God Is FAITHFUL!!

A note to the members of Immanuel Southern Baptist Church: 

Bro Rick here. For those who were in service yesterday, you heard the incredible news that God restored every dollar that had been stolen from our accounts. We give Him all the praise for His faithfulness!

As I’ve reflected on everything that happened, I wanted to share a few things God has impressed on my heart:

Even when our financial resources were gone, our ministry didn’t stop. God reminded us that His work is never limited by what we have or don’t have.

The timing of the theft lined up with our planned revival, yet the sense of loss didn’t hinder what God wanted to do. If anything, it made the work in our hearts even more meaningful.

Walking through this challenge together created a unity we haven’t felt in a long time. God used a difficult moment to draw us closer as a family.

Many of us were given unexpected opportunities to testify about God’s provision. I pray you’ll continue those conversations and point people back to His goodness.

God has shown Himself faithful once again, and I’m grateful to walk this journey with all of you.

(For background, see this post: Will a Man Rob God?)

19 Years

It's been 19 years since we returned from overseas. In fact, living overseas seems like a lifetime ago. I've had the opportunity to visit overseas a few times, including, China/Hong Kong, Ukraine, Israel, and Pakistan. (Plus a western Caribbean cruise).

We've been home longer than we lived overseas. That is surreal.

So much has changed in these past 19 years. 

I've been a pastor for nearly 19 years at the same church.

Both daughters have grown up, got married, and have their own lives.

I'm a grandpa. Poppy, actually.

I've published three books.

I've lost too many family members.

I gained more than 80K followers on TikTok.

One thing is constant; God is in control. He has been so good to us!

Boynes in 2007

The Boynes, Ellises & Coffeys in 2024
(The little blond girl was a visitor)

Mayflower Ancestry Discovered

Every family has stories tucked away in old records and forgotten names. Recently, our family uncovered one that reaches all the way back to 1620. After careful genealogical research, we can now confirm that our lineage traces directly to three Mayflower lines: the Tilleys, John Howland, and William and Mary Brewster.

Seeing these names appear in our own family tree is both humbling and surreal. These were real people—ordinary men and women whose courage and faith shaped the earliest chapters of American history.

The Tilleys

Our line includes John and Joan Tilley and their daughter Elizabeth, one of the few young women to survive the first winter. Elizabeth later married fellow passenger John Howland, and together they became ancestors to thousands. Through her, the Tilley legacy lives on in our family.

Elizabeth Tilley Howland

John Howland

Perhaps the most dramatic story in our lineage belongs to John Howland, the young man who fell overboard during a storm and miraculously survived by grabbing a trailing rope. Bradford recorded the event, noting how close he came to being lost at sea. His survival changed history—and eventually shaped our own family line.

John Howland

The Brewsters

We are also connected to Elder William Brewster and his wife Mary, central figures in the Pilgrim story. Brewster served as the spiritual leader of the group, guiding them through persecution in England, refuge in Leiden, and the perilous journey to the New World. Their steadfast faith helped anchor the early colony.

William Brewster

A Legacy to Carry Forward

This discovery doesn’t elevate us above anyone else, but it does deepen our appreciation for the people who came before us. Their resilience, conviction, and willingness to risk everything for a new beginning now form part of our own family story.

History has always been meaningful. But now, for us, it feels personal.

NOTE: There are more than 10 million descendants in the US alone; 30-35 million worldwide.