by Dr. James V. Kennard, Military Director, BIMI

Recently the BIMI Military Ministry went into a joint effort with Bearing Precious Seed out of Milford, Ohio, to print and send Bibles to our troops around the world, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.? Bearing Precious Seed put out an appeal for donations and were overwhelmed with the amount that came in because of people having a real burden to reach our military with the Gospel.? They printed 10,000 Bibles, initially to be distributed especially to troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Fort Benning, Georgia, but had enough Bibles to distribute in other areas as well.? We have been able to distribute about 3,000 Bibles thus far to the troops in Fort Benning, Georgia.

As my wife and I were traveling from a meeting in Kentucky, we had the opportunity to attend the Bible distribution ceremony at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.? What an impressive ceremony it was!? Some of our missionaries, along with my wife and I, were there to present these Bibles to the troops. We were met by one of the brigade executive officers plus the first sergeant and many of their troops.? We presented 2,000 Bibles at that time.? Bob Ford from Bearing Precious Seed was also able to be there along with our missionaries presenting these Bibles.? We had the executive officer sit down as we all gathered around him and had special prayer for him, his troops that will be leaving to go to Iraq, and for the troops that are already in Iraq.

These Bibles are printed with a military camouflage cover. The Bible is just the right size to fit into the side pocket of a military man’s combat uniform.? Many of these Bibles will be going right into combat. This is not just a New Testament; this is a full King James Bibles that is being presented to these troops.

My heart was really stirred there at Fort Campbell and we are excited about getting Bibles ready to send into many parts of the world where our military are serving.? The printers are presently working on trying to get 20,000 Bibles to Okinawa and Mainland, Japan.? We are also expecting an order to come in from Europe for Bibles needed for our troops.? In all of these areas many of these men are being deployed into the combat zone so do pray with us in this outreach to get Bibles into the hands of every soldier we possibly can.

Bearing Precious Seed is printing the Bibles and it is our responsibility to ship them.? Therefore, we must raise the funds for the shipping separately from the funds for printing. The container for Okinawa cost $3,500 and we estimate when the order comes in for Europe it will cost about the same.? Do pray with us that we can raise all of this money.? If there are any who would like to contribute to shipping these Bibles, please send your donation to Baptist International Missions, Inc., PO Box 9215, Chattanooga, TN 37412 and designate to Military Bibles Account #642.? Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated.

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Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

Charles Plumb, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was a jet fighter pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Mr. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy lands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when Mr. Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" "How in the world did you know that?" asked Mr. Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied.

Mr. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today."

Mr. Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: A white hat, a bib in the back, and bell bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said good morning, how are you or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot, and he was just a sailor."

Mr. Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.

Now, Mr. Plumb asks his audience, "Who’s packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Mr. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety. His experience reminds us all to prepare ourselves to weather whatever storms lie ahead. As you go through this week, this month, this year...recognize people who pack your parachute.

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A new church in Stuggart, Germany held its first service on Sunday, September 30. Pastor Harold Pierce reports that there were 23 from the Stuttgart Military Community in attendance. The Pierces (Harold, Karin, and Jenny Grace) look forward to ministering to the 5,000 Americans stationed in that area. They are presently renting a conference room at the Marriott Hotel in Stuggart and ask prayer that they will soon be able to find a place of their own.

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(Who went Home to be with their Lord, Sunday, August 5, 2007)

The Hewitts were on their way to church when struck broadside by another vehicle. They both expired immediately and are now in the presence of the Lord. They certainly will be missed by their families, church friends and many military personnel that visited the Christian Service Center at Fort Campbell. I never met a man who witnessed more for Christ than Brother Bill Hewitt.

