I continued on with my survey trip in the month of February. I traveled back to Sydney from Taree, New South Wales, to catch up with preacher friends of mine; and the following Sunday, I had the joy of preaching at three different churches: Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, and Macarthur Baptist Church. Pastor Israel Marquez of Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church was the very man who opened up the Bible when I was 13 and shared with me the wonderful news of the Gospel and I was saved. It had been 10 years since I had seen him, and it was an honor to preach for him on his 60th birthday. The next day, I flew back home to Michigan. It was about a 13-hour flight to Los Angeles and another 3 to 4 hours to Detroit. I was excited to get back home and be with my family again. I was able to report to my sending church the Wednesday night after my arrival.
While a little jet-lagged, I was able to attend my first meeting in the U.S. the next Sunday. I was able to present my ministry at Calvary Baptist Church of Paw Paw, Michigan. I had the privilege to teach Sunday school and preach for their morning and afternoon service. As you may know, the west side of Michigan can get a lot of snow, and while I was preaching, it was coming down hard. The church was so gracious to put us up another night in the hotel. Praise the Lord for His provisions! Thank you, Pastor Kammeraad, for the opportunity! The following Wednesday, I was able to present our work at Metro Baptist Church of Belleville, Michigan. It was forecasted to get an ice storm; however, through the prayers of His people, the weather downgraded, and we were able to present our work and preach for them that night. We appreciate so much the generosity of God’s people there. Please pray for Dr. Vaprezsan, as he came down with a sudden illness. From the following Sunday to Wednesday, we had the privilege of being a part of the Missions Conference at First Baptist Church of Goodrich. We got to meet Ron and Edie Todd, missionaries to Costa Rica, and Kevin Taylor, missionary to Mexico. I had the privilege of presenting and preaching during the Sunday school hour, preaching for Junior Church, preaching for the evening service, and being in the Patch the Pirate shadow-puppet show for the children. There was just a great spirit in the church, and I commend Pastor Ben Gonzales for what the Lord is doing there!
We would like to welcome Berean Baptist Church of Adrian, Michigan, and Lake Avenue Baptist Church of Elyria, Ohio, as our new partners in the month of February. We thoroughly enjoyed being with you all, and we are excited to do a great work in Australia on your behalf!
Please pray for us in the month of March. We still have quite a lot of traveling to do. We’ll be in Ohio, Florida, Toronto, Louisiana, and Connecticut. Please pray for traveling mercies. Please pray that we fill up the rest of our calendar with meetings. Thank you for your prayers and your support!
Your servant in Christ,
Garry Tingson
