Incubator Church Planting Training
Pastor Ivan and I met this week to work with on planning and preparing for the incubator church planting training. Next Thursday we start our second phase of the training with 11 men who are involved in different phases of planting a church.
We believe that this training is a huge step forward in seeing our leaders here on the border and in the Baja better equipped to lead their churches!
Ivan went through the incubator training with our partners at the Church Planting Center in Monterrey, Mexico. Now that Ivan’s finished the course he is helping us train others. It’s exciting to see his progression, and to have him as part of our training team.
New Life in a Funeral Home
After the meeting Ivan was sharing with me some wonderful stories of how the Lord is working in his church that he started 2 years ago. He told me about Orlando and Martha Castro and their daughter, Diana.
Ivan and Rocio met Diana a few years ago as they were ministering in another church, and although she is young she has a real love for the Lord. She prayed for her parents that the Lord would touch their hearts. Then about one month ago Orlando and Martha started attending the church. Diana cried with tears of joy when her parents came to the church.
Unfortunately, about a week ago Orlando’s father died. Ivan was concerned that Orlando might blame God and stop coming to church. He felt like he should go visit Orlando and his family, so Ivan and Rocio went to the funeral home to show their love and support to the family. While visiting the family and paying their respects, to Ivan’s surprise Orlando asked him if he wold preach at the funeral home.
Ivan shared the gospel, the love of Christ with all Orlando’s family and friends. After he preached about the hope that we have in Christ he invited them to place their faith in Christ, and eight of them prayed with Ivan and put their faith in Christ! Hallelujah!
God indeed does work in mysterious and marvelous ways. He’s always working, we just have to be sensitive and look for it.
Thank the Lord with me for the wonderful work he is doing through Ivan and Rocio Casados in Tijuana, Mexico!
In His Grip, Dave
DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org