Dear Faithful Pastor and Friends,
We begin this letter with a happy note. We have been serving our Lord here in Old Mexico since May of 1974. We thank God for your faithful support. You have enabled us to be here and you share in the results we report to you.
Our Timothys and fellow laborers:
1. Uriel Hernandez: This 26 year old young man has preached twice at church since we last wrote you and has done so very good. One person was saved and baptized through him.
2. Josue & Sory Suazo: This couple is from the Dominican Republic. Josue's dad led Sory's dad to the Lord three days before he died in their homeland. At the funeral, six others trusted the Lord as Savior.
3. Lupita Mora: This special lady has formed a team to visit the hospital on Sunday afternoons. They have led eight people to the Lord.
4. Jorge Alejandro Montes: This young university student reports four professions of faith in personal soul winning and another three professions of faith in youth meetings.
5. Hector Manuel Padilla and Jorge Alejandro Montes made a trip to visit our national missionary in Tlaxcala, Mexico. They gave out hundreds of gospel tracts and led five people to the Lord while they were there. They were also an encouragement to the missionary and his family.
6. Helga Guiterrez has led five of her relatives to the Lord and three of them are now faithful in church.
7. There have been eight professions of faith here at Living Word Baptist and I baptized thirteen people in July and August.
Our Youth: A total of 42 went to camp this summer. Seven young men and women surrendered their lives to full time service and are planning to enroll in Bible college in September.
Missions: Living Word Baptist has expanded its missionary outreach to support a young Mexican couple preparing to go to Pakistan. Bro. Jorge Luis Gomez and his wife, Irma, are trying to work through all the red tape to get their visas. Please pray for them.
Praise Report: Nineteen year old, Eric Rosales, finally received a kidney transplant in July. The doctors marvel at his recuperation. We praise the Lord!
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Showing posts with label Lonnie Smith Jr. and Martha - Missionaries to Mexico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lonnie Smith Jr. and Martha - Missionaries to Mexico. Show all posts
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
News from Mexico
Dear Pastors and Friends,
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus. Since the last time we wrote you, a lot of things have happened here.
My Timothys: These men have been active and productive preaching, visiting, and winning souls. They really bring joy to my heart and ministry. In a special Children's Day Sunday, they put together a play for the entire church with a great message. Three weeks later, people are still talking about it! Please keep these young men in your prayers. Their names are: Jorge Alejandro Montes Ramos, Uriel Hernandez Mojica, Jose Angel Castillo Avila, Enrique Rubio Ortega, and Hector Manuel Padilla Vega.
Death takes on holidays: One of our men who worked in a steel mill died in a work related accident. He was 47 years old. Because an inherited physical problem, he never married or had children. He lived with his mother, who is a charter member of Living Word Baptist. I preached to a full house at the funeral. Most of those present were non-believers and had never set foot in a Christian church before. There were several decisions for the Lord and one famiyl has come to church now on 4 occasions.
Visible Results: In the past 3 months, there have been 17 professions of faith, 2 have followed the Lord in baptism, and 16 new families have been coming to church. When we had the Lord's Supper recently, 72 were able to participate. We also have 32,200 dollars in our land fund!
Something Special: I was privileged to meet one of the professional soccer players from the Guadalajara Chivas team. We hit it off really well, and I have purchased a Bible with his name engraved on it to give him in our next visit.
We praise the Lord for what He is doing here and we THANK YOU for your participation in this ministry.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus. Since the last time we wrote you, a lot of things have happened here.
My Timothys: These men have been active and productive preaching, visiting, and winning souls. They really bring joy to my heart and ministry. In a special Children's Day Sunday, they put together a play for the entire church with a great message. Three weeks later, people are still talking about it! Please keep these young men in your prayers. Their names are: Jorge Alejandro Montes Ramos, Uriel Hernandez Mojica, Jose Angel Castillo Avila, Enrique Rubio Ortega, and Hector Manuel Padilla Vega.
Death takes on holidays: One of our men who worked in a steel mill died in a work related accident. He was 47 years old. Because an inherited physical problem, he never married or had children. He lived with his mother, who is a charter member of Living Word Baptist. I preached to a full house at the funeral. Most of those present were non-believers and had never set foot in a Christian church before. There were several decisions for the Lord and one famiyl has come to church now on 4 occasions.
