Prayer Letter - February 2016

December, 2015, was a busy flurry of activities. Besides the joy and fun of celebrating Christmas with some of my children and friends, I was privileged to participate in a Family Conference in the city of Tapachula, and to teach in three ladies’ sessions. My daughter, Anna, and her family were also invited to attend, and help with the special music. She and Andrés, and their two older children, Andrew and Debbie, spend many evening hours practicing with their guitar, violin, flute and piano, and their voices blend so beautifully.

While the work in Tapachula  isn’t part of the ministry here in San Cristobal, I must share with you my delight in seeing how those simple country people are true servants of the Lord, beginning with Pastor Bertin de la Torre, and his wife, Rosana. They have a thriving ministry which includes a Bible Institute, jail ministries, and radio ministry…the services were broadcast live every night. On Sunday mornings, they have three services simultaneously…Pastor Bertin preaches, while two of the preachers he has trained preach in the other two services. I thank the Lord for ministries like this and for the honor to have had a part in their Conference.

Returning to Tuxtla, my daughter picked me up at the airport, and we drove straight to Ixtapa, where I enjoyed attending the Israel Conference in the church my son in law, Ulises pastors. It was a special treat getting to fellowship with Bro. Samuel Esquivel and his wife, Alicia. The last day of the Conference, Sunday, the church took up their first Faith Promise offering. There were three saved that morning. And like icing on the cake, my 9 year old grandson, Paul, surrendered to be a missionary to the Jewish people. What a joy to be a part of these growing ministries!

The young people in the church here hosted a Christmas Banquet, especially to reach lost youth. Three of them were saved that evening. I’m thankful for young people who love the Lord and lost souls.

Earlier in December, there was another teen girl who was saved in a Wednesday evening service, and a young man was saved the first of January. In our Sunday evening service on January 17, three people surrendered their lives to full time service. What is such a blessing to this missionary lady is that our church is going forward…even without a pastor. The men in the church are coming together several times a week to pray for the Lord to send us the pastor that He would have us to have. And I ask you to do the same, please.

I rejoice with my son, Tommy, as they celebrated their first service in their new church building on January 31. He and Mona have been holding services in their home since beginning this work over a year ago. His ministry, Compassion Radio, also continues to thrive.

Three new ladies attended our Prayer Breakfast last Wednesday: one is the wife of a doctor that Andrés works with. And another was a policeman’s wife and her friend. She said someone from the church gave her a “breakfast pass.” Instead of invitations to ladies on the police force (or wives of men on the police force) and military women or wives, we have started this year to give out “passes.” You girls know how we love anything that is free…especially a free breakfast at a fancy hotel. Please pray for the Salvation of these 3 ladies.

Your friend,

Billie Sloan

Nahum 1:7

Prayer Letter - December 2014

 I know I say this every year, but truly our 17^th Ladies' Christmas Banquet this year was the best ever. Missionary Nathan Patterson did a wonderful job presenting the simple plan of Salvation. Using the story of the woman at the well, he preached on "Things that don't Satisfy." When he gave the invitation, 4 precious ladies were saved. Each one of these ladies is special to the Lord, and we rejoice in their Salvation. But one especially brought an extra measure of joy to many of us who have been praying for one of the First Ladies, who hasn’t missed attending our Banquets for 11 years, and often attends our monthly Prayer Breakfasts.  "Thank You, Lord, for answered prayers.” And thank you for your prayers.  

This year's Banquet was also the most financially stress-free one for me. Besides the special offerings from some of my family members, and friends in the USA, the church here contributed in love offerings, and I put less of my money into this Banquet than any other year. Now the unusual thing about this is that we don't have a pastor. The men in the church got under the burden of this banquet like never before. These are hard-working laymen who sacrificed above and beyond their means. The ladies have done banquets, some for ten years now, and did an incredible job with every detail. Because of this, the Lord put in my heart to turn this ministry over to the church. But when I offered it to them, they said they wanted me to continue to be in charge.  I’m already making mental plans for next year’s banquet. One of the results of this ministry is our new outreach to ladies on the police force. One of those ladies recently attended our Wednesday evening service.

I am happy to report to you that my niece, Tammie González, and her husband, Henry, missionaries in El Salvador, held their first Christmas Banquet on November 18. There was one precious lady saved. I’m also praying for the first ladies Christmas Banquet which will be celebrated in Ukraine on December 26. “Thank you, Lord, for giving this burden to missionaries around the world.”

In a few minutes I will dial the phone number of a radio station in a city about two hours away, and broadcast my live radio program to ladies. What an honor that God has added this new ministry to my life!

We are continuing to see souls saved, and recently 6 were baptized. A young woman accepted the Lord in our Wednesday evening service, and was present for a ladies’ meeting yesterday afternoon where I spoke.

