Happy Thanksgiving!

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!  May we all look to the Lord and thank him for all of his benefits towards us.  Especially his gift of salvation found in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord."  Psalms 116:12-13

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"  1 Peter 1:18-19

Thank you again for all of your love and support!
Brother Chris and Family

What Our Schools Are Forbidden To Teach...

The following is taken from a tract "What Our Schools Are Forbidden To Teach Is Destroying Us!"

Nicholas Murray Butler, 1862-1947, American president of Columbia University

"....In this day and generation we are beginning to forget the place which religious (Bible) instruction must occupy in education if that education is to be truly sound and liberal.  We seem to forget that until some two hundred years ago religious instruction everywhere dominated education: religion guided education, shaped education, and selected the material for education in every part of the world-in the Orient, in Europe and in the Americas....Then particularly in this democracy of ours, a curious tendency grew up to exclude religious (Bible) teaching altogether from education on the ground that such teaching was in conflict with our fundamental doctrine of separation of Church and State...The result was to give paganism new importance and new influence...."

Vatican Calls For World Economic System

Ephesians 5:14-17 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

VATICAN CALLS FOR WORLD ECONOMIC SYSTEM

(Friday Church News Notes, November 4, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Vatican wants reform of world financial system,” AP, Oct. 24, 2011: “The Vatican called Monday for radical reform of the world’s financial systems, including the creation of a global political authority to manage the economy. A proposal by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace calls for a new world economic order based on ethics and the ‘achievement of a universal common good.’ It follows Pope Benedict XVI’s 2009 economic encyclical that denounced a profit-at-all-cost mentality as responsible for the global financial meltdown. The proposal acknowledges, however, that a ‘long road still needs to be traveled before arriving at the creation of a public authority with universal jurisdiction’ and suggests the reform process begin with the United Nations as a point of reference.”

Quick Prayerism

I read this article from Brother Cloud this morning and thought that I would post it on my blog.  I believe way to many churches and christians have gone this route and have damned many souls.  This verse comes to my mind when I think of this quick prayerism movement:

Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

BEWARE OF QUICK PRAYERISM (Friday Church News Notes, October 28, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Quick Prayerism is an evangelistic methodology that is quick to get people to pray a sinner’s prayer after a shallow gospel presentation which typically does not include any hint of the necessity of repentance. It is quick to pronounce the people saved and give them “assurance” and to try to baptize them even if they barely show an interest in the presentation and even if they give no biblical evidence of having been born again. Frequently, Quick Prayerism incorporates psychological salesmanship manipulation. In Quick Prayerism, an empty “sinner’s prayer” has too often replaced Holy Spirit conviction and miraculous regeneration. Quick Prayerism is characterized by soul winning reports that are grossly exaggerated, since the number of real conversions are minute compared to the overall statistics. We call it “prayerism” because it focuses on a prayer. We call it “quick prayerism” because it specializes in quick presentations and quick decisions and an overall shallowness of spiritual and biblical depth. An example of this was communicated to me some time back by a friend who had the following experience at a prominent independent Baptist church which operates a large Bible college. The soul winner in question is a veteran Independent Baptist missionary to Japan, a man with considerable influence in the Independent Baptist movement. “We went out with their staff on Saturday morning for soul winning. We were immediately partnered up with some of the veterans. The first door we went to, we spoke to a friendly Catholic guy and to my surprise, the guy got ‘saved’ before my very eyes as ------- took him from a few scripture passages to the sinner’s prayer so smoothly that I was caught off guard. I caught myself and while ------- was recording this man’s contact details and writing it down, I asked the man whether (1) he believed that he was a good person and (2) that it is possible to go to Heaven by being a good person. This man who had just got ‘saved’ told me ‘YES.’ I looked around and the other two men beside me said nothing and did nothing. We went to a few more places and eventually reached a home with a Roman Catholic young lady who came to the door. She said she was a professing Christian. Even though she said that all churches were the same ------- gave her assurance of salvation by quoting 1 John 5:13.” The churches that have adopted this unscriptural method of evangelism have produced millions of false professions throughout the world and have given a false hope to this multitude. There are many churches that can show only a handful of new creatures in Christ for every hundred converts they claim. Repentance and soul winning methodology are not minor issues that can be treated as “non-essentials.” Quick Prayerism is death in the pot for any church that practices it.

