Charity Baptist Mission, Inc.

 

       Founder                                               Est. 1973                                                   Director

 

      Rev. Fred Potter               P.O.  Box 692  Bristol, TN  37621-0692                Rev. Mike Nixon

 

      Tel. (423) 646-1352  or  (423) 878-5800               e-mail cbmission@juno.com

  

 

 

Radio Broadcasts

  

A Few Words

From Our Founder

Rev. Fred Potter



"Heard a church bell ringing"

This song is about how Fred Potter got saved,

 written by Danny Minton.

Bolivia & other Hispanic countries

Bulgaria

Mexico

India

Romania

Ukraine / Moldova

United States
 

 

 

  

It is our privilege to welcome you to the Charity Baptist Mission web page. We hope this will be a testament of what the Lord is doing in America and throughout the world.

In 1973 the Lord laid upon my heart to start Charity Baptist Mission Inc., here in Bristol, Tennessee.  We started it because we were opening a children’s home in Mexico.  From there the Lord continued to bless and increased the areas to other countries by which we could share the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour.

It has been truly a blessing to see how the Lord has used missionaries to reach the lost and see them saved.

We believe in the Authorized King James 1611 version of the Word of God. It has stood the test of time and we believe this is the only true Bible.

To God be the Glory!

 

  

 

Articles Of  Faith

    

 

Recent Updates

 

 

Facts About Our Founder

 

 

CBM Our Story

 

 

Disclaimer

 

updated 4-17-25
     

 

 

2025 Fall Camp Meeting Dates

 

Monday October 20th - Friday October 24th

 

Service times

Monday - Friday 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM

Three meals per day, with limited lodging available - service pets only.

For more information call: (423) 646-1352 or (423) 878-2771

 

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Watch Brookside Baptist Church services at:

 

youtube.com/@brooksidebaptistchurchtn1954/streams

 

https://www.facebook.com/BrooksideBaptistChurchBristolTN

 

 

 

 

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Missions Updates

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Spring 2025

 

Halito! Hello!

 

Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Spring is here! It’s a wonderful time of year when the earth is waking up from a winter’s nap! We rejoice in another time of spring, when all nations will see Him for who He is and every knee will bow to Him; Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The Dayspring that visited us. Luke 1:78.

 

We are no different than others and have had trials this winter. Our central heat went out on December 28 and was finally repaired on February, the 26th, 2025. Needless to say, with 11 inches of snow and 9 degrees at various times, we were slow moving. We didn't go far because of the danger of leaving electric heaters running if we were gone. Then we had to be back early enough to get the little heaters started and take the chill off before bed time. Above all, we did not want the cold weather to freeze our water pipes! Been there! I can tell you, when the heat came on in February, we were very thankful!

 

Daniel has been preaching locally at a Choctaw church near us and also, at our home church as the door has opened. We have been getting our schedule lined up for the rest of the year. This scripture comes to mind; Ecc. 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; It’s planting time, time to start planting the seed of God’s word. He said it would not return void. We just have to be faithful to go and do it. Lord Willing, we will start the spring off with two Mission Conferences; one in KS and one in MS. The one in KS will focus on the Native American work and bring us all up to date on what is taking place on certain reservations. We have VBS lined up on several reservations and meetings throughout the year. That brings to mind our van. It is heading for the shop again this week. We put new spark plugs in it in January. The mechanic asked when was the last time we had replaced them. I told him to my knowledge in 341,000 miles we had not ever replaced them. He proceeded to show me a spark plug he had taken out…. he just shook his head and said the Lord had to have kept that van running! Amen to that! God is good and we know HE will show us the vehicle HE wants us to get. In HIS time.

 

Please pray for our safety and health as we head out. Above all, please pray for souls to come to know Christ; not a little prayer prayed, but a life changed for HIS GLORY.  We love you and hope to see you somewhere along the way!  Thank you for being faithful.

 

The Higginbothams, Mrs. Shirley, Elena, and Daniel       A printable PDF version is available here

 

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April 2025

Dear Churches and Praying Friends,                                                                     

"...follow thou me" (John 21:22)

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. The salvation that our Lord has provided for us is the greatest thing in his life.  He's the best thing that ever happened to me.  I'm glad, though, that He didn't only love me for one day, but every day.  On my worst days he loves me just as well as he does on my best days.  One manifestation of his love toward is the calling into his service.  April marks the thirtieth year of our service on the mission field.  It has been his grace that has kept us here.  What a privilege it is to spend our days traveling to the poor villages here and preaching the Bible!

This year we're doing about the same thing we've done for the past several years. Again, we've distributed flour and oil this year, over seventy tons. People here again have testified that in the late winter, just when their old store of flour finished, we brought one hundred pounds of flour.  The Lord always does things at the right time.

Each week I go to villages and gather up the believers, most of them elderly, and have church.  My dad used to visit a nursing home every Sunday afternoon to gather up the older folks for a church service.  There's plenty of older people here who are thankful to have someone care enough to come get them every week for church.

We are always bound to thank God for our national pastors here who have faithfully served the Lord in village house churches for these many years.  Recently, Pastor Demir finished his course.  Up until the time he died, he was going to eleven villages.  I'm sure several of his church members had gone on ahead and were waiting for him on the other shore.  For the time being missionary Matt Welch is caring for his churches.  Pray that the Lord would call more labourers into his harvest.

Lord willing, we will be returning to the states for a furlough this summer.  We look forward to seeing as many of you as we can during our stay.  Our son, Isaac, is graduating from Landmark Baptist College in Haines City, Florida.  We appreciate his desire to serve the Lord and his dedication to his studies.  Please pray for the Lord's direction for his life.

In Christ,

Zachary LeFevre     A printable PDF version is available here

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March 2025

 

“Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry…” Psalm 146:5-7


To family, friends, and fellow saints,

 

“Thank you”, is a good way to start out any letter; “Thanks be to God”, is even better; both are appropriate. Thank you all for your obedience to the Lord; for your love and liberality; for your faithfulness and willingness to help. Because of your subjection to the Spirit and obedience to His will, multitudes here in Bulgaria have been blessed.

 

Throughout the month of February and into the first weeks of March, we were able to distribute over seventy tons of flour and seven thousand liters of oil to over fourteen hundred families. We had additional help this year in unloading and carrying, making things quicker and easier. Ben Miller, from our home church in Bristol, might look like a beanpole, but he can sling fifty-pound bags of flour like tossing feather pillows. James Chavis, from Murphy, NC, and his son Jack helped immensely. Jack is only eleven years old but worked non-stop all day in the back of the flour truck carrying bags. The LeFevre trio, Carrick, Levi, and Christian provided comic relief in addition to strong muscles and a willingness to work. Praise the Lord for the strength He provided all of us, and the joy that made the work easy.

 

I recall to mind the founder of our mission board, Preacher Fred Potter’s testimony of the first time he ever heard of the “Lord”, when as a little boy in the early thirties, someone brought his struggling family some groceries. “The Lord sent this to you all through the Siam Baptist Church.” It made an impression he never forgot or got over: that whomever the “Lord” was, He knew of him and his need and had sent to his relief. Who knows how many souls have come to the same realization through a bag of flour and bottle of oil? That the God of heaven had them on His mind, and knowing their plight, had already orchestrated their help. How many of you, in simple faith and obedience, gave, trusting that the gift would be blessed, never fathoming the extent of the blessing? If you think about it, that little sack of groceries given in the name of the Lord started a chain reaction that continues to this day. And the flour and oil your charity provided will have consequences that echo through eternity. I wonder even now, if God hasn’t planted a seed in the heart of a future gypsy Fred Potter, all because a little band of believers ten thousand miles away gave what they could to the Lord.

 

Pray for the work, please. We said goodbye to a dear brother and a faithful pastor on the 16th of March. Brother Demir was only 57 years old but had spent most of his life in service to the Savior. He said he learned to read the Turkish bible in church. As a new Christian, he’d take the morning bus out to some village and read the scripture, sounding out the letters to form the words, to anyone who had the patience to listen. He read all the way until the evening bus came and he’d take it home. At the time of his departure, he was pastoring eleven churches. Brother Matt Welch, Demir’s closest friend and fellow laborer in the gospel, is continuing in Demir’s place. Please keep him and the churches in your prayers. Pray seriously, earnestly, that the Lord would call young men from among our meetings to the ministry.

 

We love and miss y’all. Pray for us. Pray God would work mightily in us and through us, and that in every meeting of ours we’d see His power on full display and His glory on every countenance. Pray for my little family.

 

Because of a living Savior,

The William LeFevre Family                 (A printable PDF version is available here)   www.facebook.com/bulgarianlefevres

 

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January – February 2025

 

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

 

I hope this letter finds you well in the Lord and that He uses it to encourage you to pray for the Lord’s harvest. I’m very glad to see winter come to an end knowing that we will soon be able to begin the process of submitting our paperwork for our residency permits in Ukraine. The Lord was very good to us, having given me many opportunities to preach in Bible Conferences, special Missions Meetings, and fill in for pastors while they were out of their pulpits. We had one response to the invitation for salvation.

 

We are very relieved to report that Pastor Alexei’s exemption from military service in Ukraine has been extended for another three months. He has been a tremendous help preparing our home for our return. Pastors Rick Drummond and Ron Ralph generously gave to our need for an inverter for our home for a backup power supply. We are so glad that it has been successfully installed. Pastor Alexei is currently working through a few other nuances with the local power company for us before we return. He was also able to find us another dog, a German Shepherd of course (!), since our last one appears to have been stolen.

