Harman Ministry Update

October, 2011 Update

2011-11-13T13:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Supporters,

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Psalm 8:3-4. I write this letter on the heels of a trip to Colorado. While there, I was able to witness some of the marvelous majesty of God’s handiwork. One thing that struck me was the beauty of the canyons and rock formations jutting out of the ground. These formations, while beautiful, are a mark of sin on the world. As far as can be surmised, most of these formations are a result, either directly or indirectly, of the flood found in Genesis 6-8, when the tectonic plates pushed against each other resulting in mountains, valleys, canyons, etc. Yet God took these scars of sin on the earth and made them a thing of immeasurable beauty! Our God does the same for a human being. He can take the scars of sin in a person’s life and turn them into a beautiful testimony of His work! Only our God can turn something so “ugly” as a scar into a thing of unsurpassed beauty.

God has been good to us as we continue to travel and seek our monthly support for the work in Brazil. Thanks to His provision we now have 57% of our support raised! We have traveled, since our last letter, to the states of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio and Colorado; and we still have meetings scheduled through Thanksgiving. We thank the Lord for safety through these travels and many miles on the road. We are currently scheduling meetings in 2012 to present our burden for Brazil in churches around the United States. Please pray both for continued traveling mercies and additional support so that we might leave for Brazil quickly!

In this letter I would like to focus on how important every contribution is to our work. In today’s atmosphere of economic downturn and political turmoil, even God’s people are not immune to the effects of the world’s scene. Christians and churches alike are struggling to maintain their basic necessities. At such a time as this, every church’s contribution and every individual’s contribution to the cause of missions is vital. One church can give more than another, but none can do it alone. Working together, they put a missionary on the field. In the same way, individuals working together can reach the same common goal.

At this point in our ministry, we are approaching our 5th year on deputation. While at one time that was unheard of, today it is all too common. So many people believe that they cannot do anything to help because they do not have enough to offer. Consider this. Of the missionaries that I know raising support, each one on average, picks up a supporting church at a rate of about 1 every month and a half. At that rate it takes 6 or 7 years for a missionary to start his ministry. Right now, we lack 43% of our support tobe in Brazil as full-time, church-planting missionaries. To reach our goal and close that gap, it would take 21 more churches supporting us at an average of $100 a month to put us on the field. Individuals today generally cannot afford a $100 a month commitment. However, $20 a month may be more reasonable. At that rate it would take 105 individuals to put us on the field. Churches and individuals working together could do that even more quickly. Perhaps it would take 11 more churches and 52 individuals or any combination of the two.

We would like each church and individual to pray and ask God if He would have you to partner with our ministry in reaching Brazilians for Christ. Together the task seems much smaller and more doable. We know that God has a timetable, but I fear we as Christians are falling behind His timetable for financial fear. While missionaries today take 6 and 7 years to get to their field, people are dying in their projected fields having NEVER heard of Christ’s unfailing love! In the five years that we have been raising support, 6,500,000 people have died in Brazil! That is the entire state of Indiana! It is also more than all of the people in the Brazilian state of Paraíba where we will work! How many of those could have heard the gospel sometime in the last five years? Please pray with us that God will move us there quickly to begin our work.

For any individuals that would feel led to share in our ministry, all donations are tax-deductible. Any donation can be made payable and sent to the Gospel Preacher Association and marked for The Harmans. The mailing information for the GPA is as follows:

The Gospel Preacher Association
P.O. Box 465177
Lawrenceville, GA 30042

You will receive a tax deductible receipt from our Mission Agency and regular updates from us through letters, e-mail, and other forms of communication. This way you will be better able to gauge the effectiveness of your investment in Christ’s work.

Again we would like to thank all of those who DO support us, both through prayer and finances. Together, we WILL continue His work! May we all continue to reap fruits for our labors.

In His Service,

Jon, Tonya, and Kyle Harman

Update

2010-11-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.” I Chronicles 16:8. This is truly the task of any missionary. We are to first THANK God for who He is and what He does. Secondly, we are to tell what He has done for us to others. If we are truly thankful to God for what He has done for us, then we should naturally want to share that with others. In doing this we will be able to show others the reason they should give their hearts to Christ.

So much has happened in the weeks since our last update that it would be impossible to share it all in such a brief post. First, we have continued to share our burden for the people of Brazil in churches all over the eastern part of the country. We have driven almost 11,000 miles in the last three months alone, and God has kept us safe every step of the way. We are sitting right at 50% of our support! We’ve been told that once you reach 50% the support comes in much quicker. We are praying that this is the case and that we will be able to leave for Brazil by the end of 2011.

