Dear Praying Friends,
In our last letter we requested prayer as we traveled to become acquainted with a ministry opportunity in the US Southwest. Many of you have communicated with us in the interim and assured us that you have been doing just that! Thank you! Our visit was very successful, and we can now give a more complete report.
We spent about ten days at Good News Baptist Church in Katy, Texas, which is a suburb west of Houston. The BMM church planters there are Gerald and Julie Hawk; we spent much time with their family discussing the possibility of partnering with them in that work. Additionally, we had many opportunities to minister with the congregation and become acquainted with the church family in both formal and informal settings. All of our discussions and interactions were positive, and the people were friendly and welcoming to us.
After prayer, evaluation, discussion with the Hawks, and counsel from our mission leadership, we all feel that the Lord is directing us to take the next step toward joining the ministry in Katy. Therefore, we are planning another, longer visit to Katy for most of May and June. The purpose for this visit will be to dive deeper into the ministry there and confirm our ability to work together in partnership with the Hawks. We desire to make a difference during our stay that will give a boost to the work and move it forward toward the goal of growth, stability, and organization. If this two-month ministry visit goes well (as we expect), then at that time we will initiate the process of formally changing our field of service to North America. We appreciate the patience of our supporters while we systematically work through this process of transition.
The community of Katy has a rural feel but is demographically very cosmopolitan. We met people who were originally from many different Latin American nations; also, we had conversations with people from India, China, the Caribbean, and African nations. The church’s demographic composition is similar to that of the community.
Although the church has been meeting for many years, it is still a mission station; it is not yet an organized Baptist church. In recent years, Covid had a negative effect on their forward momentum; also, conflict issues resulted in the loss of some people from their group. However, there is a good core of believers who regularly attend, and unbelievers frequently are present. Please pray for us during the next two months of ministry; pray that the Lord will bless our service, bless the Hawks, and bless the congregation.
During our first visit to Katy, we explored the housing market and cost of living. One thing that we did not expect was that the cost of living in the US would actually be higher than Taiwan. Once we formally transition to North America, BMM will revise our support estimate to reflect the new reality. It is certain that we will need to raise some new support. Please make this also a matter of prayer.
During our return from Texas to South Carolina, we stopped in for a visit with our son, Luke, in Alabama. We spent a few days with him at Easter and got to know his girlfriend. A few days after we were there, he and Heather announced their engagement. No date has yet been set.
This last week we also made a quick visit to our daughter’s family in Vermont, before we move farther away to Texas. We have enjoyed our time with them—particularly the opportunity for us to experience grandma and grandpa time.
Finally, I (Matt) will be travelling overseas in early July, Lord willing. I will be taking care of personal business in Taiwan to close up our residence there. Then I will be teaching a block Bible course to pastors and church leaders in another Asian nation. Please pray for my teaching preparations, for safety during my travels, successful closure of our Taiwan residence, and for blessing and benefit to the students whom I will be teaching.
In Christ,
The Hannas