Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [August 2015]
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
August 6, 2015
Dear Brethren,
The recovery from the flu has been slow, but I am almost back to normal. We have a new building going up at camp and I have been able to help the crew with that. I went up a couple of days in my jeep and helped haul lumber from out of the jungle. I was even able to help carry some of the beams. The trailer was only able to get so far and we had to carry some very heavy stuff for a couple hundred yards out of the woods. So I guess I am back to the usual self.
We have had a good month at First Baptist. We have held 2 baptism services a month apart. There were 15 and 12 baptized. A good many more have been saved. Attendance has been really good for summer time. In fact one Sunday night we had an overflow crowd in which many could not get into the building. We have been needing to expand for years. God will make that happen in due time. Right now construction is a little far out there as the economy has really gone south. At least we have our new property waiting for the right moment.
One of two baptism groups from the past month at First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul.
This month was our annual missions conference. We had most of our missionaries in from the fields. We had three of our men who work in Peru, who managed to get all the way here. José Maia is our Brazilian missionary who works in Tipisca, Peru. Eduardo, who is a Peruvian citizen from the Caxinauá tribe, came in. Then, for the first time, Laureano, who is a Peruvian from the Ashaninka tribe came in. It was so good to have Larueano. I had not seen him for 2 or 3 years. He is one of our first converts from the days when I first started going across the border (about 15 years ago). He takes care of 4 preaching points at the mouth of the Huacapisteia River and up the same river. These are the villages we plan to visit with our medical mission team in October.
Men Present at Annual Preachers Meeting
Our newest missionary family came in, too. Idelvaldo and family were approved last year and were sent to the city of Jordão 5 months ago. They have already had a few people saved. They started meeting in a space in a public school. Then they moved to a covered area at their rented house. Now they have spruced up a “store front” and have a nice big sign up front. They are having about 40 people in services. We already have property to build our first church building. Jordão is one of the 22 “county seats” in the state of Acre. Our goal is to have a solid church planted in every one of them. We have already gotten to seven!
Meal at the annual workers meeting
Last Saturday morning we held our annual preacher’s meeting. There were 84 present. The men had 3 solid hours of practical classes on 5 different topics. It went by so fast. I taught just one of these and had 2 more ready if there had been time. The wives also got together for a lecture from Dr. Suiane. Suiane is one of our medical doctors who goes along on our medical mission trips. She just concluded another missions course and followed that with a month long practical internship in Bolivia. The ladies were thrilled to hear her testimony and teaching. We closed out with a great meal. We had over 150 present for lunch.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton in Peru [October 2014]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru since 1983. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
October 5, 2014
Dear friends,
Well, the dedication of our new meeting house for the Calvary Baptist Church here in Huánuco, Peru was a great success. We invited our sister Baptist churches to come and celebrate with us in the dedication on Thursday 18th of September. The picture you see was taken a few minutes before we started and many more came in shortly after; packed out with many standing.
In just a few weeks we will organize the mission into an autonomous Baptist church on Saturday the 18th of October. Pastor George Sledd of our authorizing church will come down to oversee the proceedings. We are excited about this latest milestone in our ministry. I mentioned in last month’s letter that the church needs to call a pastor before we can proceed with organization. Last Sunday, 28th of September, the mission voted NOT to call my assistant pastor, so we have allowed two weeks for prayer before we vote on another, younger, candidate. The church needs a pastor so, once organized, we can get their legal non-profit organization status they need to own the new property. We would very much appreciate your prayers in this matter.
This past month I had the unique experience of counseling with a 50 year old man from London, England. To make a long story short, he came to me in a severe state of depression and left with the joy of Christ in his life. Andrew Lord, has been traveling around the world on a BMW motorcycle for the past seven years. He has been in India, Pakistan, all over the Middle East, Africa, and the past three years has traveled from Alaska, through Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, and now is in South America. Some missionary friends (with a motorcycle ministry) met Andrew and recommended he come see me about his depression. Hope is the best therapy for depression and since the 2nd coming of Jesus is our “hope of glory” I always present the gospel to non-believers that come for counseling. He has several more months to go traveling to Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, but now he knows Christ and has peace. Remember Andrew in your prayers please. He has some very weighty decisions to make in the near future, and if you see him on the road somewhere, encourage him in his walk with Christ and tell him Sheridan says hello!
