Posts Tagged ‘encouraging pastors’

A Proud Papa: A New Church

Posted: May 18, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Thankful for God’s Provision
Pastor Federico and Blanca with the people from their church Verdad y Vida

I feel like a proud papa as Dawn and I minister with Pastor Federico and Blanca Muñoz in Mexico. We’ve just put a down payment on some property and hope to build on it this Fall. I’m thrilled for them, because they’ve been working so hard to plant this church. For the last year and a half they’ve been meeting in a park on Sunday mornings.

Even though it hasn’t been easy to meet at the park, Federico and Blanca said that a number of people are coming to faith as they hear the preaching and worship. It creates a curiosity, and causes people to come to see what is going on. They hear the message and they like it.

Church in the park

While there are some advantages to meeting in the park, the problem is that Mexicali has extreme weather. It’s a desert climate, so in the summer months it can get as high as 120. As you can imagine, not many people want to be outside in those temperatures. The other problem is that there are no bathrooms nearby.

God is Answering Our Prayers

We’ve been praying that we will be able to build a place to hold services by the end of this year. We found a property nearby that we like that is suitable for construction. It’s also in a community where a number of new families will be moving. Federico and Blanca took the people to the site on a recent Sunday to pray together over the property (photo below). This lifted their faith and created momentum as they begin the process of purchasing the property and work towards building a church.

Praying over the new church property

Pastor Federico put a down payment on the property in this week! Now we are praying for and working to raise the funds to finish construction in November of this year. The down payment and construction costs are $31,100.

We believe that the new property is the next step in seeing the church grow, and reach out in the community. A permanent location will give them a greater presence. We are excited that more people are coming to faith and growing in Christ. We thank the Lord for these testimonies of lives that have been changed by the gospel.

Our goal is to raise the funds so that we can build the church in November. We’d like to launch the first church services in early November of this year.

Join us in Prayer!
  • Pray for Federico and Blanca Muñoz that the Lord will guide and lead them.
  • Pray that many lives will be transformed.
  • Pray that the gospel continues to go out powerfully and effectively.
  • Pray that the Lord will raise up the $31,100.
  • Prayerfully consider making a donation today to help us build this church.
Extend Your Hands to Help!

Your generosity is bringing life transformation to families in Mexicali. Would you prayerfully consider joining us, and making a commitment to help us accomplish this God-given vision to impact Mexicali for generations to come. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

Video: God is Building His Church in Mexicali

In His Grip, Dave

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

Celebrating Church #50

Posted: May 1, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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God’s Amazing Work on the Border
Pastor Daniel Nuñez praying over Pastor Hector and Perla at the inaugural church service in Tijuana, Mexico.

Before Dawn and I moved to the San Diego-Tijuana border we prayed that the Lord would connect us with kingdom minded ministries. We prayed for like minded partners that had a heart to plant churches on the Border, the Baja and Beyond. The Lord answered those prayers! We are so grateful for all that the God has done over the last 13 plus years.

Earlier this year I wrote about our friend and partner in ministry Pastor Daniel Nuñez and Ministerios Transformación. Seventeen years ago God gave Pastor Daniel a vision to plant 50 churches. In January we were in Tijuana to inaugurate and celebrate church number 50. We are so thankful for the opportunity we’ve had to help them to plant 8 of these churches. We’ve also worked with them to grow and to expand their ministries through training, assessment and mentoring the majority of MT’s pastors.

We’ve put together a short video that highlights the wonderful work the Lord has done in and through our partnership with Pastor Daniel and Ministerios Transformación.

Video: Celebrating Church #50
Celebrating Church #50 with Pastor Daniel Nuñez and Ministerios Transformación
Extend Your Hands to Help!
Church number 50 – Esperanza de Vida (Hope of Life)

Dawn and I are grateful that we can be a part of the great and mighty work that God is doing on the Border, the Baja and Beyond! He’s on the move in Mexico, on Big Island and in the Dominican Republic. Your prayers and your gifts play a critical role as the gospel goes forth. We are supporting church planters and the life changing ministries that they are involved in. Extend your hands to support our church planters, our familia today!

Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

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

Santiago’s Birthday Surpise!

