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This song is about how Fred Potter got saved, written by Danny Minton. |
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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!
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updated 10-3-24 |
Brookside Baptist Church 2024 Fall Camp Meeting
Monday October 21st - Friday October 25th
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) 878-2771 or (423) 646-1352
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Watch Brookside Baptist Church live streams at:
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Missions Updates
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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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Ukrainian Crisis Letter - Summer of 2024
Dear Praying Pastors, Brothers and Sisters,
Mid June: We moved back to Ukraine. We Praise the Lord for His protection as we live in Odessa which has missile and drone attacks 1-3+ times a week! We have been Ministering to Lakeside Baptist Church in Lemansky, Ukraine and assisting Slavic our national pastor as we make trips to other parts of Ukraine. Pray for the Church’s outreaches and Growing Correspondence ministry: printing and sending out thousands of tracts weekly.
July 5 and 6 trip to Nikolayev Oblast (Territory formerly Under Russian Occupation): Missionary Casey Kline and Brother Sasha Illchenko needed help with transportation to Preach and distribute 500 Aid boxes in five heavily damaged villages. We had great liberty and many responded to receive Christ as they heard the Gospel clearly for the first time.
July trip to Chernivtsi: Pastor Valera invited me to present the Gospel to visited 45 families who had either lost their Husband, Son or Daughter due to this war: The Lord supplied both physically with a large care package of food and spiritually with a clear Gospel Explanation: Gregory 72 and Lydia 54 called upon the Lord for salvation. The Lord opened up opportunities to present the Gospel at three week long Children’s camps: 65 children and parents, then 100 children in a small town and over 310 came out from five different mountain villages- 90 parents also heard the Gospel.
(Most of the time I use either a large “EvangeCube” or “EvangeFold” with pictures to clearly illustrate the Gospel).
*{If interested in this material: https://www.christianbook.com/page/church/outreach/evangecube (watch the video of how to use the eCube *ON SALE). *Large Evangefold: https://www.etsusa.org/church-supplies/evangelism-resources/evangecubes-c6095/
August trip to Chernivtsi: Oksana and I encouraged a few new Churches. We also presented the Gospel on eight Evangelistic Visits as well as teaching the Gospel to 85 and 60 children at two VBSs. I taught a Workshop on Practical Evangelism to 30+ young adults and youth. We also worked at a camp ministering to 35+ widowed wives and wives of soldiers actively serving in the war. I was able to clearly present the Gospel to them and their Children separately.
Praising the Lord for how He works (Philippians 2:13):
Our Son DAVID labored from April-August with Slavic (Oksana’s Brother) doing Evangelistic/Humanitarian help & participating in Christian Camps in Odessa. On August 4th he Followed the Lord in Believers’ Baptism at Lakeside Baptist Church! He also Proposed to His Fiancé Evelyn! She is from Odessa and worked at camps with him for three years.
Our Elisabeth spent the summer here: visiting Refugee friends, as a leader at Camps in Odessa & helping with Lakeside’s VBS. She is now finishing up her last semester of college and is seeking God’s direction for her Life.
Prayer Needs: 1) Learning to Speak and Preach in the Ukrainian Language. I have preached in Russian for 30+ years, BUT due to this WAR, most Ukrainians don’t want to hear the Aggressor’s --language.} Pray for Me!
2) Slavic (Oksana’s Brother) is distributing firewood and Evangelizing families in the formerly occupied Kherson Oblast.
3) Evangelistic visits: Slavic’s camp is housing 30+ (mainly elderly) displaced souls who we will be visiting to sow the Gospel seed and water it as we minister to these Displaced souls resettling here seeking refuge from the bombings.
4) Bro. Eugene laboring in Sumy Region set up a small bakery; They Preach and distribute large loaves of bread with Gospel tracts while Evangelizing where daily Russian Mortar Attacks are forcing the Evacuation of five border counties!
*{Looking for an Evangelism PROJECT to pray for or participate in: 50 cents will bake a loaf of “Bread” to reach souls! 5) Project 2: Care Package for Soldiers including: First Aid and Hygiene supplies, Chocolate bar and Gospel Tracts~$15.
Make check to: Charity Baptist Mission, PO Box
692, Bristol, TN 37621-0692
Write in memo: Maher - Ukraine – Bread or Maher- Ukraine – Care Package
For the Souls of Ukraine,
Richard, Oksana, Elisabeth and David Maher
Thank You all for faithfully praying, supporting & being genuinely concerned for our family and our safety and especially for the souls of Ukraine during this devastating time: Remember Phil. 1:12 Things Happen so God can Further His Gospel! A printable PDF version is available here
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September 2024
Dear Churches and Praying Friends,
"But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day,
and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying,
Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on." (Acts 13:14,15)
Greetings in the name of Jesus, the son of God, the holy one who died, yet was raised by God and saw no corruption. Through this man is preached the forgiveness of sins. It is our wonderful privilege to preach this gospel. We praise the Lord for the many here in Bulgaria who have believed on Jesus, including four young ladies who were baptized this week.
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the archaeological site of Antioch in Pisidia. They had there the remains of an old church building, basically just the foundation stones. That church, it is said, was built upon the previous building - a Jewish synagogue, where Paul visited and preached after the reading of the law and prophets. Upon hearing the preaching of the gospel many believed.
The reason for our visit in that region was to begin the work of publishing the Old Testament in the Turkish language. Missionary Ralph Cheatwood worked on this translation for over thirty years. His desire was to deliver to the people the right Bible and the right Spirit. He translated the Bible into modern Turkish according to the English King James Bible. Although he went home to be with the Lord several years ago, his work continues. Our publishing method is two-fold. First, we have the Bible on the internet for people to read. Secondly, for those who cannot read (most of our Turkish believers here are illiterate), we have professionally recorded the reading of the New Testament. Now, Turkish speakers anywhere in the world can both read and listen to the New Testament in their language. This year we begin the recording of the Old Testament.
To do things right is not cheap. The professional recording studio in Turkey asked for twenty- five thousand dollars to do this job. I certainly didn't have that kind of money, but thought that the Lord might give it to me. This summer I was back in the states for four weeks for my son to attend some youth camps. I imagined that maybe during those four weeks I might get into a few churches and share our burden for this ministry and that those churches would supply the need, but I quickly talked myself out of that. There's no way, I thought, that the Lord would give us twenty-five thousand dollars in just four weeks. Well, the Lord did give us that money, but in just four days! I believe that He wants His word published. Our prayer is that in old Antioch and the regions round about, the reading of the law and prophets will one day be followed by a word of exhortation concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and some believers will be filled with joy and the Holy Ghost.
We thank you all who have given towards this project. May the Lord of the harvest bless all of your efforts to help publish this gospel among all nations.
In Christ, Zachary LeFevre A printable PDF version is available here
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September 2024
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15
One of the great hopes we have as a child of God is the security of knowing that heaven is waiting for us when we die. It also gives us peace to know this is true for our loved one who died with faith in the Lord. August 29th at around 2:23 PM my mother went to be with her Lord. Words cannot express the impact she had on my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren. She was also “Mamaw” to many others. She was loved by so many whom she touched by the love she so eagerly shared. Thankfully, we were able to be with her when she went on to be with the Lord. We returned to the States when it became evident that Mom was going to pass. Thankfully we were able to be by her side at home under hospice care, as she peacefully went on to be with her Savior. Please keep my father in your prayers as he adjusts to life without his partner of 62 years.
