A Fruitful Trip to Fresno
Dave speaking at our seminar on Mexico at the GMC conference in Dallas. (We didn’t get a picture at Sierra View)
Over Thanksgiving weekend Dawn and I had the opportunity to visit my family in Fresno. It was a good time to see my family again. Dawn’s mom also flew out and joined us for a couple of weeks.
While in Fresno we connected with one of our partner churches, Sierra View Presbyterian. I was able to share about our ministry and to preach at the church. I preached on Isaiah 54, Breakthrough for the Broken. The Lord encouraged us as he showed up and we felt his presence in a special way. Thank you, Jesus, for hearing and answering our prayer!
So Grateful for Our Faithful Partners!
While we were at the church it hit me that Sierra View was one of the first churches that started supporting us as we began with Mission to the World (MTW) back in 1988. Wow! Hard to believe that we are coming up on 30 years with MTW! I started with MTW as a single young man in 1988, and Dawn and I were married in 1989. Dawn went through the evaluation process to join MTW before we were married. Anyway, however, you slice it we’ve been involved in missions for a good long time.
Not only was I impressed by how long we’ve served in missions, but by the importance of having faithful partners standing with us in the ministry. Since we were in my hometown, my parents were there as well. I realize that I could have never gotten to where I am today without my parents and that Dawn and I could not do the outreach, coaching, church planting we do without a number of friends, family, and churches standing with us.
Even this blog has opened up the door for new friends that are praying for us and encouraging us as we serve.
Stand Firm with Other in the Battle
Dawn and I walk on this winding road of faith together. We give thanks for all of our friends who are on the journey with us!
In Ephesians 6 Paul exhorts us to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. He then goes on to tell us to gird ourselves with the armor of God. Each believer needs to stand firm fully prepared with the armor of God. Yet, we are not to fight alone. We are to battle side by side with other believers in the power and strength of the Lord.
Our enemy roams like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but our victory is secured in Christ. Yet the battle rages on until Jesus returns. We stand together against our common foe. That is a good analogy for all of our ministry activities we are not meant to go it alone. We are not supposed to be Lone Ranger Christians.
therefore, I thank the Lord for Sierra View Presbyterian church and all of those who stand with us as we invade enemy territory. The kingdom of God continues to advance. The advance may not always be as quick or as easy as we’d like, but our victory is assured. We are more than conquerors in Christ!
Thank you, Jesus for gathering such wonderful partners that surround us, love us and pray for us. This has been a hard year with our daughter, Hannah moving to heaven. I really don’t know how we would have made it without all the loving support that sustains us.
In His Grip, Dave
Beyond Borders 