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540 Crescent St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503By the Spirit’s grace, discipling believers in Christ and evangelizing unbelievers for God’s glory.

“I can’t wait to go home, to fall on my face and repent before God”June 20, 2016

Dear Friends, Here are a few notes on our recent travels. The brief notes are from me, and the longer ones are from Mary, my Queen.

Hers are much better!Please pray for us as, with God’s help, we strive to promote Reformed, experiential preaching around the world. The

burden to do so becomes greater rather than less in my life, even though there are times that travel becomes a bit more wearisome as we get older.

Grand Rapids, Michigan (February 26)This was a short trip to a Grand Rapids hospital, but one I couldn’t pass up. On February 26, Mary and I received our first grandchild, Emma Layne Engelsma (6 pounds, 11 ounces, 19 inches)—the daughter of James and Esther Engelsma. She was born three weeks early, but all is well with mother and baby. What a joy this child has already been in our life in the last four months. God’s goodness is hum-bling and overwhelming: “Thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel” (Ps. 128:6). Pray with us please: “Lord, graciously grant us the second, greater miracle very soon. Put the seed of regeneration in Emma’s heart early on, that she might receive the second, greater birth. Fulfill Psalm 22:30–31: ‘A seed shall serve him: it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.’” Thank you for passing on so many tokens of love during this major event in our lives.

Detroit, Michigan (March 3)Thanks to the influence of Keith DenHollander, chairman of the Christian Coalition of Michigan, Mary and I were invited to attend the Fox News Republican Debate in Detroit, Michigan. It was something that we had never done before. We met Ted Cruz and John Kasich during the intermissions (as well as Megan Kelly from Fox News), but the debate was disap-pointing. Here is my assessment of the event: Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich all did quite well, I thought. Cruz was solid, clear, and crisp; Rubio, despite being sick and losing his voice, nailed Trump more than once; Kasich tried (somewhat success-fully) to impress the audience as the reasonable one above the fray. Trump sunk to new lows when talking about himself (the people around me were embarrassed), stumbled badly in defending himself, and got caught in several exaggerations.

Please pray with me: “Dear Lord, remember us in mercy this election season. Please do not give us the kind of leaders or President that we deserve. As a large majority of Americans are yearning for a new direction and new leadership, please help us not to strike out in foolishness, electing leaders who do not embrace principles of moral and fiscal responsibility. We

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ask for a President who will unequivocally take a stand for the sanctity of one-man-one-woman marriage, the sanctity of life on all issues from a child in the womb to a person of old age, and the sanctity of economic principles that are grounded in Scripture. Grant us a President gifted with uncommon wisdom, honorable convictions, common sense, and integrity that reflects the dignity of the office, so that even those who embrace opposing, unbiblical views will have respect for him. Grant us a President who fears God more than men and one in whose heart God is big and man is small.”

How we need to pray for America that God does not simply give us over to what we deserve! At present, the situation looks grim. “Lord, in wrath, remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2).

Greenville, South Carolina (March 8–9)Tuesday and Wednesday I was in Greenville, South Carolina, speaking at the Greenville Presbyterian Theological Semi-nary Conference (400 attendees) along with Dr. Ian Hamilton, Dr. Joey Pipa, Dr. Derek Thomas, Dr. Ryan McGraw, Dr. Ben Shaw, Dr. Kevin Backus, and Dr. Gary Bates. The conference was on marriage and family from a Christian perspec-tive. I was asked to speak on nurturing sexual intimacy in marriage.

It was a very good conference. RHB brought along a ton of books which sold briskly. Pray that God would grant to Christian families all over America that their marriages and family life will be strengthened by being more grounded in the Word of God.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the home of Dr. Scott and Susie Roberts, dear friends of many years. I couldn’t stay for the entire conference, however, as I had to leave early to get back to Grand Rapids to preach for our annual Prayer Day evening.

