“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His right-

eousness and all these things shall be added unto

you,” Matthew 6:33. This has been the desire for Eliz-

abeth and Jeff long before they met each other. On one side of the world was Jeff Lin, a bright

and intelligent engineer by trade, but empty inside in

not know-

ing the pur-

pose of life.

In 2002,

while seek-

ing to im-

prove his

English at

an English

Corner in

China, he

ended up

m e e t i n g

missionaries. They invited him to a Bible study and

for the first time heard the Gospel. A few weeks later

he gave his heart to the Lord. This missionary family

demonstrated great love for the Lord and modeled

what a Christian life and family should look like. They

invited him into their home and discipled him,

grounding him in the Word of God and in his personal

walk with the Lord. Jeff, too, desired and prayed to

have a Christian wife and family who could serve the

Lord together. In 2005, Jeff felt the Lord call him into

full time ministry. He spent the following years serv-

ing the Lord in evangelism, discipleship, church plant-

ing, Christian education, and leading short-term mis-

sion trips. On the other side of the world was Elizabeth,

daughter of Dan and Cindy Smith. She came to know

the Lord at a young age. Her parents modeled a life

of putting the Lord first and opened their home to

many with various needs. With both sets of grandpar-

ents in missions and ministry, her parents encour-

aged and cultivated this in her and her three brothers

when they were young through missionary stories,

praying for missionaries during family devotions, and

inviting missionaries and visitors from other countries

into their home. As an adult, Elizabeth gave her single

years to serve the Lord teaching children with special

needs, ministering to at-risk children, teaching chil-

dren at church, and leading prayer in the church and

in the community. She, too, had a heart for missions

and prayed and waited for the Lord to bring her a

spouse to serve the Lord together. Then they met! In December of 2013, Jeff

came to America to attend a conference. Jeff, loving

to travel, decided to drive around the US and visit

some friends. While visiting, he met Elizabeth. Jeff

knew almost immediately that she was the one he

had been praying for. Elizabeth wasn't so sure, as she

had a lot of fears of marrying into a different culture.

Knowing too that he had a heart for China, this could

mean leaving her family and friends and moving over-

seas. The Lord spoke to Elizabeth several times and

she was able to let go of her fears and trust the Lord

for her future. She then started to see the gift Jeff

was and how they shared the same love for the Lord,

values, and heart for missions. After Jeff patiently

waited eleven months, they started courting. In May

of 2015 they were married at our church, First As-

sembly. It was a beautiful day and one they will forev-

er look back on with much joy. Jeff and Elizabeth are enjoying married life and

preparing for God's next step for them. Jeff teaches a

Chinese Sunday School Class (Good Soil) and togeth-

er they have been reaching out to Chinese visiting

scholars of Missouri S&T. Elizabeth is learning Chi-

nese and they hope to make a trip to China at the end

of April to visit Jeff's family and friends (who Elizabeth

has never met). Jeff and Elizabeth have been seeking the Lord

for direction for their future and feel God is calling

them to China. Together, Jeff and Elizabeth would like

(Lin continued on page 5)

“God is a God of time and place. We are called

to this cultural moment,” declares John Stonestreet1,

president of the Colson Center for Christian

Worldview, echoing Acts 17:26b (NIV), “he [God] de-

termined the times set for them and the exact places

where they should live.” Mordecai exhorted Esther in

a time of national crisis, “Yet who knows whether you

have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14 (NKJV)

It is no accident that we are alive at this time in

the United States of America and the state of Mis-

souri. We may wish to throw up our hands at “the

state of the nation” or “the state of the state” and in-

sist there is nothing we can do. But that is far from

the truth. There is much that we can do; indeed,

there is much that we must do.

PRAY We have long been familiar with the “If

my people” call to prayer in II Chronicles 7:14 and the

exhortation to pray for all those in authority in I Timo-

thy 2:12. As you know from life experience, it’s not

easy just “ruling” over our own families. Can you im-

agine the pressure and weight of responsibility of be-

ing a representative over a district? A mayor of a

city? A governor of a state? These leaders need our

prayers. Many officials in Missouri have publicly

called for prayer on their behalf. Let’s not ignore

them. For a list of state senators and representa-

Over the past few months, I’ve contemplated just how busy life has become. Gone are the simplistic days

of years past, when we could walk away from the phone to get a break, when we would travel and have to use

a map to get where we wanted to go, a time when dinner meant sitting down at the table every night as a fam-

ily and having meaningful conversations over the meal. We now live in a time where technology has made life

simpler, and yet more complicated. We can do so many things faster now, but our lives just seem to get in-

creasingly busier. We aren’t happy with sitting still, but feel like if we just squeezed a few more things in today,

we could take it easy tomorrow. And yet those times never seem to come.

