Dr. Paul and Gail Tipton
Missionary to Nicaragua
November 2022
We have had a busy few months reporting to some of our churches and working on some of the legalities involved with Gail’s death. I have also purchased a used travel trailer that needed a lot of work. I have parked this in the driveway of my home in Fort Pierce. Our daughter and her family live in our house, and Gail and I always stayed in an apartment we own in the back of the house when we were home.
Having lost Gail’s Social Security, I decided to rent out the apartment to a single man in our church who needed a reasonable place to rent. I led this man and his wife to the Lord over 20 years ago. He lost his wife to cancer 11 years ago. He has been a blessing helping me fix up the travel trailer. I do not plan to put it on the road. It is just a place to stay when I am home which I do not expect will be very often.
I should be back on schedule with our letter writing. You should be getting a letter every other month from here on out. Things are sure different without my help meet, but I am getting there slowly but surely. I have a few more meetings scheduled and a couple of doctor appointments, then I will be returning to Nicaragua in December. I have talked with most of my supporting pastors to get their input about my upcoming plans. If you are one I have not been able to talk with, I am sorry. I want all our supporters to know what our plans are.
We have a total of six churches which we have started in the six years we have been there. These churches are all pastored by men we have trained. Three of those churches have their own property and buildings. We are renting buildings for two, and one is meeting in the pastor’s home.
Property is very expensive in Nicaragua, especially in the cities. In the mountain cities, it is a little more reasonable, but in Managua it is almost impossible to find. We need to get these three churches in a building of their own. All the support we raise for the ministry is used for the ministry. I live off my social security and what rent I receive from my house and apartment. Even some of that goes into the ministry. Right now, it is taking everything we have coming in just to maintain the ministry and operate the pastor’s school. We are working with the poorest of the poor here.
Gail and I came to help the poor because we saw they were a neglected people with little hope. They cannot possibly purchase land or build a building. We can purchase property by making monthly payments and once we get the property, the people will do most of the work to put a building up, but we have to buy most of the building materials. The bottom line is the ministry is growing faster than we can keep up. Many people are being saved and I need more monthly support to continue. With that in mind, I will be returning in January and spend some time raising some new support. If any of you pastors know of some churches we can call on, please email me the info. Our goal is to raise an additional $1,500 to $2,000 a month. If anyone reading this letter feels led to donate to our building fund, you can send your gifts to the support address below. That is a designated box for our ministry only. We have a person at our church who checks that box and makes sure all checks are properly recorded and deposited. God bless you and thank you for all you do for missions.
Riverview Baptist Church, P.O. Box 651527, Vero Beach, FL 32965