God has also given us another ministry, just in the last week before I finished this letter. Tonya and I heard of two exchange students that had come to the United States with only a temporary home to house them. They are attending a local Christian School and needed permanent homes by Thanksgiving to avoid being sent back to their countries before the end of the school year. Tonya and I agreed to go through the process and were approved. Jaime, who is from Colombia, South America, is now living with us until the end of May or the first of June. Please pray for Jaime as he completes this school year and travels with us on deputation. Pray that he will learn much about the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to have a personal relationship with Him before he leaves us.

God also gave us another great blessing about a month ago. Tonya, Kyle and I had travelled to a Missions Conference near Spartanburg, SC. During one of our afternoons, between services, we went to a park in Spartanburg. I lost my wallet at the park. The next day we went back to comb the park looking for the lost wallet. While there, we met a young man by the name of Jake. Jake is 15 years old and wanted someone to talk to. He has had a very rough family background. He is currently living in a situation that is not ideal and his mother is dying of cancer. Tonya and I were able to spend about two hours talking to him and sharing Christ with him. He did not get saved at that moment, but we gave him a gospel tract and a prayer card and prayed for him. When we got home, on Monday morning he called asking for prayer about some tough situations. He then called our sending church during the Wednesday night service looking for someone to pray with him. Our pastor talked to him and, again, shared the gospel with him. This time it took hold and he trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Praise the Lord with us over this soul, which was lost and is now found! Also, as if this were not a big enough blessing, my wallet showed up in the mail in an unmarked envelope with everything still inside! GOD IS SO GOOD!

Please continue to pray for us as we endeavor to share the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ and share our burden in churches. Pray that others would desire to partner with us, both through prayer and finances, in our desire to share Christ in Brazil. We know God has a purpose in keeping us here for the moment, but we believe He will take us soon to our country of calling. Pray for our van to keep going all the miles we will travel in the days and months ahead. So far it is running well with only minor maintenance. Pray for us to reach the 60% mark by our next letter and for 100% before the end of next year.

Thank you all for your prayers and support of our work. May God continue to bless each of you as we labor together!

Almost half way!

2010-10-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we have stayed busy these last months. We have been on the road from New York to Florida and continue having meetings to present our work. We are still hopeful that we will pass the 50% mark of our support by or before the end of the year (we currently have about 49%)! If we could get that number up to about 60% by January or February, that would REALLY go a long way to getting us both (Jon and Tonya)on full-time deputation. Pray that some of the churches we have been in would catch our burden for Brazil and feel led to support us in that way.

We still have a few meetings left between now and the end of the year. Pray for prosperous meetings, for souls to be saved, for hearts to be encouraged, and for people to feel a great burden for getting the gospel out to a lost and dying world. Pray that we will continue to stay faithful as we continue to long journey of deputation and not be discouraged. We KNOW that God has a time-table for us to arrive in Brazil and we want to follow that, though we can become impatient at times.

Thank you to all of you who continue to support us through your sacrificial giving and your prayers. Please feel free to look us up and follow us on Facebook as well. Just look for "Jon Harman" and send a friend request. I keep that updated much more frequently than the blog.

Continued Blessings

2010-08-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had a very busy month of August and are in for an even busier September. We visited a church in DeLand, FL, on the first Sunday of this month. This church happens to be about an hour from some dear friends of ours, so we spent some time with them that weekend as well.

The next week we spent getting ready for a celebration of my mother and father-in-laws' 40th Wedding Anniversary. That was a great time of seeing family on both sides and thanking God for a wonderful testimony in the lives of Tonya's parents. Please continue to pray for Tonya's mother, Lois McLain, as her health has not been the best. We are trusting God to take care of her.

Jon was also able to spend some time continuing his class on soul-winning at our sending church (in between meetings) and continue his Portuguese classes as well. We also were able to present our work at a church in Wellford, SC, and had a great time with the folks there.

This coming week Tonya's best friend is getting married in Ohio, so she and Kyle will be attending that event. Jon will drop them off and then continue on up to Indiana where he will present our work in two churches there. In September we will be in churches in North Carolina and Alabama. Pray for safety as we travel and for some of the churches that we visit to partner with us by supporting us financially so that we can leave quickly for the field. There is SO much work to be done there. We currently have 48% of our support and are praying for at least 6 or 8 more supporting churches by the end of the year. Keep praying and we will keep you posted. Thanks!

God is good!

2010-07-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful for a busy and productive last few months. We have been visiting churches from New York to Florida and helping out in a summer camp. We had four children saved during the two weeks at camp! Praise the Lord! We also spent a week at the GPA National Camp Meeting, which was a great time of encouragement and refreshment. Now we are preparing to do some more traveling to Florida, South Carolina, Indiana, Alabama, Maryland, and of course North Carolina over the next few months. Pray for safety and that some of the churches we have visited and will visit will decide to partner with us financially. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

New Year

2010-03-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

I certainly must apologize for not updating our site sooner. We have been quite busy since Christmas started. Still, that is no excuse.

