That look you get when someone starts a conversation with you in Mandarin and you have absolutely no idea what they are saying, but they think you do!

After nearly a month here, my wife and I are starting to get a adjusted to our new “home” in China. Unlike our time serving in the countries of Laos and Cambodia we really don’t have a whole lot of interaction with folks who can speak any English, other than a handful of folks who attend the church we are working with, (who just so happen to speak English), and two ladies who work at a local restaurant/store near our apartment. We have definitely had a some very interesting experiences trying to communicate with folks. Between funny experiences on the street, in restaurants, our first experience riding the bus alone, and having to pay for the same hat twice at Walmart, we have a boatload of funny, and at times, embarrassing, “China Experiences” that we could share! 

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR TRANSITION HERE IN CHINA! 

The summer months bring a unique experience here where we are located. There happen to be a few camps going on, and we have had the opportunity to meet some of the folks putting on the camps. It was a real blessing to meet men from the USA, along with a national who is from here. They were conducting, of all things, a Flag Football Camp. In fact, the group from the USA conducted 11 different camps in 11 different cities over a one month period. I also had the opportunity to meet another group that was conducting an English Camp. They specifically asked me not to post any pictures. Of course, both of these groups were using the camps as a platform to share the love of Christ to the Chinese people.

Our church, along with another church, worked together to hold a camp in the southern part of our province. I believe there were over 230 young people attending the Camp. While I was not there, quite a few of our folks were there, and I heard really good reports!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SEEDS THAT WERE SOWN IN THE VARIOUS CAMPS TO BRING FORTH FRUIT UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE!

It was a blessing to meet “John,” well, that’s his English name. He’s 22-years old, from Afghanistan, and is here in the country learning Mandarin for one reason. So, he could go back home and work alongside missionaries from China who are trying to reach the Afghan people.

PLEASE PRAY FOR JOHN AND OTHERS LIKE HIM WHO ARE BEING TRAINED TO GO TO THE DARK, DIFFICULT, AND OFTEN DANGEROUS PLACES IN THE 1040 WINDOW WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

I have had the opportunity and privilege to preach/teach a few times since arriving back in the country. As always, it has been a blessing to see the attentiveness and responsiveness of our folks here. Our folks seem to have a real desire to grow in the love and service for Christ!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE MY PREACHING AND TEACHING TO SAVE SOULS AND STIR THE HEARTS OF HIS PEOPLE HERE IN THIS COUNTRY!

In our last Update, I mentioned meeting a young lady named Maggie who spoke English. She was the first person that I had a chance to meet in public who spoke English. My wife and I invited her and her husband over for a meal. Praise the Lord, she came. But she didn’t come alone. She came with four other adults and four children. We had a great time and my wife cooked up a wonderful meal for the eleven of us. Lord willing, this will be the beginning of a new relationship that will allow us to share the Gospel with folks who don’t know Jesus!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SALVATION OF JACK, MAGGIE, AND THE OTHERS WHO WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING OVER TO EAT AT OUR APARTMENT RECENTLY!

It was a real blessing to be able to teach a group of our teens recently during the 9:00 AM hour on Sunday. One of the most “different” things here in China compared to Southeast Asia is how few young people there seem to be compared to the older generation. You can see this on the streets, as well as in the church. So, we are looking forward to doing what we can to influence the “Next Generation” at our church!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE US TO BE A BLESSING TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THAT WE WOULD REACH MORE YOUNG PEOPLE!

While we have limitations here because of not knowing the language and various restrictions, one thing that my wife and I can do is to open up our home to those who know the Lord and those who do not know the Lord. Hospitality matters, it does makes a difference, and the good thing about it is anyone can do it. It’s been a joy to have three groups of people over our apartment just this past week alone. Not only did we have the unsaved folks over, as mentioned above, but it has been a blessing to have some fellow Christians and co-laborers over for food and fellowship. So very grateful for my wife’s servant spirit!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE OUR APARTMENT TO BE A PLACE WHERE THE LOVE OF CHRIST CAN TOUCH THE LOST AND SAVED ALIKE!

As I mentioned recently, in my “Over a Cup of Coffee in  China,” it was a real blessing to have the opportunity and privilege to teach for two hours on discipleship, and why we need to start new small groups around the city. I will teach again next week, and again the week after I return from Indonesia. Lord willing, we will meet at our place weekly, and a few of us will rotate in teaching and on various topics.

Arriving on the field at the age of 56, and then arriving in China at the age of 60, there’s always that nagging voice within that speaks to you, asking, “What are you going to be able to do for Christ in this place and at your age?”

GOOD QUESTION! 🙂

I am grateful that the Lord has seen fit to use us in a small way in such a needy part of the world. Of course, it’s an honor and a privilege to serve Christ and the cause of Christ anywhere, and at anytime, but there’s just something very sweet about knowing you are making a small dent where the need is so great.

If God can use us to inspire and possibly set a fire in the hearts of a few young missionaries, with long lives ahead of them, and a handful of nationals who know the language, the culture, and the hearts of their people, it will be worth it all!