 

Pastor John Niehaus was a big help giving us a needed document for my son, Christopher. The government now requires that invited missionaries have proof of religious instruction in the form of a certificate or diploma. This was a good move on their part. I’ve met some real weirdo's posing as missionaries! This document is one of many that are required before we can begin the application process for the letter of invitation from a registered religious organization in Ukraine. Pastor Alexei is preparing all the documents which we plan to submit in April after Christopher turns eighteen. We cannot submit them sooner which has been a real pain. I have to constantly remind myself that the timing of our return to the field is in the Lord’s hands, which is the best place for it to be! The disastrous Trump/Zelenski meeting in the oval office has no sway on our decision to return to Ukraine.

 

Please continue to pray for our church in Ukraine along with Pastor Alexei who are holding up under a tremendous amount of stress. Please pray for his wife, Vika, who is now expecting and the doctors are saying that there are complications.

 

My family and I would like to thank you all for your friendship, fellowship, prayers, and support of us in this work that God has given us. May the Lord Jesus bless you as you continue to serve Him.

 

That Ukraine May Know Him,

Christopher Rue Phil. 3:10 - A printable PDF version is available here

https://ruemissions.com

https://www.facebook.com/p/Rue-Family-Missionaries-to-Ukraine-100068352738533

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February/March 2025

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All is well here in Romania. The children at the Home are well and the Lord continues to bless in the meetings I go to each week.

 

I want to share the recent testimony of Cocosh, one of the believers who comes to our Turkish meeting in Constanta. You should know, he grew up in a family that was just about as “bad” as you could imagine. His father, Amet, was a terribly mean and abusive alcoholic. If Cocosh and his four brothers weren’t stealing, they were usually drinking and fighting. All of the brothers landed in jail at one time or another and a couple of them have spent most of their adult life in and out of prison.

 

If ever there was a family who had wasted their lives with riotous living, this was the one. Praise the Lord, quite a few years ago, the father, Bro. Amet and his wife, Atiye, got saved in one of the Turkish churches Bro. Ralph Cheatwood started. They became pillars of our Turkish church – Bro. Amet often preaching and Sister Atiye testifying on every occasion possible.

 

Even though Amet and Atiye, with the Lord’s help, turned their lives around, their sons never seemed to be able to. Sometimes they would seem to get in, testify about how the Lord had helped them, but after a few months had dropped out and returned to their old lives.

 

Cocosh even preached some and it seemed he had great promise. But unfortunately, when he was doing well, Satan would always trip him up and drag him back down.

 

Because of his lifestyle, Cocosh’s body, now over 50 years old, is in ruin. His lungs, liver, kidneys and probably most other organs are failing. For the last 6 months, he has been in the hospital more than he has been out. In recent weeks, he was in bed and needing oxygen constantly.

 

A few weeks ago, during a particularly serious crisis, he went into a coma. The family was told he probably would not leave the hospital alive.

 

This past week, I was stunned when I walked into the meeting and Cocosh was there. I expected the next time I saw him would be at his funeral. He stood – no help, no oxygen – and gave a powerful testimony.

 

He said that during the five days he was in a coma, although he couldn’t move or respond, he could hear everything going on around him. He heard the doctors talking among themselves at his bedside saying that he was not going to make it…no chance.

 

He said he remembered one of the hymns in our Turkish hymnbook and, for 5 days, sang it over and over in his head. It translates roughly:

 

My God, I have been wandering on my own. I ask myself why.
Don’t leave me to wander alone. In this world, I can’t make it without You.
I have a great burden that nobody knows. You know, my God. I will not forget You.
I am calling out to You and telling You. Wash me with Your blood and open my heart.
Don’t leave me to wander alone.
Glory to You, You didn’t leave me.
With Your Blood, my God, You washed me.

 

Everyone was crying as he told how, even though he had forsaken God, his God had not forsaken him, but had given him another chance. I’m so glad that is the God I serve. Worthy is the Lamb!

 

Thank you all for your faithfulness in prayer and support. God Bless you.

 

In Christ,

Dave, Dara, Sandy and the Kids      (A printable PDF version is available here)

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November - December 2024

Dear Pastors, Churches, and Friends,

Well, it was a disheartening Fall for our people in Western North Carolina. However, the Appalachian people are renowned for their resilience. I am grateful that God is aware of our situation, and we are confident that good will emerge from it all for the children of God! Hurricanes also impacted my travels. One that struck Florida forced a group accompanying me to cancel. The water got into one of their churches and the pastor’s house. Consequently, I embarked on a solo trip to a Hispanic country, but I had to make a second trip a week later to complete my task. Ironically, each time I left that country, hurricanes hit the island causing damage to some of our pastors’ places.

Little has changed in this country. The situation remains dire for the people struggling simply to survive. As I was departing on one of those trips, there was a nationwide blackout! While at the airport the power was cut off! You could see long gas lines as people waited for hours to get gas. Consequently, I missed my flight and had to spend a night in Miami.

We were able to assist some of the individuals affected by the hurricanes on one island, while providing aid to those whose houses and churches were damaged. One pastor even had to spend a night in a tree due to the flooding! We visited a house church on the outskirts of a big city that we had previously helped and donated money to help them finish the floor, as they only had a dirt floor.

As the year draws to a close, I reflect on the events that have transpired. It has certainly been an eventful year, but God has been faithful and good.

Joyfully Yours,

Farren Caeble 1 Sam 12:24     A printable PDF version is available here

PS: Debbie has decided to suspend her medication due to the adverse side effects. However, her annual MRI scan came back positive. Please continue to pray for her.

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November/December 2024

 

Dear Pastors, Churches, and Fellow Saints,

 

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:8,9

 

The year 2024 has quickly passed. It was full of many blessings and events. God has helped us every step of the way.

 

I was in Bulgaria until May, attending meetings and working on a new church building. Many of you helped by prayer and financial support. We are grateful for that. We are able to hold church services in it and are enjoying our times of fellowship and worship together. Our 15-year-old grandson, Carrick LeFevre preached recently in one of our meetings and that sure was a blessing to our hearts.

 

In the past year we have had to say goodbye to some of our church folk here, that have passed from this life to the next. One of them was my dear old friend, Malcho. We had been to many church services together and he never failed to get up and give a testimony. I will miss him and the others who have gone on before, but I'm confident and at peace knowing we'll be reunited one day in our heavenly home with our loving Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

In May we were in the States for our daughter Charity's high school graduation. After graduating Charity joined the Air Force and left to Basic Training. She came through with flying colors. She is now stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Please remember her in your prayers.

 

As I mentioned in a previous letter, it was necessary for me while in America, to have a total knee replacement in August. After a couple months of recuperation, and therapy, we returned back to our home in November. I continue to slowly improve and truly appreciate your prayers for complete healing.

 

Our son, John, is stationed at an Air Force base in Germany, and he was able to visit us for two weeks during the Christmas and New Year holidays. We were so happy to have him home. Then, at the same time, we had a surprise visit from our daughter, Grace, and son, James. They spent three weeks with us.

 

Most of you are probably aware that our daughter, Hannah, and her husband William (along with their four children), serve on the mission field with us in Bulgaria. Needless to say, we all enjoyed a very happy time together. It was a very joyful ending to 2024.

 

Last of all I would like to mention a woman named, Sylvia. Please pray for her health and salvation. She works at our local village store. She has always been unfriendly toward us. But the Lord laid her on my heart recently and I was able to talk with her and give her a tract.

 

All because of Calvary,   (A printable PDF version is available here)

 

Matthew and Jane Welch

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December 2024 (Year-End Update)

 

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

 

Greetings: I hope this letter finds you well in the Lord as we leave the old year and enter the new. This year-end edition of our prayer letter will necessarily be longer than usual. More space is required to cover my last trip to Ukraine and give an update of our current situation and plans to return to the field. So far, we have financed four trips into eastern Ukraine. I personally participated in the last three. Our most recent trip during the first two weeks of December was one of the best yet, mostly because my son, Samuel, was with me. I want to thank Missionaries Paul Hamilton and Clayton McCurdy for their help and generous hospitality picking us up at the airport in Chisinau, putting us up for the night, and driving us across the border into Ukraine.

 

Target Area and Objectives: Circumstances in Ukraine are extremely varied and often misunderstood. The situation in most of Ukraine is not the same as eastern Ukraine where they survived the Russian occupation of their hometowns for almost a year. After discussions about our upcoming trip, Pastor Alexei and I decided that we would much rather go into the eastern regions than to go to the borders of Romania and Poland. People are needy everywhere. Everyone needs to be saved and to be given a chance to hear the Gospel. However, in eastern Ukraine, there are hundreds of thousands of people who could not flee when the Russians came. The people who survived the Russian occupation have been traumatized, while the people in other parts of Ukraine have not yet been so affected. We wanted to take the Gospel to those left behind. To those who lost everything, who were cold, in the dark, and praying, “God, please help me!” We wanted to reach those people first, to go into new regions who have not yet heard the “Good News” and, so, we went into the Kherson region (see map).

 

Preaching in the Regions Beyond: From our house, it was a 5-hour trip to get there, and we were thankful to have an abandoned church building where we could camp out. It was warm and dry. It also had a small kitchen but no bathroom or shower.