To start, we had a wonderful start to the new year. We have been traveling and speaking in a number of churches. We have already visited churches in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Jon had to purchase a car in September of this last year because his other one "gave up the ghost." In 6 months we have put 16,000 miles on it. Over the next 6 months we expect to put more than that on it. God is opening doors for us to speak in churches and present our burden for the country and people of Brazil. Continue to pray for us as we travel.

God is opening up opportunities for us in other ways as well. First, our church, Temple Baptist Church in Lewisville, NC, asked Jon to be a deacon in the church with the understanding that it will be a short-term commitment. Jon agreed and has been blessed with the opportunity to serve the church that has served us for so long. Also, we have been asked to help out in a summer camp in Virginia for two weeks during the month of June. We look forward to getting to work with young people and impacting their lives for Christ. Pray that God will work on hearts even now preparing them and us for those two weeks.

Kyle continue to grow every day. He is now walking (running) and beginning to say words like "daddy", "mama", "thank you", and even "amen" when we pray! He surprises us every day with something new he has learned. We thank God every day for him and that he is strong and healthy.

We thank you all for your continued prayers and support. We look forward to the day that we can leave for Brazil and begin reaching souls there for Christ. Over the course of this last year we saw 15 people saved and look forward to more this year.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it is Thanksgiving time again. However, if we look at the Scriptures, we see that it is ALWAYS time for THANKSGIVING! I Thessalonians says "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Also Ephesians 5:20 says, "Giving thanks ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Let us not forget to be thankful IN everything and FOR everything each and every day!!

Also Pray for Jon as he travels to Florida this weekend for a meeting in Winter Haven, FL. Then next weekend we will be leaving as a family for a church in Dothan, AL the following weekend. We appreciate your prayers as we stay very busy seeking our monthly support to go to Brazil. Pray that many of the churches we will visit, as well as some of those we have already visited will feel led of the Lord to invest in this work so that we may move to Brazil soon and begin the work of winning souls to Christ!

Busy Summer!

2009-10-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been an extremely busy summer. We have hardly had time to stop. Since our last post, we have visited Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. That's A LOT of miles and a LOT of driving! But God is good. He has kept us safe and we have had an enjoyable time visiting churches and even family and friends along the way. This month is a little slower, so we have a chance to "catch our breath." We have just posted our latest prayer letter, so feel free to read it to get a few more of the details. God is working! Thank you for your prayers and support!

June Prayer Letter

2009-07-07T09:55:00.001-07:00

We have just added our latest prayer letter for the month of June. Click on it above and you can view it right on your screen! Also, here is a new picture of our family that we just took a couple of days ago. Hope you enjoy!

Summer - Busy As Always!

2009-06-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Once again it is summer time. We are well into that time of year for vacations, cook-outs, school is out, and life going on as usual. It is also time for Vacation Bible Schools, Mission Conferences, and Camp Meetings. Tonya, Kyle and I have stayed very busy this past month or so.

First we traveled in May to Pennsylvania and New York where we presented our work in a church in Hallstead, PA and had the opportunity to visit with much of Tonya's family. We had a wonderful time there. From there we went came home, then turned right around and went to Charleston, WV, where we prensented in two churches and got to visit with Jon's grandparents on the way up and back. From there we went straight to Lawrenceville, GA for the annual GPA National Camp Meeting at Galilean Baptist Church. During that week we also were able to present our work at a church in Norcross, GA. Leaving Georgia, we went up to Louisburg, NC and worked at Camp Grace at Jon's home church, Grace Baptist Church. Camp Grace is a combination week-long summer camp and mission conference that has been done for many years at Grace and is a wonderful time of fun, fellowship and learning God's Word. After leaving there we went to Lebanon, VA; then back home.

That brings us to this week. This week we begin a Vacation Bible School at Pleasant View Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. We are praying for the Lord's blessings and that many children will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Tonya and I will also be helping in two more VBS programs in July, one at Southside Baptist Church in Biscoe, NC; and the other at our own sending church, Temple Baptist Church in Lewisville, NC. We are also going to be continuing our travels and presenting our work in a number of churches through August in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. In September and October, we will be in Florida during almost those entire two months.

Pray for us as we continue to travel. God has protected us and provided our every need. We traveled 4,000 miles in three weeks without so much as a flat tire. God is GOOD!! We know that we will reap the fruit of our labors and have our support soon. God is providing. Pray that we will be in Brazil soon. Thank you for your prayers!

Coming Soon....new pictures of Kyle!!

