Greetings in the precious, unconditional love of our Lord Jesus, Who came to earth to set us an example, to die on a cross to shed His blood for the remission of our sins, and to rise again the third day, victorious over sin and death. Through all that JESUS has done for us, He has given to us a blessed hope. This is one of our favorite times of the year, when we have another opportunity to bask in the love of JESUS and to share His love with others. God has blessed us, in spite of us, and we thank Him for those He has brought into our lives through the years. We thank Him for family and friends who have stood by us in the good times and the difficult times. Our desire is to finish well for His glory and His precious Name! The Covid-19 pandemic did not end in December 2020. The world continues to be in lockdown, with a new strain of Covid worse than 2020. Now another new strain of Covid has been discovered here in late November 2021. The year 2021 continued with virtual meetings, wearing masks, social distancing, and more. Also, this year with a new political administration has been interesting and challenging. We have to believe that God is in control. So, bear with us as we share a bit of our life for 2021. His mercy, grace and love grow sweeter as the days go by.
Gary: This year, traveling has been driving Paul Assignon, Togo, March 7—May 7, 2021 to some of his meetings. Also, driving Anthony Juma and Allan Maina, Kenya, August 29—October 10, 2021, to some of their meetings. Then driving Alex Boamah, Ghana, to a few meetings during the month of November. On November 14th, I spoke at the Bible Baptist Temple, in Campbell, Ohio. Michael Grubbs, our Communications Coordinator and Holly Baltich, Finance Manager, and her mom, Jeanne Baltic, drove the men above to some of their meetings. On June 2nd, Nancy and I celebrated our 59th wedding anniversary. I kept busy with many phone calls, wrote letters, and emails, and counseled many. I prepared our Council Meetings in March, June, September, and special council meeting October 15. Each meeting was conducted at the headquarters and by ZOOM. Also, I am preparing for our Council’s Annual Business meeting on December 14th, which will be held at the Headquarters. On April 28th, I went to the ER with chest pains, thinking it was acid reflux. Then having other problems, went to PC doctor followed by all kinds of tests. On May 18, PC doctor told me to go to ER as my liver enzymes were elevated and could mean a blockage in the gallbladder. Following many tests, on May 22, I had laparoscopic surgery to remove a very bad gallbladder. I am doing fairly well for my age. On June 6th, I officiated our granddaughter, Megan’s, wedding in Forest, Virginia. Nancy and I praise the Lord for His wisdom, strength and encouragement for the awesome responsibilities of serving the Lord through IGM. As I have said before, IGM is a faith-based mission agency. We survive by raising our support just like all our missionaries and national pastors. We still can use more support because of attrition, but each month, the Lord provides. We praise the Lord that He continues to take care of our needs. Thank you for praying and giving to our needs. My email is genewhart@igmgo.org
Nancy: Continues to work many hours as the volunteer IGM Office Manager. Being Office Manager entails many different tasks: helping with ordering and purchasing supplies, the preparation for MTC and for visiting pastors going to churches, recording of financial reports and prayer letters, answering and sending many emails, different publications, helping clean the bunkhouse rooms, helping in purchasing groceries for the National pastors staying at IGM, and many other things. Faith and Steve, Jonathan and Mia, visited us July 2-9. Megan and Dillan visited us for the week-end. We had family time, July 4, at our home. Faith spent time updating our living room. Many have asked about her hand and wrist she broke in the February 25, 2016 car accident and then December 26, 2017, she fractured a bone on her right ring finger knuckle. Praise the Lord, she can use her hand and can type okay, however, it is still stiff and has some numbness, probably because of arthritis, etc. We spent Thanksgiving dinner at Luke, Jennifer, and Aubrey’s home. We plan on driving to Virginia for Christmas. Nancy’s health is pretty good. She is still taking thyroid and blood pressure medicines. Nancy and I go to the chiropractor every 2 to 3 weeks, which helps our back issues. Also, if she stays on her eating plan, that helps her health. Pray for Nancy as she serves her Savior daily. Her email is ncn359@yahoo.com
Luke and Jennifer will celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary on February 9th, 2022. Luke celebrated his seventh year working at Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES in Newark. In the new year, Jennifer has been doing her intern work in local schools to complete her Master of Education in School Counseling. Aubrey started seventh grade, at the local public school, in September. On October 22nd she made her salvation sure, on October 24th was baptized, and celebrated her 13th birthday on November 3rd. Do pray for them as they seek God’s will and as they raise Aubrey for His glory.
