Dear Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving!  Out of all the holidays in the year, Thanksgiving is probably my favorite.  I enjoy it for its relative simplicity.  There are no gifts to purchase and no expectations of receiving gifts.  Rather, it is a time to slow down and express gratitude.  Here is a list of some things for which I am thankful in 2022.

• I am thankful for Jesus Christ.  My church recently sang a new song that explains why I am grateful for Jesus.  The chorus has these words:

For the Lord is good and faithful,

He will keep us day and night,

We can always run to Jesus,

Jesus, strong and kind.

• I am thankful for our missionaries.  I am thankful for each and every person who is part of the FBM family.  Our missionaries serve God faithfully.  They work hard each day to fulfill our mission to “Glorify God by obeying the Great Commission and caring for those we serve.” 

• I am thankful for my family.  God has blessed me with a wonderful wife and four precious children. This year, God has guided our family through sicknesses, injuries, and even major surgery.  I thank God for my family.

• I am thankful for my church.  My church is not perfect.  Sometimes, it frustrates me and even disappoints me.  Yet, my church is a wonderful gift from God.  I hear the Word of God faithfully preached at my church.  I sing with my fellow brothers and sisters at my church.  My church prays for me.  My church loves me and my family.  My church encourages me to grow in my walk with Christ. 

• I am thankful for Clara.  I never had the privilege of meeting Clara.  I’ve read that Clara “had a heart for missions and for those who did not know Jesus, that they might have the opportunity to come to know Him.”  Clara passed away over a year ago, yet her influence continues today because she included EMM in her estate plans.  Because of her planning and her generosity, the Gospel will continue to be advanced throughout Mexico in the years to come. 

• I am thankful for FBM’s “partners in the Gospel.”  Nearly 2,000 churches and individuals partner with FBM and its missionaries.  I am so thankful for each one of you.  I often think of the words of Paul in Philippians 1 – “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now.” Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. 

Please take some time this Thanksgiving season to reflect on all that God has done for you.  If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, your gratitude list should be miles long! 

Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel.  May God richly bless you. 

PS – Please don’t forget about our December 15, 2022 deadline to sign up for our April Mission trip to Mexico.  Visit www.faithbaptistmission.org/mission-trips to learn more.  You can also contact our Mission Trips Coordinator, Bill Donnan, at 518-774-4844 or bill@faithbaptistmission.org with any questions you may have.