Posts Tagged ‘Peter Boling’

Red de Multiplicación – Multiplication Network in El Salvador

IMG_1145Over 300 people from 19 Latin American countries gathered this week in El Salvador to promote more churches and healthier churches in the Spanish speaking world. One of the most exciting things for me was to see people from so many different cultures and denominational traditions coming together for the Kingdom of God.

I believe it glorifies God when his people come together and when they lay aside some of their differences for the advance of the church. The ministry that organized this event is called Multiplication Network or Red de Multiplicación in Spanish. Their slogan is more churches, healthier churches.

The Church in Growing in Latin America

Reports were given by various leaders about how many churches have been started, how many people have come to Christ, been baptized and other areas which demonstrate growth and health. With all the bad news going on in the world it does lift up my soul to see how God’s Spirit is moving and bringing about transformation in Latin American.

The main focus at the conference was on discipleship and life transformation. This is a much needed area in the church. The trends are showing that while the church is growing in Latin America, that many Christians are becoming nominal. Their faith is shallow, and therefore their influence on the culture is minimal.

We can’t be satisfied with just getting people in the door of the church. O Lord, do wake up the church and bring about true transformation that will rock the nations!

Collaborating with Friends & Colleagues
IMG_1131

Pastor Edson Martinez, David Diaso (Me), Pastor Abraham Velazquez and MTW Missionary Peter Boling

Another highlight for me was that some of my friends and colleagues in ministry were able to join me at the conference. Peter Boling who works with me in the Baja was able to attend. Also, two pastors from Ministerios Transformación attended, Pastor Abraham Velazquez and Pastor Edson Martinez.

On the last night we had a little time available to explore San Salvador and we saw some of the city together and enjoyed pupusas, which is one of the delicious El Salvadoran meals.

My ongoing prayer has been for breakthrough. I long to see breakthrough where we are locally on the border and The Baja. I also long to see breakthrough in other parts of México, in the great cities of Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, etc. I pray that the Lord’s Spirit will move in such an amazing way in Mexico and that it will spill over into other countries in Latin America. My desire is to be a part of what God is doing. This desire, this dream is not too big for the Lord. O Lord, do you mighty and awesome work on the earth as it is in heaven!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

A New Work in La Paz
Pastor Victor Gonzalez on the left with Peter Boling and the core group for the new church

Pastor Victor Gonzalez on the left with Peter Boling and the core group for the new church

Last week church planter Victor Gonzalez arrived with his family to La Paz, Baja California. This is a project we have partnered with the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico and the Center for Church Planting on for the last two years to get it off the ground.

La Paz means the peace in Spanish. We pray for God’s peace to reign in this city!

Your Prayers are Key!

Your prayers and the prayers and work of others have played a huge part in getting this project going.

La Paz is a key city. It’s the Capitol of Southern Baja California. This will be the first Presbyterian church in this city.

Victor and his wife, Fanny found a house in the area they are targeting for the church plant in their first week there. It will take them some time to settle in, but even this time is key as they develop relationships and get to know the city.

Lord, Open the Doors – Prepare the Way
Dave & Peter (the small guys in the back) with Benjamin & Blanca Romero and Victor & Fanny and Karis Gonzalez in Los Cabos

Dave & Peter Boling (in the back) with pastor Benjamin & Blanca Romero and Victor & Fanny and Karis Gonzalez in Los Cabos preparing for new church planting project for La Paz, Baja California Sur

Our prayer as Victor and Fanny begin this work is that the Lord goes before them so that the gospel will go out in power. That many people will come to Christ through the witness of this church, and that this will help spark a movement in La Paz and Los Cabos.

Fellow missionary Peter Boling is coming alongside Victor and Fanny and helping them as they get settled and work on first steps.

Continue to lift up our friends. We know the enemy doesn’t like it when we invade what he thinks is his territory. The Kingdom of God is on the move!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

West Coast Missions Conference
The West Coast Missions Conference

The West Coast Missions Conference

This weekend was a blast! Mission to the World (MTW) held their first ever West Coast Missions Conference at one of our favorite churches, Redeemer San Diego.

Dawn and I enjoyed connecting with all the people and telling them about what God is doing on the border and the Baja. We love to tell the story, It makes it extra special when those listening have an interest in missions.

I find that I get challenged in a good way by the other missionaries and those that speak at these conferences.

We loved having our colleagues from the MTW office out on the West coast as well as fellow missionaries. God has blessed us with some outstanding people who are committed to the great commission. What a huge encouragement to serve along the choice servants the Lord has privileged us to work with.

Thankful for Our Team Members & Partners
Jay Kyle, Jim DeWitt, Dave & Dawn, Alina & Verne Marshall at the West Coast Missions Conference

Jay Kyle, Jim DeWitt, Dave & Dawn, Alina & Verne Marshall at the West Coast Missions Conference

Also, two of our team members came for the conference and they will be staying on this week, so we can get some time to pray and plan together. Jim DeWitt and Peter Boling, who are part of our team are here with us now.

Daniel Nuñez from Lo Mejor del Trigo was also able to accompanying us. We are getting ready to work with Daniel and LMT to start their 24th church. Redeemer in San Diego, who hosted the conference will be involved in the building of the new church which is planned for mid-March. Everyone enjoyed getting to know Daniel, which gives me a lot of joy!

Trials & Prayer

The timing of this conference was both good and difficult. It was good, because we the Lord encouraged us as we interacted with new and old friends. It was difficult, because we are in the middle of a painful trial.

