Category Archives: Camp Rhino

Coffey Family December 2024 Prayer Letter

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Our final weeks in South Africa before heading to the States for a few months have been incredibly productive. I’ve been enjoying Bible studies with five faithful men from our church, and we’re celebrating that 10 teenagers trusted Christ during our recent teen camp! 

Church attendance has been steady at around 80 people, but what’s even more encouraging is the growing spiritual maturity among adults of all ages. 

Junior Camp kicks off today, and we’re praying that many of the 9-12-year-olds attending will decide to trust Jesus and follow Him. We’re expecting over 100 kids to start arriving at 3 PM.

We leave this Friday for our furlough in the States, where we’ll be from December 14 to May 8. During this time, we’re excited to meet our new grandchildren and work on raising additional support. If you’d like us to visit your church and share about our ministry, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Next semester, I will be teaching a college class on Discipleship at Vision School of Mission on Tuesday mornings while I’m in the States. Please pray that this class will be a blessing and a help to the students. If you know anyone interested in becoming a missionary, Vision School of Mission is a great place to explore that calling. 
  • We’re excited to see new people attending our church! Some have recently been saved, while others are still exploring their faith and haven’t yet made a profession of faith. Please pray that more people will come to Christ and grow in His Word. We are particularly encouraged to see older men and married couples joining us—something that has been rare in the past. 
  • Please also pray for Noah Haught. He worked with us for a year as an intern at the camp and youth home and is now raising support to return here full-time. Pray for God’s provision and guidance as he prepares for this ministry. 
  • Finally, we deeply appreciate your prayers for our daughter-in-law, Ashley. She is still facing significant health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and our son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa in February. Your continued prayers for her healing and their direction mean so much to us. 
  • Please pray for God to raise up more laborers for the harvest in Africa.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Missionary Mike Haley from Botswana was our special speaker for teen camp, and his time with us was a great blessing. We rejoice that 10 teens made professions of faith! 
  • Please pray for God’s provision for our current and future construction projects at Camp Rhino. We’re incredibly thankful for how He has used many of you to make this ministry possible.
  • We are currently seeking sponsors for our campers, and any support would be greatly appreciated! Each camper costs us about $50– $60, but we only ask the teens to pay $5 to make it affordable. We’re aiming for at least 100 sponsors to help cover expenses for over 200 kids.
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Coffey Family November 2024 Prayer Letter

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December marks the beginning of our summer camp season here at Camp Rhino. Please keep our Teen and Junior camps in your prayers, as we expect around 400 attendees, including campers, counselors, and staff.  

We are currently seeking sponsors for our campers, and any support would be greatly appreciated! Each camper costs us about $50–$60, but we only ask the teens to pay $5 to make it affordable. We’re aiming for at least 200 sponsors to help cover expenses for over 300 kids. 

Once Junior Camp concludes, our family will travel to the U.S. to begin our five-month furlough and meet our new grandson and granddaughter! Our youngest son recently welcomed a son, and now our oldest son and his wife are fostering a little girl, hoping to adopt her. We feel incredibly blessed to have these two new additions to our family!

If you’d like us to visit and share about our ministry during this time, please let me know. We’re working to raise additional support to help cover a funding shortfall due to Camp and Youth Home expenses. We also hope to report back to as many of our supporting churches as possible.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • I currently have four Bible studies underway with five men from our church. Please join me in praying for their growth in Christ and that they may become strong spiritual leaders. Also, keep them and our South Africa pastor, Mvume Johnson, in your prayers as we prepare to leave in December. 
  • Last month, our youth home girl Sisipho, who was set to be married this past Saturday, was tragically taken from us. Please continue to keep our camp family and her fiancé, Amine, in your prayers as we feel her absence every day.
  • Please pray for the country Mozambique, where our missionaries Jacob and Christen Clower are serving. The country is facing widespread strikes and government protests amid concerns that recent elections were corrupt. 
  • Thank you so much for praying for our daughter-in-law Ashley.  She’s still experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The 70 teenagers from Rocklands High School are still here at camp, and we hold a preaching service for them every night. With one week left before they depart, we are praying to see many come to Christ
  • We still need $6,000 to complete the dining pavilion and snack shop at Camp Rhino, and we’re hoping to finish these projects before Teen Camp begins on December 3rd.
  • We attended the Africa Regional Conference in Greece in October, where we enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and training with our VBM missionary team. Please pray with us for more laborers to serve in Africa.
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Coffey Family October 2024 Prayer Letter

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Please pray for our family and friends here in South Africa.  We suffered a great loss on Sept 21st. The first girl who moved into our youth home and lived here for 4 years was tragically killed at 19 years old.  She was like a daughter to us.  She was saved at our first teen camp at Camp Rhino in 2018.

