Posts Tagged ‘Redeemer San Diego’

Medical Mission in Ensenada

Posted: May 24, 2017 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Prayer
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A Fruitful Day of Ministry
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Our fun team from Redeemer San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico

I believe I’ve said this before, but one of my favorite ministries is our medical outreach. This is the third year now that we’ve taken a team down from Redeemer San Diego to minister to the needy in Ensenada. This year we went to Maneadero, which is just South of Ensenada.

The Love of Christ Exhibited
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Jennifer Lutes lovingly caring for one of the families that came to the clinic

We had our largest medical team, with 17 people coming from Redeemer and a sister church from Orange County. The medical team is made up of some of the most loving and caring people I know. The love of Christ just shines through them as they treat the patients.

The staff also is a tremendous witness to the translators who come from a middle school in Ensenada, Colegio Grecia. A number of the families involved in the school have an interest in being a part of the new church plant that Petri and Yudy are leading. The new church is called Renuevo.

Our medical team treated 50 patients while we were in Maneadero. We held the medical clinic in a mission church, called Gracia y Paz. This mission is led by Pastor Jose Zunun. Jose is also involved in our incubator church planting training as is Petri.

We are so excited by what the Lord is doing in and around Ensenada!

The Healing Work of the Gospel!
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Pastor Jose Zunun sharing the gospel with one of the families that came to the medical clinic

Jose and I prayed for and shared the gospel with every patient that came to the clinic. We let them know that we are not only concerned for their physical health, but also for their spiritual health. The people we cared for come from humble families, very few if any have vehicles, so it’s hard for them to go very far to go to church. That is one of the reasons we try to start a number of churches in a community, so the people can walk to them. One of the ladies that prayed with me to receive Christ, Maria de Jesus, told me she wanted to come to church, but it was too far for her family to walk to.

Pastor Jose doesn’t have a car either, so he’s not able to go pick them up. I pray that Maria can find a way to start coming to church, so that she will grow in her faith with her beautiful family.

The Lord blessed us as we shared the gospel with the people and eight of them prayed to receive Christ. We prayed for their health as well, and they sensed the Lord’s comfort and peace.

Remembering Hannah
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Hannah and her beautiful smile with our friends on the medical missions trip last year

The last time we did a medical outreach in Ensenada our daughter, Hannah was with us. I couldn’t help, but think about how she helped me to pray for the people. Last year Hannah led the people in prayer, and she led nine people to faith in Christ. One day those people will see Hannah in heaven, and I’m sure that they will thank her for sharing with them about the greatest news ever given. What a wonderful day that will be!

Our son, David, Jr. just started a memorial fund called: #AHANNAHPERCENT Hannah Diaso Memorial fund. The purpose is to raise money for a new church in Hannah’s memory, and to create a scholarship fund. Here’s the link, and please share it with your friends: www.youcaring.com/daviddiaso-830534

A Life Transforming Experience!

At the end of the day, we went to Colegio Grecia to present the translators with a certificate recognizing the good work they had done. It was gratifying to see the parents broad smiles as they were so proud of their children. The young translators shared how the experienced changed them as they were able to help people less fortunate than themselves. It’s a life transforming experience when these youth, who come from wealthy families interact with the poor. It opens their eyes. I think it opens all of our eyes, and gives us the eyes of Christ. That is our hope and prayer!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Building Bridges in Ensenada

Posted: March 3, 2017 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Missions, Prayer
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A Cross Border, Cross-cultural Encounter
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Redeemer SD youth group with Colegio Grecia youth in Ensenada

Last Saturday I took a youth group from Redeemer San Diego Church to Ensenada to connect with our friends Petri and Yudy. The Lord gave us an outstanding day.

Petri and Yudy invited youth from the school they work at Colegio Grecia to meet the youth from San Diego. They played soccer, basketball and volleyball together. Then we went for some savory tacos at one of the homes of the families represented. There were close to 40 youth from Colegio Grecia that showed up, and many of their parents came as well.

It was an all around fun day, and the event went a long ways towards creating a bridge between the two groups and it opened up the door for future opportunities.

Petri and Yudy are working hard at loving on their friends in Ensenada. They want to build bridges with their co-workers and their families and show them the love of Christ.

