Category Archives: camp ministry

Coffey Family July 2025 Prayer Letter

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We started off July with our Winter Teen and Junior Mini-Camps at Camp Rhino. Many young people made professions of faith, and we all enjoyed a wonderful time during our short winter break. Please pray these young people will impact their communities with the Gospel as they return home and get involved in their local churches. 

At the end of Junior Camp, I had the opportunity to travel with our camp program director, Litha, and one of our interns from the States, Asher Smith, to help at a teen camp in Botswana with Dan Brooks & Camps Abroad. Dan and his team were instrumental in helping Camp Rhino get started. We were there to assist Missionaries Mike and Cindy Haley as they launched their first teen camp at their beautiful retreat and camp property, Grace Oasis.

As soon as I returned from Botswana, I jumped back into my Bible studies with the men of Lighthouse Baptist Church. Our church family is making great progress in spiritual maturity, and their burden to reach the community is growing. I would appreciate your prayers for one of our men, Mnoneleli, who recently lost his job. Please pray that he will soon find the right employment to provide for his family.   

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • I want to thank everyone who has been praying for my wife. Amy received encouraging news from the doctors—her optic nerve damage appears to be a one-time event and is not connected to MS or any other neurological disease. This is a wonderful answer to prayer!
  • Amy flew out yesterday to be with her mom, who is undergoing neck and spinal surgery. Please pray for her as she travels, and pray that her mom has a successful surgery and smooth recovery. Amy plans to be gone for about 10 days, so also keep Addi and me in your prayers as we’re holding things down without her. 🙂
  • A group from North Life Baptist Church in Wooster, OH is arriving here on July 23rd for their missions trip. Please pray that the Lord works in the hearts of this group—and that at least one would surrender their life to serve on the mission field.
  • Please also pray for Camp Rhino Zambia. We believe the Lord is leading us to expand the ministry there, and we need His direction, wisdom, and provision for this exciting new endeavor.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • While we were in the States, we were able to raise funds for one of the two girls’ dorms we hope to build. Please pray that the remaining funds will come in so we can move forward with construction.
  • We also have a vision to build a new lodge at Camp Rhino to house couples and include a meeting space for approximately 300 people. This facility will be a major asset for the long-term impact and sustainability of Camp Rhino.
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Coffey Family June 2025 Prayer Letter

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Not long after returning to South Africa, I traveled to neighboring Mozambique to visit two of our missionary families. The Clowers have now been there for over a year, and Josh and Morgan Barton recently arrived with their twin babies. It was encouraging to see both families thriving in different stages of ministry.

The following week, I traveled to Zambia to visit my missionary friend, Mario Genada, and to scout out more of the country. Both Mozambique and Zambia are wide open for ministry, and I’m praying the Lord will raise up many more laborers for these needy fields. While in Zambia, I had the privilege of preaching at a wonderful church in Lusaka, the capital. 

Please join me in praying that the Lord would open doors for us to purchase property for a second Camp Rhino, which we plan to establish in Zambia with the help of Brother Genada. I truly believe the Lord has been preparing us over the years to take what has been built in South Africa and replicate the Camp Rhino ministry in other African nations. We hope to break ground for Camp Rhino in Livingstone, Zambia, very soon.  

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We recently held our first Gospel Crusade in a small town about an hour outside our city. A team made up of members from five churches we fellowship with came together to reach this community with the Gospel. We’re excited to continue hosting these evangelistic services with the goal of reaching more small towns in our region and, Lord willing, planting churches there.   
  • Please pray for Lighthouse Baptist Church. We’re seeing encouraging spiritual growth in our members and attendees through faithful preaching of God’s Word and weekly Bible studies.
  • Continue to pray for the Sullivan’s as they are in the States, recovering from their recent kidnapping ordeal. They plan to return to SA for a few weeks in July.
  • Also, pray for Asher Smith, an intern serving with us for two months. If you or someone you know is interested in an internship opportunity in South Africa, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Amy and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on June 24th. I am truly blessed to have such a loving and godly wife. It’s been a tremendous privilege to serve the Lord together in ministry all these years. 
  • While we were in the States, we were able to raise funds for one of the two girls’ dorms we are hoping to build. Please pray that the remaining funds will come in so we can move forward with construction. 
  • In recent months, several groups have been renting out our camp facilities during times when we’re not using them for our own programs. We believe this will help make the camp more self-sustaining. Our goal is to replicate this model with the other Camp Rhinos we hope to launch in the future.  
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Coffey Family Prayer Letter May 2025

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We are back home in South Africa! It has been a blessing to return to Camp Rhino and our church family, though leaving our grandson behind was difficult.

