Posts Tagged ‘Monterrey Mexico’

More Lord! We Want More of You in Mexico

Posted: April 12, 2017 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Prayer
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Thrilled by the Growth of the Gospel
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Prayer & Planning Meeting in Monterrey, Mexico 

The church is growing in Mexico, and we are thrilled to be a part of that. When we moved to the border almost 5 years ago, and even before that we prayed and dreamed about what we hoped the Lord would do in Mexico. We asked the Lord to use us to see His church grow and flourish.

Last week we had the wonderful privilege of meeting together as leaders and ministers with Mission to the World in Mexico. Leaders from our various teams came: Monterrey, Guadalajara, El Paso/Juarez, McAllen/Reynosa, Baja. It was a great time to pray, hear testimonies and celebrate what the Lord is doing through our teams in Mexico. The church is growing, and the gospel is going forth.

More of Jesus, More Transformed Lives!

One of my great desires is that we will come together as a larger team in Mexico for prayer and to join forces as we seek to partner with the church in Mexico to see many people won for Christ, and to see lives transformed. This was the first time we had a meeting like this in Mexico in a number of years. We want more of Jesus, and more of his Spirit. O Lord, do your mighty work in and among us. We want to see the church expand all across the country.

God is already doing some very encouraging works through our missionaries and our partners, but we long for more. We don’t want to be satisfied, because there is still much work to do. Content in all things, but yet striving for more and for all that the Lord has for us.

Join Us in Prayer!

Please join us in prayer as we look to the Lord to continue his mighty work, and that we will see even greater works of the Lord.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Hope for a Better Tomorrow!

Posted: August 29, 2014 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Tijuana
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Church Planter Training
Dave & Ivan in Monterrey, Mexico

Dave & Ivan in Monterrey, Mexico

Today we are finishing up our church planter’s incubator training in Monterrey, Mexico. It’s been a wonderful experience!

This morning pastor Ivan Casados who’s going through the training told me that it’s not only met, but exceeded his expectations. That is good news. Ivan is the first pastor from Tijuana that we’ve had go through this training. Our hope is that one day soon we will hold the training in Tijuana, which will help us tremendously in building a stronger church planting movement.

We are seeing a number of churches planted in Tijuana, but there is still a need for more and better preparation and training for our church planters.

One of the things that I’ve enjoyed about the church planting incubator is the variety of the types of men that are here. There are guys from different denominational backgrounds. Some are full-time pastors, some are bi-vocational pastors, some are not yet pastoring.

The Lord is using this to better prepare these men, but also to lift up their vision for the great need for church planting in Mexico.

Praying for La Paz
Church planting incubator

Church planting incubator

We’ve prayed for a church planter for La Paz, Baja California. La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur. There aren’t any Reformed churches presently in this city. We do have a candidate here that is considering working with us and leading the church plant in La Paz.

He’s still in the beginning process of praying with his wife about where the Lord is calling them, so I won’t mention his name. Please join us in prayer for him and his wife. Pray that the Lord will raise up the right person for the job.

Hope for New Church Planting Projects
Praying for the cities we represent for new churches and renewed cities

Praying for the cities we represent for new churches and renewed cities

While I’ve been here I’ve also been able to work on developing new church planting projects for Tijuana and Ensenada. It starts with the vision and prayer. As I get ready to fly back home later today, I leave with more hope for the future. The Lord is giving me greater hope and a renewed vision for reaching people through starting churches on the border and in the Baja.

Thanks so much for praying with us! I know the Lord hears our prayers. There’s so many things that have to come together for these projects to get off the ground that I am continually reminded if the Lord doesn’t build the house our labor is in vain.

O Lord, we don’t want our labor to be in vain. Build your church!

In HIs Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Collaborating for the Kingdom in Monterrey

Posted: August 25, 2014 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Missions, Prayer
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Training for Church Planters
Dave with Pastor Ivan

Dave with Pastor Ivan on the foundation for the new church plant – taken before we built the church

Pastor Ivan Casados and I are in Monterrey, Mexico for church planting training with other Mexican church planters. I’m grateful that Ivan can go through this training, and that I can be here with him. The Lord has given us an opportunity to learn together.

Our hope is that through this training Ivan will be better equipped to plant his church with Lo Mejor del Trigo in Ribera del Bosque. Ivan and his wife, Rocio are off to a good start. They have doubled in size growing from 30 to 60 since April.

We praise the Lord for his good work through them!

A Great Opportunity!

It is a great opportunity for us to work with Mission to the World’s (MTW) Monterrey team. The Church Planting Center, which are Monterrey team operates is a great resource for us. The team here is more advanced in some areas than we are on the border, so I want to learn from them and collaborate with them.

As we work with the team in Monterrey our ministry on the border and the Baja will be able to advance in providing training for church planters. I’m also partnering with the Monterrey team to develop mentoring/coaching for our church planters.

Coming Alongside Our Church Planters
Monterrey, Mexico

Monterrey, Mexico

Our church planters are great people who love the Lord, but they need support. Most people who are starting new churches flounder if they don’t have any type of training or coaching, We desire to see our churches and the leaders of our churches thrive.

One of the things I’ve learned in my years of ministry is that it is not easy to work in partnership with other ministries. It seems that there are many obstacles, and one of the principle ones can be our ego.

On the other hand, it is powerful when God’s people come together for the kingdom. I believe this is one of the reasons it’s so hard to pull it off. The enemy seeks to derail kingdom work.

Join Us In Prayer

Dawn and I covet your prayers as we attempt to develop this training for our work on the border and the Baja. We realize we are a target. We need for the Lord to guide us and protect as we seek to see the advance of the kingdom. Ultimately we want to see the church grow for the glory of God. We pray that many will call on the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

Coaching in Missions: What’s the Connection?

