The Thorpe Family to Australia
G'day!
Brandon, Beverly, Matt and Rebecca
Hello, we are the Thorpe family, Missionaries to Australia. We were approved as World Baptist Fellowship missionaries in August of 2007. We have been on deputation, full time, for one year now, and are looking forward to what the Lord has planned for our future.
Matt was saved at the age of six in Sunday school, and Beverly was saved at the age of twelve at a Christian summer camp. We are originally from California, but have made our home elsewhere for the last thirteen years. Matt was in the U.S. Army for ten years, as a crane operator, reaching the rank of Sergeant. Our first duty assignment was Fort Benning, Georgia. After three years we were re-assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the 82nd Airborne Division.
While we were at Fort Bragg we were led by the Lord to get back into church, and raise our two children with God in their lives. We quickly felt the Lord leading us to Layton Chapel Baptist Church, Pastored by Steve Swagger. Beverly and Matt were baptized a few weeks after our first visit and we became members of the church. We helped out in the children’s department as King's Kids workers. We made lots of good friends while at LCBC, but once again after three years at Fort Bragg we were re-assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Within a few months we found the church the Lord would have us to become members of and serve in. This church was O'ahu Baptist Church, which was pastored by missionary Skip Woodfin at that time. At OBC we taught Sunday school (K-2nd, 3rd-5th). Beverly was the church secretary, and we helped out with VBS (Vacation Bible School) and where ever else we could.
It was at OBC that our children were saved and baptized. It was also at OBC that the Lord worked on our lives and called our family into full time Christian service as missionaries to the people of Australia. We still had almost two years remaining in the Army before we could get out and attend Bible College. In the mean time Matt began taking classes and preparing for an upcoming deployment to Iraq. Although it was a long year in Iraq the Lord used the time to grow Matt's prayer life and communication with Beverly stronger than ever before. (When you are alone half a world away and all you can do is talk and pray that tends to happen.) After the deployment to Iraq our family prepared to leave the Army and attend Arlington Baptist College to become missionaries.
During the summer of 2007 we made a survey trip to Australia to see the people and culture that the Lord has led us to. Our burden grew even stronger for the lost souls of Australia, and we are excited to get back so we can start the Lord's work. After our survey trip Matt was ordained and we were approved as World Baptist Fellowship missionaries. We are excited about the opportunity God has given us to take this time to gather partners in ministry that will support us both prayerfully and financially.
The Thorpe Family
(Matt, Beverly, Rebecca, and Brandon)
P.O. Box 13459
Arlington, TX 76094
817-716-9898
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