Archive for the 'Prayer Letter' category

March 2024 Prayer Letter

March 7, 2024 1:28 pm

Dear Friends,
Thank you to those who prayed for our two recent big events during January and February that were mentioned in our last letter.

Bill Rice Bible College
At the end of January I taught a one-week module at the Bill Rice Bible College. This was a class called Introduction to Missions. It is an expanded version of a class I have taught for them in the past. This time, I had almost 30 hours of teaching time. This allowed me to cover much more material than I have been able to cover in the past. It was a very profitable week.

Deaf Camp in Peru
In early February I was privileged to return to the country of Peru to speak at a deaf camp. This was for the Efata Ministries that I have been to several times in the past.

I met Pastor Jorge when he was a Bible college student more than 30 years ago.

We had 95 campers from several different churches. The age range was teens up to adults. The first day of camp I had a wonderful time re-connecting with Deaf that I first met over 30 years ago when I spent more than four months at Efata.

I most enjoyed getting to know Pastor Jorge and Maria Pozo better. I knew Jorge when he was a Bible college student back in 1991. One of their son’s, Timothy, was approved as a BIO missionary a few months ago. I got to spend time with their other son Josue when I was there. Knowing these two young men has made me very impressed with Pastor Jorge and Maria.

Surgery
Not everything went according to plan while in Peru. After camp was over, I had expected to be in Lima visiting various friends for the next week. Instead, I spent time in a hospital having emergency gallbladder removal. I am thankful for my host family who was willing and able to rush me to the hospital when everything happened. I am also thankful for a good hospital and surgeon. The surgery was not as straightforward as one would have hoped. The surgeon did a phenomenal job in pivoting and helping with the real problem, not just the one that was presented to him.

There was unexpected cost associated with this surgery. I am grateful that my wife could get on a plane and join me during the recovery process. We have had two churches make significant donations that has covered $4800 of the $7400 extra expenses. If you would like to help with the additional expense, you can send a check made to BIO with a note that it is for my surgery expenses.

Thank you for your continued care for us and our ministry.

David Peach

You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.

December 2023 Prayer Letter

December 11, 2023 8:42 pm

Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas! The Advent of Christ is worth celebrating. As we look forward to the next few weeks, let me catch you up on the last couple of months.

Recruiting
I don’t know if “recruiting” is really the right word for what we were engaged in for the month of October, but that is the common term used. We feel like these trips to visit colleges and talk with young people are about building a relationship with them that will have a long-lasting impact. Over the last decade of “recruiting” I have made friends with missionaries, college students and teenagers that go far beyond having them join our board. We are building deep friendships that allow us to have an influence in the lives and ministries of those seeking God’s will. We don’t take that responsibility and privilege lightly.

We went to the missions conference at The Campus Church of Pensacola Christian College. We spent 10 days in town visiting with college students and catching up with long time supporters. We met a new church while we were there that started supporting us right away.

The next week we were at Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina. While it is a smaller school, it is hard to overstate how encouraging it is to be with so many young people who are ministry minded.

Spain
This year saw several planned trips canceled. However, we did take an unexpected trip to Spain. While we were there helping a missionary family with some projects, we also had time to do some investigation about future deaf ministry. I am praying for fruit to grow from seeds that were planted about the need of ministry to the Deaf.

While we were there working on a couple of projects, we also spent a little time enjoying the surrounding area. We even took a road trip into France for a day and spent a multi-hour layover in Amsterdam touring the city.

Near Future
We will mostly be home the next two months. I will be preparing to teach a one week modular class on missions at the end of January for a Bible college. I will take part in a Deaf men’s retreat just before that. Then I will also go to Peru for a week of camp at the beginning of February.

As always, thank you for your continued support. Your prayers encourage and uplift us.

David Peach

You can download a printable PDF version of this letter.

October 2023 Prayer Letter

October 12, 2023 12:42 pm

Dear Friends,
Fall is upon us! This is the season of mission conferences and many opportunities to serve the Lord. Currently we are in the middle of a Bible conference in a deaf church.

Camp
The camp summer finished up great. I spoke at 4 weeks of deaf camp. Stephanie and I also spent a week at the Bill Rice Ranch as campers for their Deaf Adult Camp. It was an enjoyable week being with many of our deaf friends.

We saw 12 Deaf saved through the camp ministry this summer. I am encouraged by the reports of several of our missionary and evangelist friends who participated in various deaf camps and reading about the many Deaf saved and surrendered to the Lord.

