In this undated photo, Bob & Tillie Burgin stand with Doris Goolsbay (center) on the edge of the Mission Arlington^®  campus – near the intersection of Pecan/South streets downtown. Doris was one of many who formed the original prayer circles for the Mission, starting seven (7) years prior to 1986. Behind them you can see the TXU old TXU building, and the current home of the Levitt Pavilion.  Directly behind these three – on South Street  – was Tillie’s childhood home.

Tillie Lester grew up in Arlington, the daughter of Erman and Bonnie Lester who had moved to Arlington from East Texas in the early 1930s.  The Lesters lived downtown at 104 South, just a house or two away from the intersection of South & Center. The post office down the street assigned them box 104 to match their address, and the prefix to their home phone number was listed as CR4, a common way of listing numbers in those days.

Behind Tillie’s childhood home was a small stream. There was a lumber yard in front of the home, and behind, adjacent to First Baptist Church, was an active cotton gin. Eventually First Baptist bought the Lester home and built over it.  Henard East, a former pastor of the church used to tease the Lesters saying that “they had slept more in the church that anyone else.”  Erman ran his full-service gulf station in two locations downtown for 45 years. The offices of Mission Arlington^® today are just one block from the old homestead and gas station. The spirit of that old “service” station still permeates Mission Arlington^® today.

In September of 1956 Tillie married Bob Burgin in what is now called the “East Hall” of FBC, referencing Dr. East. In those days, this space was the church sanctuary. In the mid 1960s Bob and Tillie, now with two young boys, went to Korea and ultimately served there through 1978, returning to Arlington with a newly formed question: “If you can do missions in Korea, why can’t we do it in Arlington? After 7 years of prayer, on August 1st, 1986, Mission Arlington^® was born.  This coming Monday, August 1st, 2016 marks our 30th anniversary. Tillie has been the team leader here for 30 years.

The heart and the hope of the Mission family is 1) to praise God for all he has done through these decades, and 2) to thank each of you for your prayers, your time, and your financial support each step of the way. The Lord has done good things here, and He has done it in his way, and in His time.  We have produced a video of thanksgiving to God and for you which we hope you will watch and share over these next few days. You can connect to watch the video through this link.

Please accept our thanks, and after you have viewed the video, we would humbly request that you pause to thank our Lord, and to pray for us as we walk into the future together. We know that he is “able to do” immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephs 3:20).  On our 30th birthday, we are asking our community to create a symphony of praise to the Father, and a covering of prayer for this place.  May we always be faithful to His call, and to your generous support day by day over the next 30 years.