 

All total the Lord provided well over 10 tons of supplies and literature to distribute. We had lots of literature, 1,200 care packages, packages of rice, boxes of flour, and 1,200 loaves of bread to hand out in seven different towns. The leaders of these towns cooperated with us and registered close to 1,200 people collectively. We arranged a time and place in each town where they would gather to hear the word of God preached and receive help. I’ve never seen this type of cooperation from the leaders in Ukraine before. We preached the Gospel in every town and gave a clear invitation explaining that they would be responding to an invitation to call on the name of the Lord to be saved from their sin. After three long days preaching in seven towns, we saw close to one hundred souls respond to the invitations to be saved! There are plenty of stories and details I would love to tell, but space will not allow it. One newly saved person said, “That was the first time I’ve ever heard anything like this.”

 

Long Term Versus Short Term Missions: There is a constant struggle maintaining balance between long-term missions and short term. Between soul-winning/evangelism and discipleship/church planting. Long term church planting in the regions where we’ve been working is difficult right now. However, there is every indication that the eastern regions of Ukraine will be ripe for church planting and discipleship when peace is achieved. But for now, people need at least a chance to hear the Gospel clearly communicated with an invitation to be saved. Anything could happen in these areas in the months ahead! I believe in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to not only save your soul but to change one’s life forever. The process described in Romans 10:13-15 culminates in the moment when a guilty sinner calls on the name of the Lord for salvation. Though this moment is often preached as the pinnacle, it is really the beginning.

 

I still remember the day when I trusted Jesus Christ and He changed my life forever. I still believe this is possible every time I preach the Gospel. We set out for eastern Ukraine with this in mind.

 

Tense Moments: Before we set out, we realized that we were going to be preaching just a few miles from the frontlines. There are no guarantees. There are drones, minefields, separatists, and curfews to consider. Then, of course, being that close to the front, there was a slight possibility that the Russians could break through the line and be in our area quickly. You can always hear the war from where we were. There are big explosions over there, about 10-15 miles away, not the kind that smaller drones make. During our first night a drone was shot down over the town where we were sleeping.

 

On another occasion, we had to make a stop on the side of the road. I left the van to take care of some personal business. When I returned to our van I saw my son, Sam, along with Brother Sasha both checking out a blown-up tank in the burned-up tree line on the edge of the road.

 

As I walked towards them, I saw a knocked over warning sign on the ground. They had ventured into a minefield! All of Ukraine has to deal with sirens and drones, but these minefields are only located in eastern Ukraine. They are deadly mementos left behind by the Russian army.

 

Another close call was when we had to change plans, last minute, and go to different towns. Two of the towns we planned to visit had been hit by the Russians and the people would not come out of their houses. One of the most disconcerting moments of our trip was being out past the military curfew called, “commandonski chaas” which begins at 8:00 PM. The rainy weather, and delays from changing course twice had us out way past curfew, which could have ended badly for us. Thankfully, the Lord took care of everything and everyone!

 

Fruit That Remains: During our last evangelistic meeting, I had a special moment with the Lord while standing in front of the crowd that gathered outside in the cold. I was shoulder to shoulder with my son, Pastor Alexei, and Brother Sasha when I realized what a gift the Lord had given me: the privilege to invest my life into men for Jesus’ sake. We were all there, just miles from the front, by choice. I introduced them, one by one, and stated our relationship. My son was newly married, attending Bible Institute, yet he chose to be there. Brother Sasha is exempt from military service but also chose to be there. I had a small part helping him with financial support and through our online Bible Institute. Then there was Pastor Alexei. He too has exemption from military service and could have left the country to get his family to safety, but he chose to stay and lead the church. I said, “I watched him grow up in our ministry from childhood.” To which he, piped up and said, “That’s the truth!” I pointed out that they were there, not by conscription, but because of a burden for their souls. We were there because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. The people listened very attentively, and 25 precious souls received Christ as their Savior.

 

Such fruit is not grown in a day. It takes a lifetime of investment on the part of a missionary. I thank God to have made the choice to spend so many hours of my time with men in the ministry. I’ve had several of our supporters comment that I do not communicate with our supporters using social media. I’ve tried to do so in the past, but I find it distracting. Maybe I will in the future. I’ve noticed how many times the words “with them” occur in the Gospels. It refers to the time the Lord spent with His disciples. A missionary can be “on the field” but not in the field “with them.” Again, there is a balance between evangelism and discipleship. Neglect evangelism and there will be no converts. Neglect discipleship and there will be no long-term fruit in the form of a healthy local church. Time spent “with” your converts produces fruit that remains, even while being tried in the fiery furnace of wartime conditions. I’m very thankful for the modern conveniences of communication that allow me to spend time on video and phone calls in meetings in Ukraine. I may not be physically “on the field” all the time but, in the meantime, I certainly spend time in meetings with our people overseeing various aspects of the ministry, making preparations to return to “the field.” We look forward to our soon return to the field where God has put us.

 

Returning to the Field: As I’ve briefly mentioned in past letters, after much prayer and consideration the Lord has made it clear that He wants me to stay in the ministry as a missionary to Ukraine. I’ve had plenty of offers to change direction. Several were very attractive. However, I believe the Lord wants us to return to Ukraine.

 

We certainly could have returned to the field earlier, without proper documents and a functional home, but it would not have helped the ministry in the long term. It would have been for the wrong reasons and would have been less than ideal.

 

It would have cost more in time and money in the long run and could have jeopardized my men in the church at the time. Besides, many supporting pastors called and encouraged me to keep doing what we’re doing. They encouraged me to keep making our evangelistic trips and assured me that our support was solid with them. Such words of encouragement are gold to me, and I will never forget those men who encouraged me to keep going. You know who you are. May the Lord, Himself, bless you.

 

We had hoped to return during the fall season but decided to postpone until after winter for several reasons. The first reason involved stewardship of time and money. We must consider the near future when my son, Christopher, will turn eighteen. This will require us to leave the field for a while to file for his own missionary visa. In the past, when one of my children were about to turn eighteen, I would leave my wife and family in the country while accompanying them out of the country to obtain their own missionary visa. That is not an option this time. We would all have to travel. It doesn’t make sense to spend anywhere from $15K to $18K on plane tickets twice instead of once. We do not have that kind of money after financing our evangelistic trips out east.

 

The second reason involves our ability to function as a family and ministry in Ukraine. By the end of last summer our local power company in Ukraine began announcing that the electricity would be cut off many hours each day. It was not hearsay. This is currently the case. My current setup would cost me $75 to $100 each day to heat and power my house. Many Ukrainians have switched to solar power, inverters, and generators. We need a better power source to stay warm and function. There was work that had to be done on the wiring in our house before we could even purchase and install a reliable cost-efficient backup power source. This was an unexpected curveball thrown at us that required us to delay our return. It is not God closing the door on us making our return impossible.

 

Both of the above-mentioned reasons together required additional time and fundraising. Our supporters have been generously giving towards the refugee work we’ve been doing since the war began. In fact, the past four trips into eastern Ukraine have resulted in more people being saved than my last ten years living on the field. I believe these trips are preparing the ground for future church planting when peace is achieved. The first two of these trips were financed out of the love offerings collected during my deputation/furlough meetings, which cost around $14,000 each. Most of these offerings could have been used in other ways that would have helped us return to the field earlier, but given the delays, I decided to put those love offerings into these trips. It was obvious to me that we could accomplish more on the mission field in the long term by waiting on the Lord’s timing. The last two trips cost $20,000 each and were supernaturally commissioned and provided for by God working through pastors who took the initiative to call me stating their desire to help finance them.

 

What Needs To Be Done: There are four basic things that need to be in place before we can return to the field: 1) documents; 2) a functional home; 3) no escalation of the war to our region; and 4) a way to get my family to safety in case the war spreads to our region in the form of a reliable vehicle. I would like to speak to each of these needs briefly. First, the need for documents. We plan to submit all necessary paperwork in early April. This should take care of everything we need in this area. There are no problems here. No closed doors. Second, a functional home. Not only has the wiring in our house been completed but the Lord literally provided all the funds needed for a backup energy source two days before the new year! The equipment will be installed soon, allowing us to function as a family and ministry once we arrive. Again, this was a delay, not a closed door. Thirdly, the war has not spread to our region and I’ve gotten enough inside information to no longer be concerned about the Russian “peacekeeping” troops stationed in Transnistria (see the map on the first page). Lastly, the Lord provided for a vehicle which is already purchased and sitting in my garage in Ukraine and ready for our return.

 

Please continue to pray for us and our ministry. My family and I would like to thank you all for your friendship, fellowship, prayers, and support of us in this work that God has given us.

That Ukraine May Know Him,

Christopher Rue - A printable PDF version is available here

https://ruemissions.com

https://www.facebook.com/p/Rue-Family-Missionaries-to-Ukraine-100068352738533

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January 2025

 

Dear Churches and Praying Friends.

 

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts 10:38)

 

Greetings in the name of Jesus of Nazareth whom we preach. Again, we must thank God for his many blessings.

 

Another year of ministry has come and gone. The challenges were many, and the power of the Lord was always present to fill the need.

 

In July the Lord provided the money to begin the professional recording of the Bible in Turkish. That work has begun, and should be completed this year. We have ordered some audio players with the Bible recordings on them. So, people who are unable to read can still hear the word of God.