Posted: April 17, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Yoliztli & Santiago’s Need for Shoes
Santiago & Yolitzli with their two children

This past week Dawn and I had a wonderful time talking to some of our friends on the Big Island, *Yoliztli and *Santiago (names changed for security). They are such beautiful people, that it always encourages us to talk to them. Yet there is the pain as we listen to their plight. Life is so hard, and we always feel like, we wish we could do even more for them than we are already doing.

Yoliztli and Santiago told us that Santiago’s shoes had holes in them and he had problems with his feet, because he works with cement. The dust and cement get on his feet, and this causes pain and discomfort for him. He has to walk a long distance to get to work, which makes it even more uncomfortable for him. Even though we sent them some extra funds for food they said they still are having to skip some meals so that there is enough for their children to eat.

They haven’t able to buy some boots for Santiago’s work, because they cost $15 USD, which is a lot of money for them. If they buy the boots then they won’t have enough money to buy food to eat. They also mentioned that Santiago didn’t have any socks. Yoliztli and Santiago feel embarrassed to tell us about their needs. They are grateful for what we are doing for them, and they don’t want to burden us with more. Dawn and I assure them that it’s okay. We want to know how they are doing, and how we can help.

We feel like it’s a privilege to be able to send aid to our familia. Yet, it’s so frustrating, that they have to struggle daily with things we don’t consider in the USA. Most of us don’t have to choose whether we are going to eat or buy shoes and socks.

Yoliztli told us that she was so thankful for all that we’ve done for them, and how we have encouraged them through our messages. I send daily encouraging devotional messages to them. She shared her gratefulness through her tears.

They feel embarrassed to ask us to send more help, even though they desperately need it. We asked them to send us a picture of Santiago’s shoes, so we could see what they looked like. They are worn out, and have holes in the soles and other parts of the shoes. Santiago said, “please don’t share the photos of my shoes with others.” He felt embarrassed for others to see how bad his shoes look, so we won’t share those photos.

Santiago’s Birthday Surprise
Santiago ready for work in his new boots

While Dawn and I were talking to them, we both felt like we needed to help them buy some boots, socks and more food. We sent some additional aid the next day. After we sent the funds, Yoliztli told us it was Santiago’s birthday, which we didn’t realize. She said that Santiago was treated very poorly as a child and for much of his life, so he has a lot of doubts. Sometimes he doubts God’s love. It was so encouraging that the Lord worked it out for us to send the funds on his birthday, so that they could buy the boots and socks. He felt very loved and encouraged. Praise the Lord!

They invited a few friends over to have a meal with them for Santiago’s birthday. They wanted to buy some meat, but they couldn’t find any. They were able to find the ingredients to make a pizza, and they enjoyed a fun birthday celebration with family and friends.

God is so good, to provide for his children and show them his love.

The Ever Increasing Needs
Pastor Justin and his wife giving a bag of beans to one of the women in their church. The price of rice and beans keeps increasing, which are staple food items for our familia on the Big Island

The needs on the Big Island seem to be ever increasing. I told one of our pastor friends, Justin that we wanted to send an offering to Yoliztli and Santiago and some other pastors. I asked, “who had the greatest need.” He said, “everyone.” I told him, “I don’t know how we can help everyone.” He responded, “that happens to all of here. Help those that you can.” So we sent an extra gift this month for some of the pastors that we are working with, which includes Yoliztli and Santiago.

Hopefully these stories give you a glimpse of the overwhelming task we face as we seek to raise funds and send aid to our familia on the Big Island. Thank you for praying. We know that God hears our prayers.

Extend Your Hands to Help!
The children from Sandro & Yolitzi’s church on Easter Sunday. We are sending monthly aid to help these children and their families

Dawn and I ask you to prayerfully consider extending your hands to help! Send a gift today to help a needy family, so that they can have enough food to eat. Pray for them as they share of good news of Jesus.

You can support one family for $25 a month! A special needs gift to help one or many families is a great help as you extend your hands to show the love of Christ.

Click to Donate…

Featuring Jessica’s tears and prayers for toothpaste

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

Jessica’s Tears for Toothpaste

Posted: April 3, 2023 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Jessica’s Family
Jessica with her family (she’s grown some since I took the video)

Just a couple weeks ago I was praying and encouraging Jessica’s parents, who live on the Big Island. You might remember Jessica from the video that I shared. She gives thanks that God provided toothpaste for her because she had to brush her teeth with water and salt since they didn’t have any toothpaste. The saltwater burned her mouth. She prayed and God answered. When I’ve shown that video to friends at churches they often cry to think of this little girl and many others like her who can’t even buy a tube of toothpaste, because of the scarcity on the Big Island. Some of them said, “Wow! we have so many options of toothpaste to choose from here in the United States and they don’t have any!” (I’m including the video below in this post if you’d like to see it).

