Thomas G. Bowlin was born in Assumption, IL. He joined the United States Air Force in July of 1957 and served his country honorably for twenty one years. While serving at Kadena, AFB, Okinawa, Japan, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in July of 1976. After retiring from the Air Force in May of 1979, he answered the Lord’s calling on his life to become a pastor and attended Tennessee Temple University where he received a Bachelor’s of Bible degree in May of 1983. He joined BIMI in July 1983 and served as a military missionary as pastor of the Yokoska Baptist Church in Yokoska, Japan until July of 1990. When he left Japan he was called as Senior Pastor of Koolau Baptist Church in Kaneohe, HI, where he was dearly loved by his parishioner’s until his retirement in September of 2005. Tom is survived by his beloved wife Shirley Bowlin, his sons and daughters in law, Jeffery and Barbara Bowlin, Thomas Lee and Sissy Bowlin, five grandchildren, Jennifer and Shelly Miller, John, Hannah and Kaitlyn Bowlin, one sister Sandy Powers.

Testimony Submitted by Pastor Tom Bowlin,
Koolau Baptist Church, Kaneohe, HI

Since January of 1991, I have had the privilege of pastoring the Koolau Baptist Church in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Our church is a unique one as is each independent fundamental Baptist church. God has been good to my wife and I, as well as our church. We have seen many precious souls saved who have also followed the Lord Jesus Christ in believer’s baptism. To quote one of BIMI’s own missionaries, Brother Zane Abbott, "Ain’t God good!"

The evening of, August 29, 2004, I was compelled to go before the church and tender my resignation as pastor, to be effective in October. The previous Sunday evening, I had no idea that I would be doing this.

You see, for the past year or so I have been recovering from the effects of a mild stroke and fighting renal cell cancer. On Wednesday afternoon before announcing my resignation to the church my doctor had informed me that I probably have only about a year before the cancer takes its toll.

I know that God makes no mistakes. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." That gives me great comfort at this time. But it all started back in my childhood.

My grandmother raised me, and every time the church doors were open I knew that because of grandmother I would be going to church. This continued for several years until I got old enough to refuse to go to church, much to my shame.

In October of 1957, I enlisted in the United States Air Force retiring June 1, 1979. During the mid 1960’s while still unsaved, the Lord assigned me to Seward Air Force Base, Smyrna, Tennessee (19 miles south of Nashville). Although unsaved herself, my wife, Shirley began to attend a fundamental Baptist church. A man in that church, Brother Al Sligh, began to visit me every Thursday evening and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Soon I was transferred to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa where a neighbor and later close friend, Jim Haynes, and his wife, Ursula, began taking my wife to the Maranatha Baptist Church. One Tuesday morning I heard a knock on my door. When I opened the door a gentleman by the name of Ron Mahood introduced himself and another man who was with him.

I allowed them to come in and I understood the Gospel. Much to my surprise and delight, I found myself trusting the Lord Jesus Christ and being baptized thanks to God’s faithfulness, and the ministries on Okinawa of Brother Ron Mahood and Dr. James Kennard, BIMI Military Director. This took place in the mid 1970’s.

In the fall of 1976, Dr. Don Sisk, former General Director of BIMI, preached a missions conference in which he emphasized the need for more missionaries and pastors. It was during that conference that myself, Brother Greg Boyle, currently Pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Spokane, WA, and Brother Randy Chovan, currently Pastor of First Baptist Church, Pasco, WA, surrendered to full-time service.

Thank God for military missions. Without men like Brother Ron Mahood and Brother James Kennard, this past week would have been impossible to face. But because Christ saved me there in Okinawa, I can patiently wait upon Him to sustain me, my wife Shirley, my children Jeff and Lee, through this difficult time. In fact, my whole family was saved there on Okinawa. Thank you for your prayers.

