Recent Updates
I trust this report finds you well and experiencing God’s best as we begin the month of March. Gayle and I have had an eventful and blessed beginning of 2023. Our travels have included meetings in Washington State, Maryland and Florida. It is an honor to be invited to participate in Missions Conferences as well as a one day Missions Emphasis. I thank God for the burden that our US pastors have to reach not only their own cities, but the world as well. This truly reflects the heart of God.
The men that we support through Barnabas1040 are continuing to daily reach out to the unsaved in whatever way they can. As you know our ministry supports national pastors who understand the cultural nuances of the local people. That is especially important in areas where Christianity is either banned by the government or culturally rejected by society. Our national pastors working in these sensitive areas have a much greater chance of success than outsiders.
Most of the countries we work in also have a problem of extreme poverty. Our pastors and their wives in those countries follow the example and commands of Jesus to minister not only to spiritual needs but also physical. This showing of compassion in helping to feed and clothe the poor in the name of Jesus often touches hearts and leads to salvation.
Here are just a few pictures illustrating this truth in remote villages in a communist country. Keep in mind that these are villages that a foreigner is not allowed to visit.
This is just one out of the 20 countries where literally every day someone is being ministered to in the name of Jesus. Hundreds of people each week are saved as a result of your prayers and giving that enables us to keep these men laboring in the harvest fields.
Each and every day multiple people will be saved, baptized, and become part of a local church somewhere across Asia and Africa because of your gifts. I rejoice in the truth that one day we will meet each one of these precious people in Heaven.
Thank you for helping us help them!
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
—Hebrews 6:10
God Bless You,
Dwight & Gayle Tomlinson
I pray that the New Year is off to a good start with a Christ centered and positive focus on your plans and hopes for 2023. Remember, this could be the year that we see Jesus!
2022 Blessings:
2022 was a blessed year for us at Barnabas1040 Missions. After 2 years of severe shutdowns and other crippling Covid measures, the world began to slowly open up which gave our pastors access to people again. This past year registered the largest number of people being saved and baptized in our 7 year history.
The National Pastors supported by Barnabas1040 reported 7,579 people trusting Christ as their Savior and 917 who followed the Lord Jesus in water baptism. All but a few hundred of those salvation decisions were in Restricted Access Nations where it is dangerous to preach the gospel, baptize converts and gather together as followers of Christ.
Ministry Struggles:
Christians are being persecuted in many countries and the places our ministry works are not immune to that reality. It is not uncommon for me to be notified that someone in the 10/40 region has been imprisoned or killed. Others have been taken to heaven by an illness that could have been easily treated here in the USA. Some of our brothers and sisters are even now in refugee camps or hiding in the jungles of Burma, India, Laos, and many other countries in an attempt to keep their children alive.
This fact should lead us to live lives of gratitude for our blessings here in America, as well as to open our hearts and wallets to help our brothers and sisters across the world.
Would you make a commitment to add persecuted Christians to your daily prayer list? Christians around the world need your prayers more than ever before.
Some Closing Thoughts to Help You Pray:
- Pray that persecuted Christians would find comfort in God’s presence.
- Pray for God’s grace for His people to love our enemies and to share the gospel with them.
- Pray that God will help His people to know what to say and the boldness to confidently share the gospel.
- Pray for the persecutors to find Christ.
- Pray that the local churches would continue to grow in the midst of persecution.
In closing, I want to say thank you once again to every church and individual that prays for or financially supports Barnabas1040 Missions. Gayle and I know that we could not do what we do without you. Last year almost 8,000 precious souls were born into the family of God and you helped to make that possible through your prayers and giving. Only eternity will reveal what God did with your prayers and investment!
Gayle and I want to begin by wishing a Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. We trust that as you gather with family and friends to remember the birth of our Saviour you will be able to lay aside any stress or problems you might be facing, and bask in the wonderful truth that God sent His Son to earth that we might have everlasting life!
Family and Ministry News:
We have been busy since last month’s report with both enjoying the holidays and continuing the ministry of Barnabas1040. We celebrated Thanksgiving with some of our family in Texas and are planning Christmas with some of our family in Washington State.
We have also been busy presenting our ministry to churches and trying to be a help to God’s people in the area of understanding the great needs and opportunities that our churches have in the area of Missions.
In the few weeks since our November letter I was privileged to preach in Mission Conferences in Virginia, Oklahoma, Florida and California.
December and January we will be in Washington State.
Unwrapping Christmas:
Many in the 1040 region are ignorant of the true meaning of Christmas. This month bright lights may shine around the cities, but in most areas in the 1040 Window, “Christmas” is an American and European holiday with no meaning. Buddhism, Communism, Hinduism that is so prevalent in these countries, have no message of the birth of a Savior. For this reason many of our national pastors are having special activities to explain this light of the gospel to the people in their cities. Their own people also are getting involved with explaining the Christmas message to friends and family.
