and he got baptized a week later when I was out of town. I am glad he is still coming to church with his kids. Please continue to pray for his wife. She is unsaved and doesn't want to hear the Gospel as I made an attempt on Saturday morning to talk to her. 

Bangkok, Thailand

We are heading out Thursday to Thailand to take care of some business with a pick up truck that I purchased and to be able to make final preparations for our move later this year. The pick up truck I purchased from a retiring missionary. It is a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder that I got for $200,000 Thai Baht which is about $6,300 dollars in American money. This is a tremendous blessing for us to have a vehicle that will be ready and waiting for us when we arrive.

Our New (used) Pick Up Truck

From Alpena, MI to Lawrence, KS with a pit stop in Elkhart, IN

Pastor Paul Frey

We spent the weekend at Cathro Baptist Church in Alpena, Michigan. Pastor Paul Frey has been leading this church for 9 years. He is doing a great job reaching this rural area. On Saturday we went out on the bus route visiting. The pastor and I went to the country part of the route while the others went to the town. While out the pastor was able to lead a parent of one of the riders to Christ.

Pastor with some of the bus kids

Then on Sunday I taught the Sunday school hour on missions and soul winning. Then during the morning service I preached a message on the purpose of motherhood. All mothers were recognized and honored during this service. 

Special Music

The service was great and we enjoyed the singing and special music. Following the invitation time the pastor had a convert that got baptized. Praise the Lord. 

Baptismal Service

Then after the service I rode on the bus with the pastor and enjoyed getting to visit with some of the riders. It was a blessing getting to spend time with them and see where the route goes to. The route has a lot of adult riders on it. That is a blessing to see this church reaching so many adults.

Bus Route

Then Sunday evening I showed my video and presented our mission. I then preached the evening message as well. It was blessing to see hearts being stirred. The church will be voting on partnering with us next Sunday night. Hopefully we will gain a new partnership!

Presenting Sunday Evening

On Monday we traveled to Elkhart, Indiana to visit David Khin and his wife Ni May Wi. David had contacted my wife a month ago after a convert of my wife's had given them such a strong testimony that he felt he needed to talk to us. When my wife talked to him his testimony wasn't clear so we were wanting a chance to meet with him in person. 

David Khin

We were able to talk to David at his work place. He took his lunch break and we visited with him for 30 minutes. He gave us an excellent testimony of having been born again when he lived in Burma. However, he was unsure about his wife's salvation. We had opportunity to visit with his wife and we also met his cousin who was visiting them. His wife claims salvation, but doesn't have a clear testimony. His cousin Bawi has a clear testimony and we believe that he is saved. Please pray for his wife as we are going to be taking them through a Grow in Grace booklet and trying to help them grow. Hopefully, if his wife isn't saved she will trust Christ! Also, pray that we can find a good church in the area for them. 

Bawi and Ni May Wi

We then traveled to Lawrence, Kansas to attend the Bible college graduation for our in laws and some friends that were graduating from Heritage Baptist College which is a ministry of Heritage Baptist Church. This church is led by Pastor Scott Hanks and is a partnering church with us.

Dr. Scott Hanks

The service was great. There was very good special music by the college and the commencement service was fantastic as well. Pastor Sven Larson also spoke during the service and his daughter was a graduate that night too. The main message was preached by Pastor Tony Keeton from Union City, TN.

My daughter-in-laws sister Melody Smith had an opportunity to speak after being recognized. She had just gotten engaged earlier that day, so it was a very special day for her and the Smith family! May the Lord bless all these graduates as they move into their future ministries and lives!

Melody Smith

While there we also saw Brother Bob Miller and his wife from Lincoln Baptist Church. They were there to pick up their son Travis for the Summer. Travis is a student at Heritage Baptist College. Mrs. Miller was led to Christ by my wife in 2009 and then I led her husband to the Lord after that and his son Travis to Christ. Brother Miller is now a deacon at Lincoln Baptist Church and his wife is of course the deacons wife, a Sunday school teacher, junior church worker, and runs one of the bus routes. This family is tremendous blessing!

The Miller Family

  

Indianapolis, Kokomo, and Berne, Indiana

Pastor Ford Glover

We spent the weekend with Suburban Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. This church is led by Pastor Ford Glover for the past eight years. He is doing a fabulous job here as the crowds were great. I have known Pastor Glover for over 22 years having originally met him at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Colorado Springs in 1996 when my wife and I attended a conference there. In fact we stayed in his house! It was a blessing to get to see him and his family and the work that he is doing in Indianapolis.

Preaching Sunday morning

On Sunday morning I taught the Sunday school in the auditorium for 7th grade up to all the adults. Then I preached the morning service as well as the Sunday evening service. The crowds were very good and the people responded well. We enjoyed the special music in the both the services. It was a blessing to be here. They have a great Christian school with about 300 students enrolled. Their facilities are top notch! God is doing some great things here and I have no doubt that God is going to do some even greater things here in the years to come.

Special Sunday morning

Wednesday evening we attended the Bible study at Faith Baptist Church in Kokomo. This church was started in 1995 by Pastor Andrew Green. The folks were very friendly and I was able to give a testimony about what we will be doing in Thailand. 

Pastor Ryan Marsh

Then on Thursday night we attended the service at Faith Baptist Church of Berne. Pastor Ryan Marsh has been here about 2 years now and is doing a great job with the church. We have been here before and this is one of our partnering churches. We were here because we were staying in their prophets chamber before heading to Michigan for the weekend. Their church is such a blessing to us!

Preaching Thursday night

Pastor Marsh had me preach the evening message that night and it was fun to preach on a topic that wasn't missions. I enjoy preaching missions, but it is nice to preach on other topics sometimes. We weren't idle during our stay here as my was able to help Mrs. Marsh with some things in the office and I went out door knocking and soul winning with Pastor Marsh. We didn't see anyone trust Christ but not because we didn't try! We had a great time witnessing and having fellowship as we went. God is doing some great things here through this church and we are excited to be partners with them!

Mrs. Marsh