Short video of Jessica with her mom in Spanish

It was good to talk to Jessica and her parents. God has given Dawn and me a special love for them.

One of the challenging things that Jessica’s family has been facing is a number of health issues, especially Jessica and her mom. Part of the reason is because of the lack of healthy nutrition available to them. This is an ongoing frustration. Since 2020 the economy on the Big Island has gotten especially bad. It was already difficult to live as the people make only $25 USD per month. The pandemic sent the already fragile economy into a tailspin. The price for their staple foods like rice and beans has gone up by 500%, while their monthly earnings have not increased.

The lack of food and medicine leads to malnutrition and sickness.

The Spiritual Battle
Some of the beautiful friends on the Big Island that Dawn and I are praying with and for.

The other issue is a spiritual one. On the positive side, the church is growing on the Big Island. These needs have opened people’s eyes to the spiritual needs they have. Many are giving their lives to Christ. The donations we are sending help these needy families and they are wonderful witnesses as they share the little they have with others.

That is the positive side, but the other side of the coin is that there is much santeria and witchcraft on the Big Island. Even some of Jessica’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members are involved in witchcraft. There is a clash and a battle that is going on. This is why prayer is so important. That is why I spent about two hours praying with Jessica and her mom and dad strengthening them and praying for God’s protection and covering.

I don’t like to write about evil, but I feel like it’s important that you know so that you can join us in prayer. Some have said the church marches forward on her knees. We definitely need your prayers to stand strong.

I was just talking to a pastor friend who lives near us, and he told me that he has a team of intercessors, because the battle is so intense when we are planting churches. We started thinking about some of the casualties that we’ve seen. We know that we have victory in Christ, but we are still in a battle. This is why Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6:11, 12 that we must “put on the full armor of God, so that (we) can stand against the devil’s schemes. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (I personalized and adapted the passage). Paul tells us to put on the armor of God and to pray.

Stand with us in Prayer
Jessica

Your prayers are more powerful than you realize. Paul asked for the Ephesians to pray that he will speak the gospel fearlessly. Pray for us and those we work with to be able to proclaim the gospel fearlessly. Pray for protection against the attacks of the enemy. Pray for God’s provision for Jessica and her family as well as the many other families to whom we are sending aid on the Big Island.

Dawn and I would also like to invite you to extend your hands to help our familia by making a donation. You can support one family for $25 a month. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

Featuring Jessica’s tears and prayers for toothpaste

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 Ever Expanding Kingdom: Colima and Guadalajara

Posted: March 31, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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God’s Good Work in Colima

Dawn and I are returning from a trip to Colima and Guadalajara as I write this. It was so good to be with the pastors and church planters that we are working with in these two cities. (I decided to repost this, because I accidentally posted it late at night the first time). It was so good to be in Colima and also to see all that the Lord has done and is doing in Colima and in Guadalajara.

From left to right: Dawn, Flavia, Mariel, Jose Luis and Dave with Jose Luis and Mariel’s two boys Josefat and Eli with their parrot, Poki

Pastor Jose Luis and Mariel Rodriguez have a beautiful young family with 2 young boys. Mariel’s mom was also visiting while we were there. It was a real joy to visit Colima for the first time. Colima is about 2 1/2 hour drive south of Guadalajara.

Jose Luis and Mariel are involved in a turnaround church or a replant. I’ve heard people say that when you start a church it’s starting from zero, but when you replant it’s like starting from minus zero. It’s a difficult task, but there is a huge need for revitalization in many churches in Mexico. Churches that have stagnated or dwindled in size and lack life and vision.

I started working with Jose Luis and Mariel about three years ago. They have been eager to learn and make the necessary changes to turn things around. That’s one of the most difficult issues that these churches face, is a willingness to change and do things differently.

Puerta de Salvación church, “Door of Salvation” is now growing and attracting young families. It’s good to see how the Lord is working and bringing life.

