Morning Star Baptist Church

Highlights of Canada Trip
8/23/01 - 9/1/01

[Click here to view the Canada photo album]

A Mission Team of 4 couples from Morning Star Baptist Church: (Joe & Sherry Brackins, Jimmy & Connie Humphries, Matt & Jamie Cooper, and Tommy & Myra Smith) prayed with Pastor Carrigan and a small group from the church who met to see them off around 8 a.m. Thursday, August 23. Brother E.J. Smith and Ed Slaten drove us to the Charlotte airport. Brother Jimmy and Sister Connie had a small problem in Toronto with clearing immigration due to lack of sufficient legal identification. After a short interview, we were allowed to continue. On the flight to Vancouver we witnessed to a 17-year-old young man named Twan. He read a gospel tract and asked questions about salvation. In the Vancouver airport, we met 2 ladies returning to Kamloops from a business trip. During the 5 hour layover, we were able to witness to these 2 ladies. Finally, after a long day of travel as well as running our watches ahead 3 hours due to the time change, the group arrived safely in Kamloops airport. Brother Mann was waiting to transport us to the designated homes where we would stay. Friday morning we were up early and traveled to the church to meet the group. Brother Mann and his family had prepared over 13,000 door hanger packages containing John/Romans, a gospel tract, and a flyer with directions and contact information to the church, and a brief description of the church beliefs. The Mann Family, the Horton Family, our group from Morning Star Baptist Church, and a small group from the Berean Baptist Church filled our bags with these packets and loaded into the vans to begin our distribution. We paired up into teams of 2 and delivered the packets door to door somewhat like a newspaper deliverer. Dogs were terrible! Myra Smith almost got attacked, but yelled, prayed, and thankfully the owner of the dog was able to call the dog off before any real bites happened. We broke for lunch around noon and the ladies of the Berean Baptist Church had prepared sandwiches and drinks. After a short break, we loaded the vans and continued our distributing until around 5 p.m. Matt and Jamie and Connie & Jimmy returned to Ms. Annie Dyke’s home, and Joe & Sherry and Tommy and Myra returned to the Mann’s home for dinner and rest for the night. In the evenings we helped cook, clean up, played guitar and sang, fellowshipped, then ended the day with family devotions. Saturday was a lot like Friday with the exception that our muscles were a little more sore. We started early delivering packets, broke for lunch, and continued delivering until around 5 p.m. We met a sweet lady who said she may be looking for a church for she and her husband. Pastor Mann prayed with her and invited her to church. She promised to come. Sunday at the Mann home, we were up early. Sherry and Myra prepared a big southern style breakfast and everyone enjoyed it. We had a great Sunday Morning service. We had songs and a great Sunday school lesson. Myra played guitar and sang. Pastor Horton preached a great message on being a good disciple. A lady with several children visited because of the packets! After the service Matt and Jamie returned to Ms. Annie Dyke’s home; Connie and Jimmy went home with Pastor Horton and his wife, and Tommy and Myra, Joe and Sherry went home with the Mann Family. We had great lunches and rest for the afternoon, then back to church for the evening service. In the evening service, Joe and Tommy gave their testimony and Myra played guitar and sang. Brother Mann preached a great message on "I am the Door". The sweet Presbyterian lady came! Also 2 other people came because they had received a packet! We stayed late after church and Myra played guitar and sang as others fellowshipped. Monday and Tuesday we were up early to meet at the church and continue distributing tracts. We broke for lunch around noon, then went back out in the afternoon to distribute until about 5 p.m. We walked up and down hills and steps until all of our muscles ached. Several of us had opportunities to give personal witness as we distributed the packets. In the evening we returned to the homes to help prepare the evening meal. We ate, cleaned up, played guitar and sang, had family devotions, then rested for the next day Wednesday we started early and completed delivering the packets around 12:30. In the after noon we prepared for the evening service. Myra worked with Kendra, Heidi, and Sister Debbie to prepare special music. Brother Joe and Brother Matt prepared their sermons. In the evening service Heidi sang with the guitar, Kendra and a group of girls sang with piano, Kendra sang solo with guitar, and Debbie played violin special accompanied by the guitar and Myra’s singing. Brother Joe and Brother Matt preached great messages encouraging the church to get the gospel out. After church we returned to our homes, cleaned up, had devotions, then rested. Thursday the men spent all day cutting and stacking wood for Pastor Horton. Pastor Horton is 70 years old and uses wood to heat his home in the winter. The ladies met with the Tottens, Ms. Debbie, and Ms. Mann and spent the day shopping in Kamloops. In the afternoon we prepared the evening meal and cleaned up. Friday we all had a picnic and visited some beautiful waterfalls with Pastor Horton and his wife and the Mann family. Myra helped Ms. Horton to fix some computer problems, then we returned to our homes to pack for our trip home on Saturday. Saturday morning we began our long travel day at the airport at 4:30. We were all excited to see a group from Morning Star Baptist Church to welcome us at the airport. It brought tears to our eyes to see the posters and smiles of our friends and know that they love and miss us! We may never know the impact of what the Word of God distributed in Kamloops will accomplish. We do know that God’s Word will not return void. Join with us in praying that God will use His Word that was distributed to touch the hearts of those in Kamloops, Canada. Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.