Posts Tagged ‘The Gospel’

Jesus Sets a Runaway Free

Posted: August 24, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Israel’s Story of God’s Redeeming Love
Pastor Humberto with Israel

The Lord continues to encourage us through the pain that we feel for our familia on the Big Island. It is the tale of two cities, the best of times and worst of times. What gives us hope in light of the darkness, is God’s wonderful acts of redemption.

There are some amazing testimonies coming from our friends and familia on the Big Island. Pastor Humberto told me about a young man, Israel that recently came to Christ. Israel grew up in an extremely dysfunctional home. He was abused by his stepfather. He was beaten and treated poorly from a young age. His mother prostituted herself in order to survive. In the midst of living through this constant state of turmoil Israel got so desperate that he tried to leave the Big Island on a boat, but he was detained by the police. All of these circumstances made Israel hungry for something more. At Israel’s lowest point Pastor Humberto was able to share the love of Christ with him and he prayed to receive Christ, and he was recently baptized.

God is at work redeeming lives of people like Israel!

Life with Little or No Electricity
Thankful to receive help as Pastor Ernesto shares the aid that we are sending

Life on the Big Island is so difficult. Many of the pastors that we work with have told us that they are having to live with up to 20 hours a day without any electricity. One pastor, Rolando told me that they are having to cook their meals at night at 12 AM or 1 AM in the morning, because that’s the only time that they have any power for their stove. They don’t have a way to cool themselves in the extreme summer heat. Also, not having electricity means they can’t charge their phones to communicate. It’s gotten harder for me to stay in close contact with the pastors there. Even though it doesn’t seem possible the situation continues to worsen. There are many challenges that our familia faces along with the rising cost of food and basic needs. It always breaks my heart to hear their stories.

Extend Your Hands to Help Our Familia
Pastor Ernesto giving the aid that we are sending to a needy family

Dawn and I are sending aid every month to help the pastors and families on the Big Island. Since the COVID-19 hit in March 2020, we’ve been able to help more than 2,000 people in 9 different cities.

Your gifts are making a difference in this nation with tremendous needs that are difficult to meet. God is using you, because even where your feet cannot reach, your prayers can reach! Your offerings of love can reach!

You can be part of a team in the hands of God, and TOGETHER we can make a difference! Pray with us and extend your hands to help our familia. Make a Donation Today.

Thank you for your prayers and for your support for this work on the Big Island!

Click to Donate…
Video: A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities featuring Jessica’s prayer for toothpaste

Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift to help our precious familia.

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

God’s Amazing Story in Oaxaca!

Posted: July 19, 2022 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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The Church is on the Move in Oaxaca
Pastor Eliel, Jessica and their two girls, Sarvia and Tirsa

Dawn and I just returned from an amazing trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. We are thrilled with all that God is doing in this city through Pastor Eliel and Jessica Osorio.

Dawn and Dave in Oaxaca

Eliel and Jessica have raised up an amazingly talented young team that are helping them plant their church in the northern part of of the city. They began planting their church in the middle of the pandemic, which is no easy task. At first they were forced to meet remotely, but in September of 2021 they launched their services, and the church took off!

Every week they have new people coming to the church. Dawn and I enjoyed meeting a number of them while we were there. God is clearly on the move, and they’ve become our fastest growing church plant. On Easter Sunday 110 people showed up, and they’ve been averaging 82 since then. Pray for them as they reach young people for Christ.

A Birthday Celebration – A Changed Life
Celebrating Irving’s birthday with friends (he’s seated in the middle)

We attended a birthday celebration 🥳 at their house on Saturday evening. One of the young men, Irving celebrated his 20th birthday. When Irving’s mom asked him how he wanted to celebrate his birthday, he said that his friends at church had become like family to him, and that he wanted to have a party with them. The only problem was that Irving’s parents home isn’t big enough to host all the people. Eliel heard of Irving’s dilemma, and said why don’t you have the party at our house.

It was a great time, and so good to see all the happy faces at the fiesta, which included a piñata🪅!

Eliel and Jessica have done at outstanding job of creating a safe, friendly and fun community. The majority of their church is made up of young people in their 20’s and 30’s. This group is under reached in Mexico.

