Archive for August, 2011

God’s Grace Breaks Through

Posted: August 25, 2011 in Bright Spots on the Border, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Prayer
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Worship at Harbor Mid City

It’s always exciting to see new life. We get excited when friends announce a pregnancy, or a new birth. The Bible speaks of a party in heaven when someone the Lord touches comes to Christ, and makes a confession of faith.

On Sunday, we were able to witness a new life at Harbor Mid-City. Stacey, who grew up in a Jewish home, and decided she didn’t believe in God after her dad died at a young age. She was angry with God. How could God take her dad away, when she was so young? But now she was desperate for answers. God was stirring her heart.

Communion and Prayer at Harbor Mid City

Stacey had gone through a hard time. She was feeling depressed. A friend asked her if she would study the Bible with her. Stacey decided to give it a try, since she was at her wit’s end. Then her friend encouraged her to go to church. Stacey found herself at Harbor Mid-City this past Sunday. She said when she came into the church she felt the presence of the Lord.

At the end of the service during communion Stephen invited people up for prayer. Stacey said she was afraid to go up, but she saw love in Karen’s eyes (one of the women that is part of the prayer team). This gave her the courage to go up. Her heart was tender and she was ready to hear the gospel. She prayed to receive Christ with them, and the whole church celebrated! More accurately all of heaven celebrated!!!

Thank the Lord for New Life in Christ!

Stephen & Bradford Phelan

On a sadder note, we just learned that early yesterday morning Bradford Phelan had a miscarriage. Stephen and Bradford were at the hospital from 10:00 PM til 3:00 AM. They need our prayers. Pray they are able rest, and that the Lord gives them emotional, physical and spiritual healing.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

David’s Thrilling School Adventure!

Posted: August 23, 2011 in Family Happenings, Ministry
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David and his roommate, Matt May

Last Wednesday David began an exciting adventure with his roommate, Matt May. They left Colorado and drove out to San Diego. Dawn and I were able to be there to launch David on his college adventure at San Diego Christian College.

Both Dawn and I were very impressed by the students and faculty  that we met. They were very positive, and it was a real upbeat atmosphere. Even though on the one hand, it’s hard to see our son leave our home, we couldn’t be happier with the new environment that he is going to. He has a great roommate, in his friend from Colorado, Matt May. The only problem is Matt has a Colorado Rockies bed set, and David has a San Francisco Giants bed set. For the non-initiated baseball fan – the Rockies and the Giants are division rivals! Could be trouble.

David with Mario, Chivis, Hannah, Cesia and Diane

We had a special treat as we released David on this exciting new adventure. Our friends from Mexico City, Mario and Silvia Silva along with their girls were able to join us. It was fun to have them visit the school with us as David got settled in.

While David is in college he will be doing an internship with the Harbor Mid- City church. The same church that Dawn and I are partnering with in ministry. We are thrilled that he has this opportunity, and it will allow us to minister together once Dawn and I are able to move out to the San Diego-Tijuana border.

David getting settled in

We are glad and thank the Lord for the many great opportunities that he is opening up for David.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Prayer Alert – Trip to SD-TJ!

Posted: August 17, 2011 in Family Happenings, Journey, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Potential Team Members, Prayer
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David with his Mom before he left for his big journey

We’ve got a lot going on the next week and a half as we head to the San Diego – Tijuana border. Here’s some ways you can pray for us:

  1. Dawn, Hannah and I fly out very early Thursday morning to San Diego. We will be there until August 29.
  2. David is on his way to college. He drove out this morning to college with his roommate, Matt May. They will arrive in San Diego Thursday afternoon.
  3. We will stay with our BEAMM teammates, Ray and Michelle Call. Pray that we can be a blessing and encouragement to them while we are there.
  4. Friday Mario and Silvia Silva will arrive with their two daughters, Silvia (Chivis) and Cesia. We will pick them up in Tijuana. They are still investigating the possibility of ministering with us.
  5. Friday we also have a student – parent orientation for David’s college.
  6. Sunday and Monday we will be with our partners from Harbor Mid-City – Stephen and Bradford Phelan, Edgardo and Elizabeth Avila and team.
  7. Tuesday we will meet with our friend Daniel Nunez, who is doing a great job planting churches in Tijuana.
  8. Tuesday evening we will be meeting with a great young lady, who has a heart for missions, and may have an interest in working with us.
  9. Wednesday – Friday we will be checking out houses, and connecting with churches and individuals to continue building our support team.
  10. Sunday I will be preaching at North City Presbyterian Church. We are looking forward to being with them, and exploring how we might partner together.
  11. Pray for David as he starts college, and begins his internship with Harbor Mid-City.

David & Matt in the car that could!

Thanks for holding us up in prayer. We are looking forward to this trip. It’s significant that Hannah will be with us, as the Lord helps her to transition from Colorado to the San Diego area. We continue to pray for the Lord’s leading with Mario and Silvia – it will be exciting to see how this visit goes.

In His Grip, Dave

The Climb – Don’t Give Up!

Posted: August 16, 2011 in Journey, Ministry Partners
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David Jr. with Ben, Susanna & Brain Griffith at the top of Incline - feeling good!

We are encouraged as we climb towards being fully funded, so we can serve on the border. Last week I hiked up the Manitou Incline with David Jr. and some friends.

The Incline is one mile up, 2,800 railroad ties, and 2,000 vertical feet from the bottom. It’s a grueling climb, and a great workout. I can’t keep up with my son, and his friends, but I can make it!

The climb reminded me of our experience in raising our support team. We have a goal, that sometimes seems hard to reach. Much effort, and perseverance is required.

On the Incline there is a false summit. It’s discouraging the first time when you are so tired, and realize that you are not quite there yet. It seems we have these false summits as we climb towards our goal of being fully funded.

The Manitou Incline - Not for wimps!

We need good news and encouragement as we make this climb. Just in the last two weeks we’ve had two churches and seven individuals join our support team at $742 a month. We are now at 85% of our total need, and moving towards 90%.

The goal isn’t just to have all our funds, but that when we have all our funds raised and a strong support team behind us we can begin to focus on our ministry on the border. The tremendous needs of the border.

Even though the climb is difficult, and at times I wonder if I’m going to make it, it makes it easier to climb with others. It creates a kind of camaraderie. Even when others go faster, you are climbing together. You are pulling each other along. Wow! What would we do without those that stand with us, and encourage us along the way.

Dave with David Quintanar - One of our encouragers as we climb!

Thank the Lord for the climb that he has us on. For the progress that we are making on this climb. For the friends that encourage us along. Thank the Lord for how he provides through faithful friends.

Thanks for climbing with us, and encouraging us along this climb.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Is the Border Safe?

Posted: August 12, 2011 in God's Leading, Journey, Ministry, Prayer
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Mexican - U.S. border

Many people ask me this question, is the border safe? Well, according an article I recently read in the USA Today, it depends on what side you live on. The article is titled, “On the border, peaceful U.S. side is torn by Mexican strife.”  It describes the sharp contrast between the relative peace on the U.S. side of the border compared to all the violence on the Mexican side.

You can read the whole article here. As Dawn and I meet with friends, that question inevitably comes up, What about the security of living on the border. Obviously, it is a concern that we share.

After being kidnapped and held up at gun point while we lived in Mexico City, I’m not necessarily pining away to put myself in harms way. Nor do I want to put my family in any unnecessary risk. This is one of the reasons that we will be living on the U.S. side of the border.

Border Patrol

Dawn and I both feel called to serve on the border. I can assure you that I’m not dragging her to minister there with me. We are aware of the dangers of the border, and that our enemy is scheming to diminish our influence. Yet there is power in the gospel. The gospel is the only true hope for the border. The gospel does change everything.

