JUNE 2023 NEWSLETTER  It has been a busy month. On May 1st we finally made it to our house in Bullard, Texas (Yes we are still living in a foreign country.). It was like a dream. Our daughter, Leslie Hale, had prepared everything. It was like that old show “While You Were Out”. A family goes away and when they come back their house is completely changed. Leslie had made it “move in ready,” down to the last detail. But transition is so much more for us then moving into our new house. It is the act of slowing down, and making a new life after literally going 100 miles and hour for 43 years. Donna and I have served five fields: Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Chickasaw, Alabama for 2 years, Immanuel Baptist Church (Oasis Church) in Camden, Arkansas for 6 years, Farmington Baptist Church in Corinth, Mississippi for 5 years, First Baptist Church in Magnolia, Arkansas for 25 years and BMA Global Missions in the Philippines for 7 years. Leaving the Philippines also meant initiating our “exit strategy”, completing our exit strategy might be better terminology. An important missionary strategy we learned early on is that no matter how long a missionary stays on the field an exit strategy should be in place and implemented from the very first day. While it was hard, very hard, leaving our precious friends, our Filipino family, it was easier knowing most of the work we accomplished continues in our absence. You might have read an article I wrote for Mission World Magazine “Leaving Rake Marks”, that is what we pray the Lord blesses us with in the future, that His work will be a continuation of what He gave us to do by those who follow noticing some “rake marks” in the field. With our transition home comes changes in our field assignment. While we are no longer international missionaries, I will continue serving BMA Global as Asia Pacific Coordinator. With that I will transition our monthly newsletter from being mostly information about our specific ministries in the Philippines, to highlighting the work of our Asia Pacific Missionaries and regional ChangeMaker Missionaries too. Beginning in August we will begin taking invitations to visit our supporting churches. It is our dream to say “thank you” a THANK YOU TOUR you might say. Probably just a couple of appointments each month. Look for me to be contacting you all for availability if you don’t contact me first. Once again we do want to emphasize that we will consider all our supporters commitment to us to be finished January 1, 2024. If we continue to receive undesignated support it will be used to meet my responsibilities as Asia Pacific Director. So, here’s to a new beginning for this newsletter. Look at what we’ve been doing in May below and look forward to what God has in store for us all in June.  While geographically expanding into multiple world regions, theses highlighted countries encompass BMA Global Missions: Asia Pacific Region. With a BMAA presence in 9 of these 21 countries it is easy to see the need for more missionaries to reach what is considered the MOST unreached people group in the world. Need to know more? Let BMA Global help you fulfill God’s calling in your life to “make His name known among the nations.”  This years annual Baptist Missionary Association of America met in Conway, Arkansas in what was for Donna and me simple the best association meeting in our 43 years of serving in the BMA. If your heart is about missions (and if not why not) then you too recognize that this years meeting was all about missions.      The top two photos show Churches and people from all over the world gathering for worship at Antioch Baptist Church in Conway, Arkansas and a “Meeting on the Grounds” with BMA Global missionaries, highlighted with the annual message by Missionary Buddy Johnson. After the association meeting BMA Global hosted a Missionary Care Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Missionaries prayed together, Asia Pacific Missionaries ate together, and we celebrated Christmas in May together.    Jeremy and Mandy Hambrice are finishing up their furlough and will return to Papua New Guinea in August. Sean and Jenny Richards have just returned to Papua New Guinea. B.J. and Jill Sanders are partners with the Hambrice’s in Papua New Guinea. They are currently in the Watikia tribe. Danny and Rita Ballard are serving on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Fil and Lisa Kakilala serve on the island of Pany in the Philippines. Fil is currently in Iloilo City, Philippines. Doug and Diane Lee serve with the BMA Bible College in Talisay, Philippines on the Island of Negros. They will return to the field in July. Cris and Alicia Samson are back to the Philippines, now with THREE boys. Stan and Donna Scroggins have made the transition state side visiting BMA churches around the country. We have other American missionaries stationed around Asia Pacific who are designated as Creative Access missionaries.  