My children will never know what it is to not have a computer in their home. They will never understand

what it was like having to search for a public phone and make a call, let alone remember everyone’s phone

numbers. They will never have the patience to sit in a library and have to look through a card catalog and find

books for a school project. The media has made stars out of the most unremarkable people, and fame and for-

tune is what everyone is seeking. As the world continues to change and progress is made, we have less and

less time for the things that are most important in life.

I have to admit it: I am guilty. I am guilty of allowing life to run me, instead of me running my life. I find

myself so busy doing things, that it takes away from me just being - being in the Word as much as I should be,

being in the presence of my Heavenly Father, who deserves my time more than anything else in the world,

(Pastor continued on page 6)

t i v e s , s e e w w w . s e n a t e . m o . g o v a n d

www.house.mo.gov.

Pray that those who serve in government will

embody biblical principles of leadership such as de-

scribed in Exodus 18:21 (NIV): “But select capable

men from all the people—men who fear God, trustwor-

thy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them

as officials . . .” Daniel 6:4b (NIV) “They could find no

corruption in him [Daniel], because he was trustworthy

and neither corrupt or negligent.” Romans 12:8 ex-

horts, “Let him govern diligently.” In order to freshen

up your prayer life in this matter, why not download

the “30 Ways to Pray for Those in Authority” prayer

guide at the Intercessors for America website,

www.ifapray.org.

DO NOT BE SILENT “Silence is the enemy of

truth,” is quoted at the end of God’s Not Dead 2, a re-

cent film which depicts an intense battle for religious

freedom. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran

pastor who resisted Hitler’s evil plans, stated, “Silence

in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us

guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to

act.”2

How can we speak up? There are many avenues. We

can have respectful but truthful discussions in person

or using social media with our friends, neighbors and

(Culture continued on page 4)

As our missions team gathered in front of the

church in the Mayan village Tahdziu, Yucatan, Mexico

on the first work day of our recent missions trip, I was

immediately blessed to see that the funds we sent in

advance had allowed them to

ready the foundation and

raise the block walls of the

church. The first picture I had

seen of the worksite was a dry,

dusty, barren hill. Our main

job was to complete a roof

ready to withstand a hurri-

cane by placing cement

beams, positioning cement

ceiling blocks, and pouring

the concrete roof, as well as

completing bathrooms, put-

ting in some electric, etc. We

were all anxious and excited

to get started.

When the pastor greeted us, he said something

that will forever stay in my heart. “We have been

praying for five years that someone would come to

help us.” Five years. This congregation had been

meeting weekly to pray that the Lord would send

someone. And what had we been doing during that

time? Our missions committee had been praying as

well. Our last trip to Mexico was in 2008, after which

travel to Mexico became more dangerous, and we

focused our missions efforts on projects in country.

But still we prayed for Mexico. For the missionaries

who had become our friends. For the various projects

where we had worked. That someday travel would be

safer and we could again go to Mexico on missions

trips. At the same time they were praying for help, we

were praying for doors to open for us to go! I know

that God plans our steps, that His hand is always

working, even when we can’t see it. But what a bless-

ing to have this tangible example of all He was doing

to prepare this project for us!

ANSWERED PRAYERS The work was difficult, the weather was hot, and

our team worked so hard. I know that God brings each

and every person on a trip like this for a reason. It was

a joy for me to watch the individuals on our team get

to know each other better,

pray for each other, play with

the village children, and help

each other when our tasks got

hard. This was most apparent

to me with the 30 or more

concrete beams that had to

be placed. These beams were

so heavy it took 6-7 men to

carry a beam, several more to

help lift it up to the scaffolding,

and another 4 men to lift it to

be placed. The teamwork was

a sight to see!

A trip highlight for us all

were the visits by the village children. They came to

the work site each day, excited to see what treats we

might have for them. They played and sang and

hugged with exuberance. These children were eager

to learn and quick to help. Blanca was one of the most

outgoing of the Mayan children, and I taught her to

sign “Jesus Loves Me”. Over and over each day she

wanted to sing the song and sign the words. The day

we were leaving she came to find me and asked to do

the song one more time. Neither of us made it through

without crying. I will always remember her, and I pray

she will always remember the One we sang about.