Both Denise and I want to thank you for your faithful financial support and your continual prayers for our ministry here in Asia. We couldn’t be here without your labor of love!

Johnny and Denise

“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” — C.T. Studd

The picture above is a huge statue of Buddha that oversees one of the villages in the mountains of Northern Thailand. The country of Thailand is 98% Buddhist and they desperately need the Lord!

Before being hospitalized, my brother, Pastor Joe, had a desire to reach not only Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, but Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and the country of China. His desire was to get a team as close as possible to the Golden Triangle that would be used to train nationals to reach all of these countries for Christ. Our trip to spend time with the Chang’s and Sutrick’s brought back so many wonderful memories and emotions!

Our seven-day trip to the northern part of Thailand was a blessing. It was a real joy to be able to spend quality time with Tom and Sue Sutrick. They are amazing people to say the least. They were simply retired “laymen” who, after 20 something years of working with the Hmong refugees in Wisconsin, became burdened for the Hmong people of Thailand and a “Creative Access” nation. They packed up their basic necessities and moved to Northern Thailand and became a part of our team sent out of Pacific Baptist Church. They have now been living in a village up in the mountains of Thailand for the past six years!

PLEASE PRAY FOR TOM AND SUE SUTRICK AS THEY CONTINUE TO SERVE THE HMONG PEOPLE IN THAILAND!

While in Chiang Khong we had the chance to go soul-winning on three different days and preach for the Sunday services of Siam Baptist Church, as well as their Midweek service. In addition, I had the opportunity to teach for three days and three nights for their church workers and a handful of Hmong church leaders from across the border from a “Creative Access” nation. And, of course, I had a wonderful time playing with the Hmong children!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SIAM BAPTIST CHURCH FAMILY AND THE DIFFERENT MEN AND WOMEN WHO CAME FOR THE INSTRUCTION ON THE GREAT COMMISSION AND DISCIPLESHIP!

One of the special blessings I had, was the opportunity to meet up with a man who I had witnessed to six years ago. While Tom and I were sharing the Gospel with a husband and wife he just popped out of nowhere. Here’s the kicker, he came up to me and said, “I remember you told me Jesus was knocking on the door of my heart. I still haven’t let him in.” I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with him once again.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE MANY OTHERS WE HAD THE CHANCE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH WHILE SOUL-WINNING IN THE VILLAGES!

It was also a blessing to be able to spend some time with Jay Chang. Jay is a former Hmong refugee that was reached on my brother’s bus route while my brother and I were still students attending Bible college. Jay and Tom, along with their wives, started Siam Baptist church about six years ago. Tom now oversees the church, while Jay has since branched out and is doing the work of an evangelist going from one Hmong village to another. He is also overseeing two small Hmong congregations that do not have a pastor and teaching a few days every other week in one of the villages. We are grateful for his zeal for the Lord and for his interpreting for me most of the week in Northern Thailand!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR JAY AND THE WORK HE IS DOING AMONG THE HMONG IN THAILAND, LAOS, AND VIETNAM!

Denise and I arrived in China, our new home on Friday, August 14. And, all I can say is, “We aren’t in Kansas anymore!” 🙂 The city we now call home (at least for awhile) has about seven million people, and while there are definitely foreigners here, we haven’t seen many in the part of town where we live. In fact, the first week we were in town, I saw none, Denise claims she saw two older ladies walking down the street. I personally think that was just some wishful thinking. 🙂 I did finally meet a young Chinese lady named Maggie who spoke some English. I thought I was in heaven!

As we mentioned previously we will be working alongside of Dick and his wife (picture below blurred for security reasons). They are longtime missionaries in both Hong Kong and Mainland China. God has been using them and their people to do an amazing work here. We look forward to learning from them and assisting them here for a season.

PLEASE ADD TO YOUR PRAYER LIST OUR NEW CO-LABORERS IN THE MINISTRY DICK AND TRISH! 

It was a blessing to be able to spend some time with some of the church folks, and quite a few teenagers, both saved and unsaved, on the second day we were in town. I had a chance to be able to speak to them. I taught them how to use the Wordless Book. One young teenage girl named Emily trusted Jesus after we shared the presentation!

PLEASE PRAY FOR EMILY’S SPIRITUAL GROWTH!

Our first Sunday here the auditorium was packed to overflowing. Not only was the main auditorium packed, so were the two overflow sections. It is really amazing to see what God is doing among the Chinese people. And, we look forward to seeing what God has in store for the future!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS THE WORK HERE IN CHINA AND DO WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO THROUGH HIS PEOPLE HERE!

As always, my wife and I want to thank you for your consistent prayers and financial support. We could never do what God has called us to do without Him and you. Thank you for partnering with us in this worthy endeavor!

Johnny and Denise

“If I had 1,000 lives, I’d give them for China.” – Hudson Taylor

Our last four days in the “Creative Access” nation were busy and blessed. I had the opportunity to teach four more days of Bible Institute for our team, which had as many as 28 in attendance. Of that number, eleven were church leaders from a few villages five hours away. It was a blessing to teach these men. I also had the privilege to preach for our team’s Midweek service and my wife had a chance to sub for her old English class!

