Remember

Ever been told that you are "living in past?" That's not a bad place to be unless you adamantly refuse to ever enter the present. As we remembered the Memorial Day weekend last month let us take a moment to contemplate how and why we are here.

 

The "how" is sobering and often a somber thought. We take a minute to thank our veterans, thank our Lord and Savior for the one's who died for our freedoms and thank our Heavenly Father for the mission we are on. We express gratitude.

 

The "why" is also right before us. For our mission of reaching the lost is not yet complete. We must drive on. No one said it would be easy... it's a lifetime of toil and sweat but the rewards are eternal. Let us never look back too very long as it is quite difficult to go forward using only the rear view mirror.

 

Ecclesiastes12:13b "Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man". There we have our marching orders. The word of God is clear so let's look at a quick update on some of our "troops "in the field.

 

1. Kathy Wright in Israel wrote in March about heading to the town of Hebron to visit a Muslim family. Fairly routine event for someone living in Israel. However, since she last wrote Israel has been involved in a shooting war with the terrorist group Hamas. This is not a fairly routine event.

2. Josh Miller/family are heading to Peru this fall. They are the most recent addition to our mission family.

3. Chris and Faith Anderson in Romania reported in April of their intention to continue on with the purchase of the house they are in. This greatly aids the ministry effort. A sizable payment was due and the Lord saw fit to provide. Pray for the political and social atmosphere in Romania as events unfold.

4. Cleghorn family to the mountain people of inland Asia. Visas were finally issued and as of this writing they are still on track to head back to Asia. Covid continues to slow their departure somewhat as testing and vaccinations must be in order.

5. The volcano that erupted on St. Vincent (Grenadines) altered the ministry of Dexter Kirby but it did not end the on going work. The radio ministry and Bible College work continues. 

 

The late Dr. Jerry Falwell once said..."Nothing of eternal value is ever accomplished apart from prayer."¹  So true. Let us never slack off from this duty and may we never forget the sacrifices our honorable war dead made. For this allows us to continue on our appointed mission.

 

We certainly live in some wild and often crazy times. This too will pass. However… the love and mercy Jesus rains does on us never will pass! To God be the Glory!!

 

 

Mission Fact: We live in tech filled world of over 8 billion people. Trans World Radio (Guam) has the capacity to reach almost half of those people... that's over 3 billion people. All of China, Micronesia, Malaysia and 2/3 of India are able to tune to the Good News of Salvation.... in their native language!²

 

1-World Vision; spring 2021

2-TWR.org  May 2021.   page 5 of newsletter

Time To Go

     Since the end of winter is on the horizon, let us evaluate the upcoming season of work ahead of us. Before we blink too many times, it will be homecoming, VBS and the other activities we find ourselves doing during the warmer weather.

      For two years now (2017/2018), GBC has sent a missionary team to warm Jamaica in late July. A third trip is planned for this year. Pray and seek God's guidance about going along or helping with fund raising as the team raises most of their own travel monies. Never forget that these are our representatives and family members going to a very needy location.

       Once again this team will be working a football clinic soccer style along with visiting and encouraging patients at a medical clinic. It is always a busy week of work. They will assist whoever needs them. No special training required: only a sincere desire to glorify our God. 

      Now onto a more singular focus with regard to Jamaica. Kara Lamberth, one of GBC's youth, will be heading down to Jamaica June 6, 2019. She plans on working with the same missionaries that the team will be with later in the summer. Pastor Andrew Pryce of Bay Life Baptist Church, Montego Bay, his wife and Cletus and Tammy Titus are the missionaries Kara will spend 8 weeks assisting. GBC has actively supported this Jamaican outreach for years. Her duties not only include assisting pastor Andrew but helping the other American youth teams that will arrive weekly all summer. Beautiful surroundings in many ways but still a lot of hard work. First pray for her and then stay tuned for how we can help Kara.

       Still more for you as GBC has another one of our young people heading to "Word of Life”. Bermuda. Kathleen Mahaffey will travel to the island of Bermuda June 24 and return to the US August 19, 2019.W of L is a Christ honoring organization with locations in Florida, upstate NY and Bermuda. Since this is a volunteer 8-week camp, she must raise her own room and board. Coming March 15, 2019 there will be a one-night fund raising event for Kathleen. Please stop by; it's an easy way to help send one of our very own church members to the mission field.

       Never stop praying for these 2 young ladies who are giving up their summer time to assist others. Let’s rise up and send the mission team to Jamaica in July as well as we give God all the glory for this mission endeavor each and every day!

