Yes, We Do Serve An Amazing God

Paula,Robert,Gabriellia, and Bogdon


This afternoon as Teresa was praying after reading Troy's email to the church I got a new realization of how amazing a God we serve. As most of you know Teresa and I are going to Texas this week to meet with a group interested in helping the people of Romania. We also will get to spend time with our children, Peggy and Kelly, as well as our newly retired pastor and wife. Brother Dave has already had contact with members of the same church looking at other mission opportunities. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, after leaving Kansas City visiting the other kids Jennifer, Jason and Ryan, we went by Cameron First Baptist where we had a wonderful time of prayer, worship, and fellowship with people who not only love God but also love the people of Romania. Then we get back to Romania, via the internet,where we were praying for Bogdon and Paula and you see how all this stuff fits together just perfectly all at just the right time.


Think what if any of these pieces of this life puzzle were removed. I would have no reason to be writing this now. Brother Troy would have no reason to be asking for prayer. The mission training center would soon be an old empty building and countless lives that will soon be lives full of hope would never hear about God's Grace, The gift of His Son Jesus.

God has called us to be in His service. His schedule is not our schedule, but if we just obey Him things will come together in a miraculous way. We went to Cameron to thank and encourage them, God turned that around. We planned on retiring in just over 5 years, God's plan is not retirement at all. Bogdon's plan was to destroy himself, God's plan is for him to fight against evil not be evil. If we just do our job's and let God lead He will charge lives right before our eyes. Teresa and I are looking forward to watching God do His will in our lives and in live around us.

Please remember to ask God to continue to bless us and keep us in His will alone.
Please pray that God will give Bogdon and Paula the will to use the faith they have been given.
Please pray for Troy and his family that they can stay focused on the mission they have before them.
And pray that Prestonwood, First Baptist of Cameron, and Living Word will continue to be pleasing to God in their work in missions.

Being Thankful

I know that we are slow to blog and I have been reminded of that ( your name is safe with me). I have been living my life thinking that everyone knows more then I do, and although I find that to be true in most part, I also find that some people may not know the little piece of knowledge I have. I guess that is one of the reasons that I GO. On our last blog we sent the form back to the International Mission Board (IMB) where we had signed the form that stated we really did want to GO to Romania. Well, they did their thing and signed it and said, come on down and get ready to GO to Romania and help the Geddes teach people about Jesus.
Troy Geddes did a good job on October 28, 2007 on their blog http://seekandsave1.blogspot.com/
stating that our hearts are in Romania. So now we are getting ready to GO, and preparing to GO run our race of life as helpers to the Geddes. We have no idea what our future life on earth will bring, but I do know that at the end of this life is the beginning of our life in Heaven. Our goal is to lead as many people as God has for us to lead there. I want to have everyone, from this day forward, that God has made an appointment for us to witness to be able to say that they were told about Jesus.
We want to thank everyone for their prayers and ask you to continue to pray for us as we prepare and GO.
We want to thank our family who have been so understanding and supportive even though they have very mixed emotions, we will miss them so much. But there will be great rejoicing when we all get to Heaven. We thank our church (which is also our family), if it was not for you being in God's well we would have never got our foot in the IMB door. Speaking of doors ours will be open to you, just call us (more on Skype calling at another time). And we want to thank our friends (also family) which includes those of you who helped us make our first mission trip, where that "GO" word got so loud.
We are so thankful to God, for all these Blessings and ever so much more. Without Him how lost We would BE!

It Is In The Mail

“It Is In The Mail”

That is the statement I made in an e-mail to Angela at the IMB yesterday.
Tuesday of this past week the Staff Committee for the International Service Crops/Masters Personnel met to consider Teresa and me for service in Romania. We received the packet, (postmarked Tuesday 10-23-2007), on Saturday 10-27-2007 which read: “It is an occasion of real joy….to inform you that you have been recommended for an assignment.” There is no way to express all the feelings we have experienced this week waiting to read those words. And now that I have it, the thought that comes to my mind is “Who am I to suppose that I can go on mission with God?” I know that in Living Word Baptist Church there hundreds of people who each have many more talents, and skills, that make them better candidates for service with God than me. Yet my name is on the letter. When I look at my life and all the time and money I have wasted over the years I think why have you chosen me Lord Jesus? All I have is the gift of grace that you gave me. I have no education that equips me for this job. All I did was when the call went out, “who will go” I said “I want to.” And at that point I looked around to see who He was really talking to.