While Dawn and I were in Colima we were able we were able to meet some of the people in the church. Jose Luis was very vulnerable with them and shared how we helped him not only with strategy for turning the church around, but also in strengthening his marriage. He mentioned how most pastors in Mexico don’t have someone to mentor and coach them. It was affirming to hear him share how the Lord had used us to help them in both their personal life and in their ministry.

It was very gratifying to see how God is bringing transformation to the people in Puerta de Salvación. Please, pray for Jose Luis and Mariel as they train leaders and continue to reach out into the community. Pray as well that they can build a solid foundation as God grows the church.

Celebrating 25 years of Growth
Pastor Kenton Wood and his wife, Adriana with the other pastors of their daughter churches

After our time in Colima, Dawn and I went to Guadalajara to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Rey de Reyes church, “King of Kings. It was a special time to celebrate all that God has done through their ministry. They’ve planted 5 other churches besides the mother church in the last 25 years. It was a wonderful time to praise God for his good work through these churches.

I know that frequently the news coming out about what’s going on in Mexico isn’t very encouraging. The vast majority of people in Mexico are awesome. They are a beautiful people and culture that Dawn and I have come to love. Despite the bad news, God is doing a marvelous work as he builds his church in Mexico and beyond!

Join us in Prayer!
Pastor Jose Luis Rodriguez leading a time of worship with some of the people from the Puerta de Salvación church

We thank you for standing with us in prayer and extending your hands to help those in need.

  • Pray for Pastor Jose Luis and Mariel as they lead the church in Colima.
  • They do have a church building, but it’s in need of much repair.
  • Pray for them as they train up leaders and reach out to new people.
  • Pray for the ongoing church planting work in Guadalajara and Colima as the gospel goes forth.
  • God’s protection over them and all of our church planters against spiritual attack.
  • We also appreciate your prayers for the other church planters that we are working with throughout Mexico.
  • Continue to pray for our familia on the Big Island as the gospel goes forth their amidst all the scarcity and lack.

Dawn and I are grateful that we can be a part of 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. We are supporting church planters and the life changing ministries that they are involved in. Extend your hands to support our church planters, our familia today! 

Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

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

A Baby’s Cry for a Bar of Soap

Posted: March 8, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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The Big Island’s Economic Crisis
Sofia with her Grandmother

I just read an article on the news website 14ymedio.com about how the inflation on the Big Island is seven times higher than the increase in salary. This is reflected in the poverty that our familia faces in a greater measure daily. The article says it’s the worst economic crisis that the people have faced in the last 70 years, which is an astounding assessment of the state of this Island full of so many beautiful people.

One of our pastor friends wrote me this week and shared an example of how the economic collapse is affecting the families.

Feeding families on the Big Island is not easy as food prices continue to rise. Your gifts help these families
Sofia’s Cry

This testimony came from the wife, Maria, of one of our pastors on the Big Island. (It’s translated from Spanish, and it might be a little rough, but I thought it would give you a better idea if I left it that way) “My cousin gave birth 4 months ago. The arrival of a baby into the world brings great joy to all the families in the world. It is also like that on the Big Island, but unfortunately it also brings some sadness when the family begins to consider how they are going to feed her, to dress her, to have the articles for her personal use. The baby’s name is Sofia. Yesterday her mother told me while crying that the only soap that they had at home was to bathe the baby girl and since she bathed her in the patio, she left the soap outside of the house, and someone came by and stole it . A bar of soap in Camaguey is selling for 270 pesos (which is about $1.90 USD). The average salary on the Big Island is only $25 a month.

Life is more and more expensive as the cost of living continues to rise, families are poorer every day. Hunger, misery and lack of resources have caused some people to start stealing, there are already many examples on a day-to-day basis that are seen in each town, situations that have never happened before. Maybe some think? Why cry for a bar of soap? The sad reality is not the soap, it is that how this mother is going to bathe her 4-month-old girl, how can she maintain her hygiene in a place where it is very hot and that there is also no pest control, where dengue fever is worse every year and contagions are growing.

When does the time come to choose? If she buy a 270 peso bar of soap, she won’t be able to buy a pound of rice to be able to eat something during the day. Because her family is made up of 3 children and 2 adults. She had no choice but to talk to pastor Luis and tell him what had happened to her. Luis only had two bars of soap at home and there are 3 who live at home. We do not hesitate to share a bar of soap with her so that at least in their house Sofia would have something to bathe with.

