Greetings in Christ!

Our trip to Michigan and Ohio has been a really good trip. Over a three-week period of time we will have been in eight different churches, been able to spend some time with some of my wife’s family, see old friends in the ministry, and meet new friends. We will be leaving Michigan in just a few days!

Thank you for praying for our trip to Michigan. God has blessed in so many different ways!

One of the many hi-lights during our trip to the Midwest was the opportunity to spend some time with missionary Charlie Vest. We had a wonderful time of fellowship over a light lunch during my trip to Gaylord, Michigan to be with the Grace Baptist Church family and my friend, and former class-mate, Pastor Jon Jenkins. They sure do have an amazing work in Gaylord. Brother Vest spent 10 years in the Philippines and God used him to see a great work built. He now leads a ministry that is supporting Filipino missionaries going into Asia, as well as national pastors.

Please pray for Charlie Vest and his family and ministries such as his and barnabas1040 that are attempting to be used of God to help missionaries and nationals reach the 1040 window!

One of the many blessings while in the Midwest was a small note and a one-dollar bill that was given to my wife by a 12-year old girl immediately after I was done preaching. My wife stuck it in her purse, and, we didn’t get a chance to read it until two days later. You know how it is in a woman’s purse! While sitting in a hotel room in Cincinnati, OH my wife handed the note to me. As I read the words my heart was so touched. Here was a young girl, moved by the message and wanting to do her part. It so reminded me of the story of the Widow’s Mite. The note said, “Preacher, please spend this money on some candy for some other children in Thailand or Asia or something. It’s not very much, but spend it on them. Thank you for your wonderful sermon tonight. It touched my heart. I am praying for you.”

Please pray that more children, teens and adults (including us missionaries) would have the same heart to sacrifice for those in need!

One thing we have been doing the past few weeks is selling some of my books. As many of you know, while I was in the states I wrote seven books. I am selling what I have in stock now to raise some additional financial support for the small Bible College in the restricted nation in which we served, and also to help with the new ministry barnabas1040. While the sales have definitely not been overwhelming, it has been nice to be able to raise some additional funds to assist these two well-needed ministries.

Please pray that God will use this Bible College to train young men and women to serve their people and bring the gospel to such a needy nation!

It was also nice to meet, for the first time, a young man who desires to go to the restricted nation in which we served. His name is John Rea. While we were at Salem Baptist Church in Cincinnati, John drove up to be in the service with us. John served The Lord in Thailand for two years, but has always wanted to serve in the nation my wife and I spent 15 months. Just a few weeks prior to my brother’s stroke, John flew into California and met with my brother about the possibility of joining our team. He has been on deputation now for about one year. If you were looking to support someone going to the 1040 window, and specifically one going to serve in a restricted nation, I would ask that you prayerfully consider John Rea.

Please pray for John, and others like him, who are willing to leave the comforts of home to serve Jesus in foreign lands, especially those who are willing to go, at great risk, to a restricted nation!

As we mentioned a few weeks ago in an update, our youngest daughter Joy, who has been on staff at Pacific Baptist School the past two years, will be going, Lord willing, to Cambodia in February. While she is not officially going on deputation, she is in need of, both prayer and financial supporters. Of course, Joy grew up in our home, she graduated from Pacific Baptist School, and from Pacific Baptist Bible College with a degree in Elementary Education. For the past two years Joy has taught first grade at Pacific Baptist School, and will continue to do so until she leaves for Cambodia. In addition to teaching at PBS, teaching Sunday school for many years, working with the teens at PBC, she has been in the bus ministry for at least 12 years. She started young, as did all of our children.

She is a wonderful young lady, who loves The Lord, loves people, has a servant’s heart, and works extremely well with teens and children. She will be a great help, not only in assisting my wife and me, but also in serving with the team in Phnom Penh. Upon arriving in Cambodia, along with assisting me in my various ministry duties, she will be working with the children and teens in Phnom Penh. She may also be doing some teaching. Joy will not be going on deputation, but she is prayerfully seeking financial support from the states.

If you or your church are willing and able to support a young lady who loves Jesus, loves people, and is willing to leave the comforts of America for the challenges of Cambodia, I ask that you would consider Joanna Joy Esposito. If you are interested in taking her on for support please feel free to let me know.

Please pray for Joy as she serves this next semester at Pacific Baptist School and as she prayerfully seeks support for her service in Cambodia!

Thank you for Praying,

Johnny and Denise Esposito