FAMILY PICTURES

Robert Jr. Wendy Stephen Elizabeth

My beautiful bride of 25 years

 

Stephen (16) and Elizabeth (13) - our two youngest

God working in Burundi

I have had the opportunity over the last couple of months to spend time on two separate occasions with our newest church plant, the Independent Bible Baptist Church of Bujumbura, Burundi.  The church continues to do well.  The joy of the Lord is evident in the lives of the people and the desire of the church to grow and mature is evident.

Recently we were accompanied to Burundi with Pastor Scott Hall from the Fellowship Baptist Church of Idamay, West Virginia.  He had the opportunity to preach at the church and to see first-hand what God is doing in Burundi.  We are thankful for Pastor Hall and his church and their burden to see the Burundian people come to the Lord.

Pastor Hall gives the church a gift from some children in the U.S. who have promised to pray for them.

 

We first visited Burundi in 2008 and saw vividly the great need in that county. We immediately began praying that God would send someone to reach them.  We at the time were not thinking that it would be us. But over time God made it quite clear that we should stop waiting for others and do something ourselves. When we actively began working in Burundi we were not aware of any other Independent Baptist churches doing anything in the entire country.  Our pray was and continues to be for God to send labourers.  Unbeknownst to us God began to answer that prayer and we recently were informed of several churches that have begun reaching or are burdened to reach Burundi with the gospel.

•  Pastor Mario Monette and the South Metropolitan Baptist Church of St-Hubert, Quebec have been working with a Congolese man that has started a church in Burundi.  I know Pastor Monette personally and have preached in his church.  Pastor Monette is a man of strong biblical conviction and his church is an example of what a true New Testament Baptist Church should be.  We were excited to recently be informed of this new church and believe that it will be a strong shining light in Burundi.

• Missionary John Shrader of Zambia has begun working with and training a Burundian man by the name of Arcade.  Arcade has moved to Zambia to be trained and desires to go back to Burundi and reach his people with the gospel.

• Pastor John Wrightson is the pastor of Coastline Baptist Church of Jacksonville NC.  He met a Burundian army officer named Innocence who was in the U.S. receiving some additional military training. Innocence got saved started attending church and began to get grounded in the Word.  When Innocence returned to Burundi his desire was to attend a Baptist Church.  Unfortunately he could not find one.  I was able to meet with and have a very good talk with brother Innocence during my last trip to Burundi.  He desires to help in whatever way possible to see Baptist Churches established throughout Burundi.  He has been transferred to a government position and meets with the President of Burundi on a weekly basis.  He will be a great help in getting our churches registered in Burundi!

Brother Innocence

  

These are some examples that we have recently become aware of…… we are quite sure God is going to continue moving in the hearts of his people to reach Burundi.

Thank you for your prayers for the Grace Bible Baptist Church as we continue to endeavor to reach into the Regions Beyond.