Do We Stand In Awe?

Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. Psalms 119:161

Do we stand in awe of God's word?  Or do we just take it for granted and fail to do what the Lord has written?

AWE, v.t. To strike with fear and reverence; to influence by fear, terror or respect; as, his majesty awed them into silence.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22

Is Football Your God?

FOOTBALL IS GOD

The report is on the drying up of the football field at Robert Lee High School in west Texas. “So people here are doing everything they can think of to save it. After all, this isn’t just about a game. Here in West Texas, football is God, and the field is church.” That is a sad but true statement, and it is just as true for professing Christians as for out-and-out pagans. Sports is one of America’s gods. Dr. Alan Goldberg of the University of Connecticut said: “Sports [is] like a religion, and the god of that religion that we all worship is the god of winning” (CNSNews.com, August 31, 2001). An extensive survey commissioned in 1983 found that seven in every 10 Americans watch, read, or talk about sports every day. (*I can only imagine what it is today!!!)  The study, the most comprehensive ever undertaken of America’s attachment to sports, found that almost 35 million people are “ardent sports fans” who watch sports events on television at least once a week, and in some cases, every day. I am confident the statistic would be higher today. In 1982, the famous sports announcer Howard Cosell, while viewing the largest Sunday football game attendance in Texas history, said “the Cowboys are more than a football team in Dallas; they are a religion.” Professional football and basketball have become a religion all across America. In other lands the religion is called soccer. A person’s god is that which he loves and serves, and God hates idolatry. The prophets and apostles preached against idolatry, and so should we. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols (“1 John 5:21).

(Friday Church News Notes, October 14, 2011, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A report in the Los Angeles Times on the drought in Texas observes that “football is God” (“In West Texas,” Los Angeles Times, Oct 3, 2011).

* My thoughts on the article

Nothing in Competition with the Lord

Good morning to all!  Below I have posted a quote from Jonathan Edwards, which Pastor Doss had sent out by email about a week ago.  I thought it was really good and that I would take this opportunity to put it on my blog.  It is something to meditate on and hopefully will draw us near to the Lord.

Nothing in Competition with the Lord

See to it therefore that there be nothing that stands in any competition with God in your esteem. Value Him more than all  riches. Value His honor and glory more than all the world. Be ready at all times to part with all things else and cleave to God.  

Let God be your peculiar friend. Value His friendship more than the respect and love of all the world. When you lose other enjoyments, when you lose earthly friends, let this be a supporting, satisfying comfort to you, that you have God left. You haven't lost God.

--Jonathan Edwards, "Christians a Chosen Generation," in Sermons and Discourses, 1730-1733, Ed. Mark Valeri (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1999), 318.

America

The Need In America
	Every year in our country 3500 to 4000 churches close their doors and never reopen.   We are only planting about 1100 churches each year and that includes all Protestant denominations as well as Baptists.   Every year the population in America grows by three million people.   It now takes twice as long for missionaries to raise their support as it did 20 years ago.  Every year we are sending fewer and fewer missionaries from America. Many missionaries get discouraged and quit before ever getting to the field.   The largest Muslim training facility in the world is in New York City.   The largest Buddhist Temple in the world is in Boulder, CO.   Estimated U.S. conversion to Islam is 25,000 per year. Conversions to Mormonism are about 547,500, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses about 500,000 converts each year.   When Kingdom Halls reach 150 members they take 75 and plant another Kingdom Hall, we go in debt and build a bigger auditorium.   No county in America has a greater percentage of church members enrolled in Sunday School today than it did a decade ago.   America is the only nation in the world where the gospel is not spreading significantly! Even foreign missions are now being affected because there aren’t enough mission minded churches now to send all the missionaries the Lord is calling.  To our shame foreign countries are starting to send missionaries to America.  We are 13th among nations in the world to receive missionaries. Our nation is home to 300 million people as of October 2006, it has grown 100 million in the last 39 years and 53% of those are immigrants or decedents of immigrants. They did not bring Christianity into our country, they brought Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, etc. into our country. The choice is ours, are we going to rise to the occasion and do what we did when we first came to America, win America to Christ again by planting churches across our land, or are we going to let Islam reach them first? There are as many Muslims in America now as there are Baptists!                If Baptists don’t plant churches in America by the year 2050 America will be an Islamic nation! The map below shows where religious groups are in America. If a county is predominately one denomination the country is colored the color of that group. Baptists are in red. Notice where truth is there is little error and vise-versa. This study was done in 2000, if it were done today and Islam were included there would be as many Muslims as there are Baptists.  They are converting 25,000 every year to their religion, we are not.