Grand Rapids, Michigan (March 11)I delivered a paper on “Images of Union and Communion with Christ” at the Midwest Region of the Evangelical Theological Society meeting at the Grand Rapids Seminary. The paper describes six images that are traceable back to the Garden of Eden: worshiping as God’s temple, bearing fruit for God’s pleasure, eating and drinking in God’s presence, being loved as Christ’s bride, receiving nurture as Christ’s body, and being clothed by God’s grace. What a multifaceted, beautiful truth is this communion with Christ in relationships!

After I spoke, I even managed to get Dr. Michael Barrett behind the book table to sell books. That was a first!

Faro and Lisbon, Portugal (March 25–April 1)—MaryOur first trip to Portugal began nicely with our being bumped up to business class on the flights from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis and Minneapolis to Paris! What a difference it makes to be able to stretch out completely and sleep. We won’t complain about the special food and personal service, either. The last leg was a 2.5 hour flight to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Brothers Joel and Erik Lopes picked us up, and we met Edvanio Silva, the FIEL (fiel means “faithful”) Portugal director; his wife Rosilene; teen daughters Marina and Haissa; and 8-year-old son Vinnie; as well as Guilermo, the tech guy, for lunch. Then we had a three-hour scenic drive to Faro, Portugal for the weekend. The first half passed us by because we couldn’t stay awake. We checked into a hotel, then took another nap. At times like this we reflect on our human frailty due to aging. We walked to a nearby mall to get water, fruit, and supper.

Portugal is slightly smaller than Indiana, covering 36,000 square miles. Its population is 10.5 million. It is not as rich as some other countries in the European Union, but it is not poverty stricken, either. Its hard-working citizens treasure their heritage. Even though the country is very close to Northern Africa, and it would be easy for Muslim migrants to find work and settle here, most of them go to Germany, France, Norway, and Sweden, which offer better housing and financial support.

On Easter Sunday, four churches gathered at their denominational camp’s chapel for services. About 400 people came in the morning. We were told there would only be half as many people in the afternoon, but about 350 returned. Joel preached in the morning on “How Christ’s Resurrection Shapes Our Hope” from 1 Corinthians 15:19–20, and in the after-noon on “The Only Way to Live and Die” from Philippians 1:21. We were grateful many people could speak some English,

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or could rely on someone standing nearby to translate. If all else failed, they put their hands on their hearts and make an upward motion, with tears and a smile, and said, “Obregato!” (thank you).

We had supper with Pastor Luis and his wife Maria. Luis lost his first wife 14 years ago in a tragic accident when his children were 11, 14, and 15 years old. Luis and his daughter testified of God’s goodness in helping them through that difficult time. Luis and Maria also shared the miraculous way God brought them together ten years ago. They live in Maria’s grandparents’ home and care for her father, Alfonso, and her 91-year-old uncle, Joao, who is nearly blind and deaf. The father was a barber and a taxi

driver in New York City for 33 years before returning to his homeland. Joao had a life-changing experi-ence at 13 years of age when his grandmother warned him that the leaders in their Roman Catholic Church (RCC) were teaching things that did not agree with the Bible. She advised him to test everything by the Bible.

Joao never married. He composed music, some testifying of his love for and devotion to God, and was a professional accordion player. Later he also became a beekeeper. We tasted some of the delicious honey he harvested. After Joel prayed for all of them, Joao prayed and thanked God for that minister from America, for his grandmother, and for a special per-son who helped him over the years, that God would save him. We were impressed with the care and kind-ness Luis and Maria showed to these elderly men. It was a special Easter for us.

On Monday morning we went for a long walk in a nature reserve along an estuary by the Atlantic Ocean. We were surprised at how refreshingly cool it was (50s and 60s), considering Portugal’s latitude. We were also surprised that so

many people wore winter coats. The southern half of the country is dry, and the northern half is green. Luis picked us up at 11 a.m., and with a member of his church, Julietta, we traveled the three hours back to Lisbon, this time with our eyes open. Luis and Julietta did not know English well, so conversation included a lot of back and forth questioning to make sure we understood each other. It helps that Portuguese and English both have a Latin base.

