Dear friends,

It’s been several months since our last family update. Much of my time in the office has been focused on two major international projects, one in Guyana and the other in Mongolia.

Guyana—The Guyana project was born out of adversity. Last year our coworkers, the Kilcups, delivered 7 complete sets of our Bible lesson series to Andy & Kathleen Girwarnauth who were on furlough in Michigan. These sets were loaded up on a container headed to Guyana along with many other things needed by the Girwarnauths who work with 20 churches and help run a camp. However, in January the container was destroyed in a port fire in Guyana. The Girwarnauths have little hope of any compensation from the disaster, but we committed to resupplying them with updated sets. These sets will be the first time our entire 312 lessons series has been printed in full-color as we completed our True Colors project this spring with the help of several talented graphic artists. Lord willing the sets will be shipped in June via barrels. Since the Girwarnauths are back in Guyana we’re personally packing and delivering the barrel to the port company in New Jersey.
The port fire that destroyed the first 7 sets of BVI materials
Some final illustrations colorized in our Bible lesson series
Updated Visualized Bible Series
Mongolia—These same updated Bible lessons are needed for our other international project in Mongolia. Shortly after I started with BVI in 2010 we learned about missionaries in Mongolia who had established a printing press and had asked permission to translate our Bible lessons series to supply churches in the country. We were surprised to learn that these missionaries were “the Cofers”, since that’s also Betsy’s maiden name. Although our families aren’t directly related, we are glad to call these folks our family in Christ.

Mickey and Trina have labored with their team to translate and print these resources. The New Testament volumes have already been printed. All that remains are the Old Testament ones, the same ones we just updated into full color. In September there is a major pastor’s conference scheduled in Ulaanbaatar. This would be the ideal venue to distribute these curriculum sets. We have delivered the needed files, but funding is still needed for the printing.

Lord willing Betsy and I will be traveling to Mongolia in September to meet the Cofers, help distribute the sets and also visit some of the villages who will benefit from the materials. $46,000 is needed for the project. Until the end of May (sorry for short notice) there is a matching fund offer you can give towards, although regular project donations will be accepted beyond that date. Our children have also had a part in the project by creating lots of Mongolia flag magnets to remind people to pray. We’d be glad to send one your way with or without a gift. Just let us know if you want one.
Our first meeting with the Cofers back in 2012
Mongolia flag fridge magnets!
Watch a brief project video below
Fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ is one of greatest blessings we have as we serve with BVI.

In January Betsy and I attended an ARCH Fellowship in Florida and got to meet many serving faithfully in pastoral ministry around the country and around the world. Our ministry had a special opportunity to provide attendees with a free copy of our new family devotional on Mark’s Gospel.

In March we participated in the annual missions conference at Westminster Presbyterian Church here in Lancaster. This congregation recently took our family on for support.
Shortly after the missions conference we hosted Dr. Nabil Costa for a brunch at the BVI office. Dr. Costa serves as the president of LSESD, a ministry in Lebanon whom we are partnering with to see more BVI materials translated and distributed in Lebanon. After that our family headed to Greenville, SC so I could represent BVI at the Great Homeschool Convention.

Back in Lancaster we enjoyed seeing our friend and ministry partner, Sam Gunti, who was in the area hosting a GLM ministry banquet and visiting his daughter, son-in-law and first grandchild! Later that week, Jeff and I travelled to Ohio to attend the GLM board meeting in person where were heard detailed reports about the printing partnership between BVI and GLM. One of the next production projects we hope to tackle is the true story of Sam’s grandparents, Venkanna and Pochamma Gunti who came to Christ and faced persecution.

Shortly after returning to Lancaster, Jeff and I headed out again, this time with several men from our church, to attend the T4G conference in Louisville, KY. The preaching, singing, fellowship and FREE books made for a refreshing week. Some of the sweetest fellowship we’ve enjoyed this spring has been to host folks in our own home for a meal or even for a night. Sometimes there are direct connections to the work of BVI, but thankfully that’s not essential. Our unity is in Christ, not in a particular ministry. God’s Kingdom and His work is much broader than we know and these times of fellowship help us see that work around the globe.
Mike and Amanda Ball serve with BMW in Fiji. We discovered that their son is engaged to the daughter of BVI board member, Matt Black.
While at T4G I ran into Herb Hunter and a bunch of Maritimers!
Great to see Sam Gunti back at Shady Maple for the GLM banquet
Great fellowship at T4G
Steve McLean and his family serve in Wales with GFA Missions
The Westminster missions conference means connecting with Katie Zappitella, the author of Beautiful Feet Upon the Mountains. She’s starting work on her next project.
The Knipes are dear friends who serve in South Africa with GFA Missions too.
At home, we completed another year of school, so there is great rejoicing. Elijah completed 10th grade and is keeping busy with his new job at Oregon Dairy grocery store where he helps bag groceries, push carts and serve as a cashier. Samuel and David finished 8th grade and are continuing with their mandolin and banjo playing as the Luttmann Mountain Boys. Jesse finished 3rd grade and Ginger 2nd grade. These two are most often found together acting out a story or listening to one on Adventures in Odyssey.

We’ve lived in Lancaster for 12 years now, so I think we can call it home. We’ve also been blessed to call Harvest Bible Church our home church during those years. Much of our weekly activity is connected in some way to the life of the church. In January we hosted the teen group (of which we have 3 members) here at our home for a pancake breakfast. Our church also hosts a CEF Good News Club at a local elementary school. I was privileged to serve this spring as the Bible teacher alongside several other Harvest team members. Betsy and I also help teach the children at church once a month which often involves teaching BVI lessons and stories. Betsy recently helped share our new mission story about Elinor Young, called Beautiful Feet Upon the Mountains. One unique experience Betsy and I had this spring was participating in a musical on the book of Philemon. A young man in our church wrote the words and music as part of his high school senior project.
A bunch of HBC teens filling every corner of our house
Betsy teaching the Elinor Young story at our church
The twins reconnecting with the BJUgrass at Victory Baptist in Reading
The cast of Philemon
Ginger and Aunt Sue matching mustard outfits
If you’ve continued reading this far, you should win a prize! I’ll conclude by noting that Betsy and I recently celebrated 20 years of marriage. What a faithful and gracious God to bring us to Himself, to each other and then to faithfully guide us through these past 20 years.

My friend, John Newton, often used anniversaries of significant events in his life to reflect on God’s grace and mercy . . . but he didn’t have a videographer wife to help him. You can watch a recap below.

Grace to you,

Tom & Betsy