Missionaries Write

It has been nine activity-filled months since we arrived in the United States. These months have provided countless opportunities for us to share all that God did in and through us during the previous four years in Zambia.

It is with heavy hearts that we write to let you know that we are withdrawing from missionary service as of Sept. 5. This decision is very difficult and heartbreaking for both of us, and yet we look forward with anticipation to whatever the Lord may have for us next.

We leave Zambia with only love for our colleagues and friends. Our missionary family has been a wonderful support to us. We will forever love and remember our Zambian friends for the ways they received and took care of us while we were so far from home. We would not trade our wonderful memories for anything in the world.

We also want to say how grateful we are for the incredible level of support we have received from the International Mission Board.

We thank you, our treasured prayer partners, for the countless ways you have upheld us these past four years. We truly could not have done a thing without your support.

Thank you for sharing our task of taking the gospel overseas. We thank God upon every remembrance of you. Please continue to pray for us as we grieve over leaving Zambia and seek to discern where God would have us serve Him next. 

Jason, Kelley, Rachel

and Natalie Hill

Zambia

The week of Aug. 1, Molly, Maggie and Kevin were playing in a park when Molly met Mrs. I. After a while, Mrs. I invited Molly and our two kids to her house for a cold drink. While they were talking at Mrs. I’s house, Mrs. I told Molly that she is a leader in one of the women’s rights groups in Japan. She said that she would like to talk with Molly again. Please pray that Molly will have the opportunity to share the gospel with Mrs. I.

Also pray this initial contact with a key women’s rights leader will become an open door to share the gospel with many women in Japan. Pray that many of these women will find true freedom that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that these ladies will become key members in many new churches across Japan.

Kelly, Molly, Maggie

and Kevin Malone

Tokyo, Japan

We are now right in the middle of the summer flurry of teams coming to Venezuela. This time of year is always more busy due to teams being able to travel more easily during the summer.

We are so grateful to the prayer support of all of you and feel that it is a result of that prayer support that Gary’s health has improved enough for him to be on the road as much as we have. Our last year in Venezuela is going by really fast. Before we know it, our job here will be over. I am convinced that this, the last year, will be the best of all. In looking ahead to the rest of 2005, it appears that we are going to be as busy as we have been in the last couple of months. Eight teams are scheduled to come before November.

Pray for a construction/evangelism team coming the latter part of August to minister in the coastal area near Caracas. This area was devastated by floods in 1999 and then again earlier this year.

Pray for our guidance as we seek to find where God would have us serve following the completion of the partnership with Venezuela.

Pray also for our missionary kids who are stateside in college. Continue to pray for our traveling safety as we are out and about. God has truly been faithful to us in this area, as you also have been. Through your generous contributions to the Cooperative Program and to the Lottie Moon offering, we are provided with a vehicle, which allows us to do our job around the country.

Gary and Donna Clayton

Caracas, Venezuela

Susan and I just wanted to thank you once again for your support of our ministry here in North Africa. We have now passed the one-year mark since making our change from South America, and the process has been quite challenging. We are more than halfway through our study of the Arabic language — at least the spoken language. Reading Arabic may well take us into next term since it is basically a different language from the spoken one. Your prayers are coveted for our language acquisition, as always.

Many of our friends here from among the majority group — Muslim — have been curious about our presence in light of some of the activities in the area. Aside from Baghdad, there have also recently been suicide bombings in Beirut, Syria, Palestine, Israel and, most recently, in Egypt at a major tourist destination. Their questions have given us an opportunity to talk more openly about our faith, our confidence in a God with whom our relationship is personal and vital — as opposed to a system of rules and regulations.

We have also been mapping this major gateway city and praying with others about a strategy to more effectively reach the masses with the gospel. We are more and more convinced that the key is finding the “Person of Peace” from among each community or family, winning that person to the Lord and training them to do likewise. It’s not necessarily an evangelism method but a tool to find those who are open to the gospel. Please be praying with us as we refine this method and begin to put it into practice on a broad basis this year.

Rich and Susan Hutchens

North Africa

Recently Jim had the opportunity to preach in Portuguese at the Baptist church we attend. He will also be preaching about once a month at an English worship service that the church is starting.

We have also had the opportunity to help the Baptist women here in South Africa with their ministry to prisoners. We were able to share with them about the literature that we have available that could be used in their program.

Please pray that we will be used to bring Portuguese-speaking people to Christ and that more doors will open for cooperation with the Baptist Union leadership.

Jim and Brenda Brock

Johannesburg, South Africa