Missionaries are the true heroes of today - men, women and children who have surrendered all and determined to fulfill the Great Commission by carrying the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the farthest corners of the globe.

(DISCLAIMER: I am a member of an Independent, Fundamental KJV-preaching, soul-winning Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas. However, this blog is my own creation and is not a ministry of Bethany Baptist Church. Missionaries featured in this space may or may not be supported by my church. Inclusion in this list does not imply any affiliation with Bethany Baptist Church, nor does it offer any extra "in" for a missionary to present his work at our church. Inviting a missionary to our church is not my decision, but my Pastor's. I'm sorry to have to include this, but don't want to have any misunderstandings to come out of what is intended to be a blessing.)

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

A new blog for a new year

Yeah, I know that we're already almost halfway through the third month of the "new" year, but I've been terribly negligent in caring for my blog and so this is the official first posting of the year.

But to make up for all of the months of neglect I am so excited to present you with a new blogger who has been a tremendous blessing to me in the short time I've been reading her posts.

This blog is rather uniquely called "Road Schooling ... Our Life on the Road of Life" and is published by Mrs. Charity, who serves with her husband, Bro. Jason, in Southeast Asia.  You can find her blog here:  http://rdschooling.com/.

If you want to meet a missionary who bares her heart for all to see, then Mrs. Charity's blog is for you.  I am very impressed with the way she writes about her life, warts and all. 

I won't go into too much detail because I want you to dash on over and sign up for Mrs. Charity's email updates so you can experience life on the Road with this family.

Just make sure you buckle up, because they can sure have some amazing adventures along the way!

Now I will certainly make every effort to post a new blog sometime before summer (although I can't promise anything), but until then, let's all covenant together to Pray More, Give More and Go Farther than ever for the cause of missions.

In Christ,

Bro. Garry

Sunday, October 6, 2013

A pair of Bloggers in Ghana, West Africa

Well, it's time for me to try and get caught up with my blogs again.  I appreciate everyone who follows this space even when it does take four months for me to post anything new.

This time, I'm happy to introduce you to a missionary couple who chronicle their lives in Ghana, West Africa, through his-and-hers blogs.

First we have Bro. Matthew Siekbert, who blogs at http://matthewsiekbert.blogspot.com/.  Bro. Matthew is joined by his wife, Mrs. Jackie Siekbert, whose "Jackie's Journal" can be found here:  http://jackiesiekbert.blogspot.com/.

Next month will mark a decade of service in Ghana for the Siekberts, who stay busy with evangelism, soul-winning, training local believers and building a local independent Baptist church.

Bro. Matthew's blog chronicles ministry updates, including their monthly prayer letters.  Mrs. Jackie really opens the door to their lives with updates on family, pictures of church members and much more.

Please take some time and check out the Siekberts and their blogs.  In fact, they would probably love it if you'd sign up for email updates and post an occasional comment to posts you read.  (A positive, encouraging comment can make a blogger's day!)

One more thing - please keep the Siekberts and all of our missionary heroes in your prayers.  These men and women have sacrificed more than most of us can imagine to follow God's call to the mission field.  If you don't know what to pray for, just ask and they'll let you know.

As we look at our world, it becomes more and more clear that the Church Age is nearly over.  We must Pray More, Give More and, if called, Go Farther than ever for the cause of missions.

In Christ,

Bro. Garry

Friday, June 14, 2013

Headin' North for a family two-fer

We're right in the middle of my favorite time of the year - late Spring and Summer.  I don't have to grab a jacket every time I leave the house, everything is as close to green as it gets out here in West Texas, and it's light when I get home from work.

Now let's park for a moment on that last part, because I am so excited to bring ya'll a pair of blogs from a family who live in a place where the sun is up when they rise in the morning, when they go to bed at night, when they rise at midnight for a snack - in fact, right about now the sun is ALWAYS up!

That's right, we're headed past 66 degrees, 33 minutes North Latitude into the Arctic Circle to meet Bro. Marty and Mrs. Masey Arnold, missionaries to Greenland.  The Arnolds each blog about life in Greenland, so I figured I'd present them both to you at one time.

