Posts Tagged ‘tijuana border’

A Tip of the Hat to My Fellow Bloggers!

Posted: January 11, 2013 in Christianity, Journey, Reflections & Musings
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screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-11-10-56-pmA tip of the hat to my fellow blogging friends. From time to time bloggers nominate others for awards. I’m not always sure what to do when nominated, but I want to take this opportunity to thank those that inspire me to be a better blogger.

I’m just beginning my third year of blogging, and I’ve learned a great deal, and I’ve enjoyed the journey. Thank you Jesus! Thank you for all those that encourage me and my family on this grand journey.

One of my blogging friends, Cathy Craig Neil (you can find her at craigmotor.wordpress.com) was kind enough to nominate me for the following three awards:

The Shine on Award

screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-11-10-21-pmThe One Lovely Blog Award

The Blog of the Year Award 2012

Seven things you may not know about me:

  1. I was born in Germany
  2. My wife and I lived in Mexico City for most of the 1990’s
  3. While I lived in Mexico I was kidnapped
  4. I have three wonderful children: David Jr., Jonathan and Hannah
  5. David Jr. was born in Texas and Jonathan and Hannah were born in Mexico
  6. We recently moved to the San Diego-Tijuana border
  7. Tacos al pastor and Gringas are my favorite tacos

screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-11-11-32-pmHere are some of my blogger friends that I nominate:

I hope that you all have a wonderful 2013, and that the Lord uses you to bless and inspire many others!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Giving Thanks For The Birth of a New Church

Posted: November 17, 2012 in Bright Spots on the Border, Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Missions, Prayer, San Diego, Tijuana, Video
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Wow! It was so encouraging to be part of building the Lo Mejor Del Trigo church in eastern Tijuana. I wrote about the birth of the new church in earlier posts. God is so good!

Check out this video that shows the progression of the building of the church. More than 70 people participated in this project over two weekends. Now they are worshipping in the community of Pipila, which is in eastern Tijuana.

The church is off to a good start. Join me in prayer that it will grow, and that the Lord will give Pastor Rodrigo and his family his grace and wisdom as he leads the church.

When we are involved in kingdom work, in working to see new churches raised up it’s important to remember who is building the church. Jesus gives a wonderful promise in Matthew, 16:18 when he’s speaking to Peter and the disciples,

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Isn’t that a wonderful promise? Even the gates of hell, our fiercest foe and enemy shall not defeat Christ’s church. Stay the course my dear friends, and keep your eyes on Jesus. We are on the winning side!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Good News Out of Tijuana!

Posted: November 8, 2012 in Bright Spots on the Border, Christianity, Tijuana, Video
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I just came across this encouraging video report about the decrease in drug violence in Tijuana. In general I believe things are improving throughout Mexico. This news is in line with some of the other reports on Tijuana that have come out recently.

I read a report earlier this week that said that things in Juarez have improved dramatically. Juarez was considered the murder capital of the world just a couple of years ago. An example of the changes in this city that lies across the border from El Paso, Texas is that there were less murders in Juarez last month than there were in the city of Chicago.

This is big news, because a number of churches and ministries have shied away from the border and Mexico in recent years. Maybe now the tide will turn, and people will start coming back. The border obviously still needs the gospel!

“O Lord, continue your healing work in Mexico and bring renewal to the border and beyond! Please guide and lead us. Make even more clear to us the part we should play in this work of transformation and renewal. Amen”

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Jesus & Birria, A Good Combo

Posted: October 5, 2012 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Ministry Partners, Missions, San Diego, Tijuana, Video
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We went into Rosarito and Tijuana yesterday and had a wonderful time. Leo and Gloria Nevarez shared how God is blessing their work. They already have forty people coming on Sundays. The church is growing!

Gloria expressed concern for the needs of the children in the church. The building they meet in is small and it only has one room, so they have a need for more space for classes for children.

