December Prayer Letter

Dear Friends,

Hello to all of you from the good ole USA. We trust you are rejoicing at the Good News of the birth of the blessed Son of God. I know this is a busy time of year for all of you, so I’ll make this brief and right to the point.

We just returned from a 9 week trip to the field of Tanzania, Africa. We had the privilege of assisting missionaries Tim and Kim Whitfield. What a great work the Lord has established through this dedicated couple. Here is a brief summary of all we were pleased to be involved in during this mission trip: Over 25 salvations; 9 baptisms; many decisions made; preached in 3 villages; organized Tabora Baptist Temple and ordained a Tanzania man to pastor the church; passed out hundreds of Swahili tracts (5 people on the airplane read the tracts, gave them back to me after they accepted the Lord. The missionaries will follow up on them.); preached the Missions Conference at Tabora Baptist Temple; taught sessions at the Bible Institute on the topics of Personal Holiness, Eternal Security, and Spiritual Gifts.

Please continue to pray for us as we move into 2010. We do deeply desire to be used of the Lord to be a blessing wherever He may lead us. Please let me know if you have a special need that we could assist you with in the coming year. We very much value you and your ministry, and thank you for being a part of ours. Sharron and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and may the Dear Lord give each of us a fruitful and blessed New Year as we serve the Master.

Glory to the Soon Coming King!

Bro. David Smith

Back in America!!

We arrived in Manchester, New Hampshire Saturday night December 5th after 32 hours on airplanes or in airports. I preached in Manchester Sunday morning and in Berlin Sunday evening. We left New Hampshire on Tuesday and arrived at our front door Tuesday evening. Thank you so much for praying for our safety.

The 9 weeks in Tanzania were a blessing. We saw people saved, baptized and many decisions made.

Our time with missionaries Tim and Kim Whitfield was great. We certainly appreciate the hospitality.

We will keep you updated here on the blog so be sure to keep "logging in". Our December letter will be posted soon.

We love you and may His birth be more precious than ever before.

Pastor Smith

On the way home.....

Dear Pastors and Friends,
I just received a short email from my mom and here is part of it..

“flew from Mwanza to Dar es Salaam Thursday night. Dad led 4 Tanzanians to the Lord on the airplane using Swahili tracts. We have been without phone and internet for 8 days. We will fly out of Dar es Salaam Saturday morning at 1:00 A.M., go to Amsterdam, then Detroit and arrive in Manchester, NH at 7:30 P.M. Saturday evening. After going to church in CT on Sunday and visiting with the Hoyt family, flight to Little Rock will arrive Tuesday evening.”

My brother, I and our families appreciate very much all of your prayers for their safe travels and good health. I know they will have some wonderful stories and pictures to share of their 2 month ministry in Tabora, Tanzania!

Susie

Hello from Tanzania

Our 9 week stay in Tanzania, Africa is quickly coming to an end. The last 2 weeks have been very busy and a great blessing.


The November Bible Institute session was 12 hours of teaching on “Spiritual Gifts”. It was a blessing to hear the national pastors make statements and ask questions about this important subject.

We were invited to hold services in a village one hour from Tabora. We met in a building near a school. You know the Pastor, he loves children. So before the service started he sat in the yard with a group of kids. They could not understand or speak English but he taught them the song “If You’re On Your Way to Heaven, Clap Your Hands”. They all (including the Pastor) had a great time and were glad to see him the next day. There were 19 saved at the village and we thank the Lord for that.

We will drive 6 hours to Mwanza on Friday and will celebrate Thanksgiving Saturday with some American missionaries. The Pastor will preach in Mwanza Sunday. Pray we will be an encouragement to the missionaries and church family there.

We will start home on Friday, December 4th and will arrive in Little Rock December 8th. You will never know how much we miss all of you! Please continue to pray for us as we travel home.