Where Now?
In some ways it seems like we haven’t really been anywhere since the end of the summer. However, in the 7 weeks since camp ended, we have spent 5 weekends preaching to deaf congregations.

We will be gone ministering in other churches most of October. But until then, we are coming to the end of a 10 week sign language class we have been teaching in the church in east Tennessee that we attend. The students are doing well and we are excited about what the Lord may do through these classes as it relates to ministry opportunities.

Welcoming Timothy Pozo
into the BIO family with a lapel pin.

New Missionaries
It is great to see new missionaries headed to the field. At our Executive Council meeting last week we approved some new missionaries. The Smith family is starting their deputation to go to American Samoa. And Timothy Pozo is a young man working with our veteran deaf missionaries, John and Tricia Olson. Timothy is the son of deaf parents in Peru. He has been a great help to the Olsons in their ministry and we are glad to have him as a BIO missionary serving with them.

College Opportunities
Once again we will be participating in the missions conferences at a couple of college ministries. The first will be at The Campus Church of Pensacola Christian College in Florida. While this is a church event, we are given access to and speaking opportunities with the college students. Then we will be at Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina.

These meetings will give us a time to catch up with some of the workers that I spent the summer with. Pray as we have continued opportunity to influence them for the Lord and His service.

David Peach

You can download a printable PDF version of this letter.

July 2023 Prayer Letter

July 7, 2023 3:28 pm

Dear Friends,
Thank you for praying about the Nigeria trip in April. Unfortunately, it did not take place due to paperwork problems and not getting a visa issued in time. This was not a surprise to God and we trust this was all within His plan. I’m still planning to make the trip when we can work out dates and get the paper work sorted.

Training School
We had a great Training School with our missionaries. Each year is a different dynamic based on which missionaries are able to attend. We had a smaller number of attendees this year, but the fellowship and sessions were great. There is a lot of information packed into those 4 days. Along with teaching some of the sessions, Stephanie and I interpreted for one of our deaf missionaries.

143 years of deaf ministry represented in our speakers.

Training School ended on a Thursday evening and I packed up the next morning to fly to Orlando. This was so I could be with one of our missionaries to the Deaf during the funeral of her dad.

Then it was back home the next day to get ready for my second of four weeks of camp.

Camp Time!
We completed our second week of deaf camp at the Bill Rice Ranch in Tennessee. I will be at the Ranch one more week this summer (July 10-14) and then go to their camp in Arizona, West Branch, the following week. Please continue to pray that God would use the speakers and staff to make an eternal impact on the Deaf.

We saw 41 people saved in the two weeks of camp that I have been in. Of those, 2 were from our deaf program. We were thrilled to learn that one of our deaf campers from the first week lead 4 other Deaf to the Lord in another camp she attended the following week.

Camp has had a great influence in my life as I am sure it has in yours. On a recent trip to Arkansas to present our ministry at a new church, we stopped by the camp that I spent my teenage years attending. Triple S Christian Ranch in Rose Bud, Arkansas is still going strong and seems to be faithful to the ministry that they have had for over 45 years. It was a blessing to spend a few minutes walking around the camp and visiting spots where I remember memorizing so many Bible verses.

New Support
We are grateful for new supporters over the last few months. This has been a help to us as we continue to encourage the missionaries working with the Deaf through BIO as well as expand our outreach to them and the Deaf they are serving.

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support.

David Peach

A PDF version of this letter is available for printing.

March 2023 Prayer Letter

March 13, 2023 9:22 am

Dear Friends,
We thank the Lord for a good start to this new year. It is a privilege to look forward at the beginning of the year to what the Lord has planned. That does not mean we know all that will take place, but we are confident that He has a plan in which we can take part.

Recent Travel
Unlike the last letter, we have not been burning up the roads recently. This is typically our slower time of the year.

That being said, we have had one significant trip in recent weeks where we put a couple thousand miles under our tires. We were in a new church in Mississippi on our way to Texas for a missions conference. The conference was a great encouragement. The church we were in is in a growing phase and saw a doubling of their faith promise commitment this year! This is a church that is already involved in missions, yet the people saw where they could be more involved in getting the Gospel to the world.

I also participated in a deaf men’s retreat in January. Though I had a brief speaking opportunity, I truly enjoyed being there as a participant learning from the other speakers. And in the last week I participated in a deaf event in Georgia and preached in a deaf church in South Carolina.

