Peach Deaf Ministry: Recent Episodes
Peach Deaf Ministry
Dear Praying Friends,
We arrived home safely from Bolivia at the end of May and started right into the summer activities.
Our final weeks in Bolivia were good. We had Pastor Rodolfo from Santa Cruz, Bolivia come to Tarija to do a deaf fellowship for us. We spent one day visiting various Deaf that we had contacted in the city. We also had a chance to visit the deaf school again. Bro. Rodolfo happened to be friends with some of the teachers. We were well received and I believe there was some good groundwork laid for future interaction with the school.
The activities we had planned for the weekend went well with introducing the students from our class to the Deaf in the community.
Summer Camps
We have completed 3 of our 4 weeks of camp this summer. So far we have seen 17 Deaf saved!
It is a blessing to see the maturity in some of the campers. Seeing them grow and mature from one year to the next is encouraging. Certainly not all the kids who come through camp are in church and growing in the Lord, but it is great to see those who are.
As you read this, we are in our last week of camp at the Bill Rice Ranch for the summer. This is a deaf family camp. It will be our biggest week of the summer for deaf campers. [Which has now ended and we saw 2 more Deaf saved.]
The camp in Arizona will have their deaf camp towards the end of August. I will be speaking there too.
BIO Enrichment Week
This summer we had almost 30 missionaries in attendance for our Enrichment Week. The vast majority were current BIO missionaries, but it was also good to have older missionary kids attend who are looking at being missionaries themselves.
Of the attendees, six of them are new missionaries just starting their deputation journey. We enjoyed fellowshipping with veteran missionaries and hearing them share their experiences with the new appointees.
The next couple of months for us will be time catching up from the last 6 months of mostly being gone. There are some office projects that we will work on in between shorter trips to be in churches.
Thank you for supporting us in prayer!
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Praying Friends,
We have been in Bolivia for 2 of our 3 months. Our time here has gone well, but quickly.
The first few weeks were spent promoting our sign language classes in several churches. I think I spoke with 12 different pastors during that time. Then we did a 2-day introductory class with a church in which 80 people came! That was encouraging.
Main Sign Language Class
Our 4-week class started April 6 and goes through May 1. We have about 15 who have stayed faithful to the classes and are learning really well. But, as you may know, one month of classes is not enough to learn everything there is to know about another language. The idea of the class is that the students are learning enough to be able to communicate with the Deaf and start building relationships that will help them learn much more in the coming months.
Next Steps
Our deaf friend, Pastor Rodolfo from Santa Cruz, will be coming to town in a couple of weeks to help us host a deaf fellowship. We are inviting the Deaf to a time of games and fellowship. This will be a time to get the sign language students together with the deaf community. Pastor Rodolfo will also give a Gospel presentation that Saturday (May 9). We are excited to have him stay for the weekend and he will be preaching in one of the hearing churches Sunday morning.
One of the churches here has two hard of hearing teens who both know signs. This is the church we are mainly focused on that will host a deaf ministry. That said, four of our students who are doing really well in the classes are from one of the other churches in town. It may be that the Deaf will have a choice of two very good churches to attend in the city.
Upcoming Summer Events
We get home at the end of May to get prepared for our typical summer activities. I will be speaking in 4 deaf camps for the Bill Rice Ranch this summer. We also have our missionary Enrichment Week at the BIO office. Stephanie and I will be teaching as well as interpreting for our deaf missionaries. We look forward to these activities every year, but they also take a lot of energy to accomplish. We appreciate prayers for health, strength and patience.
The time in Bolivia and the upcoming summer activities have been possible because of your prayers and financial support. We don’t take that lightly. Thank you!
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Praying Friends,We are getting excited about our upcoming project in Bolivia. God has provided the funds that we need through many of you. Thank you for your involvement in our ministry.
Bro. HartsfieldWe finished up 2025 by attending the memorial service for the man who had the greatest spiritual impact in my life. Bro. David Hartsfield passed away in October and his service was in December. It was a God-honoring service as we reflected on what Bro. Hartsfield meant to many of us.
The one thought that keeps coming to mind about the 45 years Bro. Hartsfield was part of my life is that he lived a life that consistently exemplified Christ. We are told that we should live like Christ, but sometimes it is hard for us to know what that means. Bro. Hartsfield was a tangible example to those of us who knew him of how the Christian life should be lived. I pray God would help me be that example to the young people around me today.