A Sentimental Trip
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Hannah with Yudy

This was the first time I had been back in Ensenada, since Hannah died. I couldn’t keep from reminiscing and remembering the good times we enjoyed in Ensenada with our beautiful daughter and our friends there. Hannah loved all our friends there and she had a special relationship with Yudy. I enjoyed the day, and I kept busy enough during our time together that I didn’t have too much time to over think the days gone by. Yet, there was still some sorrow that my daughter, our daughter couldn’t be with us.

Building Bridges for Today and the Future
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Both groups had a great time playing sports such as soccer

Even though this was the first time the youth had met each other, some of them were at the point of tears when they had to say goodbye. Young people somehow manage to  break through barriers and create bonds quickly. That was gratifying to see how the Lord used the event in their lives.

On the way home the youth from Redeemer shared how much they enjoyed the experience, and how they hope to see their new friends again soon. Even though we had to wait five hours to cross back into the U.S., because the border line was so long it didn’t seem to dampen the groups enthusiasm.

Petri shared with me after the trip that one of the mom’s from the group in Mexico told him, “thank you for organizing such a valuable event for the growth of our children. Count on us for other events that you hold, including the medical trips.” Hallelujah!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

Ringing the Bell for Missions

Posted: January 27, 2017 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Dr. Lloyd Kim sharing at MTW regional hub meeting

Yesterday Dawn and I went to a luncheon in Encinitas at Redeemer Church to promote missions with Mission to the World (MTW). It was a wonderful event as we heard from MTW’s coordinator, Dr. Lloyd Kim and Mobilization director, Dave Veldhorst.

They spoke about the vision of seeing 2,877 new missionaries join the mission force through MTW. That’s an exciting and a big goal for our mission. One of the ways we aim to do that is by forming regional hubs in places like San Diego, Dallas and St. Louis to train and prepare potential missionary candidates.

This vision is still coming together, so we need much prayer. One blazing truth that remains is that Jesus needs men and women to serve him in missions. He needs people who are willing to go and serve.

Christ asked his disciples to pray for more workers.

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers in his harvest.” (Luke 10:2,3) ESV

Here’s a helpful short video that MTW put together that challenges us to think and pray about sending more people into the world.

Dawn and I have been praying since before we arrived on the border for more workers. Please join us in prayer that God will raise up many more laborers to go out into the harvest field, and that some of them would join us in our work in Mexico.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Building Bridges on the Border

Posted: April 6, 2016 in Christianity, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Video
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Our medical team lovingly treating the patients

Our medical team lovingly treating the patients

One of the highlights of our ministry on the border and the Baja has been our medical clinics in Ensenada. God has used the partnership of Redeemer San Diego and La Nueva Jerusalén in Ensenada to touch the lives of many. It’s beautiful to see the love of Christ poured out through the doctors, dentists and all those that assist and make this outreach possible. We are using medicine to build bridges for the gospel as we show the love of Christ in a real and tangible way.

I put together a short video with the help of my son, David Jr. that will give you a glimpse of what we do on these missions trips.

May the gospel continue to go forth in power in Ensenada. May the Lord’s church extend it’s reach for the glory of God!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Sweet Oriesa’s Story

Posted: March 24, 2016 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions
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Oriesa with Jose Zunun

Oriesa with Jose Zunun

One of the young women, Oriesa Wiyona, who made up part of the medical outreach team from Redeemer San Diego shared her perspective on the trip. She did a great job sharing her story, so I wanted you to see it!

Yesterday was my third time going to Ensenada medical missions with my home church. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least feeling somewhat jaded and “numb”–whatever that means… I felt as if I had no business going again to serve the people there if my heart wasn’t fully invested. Truthfully, I think that one of the worst things to have is a lackluster/lukewarm heart (Revelations 3:16).
On Friday morning, the day before the trip, I was reading a Spurgeon devotional about those who have feeble faith :
“Oh that I had the courage of a great heart, that I could wield his sword and be as valiant as He! But, alas, I stumble at every straw, and a shadow makes me afraid… Peter and Paul, the highly favoured apostles were of the family of the most high; and so are you also; the weak Christian is as much a child of God as the strong one.”

Medical clinic in Ensenada

Medical clinic in Ensenada

Days before the trip, our team found out that a lot of our medical and dental equipments were confiscated on the way down to the border (ie medications, dental tools, lido injections etc.). What a disappointment… Usually we’ve had no problems with our items crossing the border, however this time, things were seemingly more difficult than ever.
On the way down to the border, one of our team physicians lead a morning devotional. He was quoting an idea from a book called, “When Helping Hurts” which stated something alone the lines of: helping and serving can often times feed into our sense of a God complex because people will thank you or “sing your praises”.

