Dear Supporters,
What a joy it is to come to you via this prayer letter each month! I constantly marvel at the way God opens doors for us to conduct this ministry He has called us to. It is hard to believe that we are well into the last quarter of this year, nevertheless, Thanksgiving and Christmas are upon us. October was a blessed month of opportunities to spread the gospel and preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
We started out the month preaching a three-day revival meeting for Brother Jeremy LaGros and the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jasper, Texas. What a blessed time we had ministering to these dear saints, the attendance in the services and the response to the Word of God was encouraging.
From Jasper, Texas Joni and I traveled to Lincoln, Arkansas to take part in the Annual Bible Conference of the Washington County Baptist Church where Brother David Isaacs is the Pastor. We enjoyed a wonderful time of singing, preaching, and fellowship as we always do.
After leaving Arkansas, we traveled to Powderly, Texas to be with Brother John Griswood and the Lakewood Baptist Church. This was our second time to be with this church and we enjoyed the opportunity to minister to these precious believers. At the close of the meeting Brother John led the church to take us on for monthly support.
The next Sunday found us in Conestee, South Carolina at the Victory Chapel Baptist Church, where I preached the last Sunday of the mission emphasis month for Pastor Dan Rogers and his people. The Lord gave great liberty, and the members responded to the messages regarding grace giving. Their faith promise offering increased substantially and they were able to take on more missionaries and increase the support of the ones they already support.
Two days after returning from South Carolina I boarded a plane along with my pastor, Wesley Barefield, for a mission trip to Slovakia, Eastern Europe. Brother Jozef Abrman, a missionary out of our church, invited us to come and preach a missions’ conference at the Berea Center close to the capital city of Bratislava. Churches and believers from various parts of the country came, and we preached the great commission to them. There was a wonderful spirit, and the messages were joyfully received. We also dedicated the Berea Center which had just finished the addition of the new dining hall, what a tremendous facility that will be used in many different ways by the churches in that former communist country.
We closed the month out preaching in a meeting for Brother Larry LaFreniere and the Glory Baptist Church in Stafford, Texas. Brother Larry asked all the preachers that participated to preach
messages focusing on Jesus, and that is exactly what we did. There was a sweet spirit in every service and a spirit of conviction prevailed throughout.
In closing, allow me to thank each one of you for your participation in this ministry. Your faithful prayers and giving are a constant source of encouragement to Joni and I and we never take for
granted the sacrifices you make on our behalf. May the Lord bless you and return your kindness in every way!
In Christ,
Brother Mark Thrift