The past few weeks have been incredibly eventful. Please continue praying for the Sullivan family as they spend time in the States. We are still rejoicing over how the Lord miraculously rescued Josh.

My wife Amy returned from South Africa just in time for her MRI, which ended up being canceled. Thankfully, with help from our friends, Pastor Michael Plowman and one of his church members, we were able to schedule another MRI within three days (the original had taken four weeks). Praise the Lord, the results came back clear with no signs of MS. However, there is still optic nerve damage, which our general practitioner believes it may be caused by some kind of virus and may return or may never return.  Please continue praying as we seek clear answers and try to connect with a good ophthalmologist here in South Africa.

Not to be outdone, I also ended up in the ER early one morning during our VBM orientation and discovered I had a kidney stone. On April 26th, I had to return to the ER with a fever and low kidney function, and they wouldn’t release me. Instead of preaching the next day as planned, I was having a kidney stone removed via laser surgery.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Please continue to pray for the Sullivan family as they are back in the States, recovering from the kidnapping experience. They plan to return to South Africa in July for a few weeks and are preparing to move back long-term after Thanksgiving.
  • Pray for answers concerning Amy’s health. We’re asking the Lord to help us find a good eye doctor who can walk with us through this process.   
  • Pray for the young people in the Rhino Youth Home. I’m praying the Lord will use them in a great way.  Two of our graduates live on campus and are doing well.   One is attending Bible college and the other is working full time here at the camp and plans to start community college soon. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • While we were in the States, Camp Rhino hosted several groups and a few camps. I’m grateful for the team the Lord has brought together over the years. They’re doing a terrific job even in our absence.
  • Next weekend, we will be hosting a Women’s Retreat at Camp Rhino.
  • We were also able to reschedule the soccer ⚽️ and netball tournament that had previously been canceled. It is now set for July. Please pray that many teens will come to Christ through this big event. 
  • Because of what happened to Josh, several groups understandably chose to reschedule their mission trips for a later time. However, we still have two groups planning to come, one in July and another in October. Please be praying that God will do a great work during their time here.
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Coffey Family April 2025 Prayer Letter

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On April 10th, our close friend and fellow missionary Josh Sullivan was kidnapped during his midweek church service by a syndicate crime gang operating in our city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Josh’s church is located about 15 minutes from ours.

In a calculated move, the kidnappers chose to communicate with my cousin Jeremy, attempting to extort a ransom for Josh’s release. In response, my wife Amy flew from Atlanta on Saturday to be with Josh’s wife, Meagan, and Jeremy’s wife, Bekah, as they endured this traumatic ordeal together. I jumped on the phone to support family, and help recruit US Senators & Reps. 

Then, on April 15th, in a miraculous display of God’s power and mercy, Josh was rescued and reunited with his family. Amy has since returned to the States and is now back with me. What a wild, emotional, and unforgettable turn of events.

We cannot thank you enough for your prayers for Josh, Jeremy, and their families. God heard and answered. He worked miracles and brought Josh back to us safely. While this was clearly a physical attack on our team members, we believe it was also a spiritual attack from the enemy, an attempt by Satan to hinder the work God is doing in South Africa.

Please continue to pray for our entire South Africa team as we navigate the aftermath of this horrific event. Josh’s church has been impacted, and all of our ministries have felt the weight of this moment, but we know, without a doubt, that God will have the final victory. 

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Pray for the Sullivan family as they are back in the State recovering from this experience. 
  • Pray for the Jeremy Hall family, who also came back to the states a for few weeks.  There are safety concerns for both families and they believe getting away for a few weeks is best at this time.  
  • I want to ask you to please keep my wife, Amy, in your prayers. After a visit to the ophthalmologist, the doctor discovered she has optic nerve damage in one of her eyes. This could be caused by MS or by an eye stroke. We were hoping to get an MRI for her this week and also see the Neuro Ophthalmologist, but unfortunately, the MRI had to be canceled because of issues with my wife’s prosthetics, which she has in her ears.  We’re hoping to get things rescheduled so we won’t have a problem leaving for South Africa on May 8th.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We had a great VBM Orientation this past week, even though 3 of our main speakers were helping in South Africa last minute: my wife Amy, Missionary Mark, who is the Sullivan’s brother-in-law, and Kevin Hall, Jeremy’s brother. 
  • The Josh Barton Family landed in Mozambique.  Pray for them as they get settled and begin their language studies. 
  • Because of the kidnapping, we canceled our big soccer tournament at Camp Rhino, but hope to reschedule soon. 
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Coffey Family March 2025 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests & Praise

