SOUTHEAST ASIA—The bus hissed to a stop, and its door flapped open. Ethan Gillmore positioned himself at the foot of the stairs so he could see everyone file off.

The shy 10-year-old glanced down at the ground, embarrassed by the fact that his brown hair and fair skin made him stand out in a crowd of Chinese. He tried to make himself smaller than his four-feet nine-inch frame. When someone looked his way, he tentatively held up a red packet written in Mandarin.

A Chinese man smiled, pointed to his heart and then at the red packet. Ethan stared in disbelief and then gave it to him. That was the person Ethan had been waiting on all night—someone who wanted a Bible.

“Mom! Mom! I gave a Bible to that man,” Ethan shouted, running three steps to his mother, Carianne Gillmore, for a high-five. “This is the best mission trip ever! Quick, I need more Bibles. People need to read God’s word.”

Ethan returned to his station next to the bus stop loaded down with Chinese Bible packets and a new sense of confidence. This time, he threw out a few Mandarin phrases he learned just for this volunteer mission trip to Southeast Asia with the Church at Canyon Creek, a Baptist congregation near Austin.

“Free Gift. Free Bible,” he said to everyone walking past. “Jesus loves you.”

Ethan and Carianne Gillmore hold Bibles up so Chinese tourists can view them from the bus. The mother-son team gave away hundreds of bibles during a recent family volunteer mission to Southeast Asia.

Carianne Gillmore watched her 10-year-old, amazed at the transformation from quiet and shy to boldly sharing his faith. That was the exact reason she signed them up for a family mission trip with three other families from their church—to watch him grow in his walk with Christ while experiencing a different culture.

The Texas families took advantage of a partnership their church has with the Southern Cross Project, a Bible distribution program in Asia. While Bibles can be difficult to obtain in China, the Chinese are allowed to bring one Bible home with them from a trip abroad. The Church at Canyon Creek normally sends two volunteer teams a year to hand out Bibles to Chinese tourists on vacation. This was the first time for the church to send families with children under age 15.

No one planned for it to be a “family-only” trip; it just turned out that the only people signed up for the annual summer mission trip happened to be all families.

James Rinn said he and his wife, Kristen, started praying about taking a family mission trip instead of a normal family vacation a couple years ago. His son, Josh, turns 13 soon and they wanted something they could do together to mark that rite of passage.

“Part of discipling our kids is putting God first in our own lives. When we go on a mission trip like this, it gives our children a chance to see Mom and Dad caring about others beyond our little community,” James Rinn said. “Mission trips can be a fun part of a parent’s discipleship with their kids as they work side-by-side.

“It’s like they were waiting all year for us to come play,” Ty Rasmussen says about playing all afternoon at the orphanage. He gave piggyback rides to the younger children.

“The kids will learn and grow, as well as the parents,” James Rinn said. “Or at least, that’s what happened with me. God used Josh to teach me a lot this week.”

Josh just shrugged and smiled. He never knew handing out Bibles could be so much fun. To be honest, it sounded boring when his parents first told him about it. But once Josh handed out his first Bible, he was hooked. He and his best friend, Colin Rasmussen, 12, worked as a team to distribute more than 200 of the 750 Bibles given out by the Texas volunteers.

During the day, volunteers from the Church at Canyon Creek, near Austin, spend time at an orphanage. Kristen Rinn plays with a girl using sidewalk chalk.

The young Texan even gave away his personal Bible to a homeless German man on the side of the road. Just mentioning it brings tears to his father’s eyes, but for Josh, it’s no big deal—after all, that’s why they took this mission trip.

“I’ve had that Bible since I was a little kid,” Josh said. “We probably have 10 or so Bibles at our house, and there are people in the world who don’t even have one. You should see people’s faces and how excited they get the first time they open it. You’d give your Bible away, too.”

This “family-friendly” mission trip not only included handing out Bibles to Chinese tourists at night, but also working with local ministries during the day. The team handed out food at jails and slums. The highlight of one afternoon was playing on the colorful playground at an orphanage.

At each site, the team took time to pray and tell about God’s love.

Trish and Courtney McCarthy, 15, pray together during a family mission trip to Southeast Asia through The Church at Canyon Creek, near Austin. Team members took turns praying as others distributed Bibles.

Elbow deep in dry rice, Ethan chatted with a man working next to him. It didn’t matter if the man knew English or not. Ethan was set on making sure he knew Jesus loves him.

“I can’t believe this is called ‘ministry.’ It’s so much fun,” Ethan said, his voice raspy and tired.

The 10-year-old grabbed his throat and made a funny face. He looked at his mother for an explanation. She gives him an affectionate “you’ve got to be kidding me” look.

Of course her normally quiet son was losing his voice. He spent four hours every night yelling, “free Bibles” to Chinese tourists. The day before, he played at an orphanage for two hours—screaming at the top of his lungs with 70 other children on the playground.

“I hope it comes back by tonight,” he croaked.

Carianne Gillmore studied her son for a moment. Ethan’s definitely not the same little boy she brought to Southeast Asia. Nor is she the same. Both had grown in their love for missions.

“Me, too,” she answered him. “It’s our last night, and we need to tell the Chinese that Jesus loves them.”

Ty's Mission Trip Journal

Editor’s note: Ten-year-old Ty Rasmussen shares journal excerpts from the family mission trip to Southeast Asia where Church at Canyon Creek, near Austin, distributed Bibles to Chinese tourists.

