New News!
I have been wanting to write to share some big news. We recently have had an unexpected answer to prayer. I have been asking everyone I know to be praying that God would open a door and allow us to return to full time ministry and missions.
Long story short, we are going to be moving to Truckee, California. If you have never heard of Truckee, it is a few miles west of Lake Tahoe. I was asked to take over as the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Truckee.
The founding pastor has retired and the interim pastor, from Poimen Ministries, asked if I would be interested in talking to him about taking over the church. He told me that they were also talking to others. I thought, “Sure, why not? What could it hurt?” I actually didn’t think anything would come of it. He asked me to send him a few pastoral references, some recorded teachings, and a resume. After he received them, we talked and emailed back and forth. About a month later, he asked Tina and me to drive up and spend an extending weekend with them and share Sunday morning. So, we drove up. I shared February 9 on Revelation 4, “Our Future Home” and afterward we met with the elders, the board, and their wives. They interviewed us for about 3 hours and we returned home.
Quite honestly, we were really amazed by the church. The people were so loving and friendly. We felt as if we had known them all for a long time.
Interestingly enough, the Saturday before I was to teach, pastor Trent from Saving Grace World Missions and Calvary Chapel Saving Grace texted me from the Middle East and asked if I was teaching in Truckee Sunday. I said yes and asked him how he knew. He told me a missionary from Truckee, serving in Belize, asked if he knew me. Pastor Trent went on to tell me that the church was looking for a pastor and I should tell them I was available.
Days after we returned home, I received an email offering me the position. We were very excited, but we still prayed. We didn’t want to have to walk away from the work in South Asia. We were concerned that Saving Grace World Missions would think that it would be too much for us to do both.
When we shared the news with pastor Trent, he was so encouraging. He was excited that now, since I would no longer be working for the US Government, we could launch a greater effort in South Asia and we could get Calvary Chapel Truckee involved in the work also. It was exactly what Tina and I were praying about. We will continue to be SGWM missionaries, sent out by Calvary Chapel Saving Grace and Saving Grace World Missions, to reach the unreached of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Well, we’re in the process of packing right now. It’s a big chore. My sister, Sharalynn, has been helping us pack. She is a force to be reckoned with. She has been such a blessing to us.
We don’t yet have a place to move into, but we trust the Lord that He will provide. My first Sunday in the pulpit at CC Truckee will be Easter Sunday.
Now for the other news.
Our grandson, Noah, will be 2 March 20th. So we are going to go to Washington for his birthday. We’re so excited to see him. He is so cute and getting so big. He mixes in both German and English when he speaks. I never thought being a grandparent would be so wonderful.
This April is the 1st graduation for two of the colleges in South Asia since I have taken the oversight of the teaching. During my last trip, pastor Trent asked me to sign all the diplomas as the “Director of the Bible Colleges.” It was such an unexpected privilege. I had no idea at the time that God would open the door for me to return for the graduation ceremony to hand out the diplomas. I will be in South Asia for the graduation on April 4th, and the day I return, we will pick up some rental trucks and move up to Truckee.
So, as you might think, we need your prayers.
- Please pray for a house for us in Truckee. Pray that God would give us a house that would be a complete blessing for our family.
- Pray that God would bless our move and give us His sure mercies for the move.
- Pray that God would equip, enable and anoint us for this next adventure in ministry. For me in leading the church and Tina in leading the women.
- This move means the boys will have to find new jobs. Pray that God would bless them with new jobs quickly and help them continue in obtaining their degrees.
- Pray for Calvary Chapel Truckee. My prayer is that it would be known as a church that loves Jesus Christ, one another and those on the outside, grounded in the word and has a heart to reach the lost and dying of the world. Pray that we would grow in grace and God would add to the church.
As always, we are so thankful for those that have stood with us in the ministry over the years. Your love, prayers, friendship, and support mean more to us then you could ever imagine. We humbly thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
God bless,
Gary and Tina
PS. Here is a link, if you are interested in the official announcement made on February 17.
Posted in Uncategorized by Gary Barrow with 1 comment.