  • $10,000 was generously given to cover one of the two dorm rooms needed for the girls at Camp Rhino. We praise the Lord that this dorm is now fully funded! We are always humbled and grateful for your support and involvement.
  • When we arrived in the States in December, Camp Rhino had about $31,000 in debt from new construction, as well as repairs and remodeling due to the flood in June. We praise the Lord that we are now completely debt-free across both Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home!  
  • I want to ask you to please keep my wife, Amy, in your prayers. After a visit to the ophthalmologist, the doctor discovered she has optical nerve damage in one of her eyes. This could be caused by MS or by an eye stroke. We are hoping to see a neurologist soon for further testing, including an MRI. Please pray that we can quickly secure all necessary appointments, receive clear answers, and, most importantly, that God brings healing and peace through this process. Your prayers and support mean so much to us.    
  • Josh & Morgan Barton should be leaving for Mozambique the first part of April.  Pray for them as they travel and get settled in their new country with their beautiful twins. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The past few weeks I’ve been in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Wisconsin for great meetings.  I’ll be traveling to Iowa next week. 
  • Please pray for God’s provision for our current and upcoming construction projects at Camp Rhino. We still need to build one new dorm for the girls and purchase the necessary appliances and furniture for an additional kitchen. We are incredibly grateful for how God has used so many of you to make this ministry possible.

We have been incredibly blessed during our time back in the States. God has provided new support to help cover the shortfall in our camp and youth home ministries. We are still praying for an additional $500 in monthly support before we return to South Africa on May 8th. 

Last month, Rocklands High School had a great experience at Camp Rhino as students prepared for their graduation exams. Many gave their lives to Christ, but many still haven’t made that decision. Please pray for them as they return in October—pray that hearts will be softened and lives transformed.

For over a year, we’ve been working to send a shipping container filled with books for our Christian school and Bible college libraries. At last, we’ve secured shipping, and we’re now adding Bibles and tracts alongside the donated books to fill the container. We are grateful for a wonderful ministry handling the shipping logistics. 

We still have room if you’d like to contribute more books to help build these libraries, you can send them to:  Directline Ministry– 218 Stockyard Rd. Statesboro, GA 30458.

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Coffey Family February 2025 Prayer Letter

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Sometimes the Lord opens doors you never expect. In 2016, when we first envisioned Camp Rhino, we never imagined the opportunities we’d have to share the Gospel.

For the past three years, a high school about 15 minutes away has been renting our facilities. What started as a two-week rental grew to one month, and now they stay for two months each year. 

At first, I was hesitant. The idea of them staying for weeks at a time and preparing their own meals felt overwhelming. But after talking with the principal, I couldn’t turn it down. I told him, “We are a Christian ministry, not a business. Our goal is to share Jesus.” He agreed to let us hold a daily service, and the rest is history.

Since then, we’ve had the privilege of preaching the Gospel to many high school seniors who weren’t believers. Over time, many have come to Christ.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Pray for Blaine & Holly Hooper, missionaries to South Africa, as they begin deputation. They are our newest VBM missionaries and members of my father-in-law’s church, Whitfield Baptist in Dalton, GA.
  • Pray for my cousins, Jeremy & Rebekah Hall, missionaries in South Africa. They lost $17,500 in an elaborate scam while trying to purchase a 15-passenger van for their Christian school ministry. We’re praying they can recover some of the funds for a new van.” 
  • Thank you so much for your prayers for our daughter-in-law, Ashley. She continues to experience daily fainting episodes, sometimes multiple times a day, but her doctor has given us hope for some recovery. Although she is still struggling, Chase and Ashley feel encouraged to continue her treatment abroad and will be returning to South Africa on February 20th. Please pray that we see improvements soon. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Joy Wahl and Madison Brown both arrived in South Africa in the last few weeks after finishing their deputation.  We’re excited to have two new missionaries on the field. 
  • This month, I am speaking or have spoken in Florida, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Please pray for fruitful meetings and that we inspire greater interest in missions across Africa.
  • Please pray for God’s provision for our current and upcoming construction projects at Camp Rhino. We still need to build two new dorms for the girls and purchase the necessary appliances and furniture for an additional kitchen. We are incredibly grateful for how God has used so many of you to make this ministry possible.
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Coffey Family January 2025 Prayer Letter

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We’ve been back in the States since December 14th and still have a few open dates available. If you’d like me to come and present our ministry or provide a report, I’d be happy to do so. I currently have Wednesday evening services and weekday openings for mission conferences before we head back on May 8th.