Just before leaving the country my wife and I were joined by Brother Dwight Tomlinson and his wife Gayle. The Tomlinson’s are longtime friends and fellow-laborers in this part of the world. Brother Tomlinson came to meet with a few of the national pastors supported by Barnabas1040. He also had the opportunity to preach and teach while here in the country!

While taking a walk, Brother Tomlinson and I had the opportunity to meet a few Monks and carry on a conversation with them. One of the Monks was a young man named Kun, he’s been a Monk for four years now. He speaks English well and wants to continue learning. I offered to pay his way for a term at the school our team operates. Please pray that he will attend the school, hear the Gospel, and trust Jesus as his Savior!

PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR TIME IN THE “CREATIVE ACCESS” NATION WILL BRING FORTH FRUIT THAT REMAINS!

Our first week in Thailand (Bangkok and Mae Sot) were spent with our dear friends Dwight and Gayle Tomlinson. The four of us spent time with missionaries Brother Montes, Brother Badua, and Brother Angeles, along with a handful of Burmese national pastors. Brother Tomlinson and I had the opportunity to preach for three Burmese congregations. Two of these congregations were on the Thai side of the border and one was on the Myanmar side of the border. They were all a blessing, but it was a real joy to preach for the congregation in Myanmar. As Brother Tomlinson noted, these believers were James 2:5 Christians!

PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR TIME WITH DWIGHT AND GAYLE TOMLINSON, THESE MISSIONARIES, AND NATIONAL PASTORS WILL BRING FORTH FRUIT THAT REMAINS!

The picture above is Bangkok, Thailand. This is a city of 10-12 million people. Somewhere between 95-98 percent of the people in this city and the country of Thailand are Buddhist people who desperately need the Lord!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL CONTINUE TO SEND LABORERS TO THIS CITY AND THIS PART OF THE WORLD!

My wife and I thank you for your prayers and faithful financial support. Please pray for our last week of this six-week ministry trip in Southeast Asia prior to returning to China. We are in Chiang Khong, Thailand and look forward to much opportunity to serve with our team sent out of Pacific Baptist Church!

Johnny and Denise Esposito

“Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.” — Missionary C.T. Studd

 

 

As most of you know, my wife and I served in a “Creative Access” country for 17 months. We love the country and we love the people. After spending ten wonderful days in Cambodia we flew into the capital city where we once lived. In this city you will find over 300 Buddhist temples like the one pictured above. Of course, the vast majority of them are much bigger than the one above. This temple, along with two others, were all within one block from where my wife and I used to live!

On Friday, which was our first full day in the country, I taught a two-hour session on “Characteristics of a Spiritual Leader” for our team and some of the nationals they are seeing raised up as spiritual leaders in the ministry. It was a great time. Immediately after the teaching, we went for a nice meal and some fellowship!

PLEASE PRAY FOR KOUMALY, DARATH AND THE REST OF OUR TEAM IN THIS COUNTRY AS GOD USES THEM IN A DIFFICULT FIELD TO REACH MANY FOR CHRIST!

Saturday and Sunday were busy and blessed. I had the opportunity and privilege to preach four times for a Youth Rally. We had well over 100 young people in attendance with three different churches and one village ministry attending the six services.

PLEASE PRAY THAT THE SEEDS SOWN DURING THIS TWO-DAY YOUTH RALLY WILL BRING FORTH FRUIT – FRUIT THAT REMAINS!

One of the many blessings during the two-day Youth Rally was to be able to spend some time with Lee. He is an Evangelist in the country and has been preaching for 17 years. He has no salary. He has no support. He, his wife, and children live in a shack. He lives by faith and ministers only with the scriptures and the Spirit of God. I was humbled, convicted, and challenged to be able to spend time with him and share the platform with him. Needless to say, it was a very humbling experience!

PLEASE PRAY FOR LEE AND OTHER NATIONAL PREACHERS WHO ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN, WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN THEIR COUNTRY!

Another one of the many blessings during the Youth Rally was to see how much one young Hmong man (Kong), who celebrated his two-year spiritual birthday during the rally, has grown in the Lord, and to see some of the fruit from a village ministry he started about a year ago. On a weekly basis, he will have over 100 children, teens, and adults attend a Friday evening Bible study. There were probably somewhere between 40-50 of his teens and children at the Youth Rally. From what I understand only one of them was saved before he started the ministry. Not bad for a year’s work!

PLEASE PRAY FOR KONG AND FOR THESE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE AS THEY GROW IN THEIR FAITH. PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE THEM TO REACH THEIR OWN PEOPLE FOR CHRIST!

One of the tremendous blessings for my wife and I every time we return to this country to minister, is to be able to spend some time with the men and women we worked with while residing here. Every time I return here I will take a week and teach a few of the local pastors and future pastors that are being trained for the ministry. Monday – Thursday, I spent three hours each day teaching the group below, as well as preaching for them on Thursday evening and Sunday morning.