 

Several sinners have come to know the Lord in the last few months. One young lady had complained of an evil spirit that was troubling her every night. We met together and pastor Alish preached the gospel to her, then we all prayed. She asked the Lord to come into her heart. The following Sunday she came to church and brought her husband, and told us that she had truly been delivered.

 

In the city of Shumen there was a lady who lived right across from the church house, but had never attended. At work she cut her foot and it soon became gangrenous. One day she asked me to come pray for her. I preached to her for just a few minutes before praying for her. About a month later she died, but this testimony: Don't let the Muslims do my funeral; I want a Christian burial. That's a great testimony to her family, that she wanted to confess Christ in her death.

 

There are others who have started coming to church, but have not yet made a public profession of faith. Please pray for us as we preach to these people. Some have been hurt by false religion. I'm so glad that Jesus is a friend of sinners.

 

This past year I have been going to pastor Mitko's churches. He has asked for help in his churches while he concentrates on the Bulgarian Bible. Lord willing, he will have that translation finished this year. His churches are a true blessing. Many of the people have been saved for twenty years or more. Over the years he has reached just about every single home in these villages. Not everyone who has heard the gospel has obeyed, but at least they have all heard. Pastor Mitko has done a good work here. If someone were looking for an opportunity to support mission work, Pastor Mitko would be a wise choice. He has been faithful to evangelize the lost, minister to the saints, and translate the King James Bible into the Bulgarian language. Other missionaries in this country have printed Pastor Mitko's gospel of John and distributed hundreds of thousands of them. Would you please pray for him and his work?

 

In Christ,

Zachary LeFevre     A printable PDF version is available here

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January 2025

 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

 

As we begin a new year, I believe it should be approached with optimism as we assuredly know that our God is with us and for us.

 

There are many things to reflect on from the year 2024. Some things that bring happiness and some sorrow, but without fail God has been with us. God has continued to bless our family, and for that I am grateful. Since our last letter we have two new granddaughters. David and Mckenzie blessed us with Ivey Claire, born on October 19th, and Zack and Haylie graced us with Maelyn Belle on September 14th. We are truly blessed with these new additions. God has given us 18 wonderful grandchildren and for this we thank him every day.

 

We returned to Bulgaria after being home for my mother’s funeral, and hit the ground running. We arrived one day, and the next I was driving to Bucharest, Romania to pick up Brother Duane Moore and his son Will. They came to spend around ten days with us. It was without a doubt a time of blessings for us and the churches in Bulgaria. Brother Moore preached in many of our village meetings along with a large meeting in Dabravino. He challenged the believers to reach out to those around them with the gospel. We also spent a day in Romania with Nathan and Jacob Reed and the believers. It was a wonderful time of worship and fellowship. It was also a blessing for the missionaries here to have a three-day meeting and to have our hearts encouraged and challenged from Brother Moore’s preaching. We greatly appreciate him coming, and look forward to him returning in the future.

 

God is continuing to do great things here. Winter has arrived along with many of our folks returning from the fields, and with that we’ve seen our meetings increase in attendance. This is always a blessing. I’m grateful to say that I have made significant advances with preaching in Turkish. It’s still a difficult task, but it is a blessing to be able to preach in their language. I’m still studying the language every week with lessons in Varna which is about an hour from us. I’m doing this, two or three times a week while still attending seven village meetings. It’s keeping me busy. Please pray that the Lord helps me with this. Tracy is doing well and accompanies me when she is able. She is also very active reaching out to those around us. Please pray for her as she ministers to several ladies with the gospel.

 

Every year we look forward to the flour and oil distribution which will begin in a month or so. This usually helps around 1,500 families. It is always a busy time for us, and we may have some people coming over this year to help unload and distribute in the villages.

 

We will also be visited by Brother Jedidiah Bickmore and his wife, Ashleigh, as they make a survey trip here in March. They believe that God is leading them to work in Bulgaria. We pray that we can be a help to them, as God leads them in what he has for them to do.

 

In closing, we are excited to see what God has in store for this year! We ask for your continued prayers and will do our best to remember you in ours. We love and appreciate each and every one of you. 

 

God bless you all,

Brother Keith Blalock         (A printable PDF version with pictures is available here)

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September - November 2024

 

Greetings Beloved,

 

In our last prayer letter, we asked prayer for Dmitri who was to be sent to a hot spot in the war. His orders were changed and he got to stay in Odessa. We asked for Pastor Slava's cousin Sasha who was in training to go fight. He got sent home. We asked for Pastor Slava's mother. She passed from this life, but we were told by one who attended the funeral, I never saw it so quiet at a funeral. Everyone listened so attentively. Thank you for all the prayers you pray for us and for Ukrainians. Please pray for a day children's program we will be having in Lymanske in the beginning of January and for our door-to-door winter evangelization.

 

One of the things we had always wished we had more of to send out was children's Bibles, but they are very expensive and we never could buy very many. Another ministry that had many children's Bibles had Russian strikes several times near their storage place. They feared they could soon be hit and so they decided to send us 2,900+ children's Bibles. All we had to pay for was the transport. About a month after that another ministry heard of our work and sent another 720 Children's Bibles and 3,287 other children's books. We estimate it would cost $44,000 or more to purchase these books wholesale. Of course, orders are coming in more now as people hear that we have such books. One mother who received one of these children's Bibles wrote, “My child is so thankful for the children's Bible!” We looked for one for a long time.

 

God also blessed us with over 700 New Testaments, 9,000 daily devotional calendars and other Christian literature. We have printed up 90,000 4.125 by 5.75-inch calendars. Half of these calendars have Luke 2:10-11 on the front which talk about good tidings of great joy and the back of the calendar talks about all the joy that comes when anyone accepts Jesus as his or her Saviour. The other 45,000 calendars have Matthew 11:28 and Isaiah 53:6 on the front and on the back, it talks about how everyone is offered salvation if he/she will recognize their sin and come to Jesus, who is waiting for them to come to Him by faith. We also have printed up 32,800 evangelization bags: small bags to be used to put literature in especially for going door to door or for use for those who distribute literature from tables set up in public places around the country. On one side of this newly designed bag, we have the picture of sinful man with the cross of Jesus Christ making a way for any sinner who wishes to come to God the Father. We have accompanying Bible verses that explain it all. On the other side of the bag, we have 1 Corinthians 15:3,4 and the Romans road on an illustration and an example prayer. Of course, all our literature has our contact information on it. Please pray that God will prepare each person as they somewhere, somehow receive this literature that He has put in our hands to distribute!

 

With love and prayers,

Paul and Angela Gray

Psalm 68:11

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LeFevre Family Christmas Letter 2024

 

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich,

yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

 

Dear friends, family, and the fellowship of Saints, A Merry Christmas to you all!

 

Time has a way of playing tricks on us. Last Christmas seems like an eternity ago, and yet where have the days gone in between? We spent last Christmas in America, drinking in every wholesome seasonal pleasure available to us. We even saw Santa Claus on more than one occasion and in completely different locations. I did notice several telling discrepancies regarding his person at each appearance. I’ll not belabor the differences in dress: that, in the fancier shopping center he was much more richly attired than he was in the classroom, where his outfit seemed shabby. We all have in our closets clothing varying from the expensive and uncomfortable to the well-worn and cheap. And we too dress, for the most part, to suit our surroundings. I don’t fault him for that. But when he expects us not to notice that he’s grown or shrunk in height or weight, and that his whiskers alter their length and hue, it strains credulity! And why, if he has his own means of manufacturing, is he always found in Malls?

 

Santa Claus very much aside, we very much enjoyed our Stateside Christmas. It’s less the customs and accoutrements of the holiday that bring us joy, and more the souls we pass it with. Surrounded by those dear to us, we thank God for the occasion that affords the reunion. It’s always good to get together, and the older we get the more excuses we find to do so. We seek out trifles, or nothings, and elevate them to necessities that we might once again be in the company of those that yield the most pleasure.

 

And yet Christmas by itself is a fount of joy that far excels and eclipses all the personal sentimentality that surrounds both the day and the season. While we revel in all of its trappings, the advent of the Almighty needs no external adornment to add to its magnificence. In fact, adding to often detracts from. I understand that the condescension of the Lord Jesus has contributed to the enriching of every facet of our human existence, and we celebrate that fact as best we can. But every benefit, every blessing reaped from believing, is intended to reflect clearly and distinctly His image alone. We are prone, as a people, to lose ourselves in our provisions and forget to kiss the Son that provides them. Recall to mind that the intent and expense of the gift serves to illustrate the affections and wealth of the giver. And has anyone ever given so unspeakable a gift to such an undeserving recipient as He to us? There is no way to quantify the expanse between those two extremities. And a life lived in absolute dedication and perpetual gratitude to God for the gift of His Son is only a start.

 

What wonderful, humbling thoughts! I feel almost ashamed to move on to anything else. Let me retain that spirit of thankfulness, recognizing the gracious handiwork of the good Lord in all His blessings. And He has blessed us exceeding abundantly.