Last month I told you all about the Saints of Berea Baptist Church in Hiddenite, North Carolina calling me as their pastor. Anita and I are busy selling everything we have accumulated in thirty-two years on the mission field and making preparations for returning to the United States sometime in November. We are very excited about this new opportunity to serve our Lord with such a dedicated group of God’s choicest Saints. I ask you to pray especially for us that our Lord will continue to give His peace and encouragement as we go through the difficulties of what personal things we must leave and what we can take. It is hard because so many little things have so many memories attached.
Being “in Christ” by God’s grace,
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Apartado Postal 140
Huanuco, Peru
South America
(614) 500-8823 – Internet Number
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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Missionary Update: The Stantons in Peru [May 2013]
From Anita Stanton – April 29, 2013
Dear Friends,
Today is April 29, 2013. On April 29, 1983, we arrived in Iquitos, Peru to begin our ministry. Thirty years have passed quickly.
Thirty years ago, people dressed up when they took a plane trip. I clearly remember my polyester dress, panty hose and heels. Our children were dressed up too. I can’t remember what Sheridan wore, but I am sure I had him dressed up also! I vividly remember disembarking the plane in the jungle town of Iquitos. As I approached the door of the plane, the heat and humidity felt as though they were about to smack me to the ground. I can’t say for sure, but that might have been the last time I ever wore a polyester dress and panty hose!! Adjusting to the jungle heat was something that I really never did well. When one is cooking over a kerosene stove and the temperature outside is 115 degrees and there is no air conditioning indoors, it can get very unpleasant.
I have come a long way in adapting to our adopted country. I remember the sounds and smells of my first market visit. And to tell you the truth, that hasn’t changed in 30 years. Our first house was a long, narrow structure with adjoining neighbor walls. We had two rooms in the front, a living room and the children’s bedroom. The middle part, the bathroom, did not have a roof, and the back part of the house was the kitchen and our bedroom. One night after going to bed, I saw a family of rats crossing our bedroom rafter to get to the neighbors. Sheridan had seen those critters nights before and was trying to figure out a way to get rid of them before I saw them. Now, he not only had a problem with the rats, but also with me! We tried poison, traps and other suggested devices, but finally settled on an air rifle. We would sit in bed in the dark and wait for them to start across the rafter. I had the flashlight and he had aim with the rifle. At the precise moment, (when Sheridan said “now”), I would shine the light on them, they would freeze and he would blow them away. Living in the jungle for 7 years, I became accustomed to killing scorpions, tarantulas and many types of bugs, but I never overcame my fear of rats. I saw a dead rat on the street the other day, it had even been flattened by a car, and I was still afraid!
Naturally, I survived the jungle, and in 1990, we moved to Lima. There was a huge contrast between the capital city and the jungle town of Pucallpa. In Lima, our children were blessed to attend the Fetzer Memorial Christian Academy for their schooling. The school was a blessing to all of us. Even though Lima was a much more modern city than Pucallpa, we had to learn to contend with the enormous problems of a city built for three million people but home for ten million. There were constant black outs, water shortages, (many times no water at all for days), horrible traffic problems and congestion and a city full of pollution. Still, we were blessed as a family. God blessed the works, leading to their organization, and to date, they remain strong and growing. It was in Lima that Sheridan began traveling one week a month to a different town where we have established works to teach the pastors. This was the beginning of the Bible Institute.
Today, there are over 140 pastors studying. When the sessions are held in Huánuco, I have the pleasure of cooking for about 50 of them.
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru since 1983. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
When our children graduated and left for the university in the States, Sheridan and I moved to Huánuco. Huánuco is a huge contrast to the jungle and the coastal city of Lima. We live at 6,300 above sea level, and enjoy the best climate in the world. Our temperatures average 70 – 90 degrees year round with 0% humidity! I have a wonderful view of the Andes Mountains from my kitchen window.
Our move to Huánuco came with the empty nest. During the years our children were at home, I did what time allowed me to do in the work. My belief was always that my family came before the work. I was always involved in teaching children’s classes, but I realized that my own children would soon be gone and I needed to focus on them.
Huánuco offered a new branch of service. With an empty nest, I could give much more time to various aspects of our ministry. I became very involved with women’s ministry and through the years, it has been rewarding. I am preparing to teach a women’s conference the first of June. Huánuco is where I have found time to develop a two year Sunday School curriculum for five different age groups. This project is not complete, but I am getting there! I offer the materials free of cost; they even come with accompanying music CDs, to anyone who is burdened to reach children.