We will be returning to Bulgaria on October 17th. During this time, we will be waiting for the arrival of two new grand babies. Zack and Haylie are expecting around mid-September and David and Mckenzie around mid-October. We are praying that we will be here for both. The latest we can stay due to our visa process is October 17th. We will be taking this time to assist my father in any way that we can and of course seeing our new grand babies.
The work in Bulgaria has been going well. We have experienced one of the hottest and driest summers on the books and with that have been unprecedented wildfires. The construction project in Avren has gone very well. I’m grateful to all those who contributed to this. We still have a little way to go in completing all the interior work; flooring, electrical, plumbing, kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures. We trust the Lord to supply these needs as they arise.
We recently had a “Sofra” in Avren. A sofra is a special meal and gathering to commemorate or celebrate an event. In this case it was a celebration. Many people came, and it gave us a good example of what we desire to do with the building and church in the future. We all are very excited for what the future holds in Avren.
As always, I am grateful for your prayers and support. We ask that you remember us in these coming days as we prepare to return to Bulgaria a few weeks from now. We will be hosting Brother Duane Moore for a week when we return and look forward to seeing what God will do during the time that he is with us. Please also pray for our daughter and daughter-in-law as they await these babies to come and for my father as he adjusts to life without mom.
God bless you all,
Brother Keith Blalock (A printable PDF version with pictures is available here)
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May – June 2024
Dear Pastors, Churches, and Fellow Saints,
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
I am very thankful that the Lord blessed my wife and me with ten beautiful children and eleven grandchildren. Our youngest daughter, Charity, graduated from Pensacola Christian Academy in May. We are very proud of her and thankful for everyone who helped her accomplish this. We are also grateful for the time we could train her in the “way” she should go.
I’m thankful for that way, also known as the gloryland way, the old paths, the gospel road, the right way (Gen. 24:48), his way (Deut. 8:6), the good and the right way (Isa. 12:23), thy way (Ps. 25:4), and God’s way (Acts 16:17). It’s a glorious, blessed, satisfying, peaceful, and life-giving way. I entered the way in 1979; I received the Lord Jesus Christ (the way, the truth, the life, John 14:6) as my Lord and Savior and was translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. It’s a wonderful way.
We are not only admonished to train up a child in the way he should go, but we also have the promise that when he is old, he will not depart from it. It’s the way he was trained in, always before him, written in his heart, and he can’t depart from it.
I believe the prodigal son was trained in God’s way. Yet when he left, he couldn’t help but compare the “bad way” to the “good way.” He went from being “in want” to having “bread enough and to spare,” from not “worthy to be called thy son” to “this my son,” from “took his journey into a far country” to “I will arise and go to my father,” from “fain have filled his belly with the husks” to feasting on “the fatted calf,” and from sent to the fields of swine to the father having compassion on him, kissing him, and receiving him safe and sound. What a blessing! No matter how far he strayed from his father’s way, he could never get so far that the way he was brought up in departed from him. As a Christian father, I take great solace in the promises of God found throughout the scriptures. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us (2 Cor. 1:20).
Concerning our new building in Avren, Bulgaria, we have started to hold church services. Our families meet here to have an English service on Sundays. Bibles and songbooks in the Bulgarian and Turkish languages are printed and bound here. We are close to finishing the building, but still have a little ways to go. We cannot express enough our thankfulness to all who prayed and helped out financially.
All because of Calvary, (A printable PDF version is available here)
Matthew and Jane Welch
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June – July 2024
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
I hope this letter finds you enjoying the Lord’s word and will. The last two months were spent in meetings in OH, KY, ND, MT, and ID. It was a great blessing to visit with these pastors and their congregations again, even if it were for a few hours. My brother-in-law, Pastor Samuel Witter, asked me to preach a two-day revival, while we enjoyed meeting his new bride, Emily. We were encouraged in these meetings seeing the Lord move during the invitations and an increased interest among young people to help on the mission field.
We’ve begun the paperwork process for religious visas to return to Ukraine. We do not know how long the process will take due to the war. Please pray for all that is involved.
My right-hand man in the ministry, Pastor Alexei, has been called up to appear at the local recruiter’s office. He has had exemption status since the war began which has given him the freedom to lead the ministry. He was in the category that does not require parents of handicapped children to serve. However, Ukraine recently changed these laws making conscription for him a possibility. Please pray with us that they will extend his exemption. There are many legal aspects of our lives, both personal and ministerial, that are in his name. If he were to be conscripted it would affect many, especially his wife and family.
I was hoping to make another short trip into Ukraine during the latter part of August. My vehicle, however, broke down during our travels and repairs were very costly causing us to postpone the trip till later this fall. We are, at the moment, prayerfully considering our family making a three-month trip into Ukraine without waiting for our visas. Such a trip would allow us an opportunity to accomplish much work before winter hits. This would include allowing us to encourage the church, continue trips into eastern Ukraine, prepare our house for our return, put up food, and take care of our paperwork on that side of the ocean.
Please continue to pray for the following requests: 1) the Lord’s guidance and provision for our next trip to Ukraine; 2) God’s provision for a gas generator, and for a well to be drilled; 3) our paperwork; 4) God’s will for Samuel and Susanna; 5) God’s comfort, wisdom, and safety for our men in Ukraine; 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. May the Lord Jesus bless you as you continue to serve Him.
That Ukraine May Know Him,
Christopher Rue
A printable PDF version is available here https://ruemissions.comhttps://www.facebook.com/p/Rue-Family-Missionaries-to-Ukraine-100068352738533/
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August 2024
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Summer 2024
Halito! Hello!
As I write this letter, we are taking a few days breather in Yaak, MT, after being in services Saturday and Daniel preaching Sunday. This place is very special to us as we have been coming here for many years. Many of you have heard us talk about it and the church here. There aren’t many places you go where you see moose playing outside your door! We love the Yaakers!
When we finished our spring meetings back East (where the Lord met with us and His people) we began the summer work in OK. The summer work is a time of focus on children. The Choctaws do their VBS a little different in that they have adult classes and also close the VBS every night with a preaching service. We started June off helping at Grace Indian Baptist at Talihina, OK. The membership of the church is a blessing because they have stepped up and do their own VBS now. We hang out with them and I teach the mission story, Daniel helps in preaching, and Mrs. Shirley with music, but for the most part they are self-sufficient and I mean that in the best of ways! They rely on God, but have taken off the training wheels so to speak and are following the great commission like “white” churches! It’s like a family atmosphere and we saw four young people come to Christ!
We moved on to Indian Baptist Missions Camp the second week of June. We helped with the teaching, music, and preaching. The crowd was small this year, but we did have some Navajo come from NM. We pray the Lord will restore the ministry the camp has had to many tribes for 30+ years.
The 3rd week of June found us at Keota, OK and New Hope Indian Baptist Church. This church is among the oldest in OK and was most likely started by Choctaw Missionary Peter Folsom. In fact, he is buried here on the church property. It is around 140 years old, with no pastor and the decimation of Covid, the church has only a handful coming, but they are faithful. We were privileged to work with Grace Indian Baptist and help them with a VBS. The members from Grace worked their jobs and then drove the hour and a half one way to hold the VBS every day. The Word was shared and the people of New Hope encouraged. They are not alone and not forgotten by a Heavenly Father who loves them!
