Category: Newsletters

 

Dear mission partners, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank you so much for the prayers and support over the years. Truly God’s goodness and faithfulness has been revealed through the love and commitment shown to us by our mission partners. We thank God for you! We are now planning out our year, contacting churches hoping to have some brothers come and teach for us throughout the year. We usually hold at least three conferences per year. We would love to do more and we pray the Lord would move others to come and teach for us to edify the brothers and sisters here. We use the opportunity to invite others from the surrounding area and even other cities that they would be exposed to solid biblical teaching. It is very needed and it always helps when an outside party comes and reaffirms what we have been teaching here. Usually they are on topics like, biblical family, marriage, the Gospel, the church, etc. Please pray that the Lord provides those willing pastors and teachers.

After two years we have finally finished our journey through the gospel of Mark. We have now begun two new expositions, one in Romans and  the other in 1 John. I  began doing something different on Wednesday nights. Instead of going through a different book of the Bible, we revisit the sermon and the text the sermon was based on to go a little more in depth, and also to have more time to discuss implications, application and to answer questions. So far it seems to have been a good decision and appears that more of the material is “sticking” and there has been a lot more interaction from the congregation. That is great and also helps us to also gauge where the people are at in their growth. Pray that the brothers and sisters here continue to grow in knowledge, wisdom and practical godliness.

Apart from the preaching and teaching at the church, we manage to stay pretty busy. Monday Christen and Yaris spend a good part of the day visiting with different sisters from the church or other women who have recently visited for the first time. Tuesday we go to the orphanage, and as one group works with the smaller children, some of the men and I split the older boys into small groups and do some mentoring/ Bible study with them. Wednesday night is prayer and Bible study at the church building. Thursdays I visit a school and counsel the kids who get in trouble and share the gospel with them and the employees of the school as well. We hope this is the first step in reaching the parents of the students and the surrounding community with the Gospel. In the afternoon I do a bible study with the youth from our church, as well as with some other curious young adults we met through an outreach in the barrio who have begun attending. These three young men have even begun visiting the church. Praise the Lord!

Friday nights the sisters of the church have a meeting and on Saturdays a group of us have been taking some seminary classes in the afternoon and then a men’s bible study in the evening. Then on Sunday we meet for worship in the morning. Please pray for these various ministries and evangelism opportunities that present themselves along the way. Pray that people would be saved and that God would be glorified.

I am planning on taking a small group with me into Haiti later in the year. Hopefully to establish a partnership with a church there who we want to help through our preaching and teaching ministry. We have a very dear brother there in a town near the border who is helping us set up a meeting with the leaders of that church. Pray for that.

Last year the Lord provided for us in amazing ways. We are praying He will do so again. We have had some big expenses over the last few months which hurt us and giving has been down. Please pray the Lord will provide new mission partners throughout this new year. As the ministry grows the expenses do too and there are still many needs. This ministry totally relies on God’s provision through generous and sacrificial brothers and sisters back home. Pray that the Lord would provide above and beyond our family’s needs, and for the projects and plans we have as the ministry continues to grow.

The money that comes to this ministry does far more than simply support our family and pay our bills. It pays the church’s bills, it keeps the lights on and the water running, it buys medications for poor brothers and sisters that can’t afford them, helps people in need and pays for food and clothing, even surgeries and medical testing that we have covered as a ministry for brothers and sisters in urgent need. Of course we believe in helping the family of faith first, but we help others as well.

Why do I share this? Not for any recognition or glory for we deserve none. All glory goes to God. But we do want those who pray for and support us to know what is going on in this ministry, and what the money they provide is going towards. You should want to know who you’re giving to and where that money is going.

Because we follow a biblical model, we have a high view of the local church and do all ministry through the local church. Preaching the gospel and church planting IS the ministry God has called Christians to. Not separate disconnected parachurch organizations who do their own thing apart from the church.

But that same local church should be doing much more than simply meeting and participating in activities that are only inward focused. We should meet needs too, using those opportunities to show the love of Christ, and as a means by which we preach the gospel to the lost.

Pray.