We have been to the FIEL conference many times in Brazil, which attracts about 1,300 ministers and their wives. The evangelical movement in Portugal is small but growing. The conference is in its fourteenth year. There were 50 attendees for many years, but four years ago the Silva family moved here from Brazil,

made many improvements to the program, and now the membership is up to about 300. The whole family is involved; they are very observant and attuned to the needs of attendees, including even 8-year-old Vinnie who helped us carry our bags to our room, patted his friend on the back when he was coughing, and was always quick and ready to help those who needed it.

Portugal is traditionally Roman Catholic, but many of its citizens are nominal Catholics now. Monasteries and con-vents have closed or down-sized. Many of the people at the conference have come out of the RCC but still have family in it. Others have come through the Pentecostal church or Jehovah’s Witnesses. FIEL has an Adopt-A-Pastor program, in which donors sponsor a pastor so that he can come to the conference and receive Reformed books throughout the year.

With a 6-month old son of one of the local pastors.

Visiting with this 91-year-old God-fearing uncle of one of the pastors.

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The speakers were Augustus Nicodemus Lopes, Mike McKinley, Mez McCo-nell, Jose Pinto Ferreira, and Joel. I spoke to the ladies twice. The theme was The Health of the Church. Joel spoke four times: “The Church Cherished” (Matt. 16:18b), “The Church Purchased” (Matt. 27:46), “The Church Preserved” (Luke 22:31–32), and “The Church Married” (Rev. 19:6–9). I spoke on “The Kindness of the Church’s Savior” and “Blooming in Your Church Garden.” Lodging, meals, addresses, and book sales were all at the same venue. We took several walks in the neighborhood.

A small group of young families are trying to start a Christian home school, so they may rear their children according to biblical principles that they would not receive in the public school. Homeschooling is legal in Portugal.

We met a friend who told us a few years ago in Brazil that he was greatly convicted by an address Joel did on family worship, particularly by a statement of Thomas Brooks: “A family without prayer is like a house without a roof, exposed to all the storms of the heavens.” He is still faithfully leading family worship. We praise God when we hear stories like this,

knowing how young children interpret much of life through what their parents teach them.

Both Joel and I had the privilege of meeting people who have read and studied our books (my one and his many). It gives us joy to be used as instruments in God’s hands to influence souls in a Godward direction—my hubby on the forefront, and me in a supporting role. We are thankful for the opportunities that we have to travel to different places and for Joel to preach from the beautiful Book of books, proclaim-ing the gospel of Jesus Christ to sinners. We pray that our hearts might truly be in line with Scripture, that our walk of life might coincide with our testimony and that we might be humble servants, used to do His bidding.

On Thursday afternoon, a small group of us toured Lis-bon (Joel’s translator, Thiago and his family, Pastor Jonatas, and Augustus Nicodemus and Minka Lopes). Our first stop was for coffee and the famous tart, pasties de Nata, in the first restaurant to bake them, according to the recipe of the monks in the Jeronimos Monastery from before the 1700s. With fresh vigor, we walked the waterfront of the Tagus River near its mouth into the Atlantic. The Padrao dos Descobrimen-tos (Monument to the Discoveries) commemorates the place where many ships departed for exploration and trade to India

With Angelo, who listens regularly to my sermons on sermonaudio.com, and wanted to discuss with me the issue of spiritual gifts in some detail. This

young man is quite a theologian!

With Dr. Augustus Nicodemus Gomes Lopes and his wife Meinke.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries)

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and the Orient in the 15th and 16th centuries. Portugal was once a world power, ruling over territories in South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. But over the centuries, the Dutch, English, and French took over the spice and slave trade by conquering the Portuguese trading posts and territories.

