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Our camp theme this year, “Hills and Valleys” was suggested by Stuart during last year’s DIT (Disciples In Training) meetings. Psalms 104:8 says, “The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.” At camp last week the creek was babbling, the birds were singing, the flowers were out, the trees were a dozen shades of green.
Whether it’s the Hills and Valleys around Garwood or the Mountains in Colorado. Sometimes God’s creation demands us to stop and worship Him.
It’s a comforting thought, every hill, every valley, is created by God. And even more so when that thought is applied to the hills and valleys of life. We all have them. Rarely is life smooth and level.
When we were talking about using “Hills and Valleys” for our theme I thought of the old Tracy Dartt song. “God on the Mountain”

Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got
peace of mind, like you’ve never known
But things change, when you’re down in the valley
Don’t lose faith, for your never alone
For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, he’ll make them right
And the God of the good times,is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night….

Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain. And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But things change, when you’re down in the valley Don’t lose faith, for your never alone
For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley
When things go wrong, he’ll make them right
And the God of the good times,is still God in the bad times
The God of the day, is still God in the night….

Of course the DIT’s, my kids and just about everyone else
thought of the newer song “Hills and Valleys” by Tauren Wells.

I’ve walked among the shadows
You wiped my tears away
And I’ve felt the pain of heartbreak
And I’ve seen the brighter days
And I’ve prayed prayers to heaven from my lowest place
And I have held the blessings God, you give and take away
No matter what I have, Your grace is enough
No matter where I am, I’m standing in Your love
On the mountains, I will bow my life To the one who set me there
In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the one who sees me there. When I’m standing on the mountain aft, didn’t get there on my own. When I’m walking
through the valley end, no I am not alone!
You’re God of the hills and valleys! Hills and Valleys! God of
the hills and valleys And I am not alone!

Both songs serve well as reminders that we are not alone. In the good times and bad, on the mountain or in the valley there is one who has promised to never leave or forsake.

“Nothing much grows on top of the mountains, most growth is in the valleys. However, the peaks in our lives allow us to refresh our vision of our destination.”
-Matt Bolen

Whether you’re thinking of our theme with a focus on God’s Creation or encouragement for the valleys of life our prayer is that this years camp will help you grow a little closer to Jesus.

by Chris Polk

We had such a great time at the recent Renewal Weekend. Thanks to the State and Meramec Associations for sponsoring and Bro. Ben Kingston for planning it!

We LOOK FORWARD to the upcoming Men’s retreat May 3rd – 4th. I’m sure details will be included in this edition We hope to see a good crowd. The Men’s retreat is always a lot of fun and a good time of fellowship. Also just around the corner is our DEWr’s weekend. May 30-June 1st. If you’re a DEWr be sure to come and enjoy the weekend with us. We will start Thursday night sitting around the fire sharing stories. Friday after breakfast we’re going on an adventure and will return to camp Friday evening. Saturday we will behanging around camp. All plans are not fnalized. We may have a train ride or a trip to the movies. Maybe it’ll be warm enough for Jolly Cone. If you’re a DEWr be sure to mark your calender, you don’t want to miss this weekend.

Not a DEWr? You can be for just over a Dollar Every Week. A Dewr is anyone who gives $ 75. or more to camp annually. Be a Dewr not a hearer only!

Camp week is fast approaching, we have several smaller jobs but our primary focus is on the mini golf course. Now is a good time for your group to schedule a weekend to come help get the grounds ready. There are always things to clean, paint, repair, move, trim or mow. We’re an equal opportunity camp ground. Every one has an equal opportunity to help!!!

Can’t make it to help? That’s OK, be a “pray-er.” Pray for our Evangelist Bro. Brad Banderman, our musicians, teachers, cooks, recreation help, sponsors, workers, campers, and for me. I truly need your prayers. Going to camp every weekend usually hauling something involves a lot of risk. Juggling family, church, work, camp and all the side things that comes with them becomes pretty stressful and trying at times.

Our theme this year, “Hills and Valleys” reminds us that God made the beauty around us and that He is God of the Hills and Valleys in life. We need that reminder often lest we think, “I can do this alone.”

-See ya at Camp
Chris Polk • PO Box 271 • Matthews MO 63867

January 23, the day after New York passed the Reproductive Health Act, BJ Garrett, Executive Director of Christ-centered Abortion Recovery & Education
(CARE), spoke in Chapel at Jacksonville College. As she addressed students, faculty, and sta?, BJ began to recount the
tragic story of her childhood: “When I was twelve years old, my mother sold me for a bag of groceries. I was being sex trafficked by my own mother before sex trafficking was a thing. When I was twelve years old, there had been so many men that had been given access to my body that I was basically a shell of a little girl. There was no real ‘me’ left at twelve years old.”

BJ felt like her life was out of control, and she made one terrible choice after another. Those choices led to four pregnancies, the frst when she was only fourteen years old. She kept two of the babies, Ashlei and Austin, but she had two abortions. She still struggles with the memories of her first abortion. She explained, “I can still feel today the pressure in my gut from me lying on that table and them ripping my child from my body. Every time I hear the sound of a vacuum cleaner or an air conditioner, I can hear the
sound of them literally taking the life of my child from my body. “It was horrendous.”