Our churches in South Africa are doing well, though attendance is lower during this time of year. December marks the start of the holiday season, and many people return to their hometowns or visit family, resulting in about 50% attendance.

Our Teen and Junior Camps were a great success! Over 30 young people made decisions to trust Christ as their Savior. Once again, our counselor team did an outstanding job, and it was exciting to see quite a few new faces on the team this year.

Today, I received wonderful news: two men I’ve been doing Bible studies with have started their own Bible study with a young man who attends our church. We’re praying this young man will soon make a decision to trust Christ. It’s incredibly encouraging to see these men stepping up and teaching the Word of God.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Josh and Morgan Barton: Please pray for Josh and Morgan Barton, missionaries to Mozambique, as they near the end of their deputation. They hope to be on the field within the next 2-3 months. Mozambique is currently facing significant challenges following the recent elections. Pray for peace in the region and that the Bartons can enter the country without any complications.
  • Lighthouse Baptist Church: We are encouraged by the direction of Lighthouse Baptist Church over the past few months. We’ve witnessed remarkable spiritual growth among both the men and women in the congregation. Please pray for Pastor Mvume as he faithfully leads the church in our absence.
  • Ashley’s Health: We deeply appreciate your continued prayers for our daughter-in-law, Ashley. She is still dealing with serious health issues, including blackouts and memory loss. She and our son Chase are seeking answers and hoping to return to South Africa in February. Your prayers for her healing and for wisdom in their decisions are a great source of comfort to us.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Youth Home Kids: Our Youth Home kids in South Africa start their new school year on January 21st. Please pray that the Lord will guide and grow them during this season. This is the first time we won’t be there to send them off, which makes us feel a bit uneasy, but we trust God will watch over them.
  • Upcoming Meetings: This month, I’ll be speaking in North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Arizona. Please pray for fruitful meetings and that we can inspire greater interest in missions across Africa.
  • New Grandchildren: I had the joy of meeting my two new grandchildren, and now I completely understand why grandparents love showing off pictures. They are simply amazing, and we feel so blessed!
  • Camp Rhino Construction: Please continue to pray for God’s provision for our current and future construction projects at Camp Rhino. We are deeply grateful for how God has used so many of you to support and make this ministry possible.
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Coffey Family December 2024 Prayer Letter

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Our final weeks in South Africa before heading to the States for a few months have been incredibly productive. I’ve been enjoying Bible studies with five faithful men from our church, and we’re celebrating that 10 teenagers trusted Christ during our recent teen camp! 

Church attendance has been steady at around 80 people, but what’s even more encouraging is the growing spiritual maturity among adults of all ages. 

Junior Camp kicks off today, and we’re praying that many of the 9-12-year-olds attending will decide to trust Jesus and follow Him. We’re expecting over 100 kids to start arriving at 3 PM.

We leave this Friday for our furlough in the States, where we’ll be from December 14 to May 8. During this time, we’re excited to meet our new grandchildren and work on raising additional support. If you’d like us to visit your church and share about our ministry, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Next semester, I will be teaching a college class on Discipleship at Vision School of Mission on Tuesday mornings while I’m in the States. Please pray that this class will be a blessing and a help to the students. If you know anyone interested in becoming a missionary, Vision School of Mission is a great place to explore that calling. 
  • We’re excited to see new people attending our church! Some have recently been saved, while others are still exploring their faith and haven’t yet made a profession of faith. Please pray that more people will come to Christ and grow in His Word. We are particularly encouraged to see older men and married couples joining us—something that has been rare in the past. 
  • Please also pray for Noah Haught. He worked with us for a year as an intern at the camp and youth home and is now raising support to return here full-time. Pray for God’s provision and guidance as he prepares for this ministry. 
  • Finally, we deeply appreciate your prayers for our daughter-in-law, Ashley. She is still facing significant health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and our son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa in February. Your continued prayers for her healing and their direction mean so much to us. 
  • Please pray for God to raise up more laborers for the harvest in Africa.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Missionary Mike Haley from Botswana was our special speaker for teen camp, and his time with us was a great blessing. We rejoice that 10 teens made professions of faith! 
  • Please pray for God’s provision for our current and future construction projects at Camp Rhino. We’re incredibly thankful for how He has used many of you to make this ministry possible.
  • We are currently seeking sponsors for our campers, and any support would be greatly appreciated! Each camper costs us about $50– $60, but we only ask the teens to pay $5 to make it affordable. We’re aiming for at least 100 sponsors to help cover expenses for over 200 kids.
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Coffey Family November 2024 Prayer Letter

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December marks the beginning of our summer camp season here at Camp Rhino. Please keep our Teen and Junior camps in your prayers, as we expect around 400 attendees, including campers, counselors, and staff.  