The last week of July was spent at Spring Hill Church in Honubia, OK. This week is more like a family camp. Day classes for all ages till noon, followed by lunch and then mandatory singing school learning Choctaw and English hymns. We have nightly services for all enrolled at the VBS, and those that live nearby come also. Mrs. Shirley had to teach the 2-5 year-old class for a couple of days when Mrs. Josephine had to work, and little did she know the young man helping her was one she had taught 30 or more years ago! God is so good! Some that have attended the camp for years have chosen to walk away from truth and the Lord. It’s an answer to prayer when they come back and also to see the Lord still save souls along and along like He did young Peyton, this week. This brings us to July and we had one more VBS to work in at Zion Missionary Baptist in McAlester, OK. Once again, we teamed up with Grace Indian Baptist.
Again, we had classes and a service after. We taught on the book of Daniel for four of the five weeks, so we were all familiar with our lessons and it all worked smoothly. The Higginbothams have been going to Zion for about 37 years or so.
Like most Native churches they were in need of a pastor, but they have had Bro. Ron Burning fill in for them in the winter months and now Bro. Ross is helping with preaching on Sundays. Because of this they have had more people coming. Zion has a Godly heritage and I know they were being cheered on by a great cloud of witnesses. Unfortunately, as you leave OK and began to head west this is not the case.
The Choctaws have had the gospel before leaving MS on their trail of tears. Whereas, most reservations have no church of any kind, and especially not a Bible preaching, fundamental church.
We went home to rest a bit before heading to Fort Hall, ID and the Shoshone Bannock tribe. We merged with Missionaries to the Sho-Ban Joe and Lela Copley, Hoopers Creek Baptist from Fletcher, NC, Missionaries Gerry and Sherril Locklear and us! Whew! We have worked with this team several years and it’s a joy as all hands are on deck. Faith Baptist Church has grown in number since last year! How wonderful! The tribe will not allow us to door knock so it’s up to the parents to bring the children, which some did! Or Mrs. Lela and Bro Joe to run their normal bus routes. The church was full to capacity every day, with people standing around the walls! We finished the week with four young people coming to know Christ and left some wanting to know more. We believe that God will continue the work started in these young and old hearts. Psalm 119:130 KJV. “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”.
When we got to Fort Hall, ID we found out that the next two VBS with the Kalispel and Spokane tribes in WA state had been canceled. The church that was going to be working with us locally were unable to work this year and unfortunately neither tribe was responding, leading us to believe that they were not interested in a VBS with their children. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:9 KJV. “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries”. The Adversary does not want us to labor in these fields and there are times God shuts the door. We pray this is not the case. Does not Christ love these people? Is His arm to short to reach them? Is the Light of His Love grown too dim to shine in these dark places? Or is it that the churches of America have no burden for the lost? My mind goes to the pictures in the old days when a fire broke out on a building and the people would line up and pass a bucket single file, person to person, until the last person poured the water on the fire. That’s how it is when we partner with you, our supporting churches, and then those churches like, Hoopers Creek, and Grace Indian, and then connect with Missionary Copley, arm in arm until finally we drop the seed of God’s Word. And one, or two, or four people come to Christ. Praise the Lord for salvation that reaches to the uttermost!
As we rest a few days before heading to the west coast of WA and then all the way back to NM with the Navajo people, we are rejoicing in what our eyes have seen; people coming to Christ, tribes reaching other tribes, and, the Word of God being planted in new and old places. Pray for us that our strength and faith fail not. We have more miles to go before hitting Oklahoma again and we want to be faithful to Him and give our best for Him. We are thankful for your love and support and prayer for us and the Native people.
In Him, the Higginbothams,
Mrs. Shirley, Elena, and Daniell (A printable PDF version is available here)
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June 2024
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for
the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”
Revelation 21:23
To Family, Friends, and Fellow Saints,
The older we get and the longer we serve the Lord, the more Heaven means to us.
Maybe it has to do with us having more people over there than here. I was with a
preacher the other day who turned 87. He was on his way to preach in the
prisons. When asked why, he said something to the effect that he was looking to
see old friends. A fellow preacher responded, “You’re 87; if you’re looking for
friends, they’re more likely in the graveyard than the prison.” My old dad would
often peruse the county cemeteries looking at headstones. When I asked why, he
replied, “I know more people here than I do anyplace else.” Heaven is sweeter
because of the certainty of a reunion.
Maybe Heaven means more because of the vexation of our spirits living in this
wicked world. I know there’s nothing new under the sun. I know that history
repeats itself and that the days of Noe and Lot have once again come upon us.
And yet, the days of Noe and Lot run concurrent in our day. In addition,
according to my humble interpretation of scripture, the devil knows he has a
short time left and has redoubled, or trebled, or multiplied his energies at
wreaking havoc. His mask of subtlety has slipped, and his hatred is manifest
everywhere. Every means of media has been infiltrated and blares out with
reckless abandon and obnoxious repetition the odious and outright abominable
message of the age. If you make the effort to shut it out, you still have to
endure the effects on those who take it in. Only in Heaven will we be once and
for all freed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, having passed out of
the devil’s domain into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God. Heaven is sweeter
because of its absolute purity, its wholesomeness, its goodness.
Maybe Heaven means more because of the pains we bear. There are physical pains:
pains that come with age, pains that come with disease and illness, that the
passing years exacerbate. There are pains that come with experiences, misfortune
and misunderstanding, trials and tribulations. Sometimes the physical hurts are
easier borne than the emotional. Regardless of their source or sustain, these
burdens grow heavier with the years; or perhaps we grow weaker, too frail to
endure long what we once bore patiently. We long to lay off these weights, soar
homeward, and be at rest. Heaven is sweeter because all of the things that
trouble and have troubled us will be gone forever.
Maybe Heaven means more because we long to worship. There might be some reading
this that view worship as an abstract idea. You’ve read the word and even looked
up its definition, but you’re unsure of its application. Some folks’
understanding of worship is cultural, i.e. what they do down South, or in a
particular church, or at a particular meeting. Some people’s understanding of
worship is based on their negative views of the “contemporary” church: “Well, if
that’s worship, I don’t want any part of it!” (It isn’t; and you probably
won’t.) And there are even some who’ve searched the scriptures and can give a
chapter and verse definition of the term, straight from the KJV, who are as much
out of practice or unwilling to participate as the modernists they condemn. But
the lover of the Lord Jesus longs to lay at His feet and bask in His glory. Have
you ever tasted and seen that the Lord is good? Have you ever once experienced
His presence?
Have you ever forgotten your cares and lost track of your requests as streams of
gratitude poured forth from your heart? Heaven will be worship. Hearts
unbounded, free at last, unhindered by any carnal or worldly consideration, will
break forth in unceasing praise of Him who loves us and washed us from our sins
in His own blood. Songs will swell the vaulted corridors of the celestial city.
Jeweled crowns of unimaginable splendor and inestimable worth will sail across
the throne room and clang at the feet of Jesus without a second thought given.
Creatures hitherto unknown and unguessed and unfathomable will chant His praises
in perfect harmony with the saints. Heaven is sweeter because we’ll finally get
to worship the way the soul intends, and the flesh can no longer hinder.