Bill Rice Bible College
I taught two different classes for Bill Rice Bible College in the last month. These were module classes that were 30 hours of class time each week. I had 10 students for the Introduction to Missions class. This is a class I have taught several times. I taught the class with the idea of either being a missionary or knowing how the students can be a help and encouragement to their missionary friends—something that I think is very helpful for anyone in a church that supports missionaries.
Deaf Ministry was my second class. It was a new class for me; at least in this format. All nine of my students feel called to ministry with the Deaf. We talked about how to find Deaf in their area, how to start a deaf ministry in their church, and various aspects of the ministry.
Bolivia March 9-May 28
As I write this, we leave in one week for Bolivia! Currently we are praying for wisdom on some planning matters. We have looked at apartments online. They are relatively inexpensive and plentiful. It is just a matter of what part of town will be most appropriate for our stay. We are also still working out details for the classes. We will be in town almost a month before we start teaching sign language to the church people. This gives us time to strengthen relationships we’ve already started with the Deaf and continue to learn what signs will be different from our expectation.
Thank you again for helping to support us financially for this trip. We now covet your prayers as the work begins in earnest. We look forward to following up with what God is doing there among the churches.
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Praying Friends,
As we see the year coming to an end, let me thank you again for your faithful support and involvement in our ministry.
Just after I sent our last letter I got a call to see if I could preach at a deaf event in Arizona because the main speaker had a death in the family. Three days later I was on a plane headed to a great retreat with old and new friends.
Recruiting Trips
In October, Stephanie and I were on the campuses of Pensacola Christian College and Ambassador Baptist College to meet young people and talk with them about missions. These are always great meetings and I love interacting with the students.
We also had the privilege to interview a new missionary couple in October who later joined BIO at our annual meeting.
40th Anniversary of BIO
Our mission board, Baptist International Outreach, started in 1985. At our annual conference in November we celebrated 40 years as a ministry. It was wonderful to see old friends who came to celebrate with us and to make new ones.
There were 17 current and 5 former missionary families who attended. We had former board members along with current ones with us. Three new families joined the BIO missionary family.
Bolivia
We purchased our tickets for the trip to Bolivia! We will leave the second week of March and stay until the end of May. During that time we will help start a deaf ministry in the city of Tarija, Bolivia. Please pray for this endeavor.
We have already received $950 of the estimated $4800 needed for the trip. The plane tickets were less than anticipated, so we now only need $2800 more. Thank you for keeping this need in your prayers. If you would like to help towards the trip, you can send a check to BIO marked “Peach Bolivia” and it will get to us. Or, you can scan the QR code and give via PayPal which will still go through the BIO office.
Thank you for reading this letter and praying for our ministry.
David Peach
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Friends,
On Friday morning at deaf camp one of the teens who had gotten saved the night before, brought a church counselor to me and said that the counselor needed to be saved. This young man was a church counselor because he was too old to be at camp as a camper; not because he was a regular church goer.
I told him I had been praying for him (because I was pretty sure he was not saved). We talked a minute before sitting down and going through the Gospel again. He accepted the Lord as his Savior that Friday morning!
In all, we had 22 who were saved in deaf camp this summer!
BIO Enrichment Week
In the middle of the camp summer, we also had our missionary Enrichment Week at the mission board office. We had 20 BIO missionaries in attendance along with several guest speakers. It was a great time of training and fellowship.
Bolivia 2026
Stephanie and I will leave for Bolivia in March for 3 months to help start a deaf ministry in the city of Tarija. This extended trip will require some extra funds for lodging and expenses while we are there. Our housing will cost about $1800 and plane tickets will be $3000. If you would like to help offset this, you can send a donation to BIO with a memo that it is for the Peach Bolivia Trip.
We are thankful for $600 that has already been given to this need.
BIO Anniversary
Our mission board is celebrating its 40th anniversary at our annual Fall Meeting. This year it will be held in Pigeon Forge and is open to anyone who would like to celebrate with us. The dates are November 3-5. We would love to see you there.
You can get more information and register for the event at BIOmeetings.org.
Thank you for being a part of our ministry!
David Peach
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Friends,The summer ministry opportunities are already underway! My first week of deaf camp is over and our missionary training week is in progress as I send this.
Second Bolivia Trip
In April, I took the return trip to Bolivia that I previously mentioned. Stephanie did not go with me this time, but I was joined by a young husband and father who is seeking God’s will for his life. He is also a new Christian. It was a joy to introduce him to a side of missions he had only heard about before. Please pray for Zeth and Danielle as they lead their family into a deeper relationship with the Lord.