 

Not least of His blessings, though smaller than the rest at present, is Derrick Wade LeFevre. How can I, in a single paragraph, do justice to the joys Jesus has granted us through “Little Fellow?” He turned five recently, and, by his own testimony, has grown up. He laughs, in good humored contempt, at the frivolities and eccentricities he manifested while four. His tastes have become more refined, more mature with age. He informed me yesterday that while four he was fascinated with trains, preferring to watch Thomas the Tank Engine. (The original, British version, not that abomination America produced, or the awful modern wreck, where the Island of Sodor is home to a multicultural depot, with engines of every nation shunting unnatural freight. Does that sound racist? It’s not. I just have the God-given sense to recognize that children’s programs have no need for politicization and can reflect wholesome virtue illustrated best during a specific period in time, and ought not be mediums of progressive propaganda. Which is why, if the kiddos are so inclined to watch cartoons, we only watch cartoons pre-1950, excepting some Bugs Bunny iterations, and Charlie Brown, and obviously the Grinch, with Boris Karloff. I do make an allowance for the 2009 animated version of “A Christmas Carol,” as it follows closely the book.) Now that he’s five, he’s moved on to tornadoes. His exact words: “When I was four, I was a train boy; now I’m five, I’m a tornado boy.” He is definitely a tornado boy, and a dust-storm boy, and a tsunami boy, an earthquake boy, and any and all manner of natural disaster-related phenomenon boy. His obsession with weather permeates every part of his life. While picking him up from school recently, we overheard a teacher discussing a fellow student’s undisciplined behavior with his father. We asked Derrick the little boy’s name who was being kicked out of kindergarten. He replied, matter-of-factly, “Hurricane Johnson.” We asked Derrick, “What do the children call you?” He said, “The Tornado Kid.” They both might have been born a hundred and forty years too late for what seems their obvious calling as desperados. (Do criminals still get nicknames?) People think I’m making things up when I talk about Derrick, or that I’m embellishing or exaggerating, but I assure you I’m not. All of his siblings are older. All of the conversations he hears are more mature. His vocabulary reflects that, even if his understanding doesn’t. While on the town the other night with his mother, he got in trouble for not listening or obeying. She said, “When I get home, I’m going to tell your father.” Arriving home he came straight to me, not waiting on Hannah. He said in a tremulous voice, apropos of nothing, “Dad, we need to have a good talk about discipline and patience, with zero spanks.” The good Lord has enriched our lives with this little boy.

 

Dixie Joy is another one of the Lord’s illuminations in a darkening world. At ten, though growing, she’s getting close to being passed by her little brother in height and weight. We expect a growth spurt soon. I think she fears losing the platinum tint to her blonde tresses when that occurs. She is a sweet little doting thing, always quick with a hug or an outward sign of affection, almost as quick with a flash of the temper and a pooched lip as well. She is very creative, investing her spare time, and even her school time, to personal projects of art or design. She loves Legos and loathes “The Tornado Kid” wreaking havoc on her little villages with his pet F-5. Where she sees the scattered mess of an invasive sibling, he sees the chaotic beauty of nature’s destructive power. Still, for all the strife he causes, Dixie Joy tries her best to mother him. You can imagine how that goes over. She is a well of patience and understanding that suffers occasional droughts. She compliments her mother, embodying the same loving essences, for now less refined, though distilling in her little frame.

 

Christian Asher has undergone a remarkable change in demeanor and stature. He’s days away from turning fourteen. And the impact of his growth hit home when, in preparation for the family picture accompanying this letter, I offered to comb his hair. For the first time in our lives, I couldn’t see the top of his head. But for personal pride, I would have retrieved a stepstool to finish the job. If you notice any mess in the mop atop his head, blame his shrinking father. He has also grown more silent, and at times, sullen with age. Which, if you recollect the child Christian, and all his youthful exuberance and excitable outbursts, the contrast is quite striking. (No one tells us that, do they? No one prepares you for the day when your happy little home, racketed with the cacophony of four perfect little parcels of pure, wholesome, innocent love, wrapped in fun and ribboned with laughter, falls quiet, when hormones beget emotions that grow into moods that hang low like louring clouds threatening storms, and you have to go out into the rain for relief. Growing children isn’t for the fainthearted.) Don’t get me wrong. I’m not likening Christian to the tempestuous sea, or inclement weather; I’m likening him to myself. Of all my children, who each manifest morsels of my moods or mannerisms, Christian is the whole meal. He has more of my temperament than the others. That is a frightening thought and one that has done more to alter my parenting than any book, other than the Bible, ever could. Incidentally, Christian says, “Hi. I miss you. And, oh, oh yeah… Merry Christmas.” I love him. I love to see him get the giggles and catch a glimpse of that little boy peeking out through his big body. I love to see him on Sundays, proud of his appearance, dressed to the nines (or with him, as with me, to the nearest approximation), basking in the warm glow of the light reflecting from his brother’s braces. A man might call himself favored of God and blessed to have one such child; I have four.

 

The fourth copy of my paternal image was stamped first, fifteen years ago. Back then he was all ears and smiles. But such were his ears that growing into them put a strain on his smile. Nevertheless, they both look natural now. He was, though, a perfectly aerodynamic little baby, with a great, round, bald head and two massive wing-like protuberances, flanking his watery, blue eyes. If his nose had been longer, he couldn’t have avoided an association with Dumbo. (I’m only writing this because I know he’ll read it, or it will be read to him -- he struggles with language comprehension –- probably about the same time you’re reading this. It’s hard to say what his reaction will be. I’m gambling on it being gregarious.) He is a good young man. (With ears like his he can’t afford to be unlikable. Hahahahaha. Just kidding, Carrick. I love you.) He has his teenage eccentricities, as do all teenagers, in their desire to both fit-in and yet standout. He sometimes dresses like an old man, in complete disregard of mood or weather, choosing to wear a suit and tie to take out the trash or go to the park in heat of summer; or a short-sleeved polo in freezing temperatures for football practice, with his wide brim Stetson hat shading, but not shielding, his enormous aural appendages. (I’m stopping. I promise.) He really is the most good-natured, respectful young man I know, providing big shoes for younger brothers to fill, and even bigger earmuffs. (As you can see for yourselves in the picture, I am exaggerating, or out and out, lying.)

 

I’m tired. My heart is full, but my thoughts are taxed. It is no small feat to try and sum up, in a few sentences, the sentiments that rule your heart and guide your home. I have attempted to express what can only be experienced. I set out to write my yearly biographical sketch of those individuals whose lives most affect my heart, to convey a sense of their worth to me, and how, as gifts most surely given by God, albeit mainly to and for me, they are blessings in and of themselves; and I have failed. Nevertheless, I enjoy the exercise. Perhaps if more of us penned our thoughts and expressed the love we struggle to articulate, our relationships might be stronger and our homes happier.

 

I haven’t written my usual, glowing review of Hannah, as she said she finds it embarrassing, and I don’t wish to cause her pain. You that know her know how beautiful she is. You know how industrious she is, how intelligent. You that know her closely know that she’s a thoughtful homemaker, a doting mother, and even a teacher. But I know her best. And all that I could say, or rather try to say, wouldn’t do her justice. So, I’ll only say this: She taught me how to love by example. I think that’s enough.

 

I’ve so far neglected to say anything of the wonderful Thanksgiving we passed with Bro. Matt and Miss Jane, Hannah’s parents, in their home in Dabravino. It has been my custom, since beginning this tradition, to start this letter the evening of our feast. This year, however, I spent the days leading up to the holiday in Turkey, studying the language. I returned to Bulgaria just a few days before and passed that time catching up on all the things I had to leave in order to accomplish my goal. I haven’t really had time to pause and muse, and draw inspiration. Needless to say, with Miss Jane and her best daughter, Hannah, helming the holiday celebrations, we dined like kings.

 

Neither have I mentioned the transformation our apartment has undergone, guided by the skillful hand of my beloved, reflective of the season. (She really does make a house a home.) I returned from Turkey to a veritable Christmas wonderland, warm and snug, glowing with lights tastefully hung, and scented with candles. The whole place announces the arrival of the King of Kings. We’re not really waiting on Santa to come on the twenty-fifth; Jesus has already been here and filled more than our stockings.

 

Still, I hope you all receive everything you’ve asked for this Christmas, though I’m positive none of us have made the nice list. (This letter alone excludes me.) If you don’t ask, you won’t receive. I asked for a new laptop, as my old one burnt up. I’m doing all this on a tablet for the first time. There are severe limitations in editing with a tablet, besides my limited imagination and ability. I submitted my request to the attractive blonde Santa Claus that inhabits my close personal quarters. We’ll see. I go out of my way to bring her a cup of coffee every morning and gaze devotedly on her as she scrolls through her phone. I sort and fold the laundry. I make our bed. I dress our five-year-old and drive him to school. I only hope it’s enough. I think I’d be wiser to ask from Him who “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.” If, however, none of us get what we want, let us be eternally grateful we’re not getting what we deserve. And bear in mind that all of the gifts we give or receive are but poor imitations, at best, of the gift God gave to us all in the person of His Son. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15

 

A very merry Christmas to each and every one of you.

O come, let us adore Him.

The William LeFevre Family

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Ukrainian Crisis Letter Fall of 2024

Dear Praying Pastors, Brothers & Sisters,

Oksana’s Operation in Odessa on Oct. 8th was very Blessed! We thank Everyone who prayed for her operation and speedy recovery! She is feeling well, everything healed up. There was no cancer in the tumor!

Praising the Lord for your Prayers and His Protection as missiles & drones hit Odessa ~4+ times/week now! We are Encouraging a couple Churches in Odessa as well as Ministering through Lakeside Baptist Church in Lemansky, Ukraine as we travel to other cities teaching Evangelistic Seminars & Evangelizing.

December 13-15 Missions Conference in Dnipro: Pastor Slavic will be teaching Missions and I will be teaching Practical Personal Evangelism at a Missions Conference. Pray the Lord stirs up this Church and their new Pastor. Dnipro is constantly under drone and missile attacks!

