Posts Tagged ‘new church’

The Battle Rages, but We are Victorious in Christ
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Pastor Obed Lares and Cesiah

I am convinced that our Lord is doing a good work, despite all the pain and all the sorrow we are going through with the loss of our daughter, Hannah. I don’t know why it was Hannah’s time to go, but I do know that the enemy of our soul will do anything to try to slow us down and defeat us.

The day before Hannah died we celebrated the inauguration of church number 29 with our friends from Ministerios Transformación. On that same weekend we finished building the church. We helped Pastor Obed Lares and his wife, Cesiah launch their new church plant.

The Joy of New Birth
The inaugural service for Ministerios Transformación in Rosarito. Church #29

The inaugural service for Ministerios Transformación in Rosarito. Church #29

That was a joyous time to see new life, the birth of a new church. Hard to believe that the following day our daughter would be with Jesus in Heaven. We don’t understand, but we know that God is a good and loving God and that we can trust him.

I just met with Obed and Cesiah earlier this week, and I felt so encouraged hearing how the church is growing as they reach out in the community. They’ve had some obstacles to overcome. The church doesn’t have power yet. On Sundays they plug into their neighbors outlets.

The recent rain also slows down the progress. Yet God is on the move there in the community in Rosarito, Mexico.

Obed and Cesiah are very gifted and sensitive to the Holy Spirit as he guides and directs them. When we were together they shared stories about some of the new people who are coming to the church, and how the Lord is touching their lives. As Obed shared, “people are coming to church, because they want to find God. They want an encounter with him.”

Join Us In Prayer

The light of Christ is shining brightly in this community. This is one of the reasons we get attacked. It’s a reminder of how important prayer is. We need protection as do Obed and Cesiah.

Please join us in lifting up Obed and Cesiah as they reach out and share the love of Christ  with the community. Pray that the Lord will protect them and their family. Pray for our protection as well.

Dawn and I are in Juarez, Mexico this week training pastors and leaders in coaching.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

A New Church is Being Born
Pastor Daniel Nuñez with Pastor Obed Lares & Cesiah and their three children on the land where the church is being built

Pastor Daniel Nuñez with Pastor Obed Lares & Cesiah and their three children on the land where the church is being built

This weekend is very exciting as we partner with our friends from Ministerios Transformación to build church #29. I will take a group down from San Diego to start this Saturday the 8th of October and then finish on the following Saturday, the 15th of October.

This is one of the highlights of the year for us to be involved in starting a new church. Every time we help plant a church I think of the lives that will be changed as a result of the ministry of these churches.

Obed & Cesiah Lares

Obed & Cesiah Lares

Pastor Obed Lares will be leading this church plant. Dawn and I have grown to love Obed and his wife, Cesiah over the last several months as we’ve gotten to know them. They have tremendous gifts and they love the Lord.

I can’t wait to see all that the Lord will do through them. I believe many lives will be transformed by the power of the gospel. The light of Christ is coming to this dark place, and it will shine brightly.

Pray with Us

Please pray for us as we are already experiencing some attack from the enemy. Pray for our family and the safety of all those that join us on the trip.

I asked  our son, David Jr. to come out and help us out. This is a special blessing for us. David loves building the churches, so he agreed to fly down, in order to be with us! It’s an added bonus.

Thank you Jesus for your marvelous work!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

Baseball & Church Planting
Dave with Pastor Ivan

Dave with Pastor Ivan on the foundation for the new church plant

I’m excited about two events that are going on this week. One is the beginning of baseball season, and second is the building of the new church in Tijuana.

On Tuesday I will be with some church planters to discuss church planting in Southern California and Tijuana. Then after the meeting we’ll go to a baseball game together. That’s like a day made in heaven!

Hope for Valle Verde

As much as I may enjoy baseball, the new church is even better. When you think of all the lives that will be touched, and the people who will be reached for the kingdom in the community of Valle Verde in Tijuana. Wow! What a privilege to play a part in that.

Join Us in Prayer
Meeting on Sunday with some of the people that will be going to build the church in TJ

Meeting on Sunday with some of the people that will be going to build the church in TJ

Pray with us for all the details as we make the final preparations for our trip to Tijuana with a group from the Harbor network of churches on April 5th and 12th. I’m still working on setting up all the van transportation, and getting all the insurance forms filled out. The details aren’t the fun part of the trip for me, but very necessary if we wish to have a successful trip.

Our church planting couple Ivan and Rocio Casados just got back from the church planting assessment center in Monterrey, Mexico. They did very well there, and told me that it was a real blessing for them to be there. Ivan said that they were able to learn more about themselves and church planting through their time in Monterrey.

Thank you Jesus for your good work!

One of the many things that encourages me as we serve here on the border is that the longer we are here the more we learn and we are able to improve. God’s grace enters in and allows us to do an even better work.

Rejoice with us! Pray for a wonderful two weekends and a Spirit  inspired launch of this new church plant.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

 

A New Church in Valle Verde
Dave with Pastor Ivan, Pastor Jose Luis and Pastor Daniel Nuñez

Dave with Pastor Ivan, Pastor Jose Luis and Pastor Daniel Nuñez on the new church plant site

Earlier this week I met with Daniel Nuñez in Tijuana, and we visited a new site for a church plant. The site is in an area of the city called Valle de Verde, which means Green Valley. It’s not very green now ;).

We also met with the pastor that is already working on starting up this new work. Pastor Ivan Casados and his wife, Rocio. Pastor Ivan has started up a small group that will be the committed core for this church. A number of these people a from an area nearby called, Rivera del Bosque, which means brook of the forest, so they’d like to call the church Lo Mejor del Trigo – Rivera del Bosque.

I love the passion that Daniel and pastors he’s working with have for reaching lost people and starting churches to minister to them all throughout the city.

Praying for an Improved System for Church Planting

Daniel and I just came back from a vision trip to Monterrey, Mexico. We were both very encouraged to see the system that the Center for Church Planting has in place. They are doing a great job at assessing, coaching and training their church planters. We’d love to develop a stronger system to sustain the movement of church planting on the border.

Join Us in Prayer for This New Work
Pastor Ivan Casados with the land for the new church site behind him

Pastor Ivan Casados with the land for the new church site behind him

While we were at the church planting site, we stopped to take some time to pray. We do want to lift up this new work, and ask the Lord to go before Pastor Ivan and his wife, Rocio to see many won to Christ and a strong church planted in the community of Valle Verde. O that this church would be a city set on a hill for this community!

Pray with us that God will work powerfully through Ivan and Rocio and all those involved in this project.

We also need wisdom as we work on bringing all the loose parts together to get this off the ground. Lord, enable us to do a better job of training and caring for our pastors, so we can do a better job of loving the city!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

A group of us at the new church plant site in eastern Tijuana

A group of us at the new church plant site in eastern Tijuana – in about a week there will be a church on this site!

Saturday morning we will head down to eastern Tijuana to start phase one of building a new church!

I’m thrilled to be a part of this! It’s an added bonus that my oldest son, David Jr. will be joining us.

Please be in prayer for us as we head across the border at 8:30 AM with 25 people from the Harbor Church Network. It should be a good time. Pray for our safety, and that we work in a unified fashion as we seek to present the gospel in word and deed.

We will be working with Daniel Nuñez and Lo Mejor del Trigo. I’m looking forward to connecting with the people and meeting the pastor of this church site.

Thanks so much for encouraging us and standing with us in prayer!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org