Posted: June 20, 2014 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Coaching Church Planters
Dr. Tom Wood leading us through a module on gospel coaching

Dr. Tom Wood leading us through a module on gospel coaching

I’m on a jet plane flying back home from Houston as this is going out. I’ve had a wonderful week at two events in this city. I started the week at a training event to learn how to do a better job coaching church planters. Then I ended the week at the PCA’s General Assembly, which is a huge church event for our denomination.

Dr. Tom Wood who is the founder and president of Church Multiplication Ministries led the training along with Tami Resch. Here’s some of the highlights on the training on coaching church planters. The coaching is gospel centered. I loved the strong emphasis on the gospel in coaching others.

Born to Coach

I enjoy coaching a great deal. I think it’s one of the areas I’m gifted in. A group of us started coaching church planters in Mexico in the mid 90’s. So I’ve been involved in coaching in one form or another for almost 20 years.

I must admit I was a little skeptical coming into the training. I wondered if I would get much new out of it, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Bringing Coaching to Mexico
Having some fun in Texas with one of our Mexican partners Jorge Aleman

Having some fun in Texas with one of our Mexican partners, Jorge Aleman

Another highlight was the people I went through the training with – wonderful people. The main reason we are doing this is so that we can bring this training to Mexico and begin training and multiplying coaches for our church planters. I was able to bring two other Mexicans and one American who work with Mission to the World in Monterrey, Mexico.

It was outstanding to have them there, because we are beginning to form a team that can coach church planters and train others to do so.

I believe that this is one of the most important things that we are doing right now. It is a fact that church planters need a coach. They become much more effective with a coach. Bringing this training to Mexico and multiplying our coaches will aid us in seeing more effective church planters, which means there will be stronger churches.

The gospel emphasis is such a keystone to success in ministry. People need the gospel, and in many ways those in ministry need it most.

Please do pray for us as we work on bringing this training to Mexico. It’s going to take some time, but this will enable us to build a strong foundation.

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Dave with Hector Guzman

Wonderful Connections with Friends

Another highlight was some of the other people who went through the training on coaching with us. I met Hector Guzman. He is now working as the Spanish pastor of a bilingual church plant in the Atlanta area. The last time I saw him he was a business man in Mexico City involved in the core group of a church plant that Dawn and I were working in there.

Pray for Jason & Kara Tippetts
I stoled this from Kara's blog: Mundane Faithfulness

Jason and Kara Tippetts. I stole this from Kara’s blog: Mundane Faithfulnes 

I spent some time with Jason and Kara Tippetts from Colorado Springs. They are planting a church there. They arrived in the Springs just as Dawn and I were leaving to move to the border. I know Jason through some of our church meetings, but I had never really met Kara.

Kara has stage four cancer. They are going through a difficult season as a family. She writes an outstanding blog that is an encouragement to many called: Mundane Faithfulness. In her blog she shares her journey through cancer, and how God in his grace shows up and is carrying her and her family through it. I’d urge you to check it out.

  • Pray for the Tippetts
  • Pray that I learn and that our team learns how to coach other church planters with a focus on the gospel
  • Pray that we will soon be able to train other coaches in Mexico
  • Pray for my energy – it’s been a long week!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

God Brings the Increase in Pípila, Tijuana

Posted: September 20, 2013 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, San Diego, Tijuana
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Lo Mejor del Trigo – Pípila
Dave and Dawn with Rodrigo, Nancy and Luz

Dave and Dawn with Rodrigo, Nancy and Luz

Just the other day Dawn and I met with Rodrigo and Nancy Vallarta. Rodrigo pastors the Lo Mejor del Trigo Church in Tijuana in the community of Pípila.

Rodrigo was excited as he was sharing about a new family that started coming to the church in May. They came to Christ through the witness of the church, and they were baptized this last month. Our prayer is that the Lord will bring many more to the cross.

The church in Pípila is going to celebrate it’s one year anniversary on November 3rd. Just a year ago Harbor helped them to start the church. It’s encouraging to see all that the Lord has done in the last year!

Outreach to Children and Families
Festival Infantil - Outreach to Children in Tijuana

Festival Infantil – Outreach to Children in Tijuana

Harbor Mid-City continues to partner with the church and bring down groups to serve, and help with evangelistic outreach. In June over 120 children came to the “festival infantil”. We already have the next one planned for October 26th.

I love being able to bring together those in our church at Harbor to minister alongside our brothers and sisters in the Pípila church.

Having fun with bubbles

Having fun with bubbles

When I visited the church last month I recognized two of the children who had come to the children’s event, and they are now attending the church.

Rodrigo and Nancy tell us that bringing all the Americans down raises curiosity, so more children and families come.

It’s so good for our people to encounter some of the needs, and differences they see when they cross the border. I believe the Lord even uses the long border wait to get back into the U.S. to teach some valuable lessons about what many have to deal with daily.

Join Us in Prayer!

Pray with us that the Lord continues to grow this church. Pray that he gives pastor Rodrigo and his wife, Nancy wisdom as they serve together and provide leadership for the church.

Dave with Daniel Nunez

Dave with Daniel Nunez

On a side note, Daniel Nuñez, the leader of the Lo Mejor del Trigo movement, and I are leaving for Monterrey, Mexico early today. We are going to visit the Church Planting Center with the hope of increasing our vision for church planting in Tijuana. I also believe it will be a great opportunity for our friends in Monterrey to meet Daniel and to learn about his vision and what he’s doing to accomplish it.

Pray that it is a fruitful and productive trip. Also pray for Dawn while I’m gone. She does get lonely, so it’s a sacrifice for her when I travel.

Thanks so much for standing with us in prayer!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org