   Mission Fact: Born shortly after America fought for it's independence from England; Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) was one of the earliest missionaries to leave North America. His journey ended in Burma. Present day Myanmar.... where for 34 years he translated the Bible into the Burmese language. He was falsely accused of being a spy and lived 21 months in jail. When he died in 1850,thousands of Burmese nationals had been saved by his hard work and perseverance.¹let us not stop. 

     ¹Adoniram Judson, Missionary Biographies.    World Wide Missions

                                                                                                                           Bob Idacavage, Missions Director

Fully Thankful

It goes without saying that we all have much to be thankful for. From the material world of our visual lives to the far greater realm of our spiritual lives, we all have been blessed. Time to take these grateful hearts to a dying world.

"But I'm old" or "I'm broke and in school"... Our God knows that yet we are still called to go however we can! Now GBC certainly gives financially to our missionaries each week. Did you know we support 43 field missionaries and their families serving from Alaska to South Africa with dozens of points in between? As well, there are 10 organizations/mission boards that allow these missionaries to go and function. Some such as Tabernacle Children’s Home (South Carolina) and Malachi Boys Home are right here in the USA.

This missionary line-up comes from all walks of life, ages and backgrounds. Some are children of former missionaries; some are "rookies" to this task. ALL have answered and we should thank our Lord and Savior for their dedication.

However, our mission work isn't only those that we support. Many of you helped with the Fall Festival, VBS, Christmas shoeboxes, youth activities where the homeless were fed in Greensboro… see what I'm saying here? We all have a mission field and for sure we all have the mission of presenting our Risen Savior to our world!

Some more reasons to be thankful... From Mexico with Ed Hoagland: The last week of October saw them start church #8 in Mexico. This is a self-supporting indigenous church! And there's more!... as well, they oversee 4 feeding centers and 15 other "missions" in Mexico. GBC also supports several missionaries to limited access fields. I will not list them here but suffice it to say God's word continues to go out despite wars, persecutions and evil. More on these missionaries in an up coming Mission’s Minute.

So you see, our reasons to be thankful are far more than just the things we hold. I close with this quote..."No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrase mongers, however artful." A man named Albert Einstein wrote those succinct words.¹So there is the #1 reason to be thankful: All glory to God… humbly now and forever!

Bob I.  //  Missions Director

"That All May Know"

 Humans seem to have a penchant for witty, catchy phrases. Here is one that is actually accurate and useful. That is... "Action brings good fortune." Now I'm not advocating we strive for mindless objects but rather to foster the habit of going out and doing something for someone. But what we do must have a purpose and a goal. Since we are in a missionary world (again... that is ALL of us) we must take action and go.

Webster defines a "mission" (among many other definitions) as "a body of persons set to perform a service or carry on an activity."^2AAlso, a "task that is regarded as a very important duty".^2BCan anyone tell me of a more important task than bringing Jesus to a dying world?

       I used to think missions were only found in Africa, Asia or some back-country poor location. Yes... it is there but also right here at GBC, Guilford County and the entire USA. Wherever unsaved people are in need there lies a mission field.

OK... some quick updates from the GBC sphere of influence.

1. Florence family (Papua, New Guinea). Josh F reports their ladies Sunday school is growing strong. As well, they will be in the States early 2019.

2. Lomax Skinner (Germany/USA) continues to have his health improve. This is a man who just won't slow down! His scheduled retirement is 31 December, 2018 by the way.

3. Dexter Kirby (St. Vincent) requests prayer and wisdom of God's way as they plan a new church plant and Leadership for the Bible College on the island.

So as you can see; every Christian needs to be involved in the cause of missions and reaching this world by any means available. Remember... Action brings good fortune (progress). Let us get going and do the work while there is still time... with all our being giving God all the Glory!    

 - Bob I.  // Missions Director

Drink It Up!!!

As we sit back and thank our merciful God for sparing our region from the recent hurricane, let us think on this. What does the Eastern European country of Romania, an almost worldwide radio network and coffee have in common?

That's easy actually. The first 2 are mission works GBC supports. Our Romanian connection is Chris and Faith Anderson, sent by GBC by the way, and the radio work is Trans World Radio (TWR) of whom we support Dwayne Gow. So how does coffee fit into the mission equation? Both the Gow's and Anderson's are able to receive additional fund support by you simply ordering coffee from them. The Web sites are easy to navigate and the TWR site allows you to choose your missionary. The Anderson site is a smaller choice site and the proceeds directly assist Chris and Faith. Many of us buy coffee so here is a perfect opportunity to have good coffee while at the same time helping spread the Gospel. Please contact Gregg Smith or myself for details.