Food Evangelism:
One of the many difficulties caused by the Covid lockdowns was a massive decrease in access to food in many poor and developing countries. Prior to Covid millions of people were living literally day to day. When the draconian government shutdowns were imposed with little or no assistance many families faced starvation.
The Lord stirred the hearts of his people and a new method of soul winning was born. “Food evangelism” began to pop up across the 1040 region where national pastors and local church members began to reach out to help people regardless of their religion. Our ministry has been able to help some of the missionaries and pastors that are using this method to show the love of Christ while bringing relief and the gospel to the poor. It is amazing how showing compassion has been used to soften hearts toward the one true God.
We have sent relief funds to be used in this way to missionaries in a handful of countries the past 3 months. I will share with you just one report that I received this week. These are the year to date totals from only one country where people were literally starving. Our workers had to be very careful in obtaining and delivering food. At the time they began this ministry they could have been imprisoned for simply being on the street during the mandatory quarantine. Here is the report I just received:
Food Evangelism Year to Date:
– 1,620 food packages given
– Apx 4,860 people fed
– 261 people received Christ as Savior so far.
Closing Thoughts:
God has raised up dozens of Pastors as well as hundreds of individuals who pray for and partner with us in our efforts to help take the gospel to some of the most dangerous and difficult parts of the world. We are extremely grateful to all of you who stand with us in prayer or financial support. We know that we could not do what we do without you. We love you and thank God for your partnership.
God Bless You, and Merry Christmas!
Last Month I highlighted some statistics concerning the diversity of countries, religions, languages and people groups that Barnabas1040 Missions and our partners have the privilege of helping.
This month I thought that our partners in ministry might enjoy seeing a few photos of some of the people and churches you are investing in through your prayers and finances. I am including a few pictures from just a handful of the 20 countries where we are helping national pastors plant churches in cities and villages where there are very few, if any, foreigners. This will give you a very small glimpse of what is happening as a result of your prayers and financial support in parts of the world that have very little access to the Gospel.
Majority Muslim:
Majority Buddhist:
Majority Hindu:
Majority Animist and Tribal Religions :
Majority Catholic:
It is my prayer that these photos will give you a better understanding of how you can pray as we are striving together to bring the Gospel to those who live in areas of great physical and spiritual darkness.
I believe that every single person born into the world deserves the opportunity to be saved. I never cease to thank God that He has raised up local churches and partners like yourself to help us with our goal of bringing the Gospel to those who are still waiting to hear the wonderful news of salvation.
Thank you for praying and giving.
Personal Details:
In last month’s letter I mentioned that my wife would be having Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery. The surgery was successful and she is gradually regaining the use of her right arm, although we are told It will be a few months before she has complete mobility. Some of you sent texts, emails flowers or calls expressing your concern. Gayle asked me to express her thanks for your love, prayers and encouragement!
Ministry Related Details:
I was not able to travel during the month of September, but this gave me an opportunity to focus on making contact with our missionaries and pastors in Asia and Africa. This was very helpful in gaining insight into victories, disappointments, needs and how we could better serve them.
This communication time also helped me see a few things that we needed to change in order to stay focused on church planting, worker accountability and wise stewardship. The Lord also allowed us to vet and make commitments to helping 5 new pastors in Vietnam, 2 in the Philippines and 1 in Bangladesh. September was a needed and profitable time, but we are both looking forward to getting back on the road in October.
Statistics:
I thought it might be interesting to our ministry partners to see where you are helping to take the gospel message. We are currently engaged in 20 countries. Rather than list each country individually, I have placed them into 5 categories based on the majority religion of the people. As you consider these it is good to remember that some of the countries are communist and officially Atheist, and others of them have multiple false religious beliefs depending upon their tribal customs. Most of the places we work have less than 2% of the population that claims biblical Christianity.
Majority Muslim: 10 Countries – 36 Pastors – 23 languages
Majority Buddhist: 5 Countries – 55 Pastors – 40 Languages
Majority Hindu: 1 Country – 7 Pastors – 7 languages
Majority Animist and Tribal Religions: 2 Countries – 4 men – 3 languages
Majority Catholic: 2 Countries – 5 men – 2 languages
Total: 20 Countries – 107 Pastors – 75 languages* (some of these languages are duplicates due to multiple men reporting, and my inability to know how many villages speak the same language. My conservative estimate would be 50 different languages.)
The Lord is doing some amazing things around the world and it is a great privilege to have a part through Barnabas1040 Missions. We could not do it without the faithful partners that pray for and give towards this ministry. Thank you for helping us serve these servants of God who are laboring in difficult places.
God Bless You,
Dwight & Gayle Tomlinson
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