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.

5 Year Anniversary

Five years ago today we boarded the plane to leave Hong Kong. Five years ago today we said, what we thought, were short good-byes to our friends. Five years ago today we arrived back in Oklahoma into the open arms of our family.

So much has happened in the past five years.  We've done a WHOLE LOT LESS traveling, that's for sure!

We still get frustrated with certain things. We still long for the excitement of international living. 

In many ways, it's hard to believe it's already been five years. It seems like yesterday that we left for West Africa! We haven't been back to West Africa since 2002.

I'm about to take my first trip back to Asia in five years. I'm heading to Hong Kong (among other places) with a group of men for a few days. I'm NOT looking forward to the 15 hour flight from Chicago to HK. I am looking forward to seeing my beloved Victoria Harbour again and having a plate of gong chau gnau haw.  My time won't be long enough there to actually enjoy anything, but I'm going to pack as much in as I possible can!

At least, I'm not waiting as long to see HK as I did the first time I was gone. I lived there from 1989-91 and didn't return until 2004.

This time, it's only five years.

Unexpected Blessings

God is SO GOOD!

A few years back, I was given a 10 year service pin for the International Mission Board. Somehow, when we moved back to Oklahoma from overseas, my pin never made it. I was sick about it. I have carefully looked through everything that we have brought back and it was no where to be found.

Today, I had a lunch date with Sally (El Chico's). Main Street in Muskogee is a nightmare right now, as they are resurfacing it and it is extremely congested. So, I took the long way back to her office. We were passing by Sandy's Consignment Shop, when Sally said, "Wow! Look at that rocking chair. It would go great on the front porch."

Well, I let Sally out at her office and went back to Sandy's. Sandy is a personal friend of my mother. I visited her mother in the hospital last week, the day before she died. But I digress. I stop in Sandy's shop from time to time looking for OU paraphernalia. As I walked in today, Sandy wasn't there but her fiance was. He was with a customer.

As I patiently waited for Ron to finish with the customer, I looked in the jewelery cabinet at some of the cuff links she had. Something caught my eye. It was a 10 year IMB service pin!

I asked Ron where she got it, but he had no idea. He didn't know that the "SBC" stood for Southern Baptist Convention, and hadn't noticed it had International Mission Board spelled out. I told him about it, and about losing mine. I asked him how much it was. He asked me, "Is this a religious pin?" I told him again exactly what it was.

He gave it to me!

I know it is such a little thing, but for me it was such an unexpected blessing from the Lord. I told Sally about it and she said she had, just this week, thought about calling the IMB to see if she could purchase one for me to replace my lost one.

God is good; all the time!

For my ex-pat friends

This is for all of my friends and colleagues who still reside overseas. The rest of you are welcome to read along for a laugh....

This past week, I have been trying to do a bit of business in the US. Business that I haven't done for more than 12 years or so. I tried to buy a car.

I was delighted when we were at the finance guy's office and he ran a credit report on us and we found out that our credit is excellent. Our credit report numbers are WAY above the national average. That is good.

Then the floor dropped out from under us.

He said that despite having this great credit score, we don't have any credit HISTORY. He said that the only thing on our report was one credit card for each of us. (Sally and me) I told him that I had bought (financed) numerous cars and a house. He said that it was long enough ago that it had "rotated" off our report and as far as they were concerned, we were starting over, just with a really good credit score.

He said that GMAC was actually willing to loan us the money for the car, but we would need a 20% deposit and would be charged FIFTEEN PERCENT interest! He said that he wasn't even going to offer us that "deal" and suggested another route.

All of this to say, "If you currently live overseas and have done so for a while, when you go to buy something in the US, either expect to buy with cash, or be prepared to have an exorbitantly high interest rate because all of your credit history will be just that; HISTORY!

What Happened to "Free Air"?

Remember when you could get air for free? No, not the breathing kind, but the fill your tires kind.

Before we went overseas, almost everyone who sold gas had free air. Now, you have to pay .75¢ just for the privilege of topping off your tire pressure.

Gone are full-service stations. The last one in Wagoner closed last Christmas. Gone is service of any kind. People don't care anymore; except for making a buck.

