Evangelist Jim Belisle, a Field
Service Coordinator for our mission board who has quickly become a dear friend
to our family and work, allowed me to take advantage of his experience in
ministry and flexibility of schedule to use him in November, his fourth visit
to our ministry, to be a blessing to four churches [pictured preaching at a school in Ibadan]. His trip began with a revival meeting at a
church in Ibadan that Missionary Mark Sigstad originally started. Our members at Truth Baptist Church were glad
to have Bro. Jim here to conduct our 8th Great Commission Meeting on
the first Thursday and Friday of the month.
On November 8th, Grace & Glory Baptist Church welcomed
staff members and deacons from Truth Baptist for an enjoyable combined service,
where Evangelist Belisle introduced missions giving to the new church and then
became the first speaker to preach a multi-day meeting for GGBC on Monday and
Tuesday. He concluded his journey by
preaching for Missionary Israel Thompsons, the national pastor who teaches in
our seminary. [Bro. Belisle pictured with our seminary students]
In five Saturdays spanning the
middle of November through the middle of December, I stayed very busy with two
weddings, two ordinations [one pictured], and an institute exam. Around the same time, the ending of a
semester at Providence Baptist College & Seminary signaled the beginning of
preparations for an end-of-January commencement with almost 20 graduates of the
seminary, institute, and correspondence college. Church planting has continued successfully with
one new ministry starting the building of an auditorium and one of our
graduates conducting a survey trip to a nearby city, making plans for what will
be the 32nd new church started with those who have been trained
and/or ordained by our ministry.
My family always
enjoys the Holidays here for it truly is a break time. Our seminary and
institute has several weeks off, and even our church activities become lighter
as many families travel from our city to their villages for Christmas.
Traffic lessens, electricity is better, and the expectations upon me as pastor
and director lighten for a while. This
year was extra special as a church member family here paid for Sabrina and me
with our five to stay in a hotel for five full nights!
Scheduling for our next furlough is
under way; our family plans to be in the U.S., if the Lord will, from
mid-August 2016 through mid-January 2017.
We are already slated to be in several missions conferences throughout
October and November. If you would like for us to report at your church, please
contact me; the easiest way is by email or Facebook messenger.
A video in an Abuja hotel from our holiday vacation last year, showing how much our family enjoys receiving packages at Christmas.
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