 

In service to our Lord and King,

Antonio Salgado and family

Salgado DR Mission

 

Dear mission partners, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank you for your sacrificial giving to this ministry and faithful, prayers over the years. Our family deeply appreciates your support and is thankful to God for the opportunity and privilege to serve on the mission field here in the Dominican Republic.

Here we find ourselves at the close of another year. We all tend to say “it went by so fast”, BUT, his year actually did feel as if it flew by quicker then our previous years here. At least to us!

We experienced a lot in 2017. Wonderful times of growth, friends and brothers who came and taught for us, many answered prayers, but there were other things too. The unwanted but necessary troubles that come with ministry. Spiritual attacks on the family, many trials and sicknesses experienced by the brethren of the church, some financial low points and concerns coupled with the desire to help and do more. But God, as always, has been faithful and provided just what we need. We look forward to 2018 with great anticipation eager to see what God will do.

We recently had a meeting with one of the directors of the orphanage and arranged for us to do more there in the near future. With Christmas around the corner, we wanted to do something special. We also have wanted to bring a child home for sometime. Especially during Christmas and allow him or her to have a few days with our family, receive some gifts, enjoy a special meal, and just have a break and enjoy a different environment for a while as we loved on them. We took the opportunity to express this to them and now it looks like we will be bringing two home! A four year old boy and a teenage girl. We are thankful that they are allowing this and over time we have established a great relationship of trust with them. We even received donations from a couple of our supporters that will ensure these children are taken care of. Thank you for your love gift for these children! You know who you are.

In our church services, we wrapped up the Gospel of Mark a couple of weeks ago which we have been preaching through on Sunday mornings. It took us two years but it was a blessing for all of us. Now we are almost done with 1 Timothy on Wednesday nights as well. So in the new year we will be shifting gears and starting off with two new series, and I am really looking forward to it.

Most recently I began a discipleship group with some of the young people in the church and we will soon begin planning outreach activities and evangelism strategies with our leaders for the new year. We also are praying about topics for teaching as we hope to have some brothers from the US come and teach a few conferences throughout the year. The few we have had have blessed the church tremendously and were very edifying. It certainly has been beneficial to have a neutral outside party come and reinforce much of what they have heard from us already.

We have been in touch with Senator Marc Rubio’s office and they emailed us some paperwork to fill out. We are praying they will be willing to help us with Yeison’s visa. Please continue to pray for this. We want very much to be able to schedule furlough with him and for him to meet our family. This has been a desire of ours for some time and we have already been denied a visa for him twice, so please join us in prayer for this.

Our family wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year! May God richly bless you all as we have been blessed and may we together work towards the goal of furthering the Gospel and bringing God glory in the coming year. God bless!

In service to our Lord and King,

The Salgado family

Dear mission partners, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for and supported this mission over the years. Only God knows how your prayers and generosity have impacted the many souls we have encountered and ministered to through the support which has enabled us to stay on the field ministering over the last five years. Your sacrifice for the Gospel and the Great Comission is not in vain brethren.

The church overall is doing well here….very well in that aspect considering the church is very young (three years old in December). There is growth in knowledge and obedience and love among the brothers and sisters. There is a group within the church that is constantly wanting more of the Word. A few men with great potential for ministry will be my focus for a while. This Sunday we will also be adding two more to the membership and a wedding next month. This isn’t to say that there aren’t the usual problems and challenges that come with ministry, but overall we see God’s hand in it as Christ continues to build His church. The Lord is good! There are other new faces showing up as well. Most coming from regular, daily interaction through the brothers and sisters as they go about their lives. This is a wonderful thing. As you go…make disciples. There are many other things that have transpired as well.

I spent some time in the states over the Summer. It turned out to be an expensive trip and hurt us financially. The pressure of reporting to supporters, trying to meet new contacts, fundraising and travelling can be tiresome. The trip was not near as fruitful as expected but we trust the Lord will provide as He has in the past. Please pray for that.

