TBM volunteers recount ‘€˜activity of God’

About 2,300 Texas Baptist Men volunteers last year served more than 1.5 million meals in disaster areas, completed more than 65 building projects and provided pure water—and the Living Water of Christ—in remote sites from Mexico to Mongolia.

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MESQUITE—About 2,300 Texas Baptist Men volunteers last year served more than 1.5 million meals in disaster areas, completed more than 65 building projects and provided pure water—and the Living Water of Christ—in remote sites from Mexico to Mongolia.

Disaster relief workers, retiree builders and other missions volunteers presented reports on “the activity of God” during the recent TBM Convention in Mesquite.

During 2008, TBM workers purified more than 241,000 gallons of water in disaster-affected areas where the water supply became contaminated and in isolated villages that never had a reliable source of clean drinking water.

Missionary Jerry Smith described how TBM workers captured the attention of national leaders in Mongolia after they provided pure water to a village where the local water supply had become tainted with cyanide.

He noted how popular directions to the clean water source clearly illustrated understanding in the region about the TBM volunteers’ motivation for service: “Follow the Jesus road to where the Jesus people are working, and they will give you Jesus water.”

Larry Blanchard of Lindale recounted his experiences with a disaster relief team who served in the Republic of Georgia through Global Hope Partners. He recalled the sight of Russian tanks as the volunteers worked in Gori, setting up a field kitchen to provide meals for people affected by fighting in that area.

“We saw the hand of God over and over,” Blanchard recalled.

TBM Executive Director Leo Smith presented the organization’s Parabolani Award to missions aviator Mike Harwood and veteran missionaries Jim and Viola Palmer, who served in Nicaragua. The award is named for an early brotherhood of Christians who risked their lives in the service of Jesus.

In a presentation marking the 100th anniversary of Royal Ambassadors, Dewayne Wil-liams of Mansfield described how he started working with the missions organization for boys 50 years ago. He fondly recalled the many times he and other leaders have taught spiritual lessons while instructing boys in various outdoor activities.


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Participants at the TBM Convention were encouraged to contribute to a 15,000-square-foot expansion of the Dixon Missions Equipping Center in east Dallas. To date, about $850,000 has been given toward the $1 million goal, Mickey Lenamon, TBM resource development director, reported.

The projected facility— named in honor of veteran disaster relief leader John LaNoue—will provide space to store the fleet of disaster relief vehicles, and it will enable the missions center to serve as a fully equipped response facility during disasters. For more information, contact [email protected].

 


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