New Year

 The month of January has been a full month full of blessings and sadness. Through it all, we rejoice in God's faithfulness.

Twenty-three years ago, I was a young evangelist just starting out. Pastor Randy Hartwell, in Michigan at the time, had me for a meeting on the recommendation of a pastor-friend of his. Through the years, he had me on a regular basis, even though he was no longer in Michigan. In the latter years, he would have me in once a year to preach to his people. Before the first of the year, he got in touch with me and wanted me to come preach for him yet again. I did, although he was so sick that he was unable to be at the services. Not long after I preached for him, he slipped into glory. There is something to be said for any pastor that will take a chance on a young preacher. I will always appreciate what he did for me.

A meeting of young evangelists was next on the schedule. Somewhere along the line, I have moved from learning as a young man to teaching other young men. That is a humbling reality. 

It appears that a trip to the Dominican Republic is becoming a regular part of my annual schedule. Again this January, I found myself in the warmth of the Caribbean sunshine and the Haitian immigrants in the DR. It was 15 years ago that Biz Lerisse moved to this area to work with displaced Haitians. At the time, the people lived in fear of Satan and his potential to harm them. As the years went by and the Gospel was preached, the instances of demonism began to wane. This last Sunday, over 330 people crowded into the upper story of the church where the auditorium can catch the island breezes and thereby give a break from the heat. Ten people followed the Lord in believer's baptism that day as the church praised the Lord for His power and goodness. I preached a simple Gospel message. Six more people were born again that weekend. The entire service seemed to serve to give the Devil a black eye. As I watched person after person publicly identify with Christ through baptism, I was reminded of the verse in II Corinthians 2: "Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place." God is doing a great work there, and I am humbled to be able to have a part.

The work with the podcast continues. The number of listeners is growing slowly as word gets out. If you would like to listen, the quickest way is to go to my website paulcrow.org. You can also find it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts by searching for "Evangel Paul Crow." Evangel is the name of the podcast, but there are some churches who went by that name some years ago and have since quit podcasting.

The family is still in North Carolina where three of the children are college students at Ambassador Baptist College and Sarah is teaching there. Occasionally Daniel will travel with me, but he has a job now, further complicating travel options.

We look forward to seeing what God will do for us this year. Thank you for your support and prayers for us.