Visible Results: In the past 3 months, there have been 17 professions of faith, 2 have followed the Lord in baptism, and 16 new families have been coming to church. When we had the Lord's Supper recently, 72 were able to participate. We also have 32,200 dollars in our land fund!
Something Special: I was privileged to meet one of the professional soccer players from the Guadalajara Chivas team. We hit it off really well, and I have purchased a Bible with his name engraved on it to give him in our next visit.
We praise the Lord for what He is doing here and we THANK YOU for your participation in this ministry.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Friday, March 12, 2010
News from Mexico
Dear Pastors and Friends,
Greetings in the name of our Lord! Our feet hit the ground running when we arrived back in Guadalajara. All the programs and activities are going well and we were very happy to see all the people involved and doing their part. There have been a few professions of faith since we came back and we are awaiting warmer weather for baptisms.
Praise the Lord!
Martha and I have been praying daily for the safety and future of our son, Bryan. We wrote you in our last letter he had been activated for deployment to Afghanistan. When we told our people in Mexico, they joined us in praying for him and many of them began to earnestly pray he would not have to go at all. Well, we are pleased to inform you that on February 17th he was told he will not be going now after all! We praise the Lord for answered prayer.
Missions Conference
In January, Living Word Baptist held their second missions conference. Our home missionaries, Hirving Sein Gonzalez to Oaxaca and Cesar Delgado Coronado to Tlaxcala, were with us. The people responded generously and promised by faith to give $18,000 to missions in 2010! In 2009, they met their goal of $12,500. Besides the two home missionaries mentioned above, they also support the Donovans in Asia and the Robertsons in Costa Rica.
Financial Goal
You may recall from our video the piece of property next door to Living Word Baptist. The church voted to begin to save up towards buying it. The price has come down to about $153,000 and the church already has $25,000 in the bank! Things are looking good! We covet your prayers for this need.
We continue to labor here where God has called us. Things are going well. The ladies' and children's programs, which are led by Martha, are doing good; the young people's groups are very active; discipleship classes are being carried out; and I am preaching the Gospel for our Lord Jesus with power and liberty. All of this is thanks to your support for which we are so grateful.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Greetings in the name of our Lord! Our feet hit the ground running when we arrived back in Guadalajara. All the programs and activities are going well and we were very happy to see all the people involved and doing their part. There have been a few professions of faith since we came back and we are awaiting warmer weather for baptisms.
Praise the Lord!
Martha and I have been praying daily for the safety and future of our son, Bryan. We wrote you in our last letter he had been activated for deployment to Afghanistan. When we told our people in Mexico, they joined us in praying for him and many of them began to earnestly pray he would not have to go at all. Well, we are pleased to inform you that on February 17th he was told he will not be going now after all! We praise the Lord for answered prayer.
Missions Conference
In January, Living Word Baptist held their second missions conference. Our home missionaries, Hirving Sein Gonzalez to Oaxaca and Cesar Delgado Coronado to Tlaxcala, were with us. The people responded generously and promised by faith to give $18,000 to missions in 2010! In 2009, they met their goal of $12,500. Besides the two home missionaries mentioned above, they also support the Donovans in Asia and the Robertsons in Costa Rica.
Financial Goal
You may recall from our video the piece of property next door to Living Word Baptist. The church voted to begin to save up towards buying it. The price has come down to about $153,000 and the church already has $25,000 in the bank! Things are looking good! We covet your prayers for this need.
We continue to labor here where God has called us. Things are going well. The ladies' and children's programs, which are led by Martha, are doing good; the young people's groups are very active; discipleship classes are being carried out; and I am preaching the Gospel for our Lord Jesus with power and liberty. All of this is thanks to your support for which we are so grateful.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
News from Mexico
Dear Pastors and Friends,
We are thankful to the Lord for each and every one of you---churches that support us and pastors who encourage us. We felt so welcome and well received by all of you. We are thankful for the time you spent with us fellowshipping and eating together. We also thank those of you who took the time to take us to see sights like apple orchards, the Amish country, wood shops, etc... We appreciate the hospitality you afforded us, the generous love offerings you gave us, and the gifts you gave us---the beautiful handmade quilt, the books, the Gospel tracts and New Testaments, the Sunday School materials, etc... Our video has been well received. Remember, it shows what the Lord has allowed us all to do together and we praise His name!
