I was privileged to make a quick run this week. First, I visited with former missionaries Jim and Becky Tollison in Van Buren. Like all of us, they are hoping to distance themselves from the COVID mayhem and the effects it has on their ministry. From there I drove to Springdale and met with Wes Hulvey who does our website work as we are preparing to launch a new and improved website. More about that soon.
The next morning, I had breakfast with Clinton Morris in Rogers. After our visit, and hearing some exciting things they are working on, I made my way to Flippin, where I enjoyed seeing Johnny and Karen Shew and hearing about the work there. They have also suffered from the effects of COVID.
Update
Monday, we received a very fair offer on our building in Fort Smith. Praise the Lord! We should be closing on the property in the next four-six weeks. A special thank you to Darrin and Angela for doing a wonderful job in its remodeling. There is no question its appearance made a positive impact on the quick sale. The sale will retire the Revolving Loan Fund debt against it. In fact, at the present time, it appears we may also gain enough to pay back all the monies spent on the Fort Smith mission project through your State Missions office and, with Darrin having reported 144 souls that made a profession of faith, it appears God is still in control. I will share more updates as they come in.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “Saturday, we went for a walk with the youth to the downtown area. We visited The Clinton Library, rode on scooters, took photos and ended up in a cafe eating delicious desserts. The sun was radiant, and the temperature was very suitable for outdoor activities.
“Sunday, the preaching was based on Proverbs 12, with the theme, ‘How are believers to be recognized?’ The answer is found in the chapter by identifying the names by which they are called and their practices. I encourage you to look for the answer. After the sermon, we celebrated the Lord’s Supper. It was a fantastic time of communion.
“We also celebrated Fernanda’s birthday on Sunday. Our daughter has been a great blessing to our family and we are so proud of her. We enjoyed her visit and had a wonderful day celebrating her birthday.
“God bless you and thank you for your prayers.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “We had an inspiring service last Sunday. We began a series of sermons based on two questions. The first was the one He said to His disciples — ‘Who do you say I am?’ And the other one that we have been responding to is Jesus’ question to us — ‘Who am I to you?’ Lucy is someone who visited us for the second time and, for her, those questions have been powerful. Her testimony of how God has spoken to her was of great encouragement to my life.
“Last Monday, I went out to dinner with my wife Kory. It was a good time to spend with her. Every Wednesday we try to have lunch together. In such a busy world, it is difficult to spend time with my wife, and weekly routines sometimes prevent good communication. That’s why Kory and I try not to miss our date on Wednesday.
“In this time of the pandemic, Ebenezer does not escape being beaten in attendance. We have fought to keep it. One of our members is making plans to return to her country, another who passed away and another is seriously ill (Mario Tavares). With all these adversities, we have prayed to God to be creative in how we continue to minister to people. An example of this is the Berean Group on Mondays. One of our members moved to Houston, Texas and connects online to continue with the discipleship. Thank you for your prayers and support of him. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had a great week at Faith Chapel. Our number is slowly creeping up. We had return visitors again Sunday morning, as well as one first-time visitor, and we had a great time of worship. Two of our young girls, ages five and three, started things off by leading the congregation in ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and the Spirit moved from there! They did so well, and we all were so proud of them!
“We met and talked to several new people this week that say they will come. Please pray with us that they will. We had a food, fun and fellowship night on Friday and had a great turnout. We even had a few visitors, and one man walked in off the street. We all tried to make him feel welcome. He said he’s saved, but he has been deceived about many doctrinal issues. He seems to be trying to rationalize salvationwith all the world’s religions. We stayed talking with him until after 10:30 p.m. Please join us in prayer for him, that the Lord through us will answer his questions and reveal the truth to him.
“Thank you for your prayers — for us, Faith Chapel and for Flippin and our ministry here. Please continue; God is answering them, and they hold us up.”
The Table, Springdale: Clinton Morris writes, “It was a busy week of meetings and a prayer retreat. Saturday was a local hike, and we met several families.
“Sunday, the entire family got the stomach flu, including fever. I’m so thankful for the folks at my mission who were able to do the service without me. We even had guests. I’m super excited to see their maturity.”