I guess the list could go on and on, couldn’t it? In the end, Heaven is what it
is because of Him. Sam Richards, the old, white-haired Sunday school teacher,
would say, “He’s the highlights of Heaven.” In fact, everything there is a
reflection of Him. Paul, while referencing Moses and the tabernacle, said, “He
who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.” And just as
everything in the tabernacle pointed to Christ, so everything in the New
Jerusalem points to Him. The street, the foundations, the walls, the gates, the
river and trees – He’s in all, over all, above all – Lord of all! Not to sound
masonic, but He’s the architect, and everything reflects His genius. Everything
reverberates with His praise. Everything echoes His goodness.
“And when I see Him face to face…”, that’s Heaven. “For now we see through a
glass, darkly; but then face to face.”
In the meantime, we endure as seeing Him who is invisible; and we walk by faith
until we walk in sight.
Gracious that’s not half bad, even if the worst missionary you know did write
it. Until we see Him, we’re carrying on doing what we can for all we can. We’ve
only got a few more weeks left in the country, then we’re headed back to
Bulgaria. We fly out of Dulles on the 23rd of July. The good Lord has provided
us another apartment in Shumen, only a few blocks away from the one we had to
leave. We’re excited about taking up residence in it.
The boys will be attending a couple of youth camps in July, before our return.
Keep them in your prayers. There’s lots to do and get done before our exodus.
Pray we can get it all accomplished.
Bro. Zach wrote in his prayer letter about the Turkish Bible. The proofreading
is finally done. They want to get it recorded, like Scourby, and put the
recordings on the radio in Turkey and on YouTube. To get the whole Bible
professionally recorded will cost a big chunk of money, $25,000. A number’s a
number to God. What seems big to us is nothing to Him. Help us pray.
Because of a living Savior,
The William LeFevre Family (A
printable PDF version is available here) www.facebook.com/bulgarianlefevres
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April 2024
“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come … Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Song of Solomon 2:9-13
To Family, Friends, and Fellow Saints,
Winter is that season of the year when, due to the earth’s tilt on its axis, a hemisphere is farthest from the sun. As such it is defined by coldness, being farthest from the source of its warmth, and by darkness, as the hours of daylight are brief. Without heat and light, growth ceases; plants wither and die. The landscape appears barren and lifeless. Creation is held in suspended animation until in the process of time the planet in its orbit draws nearer to its center once again. Our God in His wisdom ordained the earth’s circuit, and by its placement in the heavens created the seasons we sometimes enjoy and sometimes lament.
You can draw many parallels to life from the circuit of the earth. And yet our text points to a contrast. When the Shulamite’s Savior appears, calling her to come away with Him, winter is past. Not that winter has passed, as time passes, but is past, as in gone or done away with.
I’m fully aware that when the Lord Jesus appears to summon us to Himself, and we go to forever be with our Redeemer, winter will never come again. The long nights will be over, and we’ll bask forever in the unceasing rays of the Sun of righteousness. Not a single cloud will pass between us again.
But I know this as well, that when He comes by His Spirit, through His word, now, in this life, regardless of every contrary consideration – winter is past, as if it never occurred. In the presence of Jesus, the dreary, gray clouds –pouring rain and portending more – vanish, revealing the brilliance of the azure sky. At the sound of His footstep, flowers spring forth, bud, and blossom brightly, exhibiting their most vivid hue. The melody of the song birds fills the air heralding His arrival, every note audible sweetness. The glory of creation flows from Him, reflects Him, and adores Him.
And yet for all that, it’s to me He comes. My beloved has eyes and ears only for me. How can winter linger when love burns so vehemently? And who could recall the winter in the wonders of such a spring?
That’s a big, fat, flowery way of saying God sure is good, and there’s nothing better than being saved! I hope these few scattered thoughts find you faring well and weathering the storm.
We haven’t quite been everywhere since the last prayer letter; it just seems that way. We’ve put some miles behind us, nevertheless. It’s been good getting to places and churches new to us, and equally as good revisiting friends and familiar people and places along the way. It’s refreshing to meet pastors, who are well aware of the times we’re living in and see the storm clouds approaching and yet are still eager to do more – in defiance of the devil and the age. Praise God. We’ve had a number of churches, new to us, take us on for support. I’m always humbled by it, as I wouldn’t support me. I sure am glad they’re trusting the Lord though.
We’ve enjoyed missions conferences, revival services, youth meetings, and just good, old-fashioned church. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Christians meeting with no other agenda than to pray and sing praises and hear the word of God preached. That’s what refreshes the saints. All the programs and extracurricular activities might occupy time and prevent a foray into worldliness, but nothing builds up the child of God like Jesus-centered, Bible-founded worship. That’s our heart and soul. That’s what we want for our family, for your family, for the mission field.
I hear from our fellow missionaries overseas that the building in Avren is nearing completion. That’ll be a blessing. I’ve also heard the Turkish Old Testament is nearly finished being proofed. The believers continue to meet monthly in Dabravino for the big Turkish meetings. The pastors are also continuing their monthly fellowship services. Please pray for them. Pray for the children of the pastors. Pray God would touch their homes and help their families.
Keep us in your prayers. Time is running out on our furlough. Pray what time we have left, the Lord would use us to be a blessing.
The Lord bless y’all and keep you in His love, praying in the Holy Ghost, and looking for His daily mercies and His soon glorious appearing.
Because of a living Savior,
The William LeFevre Family (A printable PDF version is available here) www.facebook.com/bulgarianlefevres
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June 2024
Dear Brothers Sisters in Christ,
We hope this finds you all enjoying the blessings of our Lord and Savior. This
month marks one year since our ministry drastically changed with the departure
of some of our workers. It happened quickly and we were forced to make decisions
we otherwise wouldn’t have considered. We ended up moving to our church in
Calarasi and within a couple of months we fixed up two rooms for my family and I
to live in. This ended up being the best decision for our ministry.
We’ve seen the Lord bless our church, sending in people who would never have
come if we weren’t there. Our family has found so much joy and contentment here
and we feel the Lord is blessing our efforts. It encourages and refreshes us
when we see the Lord working in these people’s lives and seeing new believers
born again into the family of God.
One lady who recently started coming to our morning prayer meetings is named Ati.
She’s a lady to whom our workers owed a large amount of money. I reimbursed her
the money and asked her to come to our services and she promised she would. She
started coming shortly thereafter and we saw the Lord begin to work in her
heart. One week Jacob had a meeting at his church in Pecineagra and I took some
of our believers from Calarasi to the service and Ati came with us. We had a
powerful service where the Lord blessed in a mighty way. The people were crying
and shouting and praising the Lord for all His goodness. On the way home, Ati
said she felt the Lord so strong in the service she started crying and wanted to
shout. Please help us pray that the Lord saves her. She has a lot of influence
in this village and her testimony could reach a lot of people who are Muslims
and want nothing to do with us.