We are currently seeking sponsors for our campers, and any support would be greatly appreciated! Each camper costs us about $50–$60, but we only ask the teens to pay $5 to make it affordable. We’re aiming for at least 200 sponsors to help cover expenses for over 300 kids. 

Once Junior Camp concludes, our family will travel to the U.S. to begin our five-month furlough and meet our new grandson and granddaughter! Our youngest son recently welcomed a son, and now our oldest son and his wife are fostering a little girl, hoping to adopt her. We feel incredibly blessed to have these two new additions to our family!

If you’d like us to visit and share about our ministry during this time, please let me know. We’re working to raise additional support to help cover a funding shortfall due to Camp and Youth Home expenses. We also hope to report back to as many of our supporting churches as possible.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • I currently have four Bible studies underway with five men from our church. Please join me in praying for their growth in Christ and that they may become strong spiritual leaders. Also, keep them and our South Africa pastor, Mvume Johnson, in your prayers as we prepare to leave in December. 
  • Last month, our youth home girl Sisipho, who was set to be married this past Saturday, was tragically taken from us. Please continue to keep our camp family and her fiancé, Amine, in your prayers as we feel her absence every day.
  • Please pray for the country Mozambique, where our missionaries Jacob and Christen Clower are serving. The country is facing widespread strikes and government protests amid concerns that recent elections were corrupt. 
  • Thank you so much for praying for our daughter-in-law Ashley.  She’s still experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The 70 teenagers from Rocklands High School are still here at camp, and we hold a preaching service for them every night. With one week left before they depart, we are praying to see many come to Christ
  • We still need $6,000 to complete the dining pavilion and snack shop at Camp Rhino, and we’re hoping to finish these projects before Teen Camp begins on December 3rd.
  • We attended the Africa Regional Conference in Greece in October, where we enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and training with our VBM missionary team. Please pray with us for more laborers to serve in Africa.
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Coffey Family October 2024 Prayer Letter

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Please pray for our family and friends here in South Africa.  We suffered a great loss on Sept 21st. The first girl who moved into our youth home and lived here for 4 years was tragically killed at 19 years old.  She was like a daughter to us.  She was saved at our first teen camp at Camp Rhino in 2018.

She left living at the camp about 6 months ago but was at the camp that day working to help with our Soccer and Netball Tournament.  She also met with Amy and me to ask if I would walk her down the aisle at her wedding.  She and Amy made plans to go shopping for her wedding dress the next week.  

When she returned home, not even 2 hours later, she went to the store by her house and a guy robbing the store shot and killed her. 

We had her funeral this Saturday with over 400 people in attendance.  She was a young lady who truly impacted her community and those who knew her.  My daughter Emilee flew back to South Africa to be here during the funeral and to comfort us and her friends during this tremendous loss. 

Please pray for her fiancé, Amine. He is one of the young men here preparing for ministry. Sisipho will be missed, but we will see her again one day.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We had 15 young people trust Christ during our Soccer and Netball Tournament.
  • 3 more older adults were baptized at Lighthouse Baptist this month.  
  • Our first grandson was born on September 11th.  He is still in the NICU, but he’s doing great.  Amy was able to be there for his birth, but I’m grateful to have her back home.
  • Baphumzi and Phumlani, the twin brothers of Sisipho, who are living at Camp Rhino, were baptized this past Sunday. 
  • Please continue to pray for our daughter-in-law Ashley, who’s experiencing health challenges, including blackouts and memory loss. She and my son Chase are seeking answers and hope to return to South Africa soon.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We now have the $33,000 to buy a brand new 15-passenger Toyota Van for our Youth Home and Camp. We are so thankful to those who helped meet this need.  
  • $6,000 is still needed to finish the perimeter wall to protect against future floods.  This is a reminder to please pray for those affected by the hurricane and flooding in the States. The pictures we’ve seen have been terrible.  
  • $6000 is still needed to finish the pavilion, snack shop, and gift shop at Camp Rhino. 
  • My trip to Benin was terrific.  I’m encouraged to see how the Lord is using Nate & Emily Wilkerson.  Please pray for more laborers for West Africa. 
  • Amy and I will be coming back to the States at the end of December for a 5-month furlough to present our ministry in churches and to see my new grandson:)  If you would like us to come and present our ministry or know of a church you could recommend us to, please let us know.  We look forward to seeing many of you.
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