She left living at the camp about 6 months ago but was at the camp that day working to help with our Soccer and Netball Tournament.  She also met with Amy and me to ask if I would walk her down the aisle at her wedding.  She and Amy made plans to go shopping for her wedding dress the next week.  

When she returned home, not even 2 hours later, she went to the store by her house and a guy robbing the store shot and killed her. 

We had her funeral this Saturday with over 400 people in attendance.  She was a young lady who truly impacted her community and those who knew her.  My daughter Emilee flew back to South Africa to be here during the funeral and to comfort us and her friends during this tremendous loss. 

Please pray for her fiancé, Amine. He is one of the young men here preparing for ministry. Sisipho will be missed, but we will see her again one day.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We had 15 young people trust Christ during our Soccer and Netball Tournament.
  • 3 more older adults were baptized at Lighthouse Baptist this month.  
  • Our first grandson was born on September 11th.  He is still in the NICU, but he’s doing great.  Amy was able to be there for his birth, but I’m grateful to have her back home.
  • Baphumzi and Phumlani, the twin brothers of Sisipho, who are living at Camp Rhino, were baptized this past Sunday. 
  • Please continue to pray for our daughter-in-law Ashley, who’s experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We now have the $33,000 to buy a brand new 15-passenger Toyota Van for our Youth Home and Camp. We are so thankful to those who helped meet this need.  
  • $6,000 is still needed to finish the perimeter wall to protect against future floods.  This is a reminder to please pray for those affected by the hurricane and flooding in the States. The pictures we’ve seen have been terrible.  
  • $6000 is still needed to finish the pavilion, snack shop, and gift shop at Camp Rhino. 
  • My trip to Benin was terrific.  I’m encouraged to see how the Lord is using Nate & Emily Wilkerson.  Please pray for more laborers for West Africa. 
  • Amy and I will be coming back to the States at the end of December for a 5-month furlough to present our ministry in churches and to see my new grandson:)  If you would like us to come and present our ministry or know of a church you could recommend us to, please let us know.  We look forward to seeing many of you.
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Coffey Family September 2024 Prayer Letter

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This Sunday, we are excited to have four older adults getting baptized at Lighthouse Baptist Church, with another baptism planned for the following week. 

Two Sundays ago, Lynette Osborn, a dedicated single missionary working with us, presented certificates to eight young ladies who had completed an extensive discipleship course. It’s truly encouraging to witness the spiritual growth in our community over the past few weeks.

In recent months, we’ve been raising funds to purchase a 15-passenger van for our camp and youth home ministry. We’ve received an additional $1,000, bringing us to $17,000. Please pray with us as we work to raise the remaining $14,000. This van will greatly benefit our current group and will be invaluable as we continue to grow. We anticipate welcoming two more children into the youth home soon, but without better transportation, this will be a significant challenge.

We also have a few young men serving in new church plants. We’ve initiated a plan to support them in full-time ministry for 6 to 12 months as they help these young churches grow. If you’re interested in supporting our program to help these young preachers, please let me know.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Please pray for our upcoming Soccer and Netball Tournament on Sept. 21st at Camp Rhino. We’re expecting over 200 people on campus and praying that many will respond to the Gospel invitation.
  • Also, pray for our son Luke and his wife Adri as they await the arrival of our first grandchild. Little Liam tried to come two months early, but thankfully, the labor stopped, and he’s still growing strong. Their due date is October 23rd, but the doctors think he might arrive any day now.  
  • Please continue to pray for our daughter-in-law Ashley, who’s experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.
  • My wife Amy has been away for over three weeks due to our daughter-in-law’s early labor scare but is expected to be home by the end of the week. Please pray for her safe travels back from the U.S.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The construction and remodeling at Camp Rhino are progressing well. Most repairs from the major flood are completed. While we’re on hold with the perimeter wall, we’ve started construction on a new snack and gift shop, thanks to a generous donation specifically for that project. This addition will be a significant asset to the camp. Please pray we can begin construction on the new girls’ dorms soon, as we aim to have them finished before our busy camp season in December. 
  • This month, Amy and I will be traveling to Benin for a week to visit missionaries Nate and Emily Wilkerson as part of my role as the Africa Field Director for our mission. We’re looking forward to spending time with these new missionaries in West Africa.
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Coffey Family July 2024 Prayer Letter

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A few weeks ago, a family of six visited our church: a father and mother with their four children. This was the first time in our history of working in the townships that we had a complete family visit our church. It’s rare to find a married couple with children in our area; we only have one other married couple in our congregation outside of the leadership. 