SMART
SMART is a ministry that our mission board has in training missionaries in practical matters. In the last couple of months we held two of these classes. The class in January was Basic Electrical Matters which gives a missionary enough information to keep themselves safe when working with wiring and to know how to intelligently talk with an electrician on the field. This was the first time we taught this module. It was well received.

In February, the SMART ministry conducted a Cross-Cultural Adjustments class at a local church missions conference. Six missionaries and four church members attended the class. This class is to help missionaries (particularly new ones) know how living in another culture may prove challenging and how they can make the adjustments needed to thrive in full-time life and ministry on the field. For church members, this is a great class to help them understand how to more effectively pray for missionaries.

These classes are not just for our BIO missionaries. The purpose of SMART is “to build durable missionaries who can keep on going.” If you are interested in attending a SMART class, or if you are a pastor who would like one of these classes taught at your next mission conference, you can contact Bro. Terry Childers who heads up our SMART ministry at smart@biomissions.org.

Nigeria
My next big trip on the horizon is back to Nigeria to take part in the ordination of two pastors to the Deaf. One is Deaf himself and the other is hearing and has become a dear friend since we first met over a decade ago.

There is a man in our church in Tennessee who is interested in taking a trip to see how the Lord would have him be more involved in missions. I don’t know if the Nigeria trip is the right trip for him to take, but pray for us as we work to seek the Lord’s will and prepare for the trip. We should be in Nigeria from April 20 until May 2.

Thank you once again for your prayers for and support of our ministry.

David Peach

You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.

December 2022 Prayer Letter

December 9, 2022 2:49 pm

Dear Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! We are thankful for another year of service to the Lord.

Meeting with one of our Nigerian missionary kids who is in Texas for School.

15,000 Miles
This has been a heavier than normal travel year for us. Since our last letter in September we have traveled about 15,000 ministry miles. In the last 3 months we have ministered in eight different states.

We were in four churches to present our ministry in view of support. We are grateful for love offerings that help us with our travel expenses, but added monthly support will help in our ministry to missionaries. We never want to be a financial burden to the missionaries we minister to and visit. Please consider starting, or raising, financial support for our ministry so that we can encourage more missionaries in the work they do with the Deaf.

God’s Grace
In October we visited the church where I first remember hearing the Gospel as a 9-year-old boy. A few years ago we visited this same church and met a young man who had been saved a short time out of a rough, ungodly life. Because of his appearance, I was a bit surprised when he told me he was starting Bible college soon. As I recall, he said only one college that he contacted would accept him with his background.

Fast forward to today and that young man is the associate pastor at that same church. He has graduated from Bible college and has a beautiful wife.

The thing that stood out to me about this associate pastor is that he seems to be thoughtful and careful with decisions he makes: an example of wisdom. I can’t help but rejoice at God’s amazing work of grace in his life.

Another pastor we were recently with was saved in jail. Looking back, there were some incredible circumstances that put him in that position at that time. God has even used the prosecuting attorney in this man’s life to help disciple and grow him into the pastor he is today.

Both of these men would rather have been saved as young people and not had to live the experiences they did. However, God is using them to reach people that you and I might not be able to reach.

Venezuela Trip
The Venezuela trip has been postponed. This was not much of a surprise as the country is in political turmoil. Their embassy in the US is currently not open and they are not issuing visas for anyone to visit the country. While the trip is on hold for now, it is a trip that I hope to do in the future. I am eager to meet our deaf brothers and sisters there.

Nigeria
My next big trip on the horizon is back to Nigeria to take part in the ordination of two pastors to the Deaf. One is Deaf himself and the other is hearing and has become a dear friend since we first met over a decade ago.

Thank you once again for your prayers for and support of our ministry.

David Peach

You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.

September Prayer Letter

September 7, 2022 4:55 am

Dear Friends,
Imagine being in a room with 5200 people that God has given you a burden to impact for Him. That is exactly what August 1-4 of this year was for me at DeafNation World Expo. While we did not have 20,000 Deaf at the event, we had more than we could talk to in such a short time. In other words, we were plenty busy!

Bro. David Bennett (SWMI) praying with our team at the start of DeafNation World Expo.

I say “we,” because I was with a team of 35 friends representing Silent Word Ministries International (SWMI) as we handed out literature, gospel videos, tracts and had one-on-one witnessing opportunities.

God allowed our team to see 35 come to know Christ as Savior! Two other teams were there for the same purpose: Romans Road for the Deaf and Harvest Deaf Ministries. In total, the three teams saw 68 Deaf saved!

