Posts Tagged ‘community’

Praise for the Person of Peace

Posted: March 8, 2013 in Bright Spots on the Border, Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, San Diego
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Here's our group having some fun interacting and passing out flyers this week

Here’s our group having some fun interacting and passing out flyers this week

Each week as I go out to take Jesus to the streets, and promote our ESL class. I’m so encouraged by the people we meet. It’s wonderful to be in the community of City Heights! Even most of the people who already speak English are so willing to help out. It’s truly heartwarming.

Short-Term Group

This week we’ve had a short-term group from Mobile, Alabama here to help us. I had so much fun with them. Lately, it’s just been Vicente and me going out to meet people and pass out flyers, but this week we’ve had extra help. I enjoyed the energy that they brought.

When we got together to debrief our experience after we went out, it was evident that the Lord used their efforts. I could tell that the group had a good time, and it also blessed me!

The Person of Peace

I decided to take the group to a different area, about a mile or so from where we usually hand out fliers. This enabled us to go to a new school. Unfortunately, the school let out early the day we were there, bummer!

We didn’t meet many parents, but we did meet a few. I told one of them what we were doing, and she introduced me to the administrative/social worker for the Parent Center. The social worker was unbelievably nice. I explained to her what we were doing, and that we were offering free English classes. She asked me if a I could come back next Friday to speak to the parents and make an announcement at the parents’ meeting.

Wow! I couldn’t believe it.

Unfortunately, I’m going to be out-of-town next week, so I will try to find someone else. If that doesn’t work she said I could come to another parents’ meeting in the future.

Short-term team of college students from Mobile, Alabama, ESL, English as a second or foreign language

Short-term team of college students from Mobile, Alabama

A person of peace is someone who is connected, and can open doors for you in a community. You find an example of this in Luke 10:5,6,

“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.”

The Lord has connected us with some person’s of peace. We met the principal of another school who opened the door for us there a few weeks ago. God is blessing and we are so encouraged.

Keep Praying

Thanks for standing with us in prayer. I believe we need to pray for the Lord’s blessing on these new friends, our person’s of peace. Pray also for the huge need we have for childcare, and we’d like to improve upon our teaching structure. This will enable us to do a better job teaching.

God is so good!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

A Graduation Celebration: Hannah Elizabeth Diaso!

Posted: May 13, 2012 in Christianity, Family Happenings, Journey, Ministry, Reflections & Musings
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Hannah and friends singing during her graduation ceremony

Hannah and friends singing during her graduation ceremony

Yesterday our daughter, Hannah Elizabeth Diaso graduated from high school. It was a wonderful time and a joyous celebration!

Hannah’s grandparents, Chivis from Mexico City, as well as some dear friends enjoyed the ceremony with us. I thanked my dad for coming out from Fresno, California. He said, “I couldn’t miss my granddaughter’s graduation.” Thank the Lord for loving and faithful family and friends.

The kids, young adults that Hannah graduated with are all very creative. They worked with some of the parents to plan out a touching, meaningful and fun program. One of my friends who has younger girls said it was like a whole year of Sunday School. His girls look up to the graduates and they saw their faith and love for Christ shine through in living color.

Dawn and I gave a short charge to Hannah. Dawn received many positive comments about how articulate she was. She shared some very heart warming blessings with our daughter and all who came.

Here’s an excerpt from Dawn’s speech,

Proverbs 31 states, “You are a young woman of noble character. Your worth is far more than rubies!” The character of the Proverbs 31 woman very much describes you: You are faithful, generous, creative, caring, gracious, virtuous, a woman of moral strength of character. You are diligent and disciplined. You are elegant and beautiful. You are respectful and respected. You are clothed with strength and dignity. You speak with wisdom and faithful instruction.

I applaud you Hannah for having as your main goal to glorify God in your thoughts, attitudes and actions. Bringing glory to God through loving and serving others is more important to you than the achievements that bring you praise from man.

In closing, as you continue to seek God’s leading in your life, remember the wise words of Frederick Buechner, “The place where God calls you is the place where your deep happiness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

The Graduates leading us in Worship - Hosanna!

The Graduates leading us in Worship – Hosanna!

I broke down a little as I shared. I was afraid that was going to happen. Jeff Siebert, a friend who has three girls warned me a couple of years ago, “wait till your daughter graduates.” I remember thinking he did a great job getting through his speech when he shared about his love for his daughter, Mackenzi. He got emotional during the speech, but he made it through. As a side note, I think MacKenzi just graduated from college at Patrick Henry College yesterday.

Well, I must admit it was hard to get through my speech, and maintain my composure.

My little daughter graduated. She’s grown up before my eyes. It’s hard to believe. She’s the last of our three children to graduate from high school. It’s the end of an era. The end of the homeschooling chapter in our lives. Wow! I can’t believe it. At times I didn’t think we’d make it through, but in God’s grace we did.

Congratulations Hannah!

Thank you, Jesus for the wonderful godly young woman Hannah has become. Thank you for the community of friends and family that stood with us, supported us, prayed for us and helped us along the way!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

God uses English to Touch Lives!

Posted: April 25, 2012 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, San Diego, Team Members, Tijuana
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Ray Call has done a great job with our ESL!

Ray Call has done a great job with our ESL!

We launched our ESL (English as a Second Language) class on April 13th. The first day of class there was a huge rainstorm, so that ended up not being the best day to start. We have a small, but good group.

There are some very encouraging things that give us hope that this outreach will be a success. Ray Call has done a wonderful job of coordinating our ESL. He arranged for all our teachers to be trained ahead of time. We have a great group of committed teachers. The Lord has really blessed as the foundation for this outreach is established. As we see God working it inspires us. I’m thrilled with the work Ray has done, and the team he has recruited minister to the community in this way!

Hannah and Ray practicing teaching with other participants

Hannah and Ray practicing teaching with other participants during ESL training

One area that I’d like to ask you to continue to pray with us about is that the Lord would bring more students. Often when a new ministry is launched it can take time for word to get out. I think that we will see our attendance grow as more people in the community hear about the opportunity to learn English.

I’ve prayed that the Lord will use this time to help the teachers become more comfortable and confident with the material that they are teaching. Also that the Lord will help us to build a solid foundation for the ministry to grow.

We are planning to continue the ESL classes until the end of May. Then take a break over the summer and start up again in the fall.

Thanks for standing with us through prayer, and your loving support.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org