June 2009

As the scripture says, truly Jesus is the only hope to all the nations and peoples of the world! That Word is deep in my heart. So many places we have been, so many people have put their hope in other things and gods, that will all come to nothing. But, oh!, when they hear bout Jesus, the Holy Spirit softens heart, opens eyes and draws so many in to hear the wonderful news of the gospel! Many times the people need to see signs and wonders of our God first, such as on our last trip in Ghana when the village chief declared he would never allow Christianity in his village. As most of you remember, that night he had a major heart attack, and the next day, while he lay dying on a porch, his son and most of the villagers surrendered their lives to the Lord! Since then, we have sent monies to build the first church in the village where Jesus will be worshipped! That is amazing! But it took a “sign” for the villagers to see that our God is real, and can overpower anything, including arrogant words!

After we came home we took several weeks off to re-coop, as the earlier trips Gary and I had taken this year were each about a month long. Then, in the beginning of June, I had planned on going to Gymas, Mexico for a week, when I received a definite “no” from Jesus about going, so I thought it best to stay and obey! There is no telling what was ahead of me on that trip, but I know when Jesus says “no,” he has definite reasons!

Right now we are packing our bags again, getting ready to head out this coming Sunday, July 5, to Lilongwe, Malawi and Durban, South Africa. On this trip we are taking a dear preacher friend of min from Nashville, Tennessee, Prophet Lewis. He has been on trips to Kenya and Uganda with me before, and is always received well by the people. We are also taking my youngest son, Bobbie Bro, who is 16 years old. The Lord called Bobbie to be a missionary a couple of years ago, and it’s time to start immersing him in the work of missions, preaching, and praying over those who are sick, and need Jesus as their Savior.

In Malawi we will be holding a pastor’s conference at several of the churches we have sent monies to last year, that many of you had donated specifically to build a church. It will be exciting to meet in these new church buildings with many of the preachers who are supported by this ministry, through your specific donations for them also. Thank you! The difference your support has made in these areas is incredible! At night we will be holding crusade meetings and anticipate large crowds, and the Lord moving mightily! We will also be running hard to visit all the hospitals and as many hurting people in the area as we can.

After being in Malawi for a week, we will be in Durban, S. Africa, where we will split up and minister to some of the city churches, and also in the Zulu churches in Zululand above the Durban area. In Durban, most of the peoples we will minister to will be of Indian descent. They are a minority in South Africa, but many live in this part of the country. They are just lovely wonderful people, and we are looking forward to working with them.

As I was reading the Word in Psalm 91:4 today, I thought how so very pointed this Psalm is for a missionary’s protection. Will you please pray this over us as we are away - putting the armies of the Lord on the alert and the power of God into action:

“For the Lord will command his angels concerning me, to guard me in all my ways; they will lift me up in their hands so that I will not strike my foot against a stone. I will tread upon the lion and the cobra, I will trample the great lion and the serpent. Then God answers and says, ‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him and I will protect him. I will be with him in trouble; and I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.”

Thank you for all you do for this ministry. We look forward to sharing with you all that the Lord did on this trip when we get back on July 21.

February/March 2009

The first thing I need to do is thank all of you who prayed for us while we were on our trip to Rwanda, Congo, Uganda and Kenya. Some of the things we know God protected us from were evident and, because of the oppression and spiritually dark and heavy atmospheres we were in, we know there were other things we were protected from that we didn’t necessarily see. Thank you for hearing our names whispered to you by the Holy Spirit and immediately praying for our safety and protection. Thank you for stopping in the middle of your day and lifting us up, and thank you for not being annoyed when woken up in the middle of the night to pray for us!

We started this trip on the day of the ice storm in Louisville. Trying to avoid the storm, we went to the airport earlier than normal to see if we could get an earlier flight. Unfortunately we couldn’t , and by the time it came for our plane to leave at 2:40 pm, the many delays began. We finally departed around 8:00 pm, on one of the last planes out. Needless to say, we missed all of our original connections, and after four days of traveling and hanging out in airports, we were two days late on our arrival in Rwanda. As soon as we arrived we headed to Bukava, Congo, traveling seven hours on very bumpy roads in a van. It was a very difficult trip, especially on the body, and we were glad when we arrived at our destination.