Students from the BMA Bible College in the Philippines gave a “Blessing Jar” as a going away present to us. It has been priceless to Donna and I as we’ve enjoyed ready the notes from the students. Thank you.     B.J. and Jill Sanders are part of a three family team working with the Watikia Tribe in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. After seven years the first church has been organized. Watikian missionaries will begin spreading out to the other Watikian speaking villages in the surrounding mountains. Pictures are worth a thousand words.     Can you imagine learning a foreign dialect, creating an alphabet, writing a language for that dialect, teaching the people to read and write this new language and then the blessing of watching these people read God’s Word in their heart language. Praise God!  B.J. and Jill, along with their dedicated team members, spent over three years at Ethos 360 training which focuses on teaching missionaries to live off grid. The bulk of the training centers around language acquisition, linguistics , Bible translation, and teaching unreached people groups. Pray for this dedicated family and reach out to them through social media platforms.  Director Raydarlyn Vallejera reports the Darlene Carey Christian Academy is ready to add 7th and 8th grade beginning with the 2023/24 school year. The school year is finishing up with team activities and awards day.     The Bible College is dismissed for Summer break. Most students remain on Negros Island. Recently the college hosted a Bible Conference and then many of our alumni traveled to Manila for the national BMAP association meeting.  Retired U.S. Navy chaplain Don Biadog returns to his alma mater leading in a Bible conference and gift gifting. Over 100 local pastors and students attended.  Alumni from all over the Philippines gather in Manila for the annual BMAP meeting. CHURCH VISITS   PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE FILIPINO MISSIONARIES AND CHURCH PLANTERS: KEVIN BERAYO – AHGU MOUNTAIN MISSION KENNETH AVENCENA – GUIMARAS ISLAND MISSION JUNMAR ARCENA – MANDALAG MISSION ALFRED SUICO – NEW TESTAMENT BAPTIST CHURCH EZRA LEYSON – BADIANG BAPTIST CHURCH DAVID PEREZ – MANDALAGAN MISSION PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE BMA GLOBAL: ASIA PACIFICA MISSIONARIES AND CHURCH PLANTERS: Jeremy & Mandy Hambrice Sean & Jenny Richards B.J. & Jill Sanders Danny & Rita Ballard Fil and Lisa Kakilala Doug & Diane Lee Cris & Alicia Samson Creative Access Missionaries From Stan: Please Pray For These Asia Pacific ChangeMakers Missionaries Jeynoir Aristoteles Agapito Rapada Edgardo Dordas Rydan Francisco Alan Quiamco Kendall Maurin Max Quiachon Flor Dequino Eri Gospel Suratos Melvin Aloy Jpito Segundo John Rey Vallejera Right now we have American missionaries in 2 creative access countries, Papua New Guinea, and of course the Philippines. I will be working to find new places for ministry in countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, New Zealand and other Asia Pacific locations. We are searching for those God is calling to take the Gospel to the most un-reached people group in the the world. Interested! Contact me and let me help you fulfill God’s plan in your life. Our work is completely focused on sending the Gospel to Southeast Asian countries. Click on the donate button below, locate the Scroggins/Philippines fund and prayerfully consider contributing to help us help you. We love you all.    I will continue to serve as the BMA Global Mission Coordinator of Asia Pacific. Right now we have American missionaries in 2 creative access countries, Papua New Guinea, and of course the Philippines. I will be working to find new places for ministry in countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and other Asia Pacific locations. We are searching for those God is calling to take the Gospel to the most un-reached people group in the the world. Interested! Contact me and let me help you fulfill God’s plan in your life. Our work is completely focused on sending the Gospel to Southeast Asian countries Click on the donate button below, locate the Scroggins/Philippine fund and prayerfully consider contributing to help us. We love you all.  |