© 2006-2010 Churches4america.com

New Phone Number

Hello all,

I just wanted to let everyone know that we have a new phone number while we are back in the States. It is (843) 259-7786.  We will have this phone number till we can move over to Papua New Guinea.

We are very thankful to all of the brethren who have helped us begin to make this transition from the Dominican Republic to Papua New Guinea.  The support and help has been tremendous and we are very blessed to have such loving and caring brothers and sisters in Christ. May the Lord bless each and everyone of you, we love you all dearly!  Words can not be found for how grateful we are for what you have done.

Our plan is to take it a day at a time and let the Lord open all of the doors.  The Lord has been faithful and has lead us thus far, may we continue to stay faithful to what the he would have us to do.  It is a blessing to be at peace with God and know that we serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I came across this verse this morning:

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. 
Psalm 143:10

May our prayer be to do the will of the Father at all times and may we be happy to serve him wherever he may lead.

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Psalms 146:5

Brother Chris and Family

Safe Trip Home

I hope and pray that all is well!  I just wanted to let everyone know that we made it home safely.  Thank the Lord, that we had a safe flight out of Santo Domingo and also a safe drive home from Florida.  The Lord has meet all of our needs and we are grateful for all of the help and support we have recieved.

Please continue to pray that all of our household items will make it back safe to the U.S. in October.  Missionary Flights International will be flying home our items on October 13th and I will have to drive down to Fort Pierce, Florida to pick them up.

I will try to continue to keep everyone updated with all that is going on in the coming weeks. 

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!

Brother Chris and Family

September Prayer Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We pray this letter finds you all doing well and growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Saviour.  Thanks be unto the Lord, we have all been in good health since our last prayer letter.

I am writing today to let everyone know about some major changes that are going to be taking place, if the Lord wills.  Please bear with my attempt to explain what has been happening. 

As many of you know, I have been requesting a lot of prayer for direction.  Over the past two months, I have been struggling to get any leading on where the Lord would have us to work on the island of Hispaniola.  For reasons that I do not understand, all the doors have been closed here in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.   No doubt, there is much work that could be done here on the island; I just do not have peace from the Lord that He wants me to stay. 

Recently, I thought the Lord had answered my prayers and was going to send me to work with Brother Maurice LaPierre in Les Cayes, Haiti, but after much prayer and another trip to visit I did not have a peace that that  was where the Lord would have me to go.

I finally broke down one day in my bathroom, begging the Lord to bring across my path what my next step should be.  The next morning, the phone rang several times, but I was not able to answer it.   We had not been having any electric during the day for awhile, but that day it came on in the afternoon and I was able to check my email.  There was an email from Brother Niels Gade, missionary to Papua New Guinea, requesting I be ready to receive a call from him that evening.  I drove into the nearest town that night to talk with him.   He expressed a great need of like-minded help and asked me to pray and consider coming to PNG to work with his family.   The Gade Family is also out of our home church in South Carolina and we have known and also worked alongside them in various church ministries for over 10 years.

