Our 22nd container of Scriptures arrived on January 22 at the BEST Warehouse in Rangsit, Thailand. In the last 12 years, the Lord has provided BEST with 178,947 whole Bibles and New Testaments. We’ve also shipped nearly 3 million John & Romans and 25 million Gospel tracts. We currently supply Scriptures in 12 languages to 10 different nations in Southeast Asia, and we are now printing Scriptures in Thailand.
How important is the Word of God? How important is one copy of the Bible? The Bible is important because of where it came from—Heaven (Psalm 119:89). The Bible is important because of Who wrote it—Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). The Bible is important because of how we received it—it was received from holy men of God (II Peter 1:21). The Bible is important because of what it can do in your life—it’s profitable (II Timothy 3:16). The Bible is the most important book in all of the world.
I will tell you about what just one copy of the Bible meant to one lady in Thailand. Thailand is a nation that is 95% Buddhist. Two brothers, Sakrapee and Alonggot, were coming home from work when their car broke down in front of Lardphroa Baptist Church in Bangkok, Thailand. While they were working on their car, a young missionary named Phillip Pope came out of the church. After a short conversation, Brother Pope invited them to his church service. Sakrapee and his wife attended the service on Sunday morning and heard the Gospel for the first time. They both were saved that morning.
Sakrapee became burdened for his family to know Christ as their personal Saviour. His mother and father heard the Gospel, and both were saved and baptized in 1985. His mother’s name was Mom Jamie Jomhong. Her husband of 42 years passed away in 1989.
Phillip Pope had been working on translating the Thai Bible from the English King James Bible for over 25 years. Sakrapee and his wife attended the church regularly and were growing in the Lord. He gave his mother a copy of the first translation. It was the very first Bible and the only Bible she ever had. Enclosed is a picture of that Bible. As shown by the picture, it was well read, studied, and literally worn out.
Sakrapee continued to witness to the rest of his family until all had heard the Gospel. How important was one Bible in the hands of a Thai lady who had been raised in a Buddhist nation? Three of her sons became pastors of Baptist churches and are still serving the Lord today. Four of her five children, all of her grandchildren, and all of her great grandchildren attend church and are serving the Lord. Two of her grandchildren graduated from Baptist Bible colleges in America. Her grandson, Saint Jomhong, serves as a Baptist missionary with his wife to the people of Thailand, and they are seeing hundreds of souls saved.
Thailand has been affected by the Jomhong family for nearly 40 years. Through their ministries, thousands have been saved and baptized. Several Baptist churches have been established by this one family.
In January of 2018, Mom Jamie went Home to be with the Lord. She was 97 years old. She was the granddaughter of the last king of Ubon Ratchathani. Her grandfather was the first king who founded the city together with King Rama I of Siam.
How important is the Bible? Just stop and think how God put everything together to reach just one soul in Thailand! We will forever tell stories like this in Heaven of what the Word of God has accomplished. I am so glad God has allowed me to use my life to publish the Word of God to reach the “regions beyond.” The Thai people have had the equivalent of the King James Bible for less than 12 years. What a difference it has made! I want to thank you for your support in supplying funds so more people can have a copy of God’s Word. It does make a difference. Please pray that we can put a Bible in the hands of every believer in Southeast Asia. Heaven will one day reveal how important your investment has been.
February was a tremendous month for BEST Missions. I had the privilege to preach for Pastor Frank Gagliano alongside Dr. Don Sisk at one of the greatest missions conferences I have ever attended. Pastor Gagliano and South Haven Baptist Church in Springfield, Tennessee, are serious about world missions! I have never seen missionaries more taken care of than they were that week. The services were all well attended. The music was tremendous. At the end of the week, their Faith Promise commitment was $570,000. Glory to God! After preaching at their missions banquet, nearly 100 stood and said they would be willing to serve the Lord wherever God would call them. Anyone needing help planning a missions conference should give these folks a call. They could be a great help and blessing to you and your church’s missions program.
I preached about missions at Indian Hills Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, and at Red Creek Baptist Church in Wiggins, Mississippi. What a blessing these folks have been for a long time!
The best part of February is the Annual National BEAMS Conference in Gulfport, Mississippi. Over 50 pastors and several missionaries attended. Dr. Curtis Hall and his family attended the BEAMS Conference for the first time. I’ve been promoting Dr. Hall as my “relief pitcher,” as he will carry on the work of BEST Missions after I’m gone. Please pray for this good family and for BEST Missions.
Dr. Rene Freret reported that BEAMS has distributed “1.7 MILLION” Bibles in 150 nations to nearly 4,000 missionaries over the past 20 years. BEAMS was started by my missions teacher, Dr. Julian Pope. Dr. Pope is in Heaven having a spell over the number of Bibles that have been distributed worldwide. Dr. Charles Keen preached great messages at the BEAMS Conference, challenging local churches to become publishers of the Word of God. Over half of the world has never seen a copy of the Bible. That is to our shame. Thank you, Dr. Keen, for reminding us of the great need of supplying Bibles in all nations.
Thank you for your prayers for my wife. She is doing well after being on dialysis about five months. I covet your prayers for my health, too, as I may be facing some back surgery in the near future.
The greatest gift you can give another man is the Word of God. We love you. Thank you for your prayers and support. Please go to www.bestmissions.org for more information about Bible distribution.
Bob Bowen
Missionary to Southeast Asia since 1999
Philippians 4:13