While preaching for Pastor Kampai and teaching in the Bible Institute, it was a joy to get to know Phat. He is 35-years old and spent 10 years in  prison. While in prison he trusted Christ. He is now one of the Bible Institute students, loves Jesus, and is preparing for ministry!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE THREE PASTORS, THE YOUNG MEN THEY ARE TRAINING, AND THE CHURCHES THEY ARE LEADING. PRAY THAT THEY WILL MAKE A HUGE IMPACT IN THIS COUNTRY FOR CHRIST AND THE CAUSE OF CHRIST!

Our group from Pacific Baptist Church not only spent a week in Cambodia and had a boatload of ministry opportunities, including teaching in a school, but they arrived in this “Creative Access” nation a few days after my wife and I arrived. It was a blessing for my wife and me to be able to spend a some time with them, not only in Cambodia, but here in this country also. I was thankful to have the opportunity to challenge them on “Awakening to the Needs in this Part of the World,” in a special midweek service for foreigners only here in this country. 🙂 So thankful that my brother Pastor Joe, a few years prior to being hospitalized, got a vision of sending our young people to Southeast Asia every year!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE THIS TRIP TO STIR THE HEARTS OF THESE COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM PACIFIC BAPTIST CHURCH!

While the vast majority of our group from Long Beach came straight over from Cambodia to this “Creative Access” nation, seven of our young men, including two of my nephews, first stopped over in Thailand to be with our team there. They were a tremendous blessing to the team located in the northern part of Thailand and working with the Hmong people. Of course, Tom and Sue Sutrick, along with their people, were a great inspiration to our young men.

PLEASE PRAY FOR GOD TO USE THIS TRIP TO THAILAND STIR THE HEARTS OF THESE SEVEN MEN FROM LONG BEACH. PRAY THAT BECAUSE OF THIS TRIP THEY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!

My wife and I also had the opportunity to be with three different churches here in the capital city. Two of the churches are overseen by dear friends of ours, missionaries from the Philippines, and the other is pastored by a very dear friend, who is a national. I have had the opportunity to preach for him, I am sure, about 15-20 times, along with teach in his Bible Institute countless times over the past five years. What a wonderful week it was! It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with Lao, Hmong, Khmu, Bru, and Filipino people who love the Lord Jesus and are serving Him faithfully in a difficult country. The pictures below are from the three different Sunday services!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT MEETINGS TO STIR THESE FOLKS TO REACH THEIR PEOPLE FOR CHRIST!

After one of the Bible Institute sessions, and one of the services,  I asked a handful of folks the name of their home villages, how many households or families are in the villages, and how many households “profess to be Christian.” The totals are heartbreaking to say the least: 4,000 families or households. Only 66 “profess to be Christian.” If my calculations are correct that’s about 1.5 percent of the population in these villages that “profess to be Christian.”

While my wife and I were taking a walk, we saw this poster below. My initial thought was simple: We can get Coke, Pepsi, and Christian Aguilera to come to countries like this in the 10/40 Window, why can’t we get missionaries to come?

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL SEND MEN AND WOMEN TO THIS COUNTRY, AND OTHERS LIKE IT IN THE 10/40 WINDOW, TO BRING THE LIGHT, LIFE, AND LOVE OF JESUS!  

My wife and I thank you for your prayers, for your faithful financial support, and your faithful service for our King.

Johnny and Denise Esposito

“In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been.” – MISSIONARY ROBERT MOFFAT

It’s good to be back in Asia!

One sure sign that we are back in Asia is the flip flops and sandals outside the door. The picture above is outside the door of our Steung Meanchey church plant about a half an hour before a service that I was privileged to preach for.

Our trip back to Asia was smooth and non-eventful. Praise the Lord for that. My wife and I stopped over in China where we will be residing and serving (to drop off a few of our suitcases), had the opportunity to speak two times for our new home church, and had some wonderful fellowship.

Three of the special blessings of our few days on the Mainland of China were to be able to spend time with missionary (Dick and his wife Trish), to spend time fellowshipping with Li and his wife, and to, once again, see an elderly lady we met about a year ago. Dick and his wife have been faithfully serving the Lord for over 30 years, and most this time was either in Hong Kong or Mainland China. They are great folks!

Li was saved about ten years ago. The man who led him to Christ, while he was still a student studying in the University, came to the country at the age of sixty. Li is now serving the Lord full-time. Thank God for men and women who are willing to come to this part of the world. The elderly lady pictured below is a real source of blessing. We met her last year when I came here to preach for a Leadership Conference. At the time, she was very ill and in the hospital. She visited the church for the first time the following Sunday, trusted Christ, and is now faithfully attending the church. Praise the Lord!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE BELIEVERS IN CHINA AND OUR NEW MINISTRY IN THE COUNTRY!