After more prayer and receiving the blessing of my Pastor on this decision, I have surrendered to leave this field and go to PNG.   I do not make this decision lightly.  I know there has been much money, time, and labor to get us where we are currently.  However, it has not been in vain.  I am persuaded and have peace that the time spent here was needed, not only for myself, but also, God-willing, for those we were able to work with.  As to the specific reasons why the Lord let us come here for a short time, I cannot give an answer.  Only the Lord knows and in the words of the hymn, “We’ll understand it better by and by.”   I have devised my way, but the Lord has directed my steps.  Proverbs 16:9 “ A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”  To say more would be an attempt to justify myself.  To say less would not be a responsible answer to the churches and individuals that are giving their monies for us to stay on the mission field. 

The next step is to fly home and begin preparations to get over to PNG.  We will be flying back to the States September 20^th and spending a couple weeks with brethren and family.  Brother Niels has requested that I come over to PNG for a month or more to begin the paperwork process for entering the country as a missionary, see the work first-hand, and possibly start building a house for our family to live in.   I have agreed, and Lord willing,  am planning to go over sometime in late December or after the first of the year. 

Once I return we will continue the paperwork process and continue preparations to enter Papua New Guinea.  The entry process can take anywhere between 8-10 months.   During our wait, I would like to obtain some training in some or all of the following areas:  medical, dental, construction, diesel mechanics, and plumbing.   After living in the third-world country, I can see how helpful it is to have some knowledge in some of these areas.  It will be even more needful in PNG, where we will be living in primitive bush areas without a doctor, dentist or mechanic nearby. 

There is a dental class offered to missionaries located in Texas, as well as an intensive medical missionary school in North Carolina.  I have also had offers from brethren to try to pick up some training for construction and mechanics. These are things we are praying about to see what the Lord would have us to do.  While we think they’d all be helpful, we want the Lord’s direction on what specific training, if any, to obtain.

Brethren, again I thank you for your prayers, your emails, your financial support, and your labors.  I again ask for your continued prayer for direction as we make this transition.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email myself or my Pastor.  

While we are sad to leave the friends and brethren we’ve met here, we are at the same time excited to come back to our home country and visit with our friends and family we’ve been separated from this past year. 

May the Lord Bless and keep you in His grace.

A Soldier in the Army of the King of Kings,

Brother Chris Weltin

Prayer Requests…”As the Lord Wills”…

v   Our trip home to the States, Tuesday, September 20^th

v   Chris traveling to PNG & good health while there

v   Paperwork process to PNG to go smoothly & quickly

v   Direction as to medical and/or trade classes to take

v   Traveling mercies while we visit our supporting churches and the brethren

v   For the Lord’s will to be done in our lives and prepare us for this next step in service for Him

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”  Jim Elliot

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:18

Repentance

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  Acts 20:21

Good Morning!  I hope and pray everyone is doing well.  I read part of this sermon, by Lester Roloff, this morning and I thought that it was pretty good.  Hope you have a little time to read it.

The following is from a sermon by the late Evangelist Lester Roloff. It is excerpted from sermon #R03404 from Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises, Corpus Christi, Texas --

Every man must repent of his sin. What is repentance? John the Baptist told the people to bring forth fruit meet for repentance (Matthew 3:8). I want to say this to my preacher brethren. I really mean this. We ought not to be too hasty in getting them to join the church, if they haven’t repented. It doesn’t hurt for them to prove their faith for awhile. It doesn’t hurt for them to prove that they have been saved by the grace of God and their lives are changed. John said, "Bring forth some fruit meet for repentance." What are the fruits?

Number one would be a new heart and a new start. You’ll become new. The Bible says that "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). One fruit of that experience ought to be restitution. I believe we ought to make right what we can make right. What if I was staying with a group of preachers and one of them stole my wallet while I was sleeping? The next day he comes up to me and tells me he is terribly sorry and asks me to forgive him. I would be glad to hear that he is sorry for stealing my wallet, but I would certainly want and expect more than that from a repentant thief. I would want my wallet back! I don’t believe he has really repented unless he brings my billfold back. I DON’T BELIEVE YOU HAVE REPENTED UNTIL YOU GET RIGHT AND SAY, "LORD, I’M GOING TO LIVE DIFFERENT FROM NOW ON," AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD YOU WILL LIVE DIFFERENT.

