Smile Worth 1,000 Words

This smile blessed me greatly. I have to thank many of you for that blessing. But this smile is just one of many I get to see. And you need to know the man and ministry behind that smile! Why? Smiles like that are contagious. Here’s how you can catch that smile for yourself!

Smile Worth 1,000 Words  

I know the old saying begins with, A picture is worth… So this picture tells us a great deal. It was taken in Samana, Dominican Republic, this past June. This young man was attending his first week of class in the Mathes Pastor Training School. And in the initial class session he made quite a revelation. In a Q & A segment he said:

I am an evangelist. And what I have learned in this first class tells me I have had some error in my preaching. I will have to repent of that. But I can’t wait for the next time I get to preach the Word of God. Because it is the Truth that sets people free. Thank you for teaching us the Truth of God’s Word!

That moment was priceless. It was made possible by people like you who pray for this ministry and support it financially. His comments were also humbling. We got a glimpse into how God is using that which He enables us to do. But there is more that needs to be done in Samana and elsewhere. And there is more than a smile or two in the work to be done. Here’s how…

Collecting Your Smile

There are several upcoming mission opportunities on our calendar. I’ve put a short list over on our Facebook page. Please check it out there or on the links in this paragraph.
The centerpiece of our ministry is teaching pastors. Those pastors are taught with the expectation that they will teach others and implement what we teach them. They eagerly do both things. Our model and expectation comes from Paul’s words to Timothy. And Paul’s words are often repeated as we teach. But that is not the extent of our mission efforts.
The Gospel must be demonstrated and declared. So around every session of the school we have other projects taking place. Those include, but are not limited to, things like:

• Construction
• Medical
• Evangelism projects
• Water purification
• Sports evangelism
• Sewing schools

There is a way for everyone to plug into a mission opportunity. Every project needs many things. The obvious needs are:

• Prayer
• Funding
• Teachers/Pastors
• Churches to send pastors who will teach
• Volunteers for mission projects

And please don’t be too quick to rule out any of those possibilities. We can all pray. Most of us can give something. We just need to make up our minds (and hearts) to do so. And even if being part of a volunteer team is not possible for one reason or another, it is possible to help another person who can go. Maybe you’d like to help your pastor be part of teaching faithful men!

My Smile

Doing any of the things above will help put a smile on your face. How could anyone not smile when they know what God is accomplishing through our combined efforts? I took the cover photo. But if a camera had been pointed at me I am sure the smile on my face was as big as the one I photographed. God is good!

And just so you know, comments similar to the ones I shared above have been shared many other times. Thanks for making this ministry possible. Please pray us forward Soli Deo Gloria!