The dangers of the border only emphasize our need for an army of friends standing with us in prayer. Holding up our hands as Aaron held up Moses’s hands as Joshua was engaged in the battle. Joshua was only able to defeat the enemy as Moses prayed and held up his hands imploring the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Please stand with us, and lift us up before the Lord! We will fail if we don’t have an army of prayer warriors standing with us.

We don’t go into this ministry unaware of some of the challenges that lie before us. Yet we go in confidence, knowing that the Lord has called us to this work, and He goes before us!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Home Base – It’s Important!

Posted: August 7, 2011 in Journey, Ministry Partners
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Dave sharing with the Lighthouse Community

Even though at times I feel like a traveling salesman when I’m traveling around the U.S., I’ve come to realize that although we need our friends who live in other cities around the nation, we also need a home base.

Home base for us over the last 11 + years has been Colorado Springs. Specifically, Village Seven Presbyterian Church has been a huge blessing. We have some key ministry partners at Village Seven, and the church itself has been one of our strongest supporters. Thank the Lord for this church!

When I’m in town, and it hasn’t felt like very often as of late, I try to share the vision of our ministry with friends at Village 7. I’ve had the opportunity over the last few months to share in several of Village Seven’s Sunday School Communities – Village X, Ambassadors and Lighthouse. We’ve received much encouragement as I’ve had the opportunity to share what God is doing on the border.

The Lighthouse Community at Village 7

One of my friends just the other day told me how he admired how I persevered, and kept at in regards to fund raising. He acknowledged that it’s not easy. I told him, “well it really helps me when I meet with friends like you that are excited about what we are doing. It keeps me going!”

I have some great friends at the church that are praying for us, and cheering us on. Some of them are meeting with me regularly to strengthen me through prayer, and come alongside with ideas on how to connect with more people in order to raise the funds needed so we can live and serve on the Border soon. This is invaluable help. Dawn has friends like this as well. That’s why the church, the home base is so important!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Special Announcement – A New Page!

Posted: August 1, 2011 in Bright Spots on the Border, Ministry, Ministry Partners
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Stephen & Bradford Phelan from Harbor Mid City

I’ve just created a new page on our site called, Ministry Partners! We’ve received a number of positive comments about the ministries that we are partnering with, so I wanted to make it easier for people to learn more about those ministries. Habor Mid-City’s video clip about their story has gotten a lot of people excited about what we are doing. It gives a great picture of what the Lord is doing on the Border, and what we are praying for and envision seeing in the future. One of our prayer and financial supporters who’s been with us for almost 20 years told me recently, it encouraged him and got him excited to hear about what we are doing, and to learn more about the ministries that we are partnering with.

I frequently find myself directing people to Harbor Mid-City’s video clip. Now you can just go directly to the Ministry Partners page on our blog site, and the video clip is right there. You will want to check it out if you haven’t seen it yet.

I also posted a video interview that I did with Daniel Nunez. Daniel is extremely gifted, and the Lord is using him in some amazing ways as he leads a church planting movement in Tijuana. We are going to provide a conference called, “Living in Grace” in November for those in Daniel’s churches. It’s a way for us to encourage those he is ministering to, and to strengthen them.

Dave with Daniel Nunez

The Living in Grace conference focuses on the importance of our living as sons and daughters of God rather than as orphans. We believe as people grow in their understanding of who they are in Christ it will radically change the way they live. Bill Yarbrough, Mission to the World’s, International Director for Latin America and Africa will be leading the conference. Bill served as a missionary in Mexico before assuming his present position with MTW. He speaks Spanish, and has a great understanding of  Mexico and the people of Mexico. Bill just informed me he is going to bring Andres Garza with him. Andres is MTW’s movement leader for church planting in Monterrey, Mexico. He is a real visionary leader. We want to be able to learn from each other as much as possible, and look at how we can encourage one another in reaching Mexico and the Border for Christ.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org