Our first few days back in Southeast Asia, specifically Cambodia, were a tremendous blessing. You can imagine all the emotions flooding our souls as we arrived back in the country where we resided and served for nearly two years. By God’s grace, our team in Cambodia is doing an amazing job. On our first full day in the country, it was a tremendous blessing to be able to go soul-winning in Stueng Meanchey with our Bible college guys, as well as preach for their Midweek service. I also had the chance to go soul-winning with Man. I spent nearly a year-and-a-half meeting with Man and his brother Vannak weekly and nearly two years as their soul-winning partners (Man on Saturdays, Vannak on Tuesdays and Sundays). So many wonderful memories. Man and Vannak love Jesus, love their people, and are zealous soul-winners!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE DEAR PEOPLE IN STEUNG MEANCHEY, AS WELL AS MAN AND KOSAL AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY CONTINUE TO LEAD THIS MINISTRY! 

It was also a blessing to be able to spend some quality time with different individuals. When I was still here in the country, Pastor Tho, my wife and I would do a weekly Bible study with Abraham and his wife Srey Mohm. Pastor Tho is a Tuk-tuk driver to support his family. It was a blessing to spend some time with him and try to be a blessing to him and his family. It was also a blessing to be able to take a few of our Bible college girls, our niece (Sue), and Adrian out for a meal. These young college girls love Jesus and are desiring that God will use them to reach their people for Christ.

PLEASE PRAY FOR PASTOR THO AND HIS FAMILY, AS WELL AS THE CHURCH THAT THEY LEAD!

It is always a blessing to be with our Psa Thrict church plant. While we were serving here in Cambodia for nearly two years one of my favorite places to serve was with our Cham folks (former Muslim) in Psa Thrict. It was always a blessing to go soul-winning with them, teach the men, and then preach/teach for their Midweek service.  It was a real joy to spend the day with these dear folks last Thursday. The time of visitation, teaching the men, and preaching for the Midweek service, as always, was a real blessing!

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH PLANT IN PSA THRICT, AS WELL AS FOR SAN AND VANNAK AS THEY LEAD THIS WONDERFUL MINISTRY! 

On Friday, we had an all-day Staff and Worker’s Training. I opened the day with a session on “Joy in Fellowship with the Lord.” This was basically a session encouraging our folks to walk with God. I also closed with a 20 minute testimony of what we will be doing, Lord willing, in China. One of the hi-lights of the training sessions was to be able to spend some time with Chaay and his wife. While serving in Cambodia, I had the privilege to meet with and disciple Chaay for about a year. As faithful members of the church in Psa Thrict, God is using him and his wife in a mighty way!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE MEN AND WOMEN, YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE, WHO ARE WORKING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY OF CAMBODIA TO REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST! 

Of course, it is always a blessing to be able to go soul-winning in Cambodia. The people are so open to hear the Gospel. On Saturday, my old soul-winning buddy, Vannak and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with six adults, as well as visit a home to encourage a few of our teen girls in their walk with Christ!

One of the many blessings of being back in Cambodia is the opportunity to spend some quality time with some of our dear fellow-laborers from our days of living and serving here in Cambodia. After soul-winning, it was nice to be able to go out to lunch with Vannak, Man, Kosal, Hem, and Adrian. I had the opportunity to spend time discipling Kosal for almost two years while here in the country and Vannak and Man for about a year-and-a-half.

In Cambodia, with our team, Sunday is a really full day. Four different church plants  and various village ministries conduct services. Children, teens, and adults have the opportunity to worship God and hear the word of God preached. As always, the service in Phnom was absolutely packed to overflowing. In fact, even the overflow section was full. Just before the service started I had a few moments with Abigail. Abigail is the daughter of Kosal and Phalley. Kosal, in many ways, is like a son to me. I had the opportunity to disciple him for nearly two years while serving here in Cambodia. We are thankful for how God is using him and his wife!

On Sunday evening, the mother church in Phnom Penh has various small groups. This past Sunday, I had the privilege to speak for the Married Couple’s Group. I spoke on the topic, “Mistakes Parents Often Make.” They had a great crowd and as always, they had a lot of fun!

My wife and I thank you for praying for our trip back to Asia and this six-week ministry trip prior to returning back to our new home in China. And, of course, we thank you for your faithful financial support of our ministry. We couldn’t be here without your prayers and support!

Johnny and Denise Esposito

“Is not the commission of our Lord still binding upon us? Can we not do more than now we are doing?” — William Carey

 

 

 

 

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.

 

It is so exciting to hear and see all that God is doing with our three teams in Southeast Asia. Our teams in Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos are doing a great job reaching people and keeping the people they reach.  It has also been exciting to hear what God is doing in the country of China where my wife and I will soon be relocating. Recently, the church we will be working with baptized 16 people over a two-week period of time. Denise and I are looking forward to being “back in the saddle” again in just a little over a month. On June 2, my wife and I will fly into China and begin, yet another phase in our journey with Jesus in Asia!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS NEW PHASE IN OUR LIVES AND MINISTRY!