I know me, I knew I was at the end of the line when gifts were given out. I also know that I don’t have any great story to tell about my life changing experience, while others have great stories. I know that others can learn Romanian faster and better, as I have trouble speaking English. Still my name is on the letter. This letter to me, is really a wake up call to anyone that knows me, GOD CAN USE YOU!!!!

"Why are we sitting here waiting to die?” 2 Kings 7:3

If God finds a place of service in His plan for a two bit, knot head like me, just think how he would use someone like you! Do not take this the wrong way, I am greatly pleased that God is allowing me to share in the blessings of His work, but I look around at the people I know and think “why me?” The only logical answer is no one else wants these blessings. No one else will use the gifts God has given them for Him. I will say that again, You will not use the gifts God has given you for His work!

Jesus said: “Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Pick your destination and ask for God’s approval then Go, maybe next door, maybe to Harviell, maybe Mexico, maybe for an hour a day, maybe for a day a week, maybe for a life time, but just do what Jesus said Go!! I understand there are people who can not go where we are going, but I know there are far more that will not go, because they hold the world and this life (the here and now) higher than they hold God, the Kingdom of God, and Eternity.

Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Phi 2:3
Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

Listen, you have one life, and then what? At that time I want to hear my Father say “Well done, you finished strong.”

Missions Conference

What A Week!

I have never been to a prayer retreat or any other retreat for that matter, but I can not see how it could be any better then the mission conference Teresa and I attended last week.
I was at work on Tuesday morning which made us being the lasts ones to get to the Richmond, Va. Airport Tuesday night. A young couple from Fort Worth, Tx., a young man from Irvine, Ca., and ourselves were the late arrivals at about 11:30 eastern time. We got registered, unpacked and into bed at 1 am, breakfast at 7 am, don’t be late. After Brother Dave “Louie” Reber (career M) referred to the conference as “running the gauntlet” I was even more nervous about the whole thing. Still I was so tried I slept well and was surprisingly rested at 5 am.
We made it a little early for breakfast, even though we didn’t know where we were going, and got to look around a few minutes. Food was good and lots of it, Mark I have pictures. Then we headed to the morning worship. We were assigned a group number (8) and were told to set with that group. There was another elderly couple (Troy’s scale) and a younger couple around 30 years of age. Now this is where the comparisons to a retreat come in. I have never been to anything like it. Think of the best worship service your home church has ever had then remove all the people who are not sold out to Jesus (those with fire insurance only) and add people who get to be with the sold out to Jesus people every day and you get an idea what was going on there. I even forgot to worry about the up coming interviews. Day 1 was great. Enter Day 2.
We now have our job in hand and ready for our interviews. I think we had three formal, or announced interviews, and several people who spent time with us in a more informal manner. But the most pressure I was under was to choose a second and third choice. We had a great deal of trouble finding jobs we were qualified for and we could do. And we never found any that we could see ourselves doing at this time in our lives. So on Day 3 we wrote down two jobs that we could do and may do when we can no longer get out and work with the people full time. That was a load off my mind. I was asking God to show me any job that he would have me do other then our job in Romania, and I got no answer. The choices for second and third were just logical decisions not inspired ones. And at the end of the last formal interview our consultant said he would recommend us for appointment to CEE in southeast Romania.
The next things are done by committees and boards, which should finalize us on November 6. Please keep us in your prayers that God’s will, will be done in our lives.

330,000 People

Recently I have been compiling a list of churches located inside the city limits of Poplar Bluff. There was not a complete list to be found. Not all had phones and some had their phones listed in the pastor's name. As of today, I have found 65. That's right sixty- five just inside the city limits. Keep in mind, that doesn't include my home church Living Word Baptist which is near one mile outside the city. There are several just a few feet outside the city limits which did not make my list.