I was wondering whether my ego had started to feed into that role which led me to feel ‘holier than thou’ in a sense that these people needed me more than I needed them. Was I depending on the praises of these people to come and serve? Was I wanting to do everything by AND for myself? Were my intentions for going on to missions askew? A sense of sheer guilt began to wash over me for thinking that I could’ve possibly missed the whole intention/purpose of missions. The last thing I wanted to do was go into the missions field with a self-serving/righteous attitude.
However as I returned from Mexico that night, my feeble heart felt strengthened and encouraged as I began to realize God’s subtle blessings during our trip.

Some of our medical team

Some of our medical team

For example, the dental equipments that was lost ended up being provided by a friend of one of our missionaries in Mexico… a family member of one of the church planters is a nurse who rallied the help of her friends to aid with women’s health by providing screenings and free pap smears. And in the end, our team saw 77 patients and 7 prayed to accept Christ. Those numbers served as a reminder for why Christ intended us to do missions–not for my personal gain, but for His glory (One of our team members pointed out that 7 is a pretty holy number after all…)
So today, when my pastor addressed Genesis 1:1-9–the story of Babel, I was incredibly humbled and somewhat taken aback. These people were building towers for the sake of personal gain and achievements, however were rebuked in the end when God changes the language causing their tower building activity to fall apart. Whoa… that sounded a little too familiar.

 

Neighborhood where we held medical outreach

Neighborhood where we held medical outreach

Pastor Paul stated that that building our own tower makes us delusional–we believe that we are bigger and more important than we really are by providing our time, talents, achievements and accomplishments. When I compare my works to the vastness of His universe, I often forget that I am merely encircling myself in a web of pride and selfishness. Our towers do not last, no matter how big the glory and praises of the day seems. It was pride that led to the fall of Adam and Eve and it was pride that led to the judgement of Babel.
So while our doing is for the purpose of eternal kingdom work, it is only by His grace that the new faith of those 7 patients may be sustained AND that my feeble heart as practitioner/missionary can rest assured in His identity and be free to bless our other brothers and sisters in need. And lastly… what a beautiful reminder through missions that my prideful heart can be changed and renewed by His grace.

Thanks Oriesa for sharing your story!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Terrible Transformed To Terrific!

Posted: March 21, 2016 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Medical Missions Outreach!
Redeemer San Diego medical missions team

Redeemer San Diego medical missions team

It certainly wasn’t easy to pull it off. I felt like we had to climb a mountain and then walk through a forest to make the medical missions trip happen, but it was well worth it!

God ministered in some amazing ways through the Redeemer San Diego medical team and the team from Nueva Jerusalén in Ensenada. When I think of a word to describe the experience, outstanding comes to mind.

Why Was It Terrifically Outstanding?
Our medical team lovingly treating the patients

Our medical team lovingly treating the patients

Why do I say it was outstanding? First, we had to overcome a number of obstacles. All of our dental instruments had been confiscated by customs on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Our dentists were able to see 40 patients, because through friends of the medical team we were able to come up with some more medical supplies.

Second, we saw 78 patients which is amazing considering that we were only able to attend see them during a shortened day, because of the drive, set-up and tear-down. Redeemer’s doctors and the two teams are so loving as they treat the patients. The love of Christ shines through brightly in an otherwise dark place!

Hannah with one of the women from the clinic that she led in prayer

Hannah with one of the women from the clinic that she led in prayer

Prayer for Every Patient

Third, we prayed for every patient. I was so excited to have Hannah with me. We had four people sharing the gospel and praying for the patients.

Hannah and I made up one team. We shared the gospel with 9 adults and their children. Of these 9 adults 7 of them prayed to receive Christ and one of them reconfirmed her faith. I was so proud of Hannah as she led 7 of them in prayer to ask for forgiveness and to place their faith in Christ.

New life in Christ! Hallelujah!

Petri and the Ensenada team was able to recruit a team of nurses and health professionals from Ensenada’s public health services to educate the people who came. This is a huge advance for us, because we are concerned about the ongoing health of the people.

Petri in the middle with some of our friends that helped with prayer and setup

Petri in the middle with some of our friends from Nueva Jerusalén that helped with prayer and setup

We are hoping that at our next clinic we will be able to offer optometry and vaccinations. God’s broadening our borders as we learn and move forward in treating needy people and showing them the love of Christ in a real and tangible way.

