Posts Tagged ‘Dr. Thomas Graham’

They Fought the Fight of Faith and Finished the Race
Dr. Thomas Graham above; Dave with Dr. Richard Kaufmann

Two great men, who were heroes in the faith, spiritual fathers and amazingly wonderful mentors moved to heaven in February. Dr. Thomas Graham graduated to glory on February 17th. Dr. Richard Kaufmann left this earth on the next day February 18th.

The Lord has blessed me on my journey as a Christian leader with some outstanding spiritual fathers and mentors. Dr. Graham and Dr. Kaufmann were two of them. The other was Dr. William “Bill” Iverson. Bill is now the only one of the three who is still living. He celebrated his 95th birthday on February 19th.

It’s interesting to me that these three men who each helped me so much in so many ways are also linked by these consecutive dates in February.

Dr. William Iverson
Bill Iverson (in the middle in blue) Dave (on the bottom in red) with students from the International School of Theology. This photo was taken in 1984
Dr. Bill Iverson & Dave
Dr. William Iverson & Dave

Each of these men came into my life at pivotal moments. Bill Iverson when I was in my 20’s, as a young student in seminary. These were formative years for me. I was still a relatively young Christian when I first met Bill. The Lord used him to help me build a more solid foundation in my faith. He always used to talk to us students about theology with skin on, so I learned how to think and how to live while ministering with Bill. I also went on my first missions trip to Mexico with Dr. Iverson and a group of students. God used that trip to call me into missions. Bill is the boldest personal evangelist that I’ve ever met.

Dr. Thomas Graham
Dr. Thomas Graham

I met Dr. Tom Graham while I worked with Mission to the World (MTW) in Mexico City. I got to know him well when we left Mexico to live in Colorado Springs. Tom came into my life during a difficult transition in ministry and our family was going through a hard time as well. Tom was like a rock for me during those years in Colorado.

It’s so sad to say goodbye to people that we love who have had such a huge impact on our lives. Tom was one of the most important men, spiritual fathers in my life especially while I was in Colorado. He will surely be missed. We are thankful that we have the hope of heaven. The hope to see him again. 

I remember before we moved to Colorado Springs while we were still in Mexico City I met with my boss at the time, Jay Kyle. Jay told me that he talked to Tom and that Tom had agreed to mentor me. Jay said, “Dave, if you had to pay Tom for working with you and mentor you, you couldn’t afford him.” Tom became much more than a mentor to me. He was like a father. During our years in Colorado apart from my dad, Tom was definitely the most important man in my life. His influence and impact lives on in my life and in many others. I give thanks for him and all that he meant to my family and me.

Jayson Kyle

Jay Kyle

An interesting side note, is that Jayson Kyle, who Dawn and I worked with in Mexico had a connection with all three of these mentors. Bill Iverson introduced me to Jay when Jay was recruiting missionaries to work with him in Mexico. Then as I mentioned above Jay helped open the door for me to be able to work with Tom. The Lord also used Jay to help me to connect with Dick. When Dawn and I felt the Lord leading us on from Colorado Jay introduced me to Dick Kaufmann.

Jay was very gifted in connecting people. He was not only a boss and a friend, but the Lord used him to encourage me and I recognize I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Jay. Sadly, Jay suffered a massive stroke and moved to heaven last year on March 19th.

Dr. Richard Kaufmann

Dave with Dr. Richard Kaufmann

Dick Kaufmann guided me and gave me some great advice as I began ministering on the San Diego-Tijuana border. One of the things that Dick told me that I always remember. He said, “Dave, you are priestly, you have a pastoral heart. That’s good, but the problem is that you want to help everyone. You need to learn to say no.” Then he spelled out, “N-O, no.” Even though that may sound like very simple advice, it’s something that has stayed with me, and I think it’s been a good filter for me.

The Lord also used Dick to help me raise the funds for the first three or four churches that we helped Pastor Daniel Nuñez and Ministerios Transformación plant. Through that experience the Lord opened many doors for planting churches in Mexico, especially along the US/Mexico border. Dick helped me to focus on the things that God has gifted me in, and he connected me to his church planting network in San Diego, which at the time was called Harbor. I used to meet with Dick once a month for the first five years or so when we moved to the border. His time and advice were invaluable.