I don’t want to say too much on this forum, but our daughter is going through a rough time. It weighs heavy on our hearts. We appreciate your prayers we definitely need them.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

God’s Wonderful Servants
The humble ministry center that Myrta and Soltero minister out of, which has also been their home. Their home and the ministry center were damaged in the hurricane.

The ministry center that Myrta and Sotero minister out of, which has also been their home. Their home and the ministry center were damaged in the hurricane.

One of the many things that I enjoy about this work on the border and the Baja is the wonderful people we meet.

Peter Boling who ministers in Cabo San Lucas has introduced me to some of the people who serve in Los Cabos. Most people know Los Cabos as a vacation spot, a place for cruises to stop, the arch and great fishing. Yet there is another story, another side of Los Cabos. There are many people who live in poverty and have huge needs.

Ministering to the Needy
Soltero and Myrta with their daughter

Sotero and Myrta with their daughter

One of the families that I have enjoyed meeting is Sotero and Myrta. They live in a poor community on the edge of town. God is using them to make a difference there.

They are reaching out through feeding children and families for a very low price. Sotero and Myrta love to tell the story of Jesus. They hold Bible studies and they show the love of Christ through acts of compassion.

Hurricane Odile has left many without work. Others have lost their homes. Sotero and Myrta’s home was destroyed in the hurricane. But they haven’t given up the ministry continues.

God uses willing and able servants like Sotero and Myrta to make things happen. Don’t you agree that I am privileged to meet people like them? I hope one day you can meet them too!

Thank you Lord for such choice servants.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

 

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 Nightmare of Hurricane Odile Aftermath
Some of the damage from hurricane Odile

Some of the damage from hurricane Odile

Peter Boling and family have been living through a nightmare in Cabo San Lucas, since hurricane Odile hit. Peter told me that they’ve been without running water and electricity until today.

Unfortunately, the storm brought out the worst in many of the people. There was rioting and rampant looting. Peter and his neighbors had to band together to protect their homes from those seeking to invade them. They had to arm themselves.

Peter shared about the unbelievable experience,

It was a motley crew…. samurai swords, machetes, baseball bats, golf clubs, clubs. I could not believe it was happening…We ran off multiple assailants. It was all out warfare. How is this possible? We survived the night and fortunately it was the worst. Order has been restored in most parts and now the biggest danger is Dengue Fever.

Peter & Jenny on the left with Emilio & Mytee

Peter & Jenny on the left with Emilio & Mytee

Thanks for praying for the Boling family. They’ve been through quite an ordeal and it’s not over yet.

The government along with others have been working to restore order and clean up the streets. Things are improving, but thousands have lost their homes and they are living without their basic needs.

I am working with Mission to the World (MTW) to bring aid to the area. If you would like to give to help the people affected by hurricane Odile and assist with the disaster relief efforts we will have a project fund set up through MTW that you can give to.

The Light of Christ Shines Through the Darkness

We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to bring the gospel to Los Cabos.

You can be a part of this effort! More details to come. The main way you can help now is to pray.

Join Us In Prayer

Pray for the Lord’s protection for the Bolings and the thousands of people who are in need. Also, lift up one of our partner churches, JesuCristo el Buen Pastor, “Jesus the Good Shepherd” in San Jose del Cabo led by pastor Benjamin Romero. Many are still living without their basic needs. Pray that God will comfort them and shower them with his peace in their time of need.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

The Lord Works Through Us
Dave with Peter Boling, Larry Trotter and Jim DeWitt in Los Cabos

Dave with Peter Boling, Larry Trotter and Jim DeWitt in Los Cabos

I’m writing this post from Mexico City, a place that was home to us for almost 10 years. I arrived here from Los Cabos on Wednesday.

Many memories come flooding back while I’m here, but today I’m going to focus on what I was doing in Los Cabos. In my last post I wrote about our gospel advancement meetings with the our partners from the Mexican National Church. Those meetings gave me hope for the future in the Baja.

Praying & Planning for the Advance of the Gospel
Jim leading us through a planning exercise

Jim leading us through a planning exercise

After we finished I met for two and a half days with our regional San Diego – Baja team, which is made up of Peter Boling, Jim DeWitt and me. The region we work in is spread out, we don’t get much face to face time, so it was wonderful to have time together to get to know one another better, and to be able to work together.

We focused on refining our mission, vision, values and goals for our team. Even though that might not sound like much fun, the Lord blessed our time. Every one in the group left feeling more encouraged. Do we have any obstacles ahead of us? Yes, but nonetheless we also have some outstanding opportunities to make a difference for the kingdom as we work together.

I must admit that the work we did was at times exhausting. It’s hard to try to create something new. It’s not easy to work for transformation of such a large region. We know God has to bring the increase. We serve a big God. This truth gives us hope.

Join Us In Prayer
The two sides of Los Cabos.

The two sides of Los Cabos.

The three of us recognize that even our best plans will come to nothing, if we don’t put Christ first. Prayer has to be one of the keys to our ministry as we trust the Lord to bring the results.

All of us also believe that building a strong relationship between us and those we are working with as well is key. One of the ways to develop a better deeper relationship to spend time together not only working, but having a good time together.

We took advantage of the beauty of Los Cabos and went out on a boat one of the afternoons. It was so relaxing and just an all around good time to enjoy one another’s company. We also saw the needy areas in Los Cabos, the areas the tourists don’t see.

Hear Our Prayer

Our prayer for San Diego – Baja and beyond is that God’s Spirit will blow through this region and touch the hearts of the people  so that we will see 1000’s come to Christ and changed by the gospel. O Lord, make it so! As it is in heaven, may it be on earth! Thy kingdom come.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org