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By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions We were surprised by the homegoing this month of our dear brother and your missionary Jose Gil. This faithful and fruitful man of God has made it to his eternal home. We were surprised at the timing, but I know the Lord numbered his days. Anyone who knows Jose knows him to be full of joy, articulate and a friend. He is going to be missed greatly. Brother Jose has been a bivocational Texas Missionary since July of 2023. The day we attended his memorial is the day we planned to meet him for his annual evaluation. He had filled out his evaluation with excitement. This year he had gathered his three discipling small groups into a service. He had seen 18 saved. This year he was excited to organize this new Baptist church. Then unexpectedly, his race ended. We trust that God will be in each detail in the future of this mission and for the believers who make it up. Ingesia Bautista Gethsemane in Conroe is deeply involved as the sending church. Pray for their pastor, Brother Oscarly, as he cares for the mission and family. I know you will join me in praying for Lourdes (Jose’s wife), Josue and Luz Marina, (grown children) and grandchildren. You can send encouragements and any donations to the missions office noted for Jose Gil. We will pass them to the family. 
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
This month we held our first gathering, a Bible study and vision meeting in our home, and the response was overwhelming! Twenty-three adults and 11 children filled our living room. We opened the book of Ephesians together, and the discussion was rich. We did not meet this past Sunday, as I was traveling, but this coming Sunday, July 26, I am expecting even more to attend…nearly 40 adults and 20 children! And this is only our launch core families! From here we will develop leaders, launch discipleship groups and become a team that reaches McDade and the surrounding communities. Two conversations have stayed with me. A gentleman named Chris, who has spent years overseas on the mission field, heard about our plant and came to our first meeting. We had talked about discipleship before, and to see him walk in, eager for everything we were discussing, was a gift. I also spent time with a young dentist in Elgin who was raised Buddhist and is now exploring faith. We talked about the common ground between us, and then he asked me plainly why I am a Christian. I told him it all comes down to Jesus. He wants to meet again next week to talk about who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. Please pray for that conversation. Our greatest need right now is a place to meet. I am approaching the local school and have already spoken with several churches in town. We need a temporary space where we can gather, train our people and learn together how to make disciples and lead groups. This is our most pressing need in these early days. There is much to praise God for as well. Antioch of Georgetown has partnered with us, committing to monthly support, and we are thankful for their vision and heart. I also had the joy of sharing lunch with Nick Kerry and two other BMA pastors from the College Station area, simply getting to know one another. It is a big praise to have brothers alongside us, and I look forward to attending their association meeting this fall. Prayer Needs:
 Fourth of July celebration at our home, Pastor Kevin Molloy and wife Cathy Molloy
We have been connecting with and spending time with a couple of young Nepali guys. Dalton and Erik have been meeting on and off for the past few months to study the Bible, but he has suddenly become more busy with school. However, he is still showing interest. Another young guy named Kritish, who lives across the street, has come to our home a few times, and once for a Bible study. We are continuing to show him love and care by taking him to the grocery store and inviting him to local events with us. Prayer Needs: Please pray that we continue to have good conversations and connections with those around us.
This month, we encouraged our members to invite friends and coworkers to our gatherings. It was exciting to see people respond, and we were grateful to welcome a first-time guest. We see our members’ willingness to reach out and are praying that new connections will continue to grow into lasting relationships and opportunities to share the gospel. Prayer Needs: Pray for our outreach opportunities and new connections.
Howdy from west Texas! Well, Oasis Levelland is up and healthy, and it is time to start phase two of our big vision to reach all of west Texas. Phase two is to plant network churches out of our first Oasis Hub in Levelland. That first community will be Sundown. Jamie and I are working on our relationship list and beginning talks with OC Levelland members to develop and plant a team for Sundown. With the move to our new building happening soon, it’s difficult to shift focus, but we are super excited to have a clear vision and a healthy church to draw from. It’s getting exciting over here in west Texas! Prayer Needs: Please pray for open doors for the gospel in Sundown, the development of a plant team, new relationships in Sundown and for the start of our first Bible study by the end of the year.
We shared a wonderful time together on a field trip to Oklahoma. We enjoyed each other’s company as the family we are, singing praises, praying and everyone participating in developing some verses. Thank God the van we recently bought took us there and back home without any problems (well, the air conditioning needs fixing since it wasn’t cooling properly). Prayer Needs: I am requesting prayer for health and healing, as I have injured a finger and cannot work easily, and other brothers and sisters are also suffering from illness.
We are excited about adding two new leaders in our leadership training program. Also, we have a couple of college students who have joined our church, this is a prayer answered. Prayer Needs: Please pray that the Lord sends us more youth.
July has been a great month for Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler. We’ve had new families coming to our worship service and have come with servant hearts. People are fitting right in. I love the noise and laughter of children. I think God’s timing is always perfect. I have prepared us in June for what was coming this month, and we are excited about what is to come towards the end of this year. Thank you, thank you for your cooperation, churches and pastors of the BMA of Texas. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a worship band and baptisms.
I am excited to share with you all that the Lord has opened a new door for ministry in our mission work. We feel revitalized and renewed with a vision to reach the lost in Port Arthur and are excited to get that effort going. Prayer Needs: Please be in prayer for us as we walk into this new opportunity. Ask the Lord to give wisdom and courage. Pray for the lost in Port Arthur to be fertile soil as we bring the gospel message.
I recently learned of the passing of our fellow missionary and friend, José Gil. I was his Sunday school teacher in Venezuela when he was a child. I hadn’t heard from him for many years until I ran into him here in Texas. He remembered me fondly and thanked me for my teachings. I don’t consider myself a good teacher, but I thank God for the influence I had on José’s life. To God be the glory. Prayer Needs: For Jose Gil’s family. For Ciro Gonzales, who will have his gallbladder removed on Aug. 27.
Please pray for the Greens, who lost their daughter at age 14. She was a beautiful girl, who had a wonderful life ahead of her that was cut short. They are struggling with everything that comes with losing a child. They are trying to stay faithful and seek the LORD. I continually pray for them and hurt with them. Please pray with us, that the doors continue to stay open, and that we can be a safe haven for them. Prayer Needs: Please pray that we can get new people to come to our church.
Our church blesses me with a three-week annual Study Leave that provides a break from regular ministry responsibilities and a getaway for rest, prayer, study and tackling projects that weekly work doesn’t allow time for. My primary project this time was doing needed edits and design work on our church discipleship materials as we continue to multiply disciples. Three men (two members and the seminary-son of members) filled the pulpit well in my absence. So thankful for this annual time and the encouragement it gives me. I hope more churches will do the same for their pastors. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our church as our first wave of disciples prepare to start their own Groves to make disciples that will mature and multiply. back to issue Comments are closed. Comments are closed.
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