While in Bolivia, I was able to make important contacts to help guide future ministry with the Deaf in Tarija. I met with the deaf school in town and found a warm welcome. I also spent time with missionary Luke Marie in Santa Cruz and was encouraged by the work he is doing there.
We don’t know all the details yet, but we are praying about spending three months in Bolivia early next year to teach sign language and train people from various churches in ministry with the Deaf.
Camps
One week of camp is already complete—and we rejoiced to see one deaf teen boy come to Christ! It was a good week. We have two more weeks of teen and junior camp for the Deaf, and later this summer, my wife and I plan to take a lady from our church with us to Deaf Family Camp.
Deaf camps are happening all across the country this summer. Would you pray for those you know about? Our weeks of camp at the Bill Rice Ranch are June 23–27 and July 7–11 for youth camps. Deaf Family Camp will be held July 28–August 1.
BIO Enrichment Week
As I mentioned, this week (June 16–20) is our missionary training and enrichment time. We appreciate your prayers as we learn together and enjoy sweet fellowship with God’s servants.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Let us know how we can pray for you!
David Peach
A PDF version of this letter is available for printing.
Dear Friends,What a great start to another year of serving the Lord! January and February were busy in wonderful ways.
January: Bolivia
Stephanie and I had an incredible opportunity to help some missionaries reach the Deaf in their town of Tarija, Bolivia. The trip was a survey trip of the situation and to lay out a future plan.
We didn’t get solid details on the deaf population, but we expect there are more than 500 Deaf in the city. We were there at a beautiful time of year; however, it was during summer break from school and all the deaf service groups were also taking a summer vacation. Therefore, there is a need to go back to get more information and prepare a solid plan. The next trip may happen as soon as April.
February: Arizona
The month of February was spent in Arizona. We visited a couple of pastors and churches on the way out there and also spent time at our sending church on both legs of the trip.
We spent most of our time in Phoenix and Tucson doing promotion for West Branch, the deaf camp that I speak at in Arizona each summer. We made some really great contacts in the deaf community and were able to visit old friends along the way.
I preached in two different deaf churches. One is in Phoenix and was started by BIO missionary Mike Remington. The other deaf church in Tucson is pastored by our friend Ronnie King.
I was privileged to preach 12 times on this trip. I preached twice in an “English” church (which happened to be our sending church). The rest of the services were either in American Sign Language (ASL) or at Spanish speaking churches. It was nice to get to use our three main ministry languages on this trip. All we lacked was preaching in Mexican Sign Language (LSM) to complete the languages we are most comfortable in.
The Next Few Weeks
I will be speaking in deaf services every weekend in March. We will also be in a couple of hearing churches this month. In April I plan to make a quick trip to Bolivia to meet with some of the people and organizations we were not able to talk with in January.
May starts the preparation for the summer events. We will be involved in a few weeks of deaf camp as well as our annual missionary training school. We look forward to continuing to serve the Lord as we serve those who are reaching the Deaf in their areas.
Thank you for your prayers and support. We are grateful for the new supporters we have added to our team recently!
David Peach
A PDF version of the letter is available to download and print.
Dear Friends,Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Ambassador Baptist CollegeIt is a blessing each year to be part of Ambassador Baptist College’s mission conference. This year was no exception. I enjoy meeting with and encouraging these young people who are dedicated to serving the Lord in ministry. They are such an encouragement to the mission board reps as well.
Hannah with her 2016 Nissan Altima to finish deputation.
Hannah’s Hot WheelsAfter Ambassador we went to a supporting church in Kernersville, NC for their conference. BIO missionary Hannah Holmquist was with us for this conference. While Hannah has been thankful for her deputation car, it has not been without problems.
On Sunday morning of the conference the pastor proposed that the church buy Hannah another car. Money was raised under the name of “Hannah’s Hot Wheels.” Sunday night it was announced that the church had raised enough money to buy a car and pay the insurance on it for a couple of months.
We are thankful to have been there to see the love and care of a church for a single missionary lady going to work with the Deaf in Cambodia.
Romania
Stephanie and I spent 2 weeks in Romania with friends who learned sign language from us in Argentina. In the 14 years since we first met them, God has led them to seminary and on to the mission field of Romania.
While there, we visited with 3 other missionary families. Two of which have ministries to the Deaf. We also met some wonderful national pastors. One pastor was encouraging to us. He was thankful for the missionaries who came to his country in the 1990’s when the Soviet Union broke apart. But, he felt, that the church in Romania is strong enough that they no longer need missionaries to do the work.
