Greetings in Christ! My wife and I are so grateful for your faithful prayers and your continual support of our ministry in the 10/40 Window!

The other evening, while soul-winning with folks from Pacific Baptist Church, I had the chance to meet Kevin (pictured above). He’s from Guangzhou, China. He came to America at the age of 35 and soon thereafter trusted Christ as his Savior. He told me that he had never heard about Jesus until he moved to America, and he said, “China needs God!”

Speaking of China and their need for God, in just a few days, my wife and I head back to Asia. We are so looking forward to “getting back in the saddle” once again. We arrive in China, where we will be residing and serving, on June 2. We will be in China four days only before heading on a six-week trip to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar to connect with our teams sent out of Pacific Baptist Church, as well as with a handful of other churches that we have, over the past few years, built relationships. I will be preaching in 7-8 churches during this period, teaching in three, possibly four Bible Institutes, and meeting some potential National Pastors to be supported by Barnabas 1040.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS TIME OF TRANSITION FOR MY WIFE AND ME, AS WELL AS THE SIX WEEK MINISTRY TRIP!

My wife and I are so excited about returning to Asia. We especially look forward to visiting the countries of Cambodia and Laos, where we served for the past four years. One of the many things we will be doing during this time will be teaching two sessions for our team in Cambodia and their annual Staff/Worker’s Training. Last year’s training sessions were a blessing. I was told we will have 60 or more Staff/Workers in these sessions. Below you will see a picture from last year’s training in Phnom Penh.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS THESE WORKERS, THE MINISTRIES THEY ARE INVOLVED WITH, AND THE STAFF/WORKER’S TRAINING SESSIONS!

Over the past two weeks, our last two weeks in the country, we have been primarily at our home church in Long Beach. I had the opportunity to preach four times for Pacific Baptist Church, including once for the Spanish Ministry and once for the Khmer Ministry. I taught two different Sunday school classes, as well preached twice for our school’s “Revival Fires” End of the Year Conference, and even taught the Juniors and Senior boys in the Christian Manhood Class. It was also a special blessing to be able to take a dear friend and missionary to China out to lunch after the Sunday morning service. Their ministry has been going through the fire over the past six months!

In addition to being with Pacific Baptist Church Long Beach, my wife and I had the opportunity to be with Faith Baptist Church of Canoga Park (Pastor Tim Rasmussen) and Pacific Baptist Church of Monterey Park (Pastor Kyle Beck). Funny how life works. Pastor Rasmussen and I attended Bible college together in the early 1980s and Pastor Beck was one of my students at Pacific Baptist Bible College. Time flies when you are serving Jesus. Both of these men and their ministries are being used greatly by God!

PLEASE PRAY FOR PBC OF MONTEREY PARK AS THEY CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO THE EAST LOS ANGELES AREA NOW AS AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH!

As many of you know, as teenagers, my brother (Pastor Joe), Pastor Steve Meyers, and I grew up in Long Beach. Pastor Joe and Pastor Meyers were saved in Long Beach. And, of course, we all served together at Pacific Baptist Church in Long Beach for many years. My wife and I went out and did some reminiscing yesterday. The pictures below are of the apartment complex Pastor Meyers, Pastor Joe Esposito, and I lived in as unsaved teenagers (lower right hand corner). The apartment building Pastor Joe and I, along with two converts of mine, lived in as single adults (lower left hand corner). This apartment was often referred to as “The Jesus Apartment.”  In the upper right hand corner is a picture of the first church (non-Catholic) I ever attended and heard the Gospel as a 17-year old young man. And, in the upper left hand corner is a picture of the first Independent Baptist church that I ever attended.

Upon returning to China in early July, we will begin working with and assisting a veteran missionary [name of city and missionary will be left unnamed for security purposes] in discipling nationals, starting a Bible Institute, and possibly, a Bible College with the purpose of training Chinese Nationals for future ministry in China and other areas in the 10/40 Window, as well as planting some new house churches!

My wife and I are looking forward to serving in China. The city we will be serving in is found in one of the largest of China’s provinces. This province is home to over 45 million people. At least 25 of the 56 different people groups found in the country of China reside in this province. Less than two percent of the population in this province profess to be “Christian.” There are at least six cities in this province with a population of over 3 million people. This province borders four other provinces in China, three other “Restricted” or “Creative Access” nations, and is within striking distance of another five of the most difficult countries in the world to reach with the Gospel!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE US TO MAKE A SPIRITUAL DENT IN THIS PART OF CHINA!

ADDITIONAL PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please pray for traveling mercies, the adjustment to a new country (China), and for the preaching/teaching opportunities in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and of course, China, as my wife and I head back to Asia in three weeks.
• Please pray for our teams in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.
• Please pray for the ministry that we will be working with in China.
• Please pray for the men and women who are presently praying about serving in China.

