May 2011
We have had an exciting and eventful May! We are only about a month away from moving to Round Rock and it has been a blast to see how God has provided for us as we prepare for this transition. There is no way for us to share everything that has happened, but here are some of the highlights.
Our Trip to Indiana:
We had the privilege of spending the first weekend of May in Fort Wayne, Indiana with Pastor Todd Spain and the Bible Baptist Church. On Sunday morning we shared our ministry plans with the church and Matthew preached. One of the greatest blessings that we have had over the last several months has been meeting so many people who have committed to praying for our team and for the ministry of Southern Hills. While we were with Bible Baptist we shared some of our prayer requests and we have already seen many of them answered in very specific ways. To God’s Glory! Click here to read more about our trip and see a few pictures.
Fellowship Week:
During the second week of May we joined many of our friends and former classmates for Fellowship Week on the campus Baptist Bible College. We also had a great time meeting and spending time with many pastors from the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. It was a privilege to be with them and share our plans for Southern Hills. Many pastors committed to joining us in prayer for our ministry and a few of them offered other levels of support (another answered prayer!). It was a blessing and encouragement to talk with and learn from these men who have been faithfully serving the Lord for many years.
Round Rock Preview Trip:
As soon as Fellowship Week ended Thomas and Matthew left for a scouting trip to Round Rock. The goal for the trip was to connect with some local pastors and begin the search for places to live, but once again God went far beyond our expectations. We had the chance to meet with several pastors who are currently living and serving in Round Rock and each of them were unbelievably kind and encouraging. They welcomed us with open arms and they offered to help us in many different ways. It was such a blessing to meet these men of God who are passionate about the same thing we are, sharing the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Round Rock and north Austin. During those meetings we learned about some great ministry opportunities and gained some invaluable information about the area where we will be living and ministering. Once again God answered our prayers in unmistakable ways.
Thomas and Matthew were also able to spend some time looking at apartments in the area. We were thankful that we found many great possibilities, but we were also reminded that housing in Round Rock, Texas is considerably more expensive than in Springfield, Missouri. We were able to narrow down the possibilities and we will be making another trip very soon (with our wives of course) to start making some more definite decisions. Please pray that God would allow us to secure housing that will be within our budgets and that will be available when we are ready to move.
A Wonderful Answer to Prayer:
As we drove back to Springfield from Round Rock we were more excited than ever, but we also knew that there were still some things that needed to happen before we could move. One of those was the sale of Thomas and Rachel’s home. We have been praying for many months that God would send a buyer and this week we saw that prayer answered! It is hard to express how excited we are to see God continue to answer our prayers and work out the details of this transition. Click here to read Thomas’ thoughts on God’s gracious provision.
There is no doubt that we still have many questions, concerns and uncertainties, but we are being reminded now more than ever to trust the One who is in control and who provides for His people. We continue to pray that he will provide us with jobs and that He would work out the many details of our move.
As always we want to say thank you to those who support the ministry of Southern Hills through encouragement, prayer and financial gifts. Please continue to pray that God will give us wisdom as we plan and prepare. Also, pray that God would prepare the people of Round Rock and North Austin for His message.
May God receive the glory from our lives and the ministry of Southern Hills.
Tags: Bible Baptist Church, Southern Hills Baptist Church, Round Rock, Texas, Fellowship Week, answered prayers
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