December 2023 Armor Bearer

Dear Faithful Prayer Warriors and Supporters,

We hope you are enjoying some special time with family and friends during the holidays. For many families, Thanksgiving and Christmas offer the best opportunities to be with those we love. Yet for some, these holidays look and feel much different.

Perhaps you have seen images of military members in forward deployed locations gathering for a special holiday meal. Commonly, deployed servicemembers are also shown cheering during the annual Army-Navy game. These images should serve as poignant reminders to us that some are standing guard in far away places while we enjoy the joyous sights, sounds, foods, and companionship of this time of year. Whether you know someone personally or are just burdened in general for our deployed servicemembers, please pray that God would keep them safe as they serve. As God turns their hearts and minds toward home and loved ones during this time of year, pray that He might turn their minds towards Him and the Gospel. If you want to be more personally involved and have the opportunity to do something like sending a care package, or a special card or thank you message, choose to be a special blessing and include some Gospel literature. You could make the day of someone who is serving very far away, and you might even be the Gospel seed sower that God uses in their life.

Are you looking forward to 2024? We believe God has plans for each of His children and that He can give the wisdom, grace, and strength to fulfill His purposes. Whether God gives us a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or another full year of serving Him, we at AFBM want to make the most of the opportunities He gives us. We know prayer can help focus us and prepare us to fulfill God’s plans. I want to share some specific AFBM prayer opportunities with you, our faithful prayer warriors.

First, pray for God’s blessings on our missionaries and the ministries they faithfully serve. Pray for God’s enablement and His encouragement to them. They desire fruit that remains as they proclaim the Gospel and God’s truth.

Continue to pray for the Scott McCain family, AFBM Missionaries to the military in England. They are currently on furlough and ministering in their supporting churches, even as they pray for God’s direction and timing for their return to England. As God direct their steps, we know He also can grant them the necessary in-country sponsorship and the new visas they will require. Would you pray for a profitable furlough and for God to clearly reveal the place and time for their return to the field?

Also, pray for the Drew Mahaney Family serving near Fort Cavazos, Texas. They are continuing preparations to open a Servicemen’s Center outside that Army base. While they are making progress in the extensive renovations they are making to an existing building, they welcome any partners who could assist early in 2024. To learn more about how, contact the AFBM Home Office.

We can never say thank you enough for your support to the AFBM Missionary family with your prayers and gifts in 2023 as we have labored to reach a needy mission field with the Gospel. You will meet some in heaven that were reached this year, and you had a part in this life-changing work. Remember to contact us at AFBM if God is stirring your heart, or the heart of someone you know, about being more involved personally in getting the Gospel to our military servicemembers worldwide.

On behalf of your grateful AFBM Missionary family, Kevin Brown