BJ then married a man who was an alcoholic. The marriage seemed unlikely to last, until BJ and her husband became Christians. “I cannot tell you what it was like for me to go from such ugliness and such brokenness to meeting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior,” she said. “He is the Healer of all things.”

BJ and her husband, Jay, have now been married for 21 years. The two have a daughter, Alex, who is attending Jacksonville College. Ashlei, BJ’s first child, is a Jacksonville College graduate. She is now 28 years old and is a beautiful reminder of how precious life is. Ashlei attended the January 23 Chapel service to support her mother.

When BJ became involved with CARE, she was able to talk about things from her past that she had kept hidden from even those closest to her, including her abortions. God used CARE to help her heal, and she is now able to o?er support to other women who are struggling with the same decisions she had to face. BJ explains, “CARE’s mission is to restore lives wounded by abortion and to educate the community of its consequences. In short, we minister to both men and women who are hurting from a past abortion experience. We help them understand the truth of abortion, and we o?er real help and resources for those facing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy.”

In 2016, BJ accepted the position of Executive Director of CARE. She is also a graduate of the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, and she welcomes opportunities to share her testimony of restoration and abortion recovery.

When asked for her response to New York’s Reproductive Health Act, BJ answered, “First, and most importantly, taking your child’s life at ANY stage of development comes with life altering, heartbreaking physical, mental, and spiritual consequences. I know this because I’ve made that choice not once, but twice. We have to educate our nation about the truth of abortion.

Second, full-term abortions are already legal in several states, and there are even nonprofts that raise money just to help women pay for and end their children’s lives. This is not new. New York just joined the list of these states. Heartbreaking? Yes, but I feel educating our communities and our nation is key to stopping the heartache caused by abortion.”

Jacksonville College’s stance on abortion is that human beings are created by God in His image; therefore, every person, from conception to natural death, possesses inherent dignity and immeasurable worth—including preborn children, elderly individuals, those with special needs, and others marginalized by society. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Christians, then, are called to defend, protect, and value all human life.

New York’s Reproductive Health Act that legalizes even full-term abortions has signed into law on the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. JC President Mike Smith lamented, “Christians were asleep in 1973 when abortions became legal.” It is the prayer of Jacksonville College that Christians will wake up and support ministries like CARE that work with women who find themselves in “crisis pregnancies” and who help men and women who have suffered from the spiritual and emotional complications of abortion.

For more information about CARE, visit careabortionrecovery.com.

The annual retreat for the Master’s Builders, was held on January 22nd -25th. For the first time, the Builders gathered at Daniel Dorm at Daniel Springs Encampment, in Gary, Texas. In April of last year, our men did some remodeling of the dorm and Daniel Springs can now offer a very nice facility for group gatherings. Bro. Jason Prewitt says the camp is “wide open” for large groups to enjoy. Daniel Dorm and Retreat Center offers sleeping quarters, a full kitchen, and a large multi-use room. The Master’s Builders will tell you that the facility is great for church groups, reunion, and retreats. You can contact Jason at 903-685-2433 or e-mail him at: jason@danielspringscamp.com. Several of our Builders remarked that this was the Best Retreat yet! We had 30 Builders who attended the retreat and stayed on the grounds and 1 couple from Lufkin, TX, who came to visit. We always enjoy our time together. We do a lot of eating, snacking, grazing, and game playing. We are happy to welcome a new couple into our group. Don and Pam Windam, of Fairfeld, TX, certainly ft right in to our fun group.

On Wednesday night, we had a special treat, as the Jacksonville College Choir, under the leadership of Bro. Randy Decker, came and fellowship with us and put on a great concert! Bro. Randy has asked each one of the students to greet new people and ask, “What’s your story?” And then to sit and listen and then share their story with them. What a GREAT dea!! This would be good for us all to do!! Step out of our comfort zone and make new friends! Bro. Randy, thank you for being a great music
leader and life leader WITH these students. He shared this thought with all of us, “We are not to be an in?uence by forcing someone to do something, or by doing something for them, but by doing something WITH them. While we were at Retreat, we learned of the death of our eldest Master’s Builder, Max Adams. He would have been 92 in a couple of months. Max lost his beloved wife, Wilma, last July and was certainly ready to be “home” with her and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please pray for his family, his church family at Wyatt Baptist, El Dorado, Arkansas, and his Master’s Builders family. We will all miss him and his whistling!

The Master’s Builders have a busy spring coming up. Plans are to be back at Daniel Springs in March, Kenwood Baptist, Siloam springs, Arkansas, in April, New Liberty, Emmet, Arkansas, in May, and Riverview Baptist, Fulton, Arkansas, in June. If you are near one of these jobs, come see us, we would love to meet you! If you have questions about the Master’s Builders ministry, or if your church has any building needs, please contact our Office Coordinator, Bro. John Mangum, at 318-202-5155 or (cell) 318-607-4100 or our Field Coordinator, Eddie Sikes, at 903-725-6549 or (cell) 479-462-1675. Keep up with us on Facebook. Rose Bittner does a fantastic job keeping everyone informed of all our goings on! Like us at “ The Master’s Builders” w/ (arbor logo).
Nelda Malone – Reporter

World Missions Day in the Baptist Missionary Association of America is February 24, 2019. If your church has not made plans to participate in this special day go to bmamissions.org/woldmissionsday to register and to get ideas and materials to use for this special day. You can also email Paige West at page @ bmamissions.org or call the missions office at (501) 455-4977.