From my perspective, there is still a need for missionaries in any place that God chooses to call them. However, I am also thankful to see an attitude of reliance on God and the things that have been learned so that they can carry on an indigenous work.
Bolivia
We are working on a trip to Bolivia in January. This will be a survey trip to see how we can help a church reach a community of about 800 Deaf with the Gospel. It is a unique situation that I am not sure I fully understand yet, but I look forward to telling you about it in our next letter.
As always, thank you for your support of our ministry.
David Peach
A PDF version of this letter can be downloaded for printing.
Dear Friends,It has been an eventful couple of months since our last letter; which was back when we were looking forward to the events of the summer. Now we are looking back and are very thankful for the opportunities we’ve had in ministry.
Camps
I spent 3 weeks at camp as a speaker and Stephanie and I got to enjoy a week of deaf camp as campers. We saw 14 Deaf saved this summer during camps.
Training School and Mission ConferencesOne of the highlights from training school for us was that we got to spend more time with Hannah Holmquist, one of our newest missionaries. She is raising support to work with the Deaf in Cambodia.
Recently we enjoyed being with Hannah during a mission conference at Ephraim Baptist Church for the Deaf in St. Louis. We will be with her again at a conference in North Carolina in November. If your church is looking to support a young lady making a difference in the deaf world, I can recommend Hannah to you.
Australia
I got a message from one of our missionaries on a Monday in August asking if I could make a visit with them. This was not an unexpected request, but other commitments meant that I needed to leave by Thursday of that week. Needless to say, I felt a bit rushed to be taking a trip to the other side of the world.
BIO missionaries, John and Tricia Olson, took a 3 month trip to Australia in February. Due to some health complications with their daughter, they have been unable to return to the USA at this time. My trip to be with them was simply to be a friend and encouragement during this time.
While they have been disappointed with the lack of answers to their medical issue, they have been very content to continue ministry while they are there. Besides the Olsons, they have Anna Gilkey and Timothy Pozo with them (both BIO missionaries). Another young lady, Marie Hopkins, is Australian and working with the Olsons and their Go Deaf Missions team. During my time there, and because they are “stuck” in Australia, we saw a 20 year old hearing man and an 18 year old deaf young lady accept the Lord.
Romania and BoliviaPray with us about the possibility of two upcoming trips. One would be to Romania in November to visit friends working with the Deaf and to encourage some of our Argentine friends who are now in Romania as missionaries. Also we are considering a trip in January to Bolivia to see what we can do to help a missionary family start a ministry with the Deaf in their town.
If you would like to help with a special gift towards these upcoming trips, you can send that to BIO with “Peach Travel” in your note. Or, you can contact me for more information.
Thank you for your continued support.
David Peach
A PDF version of this letter can be downloaded for printing.
Dear Friends,Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf.
I also want to thank the many of you who have inquired about my health after the emergency gallbladder surgery I had in Peru in February. After the first couple of weeks I have had no problems and don’t anticipate any future issues. Through many of you, the Lord has provided the funds necessary to take care of the expense. Thank you.
Graduation and Wedding SeasonWe enjoyed being at a couple of college graduations this year. These were for young people that we have gotten to know through our ministry working at camps and visiting colleges promoting missions. We are excited about the way God is leading them in their next steps. God is still at work and young college graduates are good reminders of this.
We also had the privilege of attending the wedding of a couple of recent college grads. I have known both of them for about 4 years. He is starting his first ministry as a youth pastor. Again, a reminder that God is still calling and young people are responding.
Deaf Camps and Missionary TrainingOnce again I will be spending 3 weeks at the Bill Rice Ranch for deaf camps this summer. I will be at their camp in northern Arizona for an additional week.
The annual Enrichment Week for our missionaries (previously called Training School) is coming up soon (June 17-21). Stephanie and I will be teaching as well as interpreting for our deaf missionaries in attendance. We would appreciate your prayers specifically for this busy week.
Recently we spent 3 days in April with missionaries from like-minded boards learning how to help missionaries share their stories of the events of their missionary service. We learned to help them look back and see the blessings God provided during potentially difficult days in the ministry.
Sign Language ClassWe held a community sign language class at our public library in March and April. The goal of these types of classes isn’t to make someone into an interpreter, but to introduce the students to sign language and the deaf world. Typically we would expect 20-40 people at a class like this. We were shocked when 75 people showed up the first night! It was encouraging to meet several who were learning because of a ministry interest.