Sharron

November 1st - Ordination Service and Baptism

New Pastor, John, baptizing Johnson

Bro. Smith, Pastor John and Missionary Whitfield

November Prayer Letter

Encouraging Pastor*Helping Churches*Assisting Missionaries

D.W. Smith

Cell Phone: (501) 360-6566 (501) 360-6566

Sending church: Heritage Baptist Temple

4910 Stagecoach Rd. Little Rock, AR 72204

November 3, 2009

Dear Praying Friends and Churches,

We have just completed the first half of our two month mission to Tanzania. It has been a very busy, but fruitful time. Our main goal was to assist missionaries Tim and Kim Whitfield. On Sunday, November 1, 2009, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of Tabora Baptist Temple. The day’s activities included organizing the church into an Independent, Bible Believing, Fundamental Baptist Church. What a proud moment for all of us, but especially for the Whitfields.

Also, we ordained a Tanzanian man, John Masanja, to the ministry, and then called him to be the Pastor of Tabora Baptist Temple. At the conclusion of the service he baptized his first 4 converts. What a victory! We believe the Dear Lord brought us here to participate in this great day. I had the privilege of preaching the charge to the new pastor. The Lord gave me exceptional liberty, even though it was through an interpreter. Also, I met 3 new African pastors that were a great blessing to me.

Please continue to pray for the work here. During November we have another week of Bible Institute. I will be teaching all week out of I Corinthians 12-14 on the subject of Spiritual Gifts, denouncing Scripturally the modern day charismatic movement including the gifts of tongues and healing.

Also, pray for our return home and God’s leading as we preach a number of mission conferences in 2010.

We are looking forward to being back in the good old USA in early December. Thanks for everything.

Sincerely In Christ,

Pastor David Smith

A Church for Every People and the Gospel for Every Person

Tabora Baptist Temple Missions Conference

The Missions Conference at Tabora Baptist Temple had a great ending Sunday night. Their commitment was more than last year and everyone was excited about the fact that they will continue to be involved in winning souls around the world. Brother Whitfield taught the Adult Sunday School and translated for the preacher as he preached the morning service. The missionary from Kenya, Shaddrack, preached Sunday night. Wow! We couldn’t understand a word he said but everyone else sure did. It is a blessing to watch the Tanzanians as they sing the same songs as we sing, just a different language, and as they turn in their Bibles and follow the message then respond at the invitation.

I want to thank you for praying for John’s nephew, Timmy. He is out of the hospital and is doing fine.

I also want to thank you for praying for us. We are doing fine. The preacher and Brother Whitfield are still walking every morning and Kim is feeding us the right kind of food so we should be real healthy when we get home. HA! HA!

Now I will ask you to pray for the services this coming Sunday. It will be the 5th anniversary of Tabora Baptist Temple. There is a big day planned. There will be unsaved people there. Pray for Brother Whitfield as he presents the gospel and we will see some saved. Four adults and one teenager are going to be baptized Sunday, the church is going to be organized, John will be ordained and called as the Tanzanian pastor of Tabora Baptist Temple. Our prayer is that the Lord will be honored in everything that is done.

We are praying for you and certainly miss all of you! Don’t forget you can e-mail us or leave comments on the blog. The preacher’s e-mail is dwsmith1947@aol.com



Love,

Sharron

Greetings Once Again from Tanzania, Africa

Greetings Once Again from Tanzania, Africa:

Brother Tim Whitfield and I have just returned from a three day journey to the west of Tabora. The village we visited is called Ngaruka. I preached each night to approximately 50 men and women. The Lord gave great liberty and one precious man trusted Christ as his Savior! Praise the Lord!

There was no electricity in the village and no running water. None of the creature comforts we are used to. I am amazed at how much we take for granted. We stayed in a “guest house’ that basically had a bed and a mosquito net. We bathed out of a 5 gallon bucket of water and brushed our teeth with bottled water. The trip there and back was 8 hours of dirt roads with seemingly more dust on the inside of our vehicle than outside! You literally could feel and see the dust and dirt all over your body and in your hair. I am not complaining, I am just trying to let you know what it was like. What an experience!

The people we met were precious, friendly, and very excited that we had come to visit them. Two men who were recently saved were baptized in a large Tanzanian lake. Brother Whitfield had the privilege of baptizing them. It is amazing to see such a large body of water and yet the entire country has to hunt for water for their daily supply. I guess all that will change as the rains come in early November.

