Posts Tagged ‘Peace’

Giving Thanks for 2017: Looking Forward to 2018

Posted: January 8, 2018 in Christianity, Church Planting, Journey, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Reflections & Musings
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God’s Faithfulness and Healing Touch
Dawn and I give thanks for all the wonderful pastors and partners we serve with in Mexico

Dawn and I give thanks for all the wonderful pastors and partners we serve with in Mexico

As we begin 2018 I give thanks for all that the Lord did in 2017. This last year has not been an easy year for Dawn and me. It’s been painful to mourn our daughter, Hannah’s moving to heaven. Yet, I believe the Lord has also brought us a tremendous amount of healing. I give thanks for the comforting arms of the Lord. I’m grateful for so many friends who have reached out to us and loved us.

Even though it has been a year where we’ve needed much encouragement, much love, and much prayer which has been like a salve to our wound, we’ve also seen advance in the ministry.

Milestones in 2017
Redeemer San Diego Medical Missions Team

Redeemer San Diego Medical Missions Team

Some of the ministry milestones for 2017 are:

  • Renuevo Church launching in Ensenada in April
  • Redeemer San Diego sending their youth group down to Ensenada to connect with Renuevo to reach out to teenagers through sports and a fun day.
  • Redeemer San Diego partnering with Renuevo and bringing down a medical team to treat those with physical and spiritual needs. The doctor’s and the team that come down are so loving, and do such a wonderful job of sharing the love of Christ with their patients.
  • Skyview Presbyterian coming to Ensenada for the fourth year to help Renuevo lead a summer VBS.
  • Trained a number of pastors through the incubator that’s geared for church planters.
  • Coached church planters in Tijuana and Ensenada.
  • Raised the funds and helped build classrooms for one of the church plants in Rosarito that we started 2 1/2 years ago.
  • Worked with our friends in Cuba to aid in training coaches.
  • Gave leadership to MTW Mexico
Goals and Dreams for 2018
One of our goals for 2018 is to build a church in memory of our daughter, Hannah.

One of our goals for 2018 is to build a church in memory of our daughter, Hannah.

One of our biggest goals for 2018 is to plant a church in Hannah’s memory. We are still working on raising all the funds for the church plant. I spoke with pastor Daniel Nuñez this past week, and we’ve decided that we will build the new church on the weekend of April 13 – 15.

We also have a goal to get our church plant in La Paz, Mexico started in early 2018.

A goal that we have for MTW Mexico is to mobilize a minimum of one new missionary family to join our work in Mexico.

There are other dreams that we are praying for as we enter 2018. I’m starting to work on writing a book. I’ve actually begun working on it, but it’s been a challenge to figure out how to find time to write with all that’s going on.

Dawn and I have a trip to Mexico City this week from January 11 – 16, and from there, we will be going to Havana, Cuba from the 16 – 22. We need major prayer as we minister here on the Border, the Baja and Beyond. I feel that we need prayer especially as we begin to travel. Last year, we feel like we got a little worn out from all the traveling by the end of the year, so we hope to do a better job managing our schedule this year.

Thank you so much for loving us and standing with us dear friends!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Praying for God’s Peace in La Paz

Posted: May 1, 2017 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Enjoying The Beauty of God’s Work
La Paz

La Paz

One of the many wonderful things that we enjoy about our ministry is that we get to travel to see those that we partner with. The Lord is doing a marvelous work through our friends in and around Mexico. An added bonus to all our travels is that we’ve found that it really helps us as we grieve Hannah’s loss. It helps us to not think about it as much, but also the people we connect with are very loving and encouraging to us.

Recently, Dawn and I visited Peter and Jenny Boling who are serving in La Paz, which is in Southern Baja California. La Paz is a beautiful peaceful city, and it is also the capital of the State. La Paz means the peace, so it is appropriately named.

A Place to Pray for Peace
Peter & Jenny Boling

Peter & Jenny Boling

Peter and Jenny have rented some space downtown for a prayer center. This gives them a presence in the city and the opportunity to meet people, and to share the love of Christ. Our goal is to form a beachhead to see the community transformed as we start new churches. The Boling’s just moved to La Paz last September, and they’ve made great progress.

Pray with us for a breakthrough in La Paz. We are also looking for a national church planter who can partner with them. Even though La Paz is a beautiful city, there are great needs in the community. The prayer center is a way to open doors. Peter and Jenny have already had some wonderful conversations and opportunities to pray with people who are curious and seeking.