Our daughter, Faith, and her husband, Steve, will be married 28 years this coming July 2022. Another year brings with it a lot of changes. Our daughter, Faith, and her husband (Steve) are slowly becoming empty-nesters. The big news from this past year is their daughter Megan married her high school sweetheart, Dillan. The newlyweds live in Blacksburg, VA, while Dillan finishes school at Virginia Tech. The wedding was a great celebration that Grandpa Newhart was able to officiate. We are so happy for this couple. Our oldest grandson, Steven, just turned 25 years old. That was a quick quarter century! He currently works as an assistant golf pro at a local golf club in Virginia while completing his MBA. Our grandson, Zachary, is now 23 years old. He works at Liberty University as a computer programmer while remaining active in local sports competitions and volunteering at his church. After a strange first year of college due to COVID, our grandson, Jonathan, is now attending in person at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is majoring in business and plays for the golf team. He loves his classes and certainly loves playing golf. Our granddaughter Mia, is learning to drive! She is really getting the hang of it and will be driving herself to school in no time. She is a sophomore in high school and spends much of her free time baking. Faith and Steve continue to work in education. Faith loves her kindergarten students this year at Forest Elementary. At the same time, Steve continues to work in higher education at Houston Baptist University. Their family did expand this past year with the addition of Ivy, a ShihTzu/Bichon puppy. Ivy and Toby are pretty active and love to go for walks. Please join us in continuing to pray for their family.
M i n i s t r y N e w s
February 2022 will be our 22nd anniversary serving with International Gospel Missions. Praise the Lord for Holly Baltich, a single lady, who started serving IGM in December 2018 as Finance Manager. Holly is a Godsend to IGM, with her positive and joyful outlook, and has learned quickly all that is entailed in serving as Finance Manager. She also puts together display boards, helps with ordering and purchasing needed supplies, helps care for the bunkhouse beds, laundry, cleaning, etc. She loves to cook and has fed the national pastors and visitors that stay in the bunkhouse apartment or just visit IGM. She has had Nancy and I for dinner a few times. Also, we praise the Lord over and over for Cheryl Smith, who serves as Administrative Assistant, which includes many “hats” such as receptionist, donor services, publications editor, editing and sending out prayer letters, IT helper, and more. Jim Arnold is the Acting FMI director (Faith Ministries International—orphan ministry) and Cheryl is FMI Administrative Assistant. She does anything she is asked to do. Michael Grubbs continues to serve as Communications Coordinator, booking meetings for Mission Training Conference teams and others needing meetings, which is very time-consuming. Many churches do not have Sunday evening services or Wednesday services anymore, so this makes booking meetings difficult. We have Holly’s cat, Percy, dogs Winston and Willow as our security and welcoming committee.
We continue to praise the Lord for our IGM Mission Central Headquarters. It will be 16 years in July that we moved into our building. We would welcome help in building maintenance and the huge project is getting the building painted. This year, we were able to house several national pastors and visitors. We have added two to our IGM family of National Church Planters and Missionaries, one serving in Kenya and one serving in India. On December 14th, we will possibly add two more National Church Planters, one serving in Ghana and one in Cameroon-new country for IGM. We now have National Field Representatives serving in many countries, trying to cut down on wire transfer costs, traveling, and mailing costs. Presently, we have Ghana, Haiti, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Philippines, Togo, and Uganda set up with National Field Representatives. Because of the sudden death of Kerry Psinas, Grenada is without a US representative. Do pray for Terri Psinas as she is still grieving Kerry’s passing. The Arnolds are US representatives for Ivory Coast, and Kouami Midekor, Togo, is Director of West Africa French-Speaking Countries, Benin and Burkana Faso. We had 11 promoted to glory this year: Lois Dennis, Jamaica, Milton Williams, Grenada, Kerry Psinas, Grenada coordinator, Moses Weidehgar, Liberia, Ruth Hamilton, Have Bible will Travel, Paul Obange, Kenya, Dr. Devasahayam Chatla, India, Kuruna Ravi Babu, India, and Paulaune Francois, Haiti. Also, promoted to glory, Rex Furman, former IGM National Field Director. Many others of our IGM family have reported the death of relatives and loved ones. Our IGMers around the world have reported, so far this year, 2084 professions of faith and 791 baptisms. If you are receiving a paper copy of our prayer letters, etc. and have an email address, please let us know as soon as possible to help save on our mailing costs. Send to igm@igmonline.org. Thank you. We continue to use email to communicate with our Mission Family to save on postage and to keep up-to-date with communications. Thank you for faithfully praying and/or financially supporting us, our missionaries, national church planters, orphans, and the Mission Service Account. Please visit our website—www.igmgo.org. We are also on Facebook and Twitter. Cheryl sends out our IGMers’ prayer letters as they are received. Presently, the MSA (Mission Service Account—operating fund) is in need of regular support.
TRANSITION Praise The Lord, Dr. Lex and Shelley Reed and family, will become the new IGM Executive Director on February 1, 2022 and soon move to Rochester, NY. They will start their journey of leading, with God’s help, the IGM Family, around the world.
Note: Nancy and I will be Missionaries with IGM and will depend on our supporters for their continued financial support. We will be very active in helping with the transition.
The Lord is good all of the time, all of the time the Lord is good.
Remember to keep Christ in your Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
IGM Office will be closed December 23—31, 2021
Transition Fund “Growing in Faith” – we need an additional $100,000 for the 2022 year to help finance the new Director, new Office Manager, and other transition needs.
Tentative Schedule for
2021/2022
Dec. 14 Annual Council Meeting
- 1-3 National Church Planters US trip—March 6—April 10 2021
- Mar. 8-IGM Council Mtg.
- June 13-IGM Council Mtg
- Sept. 12-IGM Council Mtg.
- Fall travels to be scheduled
- Dec. 13—IGM Annual Council Meeting