If you're interested in posts about ministry in Ilulissat (and in Sisimiut before that), then turn to Bro. Marty's blog, "Freezin' for a Reason" (http://www.freezinforareason.blogspot.com/).  If you prefer to peek into life as a missionary family in Greenland, then you'll enjoy Mrs. Masey's blog, "Masey's Thoughts" (http://maseysthoughts.blogspot.com/).  Personally, I'd encourage you to read both of them!

In fact, I think you would really enjoy signing up to receive both blogs by email (and not just these two, but as many of my other bloggers as you can squeeze into your day).  Since I've been chasing missionary bloggers around the world, my eyes have been opened so much to the amazing men and women God has equipped to spread the Gospel to some incredibly difficult areas.

God has placed these folks in areas most of us have never heard of and they would love to have someone stop by periodically and let them know they're not alone.

So start with Bro. Marty and Mrs. Masey and wander through Greenland with them.  Don't forget to comment on their posts, so they'll know you're there, and put them on your prayer list with all of the other missionary heroes.

As always, please keep our missionaries in your thoughts and prayers and may each of us Pray More, Give More and, if called, Go Farther than ever before for the cause of world missions.

Until next time, may God richly bless each of you and especially Bro. Marty, Mrs. Masey and the entire Arnold clan!

In Christ,

Bro. Garry

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Welcome back ... to Mexico!

I know it's been an awfully long time since I've posted, but I am so happy to be back with a new post and a new missionary for you to meet.

Once again we are privileged to travel to the country of Mexico, this time to meet a sweet missionary family who are serving the Lord in the city of Queretaro.  I am so happy to introduce you to Mrs. Ruth Sloan Miller, who blogs at "Joyfull Living," http://joyfullwoman.blogspot.com/.

Mrs. Ruth and her husband, Bro. Steve, are veterans in Queretaro, where they work with Iglesia Bautista Victoria en Cristo and Mrs. Ruthie is mother to seven lovely children.

Mrs. Ruth is also a gifted singer and you can go to the "store" tab and purchase several copies of her new CD, "Tell Me the Story of Jesus," and its Spanish companion, "Dime la Historia de Cristo, which includes her renditions of 15 beautiful hymn.  Mrs. Ruth was accompanied on this CD by her amazing mother, Mrs. Billie Sloan.  You may recognize Mrs. Billie's name, as she blogs in her own right at "From the Heart of Mexico" (http://mimitomany.blogspot.com/).

One more bonus you can find at Mrs. Ruth's blog is a link to Bro. Miller's website, www.millers2mexico.com.

Please get right over to Joyfull Living and read about the adventures of Mrs. Ruth and her family in Queretaro.  You will be blessed as you do!

If you know of a blog written by a like-minded Independent Baptist missionary that you'd like to see featured here, please drop me a line and let me know.

Until next time, let's continue to Pray More, Give More and if called, go Farther than Ever for the cause of world missions.

In Christ,

Bro. Garry

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Home missions - Minnesota style!

For the past year, I've focused almost exclusively on foreign missions, introducing you to men and women serving all around the world.  Now I am privileged to introduce you to a family serving as missionaries right here in the Good Ole U.S. of A.!

Bro. Preston Hoiseth traces his roots to Minnesota and, after stops in Oklahoma City and Wesley Chapel, Florida, he has returned home with wife Karen and two kids to plant an Independent Baptist Church in the town of Bemidji, Minn.  You can follow this family through their personal website, http://thehoiseths.com/, where you can find their testimonies, doctrinal statement, an archive of monthly letters, and blog entries.  It's a great way to learn about this family and know how to better pray for them.

Last February, Bro. Preston's vision came to life with the first service of Northwoods Baptist Church.  This baby work has been growing ever since, and they recently started their own Sunday School!  You can learn more about the church here:  www.northwoodsbaptist.org.

I'm pleased to be able to bring you some home missionaries, and encourage you to pray for this young family and the work they're doing in Bemidji.