Day 1

Ty Rasmussen writes in his journal each day, documenting his first international volunteer mission trip. The 10-year-old traveled to Southeast Asia with his family and other members of Church at Canyon Creek, near Austin, to distribute Bibles to Chinese tourists.

This is the first “official” day of our mission trip. Yesterday, we had two days all rolled into one. We spent it flying. I never got any sleep because we chased the sun. For almost two days, I never saw darkness.

I am about to distribute my first Bible. We sit on the sidewalk practicing our Mandarin phrases. We wait quite a while and I still haven’t handed one out. We go get something to eat. (Almost everything here smells different—mostly bad!)

Finally, I hand out my first Bible. Here’s how it works: the bus parks in the parking lot so the Chinese people can go to a tourist attraction. While they get off or on the bus, we hand them Bibles if they want one.

Day 2

Our visit to the jail was very successful. There were six men in one cell and two women in another. One man spoke some English. His name was Jom. We were able to speak to him about Christ. One lady accepted Christ.

“Dear God: I pray for Jom and Ning (from the jail). Keep them safe. Amen.”

Finally, we go to the ultimate Bible-passing-out-place. So far, I’ve passed out 30 Bibles.

“Dear God: I pray for all the Chinese people here today and everyday that they will hear and read your word. I pray that because of one Bible we hand out, 10 people will read it, and at least half of them will come to Christ. Amen.”

Day 3

We go to the orphanage. The kids crawl all over us. First, we make them balloon animals. There’s one kid who will not let go of me. I play with him a lot.

Day 4

Today was almost a total free day. We went snorkeling and had lunch on an island.

Day 5

Right now, we are at our second slum. At the first, two people accepted Christ.

After the slums, we go to the Chinese tourist spot to pray. There is a statue that they worship. There’s a big, hollow cylinder with a door at the bottom of a staircase. They put firecrackers in it to scare the evil spirits away.

Day 6

Josh Rinn offers a free Bible to Chinese tourists. He says the best part about giving out Bibles is watching the excitement on peoples’ faces as they read it for the first time.

Today, we went to a garden to pray. Chinese tourists go there to watch shows. One was an elephant show. The elephants throw darts, break dance, play soccer, paint, ride bikes, play basketball, step over people and pick people up. The elephant picked me up by wrapping its trunk around my belly. We got to ride elephants. It was only five minutes, but so worth it!

Tonight is our last night handing out Bibles.

Day 7

We just got back from church. It was different than ours. We took our shoes off and left them outside.

Our team gave away 750 Bibles this week. Bible distribution was definitely my favorite thing we did. It is fun to see people make a big decision in their life. They are so excited to get a Bible. We don’t get that excited about a Bible in Texas — maybe we should.

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico—When a team from Children’s Emergency Relief International—the global arm of Baptist Child & Family Services—led a fact-finding mission to Mexico to assess humanitarian needs in Chiapas, one family captured their attention.

The CERI team stands alongside a grateful Salomon family.

They discovered the family on the outskirts of Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas, one of the poorest states in Mexico. A 50-year-old widower—known to the CERI team only as “Señor Salomon”— and his two young daughters lived in a 10-foot by 10-foot makeshift shelter with dirt floors.

Old street signs and leftover scrap metal from local construction projects were laid overhead to block out the hot Mexican sun. But the mismatched materials left holes in the roof where even the mildest rain quickly turned the living space into a slough of mud.

Because the girls lacked birth certificates, they never had attended school. They suffered routine bouts with lice and constantly were exposed to other health ills due to their home’s unclean environment.

The CERI team found its mission—build the Salomon family a new home and find a way to document the girls in their home country so they might have access to education.

CERI Project Director Russ Massey had prior experience in construction and was able to reach out to former architect associates for help designing a new home for the Salomon family.

Norma is the youngest of Señor Salomon’s two girls. Often noncommunicative and unemotional before the house was built, the young girl has blossomed since then, full of life and joy.

Planning was easy, Massey said. The team even built a “practice house” on the site of a Montgomery church to double-check the material list. It wasn’t until the construction team returned to Chiapas the real challenges arose.

The volunteer team from Houston first set out to the Salomons’ old, dilapidated home and pick up the trash that was scattered over their small property.

After hours of clean-up, the space was finally cleared and a wooden floor was assembled on the property, which had a considerable slope. There was one catch moving forward, however. Most homes in Mexico are built with cinder blocks, but CERI’s building plans called for wooden construction in order to get a house built in the time the team had.

The longest material available at the local merchants was 8 feet, but 12 foot and 16 foot material was needed to follow the design.

“We were able to find a lumber mill that actually cut the material we needed from rough stock. God always provides,” Massey said.

The local lumber mill custom-cut support beams, and pre-made windows were able to be retrofitted for the home.

Once the walls were lifted to form four corners, the roof was constructed, with the rafters forming a natural ventilation system. Unable to find a pre-hung door, the team designed and built a custom door for the residence.

“This trip was on the extreme end of physically demanding,” said Chuck Abernathy, a CERI volunteer. “But without a doubt, I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

When the project was complete, Señor Salomon and his two young daughters, Adriana, 8, and, Norma, 5, stood in awe outside their new 12-foot by 20-foot house.

Volunteers lift into place the walls of a house.

The completion of the home was the climax of several firsts in the family’s lives. Only a week before, the CERI Mexico staff was able to secure birth certificates for the girls. Mexico requires documentation to attend public school, a criteria that had excluded them from receiving an education. For the first time in their lives, Adriana and Norma had the opportunity to attend school.

