New Church

We have recently, as of this past Sunday, started to attend Faith Baptist Church here in El Paso. The first mention of the Rinka's that we knew anything of was back when we used to attend church in VT, at Bow Baptist Church. They had just sent out letters asking for financial support and donations to use for their church that they had a burden to start in El Paso. I remember thinking how exciting it could be to help them get their church started, but figured we'd miss the starting of it by time we got to El Paso or something like that. Furthermore the Rinka's lived in Las Cruces NM, so I naturally assumed that they also attended church there. However I was quite surprised to find them attending the church that Mike had picked for us to attend before my arrival.

We got to know them a little while we attended church there, and we decided it would be such an encouragement to their family if they didn't have to preach to themselves when the church firt got started. It was also a shorter trip for us and the church we were attending wasn't working out anyway.

So after they spent a good deal of time trying to find the building God wanted them in, they finally came up with a warehouse building on the east side of the city. We had our first unofficial opening service. Since there is still much work to do asthetically Pastor Rinka has decided not to have the "grand opening" until the beginning of June. At which time we will tour the neighborhood handing out flyers inviting people to church and hopefully helping folks learn how to get saved.

Speaking of salvation Faith was the first converted soul at Faith Baptist Church. She's been wanting to get saved for quite a while, but I held her back until I was sure she understood exactly what she was doing. Pastor Rinka was the one who reaped what I had sowed and she got saved last night. From the detailed account that he gave us, she did understand what it meant to be saved.

I'm hoping to get a better picture of our two families together. I took the picture of their family alone after the picture of our two families together and realized that it would come out much better with the flash off. The flash was casting a shadow on the white wall which was making the whole picture much darker. I'll try to remember the next time we are together to get a better picture.

They have another child who is not pictured here. He is there oldest and he is now attending Hyles Anderson College. We have had the opportunity to meet him once.

Denise