Bill Rice Ranch
Before I went to Las Vegas for the DeafNation event, I spent a couple wonderful weeks at the Bill Rice Ranch. It was my privilege to once again preach to Deaf young people in camp. This summer there were 12 Deaf saved. I only made it to 2 of the 4 weeks this year because of illness.

As you may already know, the Bill Rice Ranch experienced a fire in their administration building. While insurance should cover much of the reconstruction, there are certainly things that insurance will not replace. If you would like to make a donation to the Ranch for this need, or find out how you might be able to help with the reconstruction, you can visit dpeach.com/BRR22.

Allen Snare, Ronnie Rice and David Peach

Ronnie Rice
Our dear friend Ronnie Rice passed away in early July. It has been our privilege to know Bro. Ronnie for 33 years. He endured my earliest language mistakes as an interpreter. We spoke many weeks of camp together. We saw God do amazing things in the lives of young people. We traveled domestically and internationally together. And some of my most memorable stories involve Ronnie Rice. He was a faithful servant of the Lord. He will be missed.

Training School
Towards the end of July we had a good week with our missionaries in our annual Training School. More than 20 missionaries enjoyed a week of encouragement and necessary training. The fellowship was great; as always.

Venezuela Trip
I appreciate those of you who have asked about my trip to Venezuela. The trip has been moved to early December. Please pray that God would be glorified during this week and that the ministry will be strengthened.

Thanks for supporting us through prayer!

David Peach

A PDF version of this letter is available for printing.

June 2022 Prayer Letter

June 20, 2022 12:20 pm

Dear Friends,
Thank you for your prayers for, and financial partnership with, our ministry. We were privileged to participate in various ministries the last few months and look forward to the upcoming ministry opportunities.

Photo of the Parnell and Hartsfield families.
Parnell and Hartsfield families. Two couples from my home church who have impacted eternity. They are great influences in my life and ministry today.

Church Anniversaries
It was a blessing to be part of our sending church’s 50th anniversary. My family has been associated with the church for 43 of those years. At the event, the first missionary family that the church sent out, Jesse and Glenna Parnell, were on furlough from Uruguay and were the guests of honor. Mrs. Parnell is the one who sat down with me in November of 1979 and led me to the Lord!

The church we attend when we are home in Tennessee—Faith Baptist Church in Jefferson City—celebrated the pastor’s 30 years at the church. Bro. Mark Campbell came on staff as the youth pastor in 1992. He became the associate pastor several years later. After the former pastor’s death in 2015, the church called Pastor Campbell to be the senior pastor. Stephanie and I have been honored to be associated with the church since 2001. We are blessed to call Pastor and Mrs. Campbell our friends.

Summer Schedule
I am currently at the Bill Rice Ranch for the first of 3 weeks of deaf camp in Tennessee. I will go to their camp in Arizona called West Branch for a 4th week.

When camp is not taking place, there will still be plenty to do. Between weeks of camp we will be moving my mother from Pensacola, Florida to Tennessee to be near us. We will also have our annual training school with our missionaries.

DeafNation World Expo
The trip to DeafNation World Expo will be at the end of the summer. I have met some of the people who will be joining our team as I’ve been in churches this spring. It is great getting to know some of the people who will be joining us to pass out tracts, Gospel DVDs and engage in one-on-one witnessing during the Expo. Please pray for our group as we prepare to be in Las Vegas from July 30 to August 6.

We are thankful to those who have donated to the trip so far. I still need $1300 for the cost to be fully covered. Would you consider donating to the trip? A check can be sent to BIO with a note that it is for the Peach DeafNation trip. Or you can donate through PayPal at the BIO website. Again, make sure you note what the donation is for.

Venezuela Trip
I was contacted last year about helping an exciting new ministry with the Deaf in Venezuela. While I have provided information and some training through video classes, I have not had the privilege of going in person to see the work. Pray with me that God will give clarity of direction as I plan to make a trip to the country in September.

Thanks for supporting us through prayer!

David Peach

You can download a PDF version of the letter for printing.

March 2022 Prayer Letter

March 25, 2022 9:56 am

Dear Friends,
Looking back over the last couple of months, I’m not sure I can encapsulate all the wonderful things God allowed us to be a part of. But, here goes…

Men’s Retreat
I was privileged to speak in a deaf men’s retreat in January. On the last morning, a man stood and gave a testimony that he had gotten saved at the retreat. He said that through two of the services that week, he saw his need for salvation. One of those messages was my teaching on how to share your testimony as a witnessing tool.