Thank you for your continued care for us and our ministry.
David Peach
A PDF version of this letter can be downloaded for printing.
Dear Friends,Thank you to those who prayed for our two recent big events during January and February that were mentioned in our last letter.
Bill Rice Bible College
At the end of January I taught a one-week module at the Bill Rice Bible College. This was a class called Introduction to Missions. It is an expanded version of a class I have taught for them in the past. This time, I had almost 30 hours of teaching time. This allowed me to cover much more material than I have been able to cover in the past. It was a very profitable week.
Deaf Camp in Peru
In early February I was privileged to return to the country of Peru to speak at a deaf camp. This was for the Efata Ministries that I have been to several times in the past.
I met Pastor Jorge when he was a Bible college student more than 30 years ago.We had 95 campers from several different churches. The age range was teens up to adults. The first day of camp I had a wonderful time re-connecting with Deaf that I first met over 30 years ago when I spent more than four months at Efata.
I most enjoyed getting to know Pastor Jorge and Maria Pozo better. I knew Jorge when he was a Bible college student back in 1991. One of their son’s, Timothy, was approved as a BIO missionary a few months ago. I got to spend time with their other son Josue when I was there. Knowing these two young men has made me very impressed with Pastor Jorge and Maria.
Surgery
Not everything went according to plan while in Peru. After camp was over, I had expected to be in Lima visiting various friends for the next week. Instead, I spent time in a hospital having emergency gallbladder removal. I am thankful for my host family who was willing and able to rush me to the hospital when everything happened. I am also thankful for a good hospital and surgeon. The surgery was not as straightforward as one would have hoped. The surgeon did a phenomenal job in pivoting and helping with the real problem, not just the one that was presented to him.
There was unexpected cost associated with this surgery. I am grateful that my wife could get on a plane and join me during the recovery process. We have had two churches make significant donations that has covered $4800 of the $7400 extra expenses. If you would like to help with the additional expense, you can send a check made to BIO with a note that it is for my surgery expenses.
Thank you for your continued care for us and our ministry.
David Peach
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas! The Advent of Christ is worth celebrating. As we look forward to the next few weeks, let me catch you up on the last couple of months.
Recruiting
I don’t know if “recruiting” is really the right word for what we were engaged in for the month of October, but that is the common term used. We feel like these trips to visit colleges and talk with young people are about building a relationship with them that will have a long-lasting impact. Over the last decade of “recruiting” I have made friends with missionaries, college students and teenagers that go far beyond having them join our board. We are building deep friendships that allow us to have an influence in the lives and ministries of those seeking God’s will. We don’t take that responsibility and privilege lightly.
We went to the missions conference at The Campus Church of Pensacola Christian College. We spent 10 days in town visiting with college students and catching up with long time supporters. We met a new church while we were there that started supporting us right away.
The next week we were at Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina. While it is a smaller school, it is hard to overstate how encouraging it is to be with so many young people who are ministry minded.
Spain
This year saw several planned trips canceled. However, we did take an unexpected trip to Spain. While we were there helping a missionary family with some projects, we also had time to do some investigation about future deaf ministry. I am praying for fruit to grow from seeds that were planted about the need of ministry to the Deaf.
While we were there working on a couple of projects, we also spent a little time enjoying the surrounding area. We even took a road trip into France for a day and spent a multi-hour layover in Amsterdam touring the city.
Near Future
We will mostly be home the next two months. I will be preparing to teach a one week modular class on missions at the end of January for a Bible college. I will take part in a Deaf men’s retreat just before that. Then I will also go to Peru for a week of camp at the beginning of February.
As always, thank you for your continued support. Your prayers encourage and uplift us.
David Peach
You can download a printable PDF version of this letter.
Dear Friends,Fall is upon us! This is the season of mission conferences and many opportunities to serve the Lord. Currently we are in the middle of a Bible conference in a deaf church.
Camp
The camp summer finished up great. I spoke at 4 weeks of deaf camp. Stephanie and I also spent a week at the Bill Rice Ranch as campers for their Deaf Adult Camp. It was an enjoyable week being with many of our deaf friends.
We saw 12 Deaf saved through the camp ministry this summer. I am encouraged by the reports of several of our missionary and evangelist friends who participated in various deaf camps and reading about the many Deaf saved and surrendered to the Lord.
Where Now?In some ways it seems like we haven’t really been anywhere since the end of the summer. However, in the 7 weeks since camp ended, we have spent 5 weekends preaching to deaf congregations.