From old Lisbon, we went to the modern part of the city, where apartments can sell for more than a million dollars. Many Chinese are buying them. Wherever we go, the Chinese are buying up property. At Peter’s Cafe we ate the traditional beef stew of the Azores, which is a group of nine islands, located 850 miles off the shore of Portugal. We had wonderful conversation with Jonatas, Augustus, and Minka. We stayed overnight in a hotel, then got up at 3:30 a.m. to fly home. May God bless and grow the Reformed church in Portugal!

Medellin, Colombia (April 4–9)—MaryThis year the sixth annual conference of Latin Ameri-can Reformed Churches took place in Medellin, Colombia. It was our second time attending this con-ference, and we have committed to come next year as well. The excitement we sensed last year was present again. Last year 200 ministers, their wives, and other church workers attended; this year 800 came. A venue has already been reserved for 2017, the 500th anni-versary of the Reformation, in Bogota, which holds 3,000 people. It is a blessing that the people of Central and South America speak Spanish, (except for Bra-zil, where Portuguese is spoken). That allows people from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Repub-

lic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and other countries to hear conference addresses in their native tongue, directly or through an interpreter.

Noe and Mimi Acosta headed up the conference under the auspices of Gospel Through Colombia. Bill Greendyk, the zealous leader of Trinitarian Bible Society in North America (TBS), helped them with many logistic details. TBS also generously underwrote a considerable portion of the conference so many pas-tors could attend. We were privileged to travel with Bill and his wife, Marlene.

The theme of the conference was “God’s Design for a Pastor and for Families in the Church.” The speakers were Sugel Michelen, Sam Waldron, Bill Greendyk, Richard Pratt, and Joel. My husband spoke

The Belem National Palace, official residence of the Portuguese President, situated on a main street in Lisbon, Portugal.

Marlene Greendyk and my Queen in Medellin, Colombia.

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on “The Family and the Church,” “The Shepherd and Christian Discipline,” “How to Cope With Criticism from Within the Church,” and “The Pastor as Office-bearer in His Own Family and His Personal Prayer Life.” Eduardo Fergusson was Joel’s interpreter.

On Friday, the women had a separate conference. Gloria Michelen, Ruth Ann Bruce, Debbie Johnson, and I were the speakers. My address was titled “Common Kindness and Uncommon Kindness” from Luke 6 about loving our enemies. The men met at a local church, where Joel spoke on “Running the Race to the End.” Afterwards, the conference organizers gave Joel a personal tour of the Latin America Reformed Seminary.

We took a bus tour around the city Thursday afternoon. Emerging from the fearful grip of violent drug cartels in the 1980s and 90s under the influence of Pablo Escobar, the city has changed from being the most dangerous in the world to being one of the best cities in the world to live in. Our excitement over the numbers attending the conference was dampened as we pondered the four million people in the metropolitan Medellin area, most of whom are unsaved. As we stopped at a scenic overlook on our way back to the airport, we looked down on the vast city in the valley—and Joel and Bill both felt the burden of the need to reach these souls. Please pray with us that the power of Reformed experiential preaching will spread like wildfire across Latin America.

Grand Rapids, Michigan (April 10)I had the privilege of baptizing our first grandchild, Emma Layne, on April 10, together with two other babies. All three are related to us. I preached on John 3:7, “Ye must be born again.” God’s covenant mercies are overwhelming.

North Chicago, Illinois (April 15–16)On tax day I flew to Chicago, where Pastor Steve Rhoda col-lected me and brought me to the Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, north of Chicago, where I gave four con-ference addresses on learning from the Puritans how to live fully for God in marriage, in child-rearing, in zeal, and in evangelism. The beautiful, old country church has been designated as a his-toric site. The interior is also vintage country church.

One of Medellin’s modern cathedralsWith the Academic Dean of the recently estab-

lished Latin America Reformed Seminary

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Monarch, Alberta (April 22–25)On Friday, April 22, I flew to Calgary, and then drove down to Monarch, Alberta, to serve Bethel Free Reformed Church for the weekend. On Saturday morning, I spoke to sixty men from the church at a men’s breakfast on Family Worship. A short Q&A session followed. I enjoyed meeting friends of many years and making new ones. On Saturday afternoon and evening I mostly studied and caught up on editing for several books being published by Reformation Heritage Books. I also went for a long walk in the woods near the home of my gra-cious hosts, Elbert and Tanya VanHierden.