When we arrived in Peru in 1983, we had no language training. We had listened to others who advised us to learn Spanish here. We soon found this advice to be a mistake, and I would never recommend that to any new missionary. However, we struggled and with the magnitude of our work, I guess we learned well! We had no one to guide us. We really spent our first year or more learning by trial and error. I often told Sheridan that if I had the chance to help new missionaries, I would gladly be there. God has given me various opportunities to serve in this capacity. I have had the honor to teach young missionary wives how to cook from scratch, how to make a substitute for some food or cleaning item, how and where to shop and hopefully some good advice on adjusting to the cultural differences.
Through the years, we have hosted many mission teams in our home. Someone once asked me if I got tired of taking care of so many people. Well, the truthful answer is, yes, I get tired, but when I see the fruits that the mission trips reap, my part seems very small. When I return to the States and a young college student says, “That trip changed my life”, it is worth much more than any physical sacrifice that I might give.
When our children left for college, we realized that our time with them was over. Yes, over the years we have spent time with them, but not much! It meant holidays, birthdays, births of grandchildren and family time as a whole family was over. Last year, while on furlough, I spent my first birthday with my daughter in 16 years! When our children left, we missed them, didn’t have e mail, Facebook, magic jack phones or any other technology to stay in touch. A phone call was very expensive and happened very few times. Still, it was a natural process. After all, isn’t that the goal of parenting to guide and instruct our children to maturity so they can learn to live on their own? However, when grandchildren started to come, we realized how “far away” we were! It’s great to have technology to see them grow, but it would be really great if that technology allowed us to physically touch, hug, kiss, squeeze and play with them! I recently told my daughter that I think God might just give missionaries a little extra “grandparent time” in heaven!
I close with love and thanksgiving for each of you for your love and support for the past thirty years.
In Him,
Anita Stanton
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Apartado Postal 860
Huanuco, Peru
South America
(614) 500-8823 – Internet Number
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton in Peru [February 2013]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru since 1983. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
February 5, 2013
Dear friends,
Anita and I arrived back in Peru, safe and sound on January the 9th. It was a long day with several memorable events. First, our commuter flight from Lexington to Chicago almost collided with a bus on the tarmac at the Chicago airport. I did not know airplanes had brakes that could stop so fast. Never unbuckle your seatbelt before the plane is completely stopped at the terminal. For our next memorable event we flew from Chicago to Houston and only had a forty minute layover to catch our international flight to Lima, Peru. We did not know what gate had been assigned for our next flight. We knew we had to hustle to get to the next gate (thinking we would probably have to go through a security check again). So we get off the plane in Houston and quickly check the large “departure board” and found that the assigned gate was E21. It was then we realized we had arrived in Houston at gate E20, the gate for our departure flight was right behind us! How often does that happen? First time for us.
Our last unforgettable experience was when we arrived in Peru, and while going through immigration I realized I had lost my wallet on the plane. Though I had our passports, the wallet contained our Peruvian visas. I was not allowed to go back to the plane and could not go through immigrations without the visas. So the airline agreed to search around the area where our seats where and thankfully they found my wallet. This ordeal took about an hour but worked out okay because all the luggage from the plane arrived at the carousel five minutes after we finally cleared immigrations. All the other passengers were hopping mad wondering if their luggage would ever arrive. It seems the truck that pulls the luggage carts had broken down and it took them an hour to replace it. Then, the icing on the cake was that we got the “green light” going through customs; nice finish for a long day. Thanks for all your prayers.
Bro. Sheridan with Bro. Roosevelt Hermitaño, missionary pastor of the mission work in Cayumba Grande. [View Video]
[Click here to view a video of Bro. Stanton introducing 3 missionary pastors in Peru]
Paolo, a young Peruvian police officer who just trusted Christ!
Several days ago, a young Peruvian police officer came to my house and asked to speak with me. His wife used to be a member of a church I had pastored before. His name is Paolo and he serves his country in a very dangerous capacity. He had vacation time and asked to come every day and let me teach him about the Bible. On the fourth day of teaching him through the course “Basic Bible Truths”, he trusted Christ as his Savior. Paolo is a very quiet person and shows little emotion, but when he said with great confidence, “Yes, I believe Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again the third day,” the biggest smile broke out on his face. He told me that now he knows if he is killed in the jungle fighting the drug cartels, he knows he will go to heaven. Please pray for this young police officer, Paolo, serving his country.
SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS
- Hilda Bayhi (Anita’s sister) continues to battle with brain cancer and is now home with Hospice Care.
- For the Calvary Baptist Mission of Huánuco, Peru and all the churches and pastors of Peru
Apartado Postal 860
Huanuco, Peru
South America
(614) 500-8823 – Internet Number
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton in Peru [January 2013]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru for 28 years. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
January 7, 2013
Dear friends,
Anita and I hope that everyone had a wonderful time with family and friends during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. We had the opportunity to spend our first Christmas ever with some of our grandchildren, our daughter, Leah and her husband, John, in Columbus, Ohio. It was such a blessing to have that special time with her children, Jack and Clara. We enjoyed New Year’s Eve with my mother and sister in Dickson, Tennessee. Please remember my mom in your prayers, she is 84 now and refers often to how nice it would be to go home to heaven. I am very blessed to have her as my mother.
Our scheduled return to Peru has finally arrived and (Lord willing) we will be flying out of Lexington, in route to Lima, Peru on Wednesday morning the 9th of January. We are very much looking forward to going home! We would appreciate your prayers.
We strongly urge you to pray for Anita’s sister, Hilda Bayhi. As we have reported before she is dealing with a very aggressive type of brain cancer. More tumors have appeared and the reports are not encouraging. The doctors have done and continue to do all that modern medicine is capable of doing. But our faith and hope is in the Great Physician. He can still perform miracles and we trust in HIM. Hilda is a Christian, and we know that if the Lord chooses to call her to her heavenly home then we know she will be better off. Please remember her husband, Charlie, in your prayers also. He is a great guy and loves her very much, and devotes full time to being her caregiver.
As I reported last month, our son, Major Joshua Stanton USAF, returned from Afghanistan and was reunited with his family and newborn son, Benjamin. He is waiting for further orders as to his next assignment. Anita and I thank so many of the churches that have his name, continually, on your prayer lists.
December was not a hectic month of travel compared to the previous months; however, we were able to visit some of our supporting churches on the weekends:
December – 2 with the Rosedale Baptist Church of Rosedale, West Virginia, pastor Larry Fisher. It was our first time with this great church and we had the opportunity to enjoy their hospitality and also spend time with Pastor Larry and his dear wife Joyce.
December – 9 with the New Life Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky, pastor Steve Wainright (am service). In the evening we visited the Ashland Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky, and enjoyed their Christmas program very much.
December – 16 with the Heritage Baptist Church in the morning service, pastor Greg Waltermire and enjoyed their Christmas program in the evening.
December- 30 with the Cornerstone Baptist Mission, Salt Lick, Kentucky, pastor Jason Minix. Jason worked with us in Peru for a few years and is now doing a tremendous mission work here in the States. Jason and Andrea have two small children that were born in Peru, and they have grown so much since leaving Peru. Please pray for this young missionary and the work there.
January – 06 found us visiting with the Bryan Station Baptist Church here in Lexington, Kentucky, pastor Brent Spears.
Our next letter should be from Peru once again. Remember to pray for us as we travel back and get settled back into the routine.
SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS
- Hilda Bayhi (Anita’s sister) continues to battle with brain cancer and was placed in the intensive care unit this morning (Monday 7th January).
- Our son, Major Joshua Stanton, USAF, has returned from his second tour of service as a pilot in Afghanistan. He is waiting for his next assignment.
- God’s grace and protection as we travel back to Peru.
- For the Calvary Baptist Mission of Huánuco, Peru and all the churches and pastors of Peru.
- Anita’s health.
Until next month,
Apartado Postal 860
Huanuco, Peru
South America
(614) 500-8823 – Internet Number
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
Click here to give now.
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton in Peru [December 2012]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru for 28 years. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
Dear friends,
November – the busiest and most exciting month yet, of our 2012 eight month furlough. We began the month in Atlanta, Georgia attending the annual conference of the National Christian Counselors Association. I made a lot of new friends and learned more about the legal and business considerations of a counseling ministry.
Anita and I traveled to Southern California to visit with her sister Hilda Bayhi (undergoing treatments for brain cancer). The doctors have determined that Hilda did not need the cyber-knife operation at this time; it is still a possibility at a later date. For now she continues to take another round of chemo therapy. Prayers are requested for Hilda and her husband, Charlie.