As the weather has warmed up, we’ve begun having our morning prayer meetings
outside again and just as the Lord continues to bless the devil continues to
fight. Last week during one of our services, as we were singing, someone outside
the gate began throwing rocks over the fence at us. One rock almost hit Teresa
in the head while other rocks hit Brother Marchel. He and I ran out the gate to
try and catch whoever it was, but they were gone. Brother Marchel decided he’d
sit outside the gate in the middle of the road to guard us as we continued the
service. Before this happened, I wanted to put up a shed roof over the area
where we meet outside to shade us from the sun, but I’ve been so busy, I haven’t
had time to add the roof yet. After this happened, I knew I could wait no longer
and had to get it done. Last year, some gave money for our bell tower and the
shed roof and this week we’ve finally been able to pour cement and add the shed
roof. We now have a very nice place for our people to come and worship, shaded
from the sun, rain and protected from any future rocks being thrown at us.
We appreciate all of you, your prayers, and your support for our ministry, and
we pray for each of you, that as the days grow darker and the evil waxes worse
and worse, that your light for the Lord will shine brighter, and your hearts
will be more and more encouraged as we see the day approaching. Please continue
to pray for our other seven meetings and our daily travels back and forth. May
God richly bless you, is our prayer.
From Calarasi, Romania
Nathan, Teresa and Nate Reed A
printable PDF version is available here
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April – May 2024
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The months of April and May were
busy with meetings in OH, KY, IN, MI, and NC. During my last visit to Ukraine, I
saw that the Ukrainian language is replacing Russian in regions that previously
only communicated in Russian. I decided that it is time to begin language study
once again, this time in Ukrainian. My family and I are taking lessons twice a
week via Zoom from my long-time friend Oleg, aka “Captain Translator.” The month
of May was also eventful for Naomi and I as we celebrated our 31st wedding
anniversary.
During my last visit to Ukraine, I was able to gather some vital information
ahead of our return to the field. It will be unavoidable for us to return to our
home because of our residency permits. We are, of course, trying to understand
if it is safe to do so. “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but
safety is of the LORD (Prov. 21:31).” I spoke with several men “in the know” who
explained the situation in Transnistria, a country where a Russian army is
located and whose border is only a ten-minute drive from my house. I now feel
much better about returning. However, the situation in Ukraine makes day to day
life very difficult. We recently received the official schedule from the
electric company in our town. We will have only five hours of electricity in a
twenty-four-hour period, divvied up an hour or two at a time. In addition, there
are water shortages. I will have to make at least one more trip to prepare our
home before the arrival of my family. It would be almost senseless to return to
a house with no water, no power, and no heat during winter! Solar panels for
power and a deep well for water would be ideal and keep us independent of the
utility system which was bad even before the war.
After discussing future plans with Alexei we decided to submit our paperwork for
visas after Michael turns sixteen in July. Ukraine places young people in a
category all their own between the ages of 16 and 18. To avoid a lot of extra
problems and paperwork, which would require us to exit the country, we decided
that this is the safest option. We’ve also discussed the nature of the ministry
for the time being. We plan to continue to take the Gospel and aid to Eastern
regions of Ukraine into the formerly occupied territories. They are humbled,
hungry, and listening now.
Possible New Recruits! Even during wartime there are still young people praying
about going to the mission field! My son, Samuel, and his wife, Susanna, are
praying about coming over to help us in Ukraine. He wants to accompany me on my
next trip while praying about the Lord’s will for their lives after he graduates
Bible Institute. What a blessing! Not to mention my daughter, Miriam, is
committed to returning with us as well. She is a certified bookkeeper and is
working hard to get her online business to the point that she can be
self-supporting on the field. I praise God for the blessing of having a family
that is now producing second generation missionaries that grew up on the field!
Please pray for the men in our church who are carrying a heavy burden during
wartime. Pastor Alexei is doing a fine job overseeing the church. He is under a
lot of pressure from many sides and needs prayer. On the one hand there are
constant threats of missile strikes in Odessa. On the other stands the sobering
possibility that he, or the other needed helpers in the church, could be
conscripted. They also get constant updates from church members and their
families who are fighting now and say that Kharkiv is very hot and that they may
be going soon. In addition to these pressures, the changes that are fast coming
to Ukraine from the West are very discouraging. The Parliament of Ukraine has
already presented a bill that would take the first steps to the legalization of
gay marriage. What a disgrace! The men are between a rock and a hard place. If
Russia wins the war, then our liberty to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ will
almost disappear. If Ukraine wins, then the new form of “Western Civilization”
(the Hollywood kind) which has replaced the old will come in and make Ukraine a
new colony of the USA and Europe. These new “western values” and immigration
will change Ukraine forever. Time is short. Even so, Come Lord Jesus.
On a positive note, I spoke with one of our church members who is serving in the
Ukrainian army. He emphatically wanted me to know one thing. He said, “Pastor, I
just want you to know that I give to missions as much as I can.” He gives to the
Lord’s work from his small soldier’s salary. He listed the several national
pastors and missionaries we’ve supported over the years. I thought of the past
trials and temptations we encountered while discipling him and his mother. I was
reminded that it is all worth it! It is the “fruit” that the Lord described
which does indeed “remain” (see John 15:16).
Another blessing from our last trip was seeing the hand of God at work in those
that were recently saved during our first trip. I was concerned about these new
believers and felt an obligation to help them grow (Matthew 7:6).
We met a man named Sergei during our last trip, who said that he relocated to
the area to help disciple the new converts that we led to Christ last year. I
saw the fruit firsthand when we arrived in a town where we had previously
preached. There were two women in particular who recently received Christ and
who sang a special hymn for me during my first visit. They were happy to see
that I returned to visit them again and then they asked, “Did you bring our
pastor with you?” I did not know that they had one so quickly, then it was
explained to me that their new pastor was the same Sergei with whom we had been
working! What a blessing to see the Lord provide men where they are needed.
A Ukrainian pastor in eastern Ukraine was present when I preached the Gospel to
a town north of Mykolaiv. He has invited me to return to preach a weeklong
revival in his church in Nova Odesa. Please pray for these meetings.
We need prayer! A lot of prayer! Please continue to pray for the following
requests: 1) the Lord’s continued guidance and protection on our next trip to
Ukraine; 2) God’s provision for plane tickets, solar panels, and deep water
well; 3) our paperwork; 4) God’s will for Samuel and Susanna; 5) God’s comfort,
wisdom, safety, and strength for our men in Ukraine; 6) the growth of those
recently saved; 7) our study of the Ukrainian language; and 8) our upcoming
meetings.
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 A
printable PDF version is available here
https://www.facebook.com/p/Rue-Family-Missionaries-to-Ukraine-100068352738533/
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The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. Psalm 68:11
June 2024
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We trust this letter finds you continuing steadfast in the faith and looking for the coming of our Lord. Our heavenly father has been good to us in answering our prayers. In Avren the work on the church buildings continues.
This past Sunday we were able to hold services there in the upper room. Below there is a room for the Turkish church to meet; there will also be a kitchen and bathrooms. It's been about two years ago that we first began to pray for the funds to do this work. Now, the work is almost complete.
The Turkish Bible translation work is nearly complete. This was a work started by missionary Ralph Cheatwood back in 1980. He spent over thirty years of his life working on this so that the Turkish people might have a reliable translation of the scriptures. For several years now the preachers in Bulgaria and Romania have been using his New Testament translation. We have produced these paperback New Testaments here in Bulgaria. Back during the Covid epidemic we began to pray about making an audio recording of the Bible so that those believers who never learned to read could at least listen to the word of God. The Lord has answered this prayer in part. The New Testament has been professionally recorded and is now available for listening on a website, also it can be heard on the internet radio in Turkey. The internet radio station plays the Bible being read eighteen hours a day. As soon as possible we would like to begin recording the Old Testament as well. This project will cost around twenty-five thousand dollars. We will need half of this by August in order to begin. Those of you who know the Lord, ask him to send it to us.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support.