At the end of the day, we went to the Colegio Grecia the school that Petri and Yudy work at, and all of our translators attend school there. Petri presented them with a certificate of appreciation on our behalf.

All their parents came. It was a simple recognition, but it opens doors for us as we pray for a church plant among professionals that Petri and Yudy are planning on launching this Fall.

Thank You For Standing With Us In Prayer!

IMG_3959Thank you so much for praying. I felt like more than most trips we needed prayer covering, and that we needed to pray against the strategies of the evil one. Prayer is always essential, but if possible it seemed even more important for this trip. I sensed God’s presence among us throughout the day!

Both groups Redeemer and La Nueva Jerusalén had such wonderful attitudes. It’s not easy when you are tired, and for the Americans working in another culture in another language adds even more stress. Yet, the Lord was with us in a Special way! Hallelujah!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

Jesus & Medical Missions in Ensenada

Posted: April 6, 2015 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Medical Missions In Ensenada

I hope you are still living in the afterglow of Easter!

Kathie Kim & Sarah Oh from Redeemer SD in the middle surrounded by the leaders from iglesia Nueva Jerusalén

Kathie Kim & Sarah Oh from Redeemer SD in the middle surrounded by the leaders from iglesia Nueva Jerusalén

It’s because of Easter, because of what Christ did on the cross and through his resurrection that we are heading down to Ensenada, Mexico today to lead a medical missions outreach. A group from Redeemer Presbyterian Church San Diego will be ministering this week with the Nueva Jerusalén church. Redeemer and Nueva Jerusalén put in a lot of time preparing for a successful outreach.

Three Sites for Medical Clinic
A group we learned from performing dentistry in Ensenada

A group we learned from performing dentistry in Ensenada

Although I’ve led many short-term missions projects this is the first medical missions trip I have led. We are thankful for the wonderful group from Redeemer that is giving up their time to minister to the needs in Ensenada.

We will hold the medical clinic at three sites. On Monday we will be at the mother church (La Nueva Jerusalén). On Tuesday and Wednesday we will serve at one of their mission sites in a community called, Morelos. Thursday we will minister at another mission in the community of Maneadero.

Outreach to Children & Families
The Skyview group at the New Jerusalem church in Ensenada

The Skyview group at the New Jerusalem church in Ensenada

The church we are working with in Ensenada (La Nueva Jerusalén) is the same church that Skyview Presbyterian from Denver worked with last year. The Lord gave us an amazing time with them as we used VBS to reach out to children and families in the community. I recently heard from Skyview and they are planning on coming back this summer!

Dawn and I have grown to love the people in this church. We are thrilled that they are so eager to share the good news of Christ.

Join Us In Prayer!

Dawn, Hannah and I will be going on this trip. We’d appreciate much prayer for the group that is going down, as well as for our family. Pray that the Lord goes before us and prepares the hearts of the people we will be working with. Pray as we minister to people’s physical needs that the Lord will open the door to their hearts, and that they will welcome the good news of the gospel.

Pray also that many people will come to the clinic, and that we don’t have any trouble getting things across the border.

Thank you for holding us up in prayer. This is an important week for the ministry here on the border as we seek to see people’s lives transformed.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

Promoting the Great Commission in the West

Posted: February 2, 2015 in Christianity, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Missions, Prayer
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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

 

What About the Time to Build?

Posted: February 24, 2014 in Christianity, Ministry, Prayer, Tijuana
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In my last post I wrote about how we’ve endured a season of trials, but now things are getting better. We are hopeful and even rejoicing in what God is doing!

A Time to Build
Two of our friends, Pepe & Ulysses working on the house. They also helped me get my car fixed!

Two of our friends, Pepe & Ulysses working on the house. They also helped me get my car fixed!

There are various seasons of life

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance

— Ecclesiastes 3:4

The passage in Ecclesiastes 3:3 also mentions, “a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up” among other things. There is a time for everything.

The Lord has been bringing healing, and whereas we felt like we were being broken, God is building. He is building in our lives, as well as literally building via the ministries we are serving with.

Even in the midst of the tumultuous ride that we’ve been on, the Lord has been at work. Last week we had a wonderful time with Redeemer Church San Diego and Lo Mejor del Trigo Rojo Gomez.

