As Christians we should know our geography better than anyone! I am often embarrassed about how hard it is for me to find a country on the world map. Since I am part of a church that is responsible for getting the gospel to the world maybe I should study the world. What about you?
Go here and play games on line that will help you learn about the locations of different countries. Play with your children and friends. It will be fun! Click here to play!
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When a missionary is heading to another field they need to know all they can about their country. I have always tried to teach how to study another country. I want to challenge you to read this article which gives great questions to ask!
I suggest you print out the questions. Put them in a notebook that you can take with you. Then carry the notebook on your survey trip and write down the answers you get from everyone you can ask.
Never ask just one person. Get as many opinions as possible from as many different people as possible. Try to get a consensus of opinions.
Print out these questions and save them!
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I just got the following letter from a dear brother! What an encouragement!
Brother Austin
After watching your video about challenging others to help getting mp3 players into parts of Africa to evangelize and disciple, right then I began to pray.
I asked God to give me the resources to buy a lot of mp3s to send to you but I got no answer. I waited patiently for His answer; but instead He told me to you this.
Thank you Bro. Austin for your passion and love for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Your compassion for the lost and dying world has been placed in the hearts of many to reach the world with the Gospel.
Today I may not be out there in the fields of Africa, but since we have returned I have learned a great deal about the power of intercessory prayer. Praying on the behalf of those laboring throughout Africa.
I am filled with joy to give you this to help Vision Baptist Mission to go therefore.
God bless you Bro. Austin
Since I don’t have permission to post his name I will withhold it for now. But this dear brother just sent $500 towards the project. This is an answer to prayer. This is God moving and confirming in my heart that we are on the right track.
Keith Shumaker will be back in Burkina Faso soon and we will be getting started. God bless you my brother. You have made a big difference.
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Vision Baptist Church and I are excited to announce God’s working in the Coffey family! They announced yesterday that they are going to South Africa as church planting missionaries. While they will be sorely missed I am excited for them and what God will do with them.
Mark is well prepared to be able to make a great difference in South Africa. We have worked together for 15 years. I believe in this family with all of my heart. I hope you will prayerfully consider taking them on for support as soon as possible.
Dear Pastor and Church,
You may have noticed some major changes in this month’s prayer letter design. On April 3,2011 at my home church, we announced that we will no longer be stateside representing the Peru Baptist College, but are now raising support as church planting missionaries to the country of South Africa.
The Lord has been dealing with me now for several months about going back to the field. I wasnʼt exactly sure where He wanted us, but on a trip to South Africa I took in March, He confirmed in my heart that this is where He wants us to be.
I have been privileged to work in and out of South America for the last 15 years. Our five years of living on the field are some of the best of my life. I have also enjoyed working in our missionary training center in Alpharetta, GA while representing the Peru Baptist College stateside for the last few years. These are ministries that have shaped who I am today.
Not living on the mission field has always been something I have missed. I donʼt regret coming back to the States to do what we did, but I am looking forward to getting back to the front lines of mission work.
We are currently at 30% of our needed support and hope to raise the remainder of our support in the next year and half, with the goal of being in South Africa no later than January of 2013.
South Africa is a beautiful country of over 49 million people. It is in great need of Bible preaching churches, especially among the black population. Our plan is to start by working in the city of Port Elizabeth among the Xhosa people. I believe the Lord has been preparing me over the past fifteen years of working under past
missionary and now pastor, Austin Gardner, to do this work in South Africa.
Please pray for us as we take this step of faith. Pray that we will raise the needed support and get to the field as quick as possible. If you have any questions, please donʼt hesitate to contact us.
Here to serve,
Mark, Amy, Tyler, Chase, Emilee, Luke, and Addison
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Today, Vision Baptist Church turns 5 years old! God has been super good to us over this time period. It has been a real blast watching God do things. He has allowed us to see many lives changed, souls saved, and a difference made around the world.
He has given us 11 missionary families out of our church with more to come soon! He has allowed us to train many others that are not members but are strategic partners with us. He has allowed us to give over $500,000 to missions.
The truth is that we have more plans right now to reach out and do more than ever before. We have spent the last 5 years getting started and so now we just have to keep working and watch God build His work.
God has sent the most wonderful families to Vision. People that love Him, love others, love to serve, and give of themselves all the time.
God has allowed me to work with the best pastoral staff ever. Mark Coffey has been a tremendous blessing. He has personally helped me for many years now. Thank you Mark for all you have done to make Vision possible.
Thank you, Trent Cornwell, for carrying such a great load. Much of what you see happen at Vision is Trent’s heart, his dream, his plan, his work. I think that we are super blessed to have a man like Trent at work at Vision.
God has used Tony Howeth in great ways at Vision. He has been there so many times when I have been on the road. He has prayed, counseled, preached, loved, and made a great difference in so many lives.
Ronald Tubillas is one of a kind. He serves as our Spanish Pastor and God has greatly used him. Many have been saved. Lives have been changed. He works super hard. He is a servant. He is a man of God. I am blessed mi querido hermano que podemos trabajar juntos!
Robert Canfield is a recent addition to the staff of the church but already does more than I could ever have imagined. He is so kind, hard working, serving, unselfish, etc. Thank you Robert for all you do!
Brother Warren Frick is the newest to our church staff. He has a burden to reach people and make a difference in their lives. He is hungry to see God’s hand on our church as we reach out to Senior adults that want to be more involved in serving!
I want to thank all that have made the music so good. You have practiced, prayed, died to yourself, served, and been such a blessing. I know that you spend many hours behind the scenes doing things that no one knows you do and I thank each of you!
I want to thank the sound booth guys or as they called it, “the Nerd Boat!” No service would be the same without you. You are on top of things. You are watching, listening, working, praying and God is using you.
I want to thank all the children’s workers, Sunday School teachers, bus workers, visitation people for all that you do! Again I know that no one sees you and all you do but without you there would be no real ministry at Vision. You are wonderful.
I want to thank those of you that clean the church. It is unreal how much you do to make our worship services possible. You are so kind. You do a job that people do not notice unless you do not do your job! You do such a good job and we never have to worry!
I want to thank all of those that work in the nursery! You do such a wonderful work. I am so grateful to God for you and what you do. The children are well cared for! You are good and kind and a blessing to all of our families.
I want to thank those of you that do so much in discipleship. Thank you John Pearson for heading up that ministry and making a difference in so many lives. Thank you for helping in ways that no one realizes to get this church going.
Thank you to those of you that serve as ushers and counting the money. Again I couldn’t ask for better. Thank you!
There are not enough words to tell you how much I love each of you. I know that I have most certainly left some one out! Our church has so many people doing so many things that it is impossible to remember everyone at one sitting like this.
I thank the young ladies that behind the scenes do so much free secretarial work for me and the church. All I have to do is ask and there you are hard at work, from answering the phone to typing things out.
Thanks to those that do the bulletin. Thanks to those that pray for the services because it is God’s power that makes all the difference.
Thanks for those that cook so much for so many activities that we have!
Well you get the idea. I love and thank all of you! You are the greatest. Vision is blessed. I am blessed as pastor to serve a church with such wonderful people.
Today we celebrate 5 years of God’s blessings. Today I celebrate Him and you!
God bless all of you!
Happy anniversary or birthday, whichever we are supposed to call this!
Austin
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Vision Baptist Church Baptists Committed to World Evangelism