26 May NTCP Newsletter – April 2015
Dear Family and Friends of New Testament Church Planting,
April 2015
Who said serving the Lord is not filled with surprise and excitement? The trip begun on Friday, we drove toward Oklahoma to visit with our son and his family. Wonderful time with them and talking about what the Lord was doing with all of us. Early Saturday on the road headed toward Katy, TX. Neither floods or gravel roads or semi trucks would keep us from our destination. Texas was hot and humid and we had left very cool weather in Missouri. Arrived at the church in KatyTX, where NTCP had been working on their building. They were very gracious and allowed us to stay in their mission’s apartment…in the new building. What a beautiful building it is and we are so glad for all the help NTCP was able to do. We met with Pastor Shrader for dinner that evening and he told us about is daughter Sarah and her battle with cancer. His wife Jodi is a jewel and has had a work cut out for her with taking care of Sarah and her little daughter, Julia. Four of our NTCP families were there for services that morning and my husband got to preach and then we had lunch at the church afterwards. (more info at Facebook: Rick-Jodi Shrader)
After lunch we headed to Houston to board a ship headed for the Caribbean. Ready for some R & R. We had no more than settled into our room when we heard these words, as we were walking across the ship, “I don’t believe it, Bro. Moody?” It was a pastor and his wife from San Antonio. She had been in our youth dept and he was in our singles dept went we were in Abilene, TX, while my husband was serving in the USAF. We have seen them from time to time thru the years but never expected to see anyone that we knew on this trip.
The ship is a literal floating mission field. People from all over the world. Long story short…we met a delightful young Christian man from the Philippians who invited my husband down to speak to the crew during their fellowship of believers get together on Wed PM. From day one we were known as “Pastor Moody” to a lot of the crew. Their smiling faces said how much they appreciated a pastor’s message. We gave away every tract we had and they would have taken more. Our stops were in Cozumel, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, and Belize City, Belize. Every stop we had the chance to speak to someone about the Lord and find those with kindred Spirit. Our hearts were rejoicing as we left the ship and many smiling faces of those believers we had met along the way.
Sunday early, we were headed to New Caney, TX for services with another church NTCP was helping. They had been in a store front for 10 years and the following Wed night they were going to get to have services in their new building. A bitter/sweet services with a full house of folks rejoicing what the Lord was doing. Excited to get to be in their new church home for Resurrection Sunday!! After services we went to the new facilities and were shown around by our NTCP families, who were so happy to be a part of this building project and for their Pastor to be able to see what they accomplished. Lunch with the church family there and back on the road again.
We made it to Bradford, TX for services that evening with a family out of our church starting a brand new work in the Bradford Café ( they are closed on Sunday evenings for business but we had the Lord’s business that evening). We arrived 5 minutes after services were suppose to start but they were patiently waiting. Sweet services in this small town but a much needed work and so glad we get to be a part of it. Maybe NTCP will be there one day getting them a building of their own. Had dinner with the Pastor and his family and a great time of fellowship about what the Lord was doing with all of us.
Back on the road and headed toward home. About 10:45 I saw the Lakewood Baptist Church in Powderly, TX. We have a young family whose dad is the pastor of that church and they are helping to get a work in Antlers, OK (which we passed about 30 minutes after leaving Powderly, TX) going while waiting for orders to be a chaplain for the US Army. We arrived home about 4:00 am and thanked the Lord for a safe journey and all the many memories we have of a vacation/ministering time.
We thank the Lord for all of you who are helping with all of these projects along the way. Those who give to help churches get into their own buildings, to help our crews go from place to place, and to have a vision of starting New Testament Churches across America.
Mrs. Randall Moody