After a moment, Massey gestured to the door, inviting the Salomon family inside for a closer look. As the girls and their father stepped up into the entryway, their mesmerized eyes swelled with tears.

Thanks to CERI supporters, the girls not only received their first mattresses to sleep on, but also were blessed with toothbrushes, combs, new clothes and toys.

“It’s quite possible that these girls had never been given a gift before. So, when they saw all the presents in front of them, they didn’t know quite how to react,” Massey said. “What a humbling sight that was to experience.

“These two little girls finally had a home.”

Not long after the Salomon family moved into their new home, the girls’ father approached the pastor of the local church.

“If this is what Jesus does through people who love him, I want to know who he is,” he said.

The pastor reported Salomon hadn’t missed a church service since the CERI team left town.

DALLAS—The Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas board of directors unanimously elected Sandy Wisdom-Martin Aug. 14 as the organization’s next executive director- treasurer.

Wisdom-Martin, who has served as Illinois WMU director since 2001, will assume the role in mid-September. She follows Nelda Seal, who has served as Texas WMU’s interim director since June 2008.

Sandy Wisdom-Martin has been chosen as executive director-treasurer of Texas Woman’s Missionary Union.

As executive director-treasurer-elect, Wisdom-Martin said she looks forward to walking alongside and ministering with Texas Baptist women. She is excited about investing herself in the women and girls in Texas, just as women throughout the years have invested themselves in her, she emphasized.

“I am just overwhelmed and grateful for the trust WMU has put in me,” said Wisdom-Martin, who also served as Cooperative Program missionary for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention from 1991 to 2001. “I look forward to serving, walking together on this journey.”

Gloria Mills, president of Texas WMU, said she sensed God moving throughout the personnel committee’s search for a new executive director-treasurer. She strongly believes God led the committee to Wisdom-Martin and Wisdom-Martin to Texas.

“I can see God’s hand in every step of this process,” she said. “I have loved the way our personnel committee worked. They stayed true to the principles that they set out for themselves. Even under pressure, they stayed true to those principles.  I don’t think we could have done any better than Sandy. I am thrilled beyond measure.”

Seal praised Wisdom-Martin’s heart for missions and sharing the gospel with people locally, nationally and around the world. She is prepared to help the women of Texas in efforts to expand God’s kingdom in a multitude of ways.

Wisdom-Martin has led conferences and spoken in numerous states. She is an Acteens leader in her congregation, Springfield Southern Baptist Church in Springfield, Ill. She has taught Sunday school for several age groups and led foreign mission trips to Ghana, France and Bulgaria.

“She is God’s person for this time,” Seal said. “She has the experience and heart for Woman’s Missionary Union work. God in his own timing has provided us new leadership.”

Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director-treasurer-elect of Texas Woman’s Missionary Union, has led Illinois WMU since 2001. She is pictured with her husband, Frank Martin, and their 11-year-old daughter, Hannah.

In recommending Wisdom-Martin for the position, National WMU Executive Director-Treasurer Wanda Lee called her “one of the most capable state leaders I have ever known.”

“These are important days in the life of WMU and especially Texas WMU,” Lee wrote. “I have prayed that you might find a leader that could take you into a bright future building on the great work of your interim, Nelda Seal. I am honored to be allowed to submit Sandy’s name for your consideration.”

In her recommendation of Wisdom-Martin, Former National WMU President Kaye Miller commended her vision and integrity, writing that “she walks closely with the Lord as she strives to follow his leading in all that she does.”

“It is my joy to recommend Sandy Wisdom-Martin for the position of WMU executive director,” Miller wrote. “I can think of no one that could do a better job at leading Texas WMU than Sandy. She is creative, visionary, a leader, disciplined, relational, focused and these are just a few words that describe my friend Sandy.”

Wisdom-Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Southern Illinois University in 1987 and a master’s degree in social work from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1990. She and her husband, Frank Martin, have an 11-year-old daughter, Hannah. 

WATERBURY, Conn.—This summer, 70 members of the Singing Women of Texas combined to form one choir and present eight concerts in six days, singing for a host of people across New England.

But don’t call them performers—or even singers for that matter. When pushed to brag about themselves, they reluctantly acknowledge their vocal ability, quickly noting it’s a gift from God. Their voices, the songs and the concerts are simply tools to share the gospel with others, they insist.

“We were not just the Texans who came to sing,” said Tim Studstill, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas music and worship team. “We were the Texans they invited to spend the day with the community. We were there to expand the churches’ ministry.”

Kay Payton, director of the Central Texas chapter of Singing Women of Texas, said music is a way New England congregations penetrate communities. By inviting the Texas choir to their cities, the churches created avenues through which they could share the gospel.

The group performed at the University of Connect-icut—an event promoted by several churches—on the streets and in nursing homes. In each case, the choir either helped strengthen a church’s ministry or expand it to touch the lives of people in the community.

“The coolest thing about the trip to me was every church we sang at has a ministry where they perform for the community,” Payton said. “That’s how they get into the community and let people know what they’re about.”

The Singing Women of Texas present a concert at a retirement home during their tour of New England.

Payton and Studstill said the people who came to the concerts were excited by the concerts. In addition to sharing the gospel, the choir also helped raise money for mission work, including church-building efforts in Haiti and a boutique that provided free head coverings for women battling cancer.

