A Teen's Perspective of Missions

Our team from First Baptist Church, Longview, spent a week in August helping to lead a Vacation Bible School and revival services at Chariho Southern Baptist Church in Bradford, Rhode Island.

In the afternoons, the team traveled about thirty miles east to the South Kingstown, Rhode Island, area where they prayerwalked and distributed information  in surrounding neighborhoods.  This was to support a new church plant, The Bridge, which launched in the area last spring and ministers to area residents as well as students at the University of Rhode Island.

Faith Pendleton, an FBC Longview member, who has just completed her first semester at Texas State University at San Marcos, Texas, brought lots of youthful energy to our team! In fact, she is pictured here as we celebrated her 18th brithday while on the trip.  Following are her comments about her involvement in sharing God's love in New England:

"Going to Rhode Island this summer was the best mission trip experience I have ever had. As I prepared for the trip I thought that I was at a content point in my life with God. Little did I know all the ways he would work on my heart. Chariho Baptist Church in Bradford, RI has the desire for Christ that I strive to have in my life. To them it’s real. Nothing else in this life matters to them, except for what God’s desire is for their lives to be. The opportunity that I had to lead recreation at VBS was life altering. I saw the kids react to each other in such a Christ-like way; I saw them practice what they were learning in VBS. It made every doubt that I was struggling with about God disappear. Overall, the trip helped me more than I could ever help the people of Chariho. They taught me what true brotherly love is and to love without boundaries. I cannot wait to go back and see my New England friends next summer!"

Texas WMU Team Connects with Internationals

Well, Hello Again!

Somehow the days go so quickly that it's too easy to be remiss in communicating with you, our loyal friends and family.  We do apologize, but hopefully these next three postings will give you just a glimpse of what's been happening as we have served the Lord in New England in 2012.

The year was exciting as we've hosted a total of nine groups (including one whole family and several couples) this year who've come to serve alongside us and the churches of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut!  One of those teams was the Texas WMU group shown below who arrived in early September to minister among Muslims and Hindus in the Boston area.  The group leader was Susan Wood, a former International Mission Board missionary who has served among Muslim populations and was most helpful in helping understand the culture.

                      

Here is Ms. Joyce Ridings' (3rd from R) account of their days in New England:   

"My heart was burdened after I read about Paul Biswas' request in the "Missions Mosaic" magazine to come to the Boston area to reach out to people of other faiths by prayer walking and helping at a Multicultural Event. Others in our Women on Mission group at Woods Chapel Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas were interested and plans were made to go. Five from our church plus three from other churches flew to Boston knowing in our heart this is a God-inspired trip to support Paul Biswas's work among Muslims and Hindus. I was a little apprehensive; after all, I'd never even talked to someone with Muslim or Hindu beliefs! When Paul talked of his Hindu background, how he came to faith in Jesus, plus his excellent orientation for our prayer walking, I caught his enthusiasm and passion for reaching other cultures with the Gospel. We set off in pairs to prayer walk around three high-rise apartment buildings housing many Muslim families. Another day we prayer walked a town where many Hindus live and work. His goal is to plant churches in these two areas in 2012. I feel privileged to pray daily with insight for this to become reality. Paul explained that a Multicultural Gathering is for building relationships and for friendship evangelism as people share their cultural heritage and get to know one another. Paul had invited speakers from Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Philippines, Nigeria and from our group - Texas. Some of these were Christians, some not, but the atmosphere was friendly and accepting. About 50 people were at the event, and I sat next to a delightful couple from Bangladesh. I listened to the speakers for two hours and could have listened for two more; it was so enlightening. Some who were Christians shared their faith openly and I prayed that seeds were planted that Saturday night. (We heard later that three contacted Paul to learn more about Christianity!) Sunday morning we went back to Cambridgeport Baptist Church Baptist Church and worshiped with a dozen or so different nationalities. What a heavenly experience - to catch a glimpse of the magnitude of God's love for all peoples!   I still smile with joy when I remember all the experiences on this Boston area mission trip. Don't you know God smiles when all peoples, all languages praise and worship Him together!"

                                          Joyce Ridings with her new international friend