October 02 2025

Thursday October 02

Thanks So Much for Your Prayers

Romans 1:10

Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a

prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

First, let me thank you for your many, many prayers as we traveled this past week and a half to Egypt, to Jordan, and to Slovakia. And because of your prayers, we felt like we had a prosperous journey. That's what Paul would ask the churches to pray for him. He often asks prayer for safety, for deliverance from evil people, and also for the opportunity to share the gospel. Read the epistles with Paul asking for prayers. My friend, prayers are answered when we believe God for wonderful things that are according to His will. And so, I thank you so much. It was a wonderful trip.

Some of you might remember I started a story, and I said, "You'll get the rest of the story when I get back." So today, let me just finish the story of Janet, the Egyptian lady that sat next to us in the airport at Istanbul on a three-hour layover there. It appeared to us that just randomly, she sits next to us.  She didn't speak any English. We didn't speak any Arabic. And she sat for a while, and as we said, she asked for help with getting a connection to her iPhone that was dead. We were able to help her with that. Then a little later we noticed she was reading an Arabic Bible.

So we struck up a conversation and immediately the first thing she did was show us the passage of scripture that she was reading and that was Colossians 1:15-18 where she was reading: “He is the image of the invisible God, speaking of Jesus the firstborn over all creation for by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things. And in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence”. And she just kept saying, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." Like Jesus is everything.

It was difficult to understand exactly what she was saying, but my nephew Jason began using his iPhone app translator with AI and we were able to then record what she was saying, and it would translate it to us. And the first thing she mentioned, and was translated was: “The first time I saw him, God told me to go sit beside him safely.” So that just amazed us that she's sharing with us is that she sat there because God told her to. And then when we asked about whether she was a follower of Jesus Christ, she replied with these words.

“My name is Janet. I married this man when I was miles from God. Didn't even know him. (She was apparently speaking of her husband that she had married). He would hurt me. He was harsh, cruel stuff. Slap me, drag me by my hair, once even used a knife. And me, I wasn't blameless: cursing, lying, living rotten through and through. His cruelty isn't an excuse. But God helped me find a pastor, put him in my path, and I poured out everything to him, everything. And today, I thank Christ because He picked up someone like me anyway.”

As we began to go back and forth with her with a translator and she shared more of her story, she said, "I need you to pray for me, my sons Tamous and Daniel, that they would know Christ." Tamius, he's been all alone since his dad died three years now. Haven't seen him. He's down with a wrong crowd. Hash and drugs and always wanting cash. I don't live anymore without him coming back. I just want him to repent and turn to Jesus.”

I trust you'll put this young man Tamous in your prayers and also her son Daniel. Janet actually lives in the States in Richmond, Virginia and works in a Walmart there. And I'm still just amazed that without any knowledge of the English language, but thank God she's a born-again follower of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful story. In Cairo we had another amazing experience at the Monastery of St. Simon. Our guide there told us of a miracle that took place where an entire mountain was moved by prayer alone!!!! He kept saying, “Jesus can do the impossible”. (This is a longer story for another time.) And I could tell you so many more wonderful opportunities we had in Jordan, and in Slovakia to share the Gospel.

I need to let you know that I'm not going to be able to do any more pastor's chats for a few days. I’m leaving early in the morning with Edith to go to Roanoke for a GPPD event to raise money. I'll be going to Lynchburg Virginia to speak Sunday morning in my brother's church, (Thomas Terrace Baptist) for his mission’s conference.  Then on Monday, I have a Treasure Path to Soul Winning board meeting at his church. Hopefully, after we return home on Monday evening, I’ll be able do a few chats. But then on October 14 I leave again for our trip to Egypt and Jordan with a tour group. And we're excited about what God's going to do on that trip.

But again, we had so many divine appointments this past week and a half, I can't begin to tell them all to you. As I get a chance, I'll recount some of them. Amazing things took place throughout the whole trip. And it was because of your prayers. So, we thank you very, very much for all your prayers. And of course, it's good, always good to be back home.

God bless!