“It was amazing,” Payton said. “People just loved listening to us. They were very generous in the donations everywhere we went. They complimented us. They seemed to be not used to large groups of people singing. We had 70 women. They were amazed by a big group like that.”

The Singing Women of Texas’ trip is one of several ways Texas Baptists are contributing through a convention-facilitated partnership in the region. Several Texas Baptist congregations have partnered with New England churches, particularly in Connecticut and Boston recently.

Working on a sewing project during the Singing Women of Texas tour of New England are (foreground, left to right) Treasure Brasher, Singing Women of Texas Panhandle; Colleen DeVries, Singing Women of South Texas; and Glenda Price, Singing Women of North Central Texas.

The women’s trip, planned by the BGCT music and worship team, strengthened relationships started when the Singing Men of Texas sang in the area five years ago.

“This was a great trip,” event coordinator Karen Witcher said. “The people of Connecticut knew us, and we knew Texas Baptists, allowing us to pick up ministry right where we left off—seeking to share the hope of Christ in the Northeast.”

The women’s choir tour strengthened the ties between group members, Studstill said.

As the trip progressed, choristers bonded with each other. They grew in their musical abilities and were able to see how Baptists in another cultural context ministered. They now can take those strengths and experiences with them as they minister in their home churches, he said.

Sylvia Wehmeyer from First Baptist Church in Canyon Lake works on a craft project during the Singing Women of Texas tour of New England.

“They were able to grow deeper in their faith by experiencing a different culture even though it was in the United States,” Studstill said. “They prepared for this mission trip to minister on the streets, in nursing homes, in churches. They strengthened their skills, and they can now take those skills back to their congregations and minister there.”

For more information about mission opportunities in New England, call Texas Baptists’ Director of Texas Partnerships at (888) 244-9400.

For more information on the Singing Women of Texas, contact Witcher at karen. witcher@texasbaptists.org or look for information on regional groups online at www.texasbaptists.org/music. 

HOUSTON—It takes blood, sweat and tears to put gasoline in the cars Americans drive. It’s the blood and tears that concern new Texas oil patch chaplains.

In spite of safety procedures, workplace accidents happen in oil fields, and those affected need more than physical care. For current and former Christian oil workers wanting to minister, oil patch chaplaincy provides a place to serve.

Dan Ward of Hempstead attended the first oil patch chaplains training held in Texas. Ward has been in the oil and gas industry since 1980.

“I have felt God calling me to get into some form of ministry,” Ward said. “I did some looking around for about a year before I took my training, and I found the oil patch chaplains. I knew that was where I needed to be as soon as Oilfield Christian Fellowship mentioned oil patch chaplaincy.”

Ten Texans and several out-of- state pupils attended the training early this year. Participants learned crisis response, suicide prevention, grief support and anger management over the course of two weekends.

The oil patch chaplaincy started when Paul Bettis, chaplaincy specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, asked Tom Beddow, a former oil field welder, to coordinate the program in 2007. The chaplaincy spread across state and denominational lines more quickly than Beddow and the convention anticipated.

“Tom Beddow called me three years ago and asked if Oilfield Christian Fellowship had an oil field chaplaincy,” said John Bird, president of the Houston-based fellowship. “He began to tell me his vision for it, and I just felt it dovetail into what we were already doing—trying to win the oil patch for Christ. In 2009, I retired as a sales manager of a major service corporation in Houston. One goal for myself was to become a chaplain.”

Bird drove to Oklahoma City in the spring of 2009, where he went through the oil patch chaplains’ training program. Almost immediately after completing it, Bird had a chance to practice what he learned. Later, he recruited former and current Texas gas and oil workers to train for chaplaincy.

“About a month after (Bird’s) training, there was a death, and he was able to respond to that situation,” Beddow said. “He was apprehensive. I responded with him, and when we got there, he got into the flow. His training kicked in, he asked the right questions and did the right things. And when it was all over, he was amazed at how much the training had prepared him for that. That was a catalyst to getting these 10 other guys to go through the training.”

Bird believes oil patch chaplaincy is long overdue in the potentially dangerous line of work.

“The oil patch is noted for being tough and rough,” Bird said. “There’s a lot of cussing, that kind of thing. If somebody dies, you kind of mop up the blood and go on. But we know that if people go through a critical incident, they need to be brought back to cognitive thinking.”

Without proper guidance, this departure from cognitive thinking can lead to real hazards for workers, Bird said. When faced with a coworker’s injury or death, many lose focus and the chance of another accident increases.

“It’s hard for you to understand what happened. You’re trying to think: ‘Do I really need to be here? Do I need to be home, spending time with my family?’ You’re not thinking about what you need to do, and everyone out there is critical to every man’s safety,” Bird said.

The training also teaches chaplains not to oversimplify of over-spiritualize the situation, which can hurt the mental and emotional health of those affected by an accident.

“When someone is emotionally traumatized, their logical brain is not working like it should,” Beddow said. “By saying things or being too spiritual—saying, ‘It may have been God’s will’ or ‘Let’s pray now and God will heal you’—by saying things like that to people who aren’t Christians, or who are Christians, but are very angry at God, it can make people very upset and do more harm than good.”

When they’re not responding to critical incidents, chaplains are encouraged to lead Bible studies geared toward gas and oil workers.

“We recommend having Bible studies in people’s homes or offices or in an oil field service company’s shop,” Beddow said. “A lot of these people that work in the oil field don’t feel comfortable in church. Church is not a safe environment for them. But they will go somewhere if they know someone and they’re invited.”

