On January 10, 1966 I wrote in my diary, “Truman Smith called. We received unanimous approval from the Personnel Committee (Foreign Mission Board) for appointment to foreign missions. We are to be in Richmond January 18-26 for orientation.”
With that approval our lives were to be forever changed. Because the Foreign Mission Board wanted us to be in Brazil in May at the beginning session of language school, we actually received orientation before we were officially appointed on March 10. On April 19, we boarded the Del Mar freighter at the New Orleans port and set sail for Rio de Janeiro at 6:30am April 20.
A half a century has passed since that memorable day but the experience is still fresh in our minds. What has taken place over 51 years could not have been imagined or even planned by us. Yet, all of it was in the plan of God. Fourteen years in Brazil, learning Portuguese, adapting to another culture, pioneer church planting work in establishing 10 churches that are alive and thriving today, work with the Brazilian Foreign Mission Board , raising three wonderful children, returning to the USA in 1981, with Gloria teaching in Middle School in Morehead City and then on faculty with Carteret Community College and then Wake Tech after our move to Cary, serving as pastor of churches in Boone, Morehead City and Cary, retiring in 2008, serving as Interim Pastor of FBC Wallace and FBC Clinton and Crabtree Valley Baptist Church and then becoming pastor of CVBC in March, 2016.
Late in life David, King of Israel said, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25) Gloria and I can testify of God’s faithfulness, of God’s provision and of His blessings. Being able to continue in service to Him is a joy, a privilege and a blessing. We want to begin 2017 with thanksgiving to God and to you, the members of CVBC, for allowing us to work with you as we together join God in the work that He is doing.
In His Love,
Charles