There is still a place in Vinita, OK, that has free air. God Bless Shout-N-Sack!

Give a break! Give free air again!

Another Anniversary

August 1, 2008, marks the one year anniversary of my pastorate at Immanuel Southern Baptist Church. What a year it has been!

From the moment I first pulled into the parking lot with Bro Bill Sherrill, Director of Missions for the Muskogee Baptist Association, I knew I was going to be the pastor here.

My first contact with anyone was with the interim pastor, Bro Bill Crow. We had a nice visit which encouraged me to get in touch with the search committee. Within a few minutes of visiting with Betty Rice, I think we both knew it was God's plan for us.

Excitement grew as I came and preached one Sunday. An unexpected hiccup occurred when I picked up the bulletin and discovered they were planning for me to preach that evening, too! I muddled through something, if I remember right.

I'll readily admit I became skeptical of this being the church (isn't that like Satan to put doubt in your mind?) Just like Peter, when he was walking on the water towards Jesus, I put my eyes on the things of this world. I looked at what I thought was reality; that is, how in the world could a small church support my family? My skepticism carried over in my attitude and there was one or two on the search committee that thought all I cared about was money. I truly regret that part of the process.

But God was greater and His will prevailed! I really, really wanted to be the pastor here, but I was afraid of what they would offer. I had a salary amount in mind, but their offer actually exceeded what I had in mind. It is a good thing, too, for, in retrospect, we could have never survived on what my initial ideas where! I had been living for too long outside the US and simply didn't know what it took to live here!

I remember my first Sunday morning here (of course). There were fewer people here that Sunday than there were when I came in view of a call. That was rather discouraging. There were 25 people here for Sunday morning service. We had no where to go but "up".

I suppose that I am plagued with the same trap that most pastors get into. It is hard to get out of. It is the "numbers game". Attendance and membership is the easiest and most readily available measure of how "I'm doing". I had all kinds of number goals in my mind.

Our attendance has doubled since I have been here. That is do to God working, not me. Last Easter, we had 86 in attendance. Now, I know that those numbers seem mighty low and insignificant to most people, but that was a great cause of celebration for us. It showed me the potential for what was there.

I have given up playing the numbers game. I want to see our church grow, but I don't care so much if it grows in NUMBERS. That is now God's problem. I want to see our church grow in spiritual maturity. I want to see our church grow in love. I want to see our church growing by reaching out to a lost and dying world. If we increase in numbers along the way, then that's fine.

I never thought I would like pastoring, much less love it. The church has been mighty kind to me and my family as we adjust to one another. I mentioned last Wednesday night that it seems like this first year, we have been dancing, getting to know one another. Well, it is time to stop dancing and get to work.

I still don't know why God would chose us for this task. It really isn't mine to know; it is mine to obey. I miss the foreign mission field and all of my colleagues. I miss that way of life. At this point, however, I wouldn't trade this for anything else in the world. At least until God tells me to.



If you are interested in praying for our church, here are some prayer requests:

1. We need families with children.
2. We need a youth leader.
3. We need a minister of music.
4. We need young adults.
5. We need a unified vision for what God has for us.

If you are interested in supporting our church financially, you can mail your checks to:

Immanuel Southern Baptist Church
611 N. Gertrude Ave.
Wagoner, OK 74467

Anniversary

One year ago today I resigned as a missionary from the IMB to pastor a church.

I'm not sad I resigned; a little melancholy, perhaps.



I first started with the Board in 1989 when I was appointed under Keith Parks as a Journeyman to Hong Kong. During that time, I helped to plant a church in Kowloon, New Hope Baptist Church. I was honored when the church planting team agreed on my suggestion for the name of the church, for at that time, (pre-1997) no one knew what the future of HK held with China looming overhead. Everyone was afraid and had lost hope.



It is fitting that I ended my missionary "career" in Hong Kong. After a tour in West Africa, then in East Asia, we transferred to Hong Kong. I honestly thought that we would retire with the Board and become "Emeritus", but God had other plans.