That last day was emotional for all of us. The

Mayan people came to tell us how much it meant to

them that we would come all the way from the United

States to help them, how long they had prayed, and

how they were inspired to help others the way we

helped them. Translated from Mayan to Spanish, then

from Spanish to English, eventually everyone there

heard the message. We all prayed together, for the

(Answered continued on page 6)

SPARK begins June 1

this replaces the kids’ classes on Wednesday

evenings

Tween Week

June 21-22 (students entering 5th-7th grades)

Vacation Bible School

July 11-15 from 8am to noon daily

Kids Camp Parent meeting

Sunday, July 24 following second service

Kids camp

July 25-29—applications available now!

Back to School Splash Bash

August 10 7-9pm at Splash Zone

Honor Star Crowning

August 28 6pm—come celebrate the girls’

achievements.

SUMMER EVENTS FOR KIDS & YOUTH

Intern applications available April 29

Intern applications due May 13

May 15: High School graduate recognition

May 26: Trip to Johnson Shut-Ins and Elephant Rocks

June 6-10: Youth Camp

June 15: Trip to Six Flags

June 30: Float Trip

June 19-22: Senior Trip

July 8: Youth Rally (Steelville)

July 17-23: Youth Mission Trip

August 1-5: National Fine Arts Festival (Louisville, KY)

August 20: Engage the Campus Rally

Summer is quickly approaching, and we’re busy planning events for the kids!

TWEEN WEEK FOR

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS This summer, we are shortening our Tweek week ad-

ventures to a 2-day event. But those 2 days will be

packed! This will hopefully allow more students to be

involved for a shorter schedule and at a reduced

cost. June 21-22 will be the dates for our 2-day Tween

Week. We will travel to Lake of the Ozarks for a fun

day boating and tubing on the lake. That evening, we

will stay at the lake in a rental house for games, mov-

ies and fun! The next day we’ll get up and head over to

Big Surf for more fun in the sun. The cost for kids will

be $50 and will include all entry costs and food. This

will be available to students entering fifth, sixth, or

seventh grade this fall. Please contact Pastor Brian or

Pastor Sam for any questions or to sign up. The $50

cost will be due by June 12.

coworkers. We can write, call or email our local offi-

cials as well as our state and national senators and

representatives. We can write letters to the editor and

participate in local politics. Part of the rationale that

anti-Christian forces have used in calling us bigoted,

narrow-minded or intolerant is to intimidate us into

silence. Truth is powerful and is on our side, but it

must be expressed to others in a loving manner.

For a specific event in which you can stand for truth

this month, please see the accompanying article on

the Decision America Tour. God bless you.

Beverly Flori 1John Stonestreet, “A Plan for Engagement”, Summit Ministries

Worldview Conference, March 7, 2016. 2As quoted in The Politi-

cal Animal Study Guide (Summit Press) by Jeff Myers, p.22.

(Culture continued from page 2)

This July, thirteen

members of the Forge

Youth group will be

going on a missions

trip to the Interna-

tional Operations Cen-

ter of Mercy Ships in Garden

Valley, Texas. This center is

used to train Mercy Ships vol-

unteers, provides monthly shipments of supplies

wherever the ship is serving, and maintains the daily

workings of this missions organization. Darryl and

Linda Pruett moved from Rolla to Texas last year

when Linda took a job in the IT department for this

missions organization. They have generously agreed

to house our youth during their stay!

Mercy Ships follows the 2000-year-old model of

Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world’s for-

gotten poor. They provide free, lifesaving surgeries for

people where medical care is nearly non-existent.

Their ships are set up as floating hospitals, and they

dock in various ports in Africa (currently in Madagas-

car) to provide surgeries, general health care, and

It’s coming! Summer will be

here before we know it. And

so will Vacation Bible School!

July 11 – 15 from 8am until

Noon we will open our doors

and invite kids to come in and

experience “Cave Quest: Fol-

lowing Jesus, the Light of the World”. We are looking

for individuals who are willing to serve these kids in

many capacities: Crew Leaders, Station Leaders,

Kitchen Team and many other ways. So if you are

interested in making a difference in the life of a child

this summer, contact Pastor Brian or Beverly Feller

for details!

YOUTH MISSIONS TRIP TO MERCY SHIPS health education. Mercy Ships volunteer missionaries

raise funds to serve for various lengths of time, both in

short-term and long-term capacities. Opportunities to

serve include medical staff as well as shipmen,

teachers, clerical workers, etc.

At the IOC our students will be completing land-

scaping projects, cleaning, working on their farm, and

assisting with the preparation of the monthly ship-

ments for the current ship at sea. They will also have

the opportunity to hear testimonies from missionaries.

