July 2022 Prayer Letter
Introducing Others to Christ – One of the most amazing privileges in the world is introducing others to Christ! Over the past few months, we’ve held a weekly Bible study in Colchester that was designed to help people come to know Christ. Several men completed the entire course and are now meeting weekly to go through discipleship. Please pray for them to continue growing in their knowledge of Christ.
Passing the Baton – Back in May 2021, God led Downham Baptist Church to call Ricardo Hipolito as Assistant Pastor. At that time, we did not know that we would be leaving the UK in August 2022, but the Lord knew. Bro. Ricardo and his wife Katharina have been such a blessing to the church. It has been a great joy to work alongside them and to see the church call him to be the pastor. We are in the final stages of passing the baton of leadership to him. Please pray for Downham Baptist and for Ricardo and his family as they carry the work of the Lord forward in southeast London. (Photo above is Ricardo presenting Bible institute certificates.)
Plans for Colchester – The church plant in Colchester is still in the “mission” stages but we are encouraged by the commitment of those who are attending and the willingness of some pastor friends to provide guest speakers from the month of August onward. We had a special meeting last week, and seven men attended to hear plans for the church moving forward. Please pray for Andrew Franklin who will continue administering the work there, and please pray for God to raise up a pastor in His time. There have been many challenges to the work in Colchester, but also many blessings. Please pray for God to continue to build His church in Colchester, as there is such a great need amongst the 200,000 people there.
18 Years in the UK – On June 30, we completed eighteen years in the United Kingdom. It is a bittersweet feeling to be completing our final month. We are so sad to leave our “home” and so many friends behind, but we are excited about the opportunities to continue serving the Lord in missions as General Director of Vision Baptist Missions. We move back to America on August 24th. If you have any questions about this move or would like us to give an update at your church, please let us know! Thank you so much for your faithful prayers!