Moving Forward

2009-04-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we posted an update on our ministry here. Of course, we have our latest prayer letter uploaded and that tells some of our updates, but here is what is happening lately:

1. Kyle is growing of course. He is getting bigger every day and does something new almost every day too. He can roll over on his own, is holding his head up well, and can sit up (for about 5 seconds without help). It will not be long before he is crawling. He is healthy and we thank the Lord for that.

2. We continue moving forward in our search for support. We are presenting in churches as often as we can and now have 40% of our support. We are thankful for the new friends and acquaintances we have made in our travels and as we go to different churches. God is blessing and has kept us safe wherever we go.

3. We are now living in a mission home. Jon's dad pastors Pleasant View Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC and we are living in one of the mission homes the church owns. They have graciously allowed us to live there which has also allowed Jon to move into full-time deputation. Tonya will contintue to work at Forsyth Technical Community College for insurance, and Jon works at Forsyth Tech. also as a part-time interpreter in their Dental Clinic (only 8 hours a week). Pray that more churches will take us on for support. We would like to be heading to the field by early 2010 if we have 100% of our support. Once we hit 90% we will start the process for visas and documentation to enter Brazil.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We look forward to that day (very soon) when we will be leaving for Brazil. With God's provision we believe that will be soon. Continue to pray and keep looking here for some more pictures of Kyle and the family (maybe some video too)!

Kyle

2009-01-31T20:19:00.000-08:00

By the way...

Here are some new pictures of Kyle.

Big Steps

2009-01-31T20:07:00.001-08:00

Tonya and I are taking some big steps now as we get into 2009. Today was my (Jon) last day at my secular job. I have been working at Chick-fil-A to supplement our income until our support could get to a level to sustain us without me working. I have worked at Chick-fil-A for nearly 12 years. It took me through high school, put me through college, and supported my family as we worked toward becoming missionaries. I have many wonderful memories of my job there and many friends as well. While I will miss it, I am grateful for the opportunity to move on into this next phase in my life. Tonya will continue to work her job at Forsyth Tech Community College. She works as a secretary there and she and Kyle have insurance through that job.

Another big step that we are taking is to move into a new residence. In order to "make up" for the fact that Jon will not be working anymore, we decided to look into moving into a church mission home where we could live Rent Free. We are grateful to Pleasant View Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, for allowing us to move into one of their available mission homes. We will save money by not paying rent and Jon will be able to dedicate himself to calling churches and trying to schedule meetings to raise more support.

Pray as we embark on a new year that God will provide us with many churches in which to present our ministry to the country of Brazil. Pray that we will raise our support quickly. We would love to be on the field by the end of this year! Wouldn't that be an incredible testimony to the POWER OF GOD and the faithfulness of His people?! Imagine being able to say that in a time of "economic crisis" that we were able to raise our full support in less time than the average for the times. Imagine God's people proving that our faith is not based on the circumstances and God's provision not based on the world's situation. To go from 35% to 100% in ONE YEAR would be unprecedented in a time like this, but....GOD CAN DO IT!!! I am confident that He will (if He so chooses). Keep praying, and God will supply!

Christmas

2008-12-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas time again! This happens to be my favorite time of year. I enjoy the lights, the music, the cooking, and the time with family and friends. But, more than any of that, I enjoy reflecting on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus was God's gift to the world. God has given us many other gifts besides. He has given us homes to live in, family to love us, and many other wonderful things.

Tonya and I have a special reason to be thankful this Christmas. We get to spend it with our new son, Kyle. Kyle is already starting to grow like a weed. The clothes that just a month ago were loose and baggy are starting to fit snuggly. We are enjoying every single moment with him. We will post some more pictures of him here soon, so be on the lookout. Hopefully, we'll even get some video up too.

We need to remember this time of year all that God has done for us. Many times we get SO busy this time of year that we hardly have time to think about God, Jesus, the birth of our Savior, etc. We are doing the Christmas programs, cantatas, Christmas parties at work, school, with the family and friends, shopping for those last minute deals, presents, and just overall staying busy. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but we must be careful not to let ANY of them take the place of our worship to God. Let us be ever mindful of what He has done for us and thank Him at every opportunity.

Kyle David Harman

2008-11-11T07:28:00.001-08:00

God blessed us last week with the birth of our first-born son, Kyle David Harman. As you can see, he is a beautiful baby and a blessing for us. We thank God for a safe delivery and a healthy baby. We thank each and every one of you who prayed for the pregnancy and delivery. Continue to pray for a speedy recovery for Tonya, as she ended up having a C-Section. This will increase her recovery time, but she is already doing much better. Kyle was born at 3:11 PM on Monday, November 3, 2008, and weighed 7 lbs. 13 ozs.

