After spending three weeks in the States, it was great to be back “home.” Of course, it is good to be back with my wife, our team, and our people. At the same time, it is heartbreaking to, once again, see the bondage of those with whom we are here to love, serve, and with God’s help reach with the Good News of Jesus Christ!

PLEASE PRAY FOR US HERE IN THIS “CREATIVE ACCESS” NATION AS WE BRING THE GOOD NEWS TO THOSE WITH SO LITTLE HOPE OR HELP!

Praise the Lord! We recently started our new English term and presently have 57 students. I think that might be a record enrollment, if not, close to it that’s for sure. It’s a blessing to be able to teach the young people, build relationships, and use the school as an instrument for opportunities to share the Gospel with some of them. I am grateful for my wife and the Thongdy’s (Koumaly and Darath) willingness to teach our six classes.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE US AND OUR ENGLISH SCHOOL TO REACH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR CHRIST!

As I mentioned above, I had the privilege to make a very brief trip to the States. During this time, I had the honor of preaching the Missions’ Revival of Pacific Baptist Church of Long Beach and Pacific Baptist Church of Monterey Park. As most of you know, my brother Pastor Joe, started both of these churches. We had wonderful services and a great time of fellowship at both churches.

Pastor Steve Meyers and his staff are doing a wonderful job with Pacific Baptist Church of Long Beach, the college, and the school. Pastor Kyle Beck, one of my former college students, is doing a great job at Pacific Baptist Church of Monterey Park!

I also had the privilege to teach a one-week Missions’ Intensive at Pacific Baptist Bible College. The Intensive was called, “Unreached People Groups Around the World and Around the Corner.” It’s always a blessing to teach young people and try to convey the great need to reach out to the Unreached People Groups in our world. I also had the privilege to preach in college chapel three times. It’s always a blessing to be with the college. I was the Vice-President of the college for its first seven years of existence and definitely love this place. My nephew, Joseph Esposito (pictured below), is doing a great job with the college.

It was also a great blessing to have Go Oishi with us during the Missions’ Revival at Pacific Baptist of Long Beach and one day in the college. He is pictured above with his wife playing instruments for our church service. Go is a graduate of our college and is on his way to serve as a missionary in Japan. Years ago, he surrendered to serve as a missionary while I was preaching at his home church in Michigan!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL WATER THE SEEDS THAT WERE SOWN AT THESE TWO CHURCHES AND THE COLLEGE DURING MY TIME IN THE STATES!

The day before leaving the States, my dear friend Pastor Ryan Thompson of Liberty Baptist Church in Newport Beach and I got together for a time of food, and fellowship and afterwards, we went to visit my brother, Pastor Joe. It was the five-year anniversary of his being hospitalized. Just as Pastor Thompson was getting ready to head back to work, my brother grabbed his hand, almost as to say, “Don’t leave me!” It was an emotional moment for all of us, to say the least. We thank God for all of the progress that has been made and, of course, pray for more.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PASTOR JOE AND HIS WIFE MARY AS THEY WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY THAT GOD HAS SET BEFORE THEM!

This past Sunday, a day after I returned from the States, two of our three congregations gathered together for our “Celebration Service.” Normally, we meet together once a month to worship, partake of the Lord’s Supper, preaching and teaching of the Word, fellowship, and a wonderful meal. Due to circumstances beyond our control we had to cancel the August Celebration Service. So, it was a real joy to gather together this past week. It was a wonderful Sunday!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ALL THREE OF OUR CONGREGATIONS AS THEY SEEK TO REACH THEIR PART OF THE HARVEST FIELDS IN THIS COUNTRY!

It was great to be able to sit in on our English classes, once again, and to give a few of the students in my wife’s two classes some souvenirs from back home-actually, from East Los Angeles. Needless to say, they were happy campers!

It’s been a blessing, over the past two months, to see six different people trust Christ from one of our village ministries. Their names are Yin, Yiang, Chure, Hod, Zuen, and Manivang. This is the ministry that Kong and Lilee started and oversee, and they are doing a wonderful job in loving and reaching people.

PLEASE PRAY FOR KONG AND LILEE AND THESE NEW CONVERTS!

ADDITIONAL PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Please continue to pray that we have the love, power, and wisdom of God as we continue to serve in this part of the world!
2. Please continue to pray for our Fall Term at the English school!
3. Please pray for our School of Ministry Fall Term that begins next week.
4. Please continue to pray for the salvation of Quamsay, Bpum, Grandma Peng, Pone, his wife, and a host of others we are working with.
5. Please continue to pray for both of our village ministries to continue to reach new people and grow the people that they have!

My wife and I want to thank you for your continual prayers and your consistent financial support. Whether it’s preaching the gospel to the lost, teaching and discipling the saved, assisting missionaries and National pastors, having our lost neighbors over for supper, teaching village children the Bible and English, visiting the widows in their affliction, visiting the sick in the hospital, or just visiting the hurting in a village, WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!

Johnny and Denise

“The task of reaching every people group is no small thing, but the problem isn’t in the amount of people groups who are unreached; it is in the amount of people going to them.” – David Markham