Most of our missionary service was "support". Not a very glamorous position, but necessary nonetheless. We considered ourselves to be like Aaron and Hur, providing support to Moses has he did what God called him to do.

We loved serving in West Africa. Africa is like a huge goldfish bowl where missionaries are the fish. It is like that to some degree in Asia, but it is much more severe in Africa. We experienced so much in our first term there. God transformed us and He used us. He allowed us to serve in both little and big ways. I pray that He found us faithful.



Then civil war.

We left the land and people we loved and followed God to Thailand. Again, we had a service of service. No glamor, unless you like being in AGM videos (which I secretly did). [OK, perhaps not SECRETLY!] The work there was email intensive. I joked that "I used to be a missionary, but now I answer email for a living". That wasn't far off. But what we did, and what they still do, is extremely important to keep the mission machine working.

If you have a missionary to speak in your church and they say something like "well, I"m only in support missions" or some other nonsense like that, please do your best to affirm them and encourage them in their work. I would rather be found faithful doing what I was called to do, than the alternative. Wouldn't you?

Thanks Mom!

My sister, Pam, and me at my 5th birthday party.

44 years ago today, my mother "labored" to bring me into the world. She has been and still is a fantastic wonderful mother that has taught me how to laugh and love in abundance.

As I look at the 44th anniversary of my birth, I can't help but to see an incredible blessing from God as He gave me my extended family then and my wonderful wife and children now. He has given me a host of friends all around the world. In fact, He has allowed me to see more of the world than most people could ever even dream about. He has allowed me to serve Him in 5 foreign countries and now back here at home.

As I look to the future, not knowing whether it will be a long future or a short future (for that is all in God's hands), I pray that I will be all that God wants me to be and a blessing to others. I want to see my daughters grow up into faithful women of God, blessings to their husbands and children. I want to see my church be faithful to God, being all it can be for His glory. I want to be a constant encourager and supporter for my wife, so that she can serve the Lord to His glory.

If you ever happen to pray for me, pray that I would be continually filled with the Holy Spirit and that God would give me wisdom.

Audrey's Award Ceremony

Audrey got the Outstanding Social Studies Student Award for 6th grade. Nana & Big Daddy got to attend both hers and Emily's Award Ceremonies. It is so great to be back close where they can do that!

IRS Rant

I have awaken to a cruel reality: the IRS STINKS! For the past 10 years, my former employer has completed my taxes for me. What a blessing that was! This year, they did it one last time, because I worked for them in 2007, but they only did my federal return. The state thingy was up to me.

I finished it today.

Since, as a pastor, I am considered "self-employed" for tax purposes, I will now have to send in estimated taxes to both the Feds and the state on a quarterly basis. EGADS!!!! For the Feds, I have to pay 15% of my salary in taxes and another 15.3% of my salary in self-employment (Social Security) tax. That's 30 stinkin percent!

This is my conclusion: personal income tax creates an unrealistic burden on the American population. (Big revelation, huh?) Besides, I don't think I'm getting my money's worth.

Taxes stink.

One Year!

As of March 16, we have been back in the US for one year! What a year it has been! It has been a good year, but a hard one, in many respects. It has been fun to be with family, but really hard to leave our friends overseas.

I love being a pastor; I never thought I would. I miss being a missionary, well, at least a career overseas missionary. All believers are missionaries. That is one of my main goals as pastor; to help my congregation realize that and then live that out.

I love being in Oklahoma. I really, really miss Chiang Mai. We lived there for three years. We miss our friends and our kids miss their school. We miss mango and sticky rice. We miss Hong Kong, but not to the same degree. We were only there less than a year and it was a hard year at that. We certainly do miss our friends there, however.

Lately, we have been waxing nostalgic for Africa. Of all the places we have lived, we loved Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the most. We are still sorry that the civil war came and we couldn't go back to say goodbye.

Well, now I'm starting to get melancholy and I can't have that! Praise the Lord for a good year, and for all the good years ahead!

Big Steps

This morning, Sally, Emily & I took Audrey to Tulsa International Airport. She went by herself (unaccompanied minor) to Baltimore, MD, via DFW.

