“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Romans 22:36 YOU ARE INVITED TO  CELEBRATE WITH US This month we are placing our THIRTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY marker on our road of ministry outside the United States. When Bud and I set out on this journey in 1979, we had no idea how many places God would take us to, or for how long. We were so greatly blessed to walk together for twenty-seven years in the path that God had established for us until He called Bud home. Now I, and my family, are greatly blessed to continue walking in that same path for the glory of God. By God’s grace we have joyfully worked long-term in the fields of Ghana and Nigeria on the African Continent, and India in South Asia. For nearly a decade we were in Hungary and Romania in Eastern Europe. For shorter periods of time, we have ministered in Mexico in North America, Guatemala in Central America, Trinidad/Tobago in the Caribbean, Nepal in So...

“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.’” Matthew 28:5-6a GOOD NEWS I still have sight in my left eye! Thank you Lord. The surgery was a total success…no tearing of the macular membrane which would have caused blindness, and no problems in smoothing out the wrinkle in the membrane which would have left me with some measure of distortion in my vision. Needless to say, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. That is the first stage of recovery. Now that the wrinkle has been taken care of the edema in the eye has the opportunity to reduce so that my vision can be normal once again. This process takes time, and it varies with each person. Normally, whatever reduction has taken place at the end of a six month period is all that will ever be realized. I am believing for all the edema to be gone and my vision returned to “normal.” Each of us can victoriously fight some...

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 (NLT) Our main focus this month is on Mark’s upcoming trip to Romania. Be sure to read his column for all the details. Barring no obstacles, I will be having eye surgery on February 6th. I am looking forward to getting past this trying time with victory and marching forward with life, unhindered. We continue to make progress with the editing process on our book, Introduction to the Bible . It may seem like it’s taking a long time. And, in some ways, it is. We have to contend with Jennifer’s very busy work schedule, as well as the fact that this is the kind of material where it has to be “just right,” not just mostly right. So, we are taking particular care to make sure we have handled our subject matter properly. If anybody ever tells you that writing a book is easy (especially a textbook), I’ve got news for you. It’s a challenge. The upside is that we believe this ...

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”  John 8:36 Happy 4th of July! Celebrating our Nation’s 237th Birthday! It’s that time of year for hot dogs, home made ice cream and fireworks. Thank you, Lord, for our freedom, for those who have been willing to give their lives for it, and for all those who still defend it today. But more importantly, Lord, thank You that regardless of the political state of this nation or this world, we know that our freedom is in You, purchased at Calvary. Intro to Bible Update The Second Edition of our Introduction to the Bible, Student Manual, is no longer a Student Manual. It has grown in such proportions that it has now become a book. Last month, Jennifer and I completed our first round of edits on the text, and in a few days, she will have completed the layout and graphic design work that is still remaining. At our Board of Directors Meeting later this month, we will be presenting a Draft Copy to each Board...

Amen, Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom, thanksgiving and honor; with power and might be unto our God forever and ever, Amen. (Taken from Revelation 4:11) ANNIVERSARY MONTH June is the Anniversary month for LTI. This year marks our 34th year of ministry, and the writing of our 408th newsletter. A few days ago, a chorus we learned in the early days of our ministry in Nigeria, began ringing in my spirit, and it reminded me of all the wonderful years of ministry that God has allowed us to have in the many parts of the world that He has sent us to – both prior to and since those days. Sometimes I am asked if it were possible for me to live my life over, would I live it differently. My simple answer is “no.” There are some things in the process that I would do differently, but I would still answer the call and I would still go wherever God would choose to send us. It has been a wonderful 34 years, and I thank God for all of them. In addition to that, we most certainly thank...

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” I Corinthians 15:20 Praise God for His plan of salvation for all mankind. Praise God that Jesus willingly became the final sacrifice for sin. Praise God that Jesus victoriously rose from the grave, triumphant over death. We who have believed in Him are so blessed. Today, we walk in victory because Jesus purchased victory for us. Today, we have the hope and promise of eternal life because of His victorious work on our behalf. Today, we look forward to the time when we will rise from this earth to meet Him in the air and live with Him forever. And, as the song goes, “What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see.” Wonderful day, indeed. Thank you, Lord, for your great love for us. Thank you, Lord, for the Easter season that causes us to reflect, one more time, on all you have done for us. Today, we also carry on with the work He has given us to do until That Day arrives. W...

“...though it (the vision) tarry, wait for it...”. Habakkuk 2:3 The new year is off to a good start for us, and we hope the same is true for you. We greeted the New Year with anticipation, and we are expecting the answers to a number of petitions that we have placed before our heavenly Father. I am excited to learn what His answers to us will be. I know they will be good answers, and they will be the right ones for us. Praise God. TEACHING MATERIALS  UPDATE Jennifer and I continue working on updating our “Introduction to the Bible” Student Manual. It is coming along quite well, and will be the first of more to follow. Were it not for the fact that Jennifer also works a secular job, we would have finished by now, but the end is in sight. In our September newsletter last year, I announced that I would begin teaching this course in October in my home church on Wednesday nights. As it turned out, the kickoff date got pushed ahead to January 23, 2013, so we have now complet...