Beddow hopes chaplains can open doors for their home churches to minister in the oil fields.

“One of the things that we want to see happen is that because this chaplain is here, there’s a way for his church to be strengthened and be knowledgeable about how to do direct ministry in the oil field,” Beddow said.

Experience in the industry is a prerequisite for oil field chaplaincy, Beddow said. “It allows our chaplains to speak ‘the language’ and to be more readily accepted by oil field workers.”

“The volunteer chaplain is the core of this ministry. Without them, we can’t function,” he said.

Go here to learn more about Oil Patch Chaplains. To find out about oil patch chaplaincy training for Texans, contact John Bird at (713) 899-1675.

DALLAS—Korean churches in the Dallas area jumped at the chance to engage in multihousing outreach this summer, and Sam Song couldn’t be happier about it.

Korean churches worked with Dallas Baptist Association and Child Evangelism Fellowship to sponsor children’s activities at low-income apartment complexes in Dallas. The activities were coordinated with summer feeding programs.

Some Korean churches needed to be challenged to look beyond the four walls of their church buildings, said Song, president of the nonprofit organization Koreans for Community Development. But involvement in the multihousing ministry helped participating churches “realize that they need to really be the salt and light of the world,” Song continued.

Small-membership churches that lack the staff or funding to make community missions a priority find community outreach particularly hard, he observed.

“Because of a lack of resources, they have not been able to send the kids overseas on mission trips like the big churches can,” Song said. “So, we really want to help small churches connect with the community.”

He contacted Jana Jackson, Dallas Baptist Association’s community ministry director, for ideas about where to get involved.

Lihanna, age 4, takes her time while trying to select a “goose” to run from during a game of “Duck, Duck, Goose.” Volunteers led a kids’ clubs in conjunction with summer feeding programs. (PHOTOS/Lauren Hollon)

“Every summer through the years, we have encouraged our churches to be involved in serving in apartments, working with kids and families, doing Bible clubs,” Jackson said.

“Our newer emphasis this summer was working in collaboration with the Texas Hunger Initiative and Central Dallas Ministries to encourage more churches to be involved in summer feeding programs.”

Song saw a perfect opportunity for his churches to plug into an existing outreach.

It couldn’t get much easier—the apartment sites already were chosen, and Central Dallas Ministries provided meals. The activity programs were easy to run, took five or six volunteers at each site and required no previous experience. Dallas Baptist Association provided curriculum through a partnership with Child Evangelism Fellowship. Volunteers just had to show up and have fun with the children.

“We can provide on-the-spot training for churches that want to do programming. We try to make it very simple and flexible for the church, to give them the tools they need to equip them and just send them out immediately,” Jackson said.

Providing food and offering the gospel through activities are not done simultaneously, because summer food programs are federally funded. But the events are held on the same days.

Children are more likely to come to the feeding program if there are activities afterward to stick around for, and vice versa, Jackson noted.

“Something like 80 percent of people in multihousing don’t go to church,” she said. “In order to reach families for Christ, we have to take church to them.”

Pastor Paul Kim of Bridge-Building Community Church attended the training and apartment programming along with his wife and son. His church is small, he said, but several people are interested in getting involved in apartment ministry.

One obstacle is the language barrier, Kim said. “Sometimes we have a hard time sharing the gospel.”

Kim said he loves opportunities for evangelism and hopes his church can participate next year after more training.

“Child Evangelism Fellowship will be providing the ongoing training at our nonprofit office, so they can continue to be trained and go out there,” Song said.

The Korean churches’ volunteers’ hearts and eyes were opened to the new ministry possibilities, Song said.

“Now these small churches are so excited, because they haven’t done this before and now, for the very first time, they have been able to go into local communities,” Song said. “Now the churches want to go into low-income apartment complexes on a regular basis, so it was a very meaningful event for us.”

DUNCANVILLE—First Baptist Church of Duncanville’s involvement in India grew out of a vision God placed in the heart of Pastor Keith Brister.

“I went to this mission conference. God put on my heart that we needed to do some specific and direct work in India. … So, the idea was birthed that we would long-term partner with a specific ministry there,” Brister said.

First Baptist Church formed a partnership in India through one of its members. Sastry Meesala, who was born in India and moved to Texas to attend Dallas Baptist University, has been the main connection between the church and its work in India.

The church centers its India ministry on an orphanage founded by Kantharao Meesala, Sastry Meesala’s father, through Rehoboth Ministries.

“Because of the relationship with the young man from India, we have grown to love his father now and brothers and this little community (where the orphanage is located). It is a place where we can plug in,” Brister said.

Sastry Meesala, international representative for Rehoboth Ministries, views the orphanage as an opportunity not only to change the lives of the children, but also to spread the gospel.

“Out of the 25 children now residing at the orphanage, 22 of them are now believers. They are being spiritually and physically healed from the mistreatment and trauma before adoption,” he said. “Now, they go to public schools and often tell fellow classmates about Jesus Christ. This opens up many opportunities for the lost children to share with their families so that they may also attend our churches.”

The Duncanville church’s relationship to India predated the partnership with the orphanage. It began when First Baptist Church adopted a people group as a prayer focus.

Sastry Meesala, who was born in India and came to the United States to attend Dallas Baptist University, has been the main connection between First Baptist Church in Duncanville and its work in India.