On the Lord’s Day, I preached twice for Pastor Eric Moerdyk, a PRTS graduate, at Bethel, a congregation of about 500 members. After the evening service, I gave a seminary presentation, which was well attended. I am grateful for how excited this congregation is about the seminary and its vision. They certainly have showed this by their support. Between the services I had a great time with Pastor and Lisette Moerdyk and their children at their home for the noon meal. What a beautiful thing a Christian family is! Psalm 128 is so true.

Over the weekend, I was blessed with a 16-month-old surrogate grandchild, the youngest child of the VanHierdens. The boy loved to take my cell phone out of my pocket, turn it on, and press the appropriate buttons. He also liked to take my papers and pen out of my pocket and walk away. What a sweet and relentless boy he is!

My drive back to Calgary on Monday morning, fol-lowed by all-day flights, was uneventful, except that I had a single opportunity to evangelize a man sitting next to me. I’m afraid that both he and I were too tired to take full advantage of this time together.

Seattle, Washington (April 28–May 2)—MaryThe 11th Annual Christian Heritage Family Discipleship and Homeschooling Conference was held in Redmond, Wash-ington, a suburb of Seattle, with the theme Be Courageous, Pursue Righteousness, from Joshua 1:9. Some of the families that lead this organization were at the forefront of the homeschooling movement about thirty years ago when they had to fight in court for the right to home educate. Some 3,000 attended the conference, from babes in arms to grandparents, many of them large families. It was not unusual to meet families with ten or more children. One couple we met have eighteen children (none adopted, and no twins), together with thirty-five grandchildren.

The keynote addresses were “The Heart of the Gospel” and “Biblical Tests of True Faith” by Paul Washer, and “Be Courageous in Building Convic-tions in Your Children” and “Keep Running the Race of Righteousness to the End” by Joel. Both spoke at the pastors’ luncheon on family discipleship. I spoke at the pastors’ wives luncheon on the burden and bless-ing of being a pastor’s wife. Joel also conducted three workshops on happiness in a biblical marriage, coping With Paul Washer and Craig Houston

Pastor Eric Moerdyk and family.

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with family affliction, and handling anger in the family. I did three workshops as well, on cultivating kindness in children and in teens, and on being a kind wife.

Reformation Heritage Books shipped two skids of books to the conference. Unfortunately, the shipping company only got them within ten miles of the conference venue. Rather than wait until the next day, David Woollin loaded up his rental car twice and transported all the boxes the last miles. A bunch of young men helped him bring the boxes up the steps, and we helped set up the books. We finished just in time.

Homeschoolers are always looking for resources, so we brought many books that fit their needs, such as children’s books, church history and biographies, and family books. People bought $22,000 worth of books. Being non-profit, RHB’s normal prices are about 35 percent discounted, but at conferences we sell our own publications for 50 percent off. When Joel thought about shipping the leftovers home, however, he announced that all the remaining books would be sold at 60

percent off retail price. We were mobbed at the book table! We would rather sell more books at a smaller profit than fewer books at a larger profit. Any profit of course goes back into the company so that more titles can be published. When we sell books to homeschooling families we are con-fident they are being well used. Every weekday at 9:45 a.m., when PRTS and RHB staffs gather for prayer time, they pray that God will bless the books that go out. Will you please add your sig-nature to their petitions?