Evangelistic Crusade to Zaporozhe: The Lord Blessed and saved 13 souls as a team of six of us Evangelized from house to house in three smaller villages. He gave us great opportunities to preach at three different locations where Churches pass out food every week and where another Church passes out Bread!

Visiting Widows from Dec. 1-8th: Oksana and I travelled to Chernivtsi to help Pastor Valera and his wife in their monthly ministry of comforting and presenting the Gospel to 65 families who’ve lost either Husband, Son or Daughter due to this war. PLEASE Pray these distressed souls will come to Christ to find Comfort and Rest from Him. Matt 11:28 Praising the Lord for 72-year-old Ekaterina who called upon the Lord for salvation.

Ongoing Evangelism: Project (1) Pastor Eugene’s small bakery bakes loaves of bread. These are distributed with Gospel Tracts as they Preach the Gospel in the town of Northern Sumy Region where daily Mortar Attacks are forcing the Evacuation of five border counties! * Just 50 cents will bake a large loaf of “Bread” to reach a lost soul!

Project (2): Preparing Care packages for Soldiers to be distributed on the front lines. Pray that the Goodness of God will lead them to Repentance and Faith in Christ through His care from Christians. (Rom 2:4) * Includes: First Aid, Hygiene supplies, Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, three tracts, a Gideon’s New Test. and Gospel Postcard Calendar ~ $15. * Two Evangelism PROJECT(s) for your Church to pray for &/or participate in: Please make checks out to: Charity Baptist Mission, PO Box 692, Bristol, TN 37621-0692: Write in memo: Maher- Ukraine – Bread or Maher- Ukraine – Care Package

Local Evangelism: Sharing the gospel with Displaced souls who resettled to Odessa seeking refuge from the war

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Prayer Needs:

1) Learning to Speak and Preach in the Ukrainian Language. Pray for Me!

2) Evangelistic visits to sow and water the Gospel to Displaced souls resettling here seeking refuge from the bombings.

3) Eugene’s Church: Baking loaves of Bread to distribute as they Preach along the front-line towns in Sumy!

4) Soldiers to read the N.T. and Tracts & to be Saved!

5) Zaporozhe: The Sowing of the Gospel Seed at the three Food and Bread Distributions!

6) For the Lord to Open Hearts among the 65 Widows and Parents who lost a son or daughter

7) L.B.C.’s Printing and Correspondence Ministry – Printed our new Gospel Door Hangers with the Romans Road

8) L.B.C.’s Yearly Devotional Calendar distribution of 8,500 packets in 12 villages Sowing the Gospel Seed

9) Pray for L.B.C.’s Missions Conference to be held either Dec. 27-29 or Jan. 3-5.

10) WARSAW POLAND – Evangelism Seminar in a Polish Baptist Church in the end of February!

For the Souls of Ukraine,

 

Richard, Oksana, Elisabeth and David Maher -    A printable PDF version is available here

Remember Phil. 1:12 Things Happen so God can Further His Gospel!

 

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November, 2024

 

Dear Brethren,

 

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and hope this letter finds you well and in His nurturing grace. As winter begins, I’m honestly thankful for the cooler weather, but for many in this country this will only become the beginning of their hardships as they try to search for wood and anything to burn to keep their family warm. I want to thank the Lord for what he has done these last few months of summer and fall in the church here in Pecineagra. This is the village where my in laws live and help us every week with the Turkish meetings. Many of my wife’s relatives live in this village and come regularly to the services. We start with a meal and then we sing hymns, testimonies and then me or my father preach. It is a blessing to hear of the joy in the believers as they leave.

 

This past July, we had a church group come over from Texas to visit the children’s home, where we live, and they came out to Pecineagra. We had three days of church activities with Bible studies, and we cooked meals, and had evening services. It was a tremendous blessing for the children who have never experienced anything like it. Many started to come who have never come before and it was a blessing to see the American’s share the love of Christ. They couldn’t speak the language, but the adults and children could feel the love of God. It was a true blessing to me and my family also. After the group returned to America, our Orthodox neighbors with whom we’ve had problems in the past, went to the police and filed a noise complaint about our singing, comparing it to the sound of howling dogs. This is not the first time they have come against our church, and we ask you to help us pray the Lord touches their hearts and brings them to repentance.

 

In October, some of our fellow missionaries came up from Bulgaria for a big church service in Calarasi, where my dad and mom live. We brought the Turkish believers from Constanta and several other villages to Calarasi, where we had a meal and fellowship and then had a wonderful service. We sang and prayed, people gave testimonies of the Lord’s goodness, then we enjoyed the preaching. The believers were blessed and encouraged to see each other and to just enjoy a good time in the Lord. A couple of days after the meeting in Calarasi, I and some Turkish believers went to Bulgaria for a special service they were having down there. On the way back, at the border between Bulgaria and Romania I encountered problems with the border police who said my international driver’s license were not valid and told me I couldn’t drive until I got specific ones, they accept. My dad was able to get the ones we needed, but I couldn’t drive for around three weeks. It was a trying time, but the Lord showed Himself faithful and provided the funds I needed for Ubers, to get my kids back and forth to school. Several people helped me financially, and I can’t express how much I appreciate them because the Ubers were very expensive.

 

We want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the Lord richly bless all of you, the faithful.

 

 From Constanta, Romania,

 

Jacob Reed and family  A printable PDF version is available here

 

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1

 

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November 2024

 

Dear Brethren, Family and Friends,

 

Greetings from Romania and blessings from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hope and pray this letter finds you well? We have been praying for the ones who have been devastated by Hurricane Helene and are thankful to hear of all the response and faithful testimonies of our great God and how his grace is sufficient. May the Holy Ghost strengthen, comfort, and keep you all, and know you are in our prayers daily.

 

What a wonderful and exciting day to be in our Lord’s work. Darkness only reveals the Light more clearly. So thankful we have the true Light to shine in these dark days and I have found that more people want to come to the Light than ever imagined. Light produces a hope that the captive hasn’t felt in years! We have seen this in our people here in Calarasi. They have been surrounded by religion all their lives but have seen that it is a false hope. We can’t trust in ourselves or our works to accomplish anything good for God. It is only through Jesus Christ we find the strength to come out of these dark places and find his faith in us, which produces a hope and peace that passes all understanding. Thankfully, through your prayers and faithful support all is growing so fast we have had to expand our church building to accommodate people who are coming to the Light. This past summer and fall we met outside under an extended porch roof and grapevine arbor. We would ring our bell, and all knew it was time to come together and sing praises unto our Lord and offer up prayers for our loved ones who are in great distress. What prayers we have seen answered by our faithful Lord, who bids us to ask anything in his name and he would give it.

 

Many new men are coming to the meetings. One man’s name is Ciprian. God has done real miracles in his life. He was in trouble all the time and was very violent and unstable. The whole village was afraid of this young man, but his wife continued to pray and come to church and by the grace of God he was converted, and it is a miracle how God is working in his life. He is always witnessing too many people and bringing them to church. Just last week he brought another young man who had taken some sort of drug and seemed to have lost control of his mind. After the second service the young man has improved, and we are looking for God to do the same work in his life as he has done in Ciprian’s life. Please pray for our meetings and new believers!

 

Now winter has come, and we are purchasing wood for our churches. We also purchase wood for our church widows, as well as the poor, sick, and elderly. It is very difficult for the poor here in Romania! Gas is around $7.00 a gallon and there is a standard 19% sales tax on all purchases and many times another tax can be added and runs the cost up to 30% just for taxes on needed goods. I have some men in our congregation who make their livings by selling wood, and they gather wood and sell it around the community for around $75 dollars a wagon load. This is almost half the market price for me and helps them provide for their families. This is a real need over here and ask you help us pray!

 

It is once again time for our year end Christmas packets. We hope to do over 600 packets this year. We are blessed by you who have given and by our mission board which sends us containers every year. We receive a lot of clothing, diapers, sanitation and medical supplies, as well as blankets, toys and candy. All these things we distribute throughout the year, but at the yearend, we put together what we call family packets. We put together a packet that has something for everyone in the family and a special toy, candy, and clothing for the child that receives the packet. What we have in storage, we give and what we lack, we purchase from local stores. It is the highlight of our year, and we absolutely love to see the little faces light up because most of these children will not receive anything for their birthdays or Christmas.

 

This also is a wonderful way we show the community we care and is a great way to open doors, and keep doors open for the ministry. This is a big job and a lot of work, so we covet your prayers for us and for God’s richest blessings on his children and his church. I will write more about this later.

 

Time would fail to tell of all the Lord is doing in our nine weekly meetings. Each year it seems he is doing more and more. Most of our older believers have gone on to their reward in heaven.