Poplar Bluff has less than 18,000 people, that's less than 300 (18,000 divided by 65 equals 277) people for each church for an average. This means that each generation only needs to reach 277 people for Jesus to have the entire city evangelized. Now let's consider Galati, Romania, with a population of about 330,000, a little over 18 times the size of Poplar Bluff. Galati has less than 10 churches, yes I said ten. That is over 33,000 people average for each church since there are less then 10 churches. Let's compare less the 300 (277) to over 33,000. I've done the math for you, just look at the numbers (souls).

The question has been asked of me "why do you go on mission trips, when there are lost people right here?" My answer would be that both must be done!

Acts 1:8 ....and you WILL be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. GNB

There are great numbers of people around the world dying and going to hell because they do not know Jesus Christ, and you can help. I have no special talents, I just Go. I love Jesus and He tells me to Go, Matt.28:19.

A Sinner Saved By Grace, Randy Myers

Doru's Aunt

This picture may be familiar to you if you have viewed Troy Geddes' blog. The lady in this picture is Doru's Aunt. Doru who is in the white shirt with his back to the camera, worked with the Living Word Baptist Mission Team in Galati, Romania in 2006. He had told me that his Aunt would not earnestly listen to him when he tried to share the gospel with her. On this particular day, we had just received lessons from Troy Geddes on how to "Share Jesus Without Fear". I suggested that Doru ask his Aunt to let me practice my presentation of "Share Jesus Without Fear" on her before I went out on the street, knowing that I needed the practice and that she would hear the gospel at the same time. Doru asked his Aunt, she agreed and I proceeded with the outline going through each step. At the end of the presentation, I asked her if she would like to ask Jesus to come into to her heart, her response was Da, yes! You could have knocked Doru over with a feather! She did ask Jesus into her heart!
On numerous occasions Doru had tried to lead his Aunt to Jesus. I'm sure that he did a better job at telling her what she needed to do to be saved than I did, but God had made an appointment for me to be there in that apartment on that particular day, knowing that she was ready to listen to someone about Jesus.
The point I'm trying to make is that these short term mission trips will make an eternal difference in some persons life. Has God made appointments for you? Are you going to keep them? Doru's Aunt died this spring, if I had refused to have gone on that mission trip, where would she be today? The blessing on my life is overwhelming. Do not pass up the opportunity. GO. Randy

Work in Zone 9

June 2006, Galati, Romania, Zone 9 as Bro. Troy Geddes has this particular area labeled. Randy and I had been asked by the lady in white (Maria) to come visit some dear friends of hers. They were as no surprise Orthodox. Maria and another of her friends had been praying for this couple for quiet some time. Maria is a Member of Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Galati. Several women from that Church are praying for a church plant in Zone 9. Jeremy, an Independent Baptist Missionary working in Galati went along with us to be our translator. Liliana and John were very gracious and received us with such kindness and warmth. John had lost his vision to glaucoma, Liliana very gently guided him to the seat where he was to set. After the proper introductions were made and some small talk, Randy asked the questions 1) Do you have any spiritual beliefs? They answered, Orthodox. 2) To you who is Jesus? They answered, the Son of God. 3) Do you believe there is a Heaven and a Hell? They answered, yes. 4) If you were to die tonight, do you know where you would spend eternity, in Heaven or Hell? They answered with a shrug of the shoulders, I don't know it depends, only God knows, if I've done enough works, if I've prayed enough, so on and so on. 5) If what you believe is wrong, can I show you what the Bible teaches? They answered yes! Just the answer Randy wanted to hear, and the answer I was silently praying for as I sat next to Randy. Liliana could not read the words from her friend Maria's Romania Bible because the words were too small, so Maria would read the verses that Randy asked her to read. Randy's comments and discussions with Liliana and John were translated by Jeremy. They were so eager to learn more about Jesus and his love for them. All the years they had spent in the Orthodox Church there was so much about the free gift of salvation that came from Jesus, they had never heard! I continued to pray as Randy continued to share more scriptures with this precious couple. The Holy Spirit filled the small room that we were crowded into. As I relive the memories of that evening, it brings me such joy. Through the moving of the Holy Spirit John's blinded eyes, spiritually as well as Liliana's were opened and they both prayed to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and they found the peace and assurance of knowing that they would spend eternity in Heaven.

