Thank the Lord for 2018, another great year of publishing the Word of God. What a blessing it was to be able to place a Bible in the hands of new believers in several new nations last year.
The first Sunday in 2019 was spent with Dr. Curtis Hall, who is now working full-time with B.E.S.T. Missions. We presented our ministry at Bible Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, for Pastor Jeff Lines.
On Monday, January 7, both Dr. Hall and I started making our way to Thailand. Our goal for this trip was the same as for Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:36, “. . . Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the LORD, and see how they do.”
While in Bangkok, we worked at delivering the remaining Scriptures that were in our distribution centers. Many of the churches were still busy preaching the Gospel in the public schools in Thailand. Each year there are thousands of students and staff who hear the Gospel for the first time. Hundreds are saved and receive a copy of John & Romans and a Gospel tract.
Nine prisons were visited, and many prisoners were saved. Over 2,000 received their very first copy of the Word of God. Several hundred decision cards were turned in.
We spent some time with Missionary Tim Shook and Team Thailand, located in the southern part of Thailand. Brother Shook allowed both of us to preach. I’m thankful to him and his church for taking an offering for Bibles. It is a blessing to have people give to meet a need of their own. Several different people gave testimony of how much it means to them to have a copy of God’s Word for their very own.
We traveled north to spend time with Missionary Andy Long in Ching Mai. While there, we started three new projects with the printing company ACTSCO. Please pray for the Long family.
We are now able to provide our soul-winning booklet in the Thai Language to national pastors so they can train their converts to share their faith in Christ with others. We can also now provide them with the 20 discipleship lessons from the Foundations of My Faith Discipleship Program. We are so grateful to Tim Shook and his great staff for translating these valuable lessons. This will allow national pastors and missionaries to get their people grounded in the doctrines of the Word of God.
Dr. Hall and I both preached in several churches in Thailand and challenged new believers to serve the Lord. Many pastors and missionaries of Southeast Asia were able to tell us of their need for Scripture. There are truly some great servants of God in this part of the world. All they need is some good, solid Baptist materials to teach their members and train new converts.
We visited converts I had won as children and were blessed to see many of them still faithful to church as young adults. We were able to meet special needs of some of the folks who were having a difficult time, things that we take for granted in America.
We challenged two more churches to begin “Teaching All Nations.” This free program provides the curriculum for a Bible institute under the local church and the national pastor’s leadership.
We returned to America with a greater vision to provide more Scriptures for the national pastors. Our distribution centers are low on materials, and the demand is great! We are traveling once again to present the great need for Bibles around the world. We praise God for good men and women who work daily to provide Bibles for men of God all over the world.
Please continue to pray that we can keep up with the demand for Bibles and materials. Thank you for your investment in eternity and for helping B.E.S.T. Missions provide Scriptures for every believer in all nations.
In February, B.E.S.T. Missions provided 14 cases of Spanish Bibles for 3 mission trips going to Belize and Mexico this spring. We also provided Bibles and materials for the Foundation of My Faith Discipleship Program in Africa. We praise the Lord that we are able to supply Bibles and Gospel materials for the mission field.
I would like to thank Bailey’s Grove Baptist Church in Asheboro, North Carolina, and Indian Hills Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, for giving special offerings for Bibles.
I attended the BEAMS National Conference in Gulfport, Mississippi, this month. It was truly refreshing. Fifty preachers and thirty missionaries were in attendance. I visited the BEAMS Warehouse and was amazed to see 29 pallets of Scriptures that we have been accumulating over the last several months. Brother Butch Lockard said they put 4 pallets of Scriptures on a container to Ghana, Africa. There are 3 containers of Scriptures that need to be shipped. We are planning to ship a container the first of April to Southeast Asia. It should arrive while Dr. Hall is there again in June. Each container will cost between $5,000 and $6,000 to ship. That means we will have a lot of shipping expenses! But what a blessing it is to be able to get the Word of God to those who have never seen a copy of God’s Word! I would like to ship all three containers this year, as the Lord provides.
We will do more printing of Scriptures this year in Thailand. It will help us to be better stewards with the funds that have been provided. The cost of printing is less, and there will be no customs or shipping fees to pay. We can print three Bibles in Thailand at the cost of having one Bible shipped from America.
Only eternity will reveal how many souls are being won around the world because of your gifts to this ministry. This would not be possible without the help of God’s people. Thank you on behalf of believers who are receiving the needed materials to help them grow and become strong in the Lord and on behalf of every New Testament Baptist Church that is established.
Thank you for your prayers and for all that you do.
Brother Bowen
Philippians 4:13