After their second visit, I set up a weekly Bible study with the father. During our first session, he trusted Christ as his Savior. He shared that he grew up in a Baptist pastor’s home but hadn’t attended church for almost 20 years since his father’s passing. Please pray for the Mcanda family. The wife is skeptical of Christianity, and none of the children have made a profession of faith. We are praying they will all believe in Jesus soon.     

In September, we plan to ship our first container to South Africa. Over the past year, we have collected books in the United States to start a library for our Christian school and Bible college. The time to ship has come, but we still have plenty of room in our container. Please let me know if you are interested in sending any books or supplies for the ministry. Whitfield Baptist Church in Dalton, GA, has been collecting the books and will arrange the shipping.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • This month at Camp Rhino, we will host our first Men’s Camp. In May, we had our first Ladies’ Camp/Retreat, which was a great success, and we believe the Men’s Camp will be equally successful. Please pray for the men of our churches to be strengthened and for many to come to Christ during this event.
  • Please pray for Graham and Olivia Young as they return to Nigeria with their new baby girl, Lyla Jane. The Youngs will be completing their language studies and plan to start their first church in the spring of next year.  
  • Please continue praying for my daughter-in-law Ashley. She’s having health issues, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • An additional $1,000 has been given towards the new 15-passenger van for Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home, bringing our total to $16,000. The van costs $31,000, so please pray we receive the remaining $15,000 soon.
  • One of our supporting churches sent $10,000 last month, enabling us to build the boys’ dorms. Additionally, $1,000 was donated this week for the girls’ dorms, which are estimated to cost $10,000. Both our teen and junior camps were filled to capacity, accommodating 25 more juniors than we had space for. This expansion will support our growing camp in the coming years. Our goal is to complete the girls’ dorms before December when our summer camps start.
  • Since the flood at Camp Rhino, a couple of months ago, most repairs have been completed or are underway. Generous donations and insurance have covered most of the damage. However, we need an additional $8,000 to finish the perimeter wall to protect against future floods.
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My daughter Emilee is finishing up the last week of her 6-month internship in Argentina. Please continue to pray for her as she takes her next step in ministry. Thank you to all who helped her make this internship a possibility. I am very grateful.

Emilee’s Prayer Letter July 2024Download

Coffey Family July 2024 Prayer Letter

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I want to thank you all for praying and reaching out after Camp Rhino flooded last month.  We’re so thankful for the encouraging words and gifts that we received.  What a tremendous blessing you all are.  

Camp Rhino was flooded less than two weeks before the start of our winter camps, but with the help of many friends and family, we were able to get the campus ready in time.  

Thankfully, our house bore the brunt of the flood, sparing much of the camp from severe damage. While there was significant cleanup and repairs to be done, everything quickly returned to normal. In fact, many have remarked that the camp looks better than ever. We are immensely grateful for all the help we received. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, contract workers, and our dedicated staff, Camp Rhino made a swift recovery.

The damage to our house is quite extensive and will require significant time to repair. Fortunately, we have insurance and expect to learn this week how much will be covered. We are using this opportunity to update our home, finding a silver lining in the situation. My wife is coping well, especially with the prospect of getting her new kitchen, which has certainly lifted her spirits:)

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • This winter camp season, we had an incredible group of young people serving as camp counselors and workers. Representing eight churches from Port Elizabeth, these individuals are a testament to the spiritual growth and maturity happening in our churches. Please pray for our ministry, as we strive to inspire more people to dedicate their lives to establishing Bible-preaching churches throughout South Africa.  
  • During our Teen & Junior camps, we saw 24 young people saved, 9 gain assurance of their salvation, 2 rededicate their lives to the Lord, and 1 surrender to full-time ministry. Thank you for praying.  
  • Noah Haught, who has been serving as an intern helping with Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home, returned to the States to begin raising support to return to South Africa full-time. Pray for him as he begins deputation, and pray that he can return quickly. He was a tremendous help during his time here. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • An additional $4,000 has been contributed towards the purchase of a new 15-passenger van for Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home, bringing our total to $15,000. The total cost of the van is $31,000. Please pray that we receive the remaining $16,000 soon so we can make the purchase.
  • We are raising funds to expand our dormitory space at Camp Rhino, needing 2 additional dorms for girls and 2 for boys. This expansion will support our growing camp for the coming years. The new dorms are estimated to cost approximately $20,000. Both our teen and junior camps were filled to capacity, and we even exceeded our limit, with 25 more juniors than we had space for.
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Click the link below to read my daughter’s latest update about her 6-month internship in Argentina. She’s going into her last month.