Our daughter, Stephanie, came through her surgery just fine and with Martha's help is back on her feet fulfilling her duties as mother and wife.
We are in the process of packing our belongings to return to Guadalajara. By the time most of you receive this letter, we will be back on the field getting ready for all the Christmas activities in the churches there.
Once again, we are thankful of all you do and we wish you a Christ centered Christmas and a new year blessed by our wonderful Savior!
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
We are thankful to the Lord for each and every one of you---churches that support us and pastors who encourage us. We felt so welcome and well received by all of you. We are thankful for the time you spent with us fellowshipping and eating together. We also thank those of you who took the time to take us to see sights like apple orchards, the Amish country, wood shops, etc... We appreciate the hospitality you afforded us, the generous love offerings you gave us, and the gifts you gave us---the beautiful handmade quilt, the books, the Gospel tracts and New Testaments, the Sunday School materials, etc... Our video has been well received. Remember, it shows what the Lord has allowed us all to do together and we praise His name!
Our daughter, Stephanie, came through her surgery just fine and with Martha's help is back on her feet fulfilling her duties as mother and wife.
We are in the process of packing our belongings to return to Guadalajara. By the time most of you receive this letter, we will be back on the field getting ready for all the Christmas activities in the churches there.
Once again, we are thankful of all you do and we wish you a Christ centered Christmas and a new year blessed by our wonderful Savior!
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Smith's in Mexico
Dear Pastor and Friends:
We spent an action packed summer in Guadalajara. I'll share some of the highlights with you:
1. Living Word Baptist sent $3,500 to our home missionary in Ozxaca to help them purchase land.
2. Two of our young preacher boys made an evangelistic trip to the city of Aguascalientes. While there, they led 9 people to the Lord and also make an appearance on a local TV show.
3. Living Word Baptist experienced a "back door" revival. One of the main families in the church got miffed and left, but only 2 other people followed them. Once they were gone, blessings began to flow and 6 new families were reached and added to the church!
4. Death takes no holidays and in the 3 months we were in Guadalajara, we buried 1 regular church member, 1 irregular church member, and one church family lost 7 other relatives. In almost 9 situations, we afforded the opportunity to share the Gospel with families and friends.
5. Our children and young people went to camp and participated in other activities which produced many decisions for salvation.
We are now back in Texas getting ready to hit the road again. We have a very busy schedule through the month of November.
Once again, we want to express our gratitude to you for your continued support and prayers.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
We spent an action packed summer in Guadalajara. I'll share some of the highlights with you:
1. Living Word Baptist sent $3,500 to our home missionary in Ozxaca to help them purchase land.
2. Two of our young preacher boys made an evangelistic trip to the city of Aguascalientes. While there, they led 9 people to the Lord and also make an appearance on a local TV show.
3. Living Word Baptist experienced a "back door" revival. One of the main families in the church got miffed and left, but only 2 other people followed them. Once they were gone, blessings began to flow and 6 new families were reached and added to the church!
4. Death takes no holidays and in the 3 months we were in Guadalajara, we buried 1 regular church member, 1 irregular church member, and one church family lost 7 other relatives. In almost 9 situations, we afforded the opportunity to share the Gospel with families and friends.
5. Our children and young people went to camp and participated in other activities which produced many decisions for salvation.
We are now back in Texas getting ready to hit the road again. We have a very busy schedule through the month of November.
Once again, we want to express our gratitude to you for your continued support and prayers.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Letter from Lonnie Smith, Jr. and Martha
Dear Pastors and Friends,
Greetings in the name of our Lord. We are late in getting this letter out due to our travels. We have been gone from our U.S. home for two and a half months. During that time we were in churches in Texas, Kansas, and Missouri. We did see a number of you at the May fellowship meeting in Springfield. We were encouraged by those we got to see and by those who said, "keep up the good work; our support will continue, but there's no need for you to come by this time."
We have enjoyed being in the churches that have had us for services or conferences and we thank them for inviting us. We had some really good services. We appreciate so much the generous love offerings. We were treated very well and all our needs were supplied.
While we were in Missouri, we had the joy of witnessing the birth of our fourth grandchild. Finlee Ward Smith was born on May 19 to our son, Bryan and his wife, Allison. They did not want to know what they were having ahead of time, so he was a surprise to all of us! He was a little guy (6 lb. 10 oz. - 20 in. long), but is healthy and a welcome newcomer to the family. We also got to attend a school program at Mavrere's (Finlee's big sister) pre-school which was very special.