We will be gone ministering in other churches most of October. But until then, we are coming to the end of a 10 week sign language class we have been teaching in the church in east Tennessee that we attend. The students are doing well and we are excited about what the Lord may do through these classes as it relates to ministry opportunities.
Welcoming Timothy Pozo
into the BIO family with a lapel pin.New MissionariesIt is great to see new missionaries headed to the field. At our Executive Council meeting last week we approved some new missionaries. The Smith family is starting their deputation to go to American Samoa. And Timothy Pozo is a young man working with our veteran deaf missionaries, John and Tricia Olson. Timothy is the son of deaf parents in Peru. He has been a great help to the Olsons in their ministry and we are glad to have him as a BIO missionary serving with them.
College OpportunitiesOnce again we will be participating in the missions conferences at a couple of college ministries. The first will be at The Campus Church of Pensacola Christian College in Florida. While this is a church event, we are given access to and speaking opportunities with the college students. Then we will be at Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina.
These meetings will give us a time to catch up with some of the workers that I spent the summer with. Pray as we have continued opportunity to influence them for the Lord and His service.
David Peach
You can download a printable PDF version of this letter.
Dear Friends,Thank you for praying about the Nigeria trip in April. Unfortunately, it did not take place due to paperwork problems and not getting a visa issued in time. This was not a surprise to God and we trust this was all within His plan. I’m still planning to make the trip when we can […]
Dear Friends,
We thank the Lord for a good start to this new year. It is a privilege to look forward at the beginning of the year to what the Lord has planned. That does not mean we know all that will take place, but we are confident that He has a plan in which we can take part.
Recent Travel
Unlike the last letter, we have not been burning up the roads recently. This is typically our slower time of the year.
That being said, we have had one significant trip in recent weeks where we put a couple thousand miles under our tires. We were in a new church in Mississippi on our way to Texas for a missions conference. The conference was a great encouragement. The church we were in is in a growing phase and saw a doubling of their faith promise commitment this year! This is a church that is already involved in missions, yet the people saw where they could be more involved in getting the Gospel to the world.
I also participated in a deaf men’s retreat in January. Though I had a brief speaking opportunity, I truly enjoyed being there as a participant learning from the other speakers. And in the last week I participated in a deaf event in Georgia and preached in a deaf church in South Carolina.
SMART
SMART is a ministry that our mission board has in training missionaries in practical matters. In the last couple of months we held two of these classes. The class in January was Basic Electrical Matters which gives a missionary enough information to keep themselves safe when working with wiring and to know how to intelligently talk with an electrician on the field. This was the first time we taught this module. It was well received.
In February, the SMART ministry conducted a Cross-Cultural Adjustments class at a local church missions conference. Six missionaries and four church members attended the class. This class is to help missionaries (particularly new ones) know how living in another culture may prove challenging and how they can make the adjustments needed to thrive in full-time life and ministry on the field. For church members, this is a great class to help them understand how to more effectively pray for missionaries.
These classes are not just for our BIO missionaries. The purpose of SMART is “to build durable missionaries who can keep on going.” If you are interested in attending a SMART class, or if you are a pastor who would like one of these classes taught at your next mission conference, you can contact Bro. Terry Childers who heads up our SMART ministry at smart@biomissions.org.
Nigeria
My next big trip on the horizon is back to Nigeria to take part in the ordination of two pastors to the Deaf. One is Deaf himself and the other is hearing and has become a dear friend since we first met over a decade ago.
There is a man in our church in Tennessee who is interested in taking a trip to see how the Lord would have him be more involved in missions. I don’t know if the Nigeria trip is the right trip for him to take, but pray for us as we work to seek the Lord’s will and prepare for the trip. We should be in Nigeria from April 20 until May 2.
Thank you once again for your prayers for and support of our ministry.
David Peach
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! We are thankful for another year of service to the Lord.
Meeting with one of our Nigerian missionary kids who is in Texas for School.15,000 Miles
This has been a heavier than normal travel year for us. Since our last letter in September we have traveled about 15,000 ministry miles. In the last 3 months we have ministered in eight different states.
We were in four churches to present our ministry in view of support. We are grateful for love offerings that help us with our travel expenses, but added monthly support will help in our ministry to missionaries. We never want to be a financial burden to the missionaries we minister to and visit. Please consider starting, or raising, financial support for our ministry so that we can encourage more missionaries in the work they do with the Deaf.