 

I have been with the faithful ones and the ones who weren’t as sincere as they pass. As they entered death, some held on to their former religious traditions and holy works in life, and that seemed to be their only comfort. It troubles me to hear someone speak of their accomplishments or even their failures more than Jesus and his accomplishments and forgiveness as the enter death. Unfortunately, our children know our hearts and because the parents lack of relationship with the Lord and only coming when it seemed there was something to gain, instead of having their sins purged, we’ve seen their children also lack the strength to fully come to Christ with all their hearts. There are exceptions, but most of the time the next generation falls away. Now with the faithful it isn’t the case. I’ve seen God bring wayward children to their dying parent’s side and with sincere desire to find their parents faith. I’ve seen God give the person dying, words of wisdom and experiences, to help the family members know that they weren’t sorry that they followed Jesus fully in life. Not that they lived a sinless life, like their former religion demands, but Jesus is real to them and no matter what they did he was faithful to supply all they needed in life by simple prayer and weren’t sorry they trusted this man called Jesus. This is the case with one of our national pastor’s named Kadir. We have known him for over 20 years, and he has remained faithful despite the devil’s many attacks on his health and though a tragic car wreck which broke his back. His biggest test was the loss of his dear wife to covid in 2021. He has remained faithful and untouched in his walk with his Saviour. He has helped us start four meetings and feeding centers over the years and was at every service we had with exception to the English meeting we have at the children’s home in Constanta and our meetings here in Calarasi. He is dying and I am watching God do these things I spoke about earlier. Please pray for him and his dear family. His family is gathered around him daily watching and taking care of him. He isn’t able to travel with us to the meetings any longer, but we have service in his house every week and it is amazing to see what God is doing before his departure to heaven. He sometimes can stand and sometimes he must sit on the edge of his bed, but always preaches from the Word of God. He will join us via phone video, just so he can hear the Turkish hymns and service. His children have no problem knowing his love and dedication to his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He is the only national pastor we had who has his driver’s license and he would always bring his family to the meetings. Now God is working with his youngest son. He never showed much interest in the meetings until recently, but now God is working strongly with this young man and all Kadir’s family. Now Etem is driving his family and in-laws to the meetings for his father! Please remember this young man when you pray.

 

Thank you for all you do and mostly for the prayers you offer up daily for this ministry. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May God richly bless you the faithful is our prayer!

 

From Calarasi, Romania

Nathan, Teresa and Nate Reed     A printable PDF version is available here

 

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October – November 2024

 

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

 

I hope this letter finds you all thankful in the Lord Jesus. It is the day after Thanksgiving and I’m reminded how the Lord Jesus has been so very gracious and kind. There is much to be thankful for (i.e. salvation, the Bible, the Blessed Hope, etc…) But, sitting to write a prayer letter gives me occasion to think of you, our supporters. I want to thank each and every one of you for every prayer on our behalf in this work. Your support of every kind has encouraged us to continue. I pray all you’ve invested in this ministry will be the source of great rejoicing at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

 

The Lord has graciously provided for another trip into Ukraine for evangelistic work in the former occupied region of Kherson. This time my son, Samuel, will be joining me and I am very excited to serve alongside him in the trenches, so to speak. Our departure is the first week of December. Our plans are to evangelize new towns and visit some of the old ones to check on things as time allows. While I am a church planter at heart and always emphasize long term missions, the situation in Ukraine gives special urgency to evangelism. We want the people in these areas to simply have a chance to hear and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ before going out into eternity. The possibility of the door closing if Russia takes control of the region is another scenario that soberingly reminds of the Lord’s words, “the night cometh, when no man can work.” Lord willing, when peace comes to the area, we hope to engage in more long-term work.

 

There is a lot of preparation and planning that must go into this evangelistic trip. God has provided the funding; we now need lots of prayer. I’ve already wired the money over for the preparation of 1,200 care packages containing food and literature. In addition, we will have even more literature to carry, along with about 800 loaves of bread, and more emergency rations of rice and dehydrated meat. Lord willing, most of the preparations will be finished by the time we land. Please pray for power and conviction of the Holy Spirit as we preach and for God’s protection since we will be very close to the front and things have escalated over the past month.

 

We look forward to spending some time with our church in the Odessa region and will need a few days to work out some details for our permanent return. The men in our church have finished updating the wiring and breaker box in our house. It is now ready for a gas generator. We are still praying for the Lord’s provision and timing to purchase one.

 

Please continue to pray for our paperwork to return to Ukraine. We have a few more details to work out, which is being done with Pastor Alexei, who is the only man who can help us with our paperwork at the current time. His exemption status was granted but is expiring soon. He has filed for another extension, and we are prayerfully waiting for an answer. Our trip will be VERY difficult without him. Please pray that the recruiter’s office will grant another three-month extension.

 

In my last letter I announced that Benjamin, my son, had surrendered to serve the Lord in Ukraine and was preparing to go to Bible Institute. It was an emotional experience for him. I misunderstood his exact intentions amidst the emotion. He was only talking about surrendering to the Lord’s will in general. He is still praying about the Lord’s will involving missions. I’m very happy that he experienced the joy which only comes from total surrender to the Lord. I would be happy for any of my children to serve the Lord with us on the field…IF that is His will. Please continue to pray for him that the Lord’s will be clear to him.

 

Please continue to pray for the following top-of-the-list requests: 1) the Lord’s protection on our upcoming trip to Ukraine; 2) God’s provision for a gas generator, and for a well to be drilled; 3) our paperwork; 4) God’s comfort, wisdom, and safety for our church in Ukraine, especially for the men who are fighting; 6) the growth of those recently saved; 7) our study of the Ukrainian language; and 8) for the war to end. My family and I would like to thank you all for your friendship, fellowship, prayers, and support of us in this work that God has given us.

That Ukraine May Know Him,

Christopher Rue - A printable PDF version is available here

https://ruemissions.com

https://www.facebook.com/p/Rue-Family-Missionaries-to-Ukraine-100068352738533

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July - August 2024

 

Dear Pastors Churches and Fellow Saints.

 

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:22

 

Greetings in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

To begin with, I would like to thank the Lord for the time we could be with our family and friends during our stay in America. We miss all of you and are encouraged and blessed to see you again.

 

While in America we were privileged to preach the word of God and present the work God has called us to in Bulgaria. We visited churches in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee. We are grateful for these meetings and for the prayers and support of all of our churches and individuals.

 

During our stay in America, I suffered some serious problems with my right knee. The diagnosis was osteoarthritis. The cartilage in the knee joint had deteriorated and the joint was bone on bone. It was determined that I needed to have a total knee replacement.

 

On August 30th the surgery was successfully preformed. Dr. Bryant was the Orthopedic surgeon who operated on me. Since then, I have been recuperating and getting around with a walker and a cane. I have physical therapy twice a week and things are progressing well. We want to thank all of you that helped us during this difficult time. We appreciate your concern, love and prayers.

 

We are looking forward to returning to Bulgaria on November 6th. We have lived as missionaries overseas since 1993 and consider it to be "home".

 

We thank the Lord for allowing us the blessings of being a part of this work all these years. We have seen many souls saved, many churches started, and so many needs, both physical and spiritual, have been met. And you, our dear supporting friends, family, and churches, have had a part in this ministry also.

 

May the Lord bless each and every one of you as you have blessed us.

 

All because of Calvary,   (A printable PDF version is available here)

 

Matthew and Jane Welch

 

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October 2024

Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you to all of you who pray faithfully and have supported this work that Brother Ralph Cheatwood began over 40 years ago.

About 25 years ago, after seeing the number of children abandoned at the hospital, especially among the poorer communities in which we worked, Brother Ralph said in church one Sunday that he believed God wanted us to start a children’s home. He wanted a home where these forsaken children could be raised to God’s glory. He also wanted it to be a place where they could be proud to say they grew up in “The Father’s House”. Now, six years after Brother Ralph went home to be with the Lord, we are continuing the vision the Lord gave him with a new generation of children.

Most of our original children are now grown…some married, some moved out on their own and some still here with us…all of them still a part of our family and most importantly a part of God’s family, having come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

In our church, on any given Sunday, we may have our older children - some with spouses, some with their own children, some with boyfriends or girlfriends that they bring to church with them – and, of course, the young kids who now have the example of older brothers and sisters to worship with.

We have a “middle” group of young teens who are all saved, still in school and doing well. Creed, who turns 15 this month, has been leading the singing in our church services for a while now and also sings the occasional “special” during the song service.

We hired a private tutor to “homeschool” our three youngest kids. They are 4, 7 and 8 years old, but having grown up virtually homeless, we didn’t feel they were ready to be thrown into the school system here. They are doing wonderfully… catching up very quickly with the basics as well as learning to speak English. They sit attentively in church and usually ask if we can sing “Jesus Loves Me”, which is their favorite.

For those of you who had children and nurtured them, especially if you brought them up in church, it would be hard to imagine how far they had to go to catch up. Being very neglected, they could hardly speak at all and were very fragile and undeveloped both emotionally and socially. Dara has done an amazing job with them. First of all, making them feel safe and loved. Then bringing out their amazing little personalities that had been buried in fear and suspicion. It has been a year-long journey that was an around-the-clock job, but the results are such a blessing to see.

The Romanian and Turkish churches in town that I care for are doing well. One of our older daughters, Sheker, has the Romanian meeting in her home and she has been a great help to me.

There is never a dull moment around here but, Praise God, we see Him working on every hand. We cherish your continued support and prayers and we remember you often in ours.

In Christ,

Dave, Dara, Sandy and the kids    (A printable PDF version is available here)

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Fall 2024

 

Halito! Hello!