Eliel & Jessica’s Dream
Eliel leading Sunday worship

Pastor Eliel has a vision to create a community center that will be an attractive place for young people to come and hang out. Apart from being the gathering place for church on Sunday it will provide opportunities for outreach during the week. They can come for a cup of coffee with a friend, take music lessons, and play games.

Angel and Damaris are key leaders for the church, and they are gifted musically. They lead the worship, and have built a wonderful group to lead with them. Dawn and I throughly enjoyed worshipping with them. Angel and Damaris are also teaching music during the week, which is something they would like to be able to do at the church once they have a more permanent place to meet.

Eliel took us by one property that they are looking at the possibility of renting. This particular location is ideal as it is just a couple blocks away from a college. This would provide them with a wonderful opportunity to reach out with the love of Christ to the students. It may be possible to buy the property as the church grows.

Join us in Prayer
Dawn in Oaxaca with Eliel, Jessica, Tirsa (she’s a little tired from the day out) and Sarvia

  • Pray with us for Pastor Eliel, Jessica and their team as they plant the church in Oaxaca.
  • Pray for a more permanent place for them to meet where they can make the best impact.
  • Pray for more lives like Irving’s to be transformed by the gospel.
  • Pray that the Lord will provide the funding for the land and for this church planting project.
  • Please prayerfully consider making a donation today to help Pastor Eliel and Jessica reach Oaxaca for Christ.
Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

The Tears of a Hungry Child

Posted: June 14, 2022 in Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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How Much do the Tears of a Hungry Child Weigh?
A Beautiful family on the Big Island

Today I’d like to share the testimony of one of the leaders that we work with on the Big Island. This will give you an up close view of what our familia is living through, and help you to understand why they still need our help.

Maria’s Testimony

The island I am from is surrounded by sea. The place where both Christians and unbelievers raise their eyes to heaven hoping that the God of heaven will work a miracle in favor of a people who feel imprisoned by the sea that surrounds them. They cannot escape, but many still prefer to jump into the sea in a small boat with the hopes of finding freedom. They would rather die trying than to live in a place with so much repression, persecution, hunger, and lack of medicine.

Someone has said, that the tears of a hungry child weigh more than the whole world. 

The Precious Seed of the Gospel to those Without Hope
The Gospel is going forth through faithful Ministers who love Jesus

Yet what can I say about those who cannot flee. Those who choose to stay because of their commitment to God. There are Pastors, workers, leaders, missionaries, and church planters who even in the midst of these difficult situations, walk and cry, carrying the precious seed of the gospel to those without God and without hope. They realize that the only true hope for this island is to hear the good news of salvation.

They are encouraging and discipling those who are surrendering their lives to Christ.  They cry with those who cry, sharing the little bread they have with the hungry, although this often means going to bed without eating just so that another family or a small child does not go to bed on an empty stomach.

Bend Your Knees to Pray
Prayer in Camaguey. These people are warriors!
Prayer in Camaguey. Our familia is committed to pray!

Today I call on you friends, people committed to pray, to bend their knees for my people on the Big Island. Pray for every man and woman who, despite going through persecution, opposition, hunger, nakedness, do not stop to bring the Word of hope and Salvation to a people who have had their dreams stolen and their desire to live wains.

I call on all of you generous people in Christ to extend your hands to bless these men, women and families who are waiting for a miracle every day.

My daughter, Zoe recently turned 9 years old. She has suffered from a fever for a number of days. She’s endured a very dangerous flu.  It has lasted a long time not only because of the lack of medicines, but also because of the little medicine that one can find on this island it has to be bought in dollars. Dollars are expensive, because that is not our national currency. This makes it expensive and more difficult to obtain what is needed not only for Zoe but by most of the children.

Extend Your Hands to Bless Families in Need!
Some of the families that we are helping on the Big Island

It is true that we will not be able to help the more than 11 million people on the Big Island. It is true that it is a nation with tremendous needs that are difficult to meet, but where your feet cannot reach, your prayers can reach! Your offerings of love can reach!

God is working in on the Big Island. You can be part of a team in the hands of God, and that way we can to do it TOGETHER. Pray with us and extend your hands to help our familia. Make a Donation Today.

Click to Donate…
Video: A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities featuring Jessica’s prayer for toothpaste

Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift to help our precious familia.