I give thanks for each of these men, and I realize that I’ve been blessed beyond measure to have more than one Giants of the faith that were willing to pour into my life.

Tom Graham, Dick Kaufmann and Jay Kyle will be surely missed. I give thanks for how the Lord used them so powerfully in my life and in the life of so many. I like to think about our Hannah up in heaven welcoming these friends and mentors into heaven. One day we will all be together, enjoying one another and our relationship with the Father.

Thank you Jesus for your love and care for me as demonstrated by these men.

Extend Your Hands to Help!

The influence and legacy of each of these wonderful mentors and heroes lives on. Their handprint is all over the ministry that God has called Dawn and me to. We are grateful to witness the great and mighty work that God is doing in Mexico, on the Big Island and the Dominican Republic. Your prayers and your gifts play a critical role as the gospel goes forth. Extend your hands to support our church planters, our familia today!

Make a Donation Today.

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Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift to help our precious familia.

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

The Ministry Orientation Workshop in Mexico City

The Ministry Orientation Workshop with church planting candidates and evaluators

I’m writing this post from Quito, Ecuador which is exciting, because it fits in with the vision the Lord gave me last year for church planting. Before I write about my time in Quito I’d like to talk with you about the Ministry Orientation Workshop that I was involved in last week in Mexico City.

Dawn and I love Mexico City. We have dear friends in this huge city where we lived for many years, so it’s always fun to visit.

The Ministry Orientation Workshop is an evaluation process we use to confirm the calling, gifting and competencies of candidates for church planting. Whenever I’m involved in this assessment process I’m reminded of all the challenges involved in planting a church. We put the candidates through a number of scenarios so that we can have the best opportunity to effectively evaluate whether the Lord is truly calling them to plant a church.

I’m thankful for a Good Mentor in Dr. Thomas Graham

Pastor Rafael Rodríguez giving some instructions to the group

My mentor Dr. Thomas Graham developed the first church planting assessment centers about 40 years ago. It’s wonderful to see so many church groups and missions using the process that he started all those years ago. Tom told me that he first developed this process for the Peace Core. He said that before they started using this process it seemed like all they needed was a warm handshake to approve you.

I studied my doctorate under Dr. Graham, and I also worked for him for a few years. I’m forever grateful for all the time he gave me and how he built into my life so that I could more effectively help others to be successful in church planting. Tom is definitely one of my heroes.

Evaluating the Call and Gifting of Potential Church Planters

The group working on one of the exercises that we assigned them

We had five couples and two single people go through our church planters workshop last week. I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know them personally and to hear their stories. It’s always thrilling for me to learn about all that the Lord has done in the lives of others to get them to where they are now. It’s not easy to plant a church, so although the process we put the candidates through can be pressure packed it’s an important time. This aids us to get to know them and to help to identify their strengths and weaknesses. It helps us to determine whether we believe they have the skills, knowledge, attitudes and gifts needed to plant a church.

Praying for More Churches in Mexicali and Beyond!

Dave the tall one in the middle with Blanca & Federico

I had one couple, Federico & Blanca Muñoz go through the church planters workshop. I’d love to see them plant a church in Mexicali, Mexico. This church plant will be in partnership with the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. Our prayer is that we can start a church plant in Mexicali later this year. I’m grateful that Federico & Blanca were approved by our group of assessors.

Please continue to join us in prayer as we look to the Lord to start a church planting movement on the Border, the Baja and Beyond! That is why I am in Quito for some meetings on promoting and training leaders in Latin America so that more churches will be planted and that we will also have healthier churches. The Lord gave me a vision last year to trust him to see at least 1,000 churches planted. It’s an impossible goal that only our Lord Jesus can accomplish! Thank you Jesus for this great opportunity and that I can trust and believe in you for the impossible!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Pray for Colorado and for Colorado Springs

Pray for Colorado and for Colorado Springs

You may have seen the alarming news that Colorado Springs is on fire! We never thought the city we live in would get caught in such a big fire.

Friends of ours have already lost their homes, and others have been displaced. Those displaced face the possibility of losing their home, and in the meantime they need to find another place to live.

