We arrived on U.S. soil on August 3. Our three flights, starting in Bangkok and ending in Omaha, Nebraska, went smoothly without delays. In the week and a few days we had before our first furlough service, we were able to get our driver’s licenses, get our vehicle insured, and get over jetlag.
It was wonderful to join Missy’s home church, Midwestern Baptist Church, in Omaha, Nebraska, for our first Sunday back, and we had a good night out during their Thursday evening soul-winning time.
On August 13, we headed to Brookings, South Dakota, for our first service. We’ve been on the road for three weeks now, with three more months to go. Every Sunday and Wednesday is filled on our furlough calendar through the beginning of December. Some of those include Missions Conferences.
We’ve been to churches in South Dakota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Louisiana in these last three weeks. God has been so good to give us time with family and dear friends along the way. We’ve also taken on a challenge as a family to pass out tracts everywhere we go during our travels. On one of our off days, a dear friend surprised us with tickets to a Chicago Cubs game. We were able to pass out dozens of tracts that day, and they were received with great reception.
One morning while out eating with an assistant pastor’s wife of one of our supporting churches, Missy was able to witness briefly to a restaurant cashier. The cashier seemed to be going through a difficult time, and God opened the door for Missy to give her a tract and explain that Jesus could give her the hope that she needed. The lady was very receptive, and her eyes welled up with tears as Missy spoke to her. Please pray that we will see folks come to know Christ these next few months as we travel.
During the month of September, Missy and I will be traveling without the kids. We will be in two Missions Conferences, along with ten other services in the states of Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Northern Carolina. During this time, Lauren and Mark get to spend time with their grandparents in Nebraska. Please pray for us as we are apart.
The churches and ministries in Thailand are doing well, and I am thankful to hear of souls being saved and converts being baptized. We miss our church family while we are away, but we are grateful for the team and their faithfulness to continue to serve Him in our absence.
What a joy it has been to see family and friends who are still sweetly and faithfully serving God through the years. It has been a great encouragement to be in new churches and see them reaching their Jerusalem with the Gospel and their desire to support foreign missionaries too. The Gospel never changes; it is still effective today, and God is still using those who are willing to keep it the main thing.
We thank God for our faithful supporting churches that are praying and giving so that we can serve Him for years to come in Thailand. We look forward to seeing many of you along the way in our next few months of traveling. Thank you for praying for us!
For Him,
Tim Shook