Whether it's in the US or abroad, the need for sound Bible-preaching missionaries is desperate and I hope that you will join me as we Pray More, Give More and, if called, Go Farther than ever before for the cause of missions.

Until next time,

Bro. Garry

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Reaching "The Last Frontier"

It's been nearly a year since I started blogging about world missions.  I've met missionaries who are serving on all six of the populated continents on the planet (I've not found any missionaries yet to Antarctica).

Today marks a little bit of a transition for my blog, as I'm introducing you to a new missionary based on his website and not a blog.

I first learned about Bro. John Pinnix and his ministry, Remote Alaska Missions, from my pastor on a Wednesday night.  He told us about going to Alaska for a fellowship meeting and being introduced to a man whose ministry was taking the Gospel to the most isolated communities in America.

Checking into this ministry led me to their website, http://thepinnixfamily.com/, where I learned more about their calling.  A few weeks later, our church was privileged to host the Pinnix family and I met briefly with Bro. Pinnix.

There are more than 250 communities in Alaska that are inaccessible by road, and 100 of those have fewer than 100 residents.  Reaching these communities, settlements, villages and homesteads is a huge challenge for Bro. Pinnix, his wife Janet and their children (seven, with another on the way), but they are confident in the God Who has brought them to Alaska.

It has been incredible for me to follow this ministry and I really encourage you to stop by the website.  You can watch videos and see pictures from some of their many ministry locations and read their mission newsletters.

Please support this family - I have been so blessed by Bro. Pinnix and his ministry and know that you will, too.  As always, my prayer is that our commitment to missions will be to Pray More, Give More and, if called, Go Farther than ever before.

Until next time,

Bro. Garry

Sunday, July 15, 2012

A bit of Steele in Ukraine

Well, it's been far too long since I've posted - it's amazing how intrusive things like jobs, church, brand new grandbabies and other things can be!!  But we're back and so, without further ado, let's hop aboard our virtual plane and zip around the world right back to one of our favorite places - Ukraine - to meet Mrs. Kelsie Steele, author of "Be of Good Courage."

Mrs. Kelsie's blog can be found here: http://kelsiesteele.blogspot.com/, where she invites us to enjoy "Stories, Snippets and Snapshots from my Life in Ukraine."

Mrs. Kelsie, her husband Bro. Josh and their three children have lived for seven years in Lviv, Ukraine.  I really enjoyed seeing the pictures she posted of Lviv; it sure makes it come alive for me to see pictures of our missionaries and their places where they live.


I would really encourage you to stop by the Steeles and see what they're doing.  They've had lots of adventures and I'm sure there are many more to come.  While you're there, be sure and sign up for their email updates - it's a great way to keep up with this family and their ministry.


I encourage you to keep praying for the Steele family, as well as all of the other missionaries who have been spotlighted here.  Time is running short and there are so many who have not made decisions for Christ.


Please join with me to pray more, give more and, if you have been called, go farther than ever before for the cause of Missions.


Until next time, may God bless each of you as you continue to serve Him.


Bro. Garry

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Headed by Faith to Siberia

I'm kind of embarrassed about bringing you blog in early June - after all, I really should have introduced you to Mrs. Amber Pranger and her blog, "Living by Faith," way back in March when I first introduced you to Mrs. Amber and her husband, Bro. James Pranger and their blog, "Reaching the Uttermost in Siberia."

Anyway, I didn't realize until just the other day (which is a euphemism for "sometime in the recent past") when I noticed that Mrs. Amber also has her own blog!  I contacted Mrs. Amber and asked if I could share this blog with you and so now we're off to another trip to Siberia.

Mrs. Amber's blog can be found here:  http://www.simplysiberia.blogspot.com/.

One really nice thing about not having found this blog until now is that you can join us for this couple's dual journey - deputation to the field of Sibera, Russia, and their ongoing journey toward parenthood!  That's right, Bro. James and Mrs. Amber recently announced that they are expecting their first child!!

