Thank you for praying for this week of ministry. If you received my email update, please read the Sunday update "God's been good to us" for a further update about camp. 

For those who didn't get the email update, here is a link to a video of a men's quartet at camp. I enjoyed singing with 3 preacher friends of mine. Evangelist Andy Gleiser wrote the words to the song we are singing, "It's Still the Cross." God is currently opening the door for Brother Gleiser to come to our church next year. We are working on scheduling a specific date.

Bernard, Benson, Logan and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Ireland. We heard great preaching, had great fellowship and made great friends. We are very thankful that God opened the door for us to fly to Ireland for the men/boy's retreat. It was very good. 

Our church supports the Layton Kelly family in Ireland. Layton was a drug addict whom God gloriously saved and called to preach. His family has opened a men's home to minister to addicts. God is doing amazing things in men's lives through his ministry. There were 20 men from his home there and several staff members. (There was an overall attendance at camp of around 100.) It was a blessing to hear how God is changing these men's lives. Please pray with us that God will open the door in the near future for us to start an addictions ministry.

While there the Lord confirmed in my heart His desire for us to purchase the property that has come available for our church. He has reinforced that in my heart today. Please pray for our church as we pursue this with all our hearts.

God gave us a great morning. A visitor from last week returned today and really enjoyed the service. I anticipate that she will continue to come. Please pray for God to meet her needs. I preached this morning on, "God Porters" from I Corinthians 9:22-30. God used it to stir my heart to fulfill the stewardships that He has given to me. 

We have a very important week ahead of us and we covet your prayers. Pastor David and Valerie O'Gorman arrive tomorrow to minister to us this week. Please pray for .....

our ladies' meeting at 7:00 tomorrow night. Valerie will be speaking.

our fellowship meeting from 10:00 - 1:00 Tuesday morning. Pastor O'Gorman and Valerie will be Speaking

6:00 PM Tuesday - Thursday is our Family Conference.

Thank you for your prayers. We are seeing God work in answer to your prayers.

PS. OUR TWO YOUNGEST BOYS OBTAINED BRITISH CITIZENSHIP THIS WEEK. THEY NOW HAVE DUAL CITIZENSHIP. WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR GOD'S GOODNESS IN HELPING US TO ACHIEVE THIS MILESTONE!

We viewed a commercial property today that would work very well for our church for a permanent home. You can view it here. Please pray with us for wisdom as we seek the Lord's will on this. It is just down the road from our current location.

The Lord gave us a great Resurrection Sunday and adequate weather. He also helped people to come despite the weather. Several people were soaked pretty well getting to church this morning but they came anyway. I preached this morning on, "The Resurrection Message of Jesus" preached on the road to Emmaus. In that message Jesus preached Himself from the OT and that is what we did this morning. Before I preached the children recited the resurrection story and sang. Our daughter Kay Lee accompanied them on her violin. It's wonderful to see all of the children growing in their ability to serve the Lord.

Afterwards we had a luncheon. Katie worked very hard in preparing and organizing our meal and it was perfect. After that we had a special afternoon service where we focused on the Resurrection and followed that up with an Easter Egg Hunt. We thought that we were going to need to move the Easter egg hunt inside but God cleared the skies and it was even pretty dry outside and sunny. God's good. We're very thankful for what he did. All told we had just over 30 people come into our ministry today. We're very thankful for that attendance and share that because many of you are praying for God to build up our church. This is a special day and some came for our special events. We praise the Lord for the platform He gave us today to share His Word.

Oh....a 12 year old boy trusted Jesus as His Saviour today! Praise the Lord!

God has opened the door for us to host a football (soccer) tournament on 21 May. A friend of ours, Evangelist Jonathan Washer, is going to come and help with the tournament. He has a sports ministry. Here is a link if you would like to see how they are using this tool for the Lord. We are excited about this opportunity and covet your prayers for God's blessing on that day. Please begin to pray now for good weather. (We don't often get to put the word "good" with the word "weather" here - but, God is able.) We have reserved two five-a-side courts near us.

I've been able to put out flyers several times this week. On Tuesday I went with Don Dillman into Edinburgh. God gave us a divine appointment near their home before our departure. The Dillmans are doing furlough replacement for the Landons and living in their home. This man in his 20's asked about the Landon's son and began speaking with us. He attended the SS at their church when he was a boy. Please pray for God to awaken Stephen's heart. We gave him a copy of John and Romans. 

Yesterday I put out flyers through a new housing scheme near us.Thanks for praying that God will use each one of these flyers. His Word will not return void!