In Christ, Zachary LeFevre A printable PDF version is available here
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June 2024
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I hope this letter finds you well and in His nurturing grace. I’m thankful for
how God is working in the meetings this summer. It’s become very hot these past
few weeks with the temperatures reaching into the high nineties. The heat can be
very oppressive, but it doesn’t stop our believers from coming to our services
and we are thankful for that.
On Sundays, I am in three meetings. We meet at the Children’s Home for our
English service, then afterwards my dad and I, with some Turkish believers, go
to two other meetings in the village about an hour from where I live in
Constanta. At the first meeting in the village there is a man whose house we
meet at that gathers up all the children in his area for the service. His name
is Cerkez and he’s a blessing to us all. One day when we arrived, I said to him,
“It sure is hot today.” He replied, “Well it’s hotter in hell, thank God we
aren’t there and thank God for this beautiful weather.” Talk about putting
things into perspective, this humbled me to my very soul. I’ve found that it’s
easy to complain when we should simply give thanks every day for how good God
has been to us. The children have learned the hymns and sing passionately and
some of their parents have begun to come to the services.
In my last prayer letter, I spoke of a man who comes faithfully to our meeting
in the village of Medgidia. His name is Yildiz and he’s handicapped in both of
his feet and walks with a cane. He also cannot speak clearly but we have learned
to understand his speech. Last week, without anyone telling him to, he started
sweeping outside the church. He simply wanted to help clean up even though he
had to use a cane. Both of his feet were burned as a child, and he also damaged
his tongue and vocal cords so badly that it’s hard to understand what he says.
But after a few years we’ve learned to understand him and I’ve learned it isn’t
the great or the learned, it’s the humble that get blessed. Let that be a lesson
to all of us.
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and
God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty;” 1 Corinthians 1:27
With the help of several churches, I have been able to build a church in the
town of Pecineaga, where my wife’s parents live, and the Lord has blessed
tremendously. Every Thursday, we have people from different areas around the
village, along with my dad bringing believers from Calarasi, to meet for a
service and a meal afterwards. My wife and I have many nieces and nephews who
attend these meetings, and we are praying for their salvation as well as others
who are now coming. Even though we have adversaries who live across the street
from us, who don’t like that we have a church, we are still excited to see what
the Lord has in store for us. Please help us pray the Lord will touch their
hearts and they too will come to our church services and be saved. Thank you all
once again for all you do.
From Constanta, Romania A
printable PDF version is available here
March - April 2024
"...one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." Nehemiah 4:17
Dear Pastors, Churches and Fellow Servants.
Greetings from the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that are with us. We have been extremely busy while renovating a Church building in Avrin, Bulgaria. From the demolition of the old structure to rebuilding the new one, it has taken a considerable amount of labor and strength. With God being in the center of it all it has been a blessing and a joy. Sometimes after we were finished with construction for the day we would go and hold our weekly meeting in Ynak. We literally had a trowel in one hand and a few minutes later we had a Bible, "the sword of the spirit", in the other.
I can't express the gratitude we have for all the help and prayers that many of you have had a part in with this project. We could not have done it without you all. May all the praise be to God who has made this happen. May this building always be to his glory and honor.
God has been good to us in letting us see him work amongst us.
All because of Calvary,
Matthew and Jane Welch (A printable PDF version is available here)
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Dear Churches, Pastors, and Friends,
March-April 2024
Greetings to All!
Thanks to all of you who prayed for me during my recovery from surgery. I am
doing great! Three trips were planned during this time: two to Cuba and one to
the Amazon. They were well covered while I was recuperating. The trip to the
Amazon was a first-time training session. About 200 people attended, and it was
very productive. One humorous story, there is not any beef or pork available,
there are no roads into that jungle area; and fish is the main staple food
source. After two days the American pastors asked for hot sauce. Hot sauce is
not normal for this area, but a sister went to her house and brought back a
bottle. After enjoying the sauce for a couple of days, the pastors asked how she
made it. She showed them the bottle and it was full of "fire ants" and also had
a tarantula inside! Oh well, you have to ask what kind of food you are eating
and even then, sometimes you do not know!
In April I made a trip to Cuba with a group. I was sick the whole week, but we
were able to go to all of the services while some of our team did the preaching.
Economically things are a lot worse - as if they weren't already having enough
problems! Cuba's main export is sugar cane and now "they" have decided that the
farmers will not be permitted to grow sugar cane!!! It just doesn't make sense!!
Cubans now only have 4-6 hours of power a day and thousands have fled the
island. It has been speculated that a million people may have fled over the last
year!
For 23 years we have supported these preachers and their families. This allows
them to live and work in their ministry. Pray for them as they struggle to
survive. They remain encouraged and believe the Lord will supply their needs. We
were able to buy several bicycles and Bibles on the last trip. Also, through the
help of several churches, we were able to provide funds for several church
buildings.
Please continue to pray for my wife. She is struggling with taking a
preventative cancer medicine due to its many bad side effects.
Joyfully Yours,
Farren Caeble 1 Sam 12:24 A printable PDF version is available here
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May 2024
And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is
become
the head of the corner: This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Mark 12:10, 11
I pray that this letter finds each of you doing
well. We are doing fine here in Bulgaria and are enjoying the beautiful spring
weather. It has been borderline summer-like at times, with brief moments of
really cool weather, but altogether very nice.
We’ve had a few busy months since my last letter, and I’ll do my best to fill
you in with the details. The village meetings are going well. We enjoy the
well-attended monthly meetings in Dabravino as well as the monthly meetings with
our pastors and faithful men, young and old. These meetings have been a blessing
to encourage and strengthen us all. We have also seen tremendous progress in the
construction project in the village of Avren.
This is very exciting for all of us, and we are encouraged by how it has
progressed. I can’t say enough about the appreciation I have for Brother Matt
Welch and his work on this project. It is his expertise and patience with folks
like me who have little construction knowledge that’s getting things done. God
bless you Brother Matt!
The Lord has greatly provided and we are very thankful for everyone who has
contributed. It will cost about $10,000 to finish the building and we fully
believe that God will provide.
Upon completion, we will have a building which will have two large rooms for two
separate church services, one English the other Turkish. It will have a kitchen
with a bathroom and a room for storage. This building will adjoin our current
building where we have church services, the printing room, and a large room
reserved for Coats for Kids storage. When it is completed, we will be able to
have many large meetings here and weekly English and Turkish services. It will
be a beacon of light on the hill in the village of Avren. Please make it a
matter of prayer about what you may do to help with this important project.
Our family is doing well, and we have several things to share. Our son Zack and
his wife Haylie are expecting their second baby in September. We are excited
about this and look forward to this new little one. Please remember them in
prayer. Kylie is doing really well in school, and we are excited to see what God
has in store for her. She just completed a course in phlebotomy and will be
practicing that while she pursues a degree in nursing. Pray for her, as she’ll
be moving to Blairsville, Georgia to live with Zackary while going to school
there. They are all excited about this move. Also, Zack and Haylie along with
McKynlee and Kylie will be visiting us in June. We are beyond excited about
this. Please pray for them as they travel.