Reggie Rempel preaching at the Harvest Deaf Men’s Retreat

Schools
I preached in two school chapel services in Illinois (just across the river from St. Louis). I always enjoy speaking to Christian school students. Having spent the bulk of my education in the Christian school environment, I feel like I have a good connection with them.

A couple of weeks ago I taught a class in a Bible institute in Venezuela (via Zoom). There were about 70 students who are learning sign language. The teacher asked me to share some of my experiences in ministering to the Deaf. In the future, I will have time each month to talk with them about reaching the Deaf and to encourage their ministry in Venezuela. I pray for a time that I can meet them in person.

I spoke in a history class at a local Christian school last week. The teacher asked the men at BIO to come and talk about reaching different people groups and share experiences from the mission field. We are eager have a greater influence in the lives of the young people at this school for the cause of missions.

Deaf Church
Last week I preached revival services for Ephraim Baptist Church for the Deaf near St. Louis. This church is pastored by our friend, and Silent Word Ministries missionary, Paul Strosnider. There were at least 5 unsaved in the various services. One unsaved lady came to the church for the first time. She is hearing and a childhood friend of Pastor Strosnider. Pray as he has opportunity to witness to her.

The other unsaved that were in the services have been to the church before. One of the men has never allowed the pastor to sit down with him one-on-one to explain the Gospel. However, after I preached on Sunday morning, this man approached the pastor and asked if he would come to his house and answer questions about the preaching. Pray that God will give clarity and understanding to this man who has a strong traditional religious background.

Upcoming
Besides preaching at four weeks of deaf camp this summer, I plan to be part of the Silent Word Ministries team to DeafNation World Expo. They anticipate more than 20,000 Deaf from around the world at the event. Through soul-winning efforts at these events, our team has seen more than 100 Deaf saved in the past. Pray for the trip coming up the first week of August. The trip will cost just over $2000.

Thanks for supporting us through prayer!

David Peach

A PDF version of the letter is available for printing.

December 2021 Prayer Letter

December 14, 2021 12:32 pm

Dear Friends,
I trust you had a great Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. This was our first without my dad. Mom spent a week with us as we celebrated at our house in Tennessee. We also took her to the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum during Thanksgiving week.

Paul Mosley
A couple of days after I mailed our last letter, our friend (and fellow BIO missionary) Paul “PJ” Mosley went home to be with the Lord. He was a young man (32 years old) with a servant’s heart to reach the Deaf and anyone else he was around. He has been greatly missed, but we are encouraged by the stories of those who have told how PJ influenced their life and how they are now preparing for the ministry because of his testimony.

Enjoying the view from a castle in Spain

Spain
Our trip to Spain was fabulous! We had a wonderful time with Danny and Jordan Bonikowsky. I preached in two different hearing churches while we were there. We did not meet any Deaf in Spain, but we gathered some information that could help us in assisting churches reach out to the Deaf around them.

There are times when I go on a trip like this because of problems that need to be addressed. This trip was purely to be an encouragement to the missionaries. We went to be a blessing, and received a greater one in return. The Bonikowskys are ministering in the Basque region of Spain. A unique thing about this area is that Basque is their primary language. They use Spanish only when they have to. We were there three days before we heard any Spanish spoken.

A Harvest Field
Most of the people are Basque natives in the town where Danny and Jordan live. However, there are also immigrants in this town from other parts of Spain and the world. Part of the way Danny and Jordan make personal connections with the people in town is by hanging out in the public square getting to know other young families. At the playground one day I engaged a North African Muslim man in a conversation about the Lord. It was a wonderful conversation that did not lead to conversion, but I sensed that a door has been opened for him and Danny to strengthen a relationship and engage in future discussion about who Christ is.

Missionary Recruiting
When we returned from Spain, we spent another couple of weeks at Pensacola Christian College and Ambassador Baptist College during their missions conferences. It is encouraging to speak with young people who feel the call of God on their lives. It is also a reminder that you and I, as older Christians, should engage in shepherding and mentoring these young people. While some young people have clear direction from the Lord, He hasn’t made His will so clear to all of them. We can do our part in providing guidance and praying for direction in their lives.

Thank you for your continued support of our ministry through your prayers. Contact us and let us know how we might pray for you.

David Peach