A very personal note: my precious grandson, Levi William Miller, called me recently with the news that always brings joy to my heart: “Mimi, I got saved last night.” Twenty of my 40 grandchildren are saved. Four are waiting for me in Heaven.

May the Lord give you a Blessed Christmas, and a New Year full of dreams come true.

Billie Sloan

Nahum 1:7

Prayer Letter - October 2015

I know that Titus 2:4 teaches me that I, as an aged woman, should be a teacher of young women. That’s what I try to do, whether I’m with my daughters and daughters in law; teaching my Sunday school class; or whether I’m speaking in Ladies’ Conferences. But honestly, they are the ones who teach me so much!

I returned home four days ago from one of the most unforgettable trips I’ve ever made since my husband went to Heaven almost eleven years ago. In fact, the date of my departure was on what would have been our 46th Wedding Anniversary. Just as I started a 35-year adventure with the most wonderful man I’ve ever known, I began another exciting adventure on September 19 of this year. I wish you had the time to hear all the blessings I enjoyed, and all the things I learned during my nine-day visit to the beautiful country of Panama. Needless to say, I got to visit the historical Panama Canal. But you can look that up on the internet and see what I saw. The joy of that trip was getting to see first-hand the different ministries of Bro. Franklin Booth, and fellowshipping with him and his lovely wife, Brenda, and their precious children, Jonathan, 17; David, 14; and Elizabeth, 10. I stayed in their home, and what a godly family they are!

I was privileged to speak 8 times during my visit: the ladies’ Sunday school class the two Sunday’s I was there; at a special meeting of twenty wives of pastors and missionaries; and 5 times at their Ladies’ Retreat. Some of my children attended Oklahoma Baptist College with Bro. Franklin and Brenda in the ‘90’s. So they were excited that I got to make that trip.

Since my last prayer letter, there have been seven ladies saved in my different ministries. Two young people gave their lives to serve the Lord during a Youth outing in the church in Ixtapa, where my son in law, Ulises, pastors. One of those young men is my 11 year-old grandson, Andrew.  A man who has been attending our church for several months was saved and baptized.

There is great hope of a new work being started in a little town about an hour from San Cristóbal, through a lady in the church who invited me to speak to ladies there. This is her hometown, and I got to teach several ladies from her family. Three ladies were saved after my lesson.

I wish this letter could be all positive. But in reality, I’m sure every work has its valleys. Our church here has been without a pastor for several weeks now. Please pray for the men in the church, as they seek God’s will for another pastor. Thank you for sharing my burden.

Are you praying for our annual Ladies’ Christmas Banquet? November 20 is zooming toward us, and the ladies are working hard getting ready for this annual event, where we are expecting ladies to be saved, just like they have for the past sixteen years.

I am your friend.

Billie Sloan

Nahum 1:7

Prayer Request List for Ladies' Banquet

PRAYER REQUEST LIST FOR OUR 17TH ANNUAL

LADIES’ CHRISTMAS BANQUET

November 20, 2015

1. Wisdom and discernment in all the plans and decisions to be made.

2. Extra strength for the ladies and me as we plan and make preparations.

3. For the wife of our City Mayor to be able to attend, as well as First Ladies of neighboring towns. We refer to ladies who are in positions of prominence as “First Ladies.”

4. For the wives of the former mayors, military wives, wives of men on the police force, and pastors’ wives to be able to attend.  

5. For extra finances for the cost of the Banquet.

6. Preparation of the special music, and choice of each song.

7. For our guest speaker, as he prepares his message for the evening, and for liberty as he preaches.                                

8. For the Hotel staff to be reached with the Gospel.

9. That the Lord would prepare the hearts of the ladies who will be attending, and for many to be saved, who will be an influence to others.  We have had ladies saved in every banquet for the past fourteen years, including four former First Ladies, three military wives, two ladies who have prominent positions in our city, and a policewoman.

Note:  This Banquet is an annual affair, and will be attended by ladies, who for the most part are unsaved, and who either because of religious preferences, or pressures from home, do not attend our Church.  The Lord laid these dear ladies on my heart several years ago, and I am as burdened for them as I am for the ladies in my Sunday School Class.

Billie Sloan

Nahum 1:7

Prayer Letter - August 2015

Where has more than half of this year gone? Well, mine has gone very well, so far, thanks to the Lord’s mercies, which are new every morning.

I am going to share a “Mimi Moment” with you now: my son, Tommy called me several months ago to inform me that my 16 year-old granddaughter, Lydia Jean, had surrendered her life to the Lord to use her as He would see fit.  On June 2, my ten year-old granddaughter, Sophie, also surrendered to the Lord to serve Him with her life. She has started teaching a children’s class in one of their missions, and won two little girls to the Lord last Thursday. “Thank you, Lord, for Tommy and Mona, and Ulises and Elizabeth, who encourage their children to serve You.”