 

It’s that time of year again when the long, hot summer is almost over. Fall is in the air! This verse comes to mind, (Jer. 8:20) The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. And yet, this year has been a time of labor and travel, a time of seeing the Lord save and restore. It’s also been a time of strife in our nation concerning the Nov. election. It’s been a time of heartache for those involved in wildfires and the hurricanes. As we travel, I’m so glad we can claim this verse, (Prov. 18:10) The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

 

The last newsletter had us heading for the west coast and Cowlitz Way Baptist Church in Kelso, WA. The folks there are a blessing to us and have supported us for many years. Pastor Dave and the church have been faithful to “keep the light on” in a place of deep darkness. As we left WA, we knew we were running out of time because we had to be back in OK by the 1st week of September. So, we made our way to New Mexico and the Navajo Nation to be with Grace Navajo Baptist Temple at Mentmore, NM. There Daniel preached and we tried to encourage the Believers. We love these people and always hate to say goodbye.

 

Upon getting back to OK, Elena had been asked to teach in the fall classes at the Baptist School of Native American Biblical Studies in Stilwell, OK. About thirty women showed up nightly for classes on the Book of Ruth, Biblical Counseling, and Women’s Ministries in the church. Such an encouragement to see Native’s working together and starting their own school where church members can come and take classes on certain topics. The goal is to grow stronger Christians and stronger Churches.

 

After that we were asked to go back to NM and sing for the Memorial Service for Pastor Jimmy Walters, his wife, Rachel, and son, Davis, who all passed away in 2020 from Covid. It was an honor to be asked by the family to help remember their loved ones. They were remembered with great testimonies of having lived for the Lord. (Rev. 14:13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

 

In Oct, we were blessed to be back at Concord Missionary Baptist for a revival in Concord, AR. Thank you for your faithful support. We were able to bring Mrs. Shirley’s eighty-six-year-old cousin, Ken, with us and it was such a blessing to have family close by. From there, we went home only to have our A/C and heat unit go out (the 1st night of the fall it dropped to the 30's), but, Lord willing, it will be repaired in a week or so. As this is wrapped up, we have more meetings coming up, the Native Men & Women Bible Conference, homecoming meetings, and other services, so even though fall is here, there are still fields to work in. Please help your missionaries pray that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into HIS harvest. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.

 

Thank you in Jesus’ Name,

 

In HIM, The Higginbothams: Mrs. Shirley, Elena, and Daniel             (A printable PDF version is available here)

 

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Coats for Kids Prep  10/14/24

 

In late spring and on into summer, renovations were happening in Avren. A dilapidated house on the property was expertly renovated for ministry and has given our mission group separate and designated spaces for church, dining hall, printing, coats, etc. For this ongoing project, the coat closet was needed for safe storage of materials and tools. The timing was perfect because the need for that space came at the same time as Larry’s and my trip (and extended medical stay) to America.

 

But as the materials were used in the remodel, the space became less needed and today we went out there to put everything back and take inventory of needs. We were excited to see that doors had been added to the attic storage spaces, and a coat of primer had been painted on the walls. Larry got out the vacuum and I moved tables where I wanted them. We organized hangers and added the new, stronger hangers we got for the heavier adult coats. Then we took inventory of what items and sizes we have the greatest need of. Some baskets were full and others were nearly empty. We have some boots but more are needed. I enjoyed the day - I LOVE working in the Coat Closet!

 

Please pray with us about the upcoming distributions. I look forward to sharing updates!

 

Love to All,

Carrie M. Leach        (A printable PDF version is available here)

 

P.S. To give toward the needs, please make checks payable to:

Charity Baptist Mission

memo: Larry Leach, Jr. Coats for Kids.

 

Charity Baptist Mission,

P.O. Box 692

Bristol, TN 37621

 

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September 2024

IT’S COATS FOR KIDS TIME AGAIN!!!!!

I sat down to write a letter about this year’s coat and sock drive and instead found an old letter retelling stories of Coats for Kids and I decided to recycle it. Why? Because I love these stories and revisiting them bring tears of joy to my eyes. The following is a countdown of my top three favorite Coats for Kids memories:

In late 2009, Naziye’s aunt lay dying on a mat next to the wood stove. She had been a member of the Novi Pazar church for many years, and was the sweetest, most precious woman. No matter how warm they kept the room, she remained cold. I had been giving coats and socks to the kids and then went in to see her. She was small, so I found a teenaged size coat and a pair of socks for her. She had no strength and asked me to put the socks on for her. I did. And quite carefully since her skin was paper thin. Such a fragile state. She reached up one trembling hand and touched my cheek. She pulled me to her face and kissed the other cheek. It was then that I knew I couldn’t possibly limit the coat and sock distribution to only children.

Eforie 2015. Entering the Container Village in Romania was always emotional for me. Driving through the city dump, down a deeply rutted dirt/mud path was bad enough, but when a row of small dwellings came into view in the midst of trash heaps… I always found my heart in my throat. Yet the children there were always so happy. So sweet. So loving. This particular day was no exception. I was inside one of the container houses organizing the coats into piles by gender and age. Outside a line was forming at the door. One-by-one the children entered and were fitted with a coat and a pair of socks. One little girl was antsy for her turn and as soon as she was given the nod she ran and jumped on my lap. We talked a bit and she told me her name. She hugged me over and over. And even again before we left. Her joy both blessed and convicted me. She was the epitome of thankfulness.

Targovishte 2010. Targovishte is a good size city, but the section in which Pastor Nasuf lives and pastors is basically a landfill with a few nice houses, a lot of seriously run down houses, and several cardboard and plastic tarp shacks. On that particular day it was sunny and ice had thawed just a bit to make mud everywhere. Sunny, but cold and muddy. And kids were running barefoot in the streets and in fields full of garbage. Once we got everything set up and sorted at the church, a couple of rough little characters ran in. Disheveled hair. Muddy feet. Snotty noses. Mischievous eyes. I loved them! I fitted them with coats and then went to help one put his socks on. Only, his filthy feet were freezing. I wiped away the mud and then held his small feet between my hands until they were warmed. Then I put socks on him. He giggled the entire time and then hugged me and wiped his nose on me before he took off running toward his next adventure. While the moment itself was precious and unforgettable, it was some time later when the fullness of my experience was revealed to me…

You see, I eventually reached a place in parenting, marriage, home, and ministry where I felt completely worthless. Totally inept. I read Christian self-help books and devotionals and was none bettered. I took up jogging. I got a goat. Many things to better my life and bring some kind of joy or fulfillment. I prayed but it felt as if Heaven was brass and my voice rang back with emptiness in my own ears. My teenager was rebelling. Homeschooling was a joke. My goat proved stubborn and I threatened her by telling her I thought I’d enjoy BBQ’d goat ribs, but she didn’t heed my warnings. My health had begun to challenge me. My house was unfinished and remained in a construction zone state. My husband was beyond overwhelmed, yet remained busy in the churches. I simply didn’t know how much more I could take and I questioned God big time. In my despair I sat with my Bible in the few quiet moments I could steal in a day, and I read again and again the passage of Mary with her Alabaster Box. I cried and prayed and told God that all I wanted for my whole life was to be like Mary and worship at His feet. To wash His feet with my own tears. To give of everything precious to me, just for Him, so how was it that I ended up sitting in a pool of my own tears, alone and bitter. In that dark moment, scenes of Targovishte sprang to mind. Little muddy feet. The Lord revealed to me, even in my ugly state, that I’d lost perspective. I wasn’t seeing anything beyond my struggles. And every foot I got to clean or warm were His. That one revelation has been the prize and joy of my life. I have touched the feet of Jesus. What a tremendous honor I hope I never again take for granted!

It’s not yet cold enough for coats, but it takes quite a bit of time to raise money from America, get it sent here, and begin purchasing. That’s why I write this early. Please pray with us for this year’s coat and sock distribution, and if you can give anything to help with the need, it will be appreciated more than you’ll ever know. To give toward this ministry, please make checks payable to Charity Baptist Mission with “Coats for Kids” in the memo.

Larry Leach, Jr.
C/O Charity Baptist Mission
P.O. Box 692
Bristol, TN 37621

Keep us in your prayers; we need it!
Love to All,
Carrie M. Leach      (A printable PDF version is available here)

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July – August 2024

Greetings to all the Churches, Pastors and Friends in the Gospel,

I appreciate all the prayers and concerns for our health. I am doing well from my surgery and even better than the first prostate surgery I had several years ago. Debbie, my wife, is still struggling with taking cancer preventive medicine. We feel it is causing many of the problems that she is suffering with at this time. She has had a couple of steroid shots that helped this summer. Please pray for us as we make decisions concerning this medicine.

We have had a rather busy summer, as we always do every year, while coordinating and preaching in conferences. In March and August, we took nationals from all over the world to visit churches in West Virginia and North Carolina. We are away from home for about a month with this part of the ministry. I also take four trips to a particular Hispanic country each year, and sometimes go to other Spanish speaking countries. Please pray for my wife, as this takes me away from home quite a bit.
When home I am usually preaching on the weekends and sometimes in other states. This is necessary, to continue our ministry in Spanish speaking countries, as we present and bring updates while preaching in our supporting churches. We have had some great services this year! GOD IS SO GOOD!!

If your church is not involved in some facet of missions (whether at home or abroad), you are missing out on some real blessings! A scripture we have used for years concisely states: "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Proverbs 29:18

I think "perish" not only refers to the people you could have reached had you been involved in missions; but also if we as believers do not have a vision to care for souls, our reason for even existing diminishes. A heart wrenching example is the Ethiopian eunuch. "And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?" He answered frankly and honestly: "And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. Acts 8:31-32

Joyfully Yours,

Farren Caeble 1 Sam 12:24    A printable PDF version is available here

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