  "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel". Is. 7:14 Thanksgiving then Christmas. Like day follows night, you can’t have one without the other. For me, it is a natural progression for we who believe. First, thanking God for the blessings in our lives, followed by thanking God for sending Jesus, who is, Himself, the source of all the wonderful blessings we enjoy. Ever being thankful. But it doesn’t stop there. Thankfulness turns into joyful celebration, and we decorate this most wonderful season with overflowing happiness at the thought of giving to others, as we remember how generously God gave to us. May your Christmas season be filled with more wonder, joy and love than ever before.   Activities Report Bhalchandra Kamble with Mary Ann during his visit to the US in October/November 2012. We were so blessed last month to be able to host Pastor Bhalchandra Kam...

Greetings. I trust all is well with you today as you begin the transition into holiday mode. All of us will be quite busy from now until January 1st, but we love this time of year, don’t we? We are already quite busy at LTI. We end October and begin November with a visit from our main leader in India, Bhalchandra Kamble. He called me one day and said, “Auntie, if you can’t come to us, I will come to you.” I am very glad he is coming. Even though we visit by telephone and email, there is nothing like sitting down together in the same room for detailed discussion and planning for the future of the work in India. Thanks to Skype, Mark will be “with” us, as well. I wish I could take him around to all of you and let you meet him. Since that is not possible, I will have to settle for giving you a report next month and supply you with photos. Then, the next important thing this month is “Voting Day”, Tuesday the 6th. All eyes will be on the result of our participation.  What an i...

“And you shall be witnesses unto me …unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 May has finally arrived, and on the 16th day of this month Bron, Jennifer and I will depart for Uganda. By the time you receive this newsletter, I will have been vaccinated for the 4th time for Yellow Fever, after which we can send in our visa applications, and then all the technical functions of preparing for a trip to a third world country will have been performed. As you know, this is Jennifer’s and my first time to go into East Africa. Now Africa is Africa, so there will be many aspects of life in Uganda that are “familiar” territory. On the other hand, it will be “different”. We will be meeting new people and learning what their particular needs are, as well as where they are in their walk with the Lord. It is going to be an exciting time, and we are looking forward to it with much anticipation. The most important part of any of these trips, of course, is to impart some spiritual life and...

“And you shall be witnesses unto me …unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 I rejoice today in the fact that God is still moving all over the world. In fact, He has never stopped moving. By His Spirit He is still revealing Himself to those who don’t yet know Him. He is still healing the sick and performing miracles. He is still calling, anointing and preparing the “next generation” for service in His kingdom so that the good news of Jesus Christ will continually be heard in the earth and lives will be changed. UGANDA TRIP Next month will find my brother Pastor/Evangelist Bron Barkley, me and Jennifer in Uganda.  We are going because there are still multitudes who don’t yet know Jesus. And, there are many church leaders who need to be encouraged and need the benefits of continuing education in the Word. And, there are many who are in need of healing. Some will be healed by the power of God. Some will receive medical attention. In all these things the Lord will be ...

We are happy to report that all the necessary funds for Marks mission to India arrived before his departure on February 23rd, and we are grateful to all our partners who helped make this mission happen. We are looking forward to his report in next month’s newsletter. UGANDA Now it’s time to turn our attention to Uganda. In just 11 weeks, on May 16th,  Jennifer and I will be leaving for Kampala, Uganda, to participate in an exciting time of ministry to church leaders, to the sick, and to those who do not yet know Jesus. This is my first effort in East Africa, and I am excited to be stretching my borders and strengthening my stakes. Jennifer will not only be my armor bearer on this trip, but she will also have the opportunity to help with the medical outreach, and any other place where her giftings may be useful. In about 4 weeks from now, we will be purchasing our airline tickets. We invite you to be a part of this outreach through your prayers and giving as God le...

Hello everyone, I trust this month’s newsletter finds you all doing well. Mark and the team have arrived in Pune, India and the conference is under way! Each one of them has expressed their excitement and anticipation for this trip and what the Lord has in store. If the number of phone calls from Balchandra in the days and weeks leading up to their departure is any indication, there is quite a bit of anticipation in the hearts of our friends in Pune as well. Over and over again I’ve watched my dad, mom, and now Mark work on putting together a conference such as this. They’ll start talking with the other team members about the theme for a conference and what the Lord has put on their heart to share. Almost without fail, this conversation doesn’t last very long because the Lord already has everyone on the same page, and this conference has been no different. I just find it very fun watching Him orchestrate things. He puts it all together so nicely. The theme for this year’s conf...

“And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” Mark 16:20 I greet you today, in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, trusting that all is well with you and yours. Gladly, we report to you that all is well with us and ours. INDIA Here we are in February, already, and on the 23rd, just a few days away, Mark and his team will be departing for Pune, India. We are excited about this trip, and so are our Indian brethren. All of us are believing God for a breakthrough in India. The “rest of the story” is in Mark’s column. NIGERIA It is official. I will not be going to Nigeria, in March. Our brethren there have determined it best to cancel this year’s Leadership Conference because conditions in the north are turbulent once again. Last month, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the north. The borders of Niger, Chad and Cameroon remain closed, and a...