The Lord opened the door for several ladies from our Church to visit the nursing home here. I was touched by these dear, and sometimes forgotten older people, as I taught them the story of Simeon and Anna, and how they, too, could know the Lord Jesus as they did. About thirty-six years ago, I tried to get permission to simply go and read the Bible for thirty minutes a week in this same Nursing Home, and was refused by the mother superior. The head of the home now is one of our First Ladies (former mayor’s wife), and we have perfect liberty to share the Gospel.

God is Good!

It has become a tradition now with me: for eight years, I have had the honor of being a part of the Fires of Evangelism Family Conference in Bartlett, Indiana, with Pastor Elmer Fernández. He and his wife, Martha, have become some of my dearest friends. In the month of June, I once again got to speak to six different ladies sessions. I always ask the Lord to prepare my heart to be a blessing to ladies wherever I go. But as always, I am the one who receives the biggest blessings.

I got to spend a week last month in Ixtapa, with Ulises and Elizabeth, and taught their ladies’ Sunday school class. I love seeing how the Lord is blessing their work.

Vacation Bible School is always a special week, and this year was no exception. Our building was filled with children, and thirty of them came to Christ for Salvation.

At our monthly Ladies’ Prayer Breakfast last Wednesday, we had three special ladies in attendance: a councilwoman; a former nun that one of my daughters won to the Lord when they were teenagers; and her mother, who attended our very first Ladies’ Christmas Banquet in 1999. She has promised to attend again this year.

Please pray for our 17th annual Christmas Banquet, November 20. I am sending the prayer request list with this letter, and ask that you take it very seriously during your prayer time.

Your friend,

Billie Sloan  

❧Nahum 1:7

Prayer Letter - June 2015

I sit here this morning in my beautiful home…at least, beautiful to me…an example of the grace of God. I just returned home last night from a trip, and this letter could be full of my telling you how God graciously cares for me and loves me, just because of things that happened on that one trip! I have absolutely no doubt that He loves me. He loves you, too.

What an exciting two months I’ve had since my last visit with you! Where shall I start? Our pastor, Emilio has baptized several converts, and you should see our beautiful outside baptistery which a brick mason and his son in our church “remodeled.” It even has stairs leading up to it, so the men don’t have to put chairs inside and outside it for the candidates to climb.

One of our precious “First Ladies,” who was saved several years ago in one of our Banquets went home to Heaven May 5. She assured one of our ladies several weeks before, that she was ready to die, and was sure she was going to Heaven. During our last visit, her daughter told us, “Mom told me she is not going to purgatory.” She is a result of your prayers for our Banquets.  

And speaking of Ladies’ Banquets:  my niece, Tammie, who is the wife of Henry Gonzalez, missionaries in El Salvador, wrote to me on May 6 to inform me that they would be having their first meeting that day to organize their first Ladies’ Banquet for the same purpose of reaching those ladies who would otherwise possibly not be reached. How encouraging!

My daughter, Elizabeth, was our speaker for our Mother-Daughter Banquet here this year. She did a superb job. I’m so proud of her and Ulises, who continue to faithfully serve in the little town of Ixtapa. I make it a point to visit there every couple of months, just to see how God is using them.

It was an “unusual” honor to have been invited to speak at the Mother-Daughter luncheon in Fallon, Nevada. “Unusual,” because that’s where my daughter, Ruthie, and her husband, Steve Miller are now living. Rock of Ages Baptist Church called him to be their pastor back in the spring, and besides accepting their invitation to speak to their ladies, I wanted to see first-hand the work that they were so excited about. After serving the Lord as missionaries in México for over twelve years, truly, they are adjusting to life in the USA, and their people, many retired naval officers, but also young military couples…seem to love them.

Another one of our First Ladies…the title we give to wives, or ladies of the families of mayors and those in prominent positions…attended our monthly Ladies’ Prayer Breakfast on May 27. She was also at church that night. She invited our ladies to visit the Nursing Home here, where she serves on the staff. So last Saturday two ladies went to minister there.

It was so exciting to have just returned from attending the graduation service in San Luis Potosí, of one of the young men in our church. He graduated from the Bible College there, where Bro. Luis Ramos is pastor. Please pray that the Lord will use Octavio’s life in a very special way.

And I pray He will use you today as you serve Him.

Your friend,

Billie Sloan

Nahum 1:7

"Get Up!"

“And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?”

Joshua 7:10

In the passage of Joshua 7:1-10, we read of the defeat of Israel by Ai.  Israel had sinned against the Lord.  Achan had taken something that the Lord had cursed, and God was angry.  Sometimes when we have troubles and trials, it’s because we’ve brought them upon ourselves.  And Joshua, Israel’s leader became absolutely distraught.  He was at ground level.  He felt overwhelmed by defeat.  He began to say things that later he perhaps wished he hadn’t said: “And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!”

