This past weekend, Jana and I drove to Winfield, Kansas, where I was asked to speak for a youth rally. We have been praying about this event since the first of June. It was good to reconnect with Brandon and Sarah Jellings of Millington Street Baptist Church (Pastor K.B. Murray), and their young people on Saturday night. They had rented out the town's recreation center (a very nice venue), had inflatables and shaved ice and nachos and pizza....all the makings of a good teen event. There was a great group of young people who came from Friendship Baptist Church in Owasso, OK to provide music and media - and they did a great job! When it was over, the Millington Street youth group had 67 first time visitors, and 15 of them responded to the invitation to accept Christ as Savior! The good people of Millington Street Baptist did a good job of counseling with all the young people who came. God really did something big! On a funny note, while some of the kids were still being dealt with, I was walking around, talking...

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My family and I just returned from a fascinating trip through parts of Asia. We first arrived in Thailand for two nights and stayed in the city of Bangkok. We visited with Rick and Tammy Salmon and their boys and I preached for Ricky on Sunday morning. It truly is amazing all the are involved in with their church, with many different types of outreach, and with other churches in the country-side. We were blessed to be with them.

 

Then we went to another country to visit those serving there. I can’t mention the names of servants and cities for security reasons. However, it was such a thrill to sit in on some leadership training and discipleship, a house church and see a meeting place of another underground church. In this country there are creative platforms being used with the ultimate goal of evangelism, leadership training and church planting. The cool thing is, it is working. We got...

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Jana and I are in the town of Buckley, Wales, with our friends, Bob and Jan Marshall.  We are in the middle of a trip to visit  (and hopefully, encourage) a host of missionaries, most of whom are located in the UK.  We have met a number of them we hadn't met before - a huge blessing.  We were blessed and humbled by our visit with missionaries in Belgium and Scotland. 

Yesterday we connected with a group of old friends, and we had a wonderful reunion.  These folks convince me of their love for Christ and for the souls He died for every time we have any time together with them at all.  Their very presence in a different country and culture, with all the challenges that go with that, is a testimony to the grace of God working in their own lives.  How hard it must be for them to be a continent away from their children, grandchildren, aging parents...and yet it is by the grace of God He allows them to serve Him in what would seem (to some) to be out of the way places. 

I was especially struck yesterday...

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I have always looked forward to and enjoyed the Missionary Family Reunion.  While missionaries in Korea and now in the office this week has always been special to my family.  I hope if you will be in the US during August that you will plan now to attend.  This year's Reunion will held August 4 -8.  You may sign up online from the link on our home page.  I hope to see you there.  Steve

I got home today after spending a week with some great teenagers at a youth camp in southwest Missouri.  Sagmount Camp is located just south of Joplin, MO, and was the gathering place this week for young people from many churches in the midwest.  These kids played hard, sang their hearts out, encouraged each other in the Lord, and responded to the challenges from God's Word.

I had the privilege of preaching eight messages, and the Lord really blessed.  There were scores of decisions - kids got saved, others rededicated their lives to Christ, still others responded to God's calling on their lives to serve Him in full time ministry.  It was such a huge blessing to see God's Word impact these great young people.  I am in awe that the Lord could use someone approaching 50 (but not there yet) to connect with teens.....God is always doing "exceedingl abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20).

Some of the special things for me in the week included:

1.  Hearing this group sing.  I have...

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I enjoyed the recent Fellowship Week with several events being the highlights.  The Monday afternoon committees and Tuesday morning service for approvals were a real blessing.  The testimonies were great and I believe we will see God use these called and gifted couples and singles reach many people with the Gospel around the world.  25 were approved as career missionaries, six recognized as TEAM missionaries, and two reinstated back to Australia – Ron & Vicki Letts. 

 

Another highlight was Tuesday night with Jim Hutchinson (Russia) singing a special song and Jim Smith (Ecuador) preaching a very challenging message.  It was nice to see the entire day of Tuesday emphasizing missions.  Of course, it was great to see all the missionaries present and to have lunch with those who could come on Thursday.  By the way, the Tuesday approval service is on our website to watch and is also available on DVD for $3.00.  If you want one contact Mike at MDuff@bbfimissions.com. 

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Here are my "Top Ten Reasons I Love Missions Conferences:"

10.  Kids asking questions about what missionaries eat

9.  Talking to people who are interested in taking a mission trip

8.  Missionary videos and pictures

7. Connecting with missionary and pastor friends

6.  Meeting Sunday School teachers who teach their children and teens about missionaries

5.  Missionaries telling stories about people on the field getting saved

4.  Hearing how God provided the Faith Promise commitment for someone last year because the week after they made the commitment, they got a raise (inheritance, insurance settlement, anonymous gift) that more than covered it

3.  The anxious church member making their first Faith Promise commitment that really will take faith

2.  The excited church member making their second Faith Promise commitment because they saw God do something amazing to allow them to give more to mission personally last year than they ever dreamed

1.  Watching God do so much in the heart of a young man (woman, couple, family) that they answer the call to become missionaries to take the gospel to a lost people

...

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Things are quite busy at the Mission Office of the BBFI. We are preparing for our new missionary approvals in May. Our reporting project is under way after working on it for over one year. All the staff is doing an admiral job in their respective areas to continue our goal of being a world mission service center.   Last week I was speaking at a Mission Conference in Ft. Worth, TX and during that conference I participated in the ordination service of a new Fellowship missionary to be approved this May.   Paul Hylton recently spoke at a Mission Conference. Steve Bender is in Europe and spending time with missionaries while there. Loran McAlister is teaching all week the “History of Missions” at Pacific Baptist College in California. Dennis Jennings just finished preaching a Mission Conference in Florida.   We stay quite busy not only with our duties in the Mission Office but also promoting missions in our churches. At this time we are pressing with our Operation Stabilization initiative to raise the awareness...

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This time of year is always exciting as it begins the spring mission conference season.  It was my privilege to be invited to attend two conferences this month.

The first was spent with pastor John Waldrip and the members of Calvary Road Baptist Church in Monrovia California.  The conference began on Wednesday evening with a great mid week crowd and appeard to grow with new faces each night.  Pastor Waldrip reported one man coming to Christ and several others making spiritual decisions.  The conference ended on Suday night with a first class Victory Banquet at a fine local resturant.  Thank you Bro. John for being such a great host and inviting me to spend this time among your people. I shall not soon forget this conference.

The second conference I had the privilige of being invited to attend was in Yuma Arizona with the Bible Baptist Church pastored by Alfred Maese.  Pastor Maese began with an orientaton dinner on Saturday evening to allow the missionaries to meet each other and to lay out the schedule...

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Sometimes I ask dumb questions of my co-laborers, especially the other directors in the Mission Office.  Mostly it is because they have been missionaries, and I am the lone director who has not served on a foreign field.  But they are gracious and patient with my occasional lack of understanding...especially those times I think I know what I'm talking about, but I really don't.  There have been times I just assumed something was one way, when it really wasn't.  Well, it has been during those times that a verse I learned many years ago comes again to remind me that  I still don't always remember to practice important truths:

Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

The missionaries (directors & MK's) that I work with are kind to  work with me and talk me through some of those things that I don't  know about...but  thought I did.   What these good friends in the office have taught me  is also what has been confirmed again and again about our missionaries...

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