Posts Tagged ‘Sierra View Presbyterian Church’

A Fruitful Trip to Fresno
Dave speaking at our seminar on Mexico at the conference

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

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

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

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Dave & David, Jr. at the beginning of the journey. David has now successfully moved!

Faithful Partners in Ministry
Stand with us in crying out to the Lord

Stand with us in crying out to the Lord

In my last post I mentioned that I’m helping my son, David move to Fairfield, CA. While helping David move, we made a stop in Fresno. On Sunday I gave a ministry update at one of our longtime partner churches, Sierra View. It’s fun to see friends and talk to people who are praying for us. They are encouraged by what the Lord is doing on the Border and in the Baja, which lifts us up as well.

Dawn and I realize it’s crucial that we have churches and individuals standing with us in prayer. Friends who are strengthening our hands along the way. It’s hard to believe, but we moved to the Border almost 4 years ago. It’s even harder to believe is that we first moved to Mexico City 25 years ago.

Pray for a Thriving Ministry!
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Dave & Dawn

We don’t want to only sustain this ministry, but we want to see  it thrive. It’s vital that we have a strong base of partners who are praying for us, encouraging us and supporting us financially. Pray that the Lord opens doors for us and leads us to new people who will join with us and partner with us in this way.

To have a strong and growing ministry it’s essential to have a growing team standing with us. I’m grateful for all our partners! What a gift you are!

Dawn and I need to dedicate some of our time over the next several months to building and strengthening our support team. We thank you for being a part of that team.

Pray with us that it will continue to expand!

Pray With Us

Today I fly back home. I’ve helped David move to Fairfield in Northern California. Mission accomplished! Pray for David as he begins his new job. Pray for our family as we adjust. God is doing a great things and I know he is taking care of our family.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

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

Dave with Brian Peterson

Dave with Brian Peterson

This week Dawn and I saw Brian and Anna Peterson at Sierra View Presbyterian Church. You might remember that Anna’s life hung in the balance due to complications while giving birth. She went into a coma, and it was touch and go for her for a few weeks.

Their testimony is very encouraging. I think when our city, Colorado Springs is burning we need words of encouragement! God is doing some wonderful things!

Dawn and I had coffee with Brian and he shared more about all that the Lord did in saving Anna and caring for their family. He told us that he preached a sermon from Psalm 66 titled, “Come and See What God has Done.”

“Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.’ Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.”

— Psalm 66:3-5 (ESV)

God truly did an awesome deed in sparing the life of Anna!

One of the doctors who is not a believer said, he didn’t know what to do when treating Anna. It was a difficult case. Most people who meet the complications that Anna faced don’t live through it. The doctor in desperation put his hands up in the air and cried out, “God help me.” He later told Brian and Anna that everything began to run smoothly and efficiently. He gave testimony to God answering his prayer.

Anna’s sister-in-law was getting up to 50,000 hits a day on her blog as she posted updates and prayer requests. Many people were pleading to the Lord that he would help the doctors and nurses and heal Anna. God did hear these requests.

It’s such a wonderful testimony of God working through his church, and through the medical staff.

I grew up in Fresno so we have long ties to Sierra View. We are thankful for the many friends that we’ve known over the years. This church is an important partner with us in our ministry. Brian has done a great job leading the church, and we’ve enjoyed getting to know them.

I know God doesn’t always answer in the way he did with Brian and Anna, but it sure is worth celebrating when he does. He obviously doesn’t always heal, but he intervened in their life in a powerful way. People around the globe came together to lift them up in prayer! God answered! Praise be the Lord!

Anna recently shared her testimony at a church. It was recorded and shared on YouTube. The quality of the recording isn’t great, but her story is truly amazing! She shares that there was more than one time she could have died, and that most people with her condition do. Yet God in his mercy rescued her from the valley of the shadow of death.

You can watch it here:

How awesome are your deeds, O Lord!

In His Grip, David

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org