I don’t believe you ought to smoke another cigarette. I don’t believe you ought to have to taper off in your liquor drinking. I believe you ought to cut out your gambling. When you get saved FROM sin, you ought to stay out of it. I’m not saying that you will be perfect the rest of your life, but I will say this: you will hate sin the rest of your life. If you can live in sin as the habit of your life, you have never been saved.

I believe that when a man really gets saved from his sin he ought to make a public profession of his faith in Christ. I don’t believe in these little secret decisions. We’ve had too much of this "Ya’ll just slip down the isle." Slip, nothing; come a walkin’ and a talkin’ and a weepin’ and a repenting. It’s all right for the devil’s crowd to slip around, but we’re not slipping anywhere. You’re not going to slip into heaven. We’re going to go there by grace through faith!

And if you think I’m trying to get a report, with a bunch of "decisions" and a bunch of cards to haul off or share or do anything else with, in the first place, I don’t have anybody on earth that wants my report. I don’t care about a report; I want to see people saved. I want to see the church revived. I want to see the cause of Christ flourish in this city.

As sure as we live, it is God who must bring about Bible repentance. Have you repented? "…except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3,5).

Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin. Repentance is a forsaking of sin. Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore. Repentance is permanent. It is a lifelong and an eternity-long experience. You will never love the devil again once you repent. You will never flirt with the devil as the habit of your life again once you get saved. You will never be happy living in sin; it will never satisfy; and the husks of the world will never fill your longing and hungering in your soul.

Repentance is something a lot bigger than a lot of people think. It is absolutely essential if you go to heaven.

The previous is from a sermon by the late Evangelist Lester Roloff. It is excerpted from sermon #R03404 from Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises, Corpus Christi, Texas --

Praise to the Lord!

Good Afternoon!  I'm praying that everyone is doing well.  I just wanted to write a quick post thanking everyone for the prayers, especially those who pray for our protection.  Yesterday, we tried to take a trip down into town to buy some propane and food, when we came across a riot in one of the small cities that we have to travel through.  They were burning tires, braking glass, and putting trees in the roadway to impede traffic.  This road is the main road from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti to Barahona, Dominican Republic.  The road then goes on into the Capital of the Dominican Republic.  Thank the Lord that we were able to get turned around and could head back up into the mountain with out any problems.  Sometimes those that are rioting will throw rocks at your vehicle, but nothing like this happened to us yesterday.  We are grateful to the Lord for his protection and guidance.  Thank you again to all who pray for us, your prayers where definitely answered yesterday!

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Brother Chris and Family

Maybe Another Trip Into Haiti

Good Afternoon to all!  We pray that everyone made it through the storm safely on the east coast.  We are doing well down here. 

Please pray for another trip that I may be able to take into Haiti within the next few weeks.  Brother Darren and I are going to try and visit Brother Fred Wall and his wife, up in the northern part of Haiti.  There is also an orphanage, run by two women (Kathy and Alice), that we are also going to try and visit.  I believe that Kathy and Alice have been running this orphanage for over 25 years.  Brother Darren and his family also lived there for a few years, helping out with the daily operations.  Hopefully, if the Lord allows, we can go up there and be a blessing to them for a few days.

Brother Fred Wall and his wife Joyce have been on the mission field for over 30 years.  I am looking forward to making this trip and seeing all that the Lord has done for this brother and his wife.  Please pray for Sister Wall, as she is still recovering from a surgery that she had in the States, back in July.

Thank you again to all who are praying for us as we seek the Lord's guidance and direction. 

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:25

Brother Chris and Family

Hello All...