This leads me to think how many people outside this Island have more than one bar of soap in their homes? How many people who have two would be willing to share with one? How many people cannot travel to this Island, but can support Christian and non-Christian families with their prayers and the kindness by extending their friendly hands?

Perhaps you think, “what I can give is very little,” but a little makes a difference to those who have nothing. To those who have the most, it is always good to be generous and remember that each work of your hands giving food and shelter to the poorest is the work that Christ left for us to do.

The sad reality for Sofia is also the sad reality of many families on this Island.

We pray to God that he will touch the hearts of men and women to extend their hands to give a piece of heaven to those on the Big Island. God bless in EVERYTHING to those who with outstretched loving hands dry tears and give away smiles.

Thank you because just for taking your time to read what I have written you have dried my tears and revived the hope that you can be a beautiful instrument in the hands of God on the Big Island.”

Extend Your Hands to Help Those in Need!
Pastor Ernesto and his wife, Denise (bottom left) have been able to help feed the people in their church because of your generous gifts

The church is growing and many are coming to Christ, despite all the suffering. God is doing a great and mighty work on the Big Island. Many families have a meal on their table, and a bar of soap, because of your willingness to extend your hands to help. Thank you for the vital role that you play. TOGETHER we can make a difference!

Dawn and I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider extending your hands to give a piece of heaven to those on the Big Island. You can support one family for $25 a month. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

A Tale of Two Cities on the Big Island featuring Jessica’s prayer for toothpaste

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

God is on the Move in Oaxaca

Posted: March 1, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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God is Building HIs Church in Oaxaca
Pastor Eliel leading the church in Oaxaca

It’s so good when the churches we are planting thrive! It’s wonderful to see God at work building his church. Dawn and I give thanks for the amazing work that the Lord is doing through Pastor Eliel and Jessica Osorio in Oaxaca, Mexico. Pastor Eliel and his wife, Jessica are doing a marvelous job leading the church. They launched their public worship services in September of 2021, and the church just took off. I just talked to Eliel this week and he told me that they’ve had 80 or more attending their church services this year. It’s so encouraging to see the Lord changing lives and using Pastor Eliel and the team he has put together.

Eli Osorio Moved to Heaven on January, 1st
Eliel on the right with his father, Eli Osorio

2023 began in a painful way for Eliel and Jessica. Just days after Christmas Eliel’s dad, Eli suffered a massive stroke. The doctors operated and thought there was hope for Eli, but after a valiant battle Eli moved to heaven on January 1, 2023. Eliel was very close to his father, and it’s been hard on him and on his family to have to say goodbye. Soon after Eli moved to heaven they found a cancerous growth on Eliel’s mom, Maria’s face. Maria had surgery just a few weeks ago, and the prognosis is very positive. Pray for Eliel and their family as they adjust to life without Eli. Maria has now moved in with Eliel and Jessica, so that they can take care of her. The Osorio’s are going through a difficult season with much change.

We’ve noticed that our church planters and their families often get attacked. It’s a good reminder of how important it is to be lifting each of them up in prayer as they invade the enemy’s territory. We know that our God is greater than he who is in the world, but as Paul says in Ephesians 6 we are in a spiritual battle. It seems like the battle is fiercest for those working on the front lines. Your prayers for them are essential.

The Church is Growing
Some of the young people from the church – it’s wonderful to see the smiles

Eliel told me that the place they are renting for their Sunday services holds 110 people, but it begins to feel cramped when they have that many people. They are praying about whether they need to go to two services or find a bigger place to meet. You can pray with us for that need. I told Eliel, “well, this a good problem to have, when you are outgrowing your meeting place.” We are praying with them that they can find some property to purchase and begin to build so that they have a bigger and more permanent place to meet.

I put together a short video that will give you a better idea of the wonderful work God is doing as He builds His church in Oaxaca.

Video: Lives are being Transformed by Jesus in Oaxaca
God is at work in Oaxaca, Mexico
Join us in Prayer for the church in Oaxaca
Pray for Eliel and Jessica and their two girls, Sarvia (right) & Tirsa (left)
  • Pray for Pastor Eliel & Jessica Osorio as they lead the church plant
  • Pray for them as they raise up and develop leaders
  • Pray for the new people that they are discipling
  • Pray for the Lord to provide property to build a church
  • You can give to this church planting project by clicking the button below

Your gift will allow us to accomplish the God-given vision to impact Oaxaca for generations to come. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift today!

