Can you believe it is already November and the year 2024 is almost over? I have a big announcement to make about a new Associate Mission Director joining our office. Chad Braymer will be starting with us the first of December. Chad and Jennifer have served in Costa Rica as BBFI missionaries. He will oversee our recruiting and mobilization for new missionaries, the application and approval process for them, as well as several other tasks. Please welcome Chad and Jennifer and their three girls to the Mission Office.  

This week I will be traveling to Bolivia for the first time. I look forward to spending some time with our missionaries there and seeing what God is doing through them. Then, after a week there, I will travel to Paraguay for the first time. It is exciting to get to see God’s work through our missionary there as well. I will get to speak in many different churches. Please pray for my travels.

We are making a change as far as the PO Box mailing address donors use to send support to the Mission Office. It will come directly to our local PO Box instead of through the Kansas City PO Box address. The process through KC is no longer needed as we have the means to do everything in our office now with the same speed and accuracy. Some have expressed concern, so following is information that I hope will set your mind at ease about this change for all contributions:

In order to help the change go smoothly, you as a missionary should:

• Email all your supporters about the change. If some of your supporters already use the Springfield PO Box 191, that’s great!  
• Change the address on your missionary letter and other forms of communication as soon as possible if you used the KC address.

Our strategy in-office to expediate this changeover is already happening:

• The return envelope we insert with each receipt has been revised and now reflects the PO Box 191 address.
• We are also inserting notes with each receipt that explain the change and the outside of the envelopes includes a sticker designed to grab their attention about the change.
• We have posted about the address change on The Bridge email, which goes to donors.
• We are telling donors verbally as we speak to them over the phone about their gifts.
• We will keep the lockbox open for a while longer to avoid gifts getting returned.
• After the first of the year, we will start making phone calls to donors who are still using the lockbox address.

There are a number of missionaries that I know of that are going through some tough times whether it be from the passing of a spouse, struggles their kids are experiencing, serious health issues, difficulties with ministry, government permit issues, and a variety of other things. I guess you could say that many are suffering, and we know that can be the life of a Christian in this world.

In 2 Corinthians Paul lists things he suffered from, and they are pretty bad. I like that he begins this letter in chapter one with words of comfort and speaks of our God who comes alongside us in these difficult times. It’s more than just a shallow pat on the back. God has a genuine, in-depth understanding, a deep-down compassion and sympathy for us. This seems especially fitting since it says that God, our Father, is the “God of all comfort” who “comforteth us in all our tribulation.” Isn’t a blessing to know our loving Father is never preoccupied or removed when we are enduring sadness and affliction?

Let’s remember to keep praying for one another. You can find a list of our missionaries on the BBFI Missions app. The CAN missionaries will not be listed. If you would like a list of our missionaries, let us know.

Let’s finish out this year strong for the Lord as He works in us and through us!

Your friend,

Jon