In "Living by Faith," Mrs. Amber has tabs for her favorite foods and a tab (currently under construction) for her photography.  Having followed Mrs. Amber on Facebook, I am excited about seeing this section grow because she is a gifted photographer.

I hope you'll take a few minutes and stop by "Living by Faith" to meet Mrs. Amber and her ever-growing family.  You can also sign up to receive email updates so you won't miss a single step on the journey.

As we head into another Lord's Day, I encourage you all to join me in prayer for our missionaries all around the world.  Please keep looking for ways you can Pray more, Give more and, if called, Go farther than ever for the cause of missions.

In Christ,

Bro. Garry

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sharing their Joy in Kenya

Every so often (especially when I've had a drought on finding new blogs), I'll stop by and visit my friends at Baptist Missionary Women (http://baptistmissionarywomen.blogspot.com/) to see if they've added anyone new.

The other day I wandered past and discovered my newest missionary blog.  I am so excited to introduce you to Mrs. Jessi Cormier, author of "Joy Unspeakable," which tells all about her family (husband BJ and two kids) and their lives ministering to the Deaf in Kenya.  You can find Mrs. Jessi here:  http://joyunspeakableinkenya.blogspot.com/

My desire in writing this blog is for you to learn about what missionaries do, how they live and how they serve the Lord on their chosen field.  Well, Mrs. Jessi has an entire section of her blog where she shares her desire for her blog.  Check out this quote: "My goal and purpose for this blog is to show you what it is really like to be a missionary.  For many people in America and in first-world countries, the foreign mission field is so far away and so difficult to imagine."

It's really easy to get lost in Mrs. Jessi's blog; she has one section where she gives her testimony, another where she has pictures of her family and another with some recipes unique to Kenya.  But the best of all is a section where Mrs. Jessi shares her statement of faith and the Plan of Salvation.

Please stop by and see "Joy Unspeakable."  You can sign up for email updates and subscribe to the blog as well.

Don't forget to pray for this family (as well as all of the missionaries who serve around the world).  Pray for their safety, their ministries and for the Lord to bless their labors. 

As much as the lost world needs the Gospel, our missionaries need us to support them.  Please make a commitment this year to Pray More, Give More and, if God calls you, Go Farther than ever for the cause of world missions.

Until next time, may God bless you and your families as you serve Him.

In Christ,

Bro. Garry

Friday, May 4, 2012

Preaching the Gospel on the Emerald Isle

I was looking at my Facebook today when I had one of the best surprises!   Bro. Stephen Kennedy popped up to clue me in to his blog, which centers on his ministry in Northern Ireland.  Bro. Stephen and I had a wonderful visit before he had to head to bed (oops, I forgot it's about six hours later there than in Lubbock!!), but I was so blessed to meet this man of God and learn a little bit about his heart.

Since I am never one to spurn an opportunity to visit a missionary blog, I popped right over to "Old Church on Scroggy Road" (http://www.oldchurchonscroggyroad.blogspot.com/) and took a look. There I was blessed by some very thoughtful entries by Bro. Stephen, as well as the chance to read his most recent prayer letter.

Bro. Stephen, his wife Angel and their children live in Limavady, Northern Ireland where he pastors the Roe Valley Baptist Church.  (By the way, I had to look up exactly where Limavady is - it's in northern Northern Ireland, located east of Londonderry and northwest of the capital of Belfast.)

I am so glad to be able to bring you this blog; it's always a blessing to meet new missionaries and learn their desires, prayers and burdens for their fields, and learn what they're doing to meet those needs.

Please stop by and visit the Kennedys and take a look at the beautiful country of Northern Ireland and this family that is seeking to bring the light of Jesus Christ to the darkness.  There's even a place you can subscribe and keep up with their work.

As always I encourage you to keep our missionaries in your fervent prayers as they serve on fields throughout the world.  My prayer is that we would all Pray More, Give More and, if called, Go Farther for the cause of missions.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by and being a support to these great Heroes of the Faith.

In Christ,

Bro. Garry