In His Grip, Dave

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

Planting Churches, Transforming Communities

Posted: February 20, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Pastor Daniel Nuñez’s Dream
Pastor Daniel Nuñez praying over Pastor Hector and Perla at the inaugural church service

Dawn and I moved to the San Diego – Tijuana border in 2012. One of our main desires has been to extend the kingdom by planting new churches. God has far exceeded our expectations!

One of our key partners has been Ministerios Transformación (Transformation Ministries) led by Pastor Daniel Nuñez. When we first met Daniel and his wife, Yolanda in 2010 he told us that he had a goal to plant 50 churches. I think they had planted 7 or 8 churches. At that time 50 seemed like a far off goal. On Saturday, January 28th of this year we joined Pastor Daniel and Yolanda and 500 others to inaugurate and celebrate church number 50!

Church number 50 – Esperanza de Vida (Hope of Life)

Wow! it’s so encouraging to see God building his church along the border and throughout Mexico. God has given us the privilege to partner with Daniel and Ministerios Transformación (MT) in a number of ways. We’ve helped evaluate, train, mentor and coach many of their pastors. The Lord has provided for us to raise the funds and build eight of their church plants in Tijuana, Rosarito and Mexicali. We’ve also aided in building and extending the ministry of another 7 churches. It’s been fun to be a part of building and planting churches from the ground up.

Pastor Hector and Perla Sigala
Perla and Hector

Church number 50 is being led by a young couple, Hector and Perla Sigala. Hector and Perla have three beautiful daughters. Dawn and I first met them at the Centro de Descubrimiento (Discovery Center) when they came through as church planting candidates last year. They were also involved in the evangelism course we led this Fall.

Hector and Perla hold a special place in our hearts. The first time we met them Perla was wearing a blouse with butterflies on it. Butterflies hold a special significance for Dawn as they remind of her of our daughter, Hannah. The Lord used Perla’s blouse and Hector and Perla’s sweet spirit to draw us toward them. Now it seems like almost each time we see them Perla gives Dawn a gift with a butterfly on it. We are excited for them as they lead this new church.

God is building His church!

Some people have asked Pastor Daniel what’s next, now that he’s reached the goal that the Lord gave him. He is raising up a new group of young leaders from MT. They have felt that the Lord is calling them to plant 500 churches. That’s a big goal, but God is able. He can do all things!

Each of these churches become a light that shines brightly in the community where they are planted.

Join Us In Prayer – Extend Your Hands to Help!
Damaris’ Quinceañera (15 year birthday celebration). From left to right: Junior, David, Federico, Damaris, Blanca and Daniel

God is on the move building His church. One of the goals that we have for this year is to build a church in Mexicali, Mexico for our church planters, Federico and Blanca Muñoz. Pray with us that God makes this dream a reality. (see video below)

We need $25,000 to build the church in Mexico. We’d like to ask you to prayerfully consider making a gift for this need. Your gift will allow us to accomplish the God-given vision to impact Mexicali for generations to come. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

Video: God is Building His Church In Mexicali
God is on the Move in Mexicali

Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift today!

In His Grip, Dave

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

Miraculous Multiplication on the Big Island

Posted: January 30, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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God’s Wonderful Work
Some of the pastors that we are partnering with – Our Familia

God is doing a wonderful work on the Big Island. I’m amazed by how much the church is growing despite the skyrocketing prices of staples like rice and beans. We think inflation is bad here, but what would it be like to live with a 500% increase in prices? Our familia has had to live without electricity for long stretches. Last year some families were without power for up to 20 hours a day. The other big challenge our familia is facing is that there is a shortage of medicine.

Yet, even with all these difficulties the pastors have remained faithful to serve, and people are responding to the gospel. They frequently send me photos of when they are out sharing the good news of the gospel with people that live in their neighborhood.

God’s Work of Multiplication
Evangelistic teams faithfully sharing the good news!

Last year the pastors that we are partnering with shared the gospel with 21,215 people and 5,223 of them came to faith in Jesus. In 2022 eighty six new churches were started. The aid that we sent helped 9,302 people. God is building his church and he is multiplying the gifts that we are sending.