We did get some time together with the family, (sadly without Yeison and Sahira), but then for several weeks I was there without them. Christen and the kids came home just before school started. It was difficult to be away from them but during that time I was encouraged, cared for during an illness when I was weak and needy, and met many wonderful brothers and sisters who were a blessing to get to know for the first time in places I had never been. I even had several opportunities to share the Gospel with unbelievers and speak into the lives of some struggling believers during my travels. Two young men specifically come to mind. The Lord in His providence crossed our paths at just the right time, as He always does. Pray for Josh and Jordan.

Unfortunately the hurricanes changed a lot of my plans. I tried my best to be sensitive to everything happening, but finally decided to cancel some visits and speaking engagements to be home with the family during the danger of the storms. One church even paid for a last minute flight for me to be home with them when things looked pretty dangerous during the first storm. I admit to getting a little nervous during that time but the Lord protected us and was very merciful to our family. Our family and home wasn’t affected much, but many people here were and some lost everything. The damage from so much rain continues. Several roads have been severely damaged, lots of flooding, bridges have fallen, and most recently a couple of families from our church had to flee their homes on the edge of a canal due to a danger of the houses collapsing. The house next door to them cracked right down the middle and could literally crumble anytime. Pray for them and many other families affected by the storms.

The church was also broken into (yes again) the very same night of my return. The people who did it took advantage of the storm and power outages to break in when no one could hear or see them. But even without the storms, there are frequent power outages here and these kind of crimes are the normal and quite common. It just comes with the territory.

There are also many brothers and sisters suffering from illnesses and serious financial struggles. Some struggle to eat daily and the church is just barely able to pay its bills. We used the money we had to help some, but the needs are a bit overwhelming at times. But considering the material aspect of the church, even though times are hard, the brethren have been very giving in spite of their poverty. Two weeks ago the church sold lunch after service and raised almost one hundred dollars to help towards a sister who recently had surgery. Now that may not seem like much to raise to the average American, especially for a meal fundraiser, but knowing the serious situation of our congregation, that was quite incredible to see. The love is there, praise the Lord for that!

During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 I can testify that, according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own accord.. –
2 Corinthians 8:2

There many other needs as well. The van and our vehicles are all needing a lot of maintenance. The bad roads here and constant traveling to and fro puts a beating on them. We also would like to see brother Kelvin back in the ministry full time with us. But he is having to work many hours for little money just to barely get by, especially with a new baby on the way next month. We are still praying for some new mission partners willing to sponsor him to have him back in ministry full time.

We had to come up with the money for additional burglar bars on the inside of the building to help deter thieves and protect the little we have. But we really need to fix up the back room and have someone stay in the building. That would be the most effective way to deter would be thieves here, having someone living there and always on the property. That room needs a lot of work though. The new lamps we put up were already stolen during the last black out so the property is very dark at night. We still need to build the classrooms as well and are praying for the funds to do that as soon as the Lord provides. These are just some of the many needs we currently have. Please pray about helping and sharing these needs with your church and friends. Thank you again for holding the rope for this ministry through your gifts and prayers. If you feel lead to help and joining us by supporting this ministry, just click on the donate button of the home page of this website for more info on how to do so. Above all, we need your prayers. Grace and peace. Pray.

I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. – Philippians 1:3-5

 

Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ,

The last couple of months have been a bit difficult. Trinity, Maya, and Tonito spent sometime in the states to visit with family. For two of them it had been over two years since their last visit! Christen and I tried our best and did everything we could to get Yeison a visa. Unfortunately we were denied…..twice. Even though we now have full custody of him, he has a passport and could even travel to other countries that do not require visas for Dominicans,  the US embassy did not allow us to travel home with our son. It was difficult but we trust the Lord’s timing. He has done so much and has been so gracious already in the process of legal custody. Things that many people told us were impossible, the Lord made possible. So we accepted it and continue to trust Him and pray.

Unfortunately, some who get a chance to travel to the US don’t return to their country. We understand there is a lot of child trafficking out of the DR and people even  steal children and kill them to sell their organs on the black market (yes, this actually happens). So we understand that in some way they felt they were trying to protect him or prevent something, but we had a solid case that we presented to them. Legal documents, proof of our children enrolled in school there, ownership of vehicles, rental agreements to the houses we have lived in, letters from the Dominican Convention affirming our work there, and even pictures of Yeison with our family since he was three months old until most recent.