While in West Texas, we got to see our daughter and her family. We were able to attend little Hannah's first birthday party. It was the first time we've been to any grandchild's birthday party! We also got to attend one of Isaac's tee-ball games. Isaac asked if we could go live with him! We took lots of pictures of all four of our grandchildren and stored up memories for the future.
No churches scheduled us during the months of June, July, or August, so we are going to go back to Guadalajara for the summer. If any of you wish to contact us during that time, you can do so by email. We are scheduled in Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio for the months of September through November. We still have some open dates that time and would like to fill them if possible.
We want you to know we are so thankful for your financial support. Our livelihood depends on you holding our ropes. You have been faithful and consistent as they years have rolled by. We have been missionaries for 35 years and are in good health and plan to continue working. Yes, some churches have quit supporting us for various reasons, but we are pressing on and are praying for 15 new supporters to replace those we've lost.
Once again, we thank you for being there for us. We plan to continue on...
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Greetings in the name of our Lord. We are late in getting this letter out due to our travels. We have been gone from our U.S. home for two and a half months. During that time we were in churches in Texas, Kansas, and Missouri. We did see a number of you at the May fellowship meeting in Springfield. We were encouraged by those we got to see and by those who said, "keep up the good work; our support will continue, but there's no need for you to come by this time."
We have enjoyed being in the churches that have had us for services or conferences and we thank them for inviting us. We had some really good services. We appreciate so much the generous love offerings. We were treated very well and all our needs were supplied.
While we were in Missouri, we had the joy of witnessing the birth of our fourth grandchild. Finlee Ward Smith was born on May 19 to our son, Bryan and his wife, Allison. They did not want to know what they were having ahead of time, so he was a surprise to all of us! He was a little guy (6 lb. 10 oz. - 20 in. long), but is healthy and a welcome newcomer to the family. We also got to attend a school program at Mavrere's (Finlee's big sister) pre-school which was very special.
While in West Texas, we got to see our daughter and her family. We were able to attend little Hannah's first birthday party. It was the first time we've been to any grandchild's birthday party! We also got to attend one of Isaac's tee-ball games. Isaac asked if we could go live with him! We took lots of pictures of all four of our grandchildren and stored up memories for the future.
No churches scheduled us during the months of June, July, or August, so we are going to go back to Guadalajara for the summer. If any of you wish to contact us during that time, you can do so by email. We are scheduled in Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio for the months of September through November. We still have some open dates that time and would like to fill them if possible.
We want you to know we are so thankful for your financial support. Our livelihood depends on you holding our ropes. You have been faithful and consistent as they years have rolled by. We have been missionaries for 35 years and are in good health and plan to continue working. Yes, some churches have quit supporting us for various reasons, but we are pressing on and are praying for 15 new supporters to replace those we've lost.
Once again, we thank you for being there for us. We plan to continue on...
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Letter from Lonnie and Martha Smith
January - March 2009
Dear Pastors and Friends:
Home Again
You all know the saying: "there's no place like home." Well, we are glad to be back in our birth home, the USA. For your information, we can be reached at the following:
1. Home Phone (956) 686-5056
2. Home Address: 6712 N. 15th Lane, McAllen, TX 78504
3. Email Addresses (see below)
Right now we are making adjustments to being stateside and we are preparing for the traveling that lies ahead. I have been advised by Bro. Jon Konnerup, Dr. Bob Baird, and Bro. Mike Haley to take a few months to rest and adjust and get medical treatment. We have already scheduled those churches that have contacted us and will continue to do so little by little, so if you wish us to report to you, please let us hear from you.
Back Home in Guadalajara
We continue to praise the Lord for the missions conference we had at Living Word Baptist before we left. Dr. and Mrs. Bob Baird, Bro. Jonathan Robertson (Costa Rica) and two Mexican missionaries were with us. The people responded with great enthusiasm and voted to take on all of the missionaries, so they are now supporting four missionary families at one hundred dollars a month! The faith promise for 2009 is fifteen thousand five hundred dollars! Several young people and young adults responded to the Lord's calling to full time service. All are now involved in preaching, teaching, or serving in some capacity in the church.
