Posts Tagged ‘church planter’

Mixed Emotions: The Hannah Diaso Memorial Church

Posted: February 5, 2018 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Prayer
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Honoring Hannah’s Memory – Church Expansion
Pastor Daniel Nuñez, Pastor Edson Martinez, Pastor Mere Godinez, Dave Diaso and Pastor Rafael

Pastor Daniel Nuñez, Pastor Edson Martinez, Pastor Mere Godinez, Dave Diaso and Pastor Rafael

Ever since the day our daughter, Hannah moved to heaven I’ve prayed that her death wouldn’t be in vain. I know from 1 Thessalonians 4:13 which mentions to not grieve as those without hope, that her early home going isn’t in vain. Yet, I would like to see in tangible ways how the Lord has used her life to have a lasting impact on the earth. I suppose these are complicated emotions to explain, but I do have the drive to honor our daughter’s memory.

One of the ways we are doing that is building a new church in Mexicali, Mexico in Hannah’s memory. We are doing this with some of my best friends on the planet, Pastor Daniel Nuñez, and Ministerios Transformación. We are inviting friends and family to come help us build the church. Both David Jr. and Jonathan are flying out for the church build as well as other very special people we love.

Memorial Church in Mexicali, Mexico
The site where we are building the church

The site where we are building the church

On Friday I was able to go visit the site where the church will be built. Daniel and Yolanda Nuñez along with Edson Martinez took me to Mexicali. Mexicali is the capital of Baja California, and it’s about three hours from Tijuana. We’ve partnered with Ministerios Transformación to plant five churches in Tijuana and Rosarito. This will be the first church we’ve helped plant in Mexicali, so that is exciting for us.

This will be the 34th church that Ministerios Transformación has planted! These churches are making a huge difference in the communities they serve in.

Planting Churches with our Special Friends
Pastor Victor Bravo, his wife Sol and their son, Abraham

Pastor Victor Bravo, his wife Sol and their son, Abraham

Today (Sunday) Dawn and I went to visit Pastor Victor Bravo and his wife, Sol and their church in Rosarito. It’s always a huge blessing for us to be with them. We helped them plant their church 3 years ago. Their church is growing and the people there are in love with Jesus. They have a wonderful outreach to an orphanage, Nueva Generación, “New Generation”.

Victor and Sol’s church is just one example of the difference the gospel is making through the churches we’ve helped to plant in communities around Tijuana and Rosarito. We give thanks for God’s good work!

These friends I’ve mentioned Daniel and Yolanda, Victor and Sol love Hannah, and Hannah loved them. I know if she was still living she would be so proud and excited to know that we are planting a new church with these much-loved friends. Hannah is now a part of the cloud of witnesses. I don’t know if she can see back into this world or not, but if she can I’m sure she’s praying for us and rooting us on along with Christ and all the Saints.

The pastor of this new church is Mere Godinez and his wife is Edna. We’d appreciate your prayers for Mere and Edna as they start this church.

The Mixed Emotions
One of our goals for 2018 is to build a church in memory of our daughter, Hannah.

Our daughter, Hannah Elizabeth Diaso

When I visited the church site this last week I had mixed emotions. I felt both excited and sentimental. When I think about Hannah and her memory it brings up many emotions. I miss her so much! My family and I are grateful for this opportunity to not only honor Hannah’s memory but to make a difference in a community in Mexicali.

Help Us Finish This Memorial Church Plant

We’ve been able to raise more than half of the amount we need to plant the church, but we still need to raise some more to build this church. When I was in Mexicali I realized that it’s so hot there in the summer that they need air conditioning to be able to meet in the church during the summer months. An additional expense we hadn’t considered.

You can give to the church plant in Hannah’s memory by clicking on the link below. We’d love to have you join us!

Click to make a donation

Click to make a donation

Thank you, dear friends, for standing with us on this wonderful and sometimes painful journey.

In His Grip, Dave for Dawn, David Jr., and Jonathan

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Gospel Advance in Tijuana & Beyond

Posted: February 26, 2015 in Christianity, Church Planting, Family Happenings, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Tijuana
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Kingdom Advance
JD Pearring & Daniel Nuñez leading the Discovery Center

JD Pearring & Daniel Nuñez leading the Discovery Center

This has been a huge week as we seek to see gospel expansion on the border, the Baja and Beyond.

