Carmen and I were recently in the States for the funeral of Brother Bob Settle, one of our dearest friends. When Mark Settle called asking if we could come, I could not give him an immediate answer but said we wanted to come and would pray. In just a few hours, our gracious God supplied every need. We were in Tennessee for eight days, and it was a wonderful, unforgettable experience!

Brother Settle and I served together at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hickory, North Carolina, for 13 years. He was the pastor of the church, and I was the principal of the school. Those were amazing days: new school complex, reaching an enrollment of over 500 students, new church auditorium, our greatest revival with Evangelist Tom Farrell, victory in our state capital over Christian school accreditation, which we no longer accepted. Nineteen years later, Dr. Settle asked if I would be his assistant at Liberty Baptist Church in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We served together once again for 11 years. At his funeral, the service was packed with friends from all over. The music, testimonies, fellowship, meals, and hospitality of Liberty Baptist Church will forever linger in our hearts. My thoughts centered around Brother Settle obeying the voice of God: the day of his salvation, serving in the U.S. Marines, the call to Tennessee Temple, and then the calls to Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. His love for God, his family, his church, and others had deeply touched every heart in the service. Thank you, Settle family, for the privilege of preaching his funeral. It was one of the highlights of my life!

Please continue to pray for the work here in Thailand. Our friend Starr translates for me in Sunday school and on Sunday evenings. He and I have many opportunities to go soul winning together. He just returned after five days in Myanmar (Burma), where he and his sister Emu led over 30 people to Christ. Other villages wanted them to come, but there was not time.

I hope you have memorized II Corinthians 5:20, “. . . we are AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST . . . .” We all represent the King and His Kingdom, and we bring a message: JESUS is our King; HEAVEN is our home; the GOSPEL is our message. Dr. Robert E. Settle was a faithful ambassador for his entire life. We will see you soon, my friend.

Randy and Carmen Shook