Peruvian Ministry

2008-10-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

This month, Tonya and I had the privilege of hosting a Peruvian Pastor that we have worked with for a number of years in the Amazon region of Peru. He is visiting the United States for the first time, and is trying to raise support for the mission work he does along the Amazon River. We had an enjoyable time accompanying him to different churches in North Carolina. Carlos is the Pastor of The Good Samaritan Baptist Church in Iquitos, Peru; the President of the Amazon Baptist Mission; Professor in two Seminaries along the river and a Church-Planting Missionary. He is raising support for his ministry and the ministries of 10 missionaries sent out through their Mission Agency. Please pray that he will be able to raise the necessary support he needs to continue the work along the River there in Peru. The following is a breakdown of some of his needs:

1) $6,000 one time expense for necessary repairs on his boat
2) $500 a month for fuel expense
3) $1,350 a month for ministry and personal support and for support of 10
Missionaries with his mission agency.

If you would like to help out with any of these needs, you can send support to:

International Partnership Ministries
P.O. Box 337
Hanover, PA 17331-0337

Just mark your support for Carlos Gallardo and the particular need you are helping towards.

On a personal note, God is blessing in our ministry. We are still waiting for the baby to be born. We expect the baby to arrive within the week. Please pray for a safe delivery for both Mom and Baby. We will post an update as soon as the Baby is born.

Pregnancy

2008-09-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Tonya and the baby. Both are doing well, but there is a possibility that she may deliver early. Tonya spent Monday and Tuesday in the hospital under observation. The doctor's suspected pre-term labor, so they gave her steroids to help the baby's lungs develop quicker. She is due back at the doctor's office on Friday for another check-up. Pray that all goes well and that she can carry to term. Thanks for the prayers! Check back for more updates.

New update

2008-08-22T06:28:00.001-07:00

First of all, I MUST apologize to all of you who faithfully check our web site. It has been FAR too long between my updates. We do have our latest prayer letter available for viewing, of course, but here is some new information.

Tonya's pregnancy is progressing very well. All tests for gestational diabetes, Down's Syndrome, and everything else have come back negative. Praise the Lord, it seems that mom and baby are both healthy! For this we are grateful. We continue to collect items for the baby. Many have already given us things such as diapers, clothing, bottles, and even a crib. Some have asked about giving a gift. Tonya and I are registered with the baby gift registries at both Target and Walmart. We appreciate everything that has been given so far.

As far as support goes, we are still at 30%. God has blessed us tremendously with opportunities to present our work in many churches. We pray that some of them will take us on and help us get to Brazil quickly. Pray that God will move people to give. Many churches that we have spoken with are having a very difficult time with finances. The down-turn in the economy has hit many people hard. However, this is an opportunity to show God's power and demonstrate that we do not rely on the current economic state, but on His power. We can be a testimony to God's provision. God's work should never suffer because of the circumstances. The circumstances, on the other hand, should encourage us to work harder and sacrifice more for His cause. Despite the hardships, Americans still have more than most people in the world. All of us working together can get the job done! Remember, if many give a little, a little becomes a lot!

Thank you to all of you who DO give and pray for us. It is your prayers that keep us safe on the road, encouraged in the work, and close to the Lord. God bless each and every one of you.

Trip to Peru

2008-06-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

I write this update from the country of Peru, South America. God has given me and Tonya the opportunity to come to Peru to help out with two short-term mission teams. Tonya is coming down for the second one on Friday. We have just completed the first trip, an all-boys group, and had many blessings. There were over 40 people that made professions in the villages along the Amazon and Napo Rivers, and for that we give thanks.

Tonya´s pregnancy continues to progress well. We have just learned that we are having a BOY! We are very excited. Pray for Tonya that she will continue to do well, and as she travels here to the country of Peru. Pray that God would give us many more results for the kingdom during these next couple of weeks. Thank you to all who keep up with us through this web site and pray for us. Also, thank you to all of you who help us financially to make the work possible. We are truly thankful!

The Blessings Continue

2008-04-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

Tonya and I have just posted our April prayer letter above, so feel free to download it and read it! We have had a very busy last month. We have visited many churches and presented the work that God has placed on our hearts to do for Him. We have also had three churches decide to take us on for support in the last two weeks! PRAISE THE LORD! Sometimes God just surprises you with something that lifts your spirits and helps you to trust Him more. Check out our current support level on the right side of the page!

Tonya's pregnancy is going well. We have the first ultrasound and can already see the developing baby. It is a beautiful sight and a true testament to that which David the psalmist wrote, "I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" God is so good and has already provided us with a baby crib. Continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy, both for Tonya AND the baby. The excessive travel can be a bit difficult for Tonya because of the pregnancy.