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In February 1955 my wife Norma and my two boys were stationed with me in Okinawa Japan. My mother-in-law had become a born again Christian just prior to our transfer to Okinawa and was constantly sending us letters encouraging us to trust Christ also. However, we were not interested and thought she was just a fanatic. Our problem was that we thought we didn’t need the Lord and we were having the time of our life visiting the night clubs and bars. Soon our marriage began to crumble and my wife informed me she was going to divorce me when we returned to the states. About the same time my mother-in-law began to pray for us to be saved and she told the Lord to do whatever was necessary to get us to come to Him. In just a few days the Lord permitted my oldest son, 4 ˝ years of age to be electrocuted while playing in the housing area. My wife and I grew up believing in God but neither of us understood how Christ fit into the picture. We both reformed, thinking that was the way.

After returning to the US and burying our son in North Carolina we went to visit my mother-in-law in San Antonio, Texas. While in her home she came into our room and began to witness to us. She told us that if we really wanted to know we were going to Heaven we needed to ask Christ to come into our life and receive Him as Savior. That same night after going to bed I asked Christ to come into my life and be my Savior. Even the next day there was a drastic change in me. My wife had already trusted Him 2 or so days before but had no assurance until we went to our next duty station. It was there in our house while listening to a radio preacher that she bowed her head and asked the Lord to give her assurance that she too had trusted Him as Savior. It was then she got her assurance and never doubted again. My wife and I realized the Lord used the death of our son to bring us to Himself.

Both of us had drastic changes in our life style and began to live daily for Him from that time on. We still had a child 2 ˝ years of age and the Lord gave us four more children. Eventually all of our children trusted the Lord. The Lord called us to missionary service and today three of our children are in full time service for the Lord. My wife and I spent over thirty-five years as missionaries to the military overseas.

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My heart wrenched at this fine 11 year old boy’s request as I knelt with him in prayer at the altar. At the same time, I was very grateful to the Lord for His leading in bringing us back to Germany "for such a time as this" to minister to our US Military and their families.

We arrived back in Germany on January 13, 2005 to assume the pastorate of Rhein Valley Baptist Church in Wiesbaden, Germany. We had previously served the Lord in the country of Germany in the Nuremberg area of northern Bavaria. During that 12 year span, we ministered to our US Military, German nationals and international business people and international students. Three churches were established during that time. So, coming back to Germany was almost like coming home in so many ways!

We have been busy going through all of the normal registration processes as well as setting up house with our household goods that just arrived! Most importantly, we are getting to know the dear church family and community in which we are ministering. There are great doors of opportunity placed before us here in the Wiesbaden area. We are visiting each week and distributing church information throughout the housing areas. God has blessed in our services in a very special way and there is such a sweet spirit. We also have a burden to reach out into the German community through witnessing and tract distribution.

This is a crucial time to be involved in a military ministry. Yes, we are at war. But there is even a greater war going on for the souls of mankind. We must be vigilant. We must be faithful. There is work to do in reaching souls for the Savior. Please pray for us and our people as we seek to win the lost and disciple Christians "…for such a time as this."

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Praises:
· God’s hand of protection was while on a short furlough.
· The privilege of winning a sister and brother-in-law to the Lord of a lady who is a member of our church, Rhein River Baptist Church. I had led this lady to the Lord in March of 2002.
· New churches added to our support.

Prayer requests:
· My ankle to become stronger with exercise so I will not need the cane to walk.
· Additional support is needed as the Euro has continued to fall.

Germany – The Truitts

Praises:
· We had a great Candlelight Christmas eve service with about 82 people participating in holding candles. Joshua did all the music and did a great job. We had a wonderful Christmas day with 13 people in all at our house.

Prayer requests:
· For souls to be saved and to be used of God in the work of Mannheim, Germany

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Scot C & Katie Daku -  AMERICAN SAMOA
Paul J & Wendy Daku Jr -  FIJI ISLANDS
James & Dawn Daley -  INDONESIA