Thankfully we have a wonderful church family in Hato Mayor. We had a married couple from the church take care of Sahira and Yeison while staying at our house while we were gone. It was hard to leave them behind, but we felt they would be taken good care of.

Christen and the kids are back home in the DR now. Thank you for praying for them as they traveled. I am still in the states and will be here a bit longer. I am sharing our ministry with churches and individuals praying the Lord will open the doors for more mission partenerships and support.

There is an important and powerful partnership between those sent and those behind praying and supporting. Those who pray and give to missions, play a role just as important as the one on the mission field.

Unfortunately, due to the the uncertainty of Yeison being able to travel with us or not, or when that was going to be possible, it was very difficult to establish set dates for speaking engagements and I was not able to come as organized as usual for this visit. I have some commitments in October and am presently trying to organize the month of September. I am in Florida now visiting with family and will be sharing with a couple of churches here. But this extended time away from Christen and the kids is hard on all of us. Please pray for our family and that in spite of the many difficulties that this trip would be fruitful.

We are very thankful to the Lord for the faithful brothers and sisters that pray for and support us. But the reality is that we need more help. As the ministry grows the needs grow. Not only the needs of our family,  but of many others as well. We are preparing for the future (and the Lord is certainly growing His church), but many times resources are the only thing holding us back from being able to do so much more!

Christ is our root. How can we do anything but bear good fruit? Christ is our spring of fresh water. How can we do anything but desire to be poured forth and deliver life-giving nourishment to a thirsty world?- Trevor Christian Johnson

We want to support and send out nationals now. We want to multiply mission minded men. The Lord is bringing them and they are learning and growing. We need to expand our building and build classrooms for teaching the adults and children. (Although running out of chairs and space is a good problem to have!) Traveling is expensive with gasoline at $6 a gallon there. We need funds to provide more bibles, teaching materials and offer opportunities like seminary training for the faithful men gifted and able to teach. There are many poor and sick who we help with food, medications and treatments. The list goes on and on. We need the help of brothers and sisters back home willing to pray and sacrificially give to make this possible.

Please pray about joining us in prayer and support. If you know of any churches of individuals seeking a ministry to invest in, please share this letter with them. They can contact us here from the website or at salgadodrmission.com.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2

We understand that some people have to see something themselves to really be inspired to get involved. We welcome anyone to come and see what the Lord is doing for themselves. But we prefer small teams (4-5) with people able to teach, minister and encourage. The larger groups cost so much to care for, and in airfare alone, those amounts of money can accomplish so much more here as well as give work to the brethren in the church when doing projects and activities. But if you would like to help just to be obedient to the Scritpures and the mandate the Lord has given us, we encourage you to, and would be VERY thankful.

Consider this text:

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:17-19

The Philippians were a loving and missional church. They sent Epaphroditus to Paul to encourage him, but also to supply him with money and resources. Notice the following:

1) Paul was content in any situation, BUT he made his needs known to these brethren and they were met.

2) He sought to see the fruit of their faith in their giving. Their desire and actions were evidence of their being genuine.

3) The were fulfilling the law of Christ (law of love) by carrying their brother’s burden (Gal.6:2)

4) They were being more blessed by giving than Paul was by receiving. (Storing treasure in heaven), and the Lord would bless and supply their needs as well.

5) Their giving pleased the Lord and Paul describes it as “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”

May the Lord move us to be more like these brothers and sisters. We both need eachother to get the job done. May the Lord receive glory and honor as we follow this example. Soli Deo Gloria

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. – Philippians 1:3-5

In service to our Lord and King,

Antonio Salgado

 

 

 

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. – Romans 12:15

Dear mission partners, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,

During this last month, we have rejoiced and we have cried. We have experienced answered prayer and have received bad news as well. But even so, we trust the Lord and remain thankful in all things. Here are a few things the Lord is doing here:

We have been moving along in the process with Yeison when in our last step which was supposed to be easy, turned out to be a difficult encounter and a closed door. Thankfully things suddenly changed and we were able to get the ball rolling with the lawyer. Lord willing, if we can get this part finalized he is legally ours, praise the Lord! This has been a long time coming, please pray.  Getting him a passport is next, then once we have applied for the passport and have a number for him, we can apply for a visa to travel. The guardianship allows us to travel with him anywhere, but the visa to travel back home depends on the US embassy, if they approve it and for how long totally depends on them. Please pray for this! Lord willing, we hope to bring him with us to visit in the summer IF we can get it done in time. This will be the first time our family will be able to travel together since Yeison came into our lives and we long for our families to finally meet him  as well.