God’s Grace
In October we visited the church where I first remember hearing the Gospel as a 9-year-old boy. A few years ago we visited this same church and met a young man who had been saved a short time out of a rough, ungodly life. Because of his appearance, I was a bit surprised when he told me he was starting Bible college soon. As I recall, he said only one college that he contacted would accept him with his background.
Fast forward to today and that young man is the associate pastor at that same church. He has graduated from Bible college and has a beautiful wife.
The thing that stood out to me about this associate pastor is that he seems to be thoughtful and careful with decisions he makes: an example of wisdom. I can’t help but rejoice at God’s amazing work of grace in his life.
Another pastor we were recently with was saved in jail. Looking back, there were some incredible circumstances that put him in that position at that time. God has even used the prosecuting attorney in this man’s life to help disciple and grow him into the pastor he is today.
Both of these men would rather have been saved as young people and not had to live the experiences they did. However, God is using them to reach people that you and I might not be able to reach.
Venezuela TripThe Venezuela trip has been postponed. This was not much of a surprise as the country is in political turmoil. Their embassy in the US is currently not open and they are not issuing visas for anyone to visit the country. While the trip is on hold for now, it is a trip that I hope to do in the future. I am eager to meet our deaf brothers and sisters there.
Nigeria
My next big trip on the horizon is back to Nigeria to take part in the ordination of two pastors to the Deaf. One is Deaf himself and the other is hearing and has become a dear friend since we first met over a decade ago.
Thank you once again for your prayers for and support of our ministry.
David Peach
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Friends,Imagine being in a room with 5200 people that God has given you a burden to impact for Him. That is exactly what August 1-4 of this year was for me at DeafNation World Expo. While we did not have 20,000 Deaf at the event, we had more than we could talk to in […]
Dear Friends,Thank you for your prayers for, and financial partnership with, our ministry. We were privileged to participate in various ministries the last few months and look forward to the upcoming ministry opportunities. Church AnniversariesIt was a blessing to be part of our sending church’s 50th anniversary. My family has been associated with the church […]
Dear Friends,Looking back over the last couple of months, I’m not sure I can encapsulate all the wonderful things God allowed us to be a part of. But, here goes… Men’s RetreatI was privileged to speak in a deaf men’s retreat in January. On the last morning, a man stood and gave a testimony that […]
Showing off some work being done in a Nigerian deaf school. The photos are here for those who are involved in supporting this project. But, I thought everyone at the site might like to see them too. If you would like to help support the re-construction of a dorm that was damaged by fire, please […]
Dear Friends,I trust you had a great Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. This was our first without my dad. Mom spent a week with us as we celebrated at our house in Tennessee. We also took her to the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum during Thanksgiving week. Paul MosleyA couple of days after […]
Dear Praying Friends,What an amazing summer! Thank you for being part of God’s work with us. Four Weeks of CampsI was again part of the deaf camps at Bill Rice Ranch this year. I preached and taught in four of the five different weeks of camp for the Deaf that the Ranch conducted. During the […]
I was pleased with the two services we did in honor of my dad recently. I think he was honored and God was glorified (the two goals we had going into the first service). Here are the two service videos. NorthStone Baptist Church The first service was held a couple of days after Dad died […]
Dear Praying Friends,On Saturday afternoon, May 15, we held a memorial service for my dad, Ernest Peach, who passed away on May 13. At the service I was privileged to share some words about him. The aspect that I chose to speak on that afternoon was about his love. Dad loved God, Mom and his […]
Dear Praying Friends,This weekend, as the final service of a mission conference, the pastor asked for testimonies about the conference or recent days. I was eager to share with the church what I have seen the Lord doing around us over the last two years. When I first heard the radio program Unshackled!, I thought […]
Dear Praying Friends,The craziness fun of camps and training school is complete for this summer. COVID-19 was not powerful enough to keep eight (8) deaf young people from accepting the Lord as their Savior! Training SchoolWe had a great group of missionaries at our annual training school. In attendance were a couple of new missionary […]
Dear Praying Friends,I was reminded a couple of weeks ago that, even when things don’t seem completely out of control where I live, I should still remain sensitive to what others may be experiencing. I had a video call with a missionary friend from college a couple of weeks ago. She asked me how I […]
Dear Praying Friends,Thank you for praying for our ministry. I have indicated in a couple of recent letters that there were some big projects that I needed to take care of for the BIO office. Along with being the Director of Deaf Ministries, I am also the computer department. One of the recent projects was […]
Dear Praying Friends,
It is always good to know that people are praying for us. This summer while waiting for my bags at the Nashville airport, Evangelist Dave Young, a friend from college, sent me an odd text message. Based on the message, I figured he was standing in the same room watching for my reaction. I found him and we had a chance to catch up for a few minutes before our bags arrived. At the end of the conversation he said, “I pray for you every Tuesday morning, my friend.”