Good Afternoon to all!  I hope and pray you all are doing well.  We are doing fine down here and are praying for our brethren up north as they prepare for Hurrican Irene.  I just wanted to update you all with what is going on.  We are currently waiting on the Lord to see what he would have us to do next.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to wait.  But Gods word says:

Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Psalms 62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

So often we want to try and figure out everything, instead of praying and waiting on the Lord to show us.  The Lord would have us to trust him daily and lean not to our own understandings.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Please continue to pray for us as we seek the Lord's guidance and direction.  I'm very thankful to have such loving and caring brethren back home.  Thank you to all who have sent emails of encouragement, are praying, and have sent support.  The Lord is wonderful and gracious, may we serve him today with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. 

We love you all dearly and are grateful for everything!

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

In Christ our Precious Savior,
Brother Chris and Family

Another Storm

Good Morning!  I hope and pray you all have a wonderful day in church.  I'm just writing real quick this morning to ask you all to pray about this storm.  If it continues on the path it is currently on, it will hit near the capital as a Hurricane.  Please pray that this storm will continue to stear north of us.

We love and miss you all!

Brother Chris and Family

Back From Haiti

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalms 55:22

I hope and pray all is well with everyone back home.  Thank the Lord, I returned safely home from Haiti on Monday.  I am very thankful for all of you who prayed for my safety and trip.  The Lord heard your prayers and helped me in many ways.  Below are a few pictures that I took while in Les Cayes, Haiti.

Most of the buildings in Haiti are old and run down. 

Here are some Catholic statues.  Most of the people in Cayes come here to pray.

This is one of the few gas stations in Cayes.  The owner of this gas station has a man that walks around the parking lot with a shotgun.  This helps things to run as smooth as possible.  When there are riots they tend to attack the gas stations and stores.  They loot the stores and gas stations then try to burn them down.

Brother Maurice and I looked at this piece of property in the city of Les Cayes.  The owner quoted us a price of $500,000 U.S. dollars.  The property was between 1-2 acres and had a small house on it.  Prices of land and homes are extremely expensive in Haiti at this time.  Another home was going for $250,000 and I would not have paid $40,000.  To put things in perspective, a bag of cement cost around $7.00 dollars in the Dominican Republic, in Haiti the going price is around $70.00 a bag.

Please continue to pray for us as I try to find the Lord's will.  I believe that the Lord has closed the door to go to Les Cayes, Haiti at this time.  So I will continue to pray and wait on the Lord to see where he will lead and direct.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!  We love and miss you all dearly!

Brother Chris and Family

Leaving Tomorrow For Haiti

Good Evening Brethren,  I hope and pray all is well.  I'm planning on leaving for Haiti tomorrow morning and will return on Tuesday, Lord willing.  Please pray that the Lord's will be done in this trip.  I will be looking for a possible place to rent for our family.  Please pray for my safety and also that the Lord would watch over my family while I am gone.  I also have one more prayer request and that is for my son Joseph.  He has had a rash all over his body for the last few days and we have yet to figure out what is causing it.  Please pray that the Lord would clear it up.  We have been using some medicated cream, but it has yet to work.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!

Brother Chris and Family

This Week in Pictures - Edition #5

I hope and pray you all are having a good weekend.  I thought while I had some time I would put some pictures up of the last week here in the Dominican Republic.  I guess this week's edition could be entitled Snakes, Storms and Swimming Holes.  How's that for waxing poetic? 

Tropical Storm Emily brushed by us without incident. Thank the Lord there was no damage done in the area that we live in. 

Please continue to pray for me as I attempt to take another trip over into Haiti this coming Thursday.  Lord willing, Brother Maurice and I will be looking for a home for our family to rent.  I am asking for all to continue to pray for us, for this can only be done through the Lord's wisdom, grace, and mercy.  The spiritual battles are real and somedays you just want to pack it all up and go home, but the Lord is gracious and faithful.  The flesh does not want to be obedient to the workings of the Lord.  So often I want to try and figure things out according to my own wisdom, instead of resting upon God's word and his promises.

Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

So often through the day, the Lord puts us through trials, in order that we may learn to rest upon and trust him.  If there are times in our life when we are tested and tried and we yield to the flesh, we will then only seek comfort and help from the world and our own selfish nature.  To many Christians to day are turning to worldly methods to deal with the problems in their lives, instead of turning to God and his word.  War is not easy nor is it a good time.  War is hard and so often the result is death.  May we war to put our flesh on the cross each morning and draw near to the God who loves us beyond anything we can learn or comprehend.

