Dear Friends,

It has been a profitable and active year so far in 2014.  Here are our emails that tell the story:

January 28^th: …The first part of January I spent at Berean Bible Studies of Orem while missionaries, Daniel and Aja Long… spoke in some churches on the east coast. It was great to see them before they left on the trip and after.  I believe the ministry went well while they were gone, and I had a great time with those who attend this new church plant.  The second part of January, I am spending at Santaquin Baptist Church in Santaquin, Utah.  Mike and Neva Bardon (the missionaries)…are spending time out of state speaking as well as getting away for awhile.  I am enjoying getting to know the people of the church, and… I am preaching and teaching four times a week along with other responsibilities including a weekly children’s program.  It also has been a pleasure to meet individually with various ones in the church.

…When I first arrived in Santaquin, Mike Bardon took me to a retirement center where I met with a very special elderly lady (a Bible believing Christian – her family is LDS).  We enjoyed our visit together…. When I returned the next week to visit, her family was there; and within a day, this dear believer had entered Heaven…. The family is graciously allowing me to officiate the funeral and to be the speaker.  Since this dear lady’s passing into eternity, I have been spending considerable time seeking to build relationships with the family.  The Lord has certainly gone before me in this…. Please be in prayer for me as I lead the service and speak from the Bible….  My desire is that the family will be comforted and challenged by this precious lady’s life and death – and the biblical truth of her salvation.  She has prayed for a long time for her funeral that her loved ones will hear the gospel message and respond….

January 29^th: I want to thank all of you who prayed for…the funeral of the dear elderly lady that went to be with the Lord last week.  Almost all of her family are LDS…, and she wanted them to hear the good news of biblical salvation.  I believe by God’s grace that happened.  I truly experienced your prayer support as I officiated the funeral and spoke from God’s word.  Before I left for the viewing and funeral this morning, I received by email many promises of prayers made and to be made from across the country and around the world.  I know all the Bible believing Christians that attended and served in the funeral…appreciated your prayers so much.  I personally was very thankful for the believers here locally that stepped up to help, especially in the music presentation part of the service.  My prayer request now is that the message shared will find its way through the Holy Spirit into the lives of those who listened…. I also read the Bible at the graveside and attended the light meal that was served afterward.  The family and friends graciously invited the non-LDS people who attended the funeral to join them in the meal.  It was a good time to continue to connect with the family….

April 30^th: The first few months of this year have been packed with opportunities to serve the Lord.  I think of Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  I have actually been in several states: Utah, Alaska, and Kansas.  I realize of course that Paul was referring to the situations he found himself experiencing, and that applies here as well…. Utah was a very special time (as always) of being in the Rocky Mountains and spending time in ministry with the Mormon people…. It was also very encouraging to be with Christian friends and missionaries who serve in this intense religious area of the west.  As happens often now, I had the opportunity to teach on relationships while there.  I left Utah the first part of February, driving 19 hours straight, and out running a vicious winter storm that followed close behind me.  I knew if I stopped, I would be stuck for several days wherever I was at the moment.  I finally arrived in Iowa at my daughter’s place and spent the night.  The next morning I woke up to snow drifts everywhere and was unable to get out of their long driveway.  It was rough, but I had to spend several days with 3 of my grandchildren.  It was tough job, but some times we just have to suffer…!

In February I spent several weeks in Fairbanks, Alaska, teaching a relationship conference while speaking in a couple of churches…. It was warming up while I was there.  The temperature was only 28 below.… In March I was in Valley Falls, Kansas, serving in place of the pastor and his family as they traveled to Japan on a mission trip.  It was great to be at Calvary Baptist Church again.  This was the church I spent some of my childhood and teen years in.  It was at a Calvary Baptist teen outing to a local rescue mission that I preached my first sermon when I was fourteen.  It was also at Calvary that I preached my first message in a church a year later.  This country church also sent me on my first mission trip to Utah at seventeen…. What an enjoyable trip, returning to Calvary Baptist this year, and spending time with old friends and new ones…. I did a series on relationships while at Calvary.  Human need is great in this world, and most of the serious challenges our churches face are in the area of relationships. No matter what state (Utah, Alaska, Kansas) this is true.  At the close of March I spoke in one of my supporting churches, Bethel Baptist in Topeka, Kansas.  Special memories are there also.  I served as interim pastor at Bethel when I was nineteen.

I would appreciate prayer for my son, Jeremiah, who has had several seizures over the last few months.  Pray that the seizures will stop and the doctors will have wisdom on what to do.  Also, I have been asked by several individuals lately if the book, Communicating Christ in a Religious World, is still available to be purchased.  The answer is yes and it continues to sale at a decent rate.  I want to thank all of you who prayed that God would use this book for His glory, and He continues to do so…. (Information on ordering the book can be found on the BEM website.)

July 7^th: Whew!  After thousands of miles…, missing Beabea, 10 different churches (including 3 new churches), staying in 10 different places to hang my hat…, speaking 20 times, meeting with new people, and renewing fellowship with friends along the way, I am finally home.  (Did I mention, missing Beabea?)  During the 6 weeks I was gone, I spoke in churches in Oklahoma, Arizona, California, Utah, and Iowa…. During this last trip, I had a least 4 times where I was in near accidents because someone pulled out in front of me or changed lanes without looking.  It was a good reminder that our safety is in the Lord.  Each time I had a near miss I thought of all those people praying for me to have a safe journey.  If you did that, you have my thanks.  I don’t say that lightly!

While in Utah, I visited with Melissa Paris and the missionaries, Daniel and Aja Long, that Melissa is staying with.  Melissa is a college student who is dong an internship in Utah this summer with Barnabas Enrichment Ministries.  She is considering a possible future ministry of helping missionaries in various ways.  That is of course what BEM does.  Melissa is doing well, and the missionaries she serves enjoy having her…. (An interesting side note concerning Mellissa – her mom, Cathy Paris, served in several short term ministry opportunities with Beabea and me in Utah while we were church planting there.  It is very special to see Melissa grow up and do the same as her mom!)

While at home, I have quite a few projects to work on and finish up.  I also have experienced my pancreatitis causing some concern over the last week…. Pray that my health will be restored soon.  My next speaking trip will be in September to New York state and Maryland.  Pray for safety as well as the Lord working though me to help encourage others to serve the Lord….

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Beabea has not been traveling with me on these trips.  She is staying at home and working her caregiver job to help with our finances. We would appreciate your prayers that she would one day be able to travel with me 100% of the time!  I am pleased to announce that we are at 45% support.   We just had a couple of churches take us on for support this year!  I am also pleased to report that my health is doing better.  Thanks for your prayers!  In addition to the other prayer requests I do have a special need to share.  I am involved in several conflict resolution situations.  I do not share much in the updates concerning what is taking place due to the nature of this type of counseling.  I would very much desire your prayers on a regular basis for this part of our ministry even though we do not share what is taking place!  Finally, please note our new home phone number: (765) 889-3264!

Serving the Lord in confidence, trusting in the knowledge of who He is,

John (and Beabea) Rogers

jtrbem@gmail.com

Home: (765) 889-3264 (New)

Cell:     (765) 753-0056

Commissioning Church: Shepherd Road Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1054, Mulberry, FL  33860

Barnabas Enrichment Ministries
P.O. Box 229
Elkhart, IN 46515-0229

(765) 667-2532

www.barnabasenrichmentministries.org

Please send all financial gifts to Barnabas Enrichment Ministries with a note designating the gift for the ministry of John & Beabea Rogers.