Before we left for the US in February we made an updated version of our ministry video. The first one we did was hosted by our son Luke when he was 11 years old I believe. Things have changed a bit since then.
If you’ve never seen the first video you can check it out here.
Prayer Requests & Praise
Quick Updates
Being back home here at Camp Rhino, at our churches, and at my bible studies these past few days has been very refreshing. We really miss our children in America, but we’re very glad to be back in South Africa.
At the end of May, we have a new intern, Noah, coming for 8 months that will be helping with the camp. He’s also here to see if this would be something the Lord would have him do full-time. Pray for the Lord to use and direct him during his time here. With his help, we’re looking forward to improving a lot of areas in the coming weeks.
As I’ve traveled to a few countries this past month in Africa, I’m challenged even more by the great need. My hope is that our team and ministries here in South Africa will help raise up and train new missionaries that will not only help us here in South Africa but be an evangelistic force all over Africa. There are so many great opportunities before us to start Bible-preaching churches, but the need for laborers is great.
This month comes with sadness and joy. Lisolethu, a 17-year-old boy who lived at our Youth Home for over 2 years, quickly passed away from Spinal Meningitis. His funeral was held this past Saturday. We praise the Lord that Liso made a profession of faith and I believe we’ll see him again soon. Even after leaving the Youth Home this past December, he continued being faithful to church and inviting his friends to church. Liso will be missed very much.
There are many just like Liso who die young but don’t have a Bible-preaching church in their community. We must keep going, and we must continue raising up more people to reach the billions who still haven’t heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. I pray Liso’s death will be a catalyst for many to be more serious about reaching the lost.
This has been a hard time for our team at Camp Rhino, our churches, and also my family. We were all very close to Liso, and being so far away from the ministry during this time has also been more difficult. Thankfully we return to South Africa tomorrow.
Prayer Request & Praise
Quick Updates
Prayer Request & Praise
Quick Updates
Being back in the States has been a fruitful time of raising more funds for the ministry in South Africa and we still have a few more weeks to go. I’m also encouraged by those who have shown interest in visiting South Africa for short term mission trips or internships. Outside of seeing our kiddos, our main goals involved these two areas.
Once I return from Mozambique and Burkina Faso, Amy and I will be getting ready for Vision Baptist Mission’s annual orientation. We have several new families on or starting deputation that we look forward to seeing. Our mission orientation has quickly become one of my highlights for the year. It’s exciting to see the Lord raise up a new group of missionaries to share Jesus with the world.
Currently, VBM has missionaries in or going to South Africa, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Benin. We are praying the Lord will raise up many more missionaries for these countries and the remaining 49 countries in Africa.
Prayer Request and Praise
Quick Updates
We arrived back in the States on Feb 7th on my wife’s birthday, and haven’t stopped much. I traveled to Rural Hall, NC for a meeting the next day and then to the church I grew up in on Sunday, Whitfield Baptist Church, to preach and celebrate their 45-year anniversary. My father-in-law, Pastor Wayne Cofield, started this church and has been there ever since. I’m off to VA and NC this weekend.
During the next two and half months I have a full schedule and am praying we can raise more awareness of the need in Africa and raise more support for the Camp and Youth Home.
With 54 countries in Africa, the need is gigantic. We need to do more to get the Gospel to this massive continent. Please pray.
If your church would be interested in making Camp Rhino and/or Rhino Youth Home part of your monthly mission budget, we would be very grateful. Our prayer is that this camp, youth home, and training ministry will aid in more churches being started all over Africa.
Summer camp season has ended. From our junior and teens camps, we saw 61 young people make professions of faith in Jesus Christ. What a fantastic time with all our Camp Rhino workers and our volunteers from the States. This was definitely one of the best camp seasons in our short 4-year history.
Over the past 4 years, we have been able to operate almost debt-free due to generous gifts from churches and individuals. All our property and buildings are paid off. This year we are hoping to start raising monthly support for Camp Rhino that will enable us to plan for more building projects and cover the actual camp, youth home, and bible college costs. Right now we’re spending at least $2000 a month just for basic upkeep and expenses.