Matthew 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

I'm not very smart, nor do I have a college degree, but one thing I do know is that the Lord wants us to fully trust Him in all areas of our lives.  It not just something a preacher says to make a good sermon, but it is our life.  If we turn to our own wisdom, we will quickly make a mess of things and will not have a close relationship or walk with the Lord.  My desire is to draw nigh to our great Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, and see his hand work in our lives.  The world needs to see a true Christian, not just one in word.  May we all desire to love the Lord more and rest in his everlasting arms.

I hope you all enjoy the few pictures I have below.



This was the Boa Constrictor that I found in the road near Brother Darren's house.  It was dead when I found it, some Haitians had killed it right before I arrived.  They tied something around its head, I guess to make sure that it was dead.
I brought the snake back home to show my wonderful wife. (edit by wife:  Next time, I'm hoping for a chocolate bar for a "special surprise" instead of a dead reptile.)

This snake measured around 5 1/2 feet.,  pretty good size for a snake down here!  Snakes don't have much of a chance down here of getting big!  (another edit by wife:  I wish the same was true of the spiders and rats!)



The boys and Eliana got a kick out of seeing a snake this big.




Trying to find the waterfalls.  This road was a dead end on the side of the mountain.



Joey in deep thought.

The view as we drove back down the mountain.

There was a huge drop off to our left as we drove back down. 

Us standing on a rock at Mata de Maiz.

This a beautiful place to see if you come to visit.  It is located very close to our home.

Eliana spent her time fishing for minnows.

It was a blessing to be able to go to this waterfall.  It is a privilege and honor to be able to serve the LORD our God!

Thank you again to all who pray and support the work here in the Dominican Republic and hopefully soon in Haiti.

Brother Chris and Family



Baptist History Three

A.D. 1555

  The Waldenses in Calabria about the same time were suffering severe persecutions.  At one time eighty persons had their throats cut, and afterwards their bodies were divided into four quaters.  Thirty miles were then planted with stakes, and a quarter of a human being was placed upon each of these stakes.  At one time a young man was carried to the top of a tower where he was commanded to confess himself to a priest, who was present.  This he refused to do, replying that he had already confessed himself to God.  He was then cast headlong from the tower.  The next day as the viceroy was walking at the foot of the tower he saw the young man still alive, but suffering from  having nearly all his bones broken.  The viceroy kicked him on the head, exclaiming, "Is the dog yet alive? Give him to the hogs." 

These are but samples of the brutal outrages carried on at this time against the Waldenses in Calabria.  This was done too, in the name of Christianity, and by the authority of "the church."  Was this a church of Christ?

This was all done in the name of catholicism.  May we as Baptist awake out of our sleep and fight the good fight of faith, while we still have light.  May we not get intangled with the things of this world, but serve our Savior with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  I post these stories, so that we may not forget what our brethren of old have sufered for the faith.  We may again someday face the wrath of Rome, may we be ready to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ!  Below is a quote from a Catholic Bishop that lived in the United States, please read what he wrote:

"We confess that the Roman Catholic church is intolerant, that is to say it uses all the means in its power for the extirpation* (the defination of extirpation is below) of error and sin; but this intolerance is the logical and necessary consequence of its infallibility.  She alone has the right to be intolerant, because she alone has the truth. The church tolerates heretics where she is obliged to do so, but she hates them mortally and employs all her force to secure their annihilation.  When the Catholics shall be here in possession of considerable majority, which will certainly be the case by-and-by, although the time may be long deferred, then religious liberty will have come to an end in the Republic of the United States.  Our enemies say this, and we believe them.  Our enemies know that we do not pretend to be better than our church, and in what concerns this, her history is open to the eyes of all.  They know, then, how the Roman church dealt with the heretics in the Middle Ages, and how she deals with them today everywhere she has the power.  We no more think of denying these historic facts thean we do of blaming the saints of God and the princes of the church for what they have done or approved in these matters." 