Praying for Transformed Lives

While we were there Peter showed me a building a stone’s throw away from their prayer center that would make for a great church facility down the road. We have a vision for the future and for a better tomorrow. We know that God’s heart is to see lives transformed and for entire communities to experience his saving love.

Thank you for standing with us on this journey of faith!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

P.S. Pray for Dawn’s dad, Al. He has cancer and is not doing well. It’s tough that it’s so close to losing Hannah, and that my dad also has cancer.

Learning to Practice What I Preach!

Posted: November 4, 2014 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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I find that often after I preach a message that the Lord soon gives me an opportunity to put into practice what I preached on. Maybe it’s because I’m a slow learner? 😉

A New Work in La Paz
Dave & Peter (the small guys in the back) with Benjamin & Blanca Romero and Victor & Fanny and Karis Gonzalez in Los Cabos

Dave & Peter (the small guys in the back) with Pastor Benjamin & Blanca Romero and Pastor Victor & Fanny and Karis Gonzalez in Los Cabos

Last week I was in La Paz and Cabo San Lucas in Baja California. I was with fellow MTW missionary Peter Boling and a Mexican church planter that is considering leading a church planting project in La Paz. We were also to see some of the sites and people affected by Hurricane Odile.

The Lord blessed our time together. It’s encouraging to think about starting something new, especially a new church in the capital city of Southern Baja California. I hope to write more about our time in La Paz and Los Cabos in my next post.

Continuing to Learn to Rest in the Lord’s Hands

While that was going on there were some troubles at home, so I had to leave earlier than I was planning on. That’s when I especially needed to apply what I had preached on – The Incomparable Peace of Christ. 

The Lord promises us a supernatural peace that will guard our hearts like soldiers guard a city. He encourages us to pray and not to be anxious.

I was listening to some praise songs today, and one of the songs I heard sang, You hold me in Palm of your hands. What a wonderful promise.

God has often reminded me as I pray for my family that he loves them even more than I do.

Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭49‬:‭15,16‬ ESV)

Isn’t that a comfort to know that God will not forget you? He cares for you, and that you are continually before him. This promise gives me great hope. Isn’t it good to know that the Lord cares for you in such a loving and tender way?

These are some of the things that I had to remind myself of as our family encountered some difficult trials. It seems to be a hazard of my trade. Yet, God hasn’t forgotten us. He has a good plan for us and he uses it for his good, which is ultimately for our good as well.

Thank you Lord for your loving care. Thank you for your tender mercies. You are so gracious to remind me of the truth of your Word and your promises.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

The Incomparable Peace of Christ

Posted: October 27, 2014 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Our Weekend in Fresno
Dave at Sierra View

Dave at Sierra View

This weekend Dawn and I along with two of our kids, David and Hannah were able to go to my home town, Fresno. Sunday morning I preached at Sierra View Presbyterian Church on Philippians 4:1-9, on The Incomparable Peace of Christ.

God’s Perfect Peace

One of my favorite passages and a wonderful hope filled message. I shared the following three points during my Sermon

Three Keys for Peace
  1. Always Rejoice
  2. Pray in all occasions 
  3. Focus your thinking on what is Excellent

I love the promise that God gives us in this passage in verses 6-7.

The promise of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

It’s like the soldiers that are ready, watching over, guarding and protecting the city. The Lord watches over and protects us.

What a beautiful promise of God that he will care for us and protect us. It’s something that should bring us much peace and encouragement. We know that God loves us and he rules over all things, so he has a good purpose for everything that happens.

Even though God doesn’t always respond to our prayers how we would like him to – he does respond how we would if we knew all that God knows!

I’m so grateful that the Prince of Peace promises us a peace that passes our understanding. An incomprehensible peace, because it’s so huge. As we pray God does respond. These are promises that are worth remembering and meditating on.

I pray that they will be a blessing to you as well.

God’s blessing in my hometown

Some of the things that made it extra special for me to be able to be in my home town and preach at Sierra View are that my parents and my brother and his family were able to be there with us! Also, Sierra View has been the church that has partnered with us for the longest, since we started in ministry in 1988. We’ve known each other for a long time.

Thank you Lord for your many blessings and for encouraging me and my family through your people this weekend.

I’m off to Los Cabos and La Paz this Monday morning to help set up our new church planting project in La Paz and to look over the damage done by Hurricane Odile. Pray for a profitable trip and the Lord watches over and cares for my family while I’m gone.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org