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

A Tale of Two Cities

Posted: April 4, 2022 in Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Growth in Spite of the Suffering on the Big Island
The Church is Alive and Growing on the Big Island

Every day I receive messages from our familia on the Big Island. They are letting us know how they are doing, and how we can be praying for them. I like to send them short devotional messages and prayers with the hope that they will breathe life into their soul. Jesus uses these words to minister hope and encouragement to them. The isolation they live in from the rest of the world makes these words and the connection all the more important.

It’s the tale of two cities, because on the hand the church is growing. It’s growing in amazing ways! Thousands are coming to Christ and the Lord is moving powerfully through our familia. On the other hand the people suffer, because of the oppression and that the scarcity that they are forced to endure.

Many of our familia have health problems because of the lack of food medicine. It saddens our hearts to hear the stories of the families that we’ve come to love. Just today I received a message from Dairon one of the leaders in the church. He told me that his daughter, Jessica is seeing the doctor, because she has been battling with diabetes and hypertension. She’s very young to be dealing with these health issues. Jessica is featured in the video below that I’ve included in this post.

Dairon’s wife, Dayana (who is also featured in the video) had been experiencing some hemorrhaging and they feared that she might have cancer. The church prayed fervently and she’s been cleared, so we give thanks for that. We are also praying for Jessica’s health and healing.

Video: A Tale of Two Cities on the Big Island
God is doing an amazing work on the Big Island in spite of the hardships our familia is facing

One of the pastors, Jorge that we work closely with is often in ill health, because of the lack of protein in his diet. We are sending aid to these families, but it’s an ongoing struggle as the lack of food, basic needs and medicine is a ever present problem on the Big Island. Things that we never have to think about or worry about here in the USA are constant concerns for our familia. That’s why it’s so important that you pray.

Even with all these obstacles the pastors and leaders in these churches are committed to take the love of Christ to every man, woman and child. They are some of most powerful prayer warriors that I’ve ever met, which is one of the big reasons why the church is growing. God is on the move. Help us to pray for these wonderful friends, who have become our familia!

Join Us Prayer

Your prayers and your financial gifts are pivotal and they are making a huge difference in the lives of these families. We’d like to ask you to extend your hands to help those in need. You play an important part in seeing the extension of the kingdom of God in Mexico and on the Big Island! Our familia is forever grateful for your generosity.

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja and Beyond
BeyondBordersLife.org

The Light Invades the Darkness – 2

Posted: March 16, 2021 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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The Goodness of God!
This building was once used for witchcraft to worship idols – it is now being converted into a church! The white altar in the middle has been removed – it was used for their pagan ceremonies.

God is so good. He is a good Father, and it’s wonderful to be on mission with him. It’s not always an easy journey, it’s filled with twists and turns. We are on an adventure, and as we love and seek our Papa God there is joy and fulfillment.

A Life and a Church are Transformed by the Gospel
Dave on a video call with Lazara

Just a few days after wrote my last post, The Light Invades the Darkness, I met the woman that had been in involved in witchcraft on the Big Island. Her name is Lazara, and she and Pastor Nelson shared more of her story with me. She just recently gave her life to Jesus. I talked to Lazara on a video call (photo on the left). I was able to encourage her and pray for her. As I prayed, she began to cry. It was special to see God touch her over the phone and through the miles.

Lazara used to lead a group involved in spiritism and witchcraft. She has a building like a church where they met to hold their ceremonies. Now that she has come to Christ they are in the process of cleaning out the building of all the articles that were used to worship idols and demons. The white altar which was used for their ceremonies in the photo above has been removed. They put up a cross and they are placing the Ten Commandments and Bible passages on the walls of the building. What a glorious transformation!

Nelson wrote me this morning and said that the Lord is using Lazara to bring many to Christ. The building that was used to worship Satan is now being converted into a church! It reminds me of the Apostle Paul and his amazing conversion. God used him in a powerful way to bring many to Jesus.

This testimony is so rich, and it reminds me of the power of the gospel. We often pray for transformation. We pray for people to come out of the darkness and into the light, so it’s so good to see it happen right before our eyes.

Gospel Expansion
Sara, Justo’s wife discipling some of the women that recently came to Christ

One of the other pastors on the Big Island, Oniel told me about a wonderful story of grace renewal. He went with his leaders to the homes of two families that recently received Christ and they helped them destroy their idols that they used for witchcraft. The church also baptized 14 new believers in the past week!

