From the Pastor’s Pen – June 2008

Can you believe it is already June, this year is flying by! It doesn’t seem like Pastor Isaac has been here for three years! He has graduated from RTS & is ready to return to Zambia to begin his new ministry. I am so thankful that God, in His providence, brought Isaac into our fellowship three years ago. God’s timing is always perfect & we saw a glimpse of this when we needed another elder who held strongly to the 1689. God answered our prayers by giving us a pastor who came from a church that was founded upon the 1689 Confession of Faith. Pastor Isaac stepped right in & began to teach & preach at Grace & we fell in love with him. After a few months some of our members approached me about helping to bring his wife & children over to the USA. (Isaac had come to seminary not expecting to have his family with him for three years.) The members of Grace heartily agreed & made plans to bring Shupe, Mwitupa & Taonga to Jackson. What a wonderful family they are & God has truly blessed our church with their presence. Not only did Pastor Isaac complete his classes in three years, he also was involved in ministry outside of Grace. He preached weekly at Gateway Mission Center, he preached in many other churches, as well as at the Truth 4 Youth Camp last year & at the first MS Founders Conference. God has used him in the USA to make a great impact upon other believers. I believe that God has great plans for him in Zambia & hopefully even in Namibia. Let me also say a word about his wife Shupe, she has truly been a joy to be around. She is truly a humble woman who loves God & has committed herself to being her husband’s helpmate. She has set a wonderful example before us. She was so helpful in working with others to help us start a Women’s Ministry. We will truly miss her & her children but we know that God will use them for His glory in Zambia. Let us pray that God would be pleased to completely heal her from her physical problems. Also, pray for Mwitupa & Taonga as they return to their homeland. Pray that they might adjust well in their new home & make new friends quickly. Pray for their spiritual needs & that God’s work of salvation may be evident in Mwitupa’s life & that God would draw Taonga to Christ. As our last Sunday with them draws near, our hearts will be divided. We will be sad to see them go but filled with joy knowing that they will be used of God in Zambia. They are our missionaries & we plan on continuing our relationship with them for many, many years. I look forward to the day when many of us are able to go & minister with them in Zambia. We serve a great & marvelous God who has truly blessed us in bringing this family into our lives. We love you & we will miss you! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives.

Pastor Thomas Winn