After the conference on Saturday, we went with Pastor David Eddy to his home in Manchester and stayed in his cozy shed-turned-

guesthouse. He and his wife, Carol, have ten children. Joel preached the Sunday morning service on how Christ matures our faith. Manchester Com-munity Church has a beautiful view of Puget Sound. Sunday dinner was accompanied by lively conversation. David and Carol then drove us to SeaTac to Emmanuel Reformed Baptist Church, where we met up with David Wool-lin, who had preached the morning service. David has served that church numerous times before when its own beloved Pastor Robert Martin was strug-gling with cancer and recently passed away. The congregation became very close to David through these difficult times. Providentially, Joel’s sermon was on how to live and die in the Lord.

We stayed with one of the elders and his wife, Michael and Peggy Villa. While they were high school sweethearts, they were both converted from Roman Catholicism into the Reformed faith. Both came out of difficult home situations. Michael’s father lived in their home for nineteen years. The Vil-las are very dedicated to the church. Michael served in the Middle East as a Marine. After coming home, he became a police officer. Now he is the police

chief of the SeaTac area, overseeing 80 police officers. He is short and tough, yet caring, and very strong in the faith. This is the first time we were taken to the airport in a police cruiser, Joel in the front and I in the back! Mt. Rainier and many other peaks were visible as we flew home Monday morning.

Mike and Peggy Villa

Rev. David and Carol Eddy, and nine of their ten children

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Grand Rapids, Michigan (May 6)On Friday evening, Dr. Joey Pipa, presi-dent of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a friend for decades, gave the commencement address for PRTS’s 20th graduation on “A Prayer for the Graduates” from 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, stressing the confidence ministers may have in their triune God. I gave the charge on “Endure!” from Hebrews 12:1–2, and spoke some personal words to each graduate, assigning each one a Bunyan-like name, as usual.

Post-graduation fellowship and refresh-ments in Heritage Reformed Church after commencement also was a happy time. This was PRTS’s largest graduating class so far: eighteen men from thirteen countries and seventeen denominations. It was truly a blessed evening, with a wonderful mix of about 400 people in attendance, representing families, races, and denomina-tions from several countries around the globe. Pray for these men as they go on to earn advanced degrees or return to their countries as pastors and theological professors, determined to glorify God through ministries that are biblical, Reformed, confessional, and experiential. Please cry to God with us: “O heavenly Father, use each of these graduates in their various countries for Thy glory, the maturation of Thy saints, and the salvation of the lost!”

St. George and Brantford, Ontario (May 14–16)Mary and I drove to Ontario on Saturday so that I could preach twice on Pentecost Sunday for St. George Free Reformed Church and once for Brantford Free Reformed Church. (Coincidentally, both churches have a membership of 381 people.)

It was a full Lord’s Day. In the morning I preached on “Pen-tecost as the Feast of Fulfilment” (Acts 2:1–4). After the morning service, 85 children (ages 5 to 11) from St. George Church sang several psalms for the closing program of their Sunday school year. (The average age of attendees in this church is 23!) In the afternoon, I preached on “The Age of the Spirit and Revival” from the last part of Acts, and in the evening, in Brantford, from John 16:14 on “The Holy Spirit’s Greatest Work.”

We had a wonderful weekend staying with our good friends Paul and Eve VandenBerg, who couldn’t have treated us better. On Sunday evening after church we had a good visit with Rev. Neil and Ricky Pronk in Ontario, who have also been friends for many years. Rev. Pronk has been preaching God’s Word for nearly 50 years and With Rev. Neil and Ricky Pronk in Ontario.

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is still preaching nearly every week. He is 78 years old and is an emeritus minister of the Free Reformed churches. From there we went back to the VandenBergs and enjoyed time with them and with Jed and Trudy Schuit, who went to Israel with us on our tour last year. It was great to be with them all, including Betsy, Paul and Eve’s sister-in-law, until 11:00 p.m.