Moving on. Question: How do you visualize missions? We know what we're supposed to do yet we often leave it up to others. I'm as guilty as anyone in this regard. Remember, we are all called to glorify our Risen Savior, Jesus, by spreading the Truth, helping whoever we can and to pray without ceasing. 1Thess 5:17

Here are some concrete ways to do just that.

1: Order some coffee.

2: Pick an individual missionary and write/e-mail/ even visit them. This would encourage them immensely.

3: Give to the food pantry here at GBC.

4: Invite someone to a service or event here .You see there are many ways to be a missionary. It is not only to Romania, South Africa or Bangladesh! Often you never even have to leave your own zip code.

Time is rapidly moving on. So be strong and remember we still have work to do here. Temper your thoughts with Jesus and thus use the days we have left humbly giving God all the glory !!!

1-Chris Anderson        Coffeemissions.com (ALMS Coffee House)

2-Trans World Radio   CoffeeHelpingTWR.com 

Now Go On...

Why do we do what we do anyway? Do we really need a reason to live and function on a daily basis? Maybe not in some things but like it or not; know it or not we have a purpose to live. That would be to give honor and glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. "I press on towards the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus". Philippians 3:14

No one ever said this would be easy or smooth. If you were a missionary in Equatorial Africa, you would be hot, dirty at times, and occasionally hungry. Understand this... we are all called (read; you are a missionary)... it won't always be easy (read; you have to persevere) but the rewards are eternal. 

Speaking now on the human side of serving. I hope you all had the honor of hearing Nancy Campbell Meyers recently speak at our Wednesday evening service. Retired now from Child Evangelism Fellowship, Nancy's testimony points out that God uses people with troubled pasts, troubled thoughts or that feeling of  "why me? I can't do anything". Come and hear the rest of her testimony; you will be uplifted!

Briefly: Here's a summer update from warm Mexico City. Ed Hoagland reports a fantastic season of summer camps, which are the equivalent of our VBS. Just this past Sunday... August 26, Ed tells of Friend Day at his church. There were 166 first time visitors and 57 professions of faith. On September 1 they will be starting a park evangelistic effort in a new area. He says, "We are still riding the spiritual wave and will keep it going for as long as possible." Pray for their effort and then keep going!

"Christ could come at any moment, there is no time to waste, no time to delay witnessing, no time to indulge in sin with the idea of repenting, and changing one's ways later”¹. That is WHY we do what we do. Sure we will get tired, even discouraged but push on and keep looking up! "If we love our Lord, then we will want to see Him revealed to the world and made known for who He is. We want to see Him honored and praised where he was rejected"².  In any case, humbly all glory and honor to Jesus Christ our Savior.

¹The Berean Call, November 2015

²"An Urgent Call To a Serious Faith" Dave Hunt, pg 250

Mission Fact: American's drink as many as 4 million cups of coffee per day. Well, I think it should be made a major food group. Next month I will show you how we can drink coffee and help several missionaries at the same time.   

Bob I.  //  Missions Director

Awaken

I would venture that many reading this MM could say that most have one thing in common. Now I know we probably have many commonalities but this one is special/specific. That would be that they had some form of surgery; minor or major. If you ask me... it's all major if your the one getting "cut on".

So, how does the world of missions and having surgery go together? Other than some of our supported missionaries having had surgery, there isn't too much. Rather it is a polar opposite approach I’m talking about here. And that would be what is felt.

The word anesthesia means "without feeling". Conversely thinking...how can one claim to be a Christian (i.e.: loving missions) and be" without feeling"? Remember we are all missionaries called to spread the word wherever we are and by whatever means available. Thus to live without feeling or empathy for others goes against what we believe in.

As you read this today, GBC has a 9-member mission team working in Jamaica. They are there to exhibit a true God honoring feeling for this Caribbean country. GBC did another fantastic effort helping raise funds. Now we are called on to raise up these 9 people in prayer for protection, safety and receptive hearts. No anesthesia allowed.

In other parts of our sphere of influence: Tim and Cara Cleghorn will be returning to Tajik, China soon. Their son Levi's broken leg is strong enough now to allow travel back to their field of work. That said... never stop praying for the missionaries GBC supports in closed countries. Jesus can influence people in Pakistan, Bangladesh and China as well as in Africa and South America. May we one day see the Word of God preached openly everywhere!

But this will never happen if we allow ourselves to become anesthetized to the needs and plight of a dying world. Let's all pray for an awaking in us and our country as we see the return of Jesus rapidly approaching. Humbly we will work on giving God all the Glory!!

 - Bob I. // Missions Director