Speaking of China, it was a blessing to be able to meet with 15 young men and women who are considering serving Christ and the cause of Christ in the country of China. We met for two hours and went over some future plans for ministry in the country of China and other areas in the 10/40 Window. The meeting went very well!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE WILL OF GOD TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN ALL OF OUR LIVES AND PRAY FOR SALVATION OF MANY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY OF CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE 10/40 WINDOW!

This past week was the annual “Camp Meeting” in Thailand. It is held every year during the week of the Water Festival. This is always a wonderful time when 9 or 10 churches from Laos and Thailand gather together for a lot of good preaching, great food, and fellowship. Over the past four years I have had the privilege to preach in this “conference,” but because I am presently in the States I was not able to attend this year. This year they changed the conference up a little bit, and it was a Youth Conference.  They called it “Next Generation.”

From what I have heard there were 195 campers, from five different countries, and 14 different churches. I have heard that five young people trusted Christ and six others surrendered to full-time service. Brother Bounna Has and his wife Thy, along with Adrian Torres, members of our team in Cambodia were able to be there and minister to the folks along with other pastors and missionaries from Laos and Thailand. The men who were most instrumental in having the vision for the Youth Camp and “pulling it off” were Koumaly Thongdy, who heads up our team in Laos, and Pastor Pradit from Thailand. Praise the Lord!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL BLESS THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AND USE THEM TO REACH THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE 10/40 WINDOW FOR CHRIST!

The past few weeks have been very busy and extremely blessed. We have had the opportunity to teach another Bible college intensive, teach at Pacific Baptist School, preach for Pacific Baptist Church of Long Beach (Pastor Steve Meyers) and Pacific Baptist Church of Monterey Park, CA. (Pastor Kyle Beck).

Of course, when we are in the Long Beach area it is always a blessing to spend time with family, go out soul winning with our church family, and to be able to visit my brother Pastor Joe. Once again, I would like to thank the many of you who pray for him and his wife on a regular basis!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PACIFIC BAPTIST CHURCH AND PACIFIC BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE TO KEEP SENDING MEN AND WOMEN TO THE NEEDIEST PLACES IN THE WORLD AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PASTOR JOE AND HIS WIFE!

We also had the opportunity to report and preach for Bible Baptist Church of Gardena, CA (Pastor Timothy Choi) and Bible Baptist Church of National City, CA (Pastor Larry Obero). Both of these churches are doing a wonderful job reaching their Jerusalem for Christ, but also by reaching out to the uttermost parts of the world. Both Pastor Choi and Pastor Obero have pastored these churches for over thirty years!

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL BRING INCREASE TO ALL THE TEACHING, PREACHING, AND COUNSELING WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. ALSO, PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL RAISE UP MANY MEN AND WOMEN TO GO TO THE GREAT HARVEST FIELDS OF THE 10/40 WINDOW!

What a blessing it is to serve a God who showers us with His blessings. In the video below you will find our Cham folks (former Muslims) singing, “There will be showers of Blessings,” in a recent service in our Psa Thrict church in Cambodia. These are some of the most precious folks you will ever meet!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR CHAM FOLKS AS THEY ATTEMPT TO REACH THEIR MUSLIM FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

Denise and I, once again, want to thank you for your love, your prayers, and your financial support. We could not do what we are doing if it were not for your faithfulness!

Johnny and Denise

“In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been”                                      

— Robert Moffat, missionary to Africa

 

 

God is doing some amazing things through our three teams in Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand). My wife and I are so looking forward to our return to Asia in about eight weeks. The picture above (photo credits missionary Bounna Has) is JUST A FEW OF OUR MANY SOUL-WINNERS IN CAMBODIA. In this picture, they are having an Asian style breakfast at 6:00 AM, just prior to heading out to share the Gospel with their people.   Many of them will spend over 12 hours out sharing the love of Christ.  About half of those pictured above, are students in our new Bible college in Phnom Penh.

Just curious, I wonder if you could figure out which one is Michelle Hardesty? 🙂 Michelle and her family  are long-time members of Pacific Baptist Church and she is  a graduate of Pacific Baptist School and Pacific Baptist Bible College. She is one of four singles serving with our team in Phnom Penh, Cambodia!

PLEASE PRAY FOR DAVE BOARD, OUR TEAM MEMBERS IN CAMBODIA, AND OUR FOLKS IN CAMBODIA, AS THEY FAITHFULLY BRING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE PEOPLE OF CAMBODIA!

As I typed most of this update, I was sitting at the airport in Hartford, CT. I had been in New England for the past 11 days. And, let me tell you, it was cold. Yet, despite the cold, we had some wonderful meetings. After preaching and presenting at Fairfield Baptist Church on a Thursday evening, I had the privilege to spend four days with one of our supporting churches. White Oak Baptist Church has always been a missions’ minded church. Their former pastor, Michael Peslak, served on the mission field for a few years prior to coming to White Oak Baptist. The conference was four days long, I had the chance to preach four times, and had a wonderful time fellowshipping with other missionaries, church staff, and members of the church.