Seattle, Washington (June 3–4)On Friday I flew to Seattle, Washington, to speak at the Ligonier Conference to 2,000 attendees on the subject, “The Life of Christ: No Hope Without It.” I talked about how Christ meets all of our needs through His prophetic, priestly, and

kingly office-bearing. Other plenary speakers at the conference included Steven Lawson, Derek Thomas, Owen Strachan, and Bob Godfrey. After I spoke, I had the privilege of presenting a festschrift to Dr. Steve Lawson, that is, a book written in his honor by some of his best friends on expository preaching, which is dear to his heart. The book is titled Pulpit Aflame and contains a number of excellent articles on preach-ing written by Iain Campbell, Sinclair Ferguson, Bob Godfrey, Michael Haykin, John MacArthur, Conrad Mbewe, Al Mohler, John J. Murray, R. C. Sproul, Derek Thomas, and Geoff Thomas. I wrote a chapter in it on the historical pedigree of Reformation preaching in the sixteenth century, and served as coeditor of the volume, together with Dustin Benge, Dr. Lawson’s assistant. It is published by Ref-ormation Heritage Books. Anticipating large sales of

this important book on preaching, we printed 15,000 copies for a first press run. Dr. Lawson was speechless when the book was presented to him, which is something we’ve never seen before!

Late Friday evening, after all the messages were delivered, David Woollin (who managed a RHB book table and served as my assistant throughout this short trip) and I met with Bob Godfrey to speak about various book projects. Jonathon Beeke (who managed a PRTS table) enjoyed the conference with us. Nathan Bingham and Tim Challies spoke at the pre-conference on “The Digital World.” Tim and I had the same early flight the following morning from Seattle to Toronto, and we enjoyed visiting with each other.

Burgessville, Ontario (June 4–6)Dick and Shirley Schmidt picked me up from the Toronto airport on Saturday afternoon. I always enjoy speaking with this spiritually minded brother and his wife, so the 90-minute trip to Burgessville seemed short. We arrived at the home of Jason and Heather Beeke (my nephew and niece) about 4 p.m. After visiting with them and their teenagers, we left to meet with about forty young people from Burgessville HRC, where I spoke in Henk Vrugteveen’s beautifully restored barn on the only Redeemer.

On Sunday I enjoyed preaching twice to the Burgessville congregation. What a great ministry my dear brother, Pas-tor David Lipsy, is carrying on there. It was wonderful to be in this spiritually alive church again. Between the services I enjoyed a noon meal of Dutch soup with my niece and her husband (Rachelle and Andre Timmermans) and their two pre-cious young children. After the evening service, I spoke about the forthcoming doctoral program being launched by Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Then at 10 p.m., Rein and Corine Bos came to the Beeke home to visit with us. It was a fitting capstone to a long, fruitful day.

Dundas, Ontario (June 6–8)On Monday, Rev. Johnny Serafini led a synodical prayer service, preaching on Psalm 107, for both the HRC synod and the Free Reformed synod which met separately but concurrently in the Dundas Free Reformed Church building. We shared devotions and mealtimes but had our own meetings as denominations. I opened Wednesday’s meeting with a half-hour mes-sage on “The Able Grace of God” from Ephesians 3:20–21. Dr. Jerry Bilkes gave a moving address from Philippians 1:9–11.

The synodical meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday went well. Two highlights are worthy of mention here: First, Pieter VanderHoek was accepted as a candidate for the HRC. And second, three professors of PRTS were interviewed and approved for the doctoral program: Dr. Adriaan Neele, who will serve as Director of Program as well as lecture in classes, and Dr. Stephen Myers and Greg Salazar who will serve as church historians. These men are highly qualified for these

With Dr. Steve Lawson, just after presenting him the book Pulpit Aflame, written in his honor.

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positions, both academically and spiritually; they were carefully vetted and selected through a long process of interviews and prayers from a substantial pool of qualified applicants. Please pray that God will bless this program richly throughout the world, so that PRTS will be instrumental in training many of the church’s future leaders in biblical, Reformed, confes-sional, experiential truth that may impact the church and the world for good.

Throughout the synodical meetings, I stayed in the home of our good friends, Paul and Eve VandenBerg. For part of the time, Rev. Jan Arie VandenBerg who serves Providence Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, also stayed there, so it was good to get to know him better. I rode home with Dr. Brian DeVries. It was great to catch up on things with him.