“When I first came to be pastor here 14 years ago, I contacted (the International Mission Board) to find a group that our church could adopt, and they chose the Mina Indians in east India,” Brister said. “There was no one working with that people group when we started working with them, and there were no known believers there at that time.”

Members have seen the results of their prayers and financial support.

“Now, there are many believers and full-time missionaries there,” Brister said.

In addition to supporting the ophanage, Rehoboth Ministries also is training indigenous missionaries.

“It’s a ministry that’s basically training pastors and missionaries to go to small villages all over southeast India,” Brister said. “We’re trying to encourage and disciple young pastors as they plant churches … and trying to strengthen the church there.”

The Duncanville church’s work in India ranges from love offerings to mission trips to gifts sent to the orphans for Christmas, Brister said.

“Our church has caught the vision through this young Indian student, and he is now entering the doctoral program at Southwestern Seminary, pursuing an evangelism and missions doctorate. And he plans to go back to India and start a seminary there that we will be a part of in the next decade, or so,” Brister said.

Meesala views the future seminary as an essential part of spreading the gospel in this area of India.

“Currently, we only have a school that trains missionaries for 40 days. We would like to build this up to seminary standards. The need for a seminary is a huge hope of ours,” Meesala said.

Pastor Kantharao Meesala and Chris Brister, a member of First Baptist Church in Duncanville, enjoy a meal at an orphanage in India.

The need goes beyond simply a seminary for Christians in India, who often are disowned by their families and excluded from society.

“There is a need for a cemetery,” Meesala said. “We do not have a place for Christians to put bodies. Hindus do not allow us to put these bodies in their land. There is a huge need for this. When we do have land, this will open up more opportunity to minister to surrounding families.“

Meesala has high hopes for the future of the ministry in India.

“I see that the harvest is so plentiful, and as I continue to do this work, I realize that I have more and more to do,” he said. “Many times we don’t recognize how valuable we are in the sight of God. We don’t realize how important it is to just be there for others and tell them that Jesus loves them and wants them.”

Churches can support the work being done not only in the orphanage, but also in the future of the seminary.

“American churches need to be involved because of the upward call in Christ Jesus that we have as an entire body, not limited to country,” Meesala said.

“American churches are our brothers and sisters, and we want to stay unified, mostly through prayer. We also would like American churches to tell us how we can pray for them.”

MARSHALL—Five East Texas Baptist University football players and Head Coach Mark Sartain served a week in Eastern Europe this summer, working at Open Doors Christian Camp just outside Chernigov, Ukraine.

The trip was designed to allow the ETBU Tigers to help renovate a camp dormitory while also interacting with youth at the former Soviet-era Communist youth indoctrination facility.

“It turned out better than I could even have hoped,” said Sartain, whose team helped pour concrete flooring on the third level of the old camp dormitory. “You can plan all you want for things such as this, but you never truly know what to expect. But the entire week for us in the Ukraine was a tremendous blessing.”

The Ukraine trip marked the second project the Tigers completed through the Advancing Native Missions organization. They served in Croatia in 2008. ETBU players and coaches were set for another overseas trip last summer, but they were detained at Heathrow Airport in London due to visa problems and never were allowed into England to complete the trip.

There were no such problems this trip, Sartain said, although his team spent more than 30 layover hours in airports around the world, including a 12-hour stop in New York City on the return flight home.

But jet lag aside, he said, the group wouldn’t have traded the experience for the world.

“Over 20 youth accepted Christ on the fourth night of the camp, and our guys were able to take part in that experience,” Sartain said. “These kinds of experiences change your perspective on how God uses people to reach others and reminds you that he is God and what he can do. After a trip like this, you become more sensitive to your own condition as well.”

The camp where the Tigers served is located about 45 miles outside Chernobyl, site of the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster.

The Open Doors Christian Camp is located about 45 miles from Chernobyl, site of the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster. (PHOTO/ETBU)

The old Soviet youth camp was considered heavily contaminated, and for years the Russian government tried to sell the property.

Protestant groups saw the site as a potential Christian youth camp for orphans and disadvantaged children in the region. Ukrainian churches—with financial assistance from American churches—organized a team of scientists to conduct tests at the site. Extensive examination re-vealed the area was clean of radioactive waste.

“It was as though God swept all the radiation and contamination away,” Sartain said. Ukrainian Christians purchased the property at a reduced price from the government, and they have been remodeling the site ever since.

The ETBU team mixed and poured concrete on the new 5,000-square-foot third floor of the dormitory. Despite early problems with the language barrier and a power outage, the Tigers completed the work in just three and a half days. The team also took part in worship services at the camp at night.

“The camp is full of mostly street kids—low-income kids who have never before been witness to the gospel,” Sartain said. “We’re talking about kids of ages from 8 to about 17 who have never been in a church service of any kind, who certainly didn’t know how to act during one. It was a little distracting and frustrating at times. But by the end of the week, God had moved in a big way, and we had 20 of those kids accept Christ.”

The week not only changed the lives of the campers, but also the volunteers from ETBU, Sartain said.

“It was just a great experience for these guys and one that has affected them tremendously. Some of them are already talking about finding a way to go back.”

Baylor names first female provost. Elizabeth Davis has been named provost and executive vice president of Baylor University—the first woman appointed to the chief academic officer’s post in the school’s 165-year history. Davis, a professor of accounting in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, joined the provost’s office in 2004 as vice provost for financial and academic administration, and she served the last two year as interim provost. Baylor President Ken Starr also announced Dennis Prescott will transition from vice president for development into a newly created role of vice president and special adviser to the president for advancement. He also appointed Kathy Wills Wright, a fundraising consultant in Washington, D.C., as senior vice president for strategic initiatives and partnerships.

