Category Archives: Updates

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 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 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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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

Coffey Family December 2023 Prayer Letter

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We’re entering Summer time here in South Africa.  Things start to slow down in the country with many people traveling back to their homelands and businesses shutting down for the holiday season.  During this time we usually see a reduction in church attendance but are praying we reach new people who have no place to go for the holidays. 

The country may be slowing down but the ministry isn’t.  December is the start of our summer camps at Camp Rhino.

New things are being added now for camp this year including 3 new large mud pits that will add in new competitions.  It will be a muddy time for sure. We’re also introducing a new (rented) giant water slide for our swimming pool.  I believe the kids will be amazed as they drive onto our property in a few days.  

Pray as we seek to impact these young people through the preaching and teaching of God’s word.  Pray for our counselors as they mentor their cabins.  They are the key to a successful week of camp.   

Prayer Request & Praise

  • Pray for our son Chase and his wife Ashley as they are working to get back to South Africa.  They are having visa issues and are anxiously wanting to return to continue their language school studies.  
  • Several from Rocklands High School trusted Christ during their 15 days at Camp Rhino.  Pray as we work to minister to these students and be praying for the Senior class that plans to be at Camp Rhino next year for 30 days preparing for their final exams.   
  • We have three adults planning to be baptized this Sunday at Lighthouse Baptist Church.  Pray as we want to see spiritual and physical growth in all the churches we work with. 
  • Pray for Nate and Emilee Wilkerson who are heading to Benin, West Africa in January. They are the first missionaries with our mission board to enter this needy country.  We are looking forward to new territory opening up to the Gospel. 
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Quick Update

  • December 12-14 marks our summer junior camp, and our summer teen camp is scheduled for January 9-12. We are seeking a sponsor for each of our campers, with the cost of the camp approximately $50 per person. We anticipate having over 200 campers during our two camps, which will amount to a total cost of around $5000. Your help is very much appreciated.  
  • My daughter Emilee, has raised all the funds for her upcoming 6-month internship in Argentina. This internship is the final step in her bachelor’s degree from the Our Generation Training Center. I want to thank everyone who has prayed and given to help make this trip possible. Please continue to pray as she heads to Argentina in February.
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Sponsor a child for camp through PayPal.

Sponsor a child for camp through Vision Baptist Missions.

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Upcoming Coffey/ Bush Wedding

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Please be in prayer for my family as we head back to the States for a month for my son Luke’s wedding. I will also use this time to raise support for our Rhino Youth Home.

Amy and I are very proud of our son Luke and his fiancee Adriana Bush. Luke and Adri were actually both born in the same hospital only 6 months apart in Arequipa, Peru, South America, while all of us parents were in language school together. We have been close friends with Adri’s parents, Jeff and Mindy Bush, since our days at Crown College in Knoxville, TN. Our oldest son Tyler has already married their oldest Bush daughter, Lydia, and now our youngest son is marrying their second daughter. Jeff serves as the President of our mission board, Vision Baptist Missions, and needless to say, we love and appreciate the Bush family very much.

Pray for these two as they begin this new journey together. We look very forward to seeing how the Lord uses them in years to come. They both have a heart for missions and are training at the Our Generation Training Center in Dawsonville, GA for full-time missions.

As we travel back to the States, I do have a few openings if you would be interested in having me present in your church. We leave South Africa on September 11th and head back on October 11th.

Coffey Family August 2023 Prayer Letter

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The Rhino Youth Home recently experienced a remarkable turn of events. One of our girls shared a situation involving her mother, which left her younger twin brothers without proper care. Concerns about their safety prompted us to intervene and bring them here. Welcoming the 11-year-old twin boys into our youth home, they seamlessly integrated and began attending classes at Bay Baptist Academy this past week. Our team and family, especially our daughter Addison, have warmly embraced them.

We ask for your prayers for Baphumze and Phumlani’s futures. Additionally, we seek your involvement in their journey ahead. Despite the unexpected nature of this situation, our response was a resounding “yes.” We will need assistance with school fees, clothing, food, and other essentials. Also, we will need a larger vehicle sooner rather than later. With unwavering trust in God’s provision, we are confident that these two young lives will grow in the Lord. Your prayers and support hold immense significance for us.