We’ve also had some trying times with the health of my brother-in-law Greg
Garrison. In March he had a heart attack. He is alone in the states so, Tracy
flew back to be with him. She was there for about a month until he stabilized,
then she returned here. Within a couple weeks he fell and broke the femur bone
in several places and now is waiting to go into rehab. Keep him in your prayers;
he is having a very difficult time right now, physically, mentally and
spiritually.
Brother Duane Moore with “Preachin’ Time Ministries” will be coming to visit for
a couple of weeks in October, and we look forward to his time here. Please make
his visit a matter of prayer, that it may be fruitful.
God bless you all,
Brother Keith Blalock (A
printable PDF version with pictures is available here)
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Dear Praying Pastors, Brothers and Sisters, Ukrainian Crisis Letter Spring of
2024
Feb. 14th to April 10th was a very fruitful trip to Ukraine blessed with great
opportunities to present the Gospel!
Ministering to Lakeside Baptist Church in Lemansky, Ukraine included making
visits to lost loved ones of our Church members and visiting local lost families
to sow the seed of the Gospel in their hearts. Slavic our national pastor
teaches a class for our young preachers every Saturday evening. His Brother
Michael also teaches a class on Homiletics (How to Preach) on Thursday evenings.
I was able to take five of their classes and train them on practical evangelism
including a few practical application lessons during one of which Sergey, a
young alcoholic who has been coming to services decided to attend. It was great
to show them all how to explain the Gospel to this young man and them to see the
Gospel open his understanding and gloriously save his soul. Continue praying for
the Church’s outreaches and the Growing Correspondence ministry which is
printing and sending out thousands of tracts weekly.
Chernivtsi presented many great opportunities to present the Gospel in different
Churches as well as special small groups organized specifically to help 100+
displaced Ukrainians both physically with a box of food, a good meal and
spiritually with a clear Gospel Explanation. After the preaching, Lyudmila (60+)
called upon the Lord for salvation.
On April 23rd I taught a three-part Seminar on Practical Evangelism to over 100
young adults and youth. They then practiced out on the streets in 10 busy areas
of the city. While sowing the seed, they were encouraged to see three out of
four people took the tracts gladly, many read them immediately while others
willingly engaged in conversations.
Chernivtsi Oblast: Oksana and I worked together making many Evangelistic visits
with three smaller village Churches.
Khmelnitsky Oblast: We worked with a local pastor making Evangelistic visits as
we challenged two Churches too.
Praising the Lord for His direction for our ministry. Lord Willing in June we’ll
return permanently to Ukraine and relocate to Chernivtsi, the city where most of
our ministry opportunities and practical language learning will be centered.
Prayer Needs:
1) Learning to Speak and Preach in the Ukrainian Language with the training of a
university teacher. *{We’ve preached in Russian for 30 years, BUT due to this
WAR, most don’t want to hear the Aggressor’s language.}
2) Evangelistic visits: Many local pastors are very eager for us to make visits
to sow the Gospel seed and minister to the many Displaced souls resettling here
seeking refuge from the bombings and/or because they lost their homes.
3) Our Son DAVID who is laboring with Slavic, Oksana’s Brother to prepare for
summer Evangelistic Camps in Odessa.
4) Brothers keep making outreaches to minister in Eastern towns devastated by
Russian Assaults.
Printing Ministry: We have recently printed 120,000 Testimonial tracts, 20,000
Ukrainian and some Russian copies of “The Dying Drummer Boy” which is a booklet
tract which is very effective in general witnessing, but especially great when
witnessing to Jews and also printed over 10,000 full-page Tracts entitled “The
True History of Passover” dealing with the real meaning of the Death and
Resurrection of God’s perfect sacrificial Passover Lamb.
Refugee Help: We recently sent out four boxes of Gospel literature to Europe for
use with Ukrainian Refugees: three boxes to two different Brothers in Ireland
and one box to a Ukrainian Church in Portugal.
Furlough has been encouraging as His Spirit moved hearts. We Thank the Lord for
three new supporting churches.
For the Souls of Ukraine, Richard, Oksana, Elisabeth and David Maher
We would love to Encourage your Church - Call me (513) 969-4229!
We sincerely Thank You all for faithfully praying, supporting and being
genuinely concerned for our family and our safety as well as for Oksana’s family
and especially for the souls of Ukraine during this unbelievably heart-breaking
time. (A
printable PDF version is available here)
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February – March 2024
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray these brief
highlights of our most recent trip to Ukraine will be a blessing to you. The
Lord graciously provided for another missionary journey into Ukraine during the
month of March. I invited several men to go with me, but only one was able to
make the trip. Brother Matthew Wallace from Friendship Baptist Church
accompanied me and was a needed extra pair of hands. We traveled through
Moldova relying on Brother Hamilton’s men and Brother McCurdy to help us with
logistics. I was detained at the airport for a while after they scanned my
suitcases. I packed 2,000 Chick Tracts which the customs agents insisted were
contraband. I was being accused of being a “contrabandist” and was threatened
with all kinds of stuff. I stayed calm and told them to explain to me in
detail, step by step, what they were going to do. They called the top
supervisor who looked in my suitcase and saw the US Army toiletry bag I bought
in Germany over 30 years ago and thought that I was military. He immediately
lost interest and let me go!
Upon our arrival in Ukraine we spent two days in Odesa dealing with
logistical matters for the refugee work and transportation. The Lord graciously
provided half the funds needed for a vehicle enabling me to secure one for the
future. There was some concern about going into the city of Odesa because of
the news we received a few days before our departure. Russia, for the first
time since the start of the war, did a “double tap” missile strike killing over
twenty people in Odesa. Thankfully things were quiet while we were in the city.
We spent the next two days with the church in Rozdilna. First, in a men’s
meeting where we enjoyed fellowship while grilling “shashlik” over an open
fire. Two of our men serving in Ukraine’s armed forces were able to get a few
days off and visited with us. I gave the men what the Lord gave me from the
Scriptures, telling them how the Lord has been leading, giving light to take one
step at a time, into His will. They were very encouraged to hear of the Lord’s
guidance for us for the future. The Sunday church services were a great time of
reunion and fellowship with dinner on the church grounds and several preachers
preaching.
There were nearly two months of logistical and administrative preparation
before our trip. We had 1,200 prepared care packages, over 5,000 packages of
rice with dehydrated meat and veggies, 800 loaves of freshly baked bread, and
many cases of literature. We spent three days in the Mykolaiv region just north
of Kherson, about 15 miles from Russian occupied territory. We found out from
the people who survived the occupation, where the worst hit towns were located.
We visited seven towns in three days having only a 2008 Volkswagen passenger van
to move over eight tons of food and literature. We worked with the local
authorities asking them to gather people in advance to save time. In every
town, the local authorities were women. Their men had either been killed or
were fighting to protect their homeland.
Our first town was Malozhenivka and was not easy to get to. We had to
travel through many miles of dirt roads around farm fields. Thankfully, the
Lord held off the promised rain for that day.