(V 7).  And he “fell to the earth upon his face.” (V. 6)

Several years ago, I’ll have to admit, I was having a Joshua day.  I felt absolutely overwhelmed by responsibilities, deadlines, and commitments.  I felt as if I were having a panic attack.  And the harder I worked, the stronger I felt the sensation of drowning.

Just then, to add to my misery, my phone rang, and the voice at the other end asked me for a favor, to which I complied.

I went into my bedroom and locked the door.  I walked into my bathroom, locked the door behind me, and lay down on my bathroom floor, and I said, “God, this is as low as I can get.  I can’t get any lower.  You’ve got to help me.”  Then I said to myself, “Myself, GET UP!”  Then I reached up on the side of the wash basin, and literally pulled myself up to a standing position, and I’ve been going ever since.  Now I know and you know Who really told me to get up, don’t we.

If you have never come to the place in your life where all seems in vain…bills are piling in maybe; one baby gets over diarrhea, and the next one starts vomiting; you tackle your kitchen and get it cleaned, only to find that the baby has poured Downy all over your laundry room floor.  If you’ve never felt like lying down on the bathroom floor like I did that morning, your day is coming.  It’s on the way.  What are you going to do?

You have several options:

1. You can stay in the bathroom and hide where no one can find you.  Did you know you set the atmosphere for your home?  What would my grandson have done if he had found his Mimi lying on the bathroom floor?  He’d have told my daughter.  She in turn would have called her husband, who would have immediately come home from his work two hours away.  Or maybe he would have called my son who lives in my town, who in turn would have left his pastoral duties to tend to his aging mother who was having a nervous breakdown on the bathroom floor.  What do you think the Israelites were doing or thinking when they saw their leader in despair?  Joshua was only human, but somehow we expect our leaders to have it altogether, and so do your children and grandchildren…and so does the Lord.  Sometimes I think we underestimate the Lord.  We don’t avail ourselves of His strength.  “Well, no wonder I’m on the bathroom floor…look at all I’m going through.”  No matter what you’re going through, the Lord will go with you, so if you can’t pull yourself up, then ask Him to do it for you.

2.      You can scrub the bathroom floor while you’re down there.  Did you know when you despair, the worst part about being down is that you’re not up?  You’re not where you’re supposed to be.  What on earth made me think I could help the situation by lying on the bathroom floor?  God didn’t want me to scrub the bathroom floor.  He wanted me to tackle the tasks that were overwhelming me… with His strength.  Sometimes we try to do things in our own strength.  And when our strength fails, we fall apart.  We’re proud, aren’t we?  We want to think we can do it all…we’ve got it altogether. In Isaiah 40:28-31, the Bible says: “ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” I can see a miracle in verse 29: to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  How much strength does the person have in that verse? None. What does God say that He would do with the strength that we don’t have? He said He would increase it. One of the definitions of the word “increase” is “to multiply.” He would multiply it. Unless the Math rules have changed, 0 times 0 equals 0. The miracle here is that when you have absolutely no strength left, GET UP! God will work a miracle, and He will multiply that 0, and give you strength that you don’t have. God had things in control, even though Joshua didn’t.  While I was on the bathroom floor, things were being neglected.  The longer I lay there, the farther behind I got in my work.  That in itself could be discouraging, except that God can use even those times for our good. This devotional came from the time I spent on the bathroom floor.  Realize that God can take even your bad times, and turn them into good.  One of the most wonderful things I’ve learned in the past few weeks is just simply to BE WHERE God wants me to be.  And it certainly isn’t on the bathroom floor…unless He wants me to scrub it.          

3. You can do like Joshua did:  Joshua 8:3 says, “So Joshua arose,…”  you can obey the Lord, reach up and take His hand, and let Him put you back on your feet.  I don’t know about your house, but the cleanest place in my house is not my bathroom floor.  In fact, it’s the dirtiest place in my house, probably.  When we get right down to it, (no pun intended) do you know what causes us to despair, and grovel in our anxieties?  It’s plain ole, common ordinary sin.  What caused the defeat of Israel, and Ai’s victory?  It was the sin of Achan, and his taking the accursed thing.  There was sin in the camp, and God was punishing His people.  He knew what He was doing.  Defeat was part of the disciplining program.  Not only did He want the sin to be confessed, He wanted the accursed thing out of the camp…and the accused, also.  GET UP, and confess your sin, and get back where you belong.  It’s a sin to fall apart, as bad as I hate to admit it. It’s a sin to lose control in the first place. Do you know why? When you have control that means God doesn’t.  Confess your sin, and give the control back to Him Who should have it in the first place. Remember:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”   

I John 1:9