Gratefulness
The Psalmist wrote: "offer thanksgiving unto the Lord." Brethren, we thank God for your faithful support. The years have rolled by and month after month you have been right there with us. You have sent special offerings when needed and the latter part of every year, many of you send us Christmas specials. We are thankful and we are debtors to all and we plan to serve the Lord with you in this missionary endeavor...
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Dear Pastors and Friends:
Home Again
You all know the saying: "there's no place like home." Well, we are glad to be back in our birth home, the USA. For your information, we can be reached at the following:
1. Home Phone (956) 686-5056
2. Home Address: 6712 N. 15th Lane, McAllen, TX 78504
3. Email Addresses (see below)
Right now we are making adjustments to being stateside and we are preparing for the traveling that lies ahead. I have been advised by Bro. Jon Konnerup, Dr. Bob Baird, and Bro. Mike Haley to take a few months to rest and adjust and get medical treatment. We have already scheduled those churches that have contacted us and will continue to do so little by little, so if you wish us to report to you, please let us hear from you.
Back Home in Guadalajara
We continue to praise the Lord for the missions conference we had at Living Word Baptist before we left. Dr. and Mrs. Bob Baird, Bro. Jonathan Robertson (Costa Rica) and two Mexican missionaries were with us. The people responded with great enthusiasm and voted to take on all of the missionaries, so they are now supporting four missionary families at one hundred dollars a month! The faith promise for 2009 is fifteen thousand five hundred dollars! Several young people and young adults responded to the Lord's calling to full time service. All are now involved in preaching, teaching, or serving in some capacity in the church.
Gratefulness
The Psalmist wrote: "offer thanksgiving unto the Lord." Brethren, we thank God for your faithful support. The years have rolled by and month after month you have been right there with us. You have sent special offerings when needed and the latter part of every year, many of you send us Christmas specials. We are thankful and we are debtors to all and we plan to serve the Lord with you in this missionary endeavor...
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Lonnie Smith, Jr. and Martha - Sept, Oct 2008
Dear Pastor and Friends:
Missions Trip: Last month we took 15 teenagers and 5 adults to Ojuelos, Jalisco (a town of a little over 10,000 people). It is about a 4 hour drive to the west of us and about 1 hour south of San Luis Potosi. We spent 3 days there and gave out 5,000 booklets of the Gospel of John and the Life of Christ. Our teens presented a drama in the city's central square. We also went out soul winning and held services every night. To God's glory, there were 24 professions of faith while we were there.
Missionaries: For the past 6 years, Living Word Baptist Church has been sending us $100 a month to support the Donovans in Asia. The church also was able to send a special offering to help with one of their needs. The last week of September, the Donovans were able to report to the church and it was great! They spoke to different groups during the week and then to the church as a whole on Sunday. It was a thrill to hear them speaking Mandarin. We took them to our local oriental restaurant and they conversed fluently with the owner for about 20 minutes! Their visit began our preparations for our first missions conference at Living Word which will be held in November
Zapotec Indians: While our teens were out soul-winning in a city park near the church, they came across a young married couple with 2 little girls. The couple quickly identified with our group and said there were new to the city and were looking for a Baptist church where they would be accepted. As a result, we praise God we now have a group of 15 Zapotec Indians from the state of Oaxaca attending our services.
Altar Results: I had the privilege of recently baptizing 9 people. Living Word Baptist also received 7 new members by letter and statement of faith, and there have been 19 professions of faith.
Furlough Plans: I will begin contacting some of you for appointments in January 2009. We hope to be able to give you a U.S. address and phone number where we can be reached in our next letter. Some of you have already contacted us and we will begin to work around those dates first. We look forward to seeing you.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Missions Trip: Last month we took 15 teenagers and 5 adults to Ojuelos, Jalisco (a town of a little over 10,000 people). It is about a 4 hour drive to the west of us and about 1 hour south of San Luis Potosi. We spent 3 days there and gave out 5,000 booklets of the Gospel of John and the Life of Christ. Our teens presented a drama in the city's central square. We also went out soul winning and held services every night. To God's glory, there were 24 professions of faith while we were there.