Prayer Request & Praise

  • Kindly keep Lighthouse Baptist Church in your prayers. Our congregation has experienced significant growth this year, with attendance averaging around 75 to 85 people each week, compared to last year’s average of about 20 to 25.
  • God is raising laborers for Africa. Josh and Morgan Barton are approved by our mission board, raising funds for their mission in Mozambique. For more details about this family, please reach out. An excellent partnership opportunity awaits.  Praying for even more like them. 
  • Please pray for my daughter Emilee, who is raising funds for her upcoming 6-month internship in Argentina. This internship is the final step in her bachelor’s degree from the Our Generation Training Center, and she’s set to leave in February. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated as she prepares for this important journey.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Welcoming the new twins into our fold, we’ve transitioned from solely a Teen Youth Home to a vibrant Children’s Home. This exciting expansion marks a fresh chapter in our ministry, and we eagerly anticipate the future possibilities it holds.  
  • We’ve identified significant needs for Camp Rhino & the Rhino Youth Home:
    • 15-passenger van – $25,000
    • Two new dorm rooms – $10,000
    • Tractor with backhoe – $25,000
    • Workshop enhancements – $8000
  • Prayers are vital for meeting these needs and advancing our mission. Your valued support is appreciated.
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Coffey Family July 2023 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Request & Praise

  • Winter Teen Camp started on June 29th and we had 88 campers attend with 23 counselors.  8 campers made professions of faith in Jesus while 3 said they were lost but weren’t ready to make that decision.  Please pray for these 3 to come to Christ soon. 
  • A group from Southside Baptist Church led by Youth Pastor Tim Johnson was here to help with the camp.  They jumped right in, were a great help, and really ministered to our kids.  
  • Please pray for my daughter Emilee who is raising money for her 6-month internship in Argentina.  This internship will be the last part of her bachelor’s degree from the Our Generation Training Center. She plans to leave for her internship in February. I have attached her letter below. No pressure, but it would mean a lot to this father if God led you to be a help to her:) You can send any support for her to VBM and mark it Emilee Coffey Internship.

Quick Updates

  • Our two American interns, Noah Haught & Katie Holt have done a great job during their short time here and really have a heart to learn and serve.  Katie leaves at the end of July, but Noah will be here until February.  We are grateful for the young people God is sending our way.  Please let me know if you are interested in a short internship here in South Africa. 
  • We had $11,000 given to help with new construction at Camp Rhino.  This enabled us to add two new dorms that we can use for camps and for housing our Bible college students. 
  • Listed are a few of our more significant needs for Camp Rhino & the Rhino Youth Home.  Pray the Lord provides as He would like us to add tools and shelves/counters for our Work Shop for $8000;  $10,000 for two more dorm rooms at the camp—tractor w/backhoe $25,000; 15-passenger van $25,000.

We hit some pretty major milestones for the month of June this year.  June 23 marked the 10-year anniversary of our family arriving in South Africa.  On June 24th, Amy and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary.  Thank you all for being with us along the way.  We are truly blessed. 

At the beginning of June, Amy and  I traveled to Abuja, Nigeria to be with VBM missionaries Graham and Olivia Young.  They are some of our closest friends and we are encouraged to see how the Lord has used them during their first year on the field.  Would you please continue praying for them and for the country of Nigeria?  It’s the largest populated country on the continent and there is such a need for more laborers.  

Having Winter Camp with Southside Baptist here was a great experience.  We have another group coming at the end of July from Texas.  Pray that more churches will come to see the field and pray that more people surrender their lives to full-time missions as a result of their time here.

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Click here to download Emilee’s 1st Support Letter Download

Emilee’s Internship Letter

Internship letter 

Dear Pastor, 

I am writing this letter to update you on what the Lord has been doing in my life.  Your years of support allowed me to serve alongside my family as your missionaries in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  I’m very grateful for your investment that allowed me to grow up on the mission field.  

Since 2022 I have been attending the Our Generation Training Center majoring in missions. I am now preparing for my six-month overseas internship in Argentina at the beginning of 2024 to complete my studies working under Patrick and Leslie Henry.

During this time, I will continue my mission studies with practical on-the-field training from missionaries, assist in church planting and their other ministries, and start Spanish language school.

Please pray for me as I  start this exciting new step, and please consider financially partnering with me to make this internship possible.  

I am excited to take this next step of faith and finish my missionary training. If you would like to give a monthly donation for the longevity of those six months or a one-time offering you, can send any donation to:

Vision Baptist Missions

PO Box 647

Dawsonville, GA 30534

memo line – “Emilee Coffey Internship.”

Or, if you prefer to donate online, please visit:

visionmissions.org/give/

select “Emilee Coffey – Internship” for the designation

Here to serve, 

Emilee Coffey