From Bukavu, we traveled daily into the very remotest areas of Congo to get to villages that were still without a church, where most have never heard the good news. In many of these villages, white men had never come before, and they were very surprised to see us. Many of the people we ministered to were Pygmies, in the very poorest of places in the countryside. As we told them about Jesus, many were healed, and many more surrendered to the Lord! Hallelujah! God so graciously protected us, that we didn’t even know, but found out later, that most missionaries had been evacuated from the rural areas of all the Congo because these areas are now declared war zones! This is one of the places where your prayers came through!

A few days later we traveled by water, on an old boat, about the size of the Star of Louisville, up to the Congo Lake. What a ride! It was a bit rainy and cold, but very interesting travel, especially when we docked at an island in the middle of the lake, and watched people come out to the boat in dugout canoes trying to sell foods and supplies to those on board. After acquiring the supplies we needed, we traveled on across the rest of the lake and finally arrived in Goma, a very strange area. The city is located at the base of an active volcano. In 2001 it erupted and poured out lava on the entire city. Today it is nothing but black cinder, ash and rock everywhere. Everything is made of volcanic rock… it is quite a sight! While there, we were able to minister to the city churches and then travel to the refugee camps in the area where thousands of refugees have been displaced because of the ongoing war in Congo. Such desperate poor people live in this area, and the heaviness of the atmosphere is so evident. Many gave their lives to the Lord, and we saw some amazing healings too!

On our way back to Rwanda, we traveled across the mountains instead of heading back by boat. Our ride across was very treacherous, and only because of your prayers did we make it back to Rwanda, as twice we had to swerve to avoid being hit by another vehicle, and it was only a miracle that we didn’t go over the cliff!

In Rwanda we worked out of the city daily, traveling hours into the remote areas to mostly pygmy villages. Although the travel was very rough, every day it was a joy to see so many come to know Jesus! Many healings took place in these villages, and we were able to reconnect with people we had met in the past who we’d prayed over when we were there before, and had continued to pray for. Seeing the results of the miraculous healing power of the Lord on these people was a blessing, and an encouragement!

On February 16, Gary and I flew to Nairobi, Kenya. There, Gary took a plane to Uganda, where he would go to the churches around the town of Tororo where he is known as the “Apostle to the Swamps.” While he was there he was able to visit the churches so many of you helped build, and reported that they are doing very well, with several of them having to expand already! It was the first time Gary went alone, and the Lord used him mightily; many with broken and repentant hearts, surrendered to Jesus!

While Gary went to Uganda, Doug Pope flew in to meet me in Nairobi. While there, Doug and I ministered for a few days in the villages outside of Nairobi. Kenya is in a very sever drought, and in order to get water for the village they have to walk several miles to a small creek and carry it back. If it doesn’t rain soon, these villages will be in an extremely desperate place. It was good that many of them gave their lives to the Lord.

We also ministered in the most dangerous slum in the world–Mathara Slum–with Pastor Peter. Oh, the things we saw that would just break your heart! It is filled with tiny makeshift tin shacks, poverty just so overwhelming everywhere you look. In some parts it is so tightly packed, that there are no streets or sidewalks, only rugged paths, and to get anywhere you have to cross over, and walk beside the open sewer ditches that run throughout this slum. Sickness and poverty about in this slum. In one area there is a slum inside the slum called “The wilderness,” and it is run by an extremely violent gang, so violent that when we went to that area we had to be escorted by body guards. Pastor Peter and his wife have chosen to live in Mathara to minister to the people, and he has gained much respect from them, even from the gang members. There is so much work to be done in this area, and the Lord has laid it on my heart that we need to support Pastor Peter so he can work more effectively, even possibly helping him purchase a piece of land, so we can help him build a church.