Pastor Justin’s Testimony
Pastor Justin sharing the gospel with his team of faithful friends

Pastor Justin shared this testimony with us, “I want to thank David for his life and ministry. He not only supported our church and my family with training and mentoring, but also during this period of great scarcity. The economic situation of the pastors who live on the Big Island is complicated. Pastor David has raised love offering to support us for the last 3 years. He and his wife, Lety (Dawn) have demonstrated a beautiful ministry on the Big Island supporting many pastors.”

It’s so encouraging to hear from the pastors that we are partnering with. They truly become like family to us, and we give thanks for each one of them. They are very gifted and some of the most committed people to the cause of Christ that I’ve ever met in my life.

Pastor Rolando’s Testimony

Another pastor that we are working with, Pastor Rolando had this to say. “God is working in a supernatural way in our ministry, because we work as a network of churches that are multiply more each day. Last year my team shared the gospel with more than 1,000 people and we planted 26 new churches. We also gave food and aid to 452 people. All of this work requires pastoral care for the church planters. We have to travel to all parts of the country to help support the movement. Even though I struggle with often being sick and diabetic God has strengthened by wife and me to continue the work.”

Extend Your Hands to Help!
Some of the families that we are extending our hands to help

God is doing a great and mighty work on the Big Island. Your prayers and your gifts are essential as the gospel goes forth. Thank you for the vital role that you play. TOGETHER we can make a difference! Dawn and I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider extending your hands to support our familia on the Big Island. You can support one family for $25 a month. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…

A Tale of Two Cities on the Big Island featuring Jessica’s prayer for toothpaste 

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 Ever Expanding Kingdom

Posted: January 19, 2023 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
Tags: , , , ,
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God is Building His Church in Mexicali
From left to right: Daniel, Federico, Blanca, Dave, Damaris, Paola, Junior with Mykela, and David

In my last post I wrote about Pastor Jorge Alvarado and his wife, Lucy who are planting a church in Mexicali. Dawn and I give thanks for them and for how the Lord is using them to shine the light of Christ in a dark place. Today I would like to highlight another church plant in Mexicali that we are excited about. The church is called, Verdad y Vida, “Truth and Life” and it’s led by Pastor Federico Muñoz and his wife, Blanca.

Federico and Blanca were renting a nice hall for their Sunday services, but the church wasn’t growing. They thought they were in a good location, but when you are a new church plant and you are not reaching new people that is a problem. Federico realized that they needed to do something different. He and Blanca prayed and they found another community where there wasn’t a church, and there was a need. They left the building and started meeting in a park. The weather isn’t always ideal in Mexicali, because it is a desert climate similar to Phoenix.

Even though it seems like a park wouldn’t be ideal they did start to grow. In a few weeks they doubled in size. This month they just completed one year of meeting in the park. The church has left the building!

The Gospel is Changing Lives
Fun during the ministry event at the park in Mexicali

Last weekend Federico and Blanca held an outreach event on Saturday afternoon. Initially we had a church from Southern California that was going to join them and help them with the event, but the church ended up not being able to come. The Muñoz’s felt like they should hold the event anyway. That is one of the qualities that I love about them is they are very committed and they will work through adversity.

Blanca praying for Kimberly while Federico is leading the group

They had a great response as many showed up for the games and food at the park. After the fun time Federico presented a gospel message to the people and thirteen people said “yes” to following Jesus. Pastor Federico and his team invited them to join them for church on Sunday and ten of them returned. Now they are busy following up and encouraging these friends in their new found faith. It’s so exciting to witness God changing hearts and building his church in Mexicali. We have six churches that we are working with in Mexicali and five of them are recent church plants. Eight years ago only one of these churches existed.

Join Us in Prayer and Extend Your Hands to Help
Isabel working with the children who came to the outreach in the park

One of my goals for this year is to raise the funds and find enough partners to come alongside us to buy some land for the Verdad y Vida church. I also would like to be able to build at least the initial building for the church. My prayer is that we can begin building the church by this Fall. Join Dawn and me in prayer that this dream will become a reality. We’d like to invite you to prayerfully consider giving towards the construction of this new church. We will need $25,000 to put a down payment on the land, and build the church.

Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift today.

Click to Donate…

Video: Jesus is Bringing New Life to Mexicali
We Give Thanks for how the Lord is Building His Church in Mexicali

In His Grip, Dave
P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

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