In Tijuana Lo Mejor del Trigo is partnering with Transformation Ministries to conduct a Discovery Center (church planter’s assessment) for five church planting candidate couples. I was able to be with them on the first day of the Discovery Center, and there was some excitement in the air as it got underway.

This assessment an important tool to evaluate whether the church planting candidates have the gifts, calling and skills to be church planters. It can save them much heartache if they are not right for the job. It also can be a real boost, and a great opportunity to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses if they called to plant a church. Church planting is not for the faint of heart!

Training Church Planters
Church planting incubator

Church planting incubator training

After we determine that they are called to be church planters, it’s critical that they receive training and support.

This week we are partnering with our MTW team in Monterrey, Mexico to provide training for church planters. Pastor Ivan Casados who is planting a church in a community called Ribera del Bosque in Tijuana is going through this training, and he is in Monterrey this week.

Our hope is to strengthen and further develop our selection process and our training for all the church planters that we are partnering with. Lo Mejor del Trigo has been such a valuable partner, and we love being able to work with them with the hope of helping them to reach their goal of planting 50 or more churches in Tijuana and beyond.

We are also working with the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. Soon we will be launching a new church planting project with them in La Paz, Baja California Sur. The lead church planter is also in Monterrey going through the church planting training.

A New Work in Tijuana

While we are busy evaluating and training church planters we are also ramping up for the new church plant that we will starting with LMT in March. I saw pastor Victor Bravo this week, and he is chomping at the bit to start this new work. Victor and his wife, Sol are already holding outreach events in the community to share the love of Christ.

Join Us In Prayer for the Church & Our Family
Hannah with her Grandpa

Hannah with her Grandpa

Your prayer is so important to us. The Lord is the one that builds the church. We look to him and trust him. We ask him to guide and lead us along the way.

Thanks so much for your ongoing prayer for Hannah and for our family. It has been a long trial. Our hope is in the Lord and in his faithfulness. We are so encouraged by the outpouring of prayer by our friends.

As this trial has gone on more and more people are asking us what is going on. I’m purposefully being discreet about how much I share. While we need the prayer and a lot of it, I believe it’s important to protect Hannah’s privacy by not sharing too much. It’s a fine balance to try to maintain.

We know that the Lord hears your prayers, and he knows how to intercede for us even when we don’t know quite how to pray. He is answering and sustaining us through you!

In His Loving Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Traveling and The Stumbling Stone

Posted: June 18, 2012 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Missions, Reflections & Musings
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Dawn (my traveling partner) and Dave

Dawn (my traveling partner) and Dave

I’m traveling with my wife, Dawn now. We are in Phoenix. I’ve been on the road a great deal lately. There are some things I like about traveling. I enjoy making new friends, and connecting with old friends. I’m not thrilled about being away from my family so much. I am hopeful that once we transition to the San Diego – Tijuana area I will be at home more. It’s great that my wife is able to join me on this particular trip.

While I’m on the road I usually have more to write about, but it’s harder to find the time to write. But I have a moment now as we are between meetings, grabbing some ice tea at a Starbucks.

Yesterday we were with some friends that are on the newer side of the spectrum. We visited New Valley Church. A great church in Phoenix that we have a growing relationship with. Then we had lunch with a small group that have a strong interest in missions. We really enjoyed the time!

Pastor Scott Brown leading at New Valley Church

Pastor Scott Brown leading at New Valley Church

Scott Brown is the pastor at New Valley Church. Dawn and I enjoy being with him. He is a church planter, and has a heart for the unchurched. I find that we resonate with most church planting pastors.

Scott’s sermon was from Romans 9:25 – 10:4. He focused on verses, 30-33 (ESV):

“What shall we say, then? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued the law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works, They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'”

Here’s some of my take aways. Grace is counterintuitive, therefore many trip over the stumbling stone of grace. Many including the Jews, in this case think we have to work to earn God’s favor. Often people look to the law, the things they do to save them. The problem is the law is like a mirror. It can show us that we are dirty, but it’s not able to clean us. It can only show us we are not clean.

Paul several times in Romans asks rhetorically, “what shall we say, then?” The answer is always no, until he gets here. Now the answer is yes. Even though the Gentiles did pursue righteousness, they attained it by faith! Israel pursued the law hoping to obtain righteousness, but they failed!

Christ is the stumbling stone. People continually stumble over grace. It’s part of human nature to feel like you’ve got to earn your salvation. Yet Paul here says it’s in faith through God’s grace that we are made righteous through Christ. Christ is indeed our righteousness! Let us rejoice!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org