Tonya's parents are also back in the United States on furlough. They will be here until August. Pray that God will give them a fruitful ministry and time of rest while they are here. Also, Tonya's dad has agreed to take back with him to Brazil some more of our belongings. He will take four containers with him. If you will remember, we took four containers with us to leave in December. This will put us that much closer to getting moved to Brazil. We will lack very little going to Brazil once we get our support raised. We are also saving a TON of money by moving in this way (little by little). We expect our total cost of moving our belongings to be little more than a few hundred dollars. What a blessing!

Continue to pray for us. We would like to be on the field by sometime in 2009. That is a short time away, be WE KNOW THAT GOD CAN DO IT!! There is absolutely NO question in my mind that He can. We simply want to do it if it be His will. God bless you all, and thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

The Path Ahead

2008-03-21T08:18:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder about the path that God has prepared for you? Have you ever wondered why He chose YOU to do what He has called you to do? Do you wonder how you will accomplish all that He has laid out for you to do? Click the link below to receive some encouragement!

Unfolding The Rose

NEW LIFE!

2008-02-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

As Christians we are to focus on winning souls to Jesus Christ. It is a privilege to see someone spring from death to life as they trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is wonderful to see the change in one who now has a New Life!

It is also a blessing to see a new life come into this world in a physical sense. Tonya and I recently found out that she is expecting our first child! We are so excited that God has blessed us with the creation of a new life. We pray that the pregnancy will go well. We pray that the baby will be healthy and will grow to full maturation. We pray that God will give us the strength for the journey ahead and that we will be the parents we need to be. We want to raise this child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and hope and pray that one day, this child too will give its life to Christ and be saved. Pray for us that God will bless and give us the grace and wisdom to raise this child according to His will!

Trip to Brazil

2008-01-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

To all of our faithful blog viewers, I must apologize for having taken so long to write this update. Tonya and I have just gotten back from a trip to Brazil. We did not have much opportunity to update. But what a trip it has been!

First we left to drive to Miami on the 13th for the wedding of two good friends of ours, Mike and Melissa Eccleston. Mike is the co-founder of the group with which we have worked in the past, MissionSports. It was wonderful to celebrate how God brings people together and to think of how God will use this couple in the future for His honor and glory.

Next we continued on to Brazil. It is a long and complicated story, but we left on December 16th and we did not get there until December 20th. What a lot of travel! Overall, during our trip we spent just a little over 100 hours travelling and travelled 19,000 miles by plane, 2,000 miles by car, and 1,000 miles by bus. That's a grand total of 22,000 miles in a little over two weeks! And God kept us safe every step of the way. How wonderful is that?

We accomplished much on our trip. The first reason to visit was to spend time with Tonya's parents (Jonathan and Lois McLain who are also GPA missionaries) for Christmas. Secondly we were also able to carry four containers with us filled with personal items and leave them there. Now we have a head start for when we move to Brazil. That will be that much less we have to carry when God let's us go there full-time.

Tonya and I also got to participate in a Brazilian wedding. Two members of the Baptist church in Catolé, where Bro. McLain has worked along with another church plant in the center of the city, got married. Bro. McLain performed the ceremony, Tonya and her sister sang, and I ran the music and coordinated entry times. It was a good time and a blessing.

Tonya's brother-in-law also brought a group of three young people down with him to Brazil as well. We worked with them on clearing the land where a new church building is being built. Really, the young people did most of the work. What a blessing they were and accomplished so much! They also dug a trench to let the water run off the property when it rains.

We received several other blessings while we were there, but we will publish those in our next prayer letter. That should come out in about a week or two for those of you that receive the hard copies. For those who do not, check back here in a week or so to download your copy above. It will read December, 2007 under the prayer letter download section.

Also check back soon. There will be pictures and hopefully some video of our trip! God bless you in the upcoming year. May we glorify Him even more this year than we did last year.

Christmas Time!

2007-12-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the Christmas season again. Such a beautiful time of year! It is actually my favorite. I think back on that night in Bethlehem when the Almighty, All Knowing, Creator of heaven and earth, God and Ruler of the Universe humbled Himself and left His throne to become a small baby in the arms of a God-fearing, yet somewhat confused young mother. He knew what awaited Him. He knew the pain He would suffer. He knew that despite ALL that He would do for man, mankind would reject Him. Yet, knowing all of this, "For God SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!" What a time to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world. And not just the Savior of the world, BUT MY SAVIOR!!! He did all of that for ME! We often times get so bogged down with the commercialism of Christmas and the festivities and the programs, etc. that we don't take enough time to reflect on Jesus Christ and His birth. May each of us give Him ample thought and honor what He did by sharing it with others this Christmas Season. The Bible says in Jeremiah 20:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." God thinks so much about us, we owe Him no less. I ran across this recently and thought I would share it. It is called the Ten Commandments of Christmas:

1. Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ. Let Him be at the top of thy Christmas list.
2. Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas. Spend not so much on gifts that thy soul is forgotten.
3. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus replace Christ, thus robbing the day of its Spiritual reality.
4. Thou shalt not burden the shop girl, the mailman, and the merchant with complaints and demands.
5. Thou shalt give thyself with thy gift. This will increase its value a hundred fold, and he who receives it shall treasure it forever.
6. Thou shalt not value gifts received by their cost. Even the least expensive may signify Love, and that is more priceless than silver and gold.
7. Thou shalt not neglect the needy. Share thy blessings with many who will go hungry and cold unless thou are generous.
8. Thou shalt not neglect thy Church. It's services highlight the true meaning of the season.
9. Thou shalt be as a little child ... But not until thou has become in spirit as a little one art thou ready to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
10. Thou shall not forget to share your Joy, Peace and Love with those around you.

Thought provoking, isn't it?

Well, Tonya and I are preparing for our trip to Brazil in another week or so. We are excited to be able to spend time with her family for Christmas. She has not been "back home" in 3 years, so we are excited. Pray as we travel that God will give us safety and a productive time there. Jon will be participating in the Christmas play (in Portuguese) so pray that he can get his lines memorized and do a good job since he is still learning Portuguese. Pray as we have opportunity to witness to people that they will see the Light of Jesus Christ shining in us and that we will be able to report some salvations when we return. Pray that all of our luggage goes through without any problems, as we are taking some of our belongings to leave there permanently. God is good and will do a great work this Christmas all around the world. We are sure of it! God Bless you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

God Provides!

2007-11-04T05:14:00.000-08:00

We praise the Lord for His continued provision. He continues to bring in the support. At times it comes from quite unexpected places, but he continues to build it for His honor and glory. Several more churches and individuals have taken us on for support in the last couple of months pushing our support up to 20%. For this we are very thankful. We know that God can move in a great way and put us on the field quickly. Please continue to pray that all that we do will be for His honor and glory. Pray as we continue to share our ministry in churches that God will use us to serve the people in these churches, encourage them, and that He will use the preaching of His Word to bring others to Christ through salvation, edification, and sanctification. Your prayers are working! Thank YOU!!

Busy Weeks

2007-10-30T07:44:00.001-07:00

It has been a busy last couple of weeks as we have traveled quite a bit. We have been to Virginia 7 times in the last two weeks. We attended the Blue Ridge Mountain Jubilee at Friendship Baptist Church in Woodlawn, VA this past week. What a blessing it was! We heard Bro. Dennis Petty, Ed Sears, Ed Moore, and other great speakers throughout the week. We were also blessed by great music provided by the Sampson Family and others as well. We were encouraged and got to meet some new people who are also serving the Lord in full-time Christian service.

We also got to travel back to Louisburg, NC (which is Jon's home town) for the wedding of a friend that Jon grew up with at his old home church. It was beautiful to see two people who love each other and have a passion for serving God together seal their vows of faithfulness to God and each other in such a familiar setting. Pray for Troy and Hannah Bailey as they embark upon their new journey with each other and that God will bless their union and service to Him.

We also had some sad news this past week. Jon's dad, David Harman, pastors Pleasant View Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. The church was broken into this past week and was vandalized. Many of Pastor Harman's personal items were damaged and his office ransacked. Pages were torn from some of his study books and the number 666 written on some of the pages. Personal, sentimental items (including some of our family pictures) were broken, torn, and otherwise destroyed. While it is always a bad feeling when such an incident occurs, God can use anything. It so happened that there was a meeting planned for the next evening with the mayor, a city council woman, the head of the Police Department and others from the community at the church! Talk about timing! The church was packed with police officers and officials from the city as well as people from the community who got to see the damage first hand and Dad got to preach to gospel to people who, otherwise, would never darken the doors of a church!! PRAISE THE LORD! God is faithful!

We also have an update on Keith Johnson, the missionary we reported on who is in a coma after suffering a major heart attack at a church where he was speaking. His body is now functioning entirely on its own except for a feeding tube. He is still in the coma, however. The family has moved him from the hospital to a nursing facility closer to home. Continue to pray for the family as they care for him. Pray that, if it be God's will, he might wake up and be able to continue his ministry and reaching people for Christ. Pray that God will use the situation to bring Himself the most honor and glory.

