Tim and Missy Shook Prayer Letter: B.E.S.T. National Pastors’ Conference

Soul-Winning & Salvation Stories

We’ve been soul winning in a newer area this past month that is just about 20 minutes south of our church, and it has been exciting to see open hearts and folks seeking the truth.

A few weeks ago, we saw a group of young men fishing in the local pond. They had their poles baited and were patiently waiting for a bite. When I walked up to the wooden dock where they were standing, they put their poles down to talk with me. All were willing to listen as I shared the Gospel with them, and each boy bowed his head and trusted Christ that evening. Of those who went out, we saw a total of 12 precious souls come to the Lord. Hearts are open and ready to receive. What a joy it is to see lost souls come to His saving grace. Please pray as we canvass this area and look for a place to start a Bible study in the near future.

B.E.S.T. National Pastors’ Conference

We have the privilege of laboring with B.E.S.T. Missions as they help many churches and ministries in Southeast Asia with Bible distribution and evangelistic materials. Dr. & Mrs. Curtis (Amber) Hall have become dear friends of our family and ministry here. We are grateful for their vision and heart to reach the world with the Gospel through their ministry.

Dr. Hall requested that we hold a conference hosted by B.E.S.T. Missions and our church, International Baptist Church of Hua Hin, for national pastors. We began planning and preparing over a year ago. God started to put the speakers together and really prepare the hearts of all who would attend. The conference started on a Wednesday evening and went through Friday evening. We had morning sessions on Thursday and Friday also. It was such a blessing to see our staff work tirelessly to get things ready and to serve during the conference, but the greatest joy for me was watching them in the services gain extra spiritual guidance and encouragement. Each staff member came to me after the conference and shared a personal testimony of how the meetings spoke to their hearts and revived their spirits.

We had the privilege to host Dr. Bob Gray II, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, as the main guest speaker. God used his preaching, along with the other speakers’ sermons, to give us just what we needed.

There were 37 pastors and missionaries in attendance. We thank the Lord for this opportunity of fellowship and growth. It was such a blessing to see old friends and meet new laborers who are getting the Gospel out in their Jerusalem. We look forward to next year’s conference.

God is doing a great work in Thailand, and it’s obvious that the Devil is not happy. We faced many obstacles and battles in the weeks preceding the conference. Your prayers for wisdom, spiritual discernment, and protection are necessary to us, and we are grateful for the spiritual support.

Blessings

Just this past Sunday, a troubled-looking young adult man by the name of Golf entered the Sunday school service late. He sat down on the edge of his seat and looked agitated. He took his phone from his jacket pocket and snapped a few pictures, stood up, and left the auditorium. A few minutes later, he came back into the service. He waited a couple of minutes and left again. He sat outside on his motorcycle and was looking at his phone when we had our break between services. By this time, one of our staff men was aware of the situation and went over to talk with him. It was apparent that he was struggling. He said that he wanted to hear about Jesus but that he was battling evil spirits. He ended up leaving but returned after the church service. Brother Tan and Dton spoke with him and took almost an hour to share the Gospel with him. He had been dealing with drug addiction and all kinds of oppression but shared with the men that he had recently gotten clean and was going through withdrawals. He asked someone how he could know about Jesus, and they told him to come to our church. He sweetly accepted Jesus! Please pray for him as we seek to help him through this. There are many like this young man who are lost without hope. We have the great opportunity to point them to the saving grace of our amazing Saviour.

Growth in Members

We rejoice in the many ministry opportunities we have to help others grow in the Lord. We held a Bible study on the property where several of our church members work and live. This group consists of several brothers and their families, along with cousins and other relatives. They are tenant farmers and work the fields for a landowner. They are faithful workers and have become faithful church members. They live about 30 minutes away from our church, and it is difficult for them to come on Wednesday evenings.

At the Bible study, we had a chance to share more about the importance of having a personal relationship with the Lord. Several of our staff shared testimonies of their salvation. We had a time of singing and encouragement too. In Thailand, fear is the basis of many areas, including religion, relationships, and often culture. Even after folks get saved, it takes them time to understand that the fear they have been taught is not from the Lord. Teaching them Bible-verse songs and choruses and emphasizing a walk with the Lord has greatly helped them battle their fear. These families made an effort to attend the evening sessions of the conference this past week. We can see the joy of the Lord growing in their lives. This is such an answer to prayer!

We praise the Lord for His protection, for His blessings, and for the fruit that abounds to your account as a faithful supporter of our ministry. Thank you for laboring with us through prayers and monthly giving. We pray for each of our supporting pastors, churches, and individual supporters regularly. We trust that you will be encouraged as you see what the Lord is doing in our area of influence.

For Him,

Timothy, Melissa, Lauren, and Mark Shook