Any young person who is envious of Satan's table should have been with me yesterday morning as I witnessed to 4 homeless drug addicts in Edinburgh. As I gave them a flyer the outspoken one said, "I don't want Jesus. He is not my Saviour. I won't repent." He also said that he hadn't had his breakfast yet and proceeded to inject drugs into himself in front of me. These men had sores on their bodies. The place where they were bedded down stank of urine. They had no joy and sorrow was tattooed by Satan all over them. Any wise person would know that Satan gives death and God gives ABUNDANT LIFE. What they refuse to give up is Satan's slop and they are rejecting the feast of God. Please pray for God to awaken hearts in Scotland.

I had 3 other good opportunities. Stephen took a John and Romans. He also is homeless and struggling with his mind after 16 years in military service. I told him the story of the naked man in the tombs who was confronted by Jesus and then clothed and in his right mind. He told me that he was so out of his mind that they had found him at the shelter lunch room eating unclothed. He took a John and Romans. Please pray for God's power to put him in his right mind.

I witnessed to a beggar and told him the story of Lazarus and the rich man. I told him that God doesn't promise wealth but he promises to meet our needs and that eternity was far more important than life. He also took a John and Romans and shook my hand.

I confronted some young people on the bus on the way home who were loudly telling an obscene story. One asked if I was a Bible person. I said, "My name is Ben. I'm a Baptist minister. What's your name?" His name was Kevin. Later I gave them a flyer. They kindly took it. Please pray especially for Kevin that God would awaken his heart. He read the flyer after I handed it to him. I told them as I got off the bus, "If you make that decision, it is the most important one you will ever make." I heard the laughter of the one who had the foul mouth as I got off.

Thank you for praying for divine appointments. Please also pray for God's power in those opportunities.

Sunshine is more appreciated where it is rare. We are loving the sunshine this morning. God gave us a good morning and good attendance. It was good to have the Hikin family back with us after a time of illness.

I preached this morning on the Shepherd Psalm, Psalm 23. My message was just on the phrase, "The Lord is my shepherd" and it was entitled, "The Emphasis You Need." That simple text is a precious one to meditate on. Each word has great significance.

Thank you for praying for our church this morning. God gave us a great morning.

Logan (10) was my buddy this morning as we did door to door. It was good to get back at it. Most people were home and very kind. We had one conversation with a lady that was very good. She was busy but took the time to chat at her door. Please pray that God will bless that step of obedience in getting back into knocking on doors.

Speaking of doors, we have an exciting door opening to have Evangelist Jonathan Washer with us in May or June. Jonathan's family have a ministry called, "Inside the Lines" in which they go into prisons and do evangelistic sports tournaments. Their family also worked with Jonathan's brother in his "National Hoops" (basketball tournament) ministry. We are planning a football (soccer) tournament and it seems that God is opening the door. Please pray for our planning and scheduling. It's going to take more hands than we have and we'll need wisdom where to look for volunteers. 

Kay Lee and I were walking by a football pitch this evening and had a chance to invite some young men to play in the tournament. They were interested and I'm excited to see how this develops. Thanks for praying with us!

The Lord gave me a great divine appointment last night at the mall. I was purchasing an item and gave the clerk a tract. She said, "Is this Christian?" I said that it was. She said, "My boyfriend just became born again." I said, "That is wonderful. What about you?" She said that he was encouraging her to get saved but that she had not yet. I had a great short conversation with that young lady. Please pray that she will trust Christ. It was a blessing to hear of a young man who had recently accepted the Lord as his Saviour.

I had another divine appointment yesterday morning with a young man whom I speak with regularly. He said that he has tried to come to faith but feels like he can't. Please pray for God to draw him to Himself.

Katie's ladies' meeting was well attended and a blessing to those who came. Thank you for praying for her ministry Monday night.

I enjoyed putting flyers out today with a missionary friend of mine, Don Dillman. He and his wife are filling in for other friends of ours who have a ministry in Edinburgh. The Lord gave us one brief opportunity to chat with a man who was gardening.

Tomorrow morning we have a revival prayer meeting for minister's in our area. We'd appreciate your prayer for God's blessing upon that time. 

Thank you for praying! 

Due to our holiday being adjusted to last week, our Ladies' meeting was rescheduled for this evening. God has blessed these meetings and they have been well attended. Please pray for God to bless His Word during these monthly meetings. They are normally the first Monday of every month.

I put out flyers for a couple hours this morning and had some brief opportunities to chat with people. It has been a gorgeous sunny day and many people were outside this morning. As I walked I enjoyed listening to two messages by Pastor Bill Lytell and one by Evangelist Matt Downs. They were all just what I needed.

Last night I looked at our small congregation and thought, "God is just as pleased with our worship as the worship of great congregations." I want to be faithful with what God has given us no matter how insignificant it seems in men's eyes. We're thankful for what God is doing. Please continue to pray for God's power in our ministry.