The thing is to go on to some that can be molded and moved, and I would say to such, “Dear friends, you sometimes say, ‘ Will the heathen be saved if we do not send the missionaries?’” I will ask you another question, “Will you be saved if you do not send out any missionaries?” — because I have very dreadful doubts about whether you will. Do not smile. The man that does nothing for his Master, will he be saved? The man that never cares about the perishing heathen, is he saved? Is he like Christ? If he be not like Christ, and have not the spirit of Christ then he is none of his. “Well,” says a young man, “I have been arguing with myself whether I should go.” I will tell you another thing to argue. Take it for granted that you ought to go unless you can prove that you should not. Every Christian man is bound to give himself to the Master’s work in that department which most needs him, and that is foreign missions, unless he can prove to his own satisfaction that he ought not, and that he has not the gift. I wish that could be learned by our men. You want a call to the ministry. I believe that is right, but those who can speak well ought rather to try and show that they are not bound to preach, and if they can show that they are excused; but they ought to go through that process first. You are bound, brother, unless you can show that God in his providence has utterly prevented you.
A quote from a Sermon by Charles Spurgeon in “Speeches at Home and Abroad” pages 124-125
The following was written by Lisa Welch that I think will be a blessing to you!
Written By: Lisa Welch 3/27/07
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
I Peter 4:12&13
Sunday, March 18, 2007, was as normal as any other Sunday here in Africa. I had no idea what God had in store for us as a team this day. The men from our team, Preach Evangelistic Ministries, had been with us for a few weeks already, working on the Training Center and going into Guinea Bissau and Dakar. We were coming back home from eating lunch in Praia at the Chinese Restaurant when right around the corner comes a drunk taxi driver heading straight for us head on. Joe was driving a rented Hiace (van) and there was nothing or no where he could go to avoid this tragic accident. To his right was a deep drop off cliff that would have instantly killed us all and to his left were the walls of a mountain and straight ahead weaving in the road was this white taxi, unavoidable. As soon as the vehicles collided together, I passed out. I awoke and began to gain consciousness as we were traveling in another vehicle taking us to the hospital. It was another Hiace that was traveling behind us and people actually got out so we could get in and get to the hospital quickly. What compassion these people had for us! Joe was sitting beside me in much pain as he needed stitches in his eyelid and nose. He had been throwing up blood and had also passed out and was coming back to the reality of this whole ordeal. Bro. Jonathan Quinn was also with us, he had a broken finger and a swollen knee. He was behind me praying and trying to bring comfort to us by telling us it was all going to be ok.
I had been thrown across the seat in front of me busting my nose and pouring blood all over my face and clothes. My rib was also broken along with many other bruises and cuts all over my body. My biggest pain was my ribs and face where the most force of impact hit my body. I was having difficulties breathing. I will never forget this sweet young lady probably in her 20’s holding Joe’s hand the entire trip to the hospital comforting him. I kept telling her thank you, thank you!! She was calm and comforting my husband and showing much concern and care for him and for that I was truly grateful!
Bro. Paul was pinned in the Hiace with a broken leg in 3 places and also his arm in one place enduring very much pain as he waited for help to arrive. Corey and Bro. Russell Snoddy stayed with him until a crew came with what we know as “The jaws of life” they had to cut the door open to get him out to get him to the hospital by ambulance. Corey escaped the accident with only a few scratches and cuts and Russell had a swollen knee and all of us were in much shock and trauma. As I look back to this painful day I am still much traumatized mentally and physically therefore having memories and permanent pictures imbedded in my mind that I will never forget.
I have this wonderful devotion book called “Streams in the Desert”. I am continually thanking a dear pastor’s wife, Janet Sowden from Dublin, Ga. for recommending this book. I think it was written just for me! As I read the devotions for March 18 th, I began to cry and realize this was just for me! I am amazed at how God gets us the encouragement just when we need it! “He is never late! – Learn to Wait!” This devotion on March 18th talks about “. . . a place of stillness that allows God the opportunity to work for us and give us peace”. It also states that “. . . it lets God provide an answer, through His unfailing and faithful love, to the cruel blow we have suffered”. And was it ever a cruel blow being hit by this drunk driver! However, we are praying for the opportunity to visit with this driver one day and be able to share with him the love of Jesus and how he can be saved from the life of sin he lives day to day! The accident could have been much worse; it could have taken our lives, never even getting the desire or chance to speak to this man face to face.
Oh blows that strike! O hurts that pierce,
This fainting heart of mine!
What are you but the Master’s tools forming a work divine?