Our Missions Conference at Tabora Baptist Temple started Wednesday evening, (10-21-09). We have two national missionaries, one from another part of Tanzania and one from Kenya. They are testifying and preaching each night and then I have been given the privilege of preaching the closing message on Faith Promise Giving each evening.

Sharron is doing excellent. Her foot is improving each day. She lets nothing keep her from attending each service and doing what she can to help. We feel very blessed to be able to serve together the way we do.

Brother and Sister Whitfield are spoiling us. Such great fellowship, food, and oneness of Spirit. We pray the Lord will use us to be an encouragement and blessing to them personally. How we love them and appreciate all they are doing for us.

Please continue to pray! Missions commitment is coming this Sunday. We are looking to the Lord for an increase in faith for the membership of Tabora Baptist Temple.

We Love You!

Brother David Smith

How to post a comment.

Mom mentioned some were having a problem posting comments to this blog and she asked me to try to explain. The easiest way is to click on the comment icon at the bottom of the post you wish to comment about. Type your comment and make sure to sign your name. Then under profile just choose "anonymous" and then follow the instruction regarding the image below your comment (I think that is just to validate your computer info, etc.) I hope this helps. You know nothing with computers is ever simple.
Susie

Dear Praying Family and Friends,
We are alive and well in Tanzania and loving every moment of it. We just finished our first session of Bible Institute. We had 10 national pastors and students in training to be pastors. I taught on the subject of Personal Holiness with Brother Whitfield interpreting. What a special time for me. The sessions were lively and the students seemed to thoroughly enjoy each day. Can you imagine, we were in the Word of God from 8:00 A.M. until 12:30 P.M.! By the end of each day Brother Whitfield and I were completely worn out. I am already preparing for the next institute class which will be held in early November on the subject of “Dispensations”. Please pray this class will be attended with power from on high by the blessed Holy Spirit.
In the morning Brother Whitfield and I will be leaving for Nguruka, Tanzania. This is a large and remote village about 4 hours to the west of Tabora. Brother Whitfield says it is very primitive and he is worried about me making the trip. Well, that is like saying “sickem” to a dog. I am ready and excited about the trip and the special meetings that will be held through Sunday A.M. Please pray for God’s power and safety. The ladies will stay behind and mind the home front. The associate pastor, soon to become the pastor of Tabora Baptist Temple, Brother John Masanja, will do the preaching. By the way, we are going to have the privilege of ordaining him to the gospel ministry on Sunday, November 1. This will be the church’s 5th anniversary. Pray much for that day. We are working for a record attendance on that day. Brother Whitfield would like to see 125 in attendance. Pray, Pray, Pray!
Sharron and I are doing great. No health issues to speak of, with one exception. We think Sharron has another stress fracture in her right foot. She is hobbling around, however, as usual, it has not dampened her spirits, or stopped her from attending church. I call her “Super Woman.”
Pray for the Whitfields. What gracious hosts! We love them and count it as an honor to assist them in whatever way we can.
Thank you for praying for John’s nephew, Timmy. He is doing better. He is able to walk with help. His jaws are wired closed so he is enjoying vanilla milk shakes. Continue to pray for his recovery.
We love all of you and deeply appreciate your prayers. May the Dear Lord continue to extend to all of us His wonderful grace to serve Him until He comes.
I Love You,
Brother David Smith