My wife and I met Bill and Florence at a Baptist Church in Smyrna, TN in 1968. It was the first attendance at the church for Bill and us as well. Florence had been saved several weeks before and Bill later told me he had been saved as a young boy when taken to church by a neighbor in Wisconsin. Soon we became good friends. Florence and Bill were both baptized in that church and we became members also. It wasn’t long until we became very close friends. Shortly afterwards, I was transferred by the Air Force to Viet Nam. A year later I returned to the USA and retired from the Air Force. We then went to Okinawa to teach in a missionary Christian school and became members at Maranatha Baptist Church. It wasn’t long until The Hewitts also transferred to Okinawa with the Air Force and joined this same church. We served together here for three years.

It was at Maranatha Baptist Church that the Lord called me to preach. Feeling the need for more Bible education, I enrolled in Tennessee Temple Schools in Chattanooga, TN. Shortly afterwards, The Hewitts also enrolled and we spent the next few years there studying together. After graduation, Bill and Florence went to Hawaii to become assistant pastor of a military church but soon became the pastor. They spent the next several years serving this church and was forced to close it because of circumstances beyond their control. The Lord then moved them to Fort Stewart, GA near Savannah to direct the servicemen’s center near the post. They faithfully served this post well for a number of years and the Lord moved them to their next assignment at Fort Campbell, KY to work in the Christian Servicemen’s Center there. It was from here the Lord took them to their final assignment in heaven. Their service here will be greatly missed but now they are finally Home.

They were our good friends, the best we have ever had. They were laid to rest at the National Military Cemetery in Chattanooga, TN. My wife, Norma is buried there and this will be my final resting place when my Lord calls me to heaven. Our bodies will go up together in the Resurrection of the Just and "so shall we ever be with the Lord."

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Dr. James Kennard Director of Military Missions is looking forward to Okinawa for the 40th Anniversary of Maranatha Baptist Church, the first BIMI military church started in 1968. Most of the former church people will be there; so it will be a special time.

Dr. Jeff Alverson, Assistant Director of Military Missions. Brother Jeff and his wife ,Joyce, are enjoying their new life together. They have been quite busy lately in several military churches. Brother Alverson has been preaching missions conferences raising funds for military missions. He and Joyce just returned from Europe where they report wonderful meetings.

Matt & Diane Olsen, Aviano, Italy. They recently held a Bible camp with several children trusting Christ. Because of the falling value of the US dollar, their support level is now at a criticial 50%. They will have to take a furlough soon.

Mark Sage Family, Yokosuka, Japan. They are praising the Lord for the work there even though many of their sailors are at sea most of the year. Several have trusted Christ as Savior recently.

Chuck & Susan Sligh, Grafenwoehr, Germany. They are now in their new building enjoying the increase of army troops on the post. BIMI’s military construction crew spent several weeks remodeling the building for the church use. They had their dedication service recently with 119 in attendance, a record high.

Ed Navato Family, Okinawa, Japan. The Navators filled in for Zane Abbott in Iwakuni, Japan for the summer. There were 15 saved during this time there.

Steve & Frankie Nutt, Okinawa, Japan. They report that they have had 185 saved this year. Their church will celebrate the 40th year in Christian service this next year. They are planning a big event in September of 2008,

Stan & Charlene Lane, Sardinia, Italy. They report that there is only 200 people left in Sardinia military community but they will stay until the last one leaves.

Roy & Ellen Smith, Schweinfurt, Germany. The soldiers from Schweinfurt community have been in Iraq for 15 months. They returned October 29th which was a wonderful homecoming for them. The church just had their annual missions conference with Bro. Jeff Alverson.

Gary & Karen Craft, Sembach, Germany. They have just recently renovated their building and are excited about their future ministry in reaching the Ramstein/Sembach military community.

Chuck & Linda Truitt, Ansbach, Germany. They are rebuilding a needy work in the Ansbach military community, faithfully serving the Lord there. It is an ongoing work of visiting, soul-winning, baptizing new converts. They have recently completed a lot of repair work on the building.

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Friday, May 24, 2013

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Philip & Susan Smith -  CLAIM
Robert Lee & Betty Smith -  MILITARY - RELIEF
Roy & Ellen Smith -  ARM PERSONNEL