We have three people in the church that have had some serious health problems. Two have had emergency operations and are doing well. The third is a sister named Fidelina.  She just discovered she has stage three breast cancer. Christen and I spent some time with her yesterday. We have prayed over her at church before her surgery and have been praying for her when we meet. I was preparing myself for our visit to minister to her during this challenging time. What happened completely surprised me and we left there blessed and ministered to instead.

Fidelina has a strong faith, is in high spirits, and is using this time to share Christ with people everywhere she goes. She is completely trusting the Lord’s good will. Her words were “who am I to question God’s will, I trust Him completely whether He heals me or I go and be with Him.” She was not just ok, but her joy was overflowing to the point that it was contagious. She is also asking for much prayer because she knows the Lord is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

This is what a walk with Christ should look like. This is what the Spirit of God does in a person despite undesirable circumstances. This is what it means to have an eternal perspective. Her testimony is inspiring and encouraging. Please keep her in your prayers. Pray.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

The Lord has been working in the hearts and lives of the people in the church. This past Saturday we had the privilege of baptizing five people, one of them being Sahira, the teenage girl who has been living with us for a while now. It would have been six, but one sister could not go to the river with us because her infant daughter became ill. We will be baptizing her very soon, Lord willing.

It was certainly a time of rejoicing and beautiful fellowship as each person gave their testimony before going into the waters. Three of them are part of a family from Venezuela that immigrated to this country as unbelievers. We are now recording videos of their testimomies to share. It is titled “From Venezuela to the DR to Christ”. They share stories of the very sad state of their country and families and how they realize that the Lord used all the suffering and economic crisis in their land to bring them here for the purpose of knowing Christ. We will share them on social media and with future newsletters. Beautiful, God glorifying testimonies. Praise the Lord!

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. – Romans 6:4

We were finally able to replace the termite infested wood beams and old rusty tin roof on the church building. God truly has been providing and answering many prayers lately. He has been so gracious and kind, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Please pray for the many outreach activities we have planned in the community in the coming months. Next Saturday the young people in the church will be doing a children’s outreach in the barrio. They are wanting to step up and serve more, praise the Lord for that. Please also pray for  wisdom in deciding the right timing for a much needed furlough. Although we hope to visit in the summer it will be a short visit. We will be visiting family, hoping to raise some much needed support for this ministry and for the pastor’s fund which will be to help those the Lord is raising up for ministry in the future.

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. – 2 Timothy 2:2

Pray that the Lord will touch brothers and sisters to help in this important area of ministry. This is a vital step in Hato Mayor becoming a sending, church planting church in the future. We hope to be able to raise these funds to financially assist for a time so that these men may dedicate themselves fully to being discipled, focusing on spiritual disciplines, study of the Word and prayer. But we still need to meet what we are short in the budget for our children’s schooling, and health insurance as well. Please pray for these needs and consider  helping if you can. Pray for our marriage, pray for our children, pray for the church, and pray for the lost that we meet. May God be glorified as we continue to take the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the people of the Dominican Republic. Pray.

In Service to our Lord and King,

The Salgado family

 

If the Lord so lays on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can send your tax deductible gift to:

Romeo Baptist Church 20545 SW 5th Pl. Dunnellon Fl, 34431.

*Please be sure to write Salgado DR Mission in the memo.

You can also donate to this ministry online. Click the “donate” button to send a gift of any amount directly to the ministry.

For tax exemption, you must send your donation to our sending church at the address above. We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field. Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us and God Bless You!

Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ,

Here are just a few of the things that the Lord is doing here in the DR.

