Thank you again for all your prayers and support for our family!
We’re excited to share that Ivy’s passport finally arrived after several delays, and Everleigh’s tonsil surgery went great. She is healing up well! Ivy has one last appointment in early June, and Lord willing, we plan to fly out on June 17th. We are thrilled to be getting back full-time!
Over the past few months, I’ve made three trips to the islands. After much prayer and counsel, we felt led to merge our church with Pastor Mitchell’s in the harbor, now that he can pick up our folks from the South Side. We still believe there needs to be a church there, but for now, this is the direction God has given us. During that trip, we were blessed to preach in two villages: Orange Hill, next to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and in a front yard in Old Buff.
The second trip was a work trip for the boat. It was time for the annual maintenance and several repairs. Brother Caleb Hewett from Second Man Ministry was a huge help with the engines, and Brother Lucas Kilpatrick from one of our supporting churches helped with everything from the Yanmar engines to the small outboards, along with the electrical diagnostics. We also had a young man join us, someone we helped train through the Who Will Go camps, and this was his first mission trip. With everyone’s help, we got a lot accomplished on the boat, witnessed to several people at the dry dock, and preached and shared testimonies in a village near Georgetown.
Our third trip was with a group from Ridge Road Baptist Church (Pastor Chris Hewett). We focused on groundwork in Layou, a village that has been heavy on my heart. Before getting started, we drove both sides of St. Vincent, stopping along the way to talk with people in several villages that still have no churches. Although we could not get sound permission for street meetings, we were able to talk to many people, pass out thousands of tracts, and hold Bible studies with two families. One lady and her three adult daughters asked us to come back every Tuesday and even offered to find a building for us to meet in! As we talked with people, we saw again how many are still trying to "be good enough" or "keep the law" to get to Heaven. One lady, even after attending a large Baptist church, said she believed you had to "be good and pray" to be saved. These conversations remind us why preaching and proclaiming the true Gospel is so important. Religion cannot save. Only Christ can!
Looking Ahead:
We are wrapping up Ivy’s doctor visits and packing up. Before flying out, we will be part of the Who Will Go Missions Camp. This camp has been a huge blessing. We have already seen young people we helped train come and serve as interns, and many others surrender to missions. When we look at the work ahead, it is clear we need more help. The camp is helping prepare laborers. Please pray for these two weeks of camp and for safe travels as we leave right after.
Once Back on the Field:
Our first priority will be to find housing on St. Vincent. We are praying for something big enough for our family and to host visiting groups. We are excited about the potential of having teams on the ground each month, helping with the Every Village Project, groundwork, meetings, and new church plants. We also plan to help two churches: filling in for one pastor while he is away and working alongside Pastor Mitchell and Wilson to strengthen another struggling church where Pastor Harry’s health and age have made it hard for him to continue.
Thank you again for standing with us.
We could not do this without your prayers and support!
In Christ,
David, Kenzie, and Family