While in California, our son, Major Joshua Stanton USAF, came to visit with his family. He had returned from Afghanistan the week before and brought his family to spend some time with us. His two daughters, Caroline and Elizabeth have grown so much since we saw them last and we also got to see our newest grandson, Benjamin! Josh and his wife, Cheri, are both doing well and the entire family is in good health. Praise the Lord! Josh is waiting for his next assignment. Please keep him and the family in your prayers. Thanks.
Thanksgiving was spent with our daughter, Leah, and her family in Westerville, Ohio. Leah, with her husband, John, along with the children, Jack and Clara made Thanksgiving a most memorable holiday for Papaw and Nene!
Beside the busy month of traveling, we were able to visit many of our supporting churches on the weekends:
November – 4 in the morning with the Ella Grove Baptist Church, Glenville, Georgia. This church is looking for a pastor. Then with the Rye Patch Baptist Church, Ludowici, Georgia in the evening, Pastor Richard Holbrook.
November – 11 with the Berry Baptist Church, Berry, Kentucky, Pastor Carl Morton (am service). Grace Baptist Church, Georgetown, Kentucky, Pastor Bill Van Nunen (pm service).
November – 18 with the Twelve-Ryan Baptist Church in the evening service. This church is looking for a pastor.
November- 19-21 Anita and I attended the 58th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference of Baptist Faith Mission. This conference is hosted each year by the faithful saints of the New Hope Baptist Church of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Special thanks also for the Grace Baptist Church of Wyandotte, Michigan for helping prepare and serve the meals each day. It was a great conference with great preaching. Thanks to all that had a part in making it all happen!
November – 25 found us sharing about the work in Peru at the High Point Baptist Church in Alexandria, Kentucky, Pastor Ron Duty. In the evening we had the joy of being with the Addyston Baptist Church of Addyston, Ohio.
We continue to be graciously received by each church. New friends have been made and a lot of old friendships have been strengthened. The amount of miles traveled on furloughs never changes but Anita and I feel this furlough has been a little less stressful due to your faithful prayers. Thank you all so much!
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Hilda Bayhi (Anita’s sister) continues to battle with brain cancer and has begun a new round of chemo-therapy. She lives in Southern California.
- Our son, Major Joshua Stanton, USAF, has returned from his second tour of service as a pilot in Afghanistan. He is waiting for his next assignment.
- God’s grace and protection as we continue our furlough travels.
- Anita had the toenail on her left big toe removed today. Pray for a quick recovery.
- For the Calvary Baptist Mission of Huánuco, Peru and all the churches and pastors of Peru.
- Our return to Peru in January will go smoothly and we will be able to adjust back into the work quickly.
In HIM by HIS grace,
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Furlough Address:
1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 277-3716 – mission house
(859) 490-5370 – cell in States
(614) 500-8823
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
Click here to give now.
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton on furlough from Peru [August 2012]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru for 28 years. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
August 9, 2012
Dear friends,
Spending time with grand-kids, family and friends is the highlight of furlough, and visiting our supporting churches is also a joy. However, traveling to the churches is the hard part. The term “furlough” generally means “a leave of absence from work – to lay off from work,” but for missionaries “on furlough” usually means more work and travel.
The month of May was truly a month of rest for us, and June and July have been fairly busy for Anita and me, but starting with August, “the race is on.” We now have every Sunday booked up between now and December; most of those Sundays we will be in two churches. Several missions’ conferences are on the schedule also. We will be travelling to Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. We have already visited churches in Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. We love to see everyone and renew old acquaintances and make new friends, but, like everyone else, we are getting older! Your prayers would be very much appreciated for our safe travels. Thanks.
Week days we have had medical check-ups and dental appointments. My blood pressure is up again and the doctors are working on that. Anita is having trouble with her knee again but is managing. We will both be having dental work done off and on between now and the time we leave in January. Please pray for our continued health.
I am studying to be licensed for administering a few types of personality profile tests and will be attending a three day conference of the National Association of Christian Counselors in November. I like to learn and I really enjoy teaching and preaching, but as I said, “it’s the travelling I could do without!”