Another special friend, Pastor Justo told me that their church had seen 20 people come to faith in the last month! God is on the move. Dawn and I are receiving a number of reports about people coming to faith and being released from the bondage of witchcraft. It’s exciting to be part of God’s kingdom work.

Please Extend Your Hands to Help!
Our Familia in Need on the Big Island

At the same time, because of the ongoing pandemic the economic situation continues to worsen. Pastor Jorge just wrote me this morning about how bad things are getting, and he asked us to pray. Jorge is one of the pastors that we’ve been sending financial aid to. I think the Lord is using the scarcity to cause people to see their need for Christ. Yet, the needs are very real, and it hurts our hearts to see our familia suffer.

Dawn and I want to continue to help, and do more so that we will reach even more families on the Big Island! Your prayers and generosity will aid these families and the gospel in undeniable ways. Click on the button below to give today. Extend your hands to provide food and basic necessities for a family in need!

Click to Donate…

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Excited About The Ron & Virginia Diaso Memorial Church

Posted: February 24, 2021 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Remembering Dad & Mom
I love this photo of Mom & Dad, makes me think of them dancing on the streets of gold.

I realized this morning that the last time I saw my mom was on February 23rd, one year ago. I was looking on my phone at some of the last texts that I received from her. It stirs up a lot of emotions. I miss my mom and I feel sad that she’s no longer with us, but I’m grateful for her strong faith. She was definitely ready to go. It was something she talked about a lot during her last months on earth.

She moved to heaven on March 19th, the day after I came back from a two-week trip to Cuba. It’s like my mom waited for me to come back from my trip. Dawn was able to talk to mom just a few days before she left this world. She asked Dawn how I was doing. She was a caring mom to the end.

I believe one of the reasons my mom went before my dad was so that she could intercede with Hannah for my dad. Dad moved to heaven just 67 days later. He made a profession of faith with my brother, John just 3 days before he moved on. Thank you, Jesus!

A Life Giving Church In Mexico
Dave with Pastor Daniel Nuñez on the land where we will build the new church

We give thanks that both of my parents are in heaven with Hannah and Jesus. They are all together, enjoying and worshiping our Heavenly Father! This gives us hope and peace. We know that one day we will join them and we will be reunited.

Since my parents moved to heaven Dawn and I have wanted to honor their memory along with Hannah. We thought that one of the best ways to honor them is to start a new church, a memorial church in Mexico. It’s something that we love to do, and my parents were always supportive. In fact, my dad joined us when we built the church in memory of Hannah. That was a special weekend!

We are partnering with our good friends, Pastor Daniel Nuñez and Ministerios Transformación to build and help start a new church plant in Rosarito. The Ron & Virginia Diaso Memorial Church. It also helps us to honor and remember Hannah.

You might remember that three years ago we built the Hannah Diaso Memorial Church in Mexicali, México. We are excited to build a life-giving center to honor my parents’ life and their memory.

I’ll never forget Jonathan’s words the first time we drove out to see the land where we built the church in memory of Hannah. He said, “I’d much rather visit the church to remember Hannah than to visit the cemetery.” It’s a life-giving legacy!

These churches represent life and they bring light to communities that are in need of the love of Christ.

Help Us to Bring the Light of Christ to Rosarito
Praying over the land with Pastor Daniel and some of the other Ministerios Transformación pastors

You can help us make this dream of seeing a community transformed by the light of Christ a reality. One way that you can make this dream a reality is by giving a gift today. We are raising $26,000 to build the church this summer. Make a donation by clicking on the button below. Also, Join us in prayer for the pastor and Ministerios Transformación as they begin to minister in the community of Lomas Altas 2 in Rosarito.

Thank you for standing with us and for helping us to bring the light of Christ to Lomas Altas 2!

Make a Donation Today
click here to donate …

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

God is Building His Church in Baja

Posted: August 3, 2020 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Video
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Church Planting in Baja California
Dave & Dawn with Pastor Petri & Yudy Petrikowski (top), Pastor Federico & Blanca Muñoz with their family (bottom right), Pastor Davis & Luz Pardo with their family (bottom left)

Last week I wrote about the pastors and leaders that we work within Mexico and on the Big Island. Dawn and I are excited about the Lord’s amazing and marvelous work. We give thanks that we are a part of our friends, who have become like families’ ministries. It gives us great joy to hear their testimonies, and we are often blown away by what God is doing through them. We give thanks to the Lord for how He is so faithfully working in their lives and through their churches.

