Biblical Truth Ministries

December Letter, 2010

Season’s greetings dear Family and Friends:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke2:11)

We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. We trust you had a blessed Thanksgiving and that you truly are thankful every day of the year.  We did and definitely are.  For God is always so good to us. Here are some ways He has been in 2010.

During 2010 I had the privilege of ministering the Word of God more than 100 times in churches and to individuals. This included ministry in Pennsylvania and trips to the state of Maine, New Brunswick, Canada and as far as Aruba (just 17 miles off the coast of Venezuela, SA). For most of the year I did pulpit supply in Lewistown, PA [which is a little less than 2 hours from home] at Fairview Bible Church that was without a pastor. In July I had the privilege of having an installation service for their new pastor, Dave Fultz. Then in August it was off to Good News Baptist Church in Aruba to be their interim pastor for three months.  While I was ministering at Lewistown, Joyce continued to minister on the organ at Grace Bible Chapel which is less than 15 miles from our home for most of the year but traveled with me to Maine, NB and Aruba. In spite of the challenges of a different culture and climate we had a blessed time of ministry in Aruba. The church there is very new and many are new converts but we came to love them dearly. We had many loving comments from them as to what our ministry meant to them…Joyce both ministered in music and taught a music class. And I taught and preached the Word. Two weeks after we arrived home a missionary pastor went there (on Nov. 27). Praise the Lord, he (Danny Alford) and his dear wife (Gail) plan to stay there permanently. We so much wish time and space would permit us sharing all the blessings and challenges of 2010. But none of the good ministry results could have happened without the Lord and you who have faithfully prayed and given toward it. Some helped us from as far away as Uganda, Africa and some we have never met. Only the Lord could and would do such things for His work and His children. We are blessed!

We do still have challenges: Joyce continues to have some physical issues. Our ministry income is still very low (as always we praise the Lord for our home church, Emmanuel Baptist, Mechanicsburg, PA that has stood behind us in this area along with individuals as well). Since we only recently [Nov. 10] arrived home from Aruba I am just beginning to schedule meetings for 2011.  We ask you to please keep praying! We value greatly hearing from you occasionally.

We are very thankful for Pastor Terry Overstreet and his church in Virginia that provides the funds for

us to be able to send out our prayer letters to those of you who receive it via “snail mail”.

We praise the Lord for all of you who encourage us from time to time. We do

indeed trust that all of you will have a very wonderful Christmas

day as well as a wonderful Christmas season.

Your servants in the service of our Lord and Savior,

(Pastor) Milt and Joyce Lambertson

October 18, 2010 – Aruba Ministry Update:

To Our Faithful Ministry Supporters:

On August 10, 2010 Joyce and I arrived in Oranjestad, Aruba, airport for our three month interim pastoral mission’s ministry. We were met by two of the brethren from Good News Baptist Church. After picking up the rental car we were escorted to our “living quarters” in the back of the church…actually the house rented and used as the church. The cultural shock began. The iguanas (and rats) began to run in the attic; the roosters have crowed at all hours of the night (every night) and the parrot (or Macaw) next door has squawked a good part of most days. And there have been many other kinds of adjustments that have had to be and have been made.

We have grown to love the people of Good News Baptist Church…a few of whom cannot speak English (but, boy, can we have a good time with sign language and usually someone who stands nearby to interpret!). Many of the folks here are new Christians who are attempting to grow in the faith. They are often bombarded with all kinds of “isms” and doctrines for there are many here on the island. There are approximately 100 nationalities represented on the island. Please pray much for these dear folks.

There have been all kinds of challenges. For about 2 ½ weeks our Internet was out more than in. Both cell phones that we have here (few people have land lines) ran out of air time. So we were “stranded in Aruba” it seemed for awhile. There are plenty of stories to tell.