In a recent post I shared about how a woman in Oxnard saw my post on the homeless. She found pastor Leo’s number and called him. Since then she came down and donated 200 backpacks for children in the community. She also donated some land that they are planning on using for a drug rehab center. That is a huge need in the community. There are many people addicted to drugs in the neighborhoods surrounding the church. Leo and Gloria have a vision to minister to these needs.

Recently one of our interns, Lindsay Anne Dransfield shot some video of our work here. The video features the testimony of pastor Leo, and how the Lord used Birria to bring him to Jesus. I think you will find it encouraging!

The main ministry we are partnering with on the border is Harbor Presbyterian Church. Harbor worked with Daniel Nuñez and Leo to start the church in Rosarito. Later this month Harbor will be partnering with Lo Mejor Del Trigo and Daniel Nuñez to start a second church plant. I will share more about this new work in another post.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Beat the Drum for the Border

Posted: October 2, 2012 in Christianity, Church Planting, God's Leading, Ministry, Missions, Potential Team Members, Prayer, San Diego, Team Members, Tijuana
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We are praying for the Lord to bring the missing pieces!

On my last post, Lord, Build Our Team I shared about our time in Atlanta meeting new people who have an interest in missions. Dawn and I are trying to encourage them to take a look at the border ministry. Obviously, the Lord is the one that has to work in their hearts to call them. Yet we must play our part. We our beating the drum and calling out so that people will be aware of the tremendous needs we have on the San Diego – Tijuana border.

We believe the Lord will raise up workers to join us and serve with us. The hard part is waiting, and I know that it’s dangerous to pray for patience. 🙂 I will stick to praying for more laborers.

This morning during our staff meeting with our friends from Harbor and Campus Outreach I shared about our trip, and our attempt to mobilize new workers to join us. I admitted that I felt some pressure to do a good job in describing the crying need here. I definitely still need the gospel in my life each day.

One of our friends at the meeting, Mark, asked, “What are the needs you have? What type of people are you recruiting?” That was a marvelous question. It made me think about who we need, so that we will be a more effective productive team.

It made me think, “I need to get the word out about what we are looking for. This will enable people to pray for us, and it could even help stir up some interest.”

So here I am late at night, writing on my blog. I do want to list here the type of needs we have. Please do pray with and for the Lord to hear our cry for workers. After all, he did command to pray for more laborers in Matthew 9:37 & 38,

“Then he said to his disciples, 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.”

Our needs for the San Diego – Tijuana border:

  1. Church planters and church planting facilitator – Both Mexicans or Latinos and Americans
  2. People with a heart for and gifted in evangelism and disciple making
  3. Someone to coordinate community development/mercy ministries:
    1. Facilitate and teach English as a Second Language (ESL)
    2. Homeless, orphans, sex-trafficking
    3. Construction
    4. Medical Missions
    5. Coordinate short-term mission teams
    6. Business as Mission (BAM) initiatives – businesses to support pastors and help the community.
  4. Administrative gifts
  5. Teaching/Training/Education
  6. An Intern coordinator – someone to minister to, recruit for and direct our internship program

Dawn & Davev

I hope that gives you a better idea of what our needs are, and how you can pray for us. “O Lord, Build Our Team!”

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Lord, Build our Team

Posted: September 26, 2012 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Potential Team Members, Prayer, San Diego, Tijuana
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Dave presenting at MTW's vision retreat

Dave presenting at MTW’s vision retreat

Dawn and I are in Atlanta at Mission to the World’s (MTW) vision retreat. We both get pumped up when we are around people who have a heart for missions. We met some great people who love Jesus.

MTW’s vision retreat brings people who are interested in pursuing missions, but still have a number of questions together with missionaries who are seeking people to join their teams. These questions include when and where the Lord would want them to go?

It was so encouraging to meet with and interact with the other missionaries, and those with an interest in missions. I came away so impressed by those serving in the field with MTW. The needs on the various fields Japan, Thailand, Slovakia, Uganda, Mexico, etc. are huge. “O Lord, please do send us workers.”

