Thank you for your faithful support. We appreciate your willingness to invest in what God is doing through this ministry.
Emily and I left home on June 4 and returned home on July 27. We were in fourteen churches. We spoke in five Pastors’ and Workers’ Conferences. On July 11, I preached the service in which one of our graduates, Bro. Gregorio Murillo, was installed as the pastor of First Hispanic Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York. This is a great church in its 91st year. Bro. Murillo is their third pastor. Please pray for him as he leads this historic congregation.
We spoke for Pastor Chance Gibbs in Aberdeen, Maryland. Bro. Gibbs worked with Emily on her bus route and in the children’s church ministry for seven years while she was in Arkansas. It was so moving to hear him speak of Emily’s influence on his life. He is a great young man. As we travel, we are amazed at how many people we encounter whose lives Emily has blessed. She has been greatly used of God.
God has blessed our soul-winning efforts. While in Bay Shore, New York, two ladies, one from El Salvador and another from the Dominican Republic, trusted Christ as their Saviour.
On Thursday, July 29, we went soul winning with the church group here at Mount Hebron in pouring-down rain. We took two of our grandsons, Tommy II (9 years old) and Lucas (6 years old). We found a roofed bus stop where several people were waiting for the rain to let up. As Emily helped Tommy and Lucas pass out tracts, I witnessed to Sonia, her daughter Jessica, and Sonia’s friend Carla. All three trusted Christ. Sunday, August 8, Sonia, Jessica, Sonia’s son Omar, and her friend Fidel all came to church with us. Praise the Lord, Omar and Fidel were baptized! Please pray that Sonia and Jessica will be baptized next Sunday and that they will continue to attend church and grow in the Lord. What a joy it is to be used of God to lead others to Christ!
Last week, we were in an incredible Fires of Evangelism Conference in Mexico City, where my dear friend, Bro. Kevin Wynne, has pastored for almost 40 years. What an incredible ministry it is. More than 7,000 people attended; over 300 of them were pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and other full-time Christian workers. This may be the largest gathering of independent Baptists in the world. God worked, and hundreds of people surrendered to full-time service. I was privileged to speak nine times during the week.
Please pray as God continues to work in the Spanish world. We are seeing what we believe is at least an awakening on the level of the great revivals of the past in the English world.
Progress is being made on the recovery of the ministry property that has been in litigation for some time. Please pray as we continue to work to secure the property and buildings that were purchased and built for God’s work.
All of us are dealing with different issues concerning COVID-19. Six of our graduates have died, as well as several good preacher friends. We do not take for granted how God has protected us. We take precautions, but we do not believe that He would have us severely limit our opportunities to serve Him in teaching, preaching, and soul winning. We are sure that you feel the same way. Please pray for our continued safety and health.
Institute and academy classes are scheduled to begin August 31. Please pray that God will give us a good group of men and women who want to be trained for His work.
We appreciate so much your sacrifice in making it possible for us to continue to serve the Lord as He leads us. Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. Please know that we also pray for you and your ministries.
Yours for souls,
Tommy and Emily Ashcraft