Hunter Benson, back left with some of the others from Redeemer that came on the trip

Hunter Benson, back left with some of the others from Redeemer that came on the trip

I talked to Hunter Benson, the leader of the Redeemer group, and he told me about all the positive reports that he has been getting since the trip from those that joined us.

I also saw Scott Griffiths, who guided the construction on the pastor’s home. Scott said he really enjoyed working with Redeemer. They did a great job, and worked hard to get the project done.

You might remember that my car broke down during the trip. It needed a new fuel pump. I was able to get it fixed for a reasonable price, which is a huge answer to prayer. I picked the car up on Friday, and I saw the house at the church in Rojo Gomez. It’s close to being finished.

While I was at the house they were working on the some of texturing, so they could paint the inside of the house, and put up the kitchen cabinets. Our hope is that the house will be completely done and ready for Abraham and his family to move into in about a week.

Joy in the Journey

It gives me joy to see how committed God is to his work advancing. I know it isn’t dependent on me. I am thankful that he allows me to be involved, and to be blessed as I work with friends to bless others.

Thank you so much Jesus for this tangible demonstration of your love.

The Lord Builds the House

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

—Psalm 127:1

O Lord, do build the house. Do watch over the city. We recognize our dependence on you for all things – for the advancement of your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Two Churches, Two Cultures Serving Together 3

Posted: February 18, 2014 in Christianity, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Tijuana, Video
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A Fruitful Weekend in TJ
Redeemer working on the kitchen cabinets

Redeemer working on the kitchen cabinets

Wow! What an outstanding weekend the Lord gave us in TJ!

On Saturday morning I met the Redeemer San Diego church at the border, and we drove into Tijuana together. Redeemer brought 38 eager people down to minister with the Lo Mejor del Trigo church in Rojo Gomez.

Ministry Through Building and Connecting
Having some fun while putting the roof on

Having some fun while putting the roof on

Our mission was to build a parish home for Pastor Abraham Velazquez and his wife, Martha. That was the main focus of the trip, and the group pulled up their sleeves and got to work once we made it to Rojo Gomez.

One of the highlights of the trip is just seeing people from very different cultures, who speak different languages come together to minister together. I could tell that it really touched the heart of a lot of those that came down.

Redeemer also worked with Pastor Abraham to minister to children from the community. They lead the children in fun activities including crafts, painting and games.

Then Abraham taught the children a gospel story about the prodigal son. The children that came were very engaged, and they enjoyed their time with the group. I’ve included a sample of the time in the video below.

A Home for Abraham and Martha
The group working hard to finish up the house

The group working hard to finish up the house

It was so encouraging to see how hard everyone worked to complete the pastoral home. This home will be a huge blessing to the church, and specifically to Abraham and Martha and their two children Gadiel and Salmai.

It’s important to have someone live next to the church partly due to the need for security. I just talked to one of my friends, Pastor Leo Nevarez about this very need. Leo pastors a church in Rosarito. He told me that a group donated a number of toys for Christmas gifts for the children in the community. They stored the toys in the church, but before they were able to give them to the children some thieves broke into the church and stole 100 toys.

What a bummer for the church and the children!

That is one of the reasons it’s important to have someone live near the church. In this case it also helps out Abraham and his family. They don’t have a car at this time, so it aids them in their commute to work.

A City Set on a Hill

Our prayer is that the church in Rojo Gomez will be a city set on a hill that shines the light of Christ brightly in the community.

Abraham said that since he started serving at the church it has grown from about 30 to over 100. In many of the churches in Mexico there are many women and very few men. They started with three men and now they have more than 11. God is blessing!

Prayer & Praise
Worshipping together before we start the work

Worshipping together before we start the work

Join us in praising the Lord for the good work that he is doing on the border. It makes my heart glad to see people’s lives changed as they minister the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love seeing our friends from Redeemer being affected in a significant way through their interaction with the Mexican people.

Thank you Jesus!

Thank you friends for standing with us in prayer.

We did have two setbacks, which reminds me that we need to intensify our prayer covering.

My car broke down while we were in Tijuana, and it is still there being repaired. One of the vans Redeemer rented was involved in a fender bender coming back into the US. It is a real headache trying to work with the insurance companies. Pray that both of these cars will be fixed soon and without any major expense.

I give thanks that the Lord kept us safe and used us to spread the love of Christ in Mexico.

In HIs Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

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