Dear Soldiers of the Cross,
1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”
As I sit here in Alaska writing this letter, I can’t help but praise the Lord for his many blessings upon my life. The month of May was one of the highlights of our ministry. God filled our hearts with joy with the wonderful opportunity to serve him by serving others. We were able to take a work team up to the Wampanoag Reservation on Martha’s Vineyard and work on the oldest continually operating Native American church in the nation, established in 1693. The work team did an amazing amount of work in the week they were there. God knit our hearts together along with the church folks there on the Island at Community Baptist Church. God gave us the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through word, deed and lifestyle. We had a young man there on the Island take some time to come over and help us. This young man (Tim) is not saved, but God gave each of us the opportunity to share the Gospel with him. We all signed a Bible and gave it to him. We are praying that God will save him for his glory. The church members could hardly believe that we would take our time and expense and give to them. We told them that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has hands and feet and it was our joy to be there.
The next week we invited missionaries from Washington State, Oregon, Idaho and Oklahoma to join us there for a missions meeting. This church is without a pastor and has need of encouragement. Bro Michael Gilman, a member of the church, has stepped up to fill in until God sends them a pastor. God met with us in a mighty way through the preaching, singing and fellowship. These northern church folks were not familiar with our southern Gospel style of preaching and singing, but they seemed to enjoy us as much as we enjoyed them. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to be a blessing to these missionaries as well. God gave them some much needed down time to rest from their labors. Bro Joe Copley and Sister Lela celebrated their 50th year anniversary while there on the Island. They have been faithful servants of God, starting churches on four reservations in the last forty years. I thank God for the opportunity to share in their ministry.
I’m not sure if you noticed how many times I used the word opportunity in this letter, I PRAISE GOD FOR ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES he has given me to labor for him. Are you diligently seeking your opportunities to serve God?
As We Labor for Christ,
Gerry and Sheril Locklear