Our prayer is that the Lord will bring people to serve with us on the San Diego – Tijuana border. The opportunity to be with other missionaries also brought home the truth that Jesus needs men and women to serve him in mission to help fulfill the great commission.

Dawn and I trust the Lord will move the right people to join our team in his good and perfect timing. We will see as we pray and continue to interact with those that came to the vision retreat whether the Lord would move them to answer the call to serve with us.

Please join us in prayer for God to move in the hearts of his people!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Moving In: The Journey Continues

Posted: September 9, 2012 in Christianity, Family Happenings, God's Leading, Journey, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Reflections & Musings, San Diego, Tijuana
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Dawn & Dave with the San Diego Harbor in the background

Dawn & Dave tired, but all smiles as we move into our new home

Our house hunting saga has come to an end as we found a wonderful house that the Lord provided for us. Yesterday we started moving in! It’s such a relief to have a place to call our home.

In many ways this is just the beginning. The launching of our ministry on the San Diego – Tijuana border. Something we’ve dreamed about for a long time. Praise the Lord for bringing it to fruition.

My legs and back are sore from all the lifting and carrying our belongings up and down the stairs. At times like this I wish we lived in a smaller home, and had less stuff. Yet, I know that the Lord is in the middle of all of this. He is leading, guiding and directing. We look to him. Our prayer is, “Lord, please use us to be salt and light in our neighborhood and the surrounding area. O that many would bend the knee and give their life to Christ.”

I’m bushed from all the physical labor. All the change has made it extremely difficult to get a chance to write. So here it is 11 PM on Saturday night, and I’m carving out a little time. God is good.

On a sadder note, I wanted to let all those who have been following know that Kim Anderson’s memorial service was held today. I feel bad for the family. I saw some of their notes on Facebook, and it’s sounds like it was a wonderful service, but so much heart ache and pain in a short period of time. I was really hoping the Lord would heal Kim. I know ultimately she is in a better place with her savior, but it’s hard on those that love her.

I pray the Lord’s presence will be felt as the family grieves for the passing of Kim. She was a wonderful woman. The Lord used her in the life of my children and countless others.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

The Nomadic Life: The End of our House Hunting Saga

Posted: September 5, 2012 in Christianity, Family Happenings, God's Leading, Journey, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, San Diego, Tijuana
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Dawn & I have felt Nomadic lately

Dawn & I have felt Nomadic lately

Our nomadic life may be coming to an end. We believe and hope it is!

We found a home that is eight miles from the San Diego-Tijuana border. It’s ten miles from the San Diego Mid-City area, and right in Chula Vista. I think it will be a very good location for us.

The home also provides enough space for me to have an office, and for us to host interns and other visitors.

We’ve prayed, and we’ve asked you to pray. This gives us added comfort knowing that so many people are praying for God to lead us to the right place.

We will pay and sign the contract tomorrow, so continue to stand with us in prayer that we will have smooth sailing all the way through to the end.

Dave & Dawn Diaso

I don’t like chaos, which I feel like we’ve experienced as we moved from our house in Colorado. We’ve also experienced it some as we’ve moved from home to home, living our nomadic life. More chaos lies ahead until we can get our home unpacked and settled. Pray for my sanity during this process! Pray that I’m patient and loving to Dawn and those that surround me.

Join us in praising the Lord for guiding, leading and directing us to the place he wants us to be. Thank you, Jesus!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

Highs & Lows of Our Move to the Border

Posted: August 14, 2012 in Christianity, Family Happenings, God's Leading, Journey, Missions, Prayer, San Diego, Tijuana
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Richie helping us load up the trailer for our move

Richie helping us load up the trailer for our move

We are in the middle of moving to the San Diego – Tijuana border, which has made it extremely difficult to find time to write.

Our house is empty. The trailers filled with all our belongings have departed. We’ve said many good-byes.

Moving definitely isn’t one of the more enjoyable experiences of life. What we are moving to does get us pumped up. Like the Olympians we have a goal before us. We do not run for a perishable wreath.