The new pastor of White Oak Baptist Church is Pastor Le June. My brother and I went to college with his father, who is still faithfully serving the Lord in New England. Pastor Le June has a heart for the Lord, for his people, and for the lost. He is doing a great job at White Oak. After the four-day conference was over, the two of us went to a basketball museum and just enjoyed a great time of fellowship. Pastor Le June and I both love the game of basketball and are both former basketball coaches so we had plenty to talk about. 🙂

While in New England, I also had the privilege of teaching a combined (adult and teens) Sunday School class and preached for another one of my wife and mine supporting churches. First Baptist Church of Groton has been faithfully supporting Denise and me for nearly five years now. Pastor Faulk, my brother, and I all attended Bible college together. I am grateful for a man who has stayed faithful over the years. He took over a church that had literally died about five years ago and God is using him to see it bought back to life. Praise the Lord!

It was a real treat to be able to report at Emmanuel Baptist Church of Newington, CT. Our dear friend of many years Pastor Cary Schmidt, he has been pastoring the church now for nearly five years and words cannot describe what God is doing in the ministry since his arrival. My wife and I had the privilege to be in his very first service five years ago. I cannot begin to describe how much the church has been revitalized!

Just prior to heading off for chilly New England, my wife and I had the privilege to report and preach (well, actually, I did the preaching) for two of our supporting churches in the northern part of California. On Sunday morning, my wife and I were with long-time friend, Pastor Steve Nichols, and the Regency Baptist Church of Orangevale, CA.  Pastor Nichols has faithfully served as pastor of this church despite a crippling illness of twenty years. He now preaches from a wheel chair. One of the staff member’s at Regency is Vathana Mao. Vathana, a former bus kid, graduated from our school many years ago and was one of my better basketball players. He is doing a great job with the youth and helping bus kids raise the funds to attend Christian school!

On Sunday evening, my wife and I were able to be with another one of our long-time friends, Pastor Rick Stonestreet and the Calvary Baptist Church. As always, it was a joy to preach for the church family, to fellowship with pastor, his wife, and the church family. A real treat was to spend some time fellowshipping with the Missions’ Secretary of the church and to our surprise she pulled out a few newspapers with our name on it. Apparently, when they highlight a missionary of the week she puts together a newspaper with articles and pictures about their ministry!

A few days ago, one of our fine young Cham men (former Muslim) from Cambodia sent me a few pictures and videos, along with a personal greeting from himself and grandpa Pun (pictured below). Grandpa is blind and has been saved for a few years now, loves Jesus, and has been responsible for seeing many of his family members come to know Christ. I loved visiting in his home, teaching his family the Word, and sharing the Gospel with his wife, who eventually trusted Christ when one of our Cham brothers witnessed to her. Zen, who I had the privilege of discipling for about a year or so while in Cambodia, is a fine young man who is now enrolled in our Bible college in Phnom Penh!

Not quite sure who this is climbing the tree in the video below, Zen sent it to me. Yet, when I watched this video, I was reminded of one of our young teen boys, many years ago, even prior to my arrival in Cambodia, who died when he fell out of a tree much like this. His home (shack) was the very first that I ever visited in Southeast Asia. Visiting his mother, right after his death, broke my heart for the people of Cambodia, and the rest of Southeast Asia, and it was one of many experiences that helped to convince me of the need to leave America and “GO” to the needy places in the 10/40 Window!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please continue to pray for all three of our teams in Southeast Asia [Cambodia, Laos, Thailand].
• Please continue to pray for our new Bible college in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• Please continue to pray that God will open doors for future ministry in China.
• Please continue to pray about the recent increase in persecution in China.
• Please continue to pray that God will bring an increase from all the seeds that we have been sowing through our preaching, teaching, reporting, and presenting these past few months.
• Please pray that God will provide the necessary funds for my wife and I to relocate.
• Please pray for my wife’s recovery from recent surgery!
• Please continue to pray for my brother, Pastor Joe, and his wife Mary!

Denise and I want to thank you for your faithfulness in praying and giving for our ministry. As we often say, we would not be able do what God has called and led us to do without your prayers and without your financial support!

Johnny and Denise

“I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light” — John Keith Falconer

 

The pictures above come from our team, sent out of Pacific Baptist Church, in Thailand. Tom and Sue Sutrick-after retiring in the States-surrendered their lives to go and serve Christ and the Hmong people in the country of Thailand. They are humble servants of the Lord that love Jesus and the Thai people, and God is using them to do a great job. They sure could use your prayers!

PRAY FOR TOM AND SUE SUTRICK AND THE WORK IN THAILAND!

It is always good to get reports back from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Of course, my wife and I spent nearly two years serving there alongside of our team. We miss these folks dearly! One of our faithful church members, John Castle, has been there for a few weeks. In fact, he is leaving for the States today. John has been having the time of his life and has not only been blessed, but has been a tremendous blessing while visiting. He’s also finding that serving in Cambodia is just a bit different than serving in the United States.