Missionaries: For the past 6 years, Living Word Baptist Church has been sending us $100 a month to support the Donovans in Asia. The church also was able to send a special offering to help with one of their needs. The last week of September, the Donovans were able to report to the church and it was great! They spoke to different groups during the week and then to the church as a whole on Sunday. It was a thrill to hear them speaking Mandarin. We took them to our local oriental restaurant and they conversed fluently with the owner for about 20 minutes! Their visit began our preparations for our first missions conference at Living Word which will be held in November
Zapotec Indians: While our teens were out soul-winning in a city park near the church, they came across a young married couple with 2 little girls. The couple quickly identified with our group and said there were new to the city and were looking for a Baptist church where they would be accepted. As a result, we praise God we now have a group of 15 Zapotec Indians from the state of Oaxaca attending our services.
Altar Results: I had the privilege of recently baptizing 9 people. Living Word Baptist also received 7 new members by letter and statement of faith, and there have been 19 professions of faith.
Furlough Plans: I will begin contacting some of you for appointments in January 2009. We hope to be able to give you a U.S. address and phone number where we can be reached in our next letter. Some of you have already contacted us and we will begin to work around those dates first. We look forward to seeing you.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Lonnie Smith, Jr. and Martha
June - August 2008
Dear Pastors and Friends,
Furlough Plans: We realize it has been a long time since we have been with most of you and we also know we need a change of pace for a while, so we are making ourselves available to be with you in 2009. We are planning to get some help to prepare a DVD presentation and to write an extensive summary of our activities to give to brethren in the churches. Some of you have already contacted us for dates and we will continue working on a schedule. The best email address to contact us is the yahoo address below.
Heartbreak: As in all churches, some people come for a while and then move on. Two years ago, a man and his wife visited us on several Wednesday nights, then disappeared. On Sunday, June 15th (Father's Day) our city heard the shocking news of a dad who killed his little girls ages 2 and 4 and then unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide. Those little girls were the granddaughters of the couple I just mentioned. One of our members found out where they were and I went to their home. Their daughter (the little girls' mother) is living with them and I am now giving a Bible study in that home every week. That young mother has professed Christ as Savior and gave public testimony before the church on Sunday, July 6th. She shared with our congregation what happened to her girls and there was not a dry eye in the house! She ended by looking up and saying: "I worship you, Lord, and I thank you for the time I had them with me." As the apostle Paul said: And who is sufficient for these things?
Activities:
1. Our ladies just returned from a ladies' retreat
2. Our first group of kids is at camp with 2 more groups to go later
3. In August, we are taking an evangelistic team to a small town in our state. We plan to have 4 services and give out 7,000 pieces of literature.
4. The land next to the church is still for sale. The are asking $200,000. We are praying
Since our last letter to you, 23 people have made professions of faith and we baptized 9. Overall, things are looking good. We thank God that through you He has provided our needs for the ministry in this great city.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
Dear Pastors and Friends,
Furlough Plans: We realize it has been a long time since we have been with most of you and we also know we need a change of pace for a while, so we are making ourselves available to be with you in 2009. We are planning to get some help to prepare a DVD presentation and to write an extensive summary of our activities to give to brethren in the churches. Some of you have already contacted us for dates and we will continue working on a schedule. The best email address to contact us is the yahoo address below.
Heartbreak: As in all churches, some people come for a while and then move on. Two years ago, a man and his wife visited us on several Wednesday nights, then disappeared. On Sunday, June 15th (Father's Day) our city heard the shocking news of a dad who killed his little girls ages 2 and 4 and then unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide. Those little girls were the granddaughters of the couple I just mentioned. One of our members found out where they were and I went to their home. Their daughter (the little girls' mother) is living with them and I am now giving a Bible study in that home every week. That young mother has professed Christ as Savior and gave public testimony before the church on Sunday, July 6th. She shared with our congregation what happened to her girls and there was not a dry eye in the house! She ended by looking up and saying: "I worship you, Lord, and I thank you for the time I had them with me." As the apostle Paul said: And who is sufficient for these things?
Activities:
1. Our ladies just returned from a ladies' retreat
2. Our first group of kids is at camp with 2 more groups to go later
3. In August, we are taking an evangelistic team to a small town in our state. We plan to have 4 services and give out 7,000 pieces of literature.
4. The land next to the church is still for sale. The are asking $200,000. We are praying
Since our last letter to you, 23 people have made professions of faith and we baptized 9. Overall, things are looking good. We thank God that through you He has provided our needs for the ministry in this great city.
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
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