I made a video with the help of my colleague, fellow missionary, Jim DeWitt. In this video, I highlighted three church planting works (photo above): Pastor Davis & Luz in Tijuana; Pastor Petri & Yudy in Ensenada; Pastor Federico & Blanca in Mexicali.

My son, Jonathan encouraged me to put out more videos, so I hope that you like this one. It’s about 5 minutes long. Let me know if you’d like to see more short videos. I’m trying to decide whether I should make more of them.

Beyond Borders – Video
Join us in Prayer for:
  • Pastor Davis & Luz in Tijuana
  • Pastor Petri & Yudy in Ensenada
  • Pastor Federico & Blanca in Mexicali
  • Pastors on the Big Island
  • Revival
  • Encouragement
Join us in Supporting These Ministries

Prayerfully consider making a donation today. Give to support these church planting ministries and those on the Big Island. The Coronavirus has hurt the economy in the cities that these pastors are working in, and it’s especially difficult on the Big Island.

Click here to donate

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

God’s Good Intentions to Save

Posted: April 21, 2020 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Surprised by the Gospel
From top left going clockwise: Pastor Ivan Casados, Pastor Abraham Velazquez, Pastor Gilberto Garcia all in Tijuana, Pastor Jorge Izaguirre in Queretaro, Worship group at Comunidad Cristiana in El Niño, Pastor Jesus Petrikowski in Ensenada, Pastor Mere Godinez and in the middle Pastor Yovani Robles in Tijuana

I was surprised and encouraged to see so many of my friends from the Border and throughout Mexico posting their services online! I opened up my Facebook page on Sunday morning, and all the sudden I started noticing how many services were being broadcast.

Some of the churches were close by in Tijuana, Ensenada and Mexicali. Churches that we helped to plant. I know it’s been a lot of extra work for the pastors and their staff to have to learn how to broadcast their church services. Many of them were reluctant at first, but with some encouragement and help they’ve been able to pull it off.

Renuevo Church in Ensenada

One of the services I watched was lead by Pastor Petri in Ensenada. You could tell that he put a lot of work into preparing for the online Facebook transmission. It was so encouraging to see the gospel go out in this way! I noticed the Renuevo church which Petri leads had more people watching than normally attending the church on a typical Sunday. I also recognized some of the names of the people who tuned in. There were friends watching who had never attended the church before!

Could this seeming barrier end up being a huge win for the church? Many people are reticent to come to church for the first time, but they are willing to watch online. They can hear the gospel through an avenue that they may not have considered before. It also helps that most people are restricted in what they can do on Sundays.

Edna Rodriguez on the left leading worship in Mexicali. This is the church we planted in memory of our daughter, Hannah.

When I see what is going on and how the Lord is using this obstacle it reminds me of what Joseph said to his brothers. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20 NIV). God is indeed using this for good, and many will be saved! Hallelujah! The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, but God is greater. Satan was defeated at the cross of Christ. We have victory in Christ!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Let’s Finish 2019 Strong: We Give Thanks!

Posted: December 30, 2019 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Give Thanks for God’s Good Work!
Dave with church planters & leaders in Cuba

As Dawn and I look back on 2019 we realize that we have much to be thankful for! Dawn and I experienced fruit and growth as we ministered on the Border, the Baja and Beyond.

2019 has been one of our best years in ministry. We are planting life giving churches in a number of cities in Baja California. We are starting churches in La Paz, Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada and Mexicali with the hope of expanding beyond the Baja in Mexico. There are also numerous church plants in Cuba that are growing.

The Lord is Faithful to Grow His Church
Our church plant in Ensenada led by Pastor Petri and his wife Yudy

Dawn and I continue to pray that the Lord will enlarge our tent and expand our borders. Isaiah 54 has become a key passage for us as we dream and ask the Lord for more.

“”Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54:2-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Thankful for Our Growing Family
Pastor Federico & Blanca Muñoz and their children are one of the many families that we work with that have become part of our family.

This passage also speaks of promises to our offspring. The church planters we work with have become like family to us. We have come to love them, and we see God expanding the kingdom through the ministry of the churches they are starting. Dawn and I feel very blessed through these relationships and all that Jesus is doing through them!

We Rejoice! Hallelujah!

