November 5, 2001
Men hear testimonies of God at work
___DALLAS--Through the ministry of a Texas Baptist Men missions volunteer, God is turning war-torn Kosovo into a land of milk and honey for the widows of one village.
___That testimony about the milk cow and beehive ministry one missions volunteer (name witheld for security reasons) launched among Kosovar women was one of several stories of the "activity of God" shared at the annual Texas Baptist Men Convention Oct. 30 at the Dallas Convention Center.
___The missons volunteer has served the last two years in Kosovo as a volunteer supported by Texas Baptist Men, in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board.
LEO SMITH
___Working in the village of Peje, which was 80 percent destroyed by civil war in the former Yugoslavia, she developed a ministry among the
___Initially, she involved Texas Baptist Men volunteer groups in providing food for hungry widows and children, repairing damaged homes and distributing 36,000 blankets and numerous wood stoves before a harsh winter.
___Eventually, she recognized the need for long-term development to provide the widows with economic security. From her home church and other sources, she raised $10,000 with the intention of helping the women start a laundry in the village, only to return and discover an outsider already had started one there.
___After questioning the women to determine their needs, she found they were interested in tending beehives and caring for milk cows. "Milk and honey ..., isn't that scriptural?" she observed.
___She was able to purchase 20 beehives and six cows, each of which has given birth to a calf since then. And she has been able to share the gospel with women--nearly all of whom were Muslim--both in Kosovo and in neighboring Montenegro.
___Other testimonies included Bill Blackmon on Ennis, who described a recent prayerwalk in Serbia; Lee Bevly, who worked in disaster relief after floods both in Houston and in his hometown of Skidmore; and Director of Missions David Smith and pastor Randy Newberry, who coordinated an On Mission Celebration involving 40 Austin-area churches.
___The convention elected Leo Smith, a retired pastor from LaMarque, as president of Texas Baptist Men. He is the first pastor to serve in that leadership role.
___The convention also elected Bryan Finley of Kerrville as financial vice president, Kevin Walker of Fort Worth as personnel vice president, George Crews of Colleyville as policy vice president and Tony Hernandez of San Antonio as recording secretary.
___Other vice presidents are DeWayne Williams of Arlington, agricultural missions; John LaNoue of Tyler, aviation; Larry Blanchard of Lindale, Challengers; Tom Shelby of Dallas, communications; Dick Moody of Ennis, Couples on Mission; Jerry Bob Taylor of Brownwood, disaster relief; Mel Goodwin of Kilgore, fire and rescue; Ed Alvarado of Donna, Hispanic Baptist Men; Tommy Malone of Santa Fe, kingdom renewal; Yoo J. Yoon of Dallas, Korean Baptist Men; Warren Hart of Paris, media,; Bob Mann of Arlington, medical/dental; Jerry Horn of Universal City, military fellowship; Bryan Finley of Kerrville, outdoor fellowship; Mark Hollis of Crowley, restorative justice; James Corliss of San Antonio, Royal Ambassadors; Wayne Simpkins of Beeville, retiree builders; Hubert Ekstrum of Alvin, retiree camp builders; Glen Gaines of Brenham, veterinarians; and Joe Mosley of Dallas, victim relief ministry.
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