We are busy. Currently I am teaching the adult Sunday school class, preaching in both the Sunday A.M. and P.M. services, Wednesday night prayer meeting and having a Bible question/answer time on Friday nights and doing the other things a pastor does. Joyce is teaching a basic music theory and keyboard class after each Sunday evening service. In the services she plays a keyboard that one of the men who is from Germany had shipped here from Germany right after we came. And she plays for the small choir that sings in the service on Sunday a.m. To say the least we greatly appreciate your prayer support. We have had some health issues while here but the Lord has brought us through them… Joyce had a quite severe allergy attack!

In three weeks (Nov. 10) we are scheduled to return home to the US. There is much to be done before we leave here so keep praying much for us. We rejoice greatly that there is a Baptist missionary pastor coming to Aruba PERMANENTLY after we leave. We are trusting the Lord that he will become the pastor of Good News Baptist Church!! We have prayed a lot about this. The story is remarkable but too lengthy to share in a letter as to how it has been and is unfolding. But it is indeed a great answer to prayer!

Pray for us regarding our return home: (1) for safety and (2) being away from the US for this length of time means that after we arrive home we only have meetings scheduled through November. Pray that the Lord will give us an open door of ministry of His choosing for December and all of 2011!

We are very grateful for all of you (churches and individuals) who are so supportive of the ministry the Lord has given us both in prayer and financially. Thank you and may the Lord bless you abundantly.

God is good… all the time!

Your servants in the service of the Savior,

(Pastor)Milt and Joyce Lambertson

July Prayer Letter, 2010

Dear Faithful Ministry Supporters,

There have been many blessings and challenges since we sent our April prayer letter. The last week of April and the first week of May we ministered in Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. We saw our oldest grand daughter graduate from New Brunswick Bible Institute and on the trip we came in contact with people who were under our ministry in Canada 30 years ago! Most of the remainder of the time I have continued to fill the pulpit at Fairview Bible church in Lewistown and Joyce has played the organ at Grace Bible Chapel in York Springs, PA.

We praise the Lord that the He provided the funds and our ministry vehicle is completely paid for!!! We certainly thank the Lord for His great grace to us.

Now we have a new challenge: Recently Fairview Bible Church had a pastoral candidate. They voted to extend a call to him. He accepted. I will end my “fill in” ministry to them on Sunday, July 18. It is a “bitter-sweet” time. I am excited that they have a pastor coming but I have grown to love them dearly and they have me (at least that’s what they say!). As usual I was wondering what and where my/our next ministry would be…I did not have to wonder long! When Fairview was having the candidate I had a conversation with Evangelist Mike Pelletier. I told him my situation and he immediately asked, “Would you go to Aruba and be interim pastor in a church for three to six months! (That’s the island in the Caribbean)?” I was shocked (especially since two days before I had prayed and said, “Lord I haven’t done anything in missions lately and you know my heart for missions!”…be careful how you pray!) but told him I would pray about it. So Joyce and I prayed and talked. We have accepted the ministry invitation:

Aruba has a population of approximately 120,000. It has very few Bible believing churches. Good News Baptist Church is a quite young church plant by BIMI mission. A “retired” missionary my age has been “filling in” as interim for the past 6 months. He and his wife must leave July 27. The church is too young to stand on its own. The need is urgent! That is where we come in. Just “coincidentally” I/we are available to take up the torch! About half of the church is new converts (from when Mike Pelletier preached there early this year). They need help.

This is a great challenge for us at our age [the church meets in a house…we will only have two rooms to live in] but by God’s grace we can help by going to fill the gap for three months (which we have agreed to Aug to Nov)! To do so, however, there are two things that are greatly needed in order for us to go to Aruba by our intended date of August 10:

The first and most important thing we need is for you to PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!

Secondly,  we must raise the needed support within only one month. Therefore, we ask you to both pray urgently and if possible to respond financially. In doing the latter please note as follows [incidentally we would simply be in an “on loan” relationship with BIMI…this in no way changes our Biblical Truth or Way of Truth Ministry]:

If you wish an income tax receipt send a check to: Way Of Truth Ministries, 315 40^th Street, Altoona, PA 16602…make the check payable to Way of Truth Ministries but do not write on the check what it is for. Instead, include a note stating: “The enclosed check is for Aruba ministry”. Be sure to include your name, address and request a receipt. [Do not at any time make checks payable to Biblical Truth Ministries.] Note: If you wish to give a check directly to us please make the check payable to Milton D. Lambertson but remember you will not be able to receive an income tax receipt.

