Dear Soldiers of the Cross,
Psalm 68:11 “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” On September 6th with the help of my Pastor Phillip Youngblood, his wife (Shasha), Preacher Eddie Youngblood, his wife (Christy), and me and Ms Sheril, we delivered the John Eliot Native American Bibles to the Wampanoag people of Massachusetts. On September 8th we had services at Mashpee Baptist Church on the Wampanoag Reservation on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Beloved, I will not be able to put into words all that I felt in my heart as I watched the hand of God moving in the hearts of the people. God truly did meet with us in a special way. One of the highlights of the services was when a Tribal member, Ms Trudy Coombs, read to us from the Eliot Bible in the Wampanoag language and also sang us a song in the Wampanoag language. The Spirit of God filled the house, and the people began praising God with loud shouts and laughter, “Glory, Glory, Glory to His Name.” The church was filled with twice as many that normally come. After the services we began to hand out the Bibles, and my heart was thrilled to see the people with tears in their eyes as they embraced those Bibles in their arms as a mother embracing her child. We had many to drive in after services and pick up Bibles and carry them home. Only God knows all that he will do through his WORD and his presence in their homes. Praise the Lord!
On September 15th we had services at Community Baptist Church on the Aquinnah Reservation on Martha’s Vinyard, Massachusetts. We had the services outside on the grounds under the trees, just like John Eliot would often do with the people. There were three times as many in the services as normal. God gave us great liberty in the preaching of the Word. After the services we gave out the Bibles, and the people received them with joy in their hearts. We had lunch after the services and a great time of fellowship with the people.
We had a wonderful time delivering the Bibles to the Chairwoman of the Herring Pond Tribal Community of the Wampanoag. We also delivered the Bibles to both the Mashpee and Aquinnah Tribal headquarters. God’s first written Word, 360 years ago to our Native people, is now back into the hands and homes of the Wampanoag people. Glory!
We want to print another 1000 copies of the John Eliot Native American Bible for the people. We want to make sure we get a copy into every home and to each one that would like a personal copy of God’s Word. We have three more communities that need Bibles. Please help us with $80,000 to print these Bibles, along with the John Eliot Grammar book. If you would like to help us with this John Eliot Bible expense, you can send your support for this Bible project to Native American Mission Fund Ministries (NAMFM), 3232 Hendersonville Hwy, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768. Please mark the MEMO, John Eliot Bible Fund. Please pray for this Bible project and call me if you have any questions.
As We Labor for Christ,
Gerry & Sheril Locklear
Missionaries to the Native Americans