Bethel Baptist Church

On Sunday, March 30th, we had a meeting at Bethel Baptist Church in Sellersville, PA.  This was a special meeting for me because Pastor Rob Campbell was my youth pastor in Colorado.  When we came to the youth group at Highlands I was a sophomore in high school.  I made many important life decisions as God used the preaching of His Word and the emphasis on ministry/service to convict my heart and guide my steps.  I was a junior in high school when I surrendered to vocational ministry, and shortly thereafter I felt the Lord’s call to the mission field.  I feel very blessed to have been under the ministry of the Campbell’s during those vital teen years!

I was still in college when the Campbell’s moved to Pennsylvania to take the pastorship of Bethel Baptist Church.  I haven’t seen the Campbell’s since I have been married.  (We stopped for a brief visit after my college graduation, and I had just become engaged to Ben).  It was so nice to see them again!

My family with Rochelle and Rob Campbell

One of my college roommates, Shannon Trull, also lives in the area.  She stopped by for the afternoon service to say hello and meet the twins!

Shannon was trying to make friends with Liberty.  Liberty doesn’t realize how much she owes to Shannon…her treasured bunny was a gift from Shannon when the twins were born!

Cedars of Lebanon & Cornerstone Baptist

On March 16 we had a deputation meeting at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Oakdale, CT.  We were privileged to stay with Sam & Amy Smith in Lebanon, CT. 

The Smiths have a hobby dairy goat farm called the Cedars of Lebanon.  The kids had a fantastic time being out of the City and in the woods!  There were one week old baby goats that we enjoyedThis friendly little goat was named Peanut!

Nehemiah was brave…Liberty was not!

I love this picture!

I found out that goats usually have twins, and sometimes have triplets.  I felt very thankful to only have twins!

New to the Cedars of Lebanon this year is a sugar house, so Ben got to help collect sap for the maple syrup!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit at Cornerstone.  The people were very friendly and encouraging.  I had a great time getting to know several people as we discussed the things of God.  Elaine was welcomed by several new friends (she LOVES making new friends), and even got to practice with the Children’s Choir.  It was a wonderful Sunday in God’s house!

March 2014 Prayer Letter & Update

Dear Praying Friends,

It is with a feeling of “fullness” that we write to you this month. As we reflect on the events of the last couple of months, we can see God filling our lives in several areas.

Full Suitcases

In January we dusted off our suitcases and officially began our deputation ministry. Our very first meeting was at Trinity Baptist Church in Keysville, VA. We had a wonderful week at their missions conference! The Lord answered several prayer requests, and even gave us a surprise extra meeting on our way home. He also provided specifically for our travel expenses through these two churches. We even learned a few things about packing for deputation along the way.

Full Schedule

The Lord has blessed us by filling our schedule more quickly than we had anticipated. We will be on the road for most weekends in March and April. We also have several summer meetings and a Fall that is filling up rapidly. We covet your prayers for safety with all the miles that we will travel this year!

Full Hearts

God has done some special things to confirm to our family that we are on the right path. He has abundantly and amazingly provided for our needs this year. Ben is still working during the week and we are traveling on the weekends. However, there have been several weeks when work has been scarce, or when we have traveled during the week and had no income. God has stepped in and met each need – from the large need of paying our rent, to the small need of providing specific baby items and necessities. What an awesome God we serve!

Taking Christ to “Da Bronx”,
The Hamilton Family
Ben & Andrea,
Elaine, Nolan, Liberty, and Nehemiah

Praises

• Full meeting schedule

• God’s amazing provision for our daily needs

Prayer Requests

• Safety in travel

• More meetings to fill the summer and fall months

 

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Display Table

Another missionary offered us a great piece of advice when it came to our display table – make everything “kid friendly.”  The kids love to be around the table and handle everything, and it will help if it is not breakable!  We endeavored to follow this advice with our table.  Here is Elaine and Nolan in front of the table at Bible Baptist Church in Leola, PA on Wednesday night.

First Missions Conference!

We enjoyed our very first deputation meeting and missions conference at Trinity Baptist Church in Keysville, VA.  Though many in the church were out with sickness, we enjoyed getting to know several church members.  The fellowship with the other missionaries was also a blessing!  It was nice to hear from those who are nearing the end of their deputation journey.  They had several good pieces of advice to offer us!

 

Getting the kids packed up in the suitcase for our trip!  We learned a little bit about packing – some things to bring next time, and some things to leave at home.  And it’s always good to remember the toiletry bag (which ended up forgotten).  Hopefully we don’t have to learn that lesson again! 

The kids were thrilled to be at a new church.  There was a lovely gift/fruit basket in our room which was a blessing to all of us, but it especially tickled the kids!  The folks at Trinity were so kind and generous!

Dirty, nasty van!  We loaded up for our trip in 13” of new snow and 5* weather.  Ben had to install a car top bag, which was new to us, and had to be adjusted.  It took a while in the frigid temps, but we made it to the service that night!

An Introduction to Our Family

I believe that the Lord has called me to plant a church in the Bronx, one of the five boroughs of New York City. For the past three years God has been leading me toward this as I have been working as an assistant to Pastor Jim Bickel at Bethel Baptist Fellowship in Brooklyn, NYC. My burden for New York City began in 2005 when I first came to the city with Shalom Ministries and Dr. Craig Hartman. That summer the Lord placed upon my heart not only a deep burden for Jewish people but also for urban ministry. During that eight week internship I lived at Bethel Baptist Fellowship and first became acquainted with Pastor Bickel and his ministry in Brooklyn. Little did I know at that time that one day we would day be working together.

Since graduating from Ambassador Baptist College in 2007 the Lord has blessed me with my wife Andrea, and four young children. In June of 2010, my family and I moved to Brooklyn to get some hands-on training for church planting with Pastor Jim Bickel. As an assistant at Bethel Baptist Fellowship the Lord has taught us much about ministering in the city and has brought us into a closer walk with Him as we have learned to depend more and more upon His grace. One of the reasons which I believe the Lord placed us at Bethel Baptist Fellowship is that Pastor Bickel, a church planter himself, has been given the special calling of training young men to start churches in New York City. One of the parts of the city which Pastor Bickel has been especially burdened for is the northern part of the city known as the Bronx. I believe that the Lord is answering his prayers by sending us to that area and is giving us a heart for the Kingsbridge area of the Bronx.

In New York harbor there are two islands of great historical significance and symbolism. One of those islands is known as Liberty Island. On this island stands Lady Liberty with her message of freedom and deliverance from tyranny. The other island is Ellis Island where millions of immigrants came to be registered after their long journey across the Atlantic Ocean. They came in search of a new life and opportunity in the new world. Today, sadly, most of the inhabitants of New York City are still in search of liberty and a new life. Only through hearing the gospel and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ can any soul experience freedom from the bondage of sin. The new life which the immigrants thought they would find was only a mockery of the new life which Christ offers. Jesus is the only one who can proclaim liberty to these captives.

One of our goals is to get to the mission field as quickly and as prepared as possible. Our desire is to be a self- supporting local church within five years of starting our ministry in the Bronx. In order to accomplish this our family will have to be totally devoted to the ministry and the work which God has called us to. With about eight hundred languages spoken in New York City, a church-planting missionary has the opportunity of reaching every country of the world in one spot. Though New York City is often viewed as a place of great difficulty for the gospel I am sure that God views it as a place of great opportunity.

The Bronx Photo Book

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