Posts Tagged ‘Prayer’

New Opportunities at New Valley!

Posted: December 7, 2011 in Journey, Ministry Partners
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Dave sharing about our border ministry at New Valley Church

Our journey to see God raise up ministry partners takes us to many places. This last weekend, Dawn and I were in Phoenix. We had an outstanding time with some new friends at New Valley Church. It’s a great church with some wonderful people.

When we go to Phoenix we are able to meet new friends, and reconnect with others. People partner with us in many ways in our ministry on the border. Some of the principle ways are through prayer, encouragement, financially and some want to come join us.

Dawn and I find it encouraging when friends reach out to us, pray for us and are genuinely interested in what we are doing. We love talking about the ministry, and connecting with people who want to come down for a short-term trip. It’s also super when we find an individual who is considering the Lord’s call on their life. When they are exploring whether God might be calling them to work with us on the border.

We found all of that on this trip. New Valley Church and Covenant Community Church are both interested in sending down short-term teams to encourage and help us as we launch our ministry on the San Diego – Tijuana border. One of the short-term trip projects that I’m developing is a focus on groups prayer walking. This involves walking the streets, and praying for the city and the people. We’d also like for people to take pictures, which we could then use technology to geo-tag. This allows us to get to know the city better.

Initially we could accommodate groups of 4 – 8 people. If you think this is something you might be interested in let us know. This is an opportunity to not just talk about prayer, but to pray. To ask the Lord to give us His eyes to see, and to lead us to where He wants us to launch. It aids in showing us where the needs in the city are, and what opportunities there might be to meet those needs.

Dave at New Valley Church

We also talked to a young woman who is very interested in working with us on the border. We do need workers! Pray with us that God will make it clear to her and to us. We are praying for someone to help us in mercy ministries, which incorporates all kinds of ministry possibilities. We have needs for people gifted in evangelism and training as well. We are working on recruiting an administrator, but still unsure where that will go. We trust the Lord will build our team! We wait and pray for His timing.

We leave for San Diego this Friday, where I’ll be preaching at New Life La Mesa on Sunday. Then we will bring David, Jr. home with us for Christmas break.

Thanks for being on this journey with us!

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. We just found out that the transmission in our car is shot. We need to decide whether to replace the car or the transmission. Our budget is tight now, so this comes at a difficult time for us.

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

The Lord of the Harvest – Workers Wanted!

Posted: October 19, 2011 in Journey, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Potential Team Members, Prayer
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Rick & Kathleen Vasquez and their beautiful family

This Sunday I have the privilege of preaching at Skyview Presbyterian Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. A good friend of mine, Rick Vasquez is the pastor at Skyview. Dawn and I along with our kids have become good friends with Rick and Kathleen, and their family. They are great. We really love their family! We’ve also, been able to visit the church over the past years, and we have made friends with people in their church.

Skyview has a real interest in our ministry on the border, which is a great encouragement to us. One family in the church has an interest in checking out BEAMM in San Diego – Tijuana to see if the Lord might be calling them to work with us there. It’s hard to know at this point how long it might take for them to join us, if the Lord indeed is calling them. We look to Jesus for his perfect timing. We do pray for the Lord’s leading and direction, and continued blessing in our partnership with Skyview.

I will be preaching on Matthew 9:35-38 this Sunday. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 9:37-38, “…The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” There is always a need for workers to labor in the Lord’s harvest field. The idea is not just that there is a lot of harvest (the harvest is plentiful), but that there is an urgency to harvest it. So we pray that the Lord will raise up workers to minister alongside us. We also pray that the Lord of the harvest would send them quickly.

We need you to pray with and for us in a similar manner. Recently I’ve met a number of people who might be interested in joining our ministry team. At this point, I’d say that they are interested in learning more about us, and checking us out. I wrote about the opportunity I had to recruit new workers at MTW’s vision retreat a few weeks ago. It’s been exciting to meet so many people who have a heart to serve. People who are seeking the Lord, and asking Him where He wants them.

Over the next two weeks we will be in San Diego and Tijuana. While we are there we have a friend who is coming to visit, and explore the possibility of joining our team. He would help us in administration and training, which are two huge needs that we have.