October 11, 2009

We have been in Tanzania 10 days. We have adjusted to the climate (the preacher thinks it is too hot), the great food Kim is feeding us, and the sweet fellowship. We found out I am not suffering from “jet-lag” but a reaction to the Malaria medicine I am taking. I still can’t sleep and the doctor said it will take awhile for the medicine to get out of my system. She put me on a different Malaria medicine and said to not worry about being awake most of the night. Boy! Do you know how long a night is?!?!? HA! HA!
The church services have been special. We know the songs they sing so even though we don’t know what the words mean, while everyone is singing we just pronounce the words with them. Tim tells us every time they turn to a scripture so we stay with them.
Maria, a lady in the church, works in a meat shop. Yesterday she invited a man to church. He came today and got saved. Pray for Michael as the men will visit with him this week about baptism and discipleship. Another person was saved last Saturday during visitation.
Friday the men are going to a village about 4 hours from here. Tim’s church is supporting a man from their church who has started a church there about 1 or 2 years ago. The will have services Friday, Saturday and Sunday. After church there on Sunday morning they will be back here in time for church Sunday evening. Pray for souls to be saved and their safety.
The Tanzanian government decided not to turn off the electricity every day in the whole country for 12 hours at the same time. So they issued a new schedule. When we came the electricity was off every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. Now it will be off every Saturday from 9:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M. and every Tuesday from 6:00 P.M. until 11:00 P.M. Yesterday was not bad, there was a breeze. But in the evening when the breeze stopped we used the generator for an hour or so for the fans. Now Tuesday might be another story. The generator is kind of loud for the neighbors and the lights won’t be on until 11:00 P.M. So we might use the generator in the evening, get comfortable, turn it off, go to bed and WAIT for the fans to come on. HA! HA!
Tim, the preacher and I walk every morning. We started going about 1 ½ or 2 miles. We have worked up to 1 hour and we go just over 2 ½ miles. Thank you for praying for the preacher. He is doing pretty good. His sugar was higher today than yesterday but at least he is checking it.

I want to ask you to pray for (my brother-in-law) John's nephew, Timmy. He was in a car accident and is in ICU. He was with a lady and her daughter, they were both killed. Please pray for Jean and John's family during this time.

We miss all of you and pray for you every day.

Sharron

Hello from Sharron

Hello from Tanzania,


It is Tuesday afternoon about 5:15. I have 40 minutes to get this typed and emailed. So all my typos should be excused. HA! HA!

Today was the first day of the Bible Institute in October. The preacher said it went fine. It took him and Tim 2 hours to get through the first lesson. They took a break, changed their tactics and they got through the next 3 lessons in 2 hours. They are excited about tomorrow and what (and how) they will be teaching. They will have 4 hours tomorrow and 4 hours Thursday. I took a picture today but I am not sending it. Let’s just say the lighting wasn’t good. HA! HA! I will take more pictures and you will get to see these national pastors and preacher boys. Some came on the bus or train and are bunking at the church. A lady at the church is preparing meals for them.

The reason I am in such a hurry is because the electricity goes off from 6:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. every Tuesday and Thursday. The computer has to be turned off, unplugged, etc. There is a generator here at the house. It will keep the refrigerator and freezer going. We can turn on some lights but not many at the same time. The preacher and I have only done this once, last Thursday night, so we are not experienced yet. But by the news we heard last night - we will be experienced before we leave Tanzania.

The entire country of Tanzania has a water shortage, which means an electricity shortage. Last night they announced that the electricity will go off every morning at 7:00 A.M. and will not come back on until 10:00 P.M. each night. This is suppose to start next Monday and will continue through November. We are going to enjoy every light we have until then. There are two things we are praying for. #1 Rain - so there will water to run the hydro power to produce electricity. #2 The repair of a big generator that will run the hydro power since there isn’t enough water.

We are still suffering from “jet lag”. We are sleepy at the wrong time in the day and when we go to bed we can’t sleep. We are going to give ourselves a couple more nights before we find a pill to take. HA! HA!

Tim and Kim are great hosts! We are enjoying every minute. One last note: The preacher is feeling good. We have been walking each morning and eating better. Please continue to pray for him.

Sharron

The Burden is Great.

I am writing this note on Monday morning. First, let me thank my sweet daughter, Susie Coyne, for doing such a great job managing our “blog”. The little paragraph explaining what a “blog” is and how to get the most out of it was excellent. I love you Susie.


My heart is both joyful and burdened as we begin our two month period of serving in Tanzania. Joyful to have arrived safely and to be with Tim and Kim Whitfield, veteran missionaries, whom we respect greatly and are learning to love deeply as we live and serve alongside this choice couple.

My heart is greatly burdened as we see the spiritual condition of the Tanzanian people. The needs are overwhelming. Pray much that Sharron and I can encourage our missionaries as they carry the heaviest portion of this burden. We have been able to pass out many tracts, pray with a number of people, and invite many Tanzanians to church during the few days since our arrival. We had one saved last Saturday.


