Today marks a new beginning for me and the congregation here. I grew up in the Louisville and Morgantown area’s of this state. My parents worked in Louisville and own a farm in Butler County. The first 24 years of my life was spent in Kentucky. However, once I started preaching I moved away. Since 1985 my family and I have spent a grand total of one year living in this state. In 1994 we moved into my parent’s basement and I started working in a factory in Bowling Green. A year later we moved to Tuckerman, Arkansas to work with the congregation there. For the last ten years we have lived in Arkansas. Our children really grew up there. They obeyed the Gospel while I preached at the Stone Street congregation in Jonesboro.

I said all of that to let you know a little about my background. I will acknowledge a strange feeling, living in Kentucky after so many years being gone. It is nice to be able to see my parents and family without having to take a weeks vacation. My older brother, Mike, lives about thirty minutes from here and my sister lives close to Mom and Dad, about an hour drive from here.

I want to thank you for inviting me to come and work with you. Between you and my family we were able to make this move in what I consider record breaking time. In less than a month we found a place to live and Eli, Hope, and Noah started school. We boxed up our possessions, put our house up for sale, and moved. I want to thank you for helping unload the moving trucks and encouraging my family before I was able to arrive.

It is a prayer that we will encourage each other while getting to know each other. It will take time but I am sure we will develop a genuine love and concern for each other. This Sunday marks a new beginning in a number of ways. This will be my first lesson as a member, the first time I hear Mike Thomas preach, and the 1^{st Sunday for the newly appointed elders here.}

Feel free to come by and talk, ask questions, and get to know us better. Regena and I are simple people that want to go to heaven and help others. We are not perfect but are striving to grow in faith and service.

At the present time our address is: 3950 Reliant Circle, Owensboro, KY 42301. Regena’s cell phone number is 1(870)450-1355. We are currently working out our phone and internet service. D. T.