Everywhere we traveled on this trip there were needs. And everywhere we traveled the Lord touched hearts and so many were saved and so many others were healed. It was a long and overwhelming trip, but I can’t thank you all enough for your help, whether it is financial, collecting things for us to take or sell, or your prayers. All of it is so very very important in being able to reach the uttermost parts of the world. Thank you for your sending me.

January 2009

Thank you so much for your prayers while we were in South Africa from Dec 21 - Jan 5. Taking Bobbie and Judy with me was quite an adventure as I’ve always wanted them to see some of the Africa I work in, and to meet some of the people who have been instrumental in this ministry’s expansion, as well as seeing the wonders of South Africa.

While there, we had the privilege of spending 10 days in the Johannesburg area with Joey Chetty and his family, and then four days in the Durban area with Pastor Stanley Moodley and his family. Both of them kept us very busy and on the go every day. In Johannesburg we preached in Shanna, Zulu and Kauza tribe churches, and in Durban we preached in two mostly Indian congregations. The people were very excited to see that I actually do have a wife as many times I had shown them her picture, but never brought her, so they started to tell me I must not really have a wife! They were also excited to meet Bobbie, our youngest son. Bobbie was called to preach two years ago at church camp, and the people in South Africa were all ears as he encouraged them to be like Caleb in their walks with Jesus. We also had the privilege of praying over each church as the new year came in , and we are anticipating great things in 2009 for each of them.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me. On my previous trip to north India in late October, I must have picked up some sort of parasite or something as on our way to South Africa I began to feel pretty bad. I was in quite some pain, and because it was the holidays, there weren’t any doctors available in Johannesburg for a week. I know I would not have made it all that time if it hadn’t been for so many of your prayers. The doctor told me, if this had happened in the bush country, I could have died, but, because we were in the city areas, he was able to give me some antibiotics that alleviated the symptoms right away, but he also encouraged me to seek medical help when I returned home. As of today, I have been checked and tested and proclaimed healthy, (Hallelujah!) with the cause of my problems being a very acute infection. My doctor said I am cleared to go with Gary on our trip, this week, so once again, than you so much for your prayers, and please keep praying!

As we look back over last year, words cannot express how thankful we are for your help in 2008. Because of your donations, we were able to take 10 trips, and reach more people with the gospel, then we have ever reached before. We supported over 120 pastors in Africa and India, and, because so many of you had a burden to provide money for a church to be built, more than 20 churches were built, most of which were in areas where there and never been a church building before, and others to replace the ones that had been burnt down because of persecution in northern India. These churches will draw many souls into the kingdom of God, and without your help it would not have been possible. Also, in north India the orphans were greatly ministered to through the gospel, and were given candy, ball caps, cross necklaces, and toys that so many of you donated. In Uganda, the first Tororo Ladies’ Conference was held, and in Rwanda many were healed, and a pastor’s daughter in Burundi was able to get surgery for a terrible bone disease. Two cars were purchased this past year, one for Uganda and one for Malawi, to alleviate travel expenses, and many pastors were encouraged at the pastor conferences we held in Uganda, Malawi, Kenya and India. We also were able to help in the education of young men and ladies in Bible Schools in Malawi, Congo and Rwanda, and we were able to mail over two tons of bibles throughout the world. Your generous donations allowed us to reach so many with the gospel, and your prayers helped us and sustained us through some very difficult trips and experiences. So many times I could feel a ‘heavenly impression and intervention’ because of your intercession. The great sacrifices you made to this ministry in 2008 allowed us to accomplish what God had put on our hearts at the beginning of the year, and because of your generous support and prayers, you have blessed so many, and have been such great helps and inspirations to so many in the world.

In this new year, we have more pastors to support, more churches to build, more souls to be saved, more people to be healed, and new places to reach. We are excited to watch the new year unfold, and hope you will continue to be a part of reaching the unreached, touching the untouched, and finding the unfound with us in 2009. Thank you for all you have done! We pray the Lord will bless you mightily!