This a wonderful project for students who are just be-

ginning to get involved in missions work. Please pray

for these students that the Lord will touch their lives

during this week, opening their eyes to the need in the

world and what they Lord may call them to do.

For more information about Mercy Ships go to

www.mercyships.org. Kathi Garner

to minister to families in China and help families to

grow strong. Jeff feels especially called to train lead-

ers and future missionaries in churches in China. Eliz-

abeth can join him in this calling by sharing about the

need for prayer to prepare land and people for the

Lord. This August they are looking forward to moving

to Wheaton, IL where Jeff will attend Wheaton Col-

lege Graduate School, getting his masters in Intercul-

tural Studies. This will help him to teach and prepare

future Chinese missionaries. Elizabeth is hoping to

audit two of his classes each semester and continue

to work on learning Chinese. They look forward to

coming back to Rolla when they can to visit family,

and friends. Elizabeth Lin

(Lin continued from page 1)

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Our nation is in serious trouble because of rejecting God and biblical standards. Prayer will make a differ-

ence. It’s time to put our boots on the ground!

Please join thousands of Missourians at the Decision America Tour at noon on Tuesday, May 17 at the

Jefferson City, Missouri Capitol to hear Franklin Graham’s challenge to us. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist

Billy Graham, is traveling to all 50 state capitols prior to the November, 2016 election, calling on Christians to

repent, pray, vote and make a stand for Jesus in their communities. We are called “for such a time as

this” (Esther 4:14). For more information, go to www.decisionamericatour.com.

church and each other, and hearing all of our lan-

guages simultaneously raised to the same Heavenly

Father was a powerful experience. God touched all of

us that day, and tears fell readily.

Why do I continue to go on missions trips?

There are many reasons. It is so much more than the

construction work we go to complete. The friends I

have made on these trips enrich my life. I am in-

spired to grow in my walk with the Lord as I grow

closer to other Christian friends. I feel a great sense

of purpose in helping others who are less fortunate

than me like these wonderful Mayan people we

worked with on this trip. On each trip God moves me

out of my comfort zone and challenges me in my faith.

But I think most importantly, I long to be where there is

a move of God, and on a trip like this, God moves!

Mission trips require that we put our faith in the Lord.

We step back and let God move in ways we can’t

even imagine. We allow God to use us in ways we

might not be used to or comfortable with, but we just

learn to be willing. Each year I come back renewed in

my faith and encouraged by all the details, big and

small, that Our Mighty God has orchestrated! My faith

is strengthened by a deep knowing that each prayer

has been answered far beyond what I could have im-

agined. Kathi Garner

(Answered continued from page 3)

being the husband, father and grandfather to my

family that I should be. This life is too short to allow

ourselves to be wasting it on things that really don’t

matter in the light of eternity. I’ve decided to take the

time and re-evaluate my life and how my time is

spent. While progress, technology and the pursuit of

something better aren’t evil on their own, we allow

those things to take the place of what matters most:

a loving God who became flesh for the purpose of

saving us from ourselves. I encourage you all to think

about how your time is spent. Are you changing the

world? Or is the world changing you?

John 15:1-4 says, “I am the true vine, and my

Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me

that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear

fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

You are already clean because of the word I have spo-

ken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No

branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the

vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in

me.”

How are you spending your time? Is there some

pruning that needs to take place?

(Pastor continued from page 2)

DECISION AMERICA TOUR WITH FRANKLIN GRAHAM

OUR PASTORS Jason Gibson Youth Pastor

pastorjason@rolla-firstassembly.org

Sam Parker After School &

Missions Director kcatsc@rolla-

firstassembly.org

Brian Feller Children’s Pastor pastorbrian@rolla-

firstassembly.org

Ray Cook Associate Pastor

fireguy@rolla-firstassembly.org

Chuck Whitmire Lead Pastor

pastor_chuck@rolla-firstassembly.org

ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS Karen Turner, Administrative Assistant office@rolla-firstassembly.org Mark Berry, Facility Manager office@rolla-firstassembly.org Stephanie Bingham, Business Administrator stephanie@rolla-firstassembly.org Abby Swearingen, Media Assistant media@rolla-firstassembly.org

1608 N Oak St Rolla MO 65401-2342

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #116 ROLLA, MO

BRIAN FELLER Pastor’s Corner

CHANGE THE CULTURE Worldview FAQs

SUMMER FOR KIDS & YOUTH Pages 4 & 5

JEFF AND ELIZABETH LIN Spotlight Family