First Baptist Longview Connects with Massachusetts!

We are so very grateful to many members of our home church, First Baptist of Longview, Texas, who have been for several years involved in numerous ways in various missions efforts in New England. 

                                      
                                               BUSY HANDS SEW AND SEND!

A wonderful group of  "Busy Hands" ladies meet together each Friday morning to work on beautiful hand-made baby quilts and blankets, and they have sent over THREE THOUSAND of these handmade beauties to various recipients throughout the world in the last several years!  Included in those recipients are several New England churches, some of which are:  Evangelical Baptist Teaching & Worship Center in Winthrop, MA; Willimantic Baptist Church in Willimantic, CT; Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Worcester, MA; Hope in Jesus Ministries in Providence, RI;  and New Hope Community Church in Ayer, MA.   THANK YOU, BUSY HANDS! 

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                                  MAY MISSION TEAM DOES FIX-UP AND PAINT-UP!

At the request of Ray Allen, Director of Missions for the Massachusetts Baptist Association and Properties Manager for the Baptist Convention of New England, seven members of FBC Longview
(pictured above) worked diligently for a week in May helping with renovation at the MBA missions house in Worcester, MA, and doing interior painting at the BCNE headquarters building. You can view some of the team in action on the FBCL Facebook page, but our camera just barely caught them at Logan Airport in Boston as they were heading back to Texas and hopefully some much-needed rest!  Team members picturedabove are (l to r) Chris Telleri, Billy Smith, Bonnie Davis, John Glasgow, Todd Davis, and Bonnie and Stan Glenn.  In this group, there were first-timers, second-timers, and third-timers on New England mission trips!! Many accomplishments and much laughter were a part of this week in Massachusetts!  This trip was all about preparing for more volunteers from all over the US who will come to New England to plant, cultivate, and harvest for the Kingdom in this spiritually dark area of our nation.

We thought you'd like to see some of our painting handwork at the BCNE below!  Nice job, huh???

Texas Couple to Serve at Maine Encampment

A few days ago, our Texas friends JR and Gloria Mathews stopped by our "summer home" in Northborough, MA, on their way to Farmington, Maine, to assist at the Baptist encampment there for the next several months.  Among their duties will be helping with camp administrative duties, serving in general maintenance, and who knows what else!!!  The Mathews served for several months in Western Massachusetts about three years ago as they worked to "cultivate the ground" for a church plant in the  Pittsfield area.  They are no strangers to mission work for they have served numerous times over the last several years in various needed areas---particularly in constructing and rehabbing properties following natural disasters. 

On their way to Maine, JR and Gloria brought a large volume of personal clothing items (caps, handmade baby blankets and quilts, etc.) which were contributed as part of a church-wide effort at the Mathews' home church, Hollybrook Baptist Church in Hawkins, Texas.  These will be distributed by Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Worcester, MA,  as needed in their many ministries to their inner city neighbors.

In the first photo below, you'll see JR and Gloria and their poodle heading to Maine from our home in Northborough!  The second photo displays the stack of items from Hollybrook being received by Kathryn Nunnelley, Mission Service Corps Church Strengthener with Pleasant Street Baptist Church.

MANY THANKS to the Texas church and to the Mathewses for meeting these needs.  May the Lord use these items to show His love to our Massachusetts brothers and sisters. . .