She has been selected to participate in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference. Approximately 250 other outstanding middle school students from across the nation will attend this conference in Washington, DC.

It was a big step. Not only for her, but for her parents, as we let her go!

A few months ago, I asked her if she thought she would be all right in the airports by herself. She asked, "well, do I need to fill out any customs forms or anything like that?" (She has had LOTS of international traveling experience). I told her that travel within the US doesn't require that sort of documentation. She then asked, "well, do they speak English in the airports?" I said that everything is done in English.

She then replied, "well, what's the problem, then?"

Now there's a kid who has been around!

Melancholic Day

Today is a hard day. Today is the day that we would have returned to Hong Kong if we had not resigned. It has been hard because we truly loved doing what we were doing. We loved our colleagues; we loved our friends.

We know that we are doing what God wants us to do. We are glad we are here in Wagoner and glad we are at Immanuel. But it is still hard.

Can't escape bad Engrish

I would say some non-native English speakers translated the captions for these toys we found right here in Oklahoma. It looks like some of the stuff we saw in China. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.


The "Electric Shooting Box Lucky Star". "It is now time to take actions."


"Soft the Bullet." "Hit the target finally." "Phut, Phut"

2007 in Review

• January - enjoyed New Year's in Hong Kong
• February - traveled to Thailand
• March - started furlough early and returned to Oklahoma
• April - Audrey turns 11
• May - God begins to talk to us about resignation/taking a church
• June - submit letter of resignation to the Board, effective July 31. Called by Immanuel Southern Baptist Church in Wagoner, OK. Agree to take pastorate August 1.
• July - move into parsonage in Wagoner, OK. Sally begins work as medical transcriptionist.
• August - begin first pastorate at Immanuel Baptist Church
• September - Emily turns 8
• October - Audrey nominated for Jr. National Leadership Conference in Washington, DC.
• November - enjoy first Thanksgiving with extended family in 5 years.
• December - celebrate 15 year wedding anniversary. Celebrate first Christmas in 5 years with extended family.

God blessed us so much this year. I still cannot believe that we have gone from Hong Kong to Wagoner; it still seems like a surreal dream. I can hardly wait to see what He has for us in 2008!

Snow

Well, we certainly missed the biggest part of this latest snowstorm! PTL! It started snowing at 11:30 this morning and is still snowing a little bit at 6:30 pm. Not a lot, but a little. It was a very pretty snow, but only a trace on the ground. The temps have plunged since this morning and my front steps were icy when I walked over to the church a few minutes ago.

We had an open-house/Christmas fellowship for our church today at our house. We have been leery of the weather, but we had a house full of people. It was a great success. The snow only kept a few folks away.

This morning, the kids were waiting for it to start snowing and were extremely impatient. They got busy doing other things and when I yelled out that it had started to snow, you'd have thought they won a million dollars! They pulled their coats on and ran out in the front yard and opened their mouths to catch snowflakes. This is the first snow they have seen in 5 years! They both only remember the snow we had when we were on furlough back in 2002 in Tulsa. It was an incredibly great snow then, but not so today. I think we were all a little disappointed that there would be no snowman! Maybe next time!

The Stuff is Finally Here!

Yesterday morning, about 8:45, the moving van arrived carrying our treasures (and junk) from all over the world. The two delivery men were young. I shared the Gospel with one of them, after several extemporaneous comments about things made me realize it wasn't a mistake that he was working that day. He did not receive it well, but I think he heard it. So, pray for Isaac.

What a mess!

We had 111 pieces delivered to our house yesterday. We have started the unpacking process. For the first time in any of our world moves, we have casualties. So far, we have had one of our good china plates , a regular plate, our huge dinner platter, and a casserole dish broken into millions of tiny pieces. Oh, we also had two of our favorite souvineers from Dakar, Senegal, broken, too. They were paintings on glass, and the glass has been shattered. Sally said that she was waiting til this morning to open another box that she heard the tale-tell sound of broken glass. Hopefully, it is something that can be replaced.

Starting to unpack

Sally in her 'natural state'.

Hopefully, this will be the last time we move for a VERY LONG TIME!