We are very pleased and praising the Lord for the growth and regenerating work of God in a some of the people we serve here. Lord willing, be baptizing up to five people very soon. There is an obvious change in their lives and it has been a beautiful thing to witness. Three of them are a young family from Venezuela that immigrated here four months ago because of the economic crisis there that is growing worse every day. They arrived to the DR each with just a small bag of a few articles of clothing, nothing else. The church has come around them and helped in many ways. The love showed to them through this difficult and traumatic transition made an impact on them that the Lord used to bring them to Christ. They are now growing and wanting to serve and fellowship whenever they can. Praise the Lord!

We sat with them today after church to spend time and just listened to their story, and how although they are very concerned with the state of their country and their family there, they are very thankful, and see God’s purpose in bringing them here. One of them, is a man named Rafael who also speaks English. His exact words were “I am just so thankful to Jesus Christ for everything. I didn’t know what to expect and we were all very sad to leave Venezuela, but now I understand His plan in all of this.” We are now planning a wedding and their baptism. Praise the Lord!

We have still been visiting the area of Santiago known as Frakatán (in the image above) to share the Gospel and visit with those who lost almost everything in the flooding a couple of months ago. Saturday we held an outdoor church service there. Since we have been visiting, an older couple has begun visiting the church. At one of them come every Wednesday or Sunday. We are praing that they will be instrumental in reaching more people in that area with the Gospel. Please keep Frakatán in prayer.

There is also still a group going to Cotuí every two weeks. Although I personally have been going a liottle less often, the group from the church that goes has been growing and more are showing interest in visiting there and helping minister to the people. Please keep Cotuí in prayer as well.

We have begun a monthly movie night at the church where we show christian films. It not only gives us more time to spend together, but also a chance for the brethren to invite friends and neighbors. The first night we had 60 people show up! Kelvin and I both got up afterwards and shared a few words. All the visitors heard the Gospel before leaving that night. Pray for more to come and be exposed to more of the Word and the love of our people.

Our group of men is growing and that is very exciting. Since we began working in Hato Mayor, one of my most frequent prayers has been, “Lord, please send us men.” That prayer is truly being answered right before our eyes. God is faithful! When God tells us to pray specifically for things in His Word, do it, He will answer.

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 into his harvest. – Luke 10:2

There are few very promising men in the group we have a lot of hope for as far as deacons and leadership. They have been growing and very helpful serving any chance the get. They get it. They understand that true faith works, it bears fruit unto the Lord. Please pray that the Lord continues to grow them in faith, knowledge, and grace and for the Lord to send more men still. In our experience, it seems that the women are easier to reach then the men, but many times they come alone or with young children and struggle more in bringing their families. But more often than not, if the men come, they are going to bring their families with them. It isn’t always that way, but that seems to be the pattern we are seeing.

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. – 2 Timothy 2:2

The group of ladies at the church is also growing. They seem to be more united they are becoming more organized and wanting to serve more. Praise the Lord for that!

There has certainly been struggles, hardships, and difficult decisions to make. God is always dealing with His people whether it be discipline, trials, or just His pruning.  Stripping away things we don’t need, showing us the idols of our hearts, teaching us to trust Him, teaching us to recieve our joy from Him rather than things or people. All for the purpose of His glory and preparing us to bear more fruit for Him. The enemy is also very crafty and deceptive, never far away.

Please pray for the familes, especially the marriages. Pray for the salvation of those among us who still have not been born again, especially the children. Also pray for unity among the brothers, growth in love and humility, and stonger desire for the Word and obedience motivated by love, and wisdom.

There is so much more to share. We have finally gotten closer to obtaining Yeison’s birth certificate. We have had his mother diagnosed by a psychiatrist stating why she is unable to care for him. Please pray for the many more steps in this process of legal custody and getting a passport and possible visa for him. We have done what we can on our own, but there are things that only a lawyer can do. We will definiotely need a lot of support financially to be able to make that happen, it is not cheap at all. We are confident the Lord will provide it. Please pray that the Lord will move people to be generous and give towards this important need. We pray that we will be able to take him to the States one day to visit family and the many people who have prayed for him and our family during these last three years.

