The new year began on a sad note for many of us. Jim Withers, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Gladewater, Texas, went home to be with the Lord after suffering a massive heart attack. Pastor Withers was a true friend of ours and a friend to BEST Missions. He provided an abundance of Bibles for converts in Southeast Asia, and Grace Baptist Church has long been a blessing to our ministry. Please keep Mrs. Withers and the family in your prayers.
I attended several meetings this month, beginning with the weeklong annual revival services at Victory Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, and the East Texas Baptist Preachers’ Fellowship. I then drove to Sallisaw, Oklahoma, to attend the first Missions Conference at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. I was privileged to preach with Pastor J.D. Weido and spend some quality time with Pastor Chad Owens.
I was invited to preach for our long-time friend, Pastor Gary Winters, at Central Independent Baptist Church in Corsicana, Texas. Pastor Winters held five Sunday evening services for missions.
BEST Missions is currently working to raise $100,000 for the printing of the first Laotian Bible Project. We will print the first translated Laotian Bible in Thailand. We pray that you will consider being a part of providing the very first Bible for the people of Laos. These dear believers have been waiting a long time for their first copy of God’s Word.
In February, we attended the annual Missions Conference at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Longview, Texas. We valued the extra time we were able to spend with Dr. Darrell Moore, Missions Director at Emmanuel. Dr. Moore was our former Missions Director at First Baptist Church in Hammond. Pastor Bob Gray II took an offering for BEST Missions to purchase over 500 Bibles for Southeast Asia. What a blessing!
I drove to Galloway, New Jersey, for a Missions Weekend meeting at Jersey Shore Baptist Church with Pastor Phil Erickson. On Saturday morning, the church assembled 10,000 John & Romans. It was a blessing to see a church involved in this ministry. Before leaving New Jersey, I was invited to preach a chapel service at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, New Jersey. Pastor Charlie Clark has a great group of young people being trained for the ministry.
BEST Missions received its 40th container of Gospel materials and Bibles in Bangkok, Thailand, this month. Praise the Lord! This would not be possible without the help of good folks like you who are willing to give.
Please read the enclosure about our Sixth Annual BEST Missions Bible Conference in 2023. It will be here before you know it. What a wonderful time we have!
Thank you for your prayers and for your faithfulness to the Lord. Thank you so much for giving to provide a copy of God’s Word to those who have never owned, or even seen, a Bible.
“The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” (Psalm 68:11)
Into all the world,
Bob Bowen
Philippians 4:13