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Coffey Family June 2024 Prayer Letter

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The rains came down and floods came up.  Actually, it was more like a river redirected straight through Camp Rhino which included our house.:)

Around 11:45 pm on Saturday, I walked toward the living room to witness water coming under our back doors.  I was glad I didn’t go to bed at my normal 10 pm time that night. Amy and I immediately took action to try and stop the rushing water but to no avail.  Soon, every floor in every room of our house was under water. Eventually, we redirected the river of water to flow through our living room and go out the kitchen door on the other side of the house.  You could say about our house, “A river runs through it.”:)

Most of the water is down, but parts of the camp property are still flooded.  It rained again last night but we put sandbags out so no water came in.  I believe the worst part of the rain has passed. 

Large sections of our fencing were knocked down and need to be repaired.  Every cabinet and built-in closet in our house has to be replaced, along with the doors & floor trim. We will be busy cleaning the entire campgrounds up until the camps start.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Please pray for Camp Rhino. Our Winter Camps begin on June 17th. We’re working hard to get the property ready in time and pray the Lord does great work in the hearts of our workers and campers.
  • On the day of the flood, many came out to help clean up between church services. It was overwhelming to receive so much support.
  • Fairview Baptist Church in Athens, TN, brought a group of 23 people, and they were a tremendous blessing to all of our churches and ministries during their time here. Pray that the Lord continues to use their trip to impact even more people as they minister back home.
  • Please pray for our daughter-in-law, Ashley Southard. She and our son, Chase, are returning to the States from South Africa, hoping to determine the cause of her blackouts and blurred vision.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We praise the Lord that $11,000 was given toward the purchase of a new 15-passenger van for Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home, which is badly needed. The total cost of the new van is $31,000. Please pray that the remaining $20,000 comes in soon so we can make that purchase.
  • We are still raising funds to enlarge our dorm space at Camp Rhino. We have decided we need 2 more girl dorms and 2 more boy dorms. This should set us up for a few years to come. The new dorms will cost about $20,000.
  • Because of the flooding, we need to construct brick walls that will redirect water away from our house and camp kitchen. We don’t have the exact amount for the cost of construction, but we will keep you up to date.
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Coffey Family May 2024 Prayer Letter

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Our time in the  States was fruitful, but we are very glad to be back in South Africa.  This past weekend Camp Rhino hosted its first ladies’ retreat with all the churches and it went great.  The guys here at camp took over the cooking duties for once to make sure our ladies were well-fed. 

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Last week Amy and I were able to travel to Mozambique to see how the Clower family is adjusting to Africa.  We were encouraged to see the advances that Jacob & Christen had already made in their short few weeks on the field.  I believe the Lord will use this family in a great way.  Please pray for them and Mozambique.  We need more laborers for this country. 

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We have our Winter Teen and Junior camps coming up in June.  Pray the Lord does a special work in the hearts of the young people.  Also, pray he uses our counselors in a great way.  

One need I’d like to mention is a 15-passenger van. With our camp and youth home, transportation is becoming a bigger issue.  Would you pray we can raise the $25,000 for this needed vehicle?

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • This past month Camp Rhino held two events without my wife and I being in the country for the first time.  We are thankful for our team that did a tremendous job in our absence.  We were very encouraged to see Camp Rhino operate without us on campus. 
  • We had almost 200 people come out for our soccer and netball tournaments.  We’re looking to have many more evangelistic events like this in the future.  
  • Camp Rhino hosted a separate camp for our Christian school for the first time this past month. 
  • Please be in prayer for Graham & Olivia Young, missionaries to Nigeria.  They are close to having their first baby, Lyla Jane, very soon.  Once they have the baby they will be heading back to Nigeria.  Pray everything goes smoothly.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Lighthouse Baptist Church has been joining Fellowship Baptist Church during the midweek services in May for a family conference.  We’ve enjoyed being with Missionaries Josh and Meagan Sullivan and seeing the growth of their church.  It’s also encouraged more of our people to be involved in the midweek services.   
  • Pray for New Life Baptist Church and Pastor Sipho.  Our first church was affected during Covid and Pastor Sipho is pretty much restarting this church.  We’re praying that many will return and many will come to Christ. 
  • We are still raising funds to enlarge our dorm space at Camp Rhino.  We have decided we need 2 more girl dorms and 2 more boy dorms.  This should set us up for a few years to come.  The new dorms will cost about $20,000. 
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My daughter Emilee has passed the halfway mark on her 6-month internship in Argentina. Please continue to pray for her.