We still visit and minister to the orphans every Tuesday. We are planning our activities for the year, hoping people will come to teach for conferences we are organizing,  minister to us, as well and bring much needed resources if possible. Please pray for the Lord to help us arrange all of this.

We need more transportation. Many of the people, including the new ones do not have any transportation. We are praying for a large van or mini bus for the church. We can certainly put something like that to very good use here. We have spoken to a lawyer who is also a friend and employee of customs at the port here and he is confident he can get it into the country for us if one was sent or donated. Pray for that! We are also working on finally replacing the roof to the church building. Praise the Lord! We are very thankful for the generous brothers and sisters back home who made that possible.

Those who pray and give to missions, play a role just as important as those on the mission field.

I can go on and on with prayer requests and praise reports, but I will end this one with this. Our family hopes to visit the states in the Summer. Please pray for the funds needed to do so, and for the Lord to open doors to new mission partners,  opportunities to share this mission with more churches and individuals back home that will enable us to continue to minister effectively here and hopefully do more to reach more. Please also share this newsletter and the many prayer requests with others. We are thankful for each and everyone of you who pray and support our family and the ministry here in the DR. Thank you and God bless.

In service to our King,

The Salgado family

 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21

Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ,

2016 has flashed right before our eyes. Here we are in December now getting ready for Christmas and New Years. Many families plan their get togethers and enjoy some time away from work and school. It is a time of the year that we remember the miracle of the incarnation of our Lord. When God Himself stepped into time and His own creation , took on a robe of flesh and came to rescue an otherwise hopeless people from their sins for His own glory. I pray that we all make time to block out the noise of materialism and busyness to meditate on these important and beautiful truths and to be thankful for God’s glorious grace.

Life still continues almost the same here for us. Please remember to pray for our family and the many other missionaries around the world who can’t be with their families or at those special reunions at this time of year. There are many other prayer requests as well.

After 3-4 years on the field, many missionaries come home for a furlough. There are several different reasons for this. Fundraising, medical reasons, reporting to home and supporting churches, and rest. We have now been here 4 1/2 years.  Many missionaries take a furlough after a term of 3-4 years on the field. Please pray for provision and wisdom in this decision. We also are about to begin fundraising for some important legal paperwork towards working on some very important steps with Yeison, including a passport and visa. We are praying that with the lawyer we will soon be meeting with, Lord willing, Yeison may finally be able to travel with us. Even if it is just for a short time in the beginning. But it will be quite costly and depends on what this lawyer says. We are hopeful and This lawyer has a lot of experience with the process. If the meeting goes well, fundraising that kind of money will also be difficult from this side. This is another reason that we would need to be home for a time.  We hope to share this need and other needs with many churches and individuals. Please help us pray for this. Yeison is very much our son and deeply loved.

But we also are realizing the importance of other reasons for this furlough, like rest. Since I spoke the language coming into the DR, we really did hit the ground running right from the start. Although we have had a couple of  minor changes in the course of our time here, we pretty much have been going full steam since we arrived. We are praying for wisdom and provision for us to be able to rest for a while, tend to our family, and refocus. The Bible says this in Ecclesiastes 10:10:

If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. – Ecclesiastes 10:10

Machetes are a commonly used tool here. But anyone who has had to use one to chop for any amount of time would tell you, they work best when they are nice and sharp. You exert little energy and can work efficiently for extended periods of time. But over time and with much use, the blade begins to dull. If one continues to use it that way you must exert more and more time and energy as the blade loses it’s edge. In the end you are bound to become exhausted. The wisest thing to do in that situation is to sharpen the blade. But to do so one must step away from the task for a time.

We are now praying about that time so that my family and I  may sharpen our proverbial “blade”. We understand that this is an important, necessary, and  healthy thing for us as a family, and for our longevity on the field to be able to better minister to others in the future. Pray for wisdom in this decision and continued provision during that time.

There are some wonderful praise reports too. This month, by God’s grace we had three more people join the membership of the church. Praise the Lord! We are also seeing some tremendous growth and committment in some of the brethren, especially brother William. Brother Kelvin’s daughter (Genesis) is growing and is healthy and strong. And sister Rosalina’s new son  (Daniel who is about a month old now) is also healthy and strong. Two beautiful blessings from God to two godly families at Hato Mayor. More of God’s glorious grace.