(The Legacy of Missionary Baptist Pastor W.S. Gordon Lives On )
by Melissia Zinn

A small band of Missionary Baptists gathered in Fifty-Six, AR, in August, 1935, and organized the Fifty-Six Missionary Baptist Church where years later an eleven-year-old boy, Randy J. Zinn (named for his two Godly grandfathers) would walk the aisle of the church and accept Jesus as his Savior. In September, 1935, one month after the organization of the church at Fifty-Six, another group of Missionary Baptists, led by Bro. W. S. Gordon, a preacher from Beebe, AR, convened in the small town of Kewanee, MO, to organize the Kewanee Missionary Baptist Church where years later an eight-year-old girl, Melissia Frances McVay (named for her two Godly grandmothers) would be led to Christ by her pastor during a revival service at the church.

Melissia ministered in the Batesville church for eight years before they were married. Over the years, Bro. Zinn has been privileged to return to Fifty-Six on many occasions to preach and he has been honored, also, to preach at Melissia’s home church in Kewanee numerous times. Both churches continue to minister passionately and effectively in their communities.

In 1998, the Zinns moved to Houston, MO, where Randy pastored Houston Baptist Church and worked at an elementary school to supplement his income. While at the school, he met a teacher introduced as Mr. Gordon. Christmas, 1999, Mr. Gordon, knowing that Randy was a pastor, graciously presented him with a Looney Tunes cartoon, Christmas necktie he proudly wears every Christmas.

This gesture sparked an in depth conversation between them and Bro. Zinn shared how his wife was from Kewanee. which piqued Mr. Gordon’s interest. He excitedly related how his father, Bro. W. S. Gordon, was the founding pastor of Kewanee Missionary Baptist Church, to which Bro. Zinn responded that Melissia’s grandfather, Joseph McVay, was a charter member and one of the first deacons of the church. Not only that, in addition to Melissia, her mother and all six of her siblings were saved at the church, her father already a member and the music director. Naturally, from this exchange, a warm friendship developed between them – an astounding 64 years after the organization of the Kewanee church.

The Zinns moved to Dustin, OK, in July, 2000, where he was pastor of the First Baptist Church for over twelve years. One day in the early 2000’s, they received their copy of The Missouri Missionary Baptist and immediately their attention was captured and their hearts saddened by the article announcing the home going of Pastor W. S. Gordon and listing, most fittingly, one of the musical presentations at his service as “Thank You for Giving to the Lord” written by Ray Boltz.

From 2013 to 2015, Bro. Zinn was privileged to pastor the Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Church of Malden, MO, a church started by their beloved Kewanee Missionary Baptist Church–and the legacy of Pastor W. S. Gordon continued to live on.

Today, Bro. Zinn and his wife, Melissia, live in Russell, AR. He pastors the Russell Missionary Baptist Church, just 33 miles from Beebe where the body of Pastor Gordon was laid to rest. The Zinns have only one thing to say, “Bro. Gordon, thank you so much for giving to the Lord, and thank you, Lord, for giving Bro. Gordon to our world for over 90 years.”

Fast-forward to 2018. Our very own BMAA’s current Executive Director of Missions and and long-time Missionary, Dr. John David Smith, is the son of Bro. Arthur Smith who was a two-time pastor of the Kewanee church. His mother, Shirlene, graduated valedictorian from Kewanee High. Dr. Smith’s grandmother, Ethel Hall, was a long-time, Godly and faithful member of Kewanee until her passing and his uncle, Danny Hall, is still an active and faithful member there. And–Pastor W. S. Gordon’s influence continues to touch lives ALL OVER THE WORLD. Praise the Lord! Dr. Smith has been the revival speaker at the church on several occasions.

(Dr. Smith’s aunt, Mary Lou Hall Edwards, was my closest friend throughout high school and still my dear friend today. Bro.Arthur Smith was my pastor during his first term at Kewanee.)

(The Legacy of Missionary Baptist Pastor W.S. Gordon Lives On )
by Melissia Zinn

A small band of Missionary Baptists gathered in Fifty-Six, AR, in August, 1935, and organized the Fifty-Six Missionary Baptist Church where years later an eleven-year-old boy, Randy J. Zinn (named for his two Godly grandfathers) would walk the aisle of the church and accept Jesus as his Savior. In September, 1935, one month after the organization of the church at Fifty-Six, another group of Missionary Baptists, led by Bro. W. S. Gordon, a preacher from Beebe, AR, convened in the small town of Kewanee, MO, to organize the Kewanee Missionary Baptist Church where years later an eight-year-old girl, Melissia Frances McVay (named for her two Godly grandmothers) would be led to Christ by her pastor during a revival service at the church.
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