Theme for 2017: “Providing the Word of God to Every Believer in All Nations”
“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (I Corinthians 15:34)
We traveled 3,300 miles through 6 states in March with no breakdowns. Praise the Lord! We were in 9 different churches, and I conducted 4 missions conferences. We praise the Lord for 32 souls saved and 10 baptized so far this year.
I attended the BEAMS Institute on Missions, where I gave an update on our Bible distribution in Southeast Asia and expounded on the growing need for the Word of God. Every Bible that we send is placed in the hands of a Bible-less believer. We are thankful to Andy Long and his family, serving in Thailand, who are doing the daily operations of distributing the Bibles for BEST. Our warehouse is again empty! Missionaries and pastors of Baptist churches call almost daily for Bibles. We serve over 150 men of God who depend on BEST to provide their members and new converts with a copy of God’s Word.
Our current project is printing 1,000 leather-bound, whole Thai Bibles for men of God in Thailand. My goal is to have the Bibles completed in time for the Bible conference at First Baptist Church Nawong the first week of June. Pastor Danny Ortiz from Lewisville, Texas, will be the guest speaker at this conference. Pastor Eddie Arold is expecting 60 to 70 pastors and missionaries from 10 different nations to attend.
The Lord continues to provide funds, allowing us to provide Scriptures and materials free of charge to believers in Southeast Asia. We could not be doing this work without your faithful prayers and financial support. Investing in printing Bibles is an eternal investment. Anyone who gives toward printing and distributing the Word of God will see the results of their investment in Heaven.
I must tell you about one meeting we had in Spanish Fort, Alabama, with Pastor Richard Ullo. Bible Baptist Church decided to have a “Big Day.” They spent several weeks preparing and promoting their special day. A big tent was raised on the lawn next to the church. They were praying for over 100 people to come, and I was praying for 125. The Lord moved and blessed them with 164 in attendance! That Sunday they had 22 saved, and 8 followed the Lord in baptism. They broke every church record! To God be the glory! Pastor Ullo has called me several times since then to report that God is still working in people’s lives because of that one special Sunday.
God is still interested in America, but America needs to get interested in God and His work. Too many Baptists are working hard at being successful at things that God is not interested in. I thank God for churches that win souls and baptize converts and for faithful pastors who keep the doors of their churches open. I thank God for churches that care about missions and missionaries around the world.
Into all the world,
Bob Bowen
Philippians 4:13