The month of July we had the privilege of sharing with several churches about the Work of the Lord in Peru that HE has allowed us to be involved in. We were with the Calvary Baptist Church in Dickson, TN; the Elliot Baptist Church in Elliot, MS; the Victory Baptist Church in New Salisbury, IN, and last Sunday with the Immanuel Baptist Church of Cold Spring, KY. The Calvary Mission continues faithful as well as all the other works that have sent me reports. We look forward to having the opportunity to share with the rest of you when we get to your churches.
Anita and I thank all of you for your continued prayers and monthly support. We are looking forward to visiting with many of you in the next several months. Until next time.
In HIM by HIS grace,
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Furlough Address:
1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 277-3716 – mission house
(859) 490-5370 – cell in States
(614) 500-8823
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
Click here to give now.
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton in Peru [June 2012]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru for 28 years. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies' ministry and developing children's material.
June 23, 2012
Dear friends,
THE MONTH OF JUNE IS A MONTH OF REMEMBRANCE.
One year ago today my father, Ralph Stanton, went to his homecoming in heaven. I’m sure he is singing in the choir and probably has a quartet going by now! He loved to sing! We miss him, but would not want him to leave where he is now. I will see him again one day, and what a great day that will be. I can still hear my dad singing, “what a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace…” Your prayers for my Mom today would be appreciated. She is doing well, but today has been a little tough.
Ralph & Virginia Stanton
June is also Founder’s Month for Baptist Faith Missions. This year celebrates seventy years of BFM since it officially began. Many of our supporting churches have given some very generous special offerings during the month. If your church has not given this special offering in June you can still do so! I was with the Storms Creek Missionary Baptist Church of Ironton, Ohio on Sunday the 17th and they gave a substantial offering (over five figures). It has been suggested that every family of each church consider giving $70 dollars in honor of seventy years of missionary service of BFM. Baptist Faith Missions is blessed with a great legacy of faithful churches and Godly men and women dedicated to the cause of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and organizing New Testament Baptist Churches for the glory of our Lord.
SPEAKING OF GREAT LEGACIES – Marguerite Hallum, passed away in June; she was 94 years old. Marguerite was the daughter of Richard and Mary Hallum, the first missionaries to Peru for Baptist Faith Missions. Brother Hallum was fifty-two years of age when he went to Peru. He was cleared to go with the Amazon Valley Baptist Faith Mission (the original mission organization that became Baptist Faith Mission). However, in 1929 the Hallums lost all they had in the economic collapse of that year. After a few years Brother Hallum sold their small house and put the money in the bank in preparation once again for traveling to Peru. But in 1932, the banks collapsed again and once again they lost all they had. He was not daunted because he knew that God had called him to Peru to preach the gospel to the lost. Three years later in 1935 they finally arrived in Peru to live a life of service and left a legacy of what it means to live by faith in the promises of God. Today, there are over one hundred and sixty churches and mission works affiliated with Baptist Faith Missions in Peru.
He started the very first Baptist Church in all of Peru; the First Baptist Church of Iquitos, organized in 1937. Marguerite was sixteen years old when her father and mother arrived for the first time in Peru in 1935. She labored with them for twenty years on the mission field until 1955. They labored tirelessly as great soldiers of the Cross all during the difficult years of World War II. The United States was hard pressed with the war effort and churches did not have a lot to send to the missionaries in the foreign fields but the Hallums carried on by faith. Faith is the middle name of BFM and like Richard Hallum, all missionaries know that nothing is guaranteed except the promises of God.
Anita and I attended Marguerite Hallum’s funeral in Hammond, Louisiana on Monday the 11th of June. I was honored to speak on behalf of Baptist Faith Missions. Most of the folks that attended her funeral were not aware of the Hallum’s long years of service in Peru and we did not know much about her after they left Peru. We discovered that after Marguerite returned to Louisiana at age thirty-six; she joined the Woodland Park Baptist Church along with her parents. She never married but she loved children and gave her life to teaching Sunday School; she taught for fifty-two years. She never drove an automobile and she never owned a home. She had a keen mind, wonderful since of humor and was loved by all that knew her. Most of the crowd that attended her funeral was folks that had been in her Sunday School classes. I can imagine that thousands of Peruvians were lined up in heaven to meet her when she crossed the threshold of Glory to say, “Thank-you, Marguerite!” I hope she has had a chance to meet my Dad by now; how I would have enjoyed observing that encounter! June has been a month of remembrance. Until next month.
In HIM by HIS grace,
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Furlough Address:
1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 277-3716 – mission house
(859) 490-5370 – cell in States
(614) 500-8823
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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