The Impact of One Life - Ed Stevens

One Life Matters – Ed Stevens

by Mark Powell, Director of General Baptist International Missions

For many years, General Baptists have celebrated the life of Rev. Ed Stevens. Ed Stevens was a missionary who served on Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Chi Chi Jima. He died at an early age while en route to Guam to receive medical treatment. As is often stated, we honor his sacrifice each year through an annual international missions’ offering on the Sunday closest to September 22 in honor of his passing. But is that the only reason we honor this singular life? Not at all.

Ed Stevens accomplished an unbelievable amount of good in a few very short years. In doing so his life reminds all of us how one single life, consecrated to God, can have an eternal impact on thousands.

The length of Ed Stevens’ ministry as a missionary was from 1946-1952. Following his ordination in 1945, Ed was on his way to Guam less than one year later. He served briefly on Guam from 1946 – 1947 where General Baptists are the oldest Protestant denomination. He then pioneered a new work on Saipan when General Baptists became the first protestant denomination on that island – making him not only a missionary but a church planter. The next two years were miraculous as Ed Stevens began a new outreach on the nearby island of Tinian to a leper colony, led Vincente Silencino to the Lord and baptized him, and laid the foundation for a new work on the island of Chi Chi Jima as the result of a hospital visit to a man from that island.

Ed Stevens in two short years accomplished more than many would in a lifetime! As a missionary, he pioneered Saipan, Tinian, and Chi Chi Jima. As a church planter, he started the Saipan Community Church which has literally touched thousands of lives. As a pastor/missionary, he ministered to the hurting in the leper colony on Tinian. As a personal evangelist, he led many to the Lord, among whom was a “Filipino boy” who would later become our first General Baptist missionary to the Philippines impacting thousands of lives and producing over 300 churches to date! As a pastor/evangelist he would make a hospital visit to a man from Chi Chi Jima resulting in a new work for General Baptists on that island.

The product of these two years has made an eternal impact on so many that only heaven knows the singular value of this one man’s life! The ministries on Guam, Saipan, and the Philippines continue to change lives to the present day.

Ed Stevens spent two years back in the States from 1949 – 1951 where he finished his degree program at Oakland City University, served as pastor, and tragically lost a son in an accident. Despite the pain of that loss, Ed, his wife Gertie, and son David would return to Chi Chi Jima in the fall of 1951 to continue the work he had pioneered three years earlier. In September 1952 Ed Stevens would fall ill and seek medical attention on Guam. His ship was in sight of Guam and ready to enter the harbor when God called this faithful servant home.

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Launch

What is LAUNCH?

By Mark Powell, Director of General Baptist International Ministries

For many years, General Baptist International Ministries has received a VBS offering from churches across the denomination. Launch is an extension of that offering with a new program called General Baptist Day of Poverty with General Baptist youth especially in mind.

This year GBIM will produce both VBS and Day of Poverty material with one central goal: to launch General Baptist children and youth in missions’ awareness and involvement. The VBS and Day of Poverty will invite your kids to get involved locally and globally through education and giving. Mission One will be inviting these same youths to join GBIM as interns when they approach college and career age. We pray God will raise up a generation of missional General Baptists ready to change our world.

In the latest issue of the Messenger you will find articles from Christina Massey, Director of Faith Home, detailing the LAUNCH (VBS) offering and its purpose; GBIM Director, Mark Powell, shares information about the Day of Poverty; and recent intern Kaebra LaGrange shares about her recent internship on Saipan.

For more information about LAUNCH, please contact the GBIM office. For specific information about internship please contact Dr. Jim Pratt, Mission One Coordinator, 100 Stinson Drive, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 or 573-785-7746.

Raise the Roof! Faith Home, Honduras

Raise The Roof! At Faith Home, Honduras

Rodney and Teresa Walls

New personnel, Rodney and Teresa Walls

Faith Home has experienced many changes in 2016. Changes in number of children, changes in staff, and changes in the way we see God. We can’t say enough of the greatness of our God and how we have seen Him move in the lives of the children and the ones who are caring for them.

We have seen sick children miraculously healed, families reunited, and lives literally saved by God’s provision of Faith Home for the abandoned and neglected children of Honduras. But the most important changes are the ones we have seen in the hearts of the children and young adults as they accept Christ and learn to embrace His unconditional love that comforts in all circumstances. Some of their stories bring tears of joy and some just pure thankfulness for our God’s timing, which is always perfect:

  • One sibling group came with all four children very sick. Two of them spent a week in the hospital. We were told that in another week on the street that they would not have lived.
  • One of the newborn babies that arrived was so severely malnourished that family services told us later they were surprised he made it through the night. His mother is in prison for stealing food to survive.
  • One of the young boys who arrived this year told us this was the best Christmas he had ever experienced and one he would never forget.
  • Many of the new children have shed tears of joy over the simple things of new clothing, shoes and toys (things they never had before).
  • An 11-year-old was so excited to be able to attend school for the first time…ever.
  • One child commented to his mother at a supervised visit that they get to eat three times a day …every day!

We are thankful for Faith Home and the people who so generously support this ministry. 2016 has been full of changes mixed with moments that have abundantly blessed the hearts of the children and adults of Faith Home. We are excited to see what changes God has in store for Faith Home as we LAUNCH a new year.

LAUNCH!LAUNCH. The VBS offering in 2017 will go to help us to change more lives by bringing more children to Faith Home. Along with the blessing of 33 new children in 2016 (13 of whom were reunited with family) came challenges and extra expenses. We are grateful for all who are helping with additional sponsorships and funds for foster care and newborn baby care, but we also have other housing needs.

Currently all of our casas are occupied. We are keeping the newborns in the missionary houses. Church Planting / Medical Missionaries Rodney & Teresa Walls are the primary caregivers of baby Ely who has hip dysplasia along with fetal alcohol syndrome. Ely arrived when she was a month old and only four pounds.

Isaias with Christina Massey

Isaias with Christina Massey

Faith Home Director Christina is the primary caregiver of Isaias who came to us when he was 13 days old and under four pounds. Baby Samuel arrived when he was seven days old and a little over three pounds. We have a night nanny that keeps Samuel and another nanny who works with our teen girls to help with the babies during the day.

We have a house for each age group of boys and girls and we are currently at capacity. We are praying for more staff and children in 2017, which means we need additional housing and repairs to current casas. Casa 3 (destroyed in the earthquake of 2009) is currently being rebuilt but needs an extra $30,000 to complete.

Casa 3 will be able to house up to 16 children depending on age. We have built flexibility into the design of this casa, so that it can be used as a toddler house or for older transition children depending on the needs we have at any given time.

The children are growing up quickly, so the dynamic of our campus is constantly changing. Casas 5, 8, and the transition houses outside need metal roofs (approximately $2,000 each) to get the weight of the tejas (clay tile) off of the aging casa walls.

There are also several possible remodel plans that could allow us to house more children in 2017, all of which takes additional funding. Please consider how you can help Faith Home LAUNCH 2017 by helping with our housing needs and allowing us to impact more lives in Honduras with the Love of Christ.