I doubt we could have returned home over those roads with our van had it
rained. Around sixty to seventy people were waiting for us, fifty of which
gathered in close to hear the preaching. Since I only speak Russian, and not
knowing if this would offend them, we had Brother Sasha open things up in the
Ukrainian language, then he would turn it over to me. After preaching the
Gospel, seven people responded to the invitation and I took them off separately
to deal with them. They all bowed their heads asking the Lord to save them!
Travel time and logistics only allowed for one meeting that day. It
rained the next day. We drove to Liublyne, which was previously occupied by the
Russians who pillaged and killed all their livestock. We hung a tarp over a
grape arbor for protection from the rain and a small group gathered. We
followed the same format preaching the Gospel and seven more people responded to
the invitation. I dealt with them separately and they too called on the name of
the Lord for salvation! After visiting with these dear people, we piled into our
van to go to the next town but it broke down. We tried several things to no
avail. Then I said, “Let’s pray!” Duh! We should have done that first! After
finishing with an “Amen,’ we lifted our heads and saw a car coming down the dirt
road with a trailer! Before I could even consider what was going on, Sasha had
already decided that that car was God’s answer to our prayer and was out the
door running down the street to catch it. The driver agreed to help us and,
thankfully, we were back in business!
After these delays we arrived in the larger town of Novopetrivka. We met
with the local magistrate who politely asked if we could speak in Ukrainian. I
apologized saying that I only spoke Russian which was not a big deal to her.
She humbly replied, “It has cost us something to speak our language.” Then we
learned how the Russians captured her husband along with around twenty other men
in their town. They were tortured to death. Somewhere around 300 people showed
up in the bullet-ridden meeting place. Around 50 people responded to the
invitation! How many were saved? I can’t say. All I know is that the Gospel of
Jesus Christ was preached, and a clear invitation was given. Then I dealt with
them as a group separately asking whosoever will to pray to receive Christ as
their Savior. Dealing with that many people, at one time, was a first for me.
Thankfully, we were able to commission two more cars with trailers who
helped us transport the literature and aid to Partyzans’ke, Afanasiivka, and
Yurivka. In each town the Lord gave us souls for our labor, with around 15
responding to the invitations. We preached in the dark in Yurivka while the war
thundered on the horizon lighting up the night sky. We went back to Yurivka
again the next morning and preached to a larger crowd before finishing up in
Blahodatne. The destruction there is indescribable. The war raged in their
town for eight months. Almost every house is destroyed, making it hard to
believe that people still live there. We preached to a small crowd of about
thirty people with five responding to the Gospel message. The local magistrate
gave us some tea after the meeting. While visiting with them, an elderly couple
told how their home was destroyed and the magistrate allowed them to sleep in
her bed while the magistrate and her husband slept on the floor. She said that
they are farmers and that the fields have to be plowed and planted. I asked if
the authorities cleared their fields of land mines. She said, “No. We did it
ourselves by hand.”
I will write more in our next letter. We look forward to our next trip,
while making preparations to return with our family for another term. Please
pray for the Lord’s provisions and guidance as we prepare to go. We want to
thank each one of you for your concern for our safety and prayerful support of
our ministry. Please continue to pray that this war will quickly come to an
end. Better yet, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
That Ukraine May Know Him,
Christopher Rue
Philippians 3:10 (A printable PDF version is available here)
https://www.facebook.com/p/Rue-Family-Missionaries-to-Ukraine-100068352738533/
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Halito! Hello!
Spring 2024
Spring is here and we are thanking God for seeing us through the winter months.
I say “seeing us through” because we’ve had quite a bit of sickness this winter
and early spring, but are finally on the rebound. We are now preparing for the
months ahead and the road before us.
Imagine how it would be living in the USA in 2024 and the Bible you are holding
is printed in French. You couldn’t read it. It wouldn’t have passages marked by
your father or grandfather unless they were of French heritage. Many Americans
have an English Bible that’s been handed down and it’s marked with precious
notes from a relative or mentor in the faith. For most of us reading this
newsletter, the ability to read the Word of God has changed our lives. In April,
we were able to attend the Native American Camp Meeting in Great Bend, Kansas.
It’s a meeting for Native missionaries, or missionaries working with Natives, to
come and share their work and burden.
One of the blessings that has been coming to fruition in the last couple of
years is the ability to get the Bible, or parts of the Bible, printed/reprinted
in several tribal languages. Most tribes have NO BIBLE in their language. This
is most likely because the government sent the children to boarding schools and
wanted them to assimilate English. God gave a language to each tribe and they
are now realizing what has been taken from them. These Bibles are being printed
as parallel Bibles, for instance, Ojibwe and English, side by side. They can be
used by the tribe to teach the language. The missionaries that labored in the
1800s translating and printing Bibles for the five civilized tribes, (Choctaw,
Cherokee, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Creek) gave the tribes a great light! These
five are considered the most Christian of the 574 federally recognized tribes in
the US. When we first went to the Choctaw reservation in Mississippi years ago,
I remember seeing the grandmothers bringing their Choctaw Bibles to church and
reading from them. These copies didn’t even contain the entire 66 books! How
different the reservations would be if this light had been available all across
North America. We’ve given thousands of ENGLISH John and Romans, but giving a
Native American a parallel John and Romans, in their language, is received more
quickly.
Maybe the time has come for this light to shine to more than the five civilized
tribes. Please pray for those involved in the translating and printing. This is
an expensive endeavor. For some people or churches in America there is no
shortage of money, but unfortunately there is a shortage of time. Thy word is a
lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)
We have meetings coming up in May and then start the summer work. We look
forward to seeing you as we go to your area of the country. We just realized we
have been in our field of service for 40 years!! Wow! Thank you Lord, for Your
Grace and love that has enabled us to sew the seed of the Gospel for 40 years.
Thank you, co-laborers, for your love, prayer, and support these many years.
In HIM, The Higginbothams, Mrs. Shirley, Elena, and Daniel (A
printable PDF version is available here)
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January - February 2024
“And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our
brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how
they do.” Acts 15:36
Dear Pastors, Churches and Fellow Servants,
We send greetings from all the saints that are with us.
Paul and Barnabas had a desire to go again and visit their brethren where they
had preached the word of the Lord and see how they do. The Bible says “As
newborn babies desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby” 1
Peter 2:2
While in Bulgaria, we follow a schedule for visiting the churches. The apostles
went out two by two, Paul with Barnabas and then with Silas. I myself go with
national pastor Demir. Paul's program did not change; they prayed, they sang
praises to God and spake the word of the Lord. Acts 16:25,32
It's a real privilege to visit the churches and see how they are doing. In
Acts16:4 “…they delivered the decrees for to keep…” Acts 15:28-31, and through
the preaching of God's word “…so were the churches established in the faith, and
increased in number daily.” Acts 16:5
It's a real joy to visit the churches every week that are in: Sadovo, Venilin,
Kamindell, Dolgapol, Kamarvo, Bliskovo, Gradenarovo, Provadia, Markov and
Snezna. While there we sing praises to God, pray and preach God's word. We are
thankful for these people, and pray for them, Philippians 1:3,4, while enjoying
our fellowship in the gospel from the beginning to now. To see God working in
them and us makes us long to see each other every week. “For God is my record,
how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:8
Through this we are encouraged to stay on the battlefield by God's grace.
All because of Calvary,
Matthew and Jane Welch (A
printable PDF version is available here)
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