The Carter Family
Missionaries to Australia
James was born into a pastor’s home, and in 1978 his parents became missionaries to Australia. He grew up hearing the gospel message, and at the age of eight, he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. After graduating from high school in Australia, James decided to return to the States and attend college at Pensacola Christian College. Originally, James intended to get his degree to assist his home church, but during his sophomore year, God burdened his heart for the need of full-time pastors in Australia. He surrendered to God’s call to preach and in 1997 graduated from PCC with a Bachelor of Bible Degree.
Holly was born into a Christian family and at the age of seven accepted Christ as her Savior. At the age of twelve, she began to have a desire to serve God as a missionary. After graduating from high school, she began looking for a college with a missionary program and decided to attend Pensacola Christian College. While there, she met James, and in the summer of 1996 they were married in her home state of Washington.
Devin was born on October 13, 2000, just three months after James and Holly first arrived back in Australia. Two years later on August 16, 2002, Benjamin was born.
The Avon Valley Baptist Church
We have now been in Northam for almost five years and are excited about the lives we’ve seen change and the opportunities for outreach. For the first two years we were here we rented a building. Then when that building was sold, we held church in our home for a year. During that time, the people here were able to continue to give and at the end of the year, we purchased our own building. We feel passionately that unless the people here take responsibility for their own church, they will never feel ownership of their church. So far they have given enough to pay for the mortgage repayment, utility bills, and some of the renovation costs. We have been blessed by some special gifts (towards a couple of larger projects) by churches in the U.S., but overall the people here are taking responsibility for their church. It is wonderful to see.
At the moment the church here runs from thirty to forty on the average Sunday. The progress here is slow, but we’ve come to realise more and more that growth is about building the lives of those around us, and continuing to reach out to those in our community. It’s a process of one step at a time. We would appreciate your continued prayers.
Missionary to Thailand
Danny and Rachel Jones
For more information visit them at www.thailandmissions.org and please keep them in your prayers.