I am so grateful for all our folks in Cambodia, but especially our Cham men. I had the opportunity to disciple six of them while serving there and go soul winning at least twice a week with either Vannak, Man, or Kosal. One of the highlights of my month was to go out to spend an entire day (12-14 hours) with our Cham folks (soul-winning, lunch, discipleship, and teaching in the Midweek service).

One of the first individuals God used to break my heart, after arriving in Cambodia, was a young lady named Srey Ge. She was saved as a child in our Children’s Ministry in Phnom Penh, but eventually was forced to quit church by her parents. She got away from the Lord and had been out of church for quite sometime. Vannak and I started working with her and her husband (Nak) as soon as my wife and I arrived in Cambodia. We had them over for supper and her husband eventually trusted Christ. They started attending services faithfully until they moved.   Vannak is still doing what he can to keep them on the right path. They could sure use your prayers!

Another hi-light of my week in Cambodia was serving in Steung Meanchey, where we now have a church planted that all started with two years of visiting every week and opening up a Children’s Ministry (pictured below).

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR MINISTRY IN CAMBODIA!

Over the past few weeks Denise and I have had the opportunity to be in a few churches in Central and Northern California. It was a real joy to be with Pastor Trudelle and the Faith Baptist Church of Bakersfield. I have been preaching at Faith for at least 12-15 years. Our dear friend, Pastor Joe Grande, started the church about 25 years ago. A few years ago, he left Faith Baptist for Agape Baptist Church in Stockton, Missouri and Pastor Truedelle replaced him in Bakersfield. Pastor Truedelle and his people are doing a tremendous job!

We sure enjoyed being with the First Baptist Church of Mariposa and Pastor Ray Shull. Pastor Shull and his wife served for many years in Cambodia before returning to the States. They have a son who is presently on deputation to go to Cambodia. This is a church and a pastor with a heart for missions and for the persecuted church around the world. I enjoyed teaching combined Sunday School and preaching for the morning service, as well as presenting our burden for the other side of the Pacific.

After heading down the mountain, my wife and I had the opportunity to be with Pastor Bowersock and the Northside Baptist Church family for their Sunday evening service and a time of food, fun, and fellowship. I had the opportunity to preach and present our burden for the 10/40 Window in general and Southeast Asia and China more specifically, as well as a very profitable Q/A time.

My wife and I had the privilege to spend all day with our dear friends, the Silva’s, and the Coast Hills Baptist Church of Santa Maria. Pastor Silva has been pastoring this church for about 30 years. I had the opportunity to teach a combined adult Sunday School class, preach and report in the morning service, and then preach for both the English and Spanish congregations for the evening service. It was a real treat to be able to spend a little time with Nino and Wilson Eng, who are now members at Coast Hills. Both graduated from our high school when I was the school administrator and Wilson graduated from our Bible college while I was still the Vice-President!

While we are in churches in Central and Northern CA my wife and I normally use our daughter Jessica and her husband Joshua’s house for a home base (i.e. a place to stay). They live in Orange Cove, CA. Lots of orange groves. A few days ago, I witnessed something that was a great reminder of our great task at hand. Within just a few hours trees that had been abounding with delicious looking oranges had become barren. Why? Because it was harvest time? And, the harvesters busied themselves with the task at hand. O Lord, may we have this same spirit in the church!

A few days back, I was reading the Prayer Update of a dear friend of ours, missionary serving in the country of China. He and his family are heading to the States for a short furlough. I also went to his website and read the following words:

“This past year the #### experienced some very real trials. There were raids on the church, and the congregation had to go into hiding. At present, they still need to move locations each week, but the lord has kept them safe and as a result, the gospel is still being preached.

As a family, the #### themselves also had to go into hiding. They have settled for now and the Lord has kept them safe! They lost their home in the process, but they were able to stay with various members of the congregation until a new home outside of the city could be procured.”

I will be in Sacramento and Fairfield, CA this weekend, travel all-day on Monday, have an important meeting with Dwight Tomlinson on Tuesday, along with visiting my brother (Pastor Joe), and then head for the East Coast. I will be in four different churches and one Missions’ Conference over a ten-day period before returning to California. We covet your prayers!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Please pray for my upcoming trip to New England and the Missions’ Conference at White Oak Baptist Church.
2. Please continue to pray for all three of our teams in Southeast Asia [Cambodia, Laos, Thailand].
3. Please continue to pray for our new Bible college in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 
4. Please continue to pray that God will open doors for future ministry in China.
5. Please continue to pray about the recent increase in persecution in China.
6. Please continue to pray that God will bring an increase from all the seeds that we have been sowing through our preaching, teaching, reporting, and presenting these past few months.
7. Please pray that God will provide the necessary funds for my wife and I to relocate.
8. Please pray for my wife’s upcoming surgery.
9. Please continue to pray for my brother, Pastor Joe, and his wife Mary!

My wife Denise and I want to thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support. As we say often, we could not do what God has called and led us to do without your prayers and without your financial support!

Johnny and Denise

When it comes to the 1040 Window and Unreached and Unengaged People Groups, if we aren’t willing to GO, they aren’t able to KNOW!