We arrived home late Wednesday evening in time to turn things around on Thursday, then head out on Friday morning for an important series of meetings in the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Republic (June 10–13)Paul Washer (on behalf of Heartcry Ministries), David Woollin (on behalf of Reformation Heritage Books), and I, as well as a few donors and a number of Spanish leaders, ministers, and a publisher in the growing Reformed movement in Spanish-speaking coun-tries (especially in Latin America), held a series of very fruitful meetings in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to inaugurate a Spanish division of Reformation Heritage Books. We hope to begin with the publication of the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible in Spanish next year together with a 3-volume series of books by Paul Washer on the gospel. The potential fruit of these meet-ings together with future meetings and the publications that will be forthcoming, God willing, is immeasurable at this point. Please pray that God will do great and mighty things through this excit-ing venture.

On the Lord’s Day, I preached twice for the Reformed church, Iglesia Biblica del Senor Jesucristo Church, in Santo Domingo, led by nine pastors. About 1200 people attended the morning wor-ship and 750 in the evening. My interpreter, Pastor Salvador, was outstanding, speaking with every bit as much or even more pas-sion than I did—no small feat for an interpreter. I was particularly encouraged by how many attendees told me specifically what the sermons did for them. One young lady told me through many tears: “I can’t wait to go home, and get into my bedroom, to fall on my face and repent before God.” Another told me, also through tears, that she had felt restrained from bringing the gospel to her mother-in-law out of fear for twenty years, but now, she said, “I am going to her home right now to explain the gospel to her. I can wait no longer. Please pray for me.” I did—immediately, even though others were waiting. It was just too important.

HRC and FRC delegates to the synod meetings

With my interpreter, Pastor Salvador

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It was a wonderful Lord’s Day—one in which there was also much communion with God’s people and warm fellowship and hospitality. I have scarcely ever been so impressed with a church as I was with this one. All of the pastors work in beautiful har-mony together. The majority of them have been co-laboring at this church for 25+ years, and God has blessed their work mightily.

The Sunday school was led by Sugel Michelen, a very humble, gifted pastor who does the bulk of the preaching. Some call him

the Lloyd-Jones of the Caribbean because of his outstand-ing preaching gifts. His Sunday school message was at such a high level biblically, theologically, practically, and even philo-sophically that I marveled at how he and his church had grown together to reach such a level of teaching.

It was great to spend quality time with Paul Washer and Sugel Michelen in the Dominican Republic, as well as several of the other pastors of the church. The meals and hospitality of the pastors and elders here, together with the edifying, spiritual conversation, is also at a remarkably high level. It was truly a delight to serve this flock. The Lord was in the midst of us this Lord’s Day. SDG!

On the way to the airport Monday, we got our only sightsee-ing time, riding along close to the edge of the beautiful, rocky ocean shore for about 20 minutes. It was great to be back home again, and also to preach again in my favorite church in the world—the Heritage Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids!

Finally, I wish to acknowledge God’s grace in that today, as I write, it was forty years ago that I preached for the first time as a theological student with the sanction of the church. I preached in the morning from Matthew 5:3 and in the evening from Psalm 40:2 in Waupun, Wisconsin. It was an unforgettable day for me, as I felt greatly helped. In those forty years, I have been privileged by God’s amazing grace to bring His Word in sermons, conferences, and lectures 15,000 times, in about 40 countries, and on every populated continent on the globe—all despite my unworthiness. I can’t speak well enough of my Sender, Commis-sioner, and Employer for His mercy shown to me in those four decades that seem more like one or two. Countless times I have experienced God’s strength in the midst of weakness. “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Ebenezer, hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” Oh, for grace to persevere to the end, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2)!

Warmly,Pastor Joel Beeke

With Paul Washer and Sugel Michelen.

The stunning Santo Domingo ocean shoreline.