Through the years we have received numerous requests for help on mission trips. As part of our policy we have limited our help to those involved in the teaching or preaching of the gospel or to helping some prepare themselves for a life of preaching the truth. We have tried especially to help those who have some connection with the church here or those who might be recommended to us for help.
We have helped with a number of one time supports to those going on foreign mission trips. A few of these include:
- Katie Coggins – Australia
- Charles Shepherd – Jamaica
- Frank Wampol – India
- Milton McArthur – Zimbabwe, Africa
- Tim Hayes – Vietnam and Singapore
- Philip and Laura Jenkins – Choluteca, Honduras
More recently we have helped Taylor Smith on a mission trip to Managua, Nicaragua and Jewel Pender for an upcoming mission work in Vanuatu, South Pacific. We have two other requests for help that we are considering from the funds we received this past Mission Sunday.
We have given $1,000.00 as a one-time gift to help support Clayton P. Johnson in his training at Bear Valley Bible Institute. Brother Johnson came highly recommended to us and we felt he was worthy of our support in this way.
In addition to helping individuals going on mission trips, we have helped a number of works supported by other congregations. The Forest Park church needed help in sending a container full of clothing to Panama for the Children’s Home. The church helped by giving $500.00 to help pay for the cost of shipping that container.
In 2014 we gave money to aid the Latin American Missions work of the Forrest Park congregation. This money was used to purchase Bibles for shipment to the mission work being done in Honduras.
Joey Treat, whom we have supported for years in the work in Micronesia, began a TV program to help spread the gospel throughout the islands. To do this he needed to buy a professional camera priced at $3,500. We were able to send them $500.00 to help in purchasing that camera.
Brother Mike Knappier, who has held a gospel meeting for us, is involved in a very unique work they are doing in preaching the gospel in Africa. They began what is known as “The Gospel Chariots.” This has proven to be the most effective way to reach out to the people of Africa. They have two large trucks traveling through 11 countries conducting gospel meetings. The trucks have a number of chairs that can be set up for the people in the villages they visit, a portable baptistery and a sound system. Through these efforts they have baptized more than 15,000 souls. They also continue to teach new converts and encourage brethren to get Bible degrees through Nations University and to plant churches of Christ. We have made two different contributions of $500.00 to help keep these trucks operating.
Please remember these things as you consider your contribution on Mission Sunday, May 7, 2017. What we will be able to do is dependent upon what we are willing to give.