Center sponsors leadership conference. The Texas Baptist Center for Effective Leadership will sponsor Insight 2010 Sept. 9-10 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Drayton McLane, CEO of the Houston Astros and deacon at First Baptist Church in Temple, will share his leadership experience with pastors and other church leaders. Other speakers include Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Randel Everett, Truett Seminary Dean Emeritus Paul Powell, Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas President Victor Rodriguez, Pastor Gregg Matte from First Baptist Church in Houston, Ed Robb of The Woodlands United Methodist Church and Pastor Ralph West from Church Without Walls in Houston. Cost is $49. To register or to learn more information, visit www.effectiveleader.org or call (214) 828-5149.

Foundation awards grants. Twenty-six organizations—including five San Antonio-area Baptist churches—received grants totaling $153,336 from Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio to assist them in providing health-care services. The foundation funds not-for-profit health care services and health education in Bexar County and surrounding counties, and its mini-grants committee annually provides grants up to $7,500 to help organizations meet the health care needs of the people they serve. Baptist congregations receiving 2010 mini-grants are Baptist Temple Church of San Antonio, Canaan Missionary First Baptist Church of San Antonio, First Baptist Church of Bandera, Iglesia Fuente de Vida of San Antonio and True Vine Baptist Church of San Antonio.

Hardin-Simmons honored as great workplace. Hardin-Simmons University is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The results are based on a survey of more than 42,000 employees at 277 colleges and universities. In all, only 97 of the 277 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium and large institutions, with HSU included among small universities with fewer than 3,000 students. HSU won honors in four categories this year—job satisfaction and support, work/life balance, supervisor or department-chair relationship, and tenure clarity and process. Survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators and professional support staff.

• Devin Butts to First Church in La Vernia as associate pastor and business administrator.

• Mark Collins to First Church in Yorktown as pastor.

• Drew Dowden has resigned as Baptist Student Ministry director at Texarkana College.

• Joe Echols has resigned as minister to students at Cross Timber Church in Burleson.

• Marcelo Garcia to Coastal Bend College in Beeville as Baptist Student Ministry director.

• Brittany Godsey to First Church in Plainview as children’s minister.

• Robert Graven has resigned as pastor of Belmont Church in Abilene.

• K.C. Higgins has resigned as pastor of Old Union Church in Simms.

• Wade Holman has resigned as pastor of Choate Church in Kenedy.

• Chris Irving to First Church in Gonzales as pastor from First Church in Pearsall.

• Ryan Jennings to Shadycrest Church in Pearland as pastor.

• Joe Lopez to First Church in Castroville as minister of youth from First Church in Pearsall.

• Jim Majors to New Life Church in Greenville as pastor.

• Fred Meeks to First Church in Plains as interim pastor.

• Kyle Megenity has resigned as associate pastor/youth/education at College Heights Church in Cleburne.

• Oliver Mowat to Cross Trails Cowboy Church in Fairlie as pastor.

• Jorgen Nino to Templo Church in Abilene as interim pastor.

• Neale Oliver to First Church in Rio Vista as pastor.

• Matt Paul to Friendship Church in Marshall as pastor.

• Brandon Self to First Church in Wichita Falls as interim contemporary worship leader, where he had been satellite worship service leader.

• Clayton Sheets has resigned as pastor of Rose Hill Church in Texarkana.

• Dale Turner to Hochheim Church in Hochheim as pastor.

• Richard Wade has resigned as pastor of College Hill Church in Simms.

• Kevin Winters to New Prospect Church in Nemo as interim pastor.

• Houston Baptist University’s Dunham Bible Museum will host a premeire showing of KJV: The Making of the King James Bible in the Dunham Theater Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. Participants will see the history of the Bible translation, meet the documentary’s producer and enter a drawing to win an original 1611 Bible leaf. To reserve a seat, call (281) 649-3222.

• East Texas Baptist University has commissioned historian Bill O’Neal to write a history of the university. The completed work is scheduled to be available for the university’s 2012 centennial celebration.

Anniversaries

• Pablo Salcedo, 10th, as pastor of Primera Iglesia Hispana in Sherman, Aug. 13.

• Billy Neal, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Bells, Aug. 14.

• Victory Church in Marshall, 40th, Aug. 15. Former member David Holder, who now is pastor of First Church in Sulphur, La., was the guest preacher, and David Barnett led the music. Ron Segers is pastor.

• Bethel Church in Ingleside, 25th, Aug. 29. James Anaya is pastor.

• Harold Mundine, fifth, as music minister at First Church in Sinton.

• Harris Avenue Church in San Angelo, 70th, Sept. 4-5. An ice cream fellowship will be held Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday will begin with a time of doughnuts and coffee from 9:30 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. Former pastors Milton Tyler, Terry Gayle, Travis Monday and Earl Dunn will take part in the morning worship service. Former music minister David Henderson also will participate. A meal will follow the morning worship service. The last event of the day will be the opening of the cornerstone. Randy Bush is pastor.

Retiring

• Andy Walker, as pastor of Searsville Church in Valley Mills, July 18. He served the church 10 years after it reopened following a period of inactivity.