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.”

—1 Cor. 9:25,26 (ESV)

Also we’ve been so encouraged as God has provided in so many ways. He brought friends from church to help us get a permit for our porch. Others have come to help us pack and clean the house. One of our neighbors is working on our cars to get them ready for the trek across country.

Both of our cars are having problems. One of our cars needs a compressor for the air conditioning. Since we are driving across the desert in the summer, even though we’ve done things like that before we’d like to keep from it this time. David Jr.’s car needs a new transmission, and we just found out tonight that he needs to replace the lower ball joints.

On the one hand, I believe that our enemy wants to discourage us and get us down as we prepare to leave to minister on the border. On the other hand, I know the Lord is protecting us, and it’s far better for us to be able to take care of this now rather than during the trip.

We are so thankful to the Lord for providing such good and faithful friends to help us along the way. We are praying that our cars will run smoothly and make it safely to San Diego.

The Diaso family

The Diaso family

I’m so tired. My whole family is tired. “Lord, give us strength. Give us a good night’s sleep. Thank you for your love and tender mercies.”

Two more prayer requests:

  1. It’s going to be tough to say goodbye to Jonathan and Hannah. “Lord, comfort us with your presence.”
  2. We need a place to stay in San Diego when we arrive until we can find a place to live. Our first place fell through, because we have our little toy poodle, Princess with us.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Sentimental Moments: Our Move to the San Diego – Tijuana Border

Posted: August 8, 2012 in Christianity, Family Happenings, God's Leading, Journey, Ministry, Missions, Prayer, Reflections & Musings, San Diego, Tijuana
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The Diaso family

The Diaso family

Today is the last day we will have furniture in our home in Colorado Springs. The movers come tomorrow, and all of our belongings will be packed in a trailer for our move to the San Diego – Tijuana border.

We are excited that this day has come!

Dawn and I along with our kids are flooded with emotions. I remember when we first decided to move to Colorado Springs 12 years ago. Dawn said to me, “it’s cold there, and we don’t know anybody.” My response, “we will only be there about a year, I think we can handle it.” Those are either my famous or infamous last words. Wow! How could it be that we’ve been here for 12 years!?!

Don’t get me wrong it’s been a good 12 years. Our three grown children, David, Jr. Jonathan and Hannah grew up here. Now we have many friends that we love. That’s part of what makes it hard to leave. Jonathan and Hannah have decided to stay in Colorado when Dawn, David and I head out next week. That’s extremely tough to leave two of our children behind.

Moving Day has come!

Moving Day has come!

Even with some of the sorrow we feel in leaving our good friends and our two kids, we know that we are doing what God has called us to do. We know that the Lord will not only take care of us, but He will look after and care for Jonathan and Hannah.

I have so many good memories of our time in Colorado Springs! Coaching the boys in baseball; cheering Hannah on in volleyball; rooting for and encouraging all three of them in speech and debate. I think of all the friends we have made. Friends who have encouraged us, and walked with us through the good and difficult times. Too many friends to mention here. Praise Jesus for them!

I’m very grateful to the Lord for the season He gave us here. There’s a sense in which part of us will stay in Colorado.

Yet there are so many good things waiting for us on the border. This move is allowing us to begin a dream that we’ve had for a couple of years now. God has made it clear in so many ways that we are doing the right thing. We are confident in His leading and calling.

There are some risks in leaving, but we are confident of the Lord's leading!

There are some risks in leaving, but we are confident of the Lord’s leading!

We appreciate your prayers. It’s going to be painful to say goodbye to Jonathan and Hannah. “O Lord, please watch over them and care for them.” The move does create some stress for us, and we don’t know where we will be leaving yet on the border. That’s our next order of business, to find a new home.

Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer sums up well our feelings at this time.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

—Philippians 1:3-6

Thanks so much for joining us on this Journey with Jesus! Thanks so much to all our friends in Colorado that have blessed and encouraged us along the way.

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org

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