The next devotion day was March 19th, it states “One difficulty or danger escaped- how great would have been our loss!” I am looking at all the blessings that have come from this painful tragedy and thinking of the great loss of the many other blessings that would never be known to us otherwise. I can clearly see that God is using this for our good and His Glory! I thank God he chose to spare our lives so that others may come to know Him as their Savior! He chose us! It is all a part of His Perfect Plan! And we are a part of this plan! “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;” I Timothy 1:12
March 20th states that “. . . no earthly circumstances can hinder the fulfillment of God’s Word.” We will not allow this circumstance that happened to our team to hinder what God has in store for us. He keeps His hand of protection on us and uses every trial we endure to make us stronger but more importantly, God gets all the Glory!
Accepting Permanent Pain in these earthly vessels will be true with many of us for the rest of our lives who endured injuries from this accident but it gives me great joy to know that it is all Part of the Preparation of His Perfect Plan!
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
I Thess. 5:18
We have had many families and friends express their compassion for us and lifted up many prayers on our behalf, for that, we thank you so much! There was a major expense in this tragedy and everyone around the world pulled together as family in Christ and worked together as a team to get Bro. Paul back to the states where he needed to be for immediate and necessary medical treatments. We are grateful to you who have sacrificed your own finances and given above and beyond to further the will of God. Thanks so much! We will be eternally grateful for all you have done!
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10
I am thankful we together work as a team and I give God thanks for all He has done! Through the good and the bad. For I truly know that:
“. . . all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
I believe with all my heart that we have been called to reach the Portuguese Speaking People and that is our purpose in this race we are running! We may be temporarily out of commission but this does not mean we quit! The word temporarily means not permanent so just for a brief time to heal as we rest, repair and recover are we out of commission. As Joe would say “No reserves, No retreats, No regrets,”! We can’t stop now, we can’t even turn back, for we have only just begun, and it is very obvious that God is not finished with us yet!! We are a living breathing testimony of that! It reminds me of the children’s song I love so much! He’s still working on me!” And that He is! Through the pain and suffering we are all enduring right now, it is hard to see the big picture of what God has planned but in time, I am sure that it will continue to unfold and we will clearly see the path that lies ahead.
These two ladies pictured here with me have been a tremendous help to me during this time of recovery. They offer their time daily to help with the cleaning, cooking, and laundry, what ever I need done; they are willing to jump right in. What a blessing to have them here at my side. It has been very hard not to have our family here with us during this time, only phone calls and emails, which have been very encouraging. But oh how I would love to be with my other family members and see them face to face right now just to feel that loving touch. God has His reasons and right now, these ladies are stepping in and the bond between us is growing stronger every day. Thank the Lord for that! Please pray for their salvation, Their names are Lu’ and Tete.
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
_____________________________________________________
The Welch Family (Joe, Lisa and Corey)
“Serving Our Savior With The Preach Team”
www.preachteams.org
The Welch Family mailing address
and contact information in Africa:
phone number: 011 238 269 1457
As God sends more people He sends more responsibility! Check out this statistics:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the top 10 fastest-growing U.S. counties from 2000 to 2006 are:
66.7% Flagler, FL
61.7% Kendall, IL
60.5% Rockwall, TX
58.5% Loundoun, VA 53.4% Forsyth, GA
51.0% Pinal, AZ
50.0% Douglas, CO
49.2% Henry, GA
48.9% Paulding, GA
48.5% Lyon, NV
This Sunday will be April 1. As a child we celebrated April Fool’s Day on April the first and people would say and do things to trick people all in good fun. We would say that your tire was flat or that your boy friend or girl friend had left you for another or who knows what all. It was just a day to have fun and joke with others.
The sad thing is that most days are fool’s days because most of the world has been deceived into believing that there is a way to be right with God without repenting of their sins and placing their trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. Satan has set up religions all over the world to get people away from their relationship with Jesus Christ. This includes the Christian religion that gives a false sense of security to many by telling them that by being good, baptized, or taking communion that they will be ok. Fooled! Tricked! Deceived!
This Sunday we will look at the Good Samaritan who represents Jesus Christ and the only one that makes a difference in the life of a person. Religions and morality walk on by the person that is hurting and dying or they stop to offer a very temporary help that will not make a lasting, life long, eternal difference. I hope that you will invite your friends to come and be with us this Sunday and learn about how God through Jesus Christ meets every person where they are with the help that they need.
Also I hope you will come prepared to learn how you can be used of God to meet the needs of others and not to be simply walking on by. God wants to use your life.