The picture below is one of our sweet young ladies in Cambodia. Her name is Linda. She was reached through our Children’s Ministry and is now a faithful worker in our ministry in Cambodia. This picture was taken at our Family Camp (over 175 of the folks from our various churches in Cambodia were blessed to attend). The picture is a good reminder that the light of Christ is so desperately needed everywhere, but even more so in the darkest areas of our world!

 

Once again, my wife and I thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support. We do what we do only because of God’s grace and your faithfulness!

Johnny and Denise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR LORD JESUS PROMISED HIS DISCIPLES that if they would leave all (family, friends, future ambitions, financial security, and all that was familiar to them) to follow Him, they would be blessed with an enlarged family, this side of eternity (MATT 19:29; MK 10:29-30; LK 18:29-30)). My wife and I have found this to be true since entering the mission field over four years ago. We now have “family” in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and China, to go along with our family in America. The picture above is little Abigail. She is the daughter of Kosal and Phalley Sann in Cambodia. Kosal is like a son to my wife and me. I had the opportunity to disciple him for two years while living and serving in Cambodia. The picture below is Juii. He trusted Christ two weeks prior to use leaving the country of Laos, after serving there for nearly a year-and-a-half. He called me up a few days ago seeking counsel concerning going into the ministry full-time. My wife and I are looking forward to getting back to Asia and seeing family and friends. PLEASE PRAY FOR KOSAL, PHALLEY AND ABIGAIL, AS WELL AS JUII, TO SHINE BRIGHTLY FOR CHRIST IN CAMBODIA AND LAOS!  

THE PAST FEW WEEKS, I have had the privilege to preach in five different churches in four different states, including a two-day Great Commission Emphasis Meeting and one five-day Missions’ Conference. I spoke for Heritage Baptist of San Leandro, CA (Pastor Fong), Philadelphia Baptist of Chattanooga, TN (Pastor Sanders), Parkway Baptist of Trinity, AL (Pastor Robertson), Pacific Baptist of Long Beach, CA (Pastor Esposito/Pastor Meyers), and Victory Baptist of Thorp, WI (Pastor Pritchard). While at Philadelphia Baptist Church, I had the privilege to spend a lot of time with a dear friend and saint of God, Mike West and his wife!

WHILE IN THE BIBLE-BELT (Alabama and Tennessee), I was shocked how many churches there were. Not just churches, but Baptist churches, and not just Baptist churches, but independent Baptist churches. Wow!  Just a good reminder of how desperately we need more churches in the 1040 Window. I also had the opportunity to visit Baptist International Missions while in Chattanooga, TN. BIMI is a great Mission Board that presently has just under 1,000 missionaries in over 100 countries around the world. It was a true blessing to get to know a little more about their history. PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL RAISE UP MANY NEW LABORERS FOR THE HARVEST FIELDS WE KNOW AS THE 10/40 WINDOW!

IN BETWEEN MY TRIP TO THE BIBLE-BELT AND WISCONSIN, I was in SO. CA for five days. During this time, I had the opportunity to stay with my younger sister, Annie and her family. I also had the opportunity to visit with my brother, Pastor Joe, a few times,  preach for our Khmer service, and teach an Adult SS Class at Pacific Baptist Church. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PASTOR JOE AND HIS WIFE MARY!

MY WEEK LONG TRIP TO WISCONSIN WAS A REAL BLESSING! I had the privilege to preach and/or teach seven times, as well as, present for the Victory Baptist Church of Thorp, Wisconsin and Pastor Pritchard. Thorp is a very small town (less than 1,100 people) and Pastor Pritchard (a former member of our home and sending church) just took over as pastor about four months ago. He’s doing a great job trying to get the church out reaching their community and surrounding communities for Christ. This was the first time in many years, possibly ever, that the church had a Missions’ Conference like this. It was a great conference. The church’s faith promise went up about 500%, and it looks like the church  will be taking my wife and I on for support!

IN THREE WEEKS MY WIFE AND I WILL BE HEADING BACK TO ASIA! We fly into our new home in China and will only be there for about five days before taking a six week trek into the countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, before returning back home to China. We sincerely covet your prayers, not only for traveling mercies, but that it will be a fruitful trip. I will be speaking in at least six different churches, possibly a few more, as well as at least two Bible Institutes, a Worker’s Training, and a Youth Rally.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL BLESS THESE VARIOUS TIMES OF TEACHING AND PREACHING IN THESE NEEDY COUNTRIES!

Denise and I want to thank you, once again, for your continual prayers and consistent support of the ministry God has called us to. We could not do what God has led us to do without you!

ADDITIONAL PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please pray for traveling mercies, the adjustment to a new country (China), and for the preaching/teaching opportunities in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and of course, China, as my wife and I head back to Asia in three weeks.
• Please pray for our teams in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.
• Please pray for the ministry that we will be working with in China.
• Please pray for the men and women who are presently praying about serving in China.