Edgardo, Mario, Dave, Dawn, Elizabeth, and Silvia (with child)

I talked to Mario Silva last night. They are still hoping and praying they will be able to join us soon. Silvia is due to give birth to their son on November 4th. Keep them in your prayers, as their family grows. We pray that the Lord will open the door for them to join us in 2012.

We see that the Lord is building our team, but we really have no idea of what it will look like in a year or two from now. We are praying, and dreaming about it though!

Our family also continues to wait on the Lord’s timing to sell our house, so that we can move to the border.

Thanks for standing with us in prayer!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

The Blessing of Friends/Ministry Partners!

Posted: September 1, 2011 in Ministry, Ministry Partners, Potential Team Members, Prayer
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Dave, Dawn and Hannah with Mario, Silvia, Chivis, Cesia and Diane

We just returned from our amazing trip to San Diego. We had a wonderful time with Mario and Silvia Silva, their two girls, Chivis and Cesia, and their niece Diane. Mario and Silvia were our best friends our second term in Mexico. It was a great reunion.

Although we saw Mario in February, and Chivis lived with us for six months, we hadn’t seen the rest of the family for about 10 years. Wow, time flies! It’s such a blessing to see all the different places the Lord has taken us, and now he has brought us back together again.

Not only are Mario and Silvia great friends, but they love Jesus, and they have a strong interest in working with us on the border. This was one of many steps we need to take to determine whether the Lord is calling them to work with us.

It was so fulfilling to see them interact with many of our other good friends, and ministry partners. Stephen and Bradford Phelan along with Edgardo and Elizabeth Avila from Harbor Mid City. Ray and Michele Call our team members with BEAMM. Daniel Nunez our friend who is spreading the gospel in Tijuana.

Mario & Silvia, Dave & Dawn with the Phelans

One of the unfortunate events that happened while we were in San Diego was that Bradford had a miscarriage. We all felt for their loss. Mario and Silvia really wanted to pray with the Phelans, and say good-bye before they left.

Last Friday morning, Dawn and Hannah took care of the Phelan children while Bradford went to the doctor. When she came back we prayed for Stephen and Bradford. Mario and Silvia have a real gift in prayer. They pray with power, and with much faith. After we prayed Bradford said she felt the Holy Spirit’s presence. Praise God!

Continue to pray for Stephen and Bradford as they deal with the loss. Often healing is a process, and the Lord graciously uses the prayers and encouragement of friends.

Cesia, Mario, Chivis, Diane and Silvia (from left to right)

Lord, we continue to ask you for your healing touch for Bradford and Stephen. We also pray for your leading for Mario and Silvia as they consider whether you would have them serve you on the border. Make straight the way before us.

Thanks for your interest in what we are doing, and for your holy prayers!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Is the Border Safe?

Posted: August 12, 2011 in God's Leading, Journey, Ministry, Prayer
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Mexican - U.S. border

Many people ask me this question, is the border safe? Well, according an article I recently read in the USA Today, it depends on what side you live on. The article is titled, “On the border, peaceful U.S. side is torn by Mexican strife.”  It describes the sharp contrast between the relative peace on the U.S. side of the border compared to all the violence on the Mexican side.

You can read the whole article here. As Dawn and I meet with friends, that question inevitably comes up, What about the security of living on the border. Obviously, it is a concern that we share.

After being kidnapped and held up at gun point while we lived in Mexico City, I’m not necessarily pining away to put myself in harms way. Nor do I want to put my family in any unnecessary risk. This is one of the reasons that we will be living on the U.S. side of the border.

Border Patrol

Dawn and I both feel called to serve on the border. I can assure you that I’m not dragging her to minister there with me. We are aware of the dangers of the border, and that our enemy is scheming to diminish our influence. Yet there is power in the gospel. The gospel is the only true hope for the border. The gospel does change everything.

The dangers of the border only emphasize our need for an army of friends standing with us in prayer. Holding up our hands as Aaron held up Moses’s hands as Joshua was engaged in the battle. Joshua was only able to defeat the enemy as Moses prayed and held up his hands imploring the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Please stand with us, and lift us up before the Lord! We will fail if we don’t have an army of prayer warriors standing with us.

We don’t go into this ministry unaware of some of the challenges that lie before us. Yet we go in confidence, knowing that the Lord has called us to this work, and He goes before us!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

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