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Click here for Emilee’s latest prayer letterDownload

Coffey Family April 2024 Prayer Letter

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Our time in the States has been nonstop.  From Sunday to Sunday this past week I preached in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Texas, not to mention my upcoming opportunities in GA, NC, and Rhode Island before I head back to Africa on April 30th.  Please pray that our remaining meetings and the VBM Annual Orientation go well.  We look forward to being with our new missionaries at The Wilds in NC. 

Two of our Africa missionary families have arrived on the field in the past two weeks.  The Clowers and Wilkersons, both missionaries to Mozambique are in Africa.  The Clowers are setting up in Mozambique, while the Wilkersons are setting up in South Africa for now.  Please continue to pray for little Alainey Wilkerson as she gets set up with the doctors in South Africa.  The Wilkersons are hoping they too can make their move to Mozambique within the next two years, but for now, they are working in South Africa until Alainey’s health improves to the point where they can move. 

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We have a big soccer and netball tournament set up at Camp Rhino next weekend.  Teams are coming from our churches and many lost will be in attendance.  Pray they believe on Jesus. 
  • Be in prayer for Tim & Jessica Johnson as they have started their deputation for South Africa.  They would be a great family to add as partners in the ministry if you’re able to have them in. 
  • Please be in prayer for Jacob and Christien Clower as they landed in Mozambique last week.  They are there without the help of any veteran missionary.  I know they will do great, but they will be facing a lot of new challenges in the coming days. 
  • We have a very special prayer request for one of the South African pastors.  Mxolisi Dama has been very sick the past few weeks and was diagnosed with Bacterial Meningitis.  I heard today he is doing better and as of right now it doesn’t appear to be fatal, but he will have a long road of recovery ahead. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We have an upcoming camp this month with the students and staff of Bay Baptist Academy.  
  • We still need around $10,000 for the new property and building for Bay Baptist Bible College.  We’re moving the Bible college to town to make it more centrally located for our students, and pastors and missionaries who teach all the classes. This will help pay off the debt on the original purchase and prepare the building for classes in September. 
  • Pray for funds to enlarge our dorm space at Camp Rhino.  We have decided we need 2 more girl dorms and 2 more boy dorms.  This should set us up for a few years to come.  The new dorms will cost about $20,000. 
  • Our Son Luke and his wife Adri are expecting our first grandchild in October, and it’s a boy. To say we’re excited is an understatement.
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Emilee’s Update from ArgentinaDownload

Coffey Family March 2024 Prayer Letter

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A month ago, the principal from Rocklands High School contacted me concerning renting out the camp for his senior class.  This school rented our camp for 2 weeks in October this past year, so I wasn’t expecting to hear from him so soon.  He shared that their current seniors are behind starting the year and he wants to go ahead and rent our space for a month immediately.  (The SA school year goes from Jan-Dec.) Within 4 days we had 84 new public high school seniors on campus for 27 straight days.  This allowed us to have a service with them every night they were here.  During this time 16 teens trusted Christ and many committed to coming to church.  We are grateful for this opportunity and amazed to see the doors the Lord has opened for us to reach teens for Christ through the ministry of Camp Rhino.   

These same students plan to return for another month in October and November to prepare for their graduating exams so please be praying that more believe on Jesus.  

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • 16 teens and one young single trusted Christ as Savior this past month at Camp Rhino. 
  • We have 19 students taking Bible College classes this semester at Bay Baptist Bible College. Please pray for them as they prepare for ministry. Additionally, pray that we can see more churches started from the investment made in these young people. 
  • Forty young adults from our team of churches attended our first overnight adult camp this month. Pastor Ryan Hayden from Mattoon, IL, served as our guest preacher. We are on track for this to be the first year of having a full schedule of activities at Camp Rhino.  
  • Please pray for Jacob and Christien Clower, missionaries to Mozambique. They are awaiting important paperwork from the State Department to proceed with their visas. They are looking forward to being on the field very soon. 
  • Also please pray for our Ladies’ camp coming up in May for all of our churches.  This will be our first at Camp Rhino and the ladies are looking very forward to it.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We are traveling back to the States this weekend for 5 weeks to be a part of our annual orientation for Visions Baptist Missions and to present our ministry in new churches.  I will also be reporting back to a few supporting churches as well.  I have a couple of openings available if you would like me to come by your church.  
  • We still need $14,000 for the new property and building for Bay Baptist Bible College.  We’re moving the Bible college to town to make it more centrally located for our students and for our pastors and missionaries who teach all the classes. This will help pay off the debt on the original purchase and prepare the building for classes in September.
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Please continue to pray for my daughter Emilee during her internship in Argentina. I’m grateful she has this opportunity to learn under the Patrick Henry family.

Click here to download my daughter Emilee’s March prayer letterDownload