Your servants for Jesus,

(Pastor)Milt and Joyce Lambertson

P.S. After much research it appears that the financial need is approximately $6000 (for the 3 months) plus travel expenses (airfare, etc) and some necessary supplies… about $1650. Please let us know if you can help.

SPRING PRAYER LETTER – April, 2010

Dear Faithful Ministry Supporters,

Many years ago while pastoring on Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy, a young man in my congregation called me and asked “what is your favorite verse in the Bible.”  I replied “all of them!” He then pressed me further, “do you have a life’s verse…one that is special”. I thought for a moment and then said: “Psalm 34: 1 – I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” About a week or so later the young man brought it to me… he had beautifully done especially for me Psalm 34: 1 in calligraphy! That is still my life verse.

Joyce and I praise the Lord for the opportunities of serving Him through the first quarter of 2010. Although we had almost four feet of snow in February and each had a “bout” with a cold virus. We stayed busy most of the time. I still fill the pulpit almost every Sunday at Fairview Bible Church (about 100 miles north of home) and Joyce plays the organ at Grace Bible Chapel (less than 15 miles away). I had the opportunity of doing a Sweetheart Banquet and ministry in a church in Berwick, PA (Joyce was able to go with me) in February. In a couple of weeks from now we are to head north. I am to speak at Spruce Head, Maine and then on May 2 at a church in rural northern New Brunswick, Canada. We hope to get to see our oldest granddaughter walk in graduation that same day at New Brunswick Bible Institute. For the rest of the month of May I am scheduled to be at Fairview Bible Church in Lewistown, PA. [I ask you to pray that the Lord will in His timing send the pastor of His choosing to this church.] The Way of Truth Ministries quarterly Board meeting is April 10. So with all the traveling and ministry life stays busy.

What is new? (1) Thanks to Pastor Matt Jury of Grace Bible Chapel our ministry now has a website… lambertsonministry.com There is a ministry e-mail address. It is:  btm@lambertsonministry.com And we have a ministry email account.  From this email account, we can send our prayer letters.  If you would like to receive the prayer letter through a different email address that you may have, please visit the website and follow the instructions to go to a special form to update your contact information.

(2) A different ministry vehicle. For those of you who do not know, our ‘99 Sienna had 162,000 miles on it and I was told that it needed appx. $4000 in repairs plus it was burning some oil. Through some wise counsel and in a unique way we were able to purchase a 2003 Vibe (with only 47,000 miles) to take the Sienna’s place but since there were no funds in our ministry vehicle fund we had to borrow from another fund. We are extremely grateful for our home church, Emmanuel Baptist, Mechanicsburg, PA and some individuals who have helped with this need. Along with their help and what we were able to sell the ’99 Sienna for we have recovered most of the funds. But we still need appx. $1600.00. We ask you to pray that the Lord will supply this need. If you are led of the Lord to help we ask that you note the following: If you wish to send a check directly to us, please make it payable to Milton D. Lambertson… (Note that you cannot receive an income tax receipt). However, if you wish an income tax receipt, send a check to Way Of Truth Ministries, 315 40^th Street, Altoona, PA 16602 – make the check payable to Way of Truth Ministries but do not write on the check what it is for. Instead, include a note stating that the money is “for the ministry of Milt Lambertson, vehicle fund”. Be sure to include your name, address and request a receipt. [Do not at any time make checks payable to Biblical Truth Ministries.]

We are very grateful for those who support us financially. But we emphasize the great need of prayer!!! We are very grateful for those who hold us up before the Lord. May the Lord bless each of you abundantly.  Please do pray that the summer and fall months will have open doors of ministry. We love and appreciate you.

Your servants in the service of the Savior,

(Pastor)Milt and Joyce Lambertson