Yany, Rachel & Jorge leading worship in Cabaiguán, Cuba

Hallelujah. We rejoice for God’s good work and all that he is doing!

Let’s Finish 2019 Strong!

Dawn and I would like to ask you to consider making a year-end gift so that this more lives will be transformed by the gospel. We look forward to 2020, and believe that it will be an even greater and more fruitful year!

Donate now by clicking on this link:

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Sowing Seed in Lima, Peru

Posted: July 15, 2019 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Prayer
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Alliance for Latina America

The Alliance for Latin America met together in Lima, Peru at the beginning
of July

In my last post, I wrote about how the Lord richly blessed me and opened some amazing doors for ministry while I was in Colombia and Perú. I wasn’t able to write as much about my time in Lima, Peru, so I’d like to that today.

I went to Lima, Peru for an alliance meeting with 23 different organizations who are all interested in coming together to reach Latin America for Christ. I found it encouraging that so many have decided to come together and work for the expansion of the kingdom. I pray for the gospel and Christ’s church to grow like wildfire throughout Latin America.

God Show Up in Different and Unexpected Ways

The center of the city in Lima Peru.

Something that I’ve noticed about life and ministry is often when we go to participate in ministry meetings that the Lord has other significant opportunities that weren’t necessarily planned. Dawn and I often pray that we will be open to the Spirit’s leading so that we take advantage of the ministry that he brings to us.

When Dawn isn’t with me I’m not able to rely on her extroversion to help me meet people and open up conversations. I do enjoy talking to the various taxi drivers, especially when I’m in a new country. It’s something that I do it in Mexico as well.

The Gospel & the Taxi Driver

The National Palace in Lima, Peru

Right away in Lima I had to find a taxi. It took me a while, but I finally figured out how to go about getting a safe taxi from a company that I could trust. The taxi driver that helped me out was about my age and he was very friendly.

We began to talk, and I asked him about his family. He told me he had three children and two of them are 28, and that they are twins. I told him that one of my sons is 28, and as I shared about our family I mentioned how our daughter, Hannah moved to heaven two and a half years ago. I told him that it is very painful, but faith and the hope of heaven sustains us.

He began to open up with me, and he said that one of his sons is doing very well, and he works at the airport. The other son, however, has struggled with drug abuse and addictions and that he is presently in jail. He told both his wife and he had been praying for his son nonstop, but he didn’t believe the Lord was answering his prayers and it seemed like he was giving up.

God’s Redeeming Work

The city of Lima, Peru.

I took the opportunity to share with him about the importance of having a relationship with Christ, and how Good our Father is. He desires to give us good gifts. He is a good and loving Father.

After we talked for a little while he also told me that he had been involved in witchcraft and tarot cards. I asked him if he’d be open to praying with me, and he said he was, so we began to pray. I led him to pray to receive Christ as his savior, to confess his sins, forgive those that have hurt him and to break off his past relationship with witchcraft and evil. It was an hour drive from the airport to my hotel because there was a lot of traffic.

After we prayed, since we had time and I felt like he could use it I asked him if he’d like to pray some more to break off whatever evil he had been tied to and to download God’s goodness and love. He was willing so we continued to pray. After we prayed and I shared with him and encouraged him by the time we got to my hotel his countenance had changed. He looked less heavy. He told me he felt peace. Hallelujah!

Thankful for the Openness in Peru

One of the churches found it Lima. We pray for much more!

I found that the people in Peru were very open and willing to pray with me. I was able to pray and share the gospel with all my taxi drivers and led five others in prayer to confess Christ. A number of my taxi drivers were from Venezuela. More than 10% of Venezuela’s population has left the country, because of all the political unrest there. This I’m sure makes them more open. It’s uncomfortable to have to move so far and leave your home, but the Lord uses these trials of life to open people’s hearts. As Jesus said, “what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36 ESV) Earthly comforts don’t compare to what heaven has to offer.

It’s so good when the Lord opens these doors to people’s hearts, and he lets me be a part of that. This is life-giving for them and for me. When I have these opportunities I’m reminded of the sower and the seed, not all the seed will bear fruit. Yet, if we aren’t sowing, if I’m not sowing there is not an opportunity for the seed to produce fruit. Also, it’s the Spirit’s work to bring growth. We do our part in dependence on our loving Father.

Your prayers make a difference. The Lord hears as we cry out to him and he provides the increase. Thank you, Jesus!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

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