Don’t let the Devil win on this April Fool’s Day. Invite your friends, pray, come early, and let’s see God do a great work for His honor and glory. I look forward to seeing you and meeting your friends this Sunday.
God gave us a wonderful week and it ended with a bang at our World Vision Celebration Banquet tonight. The service and meal went from 6:45 pm to 9:10. God really moved and many spoke of how wonderfully God had touched hearts and showed them the need for world evangelism. We are still praying to see what God will do through our people and their faith promise offerings. There were 103 with us for the service.
I am excited about how God is working in our church. I hope that you will keep up with our missionaries all year long. Let us never allow missions to become just a program that we have in our church. As we discuss in the World Evangelism Committee it is hub of the wheel not just one of the spokes.
We will wait a couple of months to see how the faith promise offerings come in before we decide what we can do with the new faith promise. I hope that each of you understood that your faith promise is always in addition to your tithe and offerings not something you reallocate from what you already give.
The light that shines the furtherest always shines the brightest at home. We must take care of our church because it is here that we win new people to Christ and train them and others to take the gospel to the world. It is exciting to be part of a church that is doing all in its power to get the gospel to the world.
This is a very exciting article that you will really want to read. God is opening the door for His gospel to be freely preached in the streets, gospel tracts are being passed out, etc. You will love reading what God is doing in Turkey! Be sure to click here and go read this exciting story!
God is at work in Jeff Bush’s ministry in Argentina. You need to go look over what is happening as they baptize and then move to another facility. They are in need of financial funds to pay for their land that God has given them. Will you pray for them please? The work in Argentina!
1. How has your philosophy of ministry and whatever you do evolved?
All my adult life Corporate America taught me to “look out for number one”, “you can do anything you put your mind to,” “visualize it and it will happen” and other such platitudes. The god of this age is SELF; better house; better job; better looking; better educated; etc. God has taught me that it’s not about me it’s about HIM. My desire is to find out how HE can use me to glorify HIM.
2. What does an effective missions ministry look like in a Bible preaching, Christ honoring church?
I’ve been in far eastern nations and have seen what real poverty is all about. The poorest American is rich by the rest of the world’s standards. Missions is not just an extra dollar in the offering plate, it’s an attitude of service. I can’t go but I sure can help someone who can. I can care about the missionary family, give them someone they can call upon, remember their special holidays, learn all about their ministry, and help in whatever way I can, not just financial. Missions is an attitude of service not just a week in the annual church program, Vision Baptist is unique in that way.
3. How do you inspire others to see themselves as ministers or servants of the Lord?
The not so obvious way to inspire others is to show the workings of the LORD in your life. Anyone can rejoice when things go great but it takes the love of the LORD to rejoice and worship HIM when things aren’t going so hot. Search the Bible and you’ll find GOD’s man usually went through some trying times before he got blessed. The martyrs astounded their persecutors in praising GOD in the midst of their trials. How we go through tough times is the best testimony I can think of to influence others to follow Christ.
4. What most excites you about your ministry?
Excitement comes from seeing HIM work in my life and knowing others can see it’s not coincidence or ‘luck’ or human effort. I want to be used and, if necessary, used up to show others just how good HE really is.
Well we are coming to the end of the month and the end of the quarter so I thought you might like to know how God has been blessing.
In the month of March we have had the following average attendances: Sunday School 101, AM Service 128, PM Service 76. God is slowly but surely growing His church. I ask you to pray as we go in to our Over the Top Sunday School Contest where we are literally going to try and double our average up to date. This Sunday will be B 1 of 101 and I hope you will be in Sunday School on time and with a friend present.
This first quarter of the year we have have averaged 91 in Sunday School, 119 in the AM service and 80 on Sunday evening. God is blessing and that is not too bad for a church that is just over a year old. Our averages for the past 10 months have been 75 in Sunday School, 97 in the AM service and 62 in the PM Service. That is a much truer average simply because it takes into account the long term and also the ups and downs.
Thank you for praying so hard, giving, and inviting people to our church.
Also in the time since we have started the church we have preached verse by verse through the Bible and have completed I Timothy, Philippians, Joshua, James, and now we are getting close to half through the book of Judges. God has done great things. I believe God’s people are hungry to hear the preaching of the Word of God. Thank you for all you do.
I hope to see you tonight and tomorrow night at the mission’s conference and then Sunday morning for Sunday School and Church. God has a place for you to learn, to serve, and to glorify Him and that place is here at Vision Baptist Church.
This invitation came to me on a blog and can be 