This photo was taken from Tom Graham's house as they were leaving at 4:30 PM on Tuesday

Photo taken from Tom Graham’s house as they were leaving at 4:30 PM on Tuesday

One of our friends that’s been displaced is Tom Graham. Tom has been a mentor to me over the last 12 years, and he has been one of the most influential people in my life during that time. It’s sad to see such dear friends going through this. Now all they can do is wait and pray, hoping their home will be saved.

We live on the east side of Colorado Springs, and the fire is on the west side, so at this point our home isn’t in danger.

We do need prayer! Prayer for the city, and all those affected by the fire.

It’s important to remember during these times that God is greater than the storms that life brings. My daughter, Hannah just posted this quote on her Facebook page,

“Don’t tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is.”

That’s a great reminder to all of us. Keep your eyes on the Lord.

Psalm 46 offers us great comfort and encouragement. The subtitle for the Psalm is, God is Our Fortress.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

— Psalm 46:1-7 (ESV)

It’s so important to remember where are peace comes from. Who are rescuer is. This is an opportunity for us to trust in the Lord, as I wrote about recently.

This is taken from the Chapel Hills Mall - on the north part of the city

This is taken from the Chapel Hills Mall – on the north part of the city

We cry out to the Lord for help! Please rescue our city. Deliver our friends and our homes. Stop the blazing fires. Change the direction of the wind. Comfort our friends who are displaced. Comfort them as they wonder if they still have a home. Draw people to yourself during this fiery trial.

Our church, Village Seven Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs has started a web-link for information on how you can help. Tonight the church called a prayer meeting to plead with God for His mercy to save our city. Here’s the link for more info on ways you can help – v7pc.org/fire.

Here’s a link with some news on the evacuations, and some updates on the fire – Waldo Canyon fire. This article captures some of emotion in the Springs – Firestorm of Epic Proportions.

Dawn and I are in California we fly back to Colorado on Thursday. Pray that we are able to get to Colorado without any complications. David, Jon and Hannah are home. We look to the Lord for their safety.

Wow, what a hot and crazy summer! Thanks for caring, and praying with us.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Dr. Thomas Graham

Today is my birthday, so it puts me in a somewhat of a reflective mood. I do hope that as I get older I’m also getting wiser. This reminds me of some of the wise godly mentors that the Lord has given me.

In my last post I wrote about the tremendous value of giving thanks. One of the many things I have to give thanks for are the godly mentors that the Lord has brought into my life. Dr. William Iverson, and Dr. Thomas Graham have been a gift from God.

I worked with Dr. Graham for three years, and he’s been a valuable mentor since we landed in Colorado Springs 12 years ago. The Lord brought him into my life when we came off the mission field. Right after we left Mexico. Tom is one of the wisest, and most humble men I know. When we came off the field Dawn and I were going through a tough time, and I really needed a friend and mentor like Tom.

I still remember when we were struggling with whether to go back to Mexico or not, and Dawn wasn’t too keen on the idea. She was concerned about the security issues in Mexico City, since I had been kidnapped, and held up at gunpoint while we lived there. Tom said, “Dave you need to take the pressure off of Dawn about returning to Mexico.” I may have feared that was true, but it was hard for me to accept at the time. Those words came at the right time, and gave me the gentle nudge I needed to make the difficult decision to not to return to Mexico.

The Lord definitely spoke to me through Tom’s words of wisdom. There were many other thoughts and ideas that Tom shared with me that helped guide and shape me.

I remember I used to struggle a lot with performance anxiety. I had a hard time living in God’s grace, and felt like if I didn’t perform I was a failure. Or at least those were the fears I had. I told Tom that I felt like if I didn’t complete a project I was working on related to church planting in about a year that I would feel like a failure. He gently reminded me, “Well, that’s how you should feel if you are living with performance anxiety.” It was like, “O yeah, I guess I do still struggle with that, don’t I?”

Dave & Dawn

I will always be grateful for Tom mentoring me, and being my advisor in ministry and in my doctoral studies in Missiology. Although I don’t use my title much. Dr. Diaso seems too formal in this informal culture we live in. I value the things I learned as I studied. I remember often thinking, “wow, I wish I would have known this when I was on the mission field!”

Hopefully, now that Dawn and I are going back to the front lines, on the border, I can apply the many lessons I’ve learned from Dr. Thomas Graham.

Thank you – Tom!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontehBorder.org