Deaths

• Harold Parnell, 84, July 20 in Fort Worth. He not only was a pastor, but also served several churches as minister of music and education. He served at Burchill, Calvary and Rehoboth churches in Tarrant County, Gardendale Church in Corpus Christi, First Church in Lake Jackson and First Church in West Columbia. He also was the founding pastor of a Pennsylvania church. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Wynelle; daughter, Linda Nixon; and sons, Michael and David.

• Frances Guajardo, 72, in Mineral, Aug. 5. She served as a pastor’s wife and was involved in home missions with the Southern Baptist Convention 34 years. She was employed 12 years with Lifeway Christian Resources (formerly known as the Baptist Sunday School Board) and was an editor of Sunday school materials for Spanish-speaking children. She was a consultant with Texas Partnerships for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Isaac Romero and Zaragosa Romero. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Alcides; daughters, Orpha Garcia, Ruth Brewer and Naomi Galvan; sisters, Mary Burgos, Pauline Gonzales, Anita Loa and Esther Watson; brothers, Macario Romero, Ricardo Romero, Cata-rino Romero Jr. and Ramiro Romero; 17 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

• James Bond, 80, Aug. 6 in Frisco. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwest-ern Seminary, his pastorates included First Church in Algoa, Old First Orange Church in Orange, First Church in Nava-sota, Trinity Church in Amarillo and First Church in Athens. After 17 years in Athens, he retired and became involved in the intentional interim program of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Congregations he served in that capacity include First Church in Rockport, Allen Heights Church in Allen, Waddill Street Church in McKinney, North Fort Worth Church in Fort Worth and First Church in Mineral Wells. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Marion; daughters, Sue Christo-pher and Linn Cobb; sons, Jim and John; and nine grandchildren.

Events

• Northside Church in Corsicana broke ground Aug. 1 on a $8.4 million expansion project. The project will provide new facilities as well as improving some existing structures. Rick Lamb is pastor.

• A state historical plaque will be dedicated at Primera Church in Bastrop Sept. 11. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. Lunch will follow. For more information, call (512) 321-1351. Harold Welch is pastor.

Ordained

• Nathan Smith to the ministry at Lakeview Church in Waco.

• Bob Whitener as a deacon at First Church in Seguin.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—With their mix of Southern Gospel, country, bluegrass, traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs, Jason Baird and Justin Rivers—better known as the Dove Award-winning duo Austins Bridge—seek to bridge generations and connect people to Christ.

“When we first talked about starting a band, we wanted to create music for all ages to enjoy,” Baird said. “From our experiences growing up in church, there seemed to be a gap between older and younger generations regarding the style of music. In Titus, it talks about how the older and younger generations need to be linked together because there’s so much wisdom that can be gained. So, we wanted to make sure that our concerts offered something for everyone.”

Jason Baird (left) and Justin Rivers make up the Dove Award-winning duo known as Austins Bridge.

Growing up, Baird attended Friendship Baptist Church in Austin. Later, he majored in music at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton before transferring to Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

“During my junior year of high school, I felt like God was calling me to some sort of ministry,” Baird said. “However, itinerant music ministry seemed like such a far-fetched dream. It’s not something that you just go out and apply for. Where we are today shows how God was working in our lives by providing these opportunities.”

Rivers, the son of a pastor, grew up in Alabama and started playing music at an early age—piano, drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

“Whenever one of the church musicians didn’t show up, I would fill in, which provided valuable learning experiences for me,” Rivers said. “Throughout high school, I traveled with some local bands around my hometown and moved to Nashville after my freshman year of college. 

“Later on, I ended up in Austin for a while. Through a bizarre serious of events, I was talking to a friend one day and told him about a desire that God had really placed on my heart to create music that would lead people of all ages to Christ. My friend knew Jason and told me to give him a call. Next thing you know, Jason and I were sharing ministry ideas. We both really felt like God was directing and opening doors, which would allow us to impact his kingdom.”

As they began performing at local churches and ministry events, it didn’t take long before word began to spread about their family-friendly concerts, and they became inundated with requests to perform at larger gatherings and festivals.

Four years later, they continue to maintain a busy schedule with events around the country.

“Any venue that God opens up, we want to be able to play there because we want to reach as many people as possible for Christ,” Rivers said. “There are so many people who are desperately needing to hear about the hope and salvation that only a relationship with Jesus can provide. Wherever we perform, we don’t compromise or water down the message at all.”

The duo recently released their second album, Times Like These, produced by Jay DeMarcus, the bass player for the country music group Rascal Flatts. Through toe-tapping and heart-stirring songs, Austins Bridge desires to point listeners to Christ as their source of joy, comfort and strength.

“We want our music to be a magnet that attracts people to Christ,” Baird said. “So often, people come up to us at our concerts and share about the trials that they are going through. Many are so overwhelmed and feel like God isn’t listening to their prayers.  That belief is probably more prevalent today than it has been in years past, because of things people are dealing with in our country. 

“Whether it’s financial or relational, people have some kind of burden that they’re carrying, and we know that Satan is attacking people during their weakest moments. By sharing our own life experiences and telling how Christ has carried us through difficult times in our lives, we really want to encourage people to not give up and to place their trust in him. While we may not understand God’s plans, he will never leave us.”

Rivers agreed, adding: “It’s easy to stand on stage and say that God is faithful and can bring you through your trials. But until you’ve actually been tested and tried with those very words and come out on the other side, that’s when you know that God is faithful and able to do exceedingly above more than you could ask or think.”