In November I was in Haiti with brother Moises and helped him take some money, food and supplies to his mother and brothers in a remote area in the mountains. Please keep Moises in your prayers. He is in Santiago with us but still struggles a little as he is now adjusting to life on his own as a young man now. We keep a close eye on him and he is in our church as well. We also still help him in every way possible with the support of the brethren. Recently, a brother in the church was able to give him a job. That has been a long time prayer but the Lord now has answered that request. Praise the Lord!

Please pray for us and feel free to share this newsletter with others. Giving is very low around this time of year and we still have a ways to go to meet our budget just for our family. There are many ministry needs too. Between the demands of a growing ministry, inflation, and men needing training for ministry, we need to raise some money for a pastors fund which will financially help the gifted men and their families who are candidates for ministry so that they can can focus on studying, growing and learning many other things as we prepare them to minister in the future. This is a vital and important step in becoming a disciple making and chuch planting ministry. That is our deepest desire as a ministry. Lord willing, in the future Hato Mayor will become just that for God’s glory alone. Pray.

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. – 2 Timothy 2:2

Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in Christ. First and foremost we want to express our extreme thankfulness to the Lord for His faithfulness in providing for our family’s needs. But we also want to thank each and every person who prays for and financially supports this ministry. Thank you for responding to the call to missions. We understand everyone cannot pack up and leave their country to serve the Lord and preach the Gospel overseas, but all believers are certainly called to be involved in the Great Commission with equal passion both at home and overseas. Some go, some send. And those that pray for and give to missions play a role just as important as those on the mission field. Brothers and sisters, the Lord has used your prayers and sacrificial giving to keep us here as we just celebrated four years on the mission field just last week! We have seen the Lord do many things. We have learned so much and grown in so many ways. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. I pray that God has been, and will continue to be glorified!

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. – Philippians 1:3-5

The Lord never ceases to amaze us. We have seen Him blessing the work in Hato Mayor in a special way. We are seeing more and more people coming to the church. We are have been consistently full  Sunday mornings and even have around 30 people coming to Wednesday night prayer and Bible study meetings! I am not one to get too excited about numbers, I understand the reality of the state of many souls and that there is SO much work still to do. But the fact that the Lord is bringing many more to be exposed to the Gospel and the teaching of His Word IS exciting! Here are a few of the beautiful and humbling things we have been up to as of late:

We are consistently going to the orphanage every Thursday for the children’s Bible study. Most recently we have been helping to get the lice there under control.

We are currently expositorily preaching and teaching through the Gospel of Mark and the book of James.

We have men and women’s Bible studies every Saturday and have been concentrating on working through the church member’s families and neighbors and friends in our evangelism efforts. We see the Lord using this moreso than some some of our past evangelism strategies. This is also where many of the new faces in church are coming from lately.

We recently reached out to some prostitutes in the city through the sisters in church and a sister that was visiting who has experience working in this type of ministry. We had six women and some of their children come for a special meal we prepared for them as a group of christian women served them and loved them before they received a message from sister Stephanie who was visiting from New York.

We had the privilege of baptizing two people this month and have two weddings planned.

We had the opportunity to go to Barahona to join in the work of a group we know and back to Cotuí to do evangelism and preach the Gospel during outdoor services that we held there.

We have been bringing the handicapped girl from the neighborhood (who for a long time has professed to be an atheist) to church for a few weeks now. She recently lost her grandfather and we have been there with her and the family during that difficult process and had the opportunity to minister to him as well during that time. This encounter with death so close to home has brought her to a place of rethinking things. She is coming to church…and she is liking it! We pick her up and take her home. It is very possible she has been converted, praise the Lord!! Pray as we will be paying her a vist at her home tomorrow as we are out following up with some and visiting others for the first time. There ares so many things going on, it is challenging. Pray for me, pray for our family, pray for the church.

The Lord is certainly working and we have the great privilege and honor of serving Him. In all we do, the verse that continually comes to mind is Luke 17:10.

So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'” – Luke 17:10

Pray.