Texas for the Holidays
We continued with our winter deputation traveling from Flagstaff to Story Road Baptist Church in Irving, Texas where Bro. Larry Craig has pastored for many years. Pastor Craig used to be Professor Craig when he taught me Greek back in my Bible College days. I would love to tell you we conversed in Greek throughout the day but that would be a pseudos (Greek for lie). We did talk about teaching and learning Greek back in the day but other than that we simply enjoyed the wonderful fellowship of the church. Story Road was one of our first supporting churches and this was the first time to meet them personally and thank them for their confidence in us.
We spent the holidays with our family in Channelview, Texas and attended services at Santa Fe with our sponsoring church family. I had the honor of bringing the Christmas story message that Sunday morning. There are few things as comforting to a missionary family and coming back to your sponsoring church. There is a great sense of hope and encouragement knowing the care and prayers that are centered in your home church.
We stayed with the good folks of Temple Baptist Church in Texas City, Texas for most of the time we were in the Gulf Coast. They were very generous in both the sharing of the missions quarters and friendship. I preached on Sunday night on Baptist Distinctives before having the wonderful experience of seeing Bro. Rudy Rios baptized an entire family into the church. The four members of this precious family blessed our hearts with their obedience to God’s commands that evening.
That Wednesday we had time to visit Pastors Lester Hudson and Robbie Pollard at Berean Baptist Church. It is great to see this church still strong after so many years serving God in Houston, Texas.
Oklahoma is Okay
After a brief trip back to Flagstaff, we drove to Oklahoma for a week of appointments. We preached at Sara Road Baptist Church where one of my heroes in the faith, Bro. Edgar Carlisle, is still going like gangbusters (a phrase he would use) at 85 years old. I hope I’m half as lively when I’m twice his age. (oh wait that would make me 170).
Sunday night we attended Edmond Road Baptist Church where Pastor Joe Mandrino faithfully labors. Bro Joe and Chuck Munson who serves as the associate pastor set us up in the mission cottage at the church and we were truly grateful for a place to put up our feet for awhile. That Sunday night as I preached was a wonderful example of how the Lord blesses while on the deputation trail. A reminder of why preachers will always want to preach.
Wednesday we were with Bro. Clyde Womack at Highland Baptist in El Reno, Oklahoma. It was bitterly cold outside with a wind that brought tears to your eyes and then froze them on your cheeks but inside it was a warm air of Christian welcome and friendship. Bro. Clyde and I played a guitar and harmonica duet on “I’ll Fly Away” and things got even better after that.
Each church was a far greater blessing to us than we could have possibly been to them but I am so grateful they let us try to be a blessing. We look forward to making and renewing many more acquaintances in the great state of Oklahoma, a hot bed for real independent Baptist.
Pray That A Pot Hole Doesn’t Become A Sink Hole
Please be in prayer for our housing in Flagstaff, Arizona. The camp we have been working with in exchange for housing and a chapel to use in the future work of planting a church is having second thoughts about the arrangement. They were not prepared for us being gone from the camp during the off season as much as deputation requires. So far it is just a few words of warning but I fear more may be on the way. LeeOra and I do not want to have to move so soon after getting settled, nor do we welcome the disruption this will cause in deputation and the preparing the ground for the planting of a Baptist Church in Flagstaff.
Thank you for you prayers and encouragement,
Kris and LeeOra Minefee
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