Short Trip To Our Mission Field

2007-10-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

Tonya and I will be making a trip to Brazil during the month of December. There are several reasons for the short trip that will last only two weeks. The first is that Tonya has not been "home" for about three years now and we would like to spend Christmas with her family and friends there. The second purpose for the trip will be to carry some of our belongings with us to leave there. Since Tonya and I are not raising money for the typical "Outfit and Passage" fund that most missionaries raise, we want to carry our belongings in two stages. The first, of course, will be this Christmas. The second will be when we leave permanently to live in Brazil as missionaries. This is a more practical way to do it since we will not be taking very much and since it is cheaper to do it this way rather than in one large shipment. While we are there, we will be helping do some work around the property where the new church building is being built, and to participate in some areas of the Christmas programing at the church. We hope to be an encouragement to Tonya's parents, the people in the church, and to some of Tonya's unsaved friends there as well. Pray that God will use us as we strive to be a testimony for the Lord and that we will reap some fruit while we are there. We would love to report some salvations when we return to the States! That would make the whole trip worth it!

On a side note, please pray for a Missionary by the name of Keith Johnson. He is also with the Gospel Preacher Association and collapsed some weeks ago in a church he was in on Sunday morning. He has not yet regained consciousness, and is only now starting to breathe on his own some. Pray for him to recover if it be the Lord's will. Pray for his wife, Roberta, and for his family as they have to make decisions. Pray that the doctors will have wisdom in treating him. Thank you all for your prayers!

Still Traveling

2007-09-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Tonya and I continue to be amazed at God's care for us while traveling. Recently we traveled to Asheville, North Carolina for the Appalachian Baptist Fellowship and had a WONDERFUL time. God blessed and we were refreshed by great singing, preaching, and fellowship with people we know and others that we did not know before. While in Asheville, the car began to shake. On the way home the car began to shake more and as we got closer home the shaking became worse. We had a meeting scheduled for the next day (Wednesday) so we would be unable to have it checked just yet. We had no choice but to travel on it until Thursday. When Tonya took it to the shop to get checked on Thursday the front two tires had extensive wear on them on the back side. The mechanics said that there was no reason that that the tires should have made it back from Asheville, let alone the additional "running around." But we knew that it was God's protective hand on the vehicle keeping it safe for us to be in. When God is protecting you there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that can harm you without God letting it in. We are truly blessed to have a God that looks after us with such detail! He does not miss anything!

Stay posted and check back often. Our September prayer letter will be appearing soon and available for download!

Earthquake In Peru

2007-08-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Some good friends of mine are missionaries in Lima, Peru. They are John and Debbie Poe. They were in the recent earthquake that rocked Southern Peru. Their house was shaken and they were nervous, but they are fine. Please be in prayer as they are continuing to experience small tremors and aftershocks as a result of the magnitude 8.0 quake that killed more than 500 and injured more than 2,000. Pray that people will be open to God's Word as the Poes and other missionaries in the area share the eternal hope of Jesus Christ with them. The Poes' website is: http://www.poefolks.com/.

July 30 Update

2007-07-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Tonya and I had a wonderful meeting yesterday at Vernon Forest Baptist Church here in Winston-Salem. The people were so kind and made us feel right at home. It was the type of church you like to visit because the people act like God's people. That, for me, is the best part of the deputation experience. We get to fellowship with people that we would not get to even meet under normal circumstances. We get to share ideas, worship together, and praise the Lord for what He has done for us together.

We did however, have some sadness mixed in with our good experience. A beloved brother and member of our sending church, Temple Baptist Church, went home to be with the Lord on Friday. While we are happy for him, knowing were he is and Who he is with, we hurt for the family he left behind. We now have an opportunity to take care of his wife as a church and fulfill what James chapter 1 and verse 27 says, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,"

Praise the Lord for a good day, and that the Lord was given the honor and glory for all that was said and done.

http://www.vernonforestbaptist.com

Our Co-workers, The McLains

2007-07-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a segment of video taken from Jonathan and Lois McLain's ministry DVD. Mr. and Mrs. McLain are Tonya's parents and will be our co-workers for at least the first term of our ministry.

MissionSports Peru Trip 2007

2007-07-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

The Lord truly blessed on our recent trip to Peru. We saw God's hand work as several were saved and Pastors were encouraged. The children enjoyed the lessons and games and learned more of our truly wonderful Savior Jesus Christ. God has given us the privilege to accompany a group called MissionSports on a number of their trips to Peru. You can check out more about MissionSports through their link on the left of the page. They are doing a great work in taking young people on mission trips around the world and giving them exposure to missions and the ministry. We pray God will use these trips to call some back to these countries that so desperately need the gospel.

Welcome!

2007-07-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

We wish to welcome you all to our new website. It is our hope that this will serve as just another tool to keep you all "up to date" on our progress and the ministries that God has given to us. Please check back often as we will be posting information and pictures as often as we can. God bless!!