On Sunday I had the privilege of preaching out of Isa. 12:3 “therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” While Tanzania is suffering from a severe shortage of water, I was happy to tell them that there is no shortage of “living water” which is available through trusting Christ as Savior. What a joy I received through preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to these dear people.

This week we start Bible Institute classes. I will be teaching Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for 4 hours a day on the subject of “Personal Holiness”. We are praying for many national pastors and preacher boys to attend. The hope of Tanzania rests largely on training and equipping the nationals for the work of the ministry here in this needy country.

Sharron and I are doing fine and enjoying every minute with the Whitfields. Please know that we love all of you and appreciate your prayers and encouraging notes.

Yours for Christ’s Sake,
Brother David Smith

Questions about blogging...

Hi Everybody,

It seems there have been some questions about the blog so I will try to explain. We set this site up so that my parents can keep all of their friends and family up to date on where they are and what they are doing. It is also a way for the supporting churches to keep in touch with them and a way for you to encourage them in their efforts.

We will try to put interesting pictures and stories on here and then if anyone has questions about the posts you can simply make a comment and we will answer. If you would like to send personal messages to them you can use their private email addresses. The blog is more like a diary of what they have been up to and where they have been.

There are two ways to follow the blog:
You can set up a "google" account and become a follower by clicking "follow" on the right hand side of this page. This will allow you to get email notifications each time the blog is updated.
Or, you can just view the blog anytime you want without being a member. You can also make comments without being a member. Make sure you sign your name if you are not a member so everyone knows who is commenting.

I hope this makes it a little easier to understand but if there are any other questions just post them here.

Susie

Prayer Letter September 2009

September 28, 2009

Dear Pastor and Friends,

Since our last letter we have been in churches in Massachusetts, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and back in New England.

During the Missions Conference at Fairview Baptist Church in Kansas City, KS, a couple surrendered their lives for full time service. Also, Fairview Baptist planted a new church on September 20, 2009. We helped pass out nearly 25,000 John and Romans, along with invitations to the new church. I also had the privilege of preaching during the “get acquainted” meetings. A special thanks to the Pastor and people of Jonesboro Baptist Church in Jonesboro, AR, for inviting me to preach at their Missions Emphasis Sunday. They raised an extra $100.00 per week for missions.

I preached at New Hope Baptist Church in Lynn, MA (Metro Boston) on Wednesday night, September 23. What a blessing to be in the same vicinity where we planted a church over 30 years ago. Three ladies we led to the Lord during those years at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Peabody, MA came to the service to see us. We enjoyed a great evening of fellowship.

The Missions conference at Heritage Baptist Church in Berlin, NH, concluded last night and was a blessing. Many decisions were made in the area of surrender, commitment to missions, and soul-winning. Also I preached twice in the NH state prison where Pastor Hoyt is the chaplain. Many came forward making decisions during the invitation.
We will be flying out of Manchester, NH, tomorrow, September 29, for Tabora, Tanzania. After traveling over 28 hours we will be met by missionaries Tim and Kim Whitfield. We are excited about spending October and November in East Africa working alongside this great missionary family. A number of special meetings are planned. Pray for souls to be saved, as well as Christians to be challenged

Our daughter has set up a “blog” site for us. Please look at it. She will keep it updated as we send pictures and information from Tanzania. Also, we will still be able to receive our e-mail. Both the blog and our e-mail addresses are listed above.
We have enclosed a few of our new prayer cards. If you need more, please let us know. I hope they remind you that we need your prayers as we continue to follow our blessed Lord.

Thanks for Your Friendship and Encouragement,
David and Sharron Smith

We made it!

We safely arrived in Tanzania on Thursday October 1. Tim and Kim Whitfield met us at the Tabora airport and took us to their home. Kim fixed us a wonderful dinner of pasta salad and BBQ pork sandwiches (from a pig they butchered on the back porch 3 weeks ago). It was delicious. Needless to say, it was not hard to get to sleep that evening after getting on and off three airplanes and being in the air twenty hours.