If your church would be interested in making Camp Rhino part of your monthly mission budget we would be very grateful. We pray that this camp and training ministry will continue to aid in more churches being started all over Africa.
Prayer Requests & Praise
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“Nobody broke a bone or was seriously injured in any way.” That’s always an excellent statement to hear after a week of junior camps, especially after a few new camp games were added that might have raised the possibility of injury a bit. Our junior summer camps at Camp Rhino have come to an end and we had a fantastic time.
Young people were saved and our counselors and staff did a tremendous job ministering to all the campers.
Thank you all who have given or plan to give to make these camps possible. We couldn’t do it without your sacrifices. We’re gearing up for our teen camps in a couple of weeks and can’t wait to see what the Lord does.
It was very exciting to have our first 3 graduates from the Bay Baptist Bible College finish their Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies. Two of these men are pastors and the third is on deputation for Mozambique. God is good! Pray for more laborers to be raised up and sent out.
Quick Updates:
Prayer Requests:
Don’t miss out. The Our Generation Summit will take place at our Mission Board from December 29-31. If you would be interested in attending click here to get more information and also to sign up.
Prayer Requests & Praise
Quick Updates
This past month I started 3 new Bible studies with people in different parts of our city. Pray the Lord works and we can see many come to Christ through these efforts. I’m hoping that maybe God would open doors for future church plants from these meetings.
One of our supporting churches, Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, TN with Pastor Tom Hatley is visiting this week. During any visiting group, my hope and prayesr are that God moves on the hearts of at least one person to give their life to foreign missions. Would you help pray that more laborers would be raised up?
Last month a high school principal asked me about using Camp Rhino for a full month to host all of his 12th-grade students (90-100 students) for 30 straight days. They would use that time to prepare for their graduation exams, but during that time we would also be able to preach to them each morning and hold Sunday and Midweek services. Pray as we make this decision for the 2023 school year.
After more than 9 years since the day we landed in South Africa, we are reminded of how quickly time goes by and how much older we are becoming. When I stepped off that plane being 37 years old, I already felt like I was getting a late start on the work that lay ahead. At times now, I can feel a pit in my stomach when I think about how little time we have left to accomplish the work that God has called us to do in getting the Gospel to our city, to our country, to our world. There is a weight on me as we consider Africa and the many places and people that still don’t have a Bible-preaching church.
Our South Africa team tries to act like we’re still young like we are right out of Bible college but the grey hairs in my teammates’ beards are a sure sign we aren’t fooling anyone.
Although we see our days passing by, this past week was a time that invigorated the work we know we are called to do. We are getting older but God is raising up an army of young men to join the ranks of reaching this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our Generation. Young missionary families from West Africa invaded our city of Gqeberha, South Africa this past week for the Vision Baptist Missions Africa Regional Conference. There is no doubt that this group of men and women are young in age, especially compared to us old guys, but they are definitely not young in their walk with the Lord.
Graham & Olivia Young just landed in Nigeria a few weeks ago and the devil has already taken aim to knock them out of the fight before they even get started, but this precious couple is aware of Satan’s attacks and is ready for battle. They have a maturity beyond their years that is inspiring to be around.
Nate & Emily Wilkerson are eager for the next stage of their ministry, preparing to enter a new battleground for our mission board in Benin where so far we haven’t been able to locate other like-minded missionaries. The zeal and mindset of this couple are an anomaly for people their age, really for people of any age. I can’t wait to see the Gospel spread through them to this new land.
Dallas & Ashley Brown arrived from plowing a very difficult ground in their first years as missionaries in Burkina Faso. This dear family who is yielded to the Lord as few as I’ve ever seen gives me hope that we can see the Gospel taken to every creature. The Brown family is a family that influences everyone around them and even challenges us old guys like we should be challenging them.
The days ahead for VBM Africa are bright and exciting. I’m privileged to work with this amazing group of people. Please pray as we go forward with the Gospel. We are reenergized for the work ahead. May the Lord be magnified and glorified in all we do.
