PRAYER LETTER
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. 1 Tim 1:12
Dear Pastor and Friends, May 4, 2008
As I type this letter today I am thankful to the Lord, as Paul told Timothy, that He counted me faithful and then called me into the ministry. Many times lately I had to remind myself why I am here in Schweinfurt Germany and that is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be an encourager . The military installation here in Schweinfurt is shrinking in size and many of our men and their families are being sent to another military base four hours away. Please pray with us that the Lord will give us more opportunity to witness to those that are left.
I am thankful for you folks that pray to the Lord on our behalf and give that we can be here ministering to our military.
We have had to say so-long to two good and faithful families as they were transferred to Colorado but at the same time we rejoice with them as they have settled in to their new homes and have joined good churches. We are losing two more families in the next two weeks and 2-3 more by June. This places a great strain on the ministry. Please pray with us that we will find new families that can help here in the ministry.
Ellen and I had the opportunity to go to Bethel Baptist Church in Rota Spain in February to help them celebrate the churches 35th anniversary. Bethel is where Ellen and I were saved in 1978 while stationed in the Navy there. We had a great time as we meet old friends and heard great preaching. It was rewarding to see families saved in a military ministry still serving the Lord and many in full time service.
Ellen's "Laundromat Ministry" continues. She had an opportunity to witness to an older man for a good hour who said he was an atheist but was willing to listen. At the end of the discussion she asked him, " For the sake of discussion, let's say YOU are right and there is no God. When I die what will I have lost?", and he conceded that she would have lost nothing. Then she asked him, "Let's say I am right and there is a God and you die. What will YOU have lost?" and he had no answer when she pointed our he would have lost his soul to Hell. He became very quiet as he started to ponder the discussion. Just before he left she asked him what he was doing in Schweinfurt and he said he was hired by the Army to come to Schweinfurt to walk around and talk to soldiers and family members to see if any were having problems and counsel them in an informal setting. Ellen said she had to wonder what kind of help he could offer them if HE had no hope?
Please be praying with us for new church members to help in the ministry, for the salvation of Chad- an unsaved husband, and for our health that we may continue in the ministry as the Lord needs us. It's hard to believe we've been in the military ministry 23 years already-we still feel like the new kids on the block but we don't look it any more. Some of you have supported us for almost the whole 23 years and we really thank the Lord for your faithfulness which allows us to remain on the field even when the dollar is so low and times are tough money wise. Gas in town is $9.44/gal. Today at todays exchange rate. A glass of soda or a cup of coffee is $2.95 and NO free refills. Needless to say we almost never eat out any more when an average meal will cost $40.00 for 2 people. We have heard of several families who have had to leave the field because their support would no longer cover their living costs. Lord willing, we won't get to that point.
In His Service,
Roy C. Smith