We woke up on Friday refreshed and ready to get to work.

Bound for Tabora, Tanzania Africa

Dear Friends,
  By now most of you know we are on our way to Tabora, Tanzania to spend 2 months with our friends Tim  and Kim Whitfield. Pastor Whitfield and his wife are missionaries in Tabora and we are looking forward to helping them as they minister to the African people. We will arrive in Tabora on September 30th and will return to the USA at the end of November. We will keep the blog updated as much as possible. If you would like to post questions or comments please feel free or if you would like to contact us personally just email me at dwsmith1947@aol.com or email Sharron at sharronsmith@usa.com Please pray for us!
Bro. Smith

Heritage Baptist Church Berlin, NH - Mission Conference 9/24 thru 9/27

We had a fun time getting "Captured By the Cause" in Berlin, NH. It was a special blessing to be involved in the mission's conference of Heritage Baptist Church.

New Hope Baptist Church Lynn, Mass. - September 23, 2009

  Sharron and I were at New Hope Baptist Church in Lynn, Mass. on Wednesday September 23rd and it was a blessing for me to be able to preach for their church family. The 3 ladies in this picture we led to the Lord over 30 years ago while I was pastoring in Peabody, Mass. What a blessing to see them!

Get Acquainted Meetings - Solid Rock Baptist Church Sept 13-17, 2009

 I had the honor of preaching the second night of the "Get Acquainted" meetings at the Solid Rock Baptist Church. Please pray for Pastor and Mrs. Gentry as they labor for the Lord in Platte County Kansas City, Mo.

What a blessing for Sharron and me to be at Fairview Baptist Church in Kansas City, KS for their 2009 mission conference.

Doug and Cheryl surrendered their lives to serve the Lord on the last night of the Missions Conference in Kansas City, Kansas.



Bro. Jared Shipman, Pastor of Fairview Baptist Church, Kansas City, KS praying for Byran Gentry. Brother Gentry will become the Pastor of Solid Rock Baptist Church when the church begins on September 20, 2009.

Prayer Letter August 2009

  Encouraging Pastors * Helping Churches * Assisting Missionaries

Bro. David and Sharron Smith
Phone (501) 350-6566

Sending Church: 

Heritage Baptist Temple
4910 Stagecoach Rd.
Little Rock, AR 72204

August 15, 2009

Dear Pastor,

    Greetings from New England! Presently we are in northern New Hampshire preaching for and helping my good friend, Pastor Dana Hoyt for a few weeks. We have had five adults saved in the last two weeks, plus a good number of children saved in Bible School. Praise the Lord! I have had the privilege of leading a little boy and girl’s mom and dad to Christ last Saturday. The children attended Bible School faithfully all week. That is like a little heaven on earth. On Sunday morning we had a near record attendance of 65. For northern New England, that’s a big church.

    I am sure by now most of you know that I have retired from pastoring, but I have no desire to retire from preaching and serving my blessed Lord. This is just to let you know that my wife and I are doing wonderful. It is our desire to be a blessing wherever God may lead us. We are especially interested in HELPING CHURCHES PLANT CHURCHES in the good old USA. We will be helping Fairview Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas the first part of September to plant a new Fundamental Baptist Church. How exciting! As of this moment, we have scheduled a number of missions conferences through the end of this year and into 2010. Also, we will be spending October and November in Tanzania, Africa, teaching in two Bible Institute sessions, organizing a new church, preaching a missions conference, and holding several tent meetings in surrounding villages. As you can see, we are not retiring.

     We are pleased to be sent out under the authority of Heritage Baptist Temple in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Bro. Paul Davis is currently serving as Interim Pastor. Please let me know if I can help you in any way becuase I appreciate all of you very much and send special greetings to all my preacher friends in Arkansas. If you would like to contact me by phone or e-mail; my cell number is (501)350-6566 or Sharron’s cell number is (501)351-6566. My e-mail address is dwsmith1947@aol.com.

     I look forward to hearing from you soon. We would be grateful if you would put us on your church prayer list.

Thanks for your friendship,

Bro. David and Sharron Smith

 A Church for Every People and the Gospel for Every Person