We as part of the Cane Creek Stoddard Baptist Association while attempting to assist our IMB Missionary Troy Geddes in church planting in Zone 9 need to keep in mind, that there are people who have been praying for this effort for years and asking God to prepare the way and to send workers to this area. We need so desperately to show up, to be an answer to those prayers and to make to those appointments that God has already set up for us.

The Power Of Prayer Walking

One morning while we were in Romania, we walked about 5 minutes from the apartment in Zone 9. This apartment is being used for training and counseling by our Missionary Troy Geddes in Galati, Romania. Randy and I were prayer walking around an "apartment block"(this is not an entire city block, just 1 building). Randy began praying that God open doors in this building so that we would have the opportunity to present the gospel. As he prayed, he realized that more people lived in this high-rise building than in the small town, Harviell, Missouri; where he grew up. In Harviell there are 4 churches where you could learn how Jesus gave His life in order that we could have eternal life. In that apartment building there was not one person that could tell that story to anyone. As we continued to walk the "apartment block" I also was praying that God would soften hearts and give us the opportunity to talk to someone about Jesus. We went back to the Apartment in Zone 9 that Bro. Troy is using as the Training Center for a meeting with the Team from Living Word Baptist Church and the group from Holy Trinity Church of Galati. After the meeting, Bogdon, Randy and I went back to the block that we had been prayer walking. Setting on the steps of one of the apartments were two young men. Bogdon spoke to them first, however we soon learned that one of them spoke English very well. Randy asked if they had a few minutes to talk, if so he would like to ask them a few questions? One of young men said Sure! The questions were: 1) Do you have any spiritual beliefs? 2) To you who is Jesus Christ? 3) Do you believe there is a Heaven and a Hell? 4) If you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity, in Heaven or Hell? 5) Would you like to know what the Bible says about how to go to Heaven? The young man answered yes, Randy gave him a Romanian New Testament and he read the verses as Randy followed along. The final verse was Rev. 3:20 where Jesus is saying He is standing at the door and knocking, I asked him if he would like to pray to ask Jesus to come into his heart and be Lord of his Life and he said yes. Randy led him in prayer. This young man and his friend both want to continue with Bible studies, they gave the address to Bogdon as well as their cell phone numbers so that the group from Holy Trinity in Galati can contact them and disciple them. THIS IS PRAYER WALKING, THIS IS SHARING JESUS WITHOUT FEAR AND THIS IS ACTS 1:8

Our First Blog

Randy and I are new at this blogging business; so be patient as we do our best to share from our hearts the joy of serving God while on the Mission field. We have just returned from our third short term mission trip in Romania and Moldova located in Central Eastern Europe. Randy and I would like to relay to you stories of the people we have met and the countries where they live. This picture was taken in Lipcani, a village in Northwestern Moldova. We were standing in front of the Culture Center, a meeting place for the communist propaganda to be spread. This is a bust of "Lenin", Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars; from 1917-1924. He was a leader in the Bolshvik Revolution that led to the communist takeover of this part of the world. Lenin died at the age of 53. His body is on permanent display in Moscow at the Lenin Mausoleum. Lenin hated Christianity, under the his leadership and the communist party; Christianity and public worship was sternly curtailed. It's hard to put in words the feeling that comes over you when you are standing in what used to be part of the Soviet Union with your Bible in hand; sharing Jesus without fear on the street to people who are starving to hear the truth. The Communist Party financially supported the Orthodox Church. Their teaching of "working your way to heaven" encouraged the masses to work for very little to no pay. This is the drviving force that brings us back year after year. 87% of Romanians claim to be Orthodox and 98% of Moldovians claim to be Orthodox (from Wikipedia). The goal of our mission trips are to share with the people verses like Eph. 2:8-9: " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast," that state His grace is sufficient.