Reflect Conference

First Baptist Church Crosby, is putting on a one day conference just for Youth Girls! The date is March 5th only $10 per person. If you'd like to bring a group from your church please contact Amanda Cross at (281)328-2564 or send her an email at amandacross@fbccrosby.net.

Prayer Requests for Our Family

It has been such a joy to be with my children during this time of Stateside Assignment. I have been treasuring every moment we get to spend together. When I return to the field this Summer, Alyssia will be in Dallas, Rissa will be in Florida, Alan will be in El Salvador and I will be in Honduras! God has a plan for every family, and He gives each one the grace to live for the purpose He has chosen for each family.

• Please pray for us as we continue to live for His glory as a family.
• Pray for Alyssia as she prepares to take her medical school entrance exams.
• Pray for Rissa as she adjusts to thyroid medication and completes her senior year in high school.
• Pray for Alan to be safe as a part of the JV soccer team at Crosby High School.

Stateside Calendar January - March (Updated)

Here is my calendar for January, February and March. If you are somewhere near any of these areas, please come by and visit. Notice the dates added to the calendar.


January 23              Oakview Baptist, Irving, Texas

                               Vida Abundante, Irving, Texas

                               Northlake Baptist, Dallas, Texas

February  19-21      Groesbeck, Texas

February 23-27       Global Impact Conference in Greenville, Texas

March 5                   Reflect Conference, FBC Crosby, Texas

March 6                   Humble Area Baptist Church, Texas

March 12-20            Family road trip to Florida

March 21                 Gloria's 45th birthday!

March 26                 Alan's 16th birthday!

March 31-April 3     Global Focus Celebration in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Please pray for me as I travel to each one of these places.  Pray that God will use me for his glory.

Happy New Year! Feliz 2011!

Thank you so much for your prayers in 2010.  Please lift us up during 2011...

My children and I wish you a happy, productive and blessed new year!!

Alan, Alyssia, Gloria and Rissa

A Friend's Testimony

Dear friends,

I would like to share with you a very special letter written by a very special friend.  He sent it to Jeff Holloway, associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Crosby, Texas, our home church.  For those of you who do not know, Gary is the one standing on the right and Kenton is the one directly in front of him (with glasses).  Please read on and glorify God with me.

Jeff,
I don't expect you to remember me, but we met at the memorial service for Gary and Carla Sloan years ago. Gary and I both pastored mission churches of Oak View Baptist in Irving, TX and Gary and Gloria and my wife and I co-pastored another one as well for a time while we were doing that. I was leading up a mission trip from Irving to Tapachula to help the Sloans when the trip was interrupted by that day on the beach of Playa Linda and instead we came to the memorial at your church. Not long after the deaths however, I still made that trip to Mexico with 3 others from Oak View including one of our newest mission pastors (Sergio Matassa), a man that Gary had lead to the Lord and baptized in Irving (Mauricio Ibarra who has since planted a church in Hutto, TX where he pastors still), and the minister of missions from Oak View (Jim Gerlach) who now pastors that church. Gloria no doubt has kept you abreast of some of what happened out of that trip that went from 20+ to our simple team of 4 just looking for ways to help the family and perhaps still find some ministry to the church(s) in Tapachula.

We had the opportunity to share Gary and Gloria's plan for church planting, evangelism, and discipleship with the leaders of the grief stricken Baptist convention there. It was not a meeting we were even aware was taking place during our visit, but we were invited to come in Gary's honor. In Gary's honor God did great things! I don't remember now if that happened before or after the memorial at your church, I think before. Out of that, thanks largely to Jim and especially Sergio's on going ministry to Chiapas, came a church planting movement that has seen hundreds, likely thousands, of new believers and at least scores of new churches being planted.

Jeff, I am amazed at how the connections work in God's hands, and just want to say thank you to you and your church for the faithful way you have supported the Sloans and their ministry, as well as church planting in Texas, Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest!

God bless you brother! I hope this encourages you in what you are doing there at 1st Crosby!

Kenton Johnson
Vice Moderator, East Zone,
Interstate Baptist Association