Written by the Bishop of St. Louis, MO, in December, 1883, through his official organ, "The Shepherd of the Valley."

*The definition of extirpation is as follows: 
EXTIRPA'TION, n. The act of rooting out; eradication; excision; total destruction; as the extirpation of weeds from land; the extirpation of evil principles from the heart; the extirpation of a race of men; the extirpation of heresy. 

The church of Rome would establich an inquisition in America today, with all its horrible instruments if she had the power. So her officials tell us and we should thank them for their candor.  Who can doubt that this church--this false church--is the woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, which is mentioned in Revelation and called "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATONS OF THE EARTH."

Everything in Italics is from the book: Compedium of Baptist History, showing the Origin and History of the Baptist, from the days of the Apostles to the present time, with an Original Chart, giving a comparative view of some of the Denominations of Christians with which they have come in contact. 

By J. A. Shackelford.

Louisvillle, Kentucky:

Press Baptist Book Concern

1892

Some Things to Pray About....

"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors ther was power; but they had on comforter." Ecclesiastes 4:1

First, I want to say thank you to all who prayed for our safety through this storm.  Thank the Lord that storm did not cause much damage (atleast in the area that we are in).  It is still raining, but nothing like the last day and a half.



Brother Maurice and his family.



Secondly, Would you all please pray for me as I try to take another trip over to visit Bro. Maurice LaPierre next week (Lord willing).  Please pray that the road ways will be passable, especially at the border.  I believe the Lord is leading us to move over into Haiti by December or January.  When I go to visit next week, I will be looking for a home to rent, so please pray that the Lord will lead and direct us to the right one.  Below I have listed some things listed that we need prayer for:

#1.  A home to rent in Les Cayes, Haiti.
#2.  That the Lord would show us the best way to move or stuff from the Dominican Republic to Haiti.
#3.  Whether or not I should sell the truck (duty on a vehicle into Haiti is extremely expensive).
#4.  The possiblilities of an orphanage or kids school in the future.
#5.  The best way to move my family over once we have a place to stay.
#6.  Safety in all that we do and the Lords will to be done in all things.
#7.  That the Lord would continue to help us all learn Kreyol.

#8.  Prayer for Brother Maurice and his family, as he tries to help us with our move into Haiti.



Pastor Maurice's church in Les Cayes. 
He built the church on the side of his house



I covet each and everyone of your prayers, as we attempt to move over into Haiti and eventually try to start a work with the orphans. 

Thank you again for all that you have done for us. May the Lord bless each and everyone of you!

Brother Chris and Family

Rain and Some More Rain

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update.  The storm has stalled for the last couple of hours to our south.  It started to rain around 6:00pm yesterday and has not stopped yet.  We are praying that the storm will now pick up speed and move away from the island.

I believe that I read the storm is 105 miles southeast of Port-Au-Prince.  All of this rain is not good for the condintions of some of these homes down here.  Pray that we will not have any flash flooding or mud slides, especially in the mountains of Haiti.

We have had on electricity for the last 14 hours.  I am praying that they will turn it on at some point during today.  Right now I'm using the inverter for the computer and internet access.

We love you all and are thankful for all of your prayers.

Brother Chris and Family

Prayer Request

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."  Psalms 18:2

Good Morning to all!  I hope and pray everyone is doing well. 

It looks as though we may be getting a little bit of rain here soon.  Please keep us all in your prayers as this storm approaches the Dominican Republic and Haiti.  I had to make a descision on whether to stay at our home in the mountains or head into the Capital (Santo Domingo).  I have decided to stay in the mountains.  The mountains have been know to have flash flooding and mudslides, so please pray that neither of these things would happen.  The house that we are currently in was washed away during Hurrican George (Category 3).  The owner has recently put up a cement wall around the home, so pray that all goes well.  Also, please pray for all those in this area.  There is limited space for shelters and most of these homes are not built to withstand these types of storms.  We may not have electricity for the next few days and also pray that our water supply stays good. 

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Brother Chris and Family