Thanks, Dave. Knowing people are praying for you, and them telling you they do, is very encouraging.
Clayton
Between weeks at camp this summer, I attended the funeral of a friend from church. He was a man known as a man of prayer. Every Wednesday evening when Clayton and I were at church together, he would come to me and tell me that he had prayed for me that morning. Then he would inevitably follow that up with, “Well, actually I pray for you every day.”
I would then thank Clayton for his prayers. But Clayton is gone now.
Our prayer card from Mrs. Gellos’ Bible after she passed away.
Mrs. Gellos
A few weeks ago, at the funeral of a friend of 31 years, the family had the contents of her Bible on display. I’m sure the items had been rearranged during the visitation time, but the included picture was sent to me from the funeral. Our family’s newest prayer card was sitting right on top of the items from Mrs. Gellos’ Bible.
When we saw her this summer she knew she was dying of cancer. As my wife and I sat in her apartment with tears in our eyes, she put her hand on my wife’s arm and, with a big smile, said, “Don’t cry for me honey. I know where I am going and I will be just fine.”
I know Mrs. Gellos is just fine; but, we still miss her. This is the first prayer letter that I am sending out after she passed away. In the past, the day after sending out my prayer letters, I would get a short email from her. She would let me know that she was praying for us and she would ask follow-up questions to prayer requests that I had written about in previous letters.
Do You Pray?For several years I have tried to emphasize to churches that they should be praying for missionaries. Over the last few months I have lost two of the people who were praying regularly for my family and me. Are there others to take their place?
I ask this not because I am looking for a flood of people to write and say they are praying for me (though I appreciate it when you do). My main interest is in encouraging you to make praying for missionaries a regular part of your personal time with God. As you meet missionaries and other servants of God, get to know them in a personal way and make them a serious focus of your prayer ministry.
At this time of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you and your prayers.
You can download a PDF version of this letter for printing.
Dear Praying Friends, The 19-year-old deaf girl exclaimed in understanding, “Oh. Oh! Oh!” That was all she could say when I showed—in signs—how that Christ was a substitute for our punishment by dying on the cross, even though He was innocent of sin and we were guilty. Her sudden, and vocal, understanding was at the end of the 10th message I preached at camp in Arizona a couple of weeks ago. This girl, along with a 14-year-old deaf boy, had traveled many hours on buses and trains from California to hear the Gospel presented in their native language: American Sign Language. When the light of their understanding turned on, it was moving to see how excited they got.
Tyler and Rebekah Thornton.
Tyler is the Deaf Camp Director
at the Bill Rice Ranch.
We had several other deaf teens and adults with us that week. The rest of the crowd was already saved and had been actively praying for the salvation of these two teens. Everyone else in the room was as thrilled as I was to see their response to a clear presentation of the Gospel.
That was the last week of my four weeks at deaf camp this summer. I was at West Branch that week but had spent the previous weeks of camp at the Bill Rice Ranch in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. West Branch is their camp in Williams, Arizona.
In the five weeks of deaf camp (4 in Tennessee and 1 in Arizona), we saw 17 young people come to know the Lord as their Savior! As I mentioned in my last letter, being part of camp ministry is such a blessing. I travel to churches today and regularly meet people who I met when they were teens coming to camp. It encourages me greatly in the ministry.
While I have spent at least part of 16 summers at the Bill Rice Ranch, I realize there are many other good camps. Let me encourage you to take advantage of sending your kids to camp or going to an adult retreat at a camp that can minister to you as an individual, couple, or family. And, would you consider working at a camp? There are many that could benefit from you volunteering a week or a summer to help them in some tangible way.
Training SchoolWe had a wonderful training school with our missionaries in June. Three families attended with the intention of making application to be missionaries with us. We also had several veteran missionaries who took the time to fellowship with us and share things they have learned from the field that are beneficial to our younger missionaries and missionary applicants.
Upcoming ScheduleWe will be home quite a bit the next two months. That allows us to catch up on some projects around the office and at home. Pray that God will give us wisdom in completing what we can and clarity to realize that some things we may have intended to do may not need to be done now, or at all.
Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support. We are able to do our ministry because of you.
You can download a PDF version of our letter for printing.