BCMS Update: Maracay, Venezuela devastated by the immense amount of rain and flooding. Leaves many survivors suicidal.

Relief urgently needed in Maracay. Survivors lost everything, leaving many desperate and suicidal.

Following report given by Rafael Rodriguez,  BCMS worker on the ground in Maracay, Venezuela. This another town that has been devastated in this last week. It began to rain heavy yesterday and the streets were flooding again. He is pleading for help and for prayers. Please pray about helping.

 

Good morning my brothers and sisters, may the peace of Christ be with you all.

Beloved, on Wednesday 10/19/2022 some brothers from the congregation brought some arepas and water to Castaño, as you know this place was strongly affected by the flood that occurred on Monday.

By the grace of the Lord we managed to reach the highest and most affected part, since they told us that there was no way in anymore and in reality there was not. They only would let government cars pass to Palmarito, which is the most affected place.

But the Lord made our trip to this place prosper, in the same way that when we went to Tejerías, and providentially we managed to reach Palmarito just like the Lord opened the door for us in Tijerías when others were not allowed.

My dear ones, this city was really devastated by the passage of the river, the people of this community need help, water, food, candles and shovels because many houses as you see in the photos are full of mud.

By the grace of the Lord we were able to talk to some people and deliver gospel tracts, deliver water and food to houses where the water did not come from the river and they did not suffer from floods, but people cannot leave their houses because they cannot leave their cars because all the streets are covered with large stones and mud, they are without electricity and without water.

This Saturday, if the Lord allows it, we want to bring water, candles and shovels (the shovels are to help someone for a while to remove the mud from their house, not to give it away), we also want to continue preaching and bringing the gospel to these people  because although many people are collaborating in terms of food and water, we understand that these people also need to hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and it is a good opportunity to do so.

Pray for them that they may seek the Lord and for us that the Lord may prosper our path and give us words of wisdom to speak with grace and truth to these suffering people.

God bless you,

BCMS worker in Maracay, Venezuela

Rafael Rodriguez

Translated by Antonio Salgado

Plea for help in Maracay, Venezuela. Heavy rains have caused disastrous flooding.

Plea for help after heavy flooding and landslides in Tijerías, Maracay. Heavy rains bring death and destruction to an already fragile and suffering Venezuela.
Maracay, Venezuela has received a record amount of rain falling in just a few days. The floodwaters and death toll continue to rise. Rafael Rodriguez, our BCMS worker in Venezuela has begun collecting toiletries, non-perishables and other items to help those suffering who have been impacted by the heavy flooding. Rafael lives in Maracay, just 30 minutes away from the worst damage in Tijerías. As of today there are at least 36 dead and almost 800 homes destroyed. 
Rafael and his family are ok, praise God, but he desires to help others as much as he can. He is already attempting to collect help for the victims. Yet within Venezuela the needs are already great. Please pray about helping us send relief through our worker on the ground for those suffering tremendous loss. See below for info about giving. Thank you and God bless. Pray.
In Christ,

Antonio Salgado

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

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.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can  donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministryThis is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/guerofino22?locale.x=es_US

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

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 helping this ministry. God Bless You!

Update from Antonio in the DR

Greetings dear mission partners, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. We are extremely grateful to those who pray for, donate and even visit at times. I would not be able to do what I do if it weren’t for brothers and sisters back home to pray for and support this mission.

 

At the orphanage, I am working A LOT. Right now I am working on an evangelism teaching and how to study the Bible workshop that I do in my meetings with the supervisors for the purpose of evangelizing the personel, and teaching them how to prepare a devotional/Bible study. I am training the supervisors under me, so they  then can train the caretakers who work directly with the kids, who then can eventually prepare their own devotionals to teach the children. Apart from that I’m working on some leadership resources with the team as well. It’s going well and the boss wants me to be in charge of ethics now too. So the workload is pretty heavy. Apart from book and important article translations, we are working on a manual for the institution with protocols for each department and every situation we can possibly think of. It’s a monster of a job that needs to be very extensive with lots of prevention rules and processes to protect the vulnerable children we work with the best that we can.

A good brother recently donated a very good study Bible which I then  gifted to Dr. Ignacio from the orphanage, he’s a great brother who loves the Lord and I’m sure he’ll put it to good use.

At home, Yeison has struggled in school. I´ve had to pay a tutor 200 bucks every two weeks for him since the school wanted me to pay for another teacher to help him and work one on one. The school was charging more but thankfully we found a tutor who would do it cheaper and Yeison is finally progressing, thank God.

That’s quite a bill here. And I don´t make much here working, so I very much depend on and need the support from brothers and sisters back home, to not only help my family, but also to provide the resources needed to do the ministry and activities we plan. Thankfuly there is a sister back home helping with Yeison’s need for now.

We have a eldery lady (Lourdes) who still needs help who lives in horrible conditions. Her granddaughter is a friend of ours. We still need donations for that. Please pray about helping us help her (see last months newsletter). But there is another need we have that will help many, God willing.

I am working on trying to get into Venezuela and so far so good.. It isn’t possible right now from the U.S., BUT…IT IS very possible from Santo Domingo or Mexico. I almost have all  the paperwork I need to request the visa now from here and a friend who is a lawyer is helping me with that.

We have many friends and family in the faith over there. We have helped in the past, sending funds to faithful brothers and sisters who helped us get the resources to where they needed to go, back when we first started receiving Venezuelans at the church years ago. There are thousands of them here now and all over Latin America after Maduro and his regime ruined a beautiful and one time prosperous country. The truth is, it’s bad over there right now. Really bad. 

My stay there would be short of course. I have many responsibilities here and I can’t stay apart from Yeison for too long either. However, apart from the funds I need to get there, I cannot go to such a place empty handed. Apart from my personal traveling expenses, I need at least  3000 dollars above and beyond that to buy what we need to to help others. Please pray about helping towards that need. There are some good churches in Caracas and we can work through our other trustworthy contacts there as well.

On another note, there are things we´ve done in the past that unfortunately we have not been able to resume since the pandemic. The medical clinics out in the communities, conferences and workshops that have been edifying for many in the past are something that I would love to resume again as soon as possible. More evangelism, medical clinics, distributions, workshops and discipleship. I have a few good and trusted brothers who have helped us in the past, who desperately would love to get back to work as we used to. Here in the DR, in Haiti and now in Venezuela too. But we desperatley need your help to make this happen. The Lord has opened these doors, we see the needs, but we need your help. Please pray about joining us in prayer and support in order to get the job done. Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions about the needs or how you can join us in this worthy labor for the Lord. Thank you and God bless.

In service to Him,

Antonio Salgado Jr.

 

I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,- Philippians 1:3-5

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.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can  donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below and you can send support of any amount directly to the ministry. You can choose the option of doing a one-time donation and this is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE

P.O. Box 219228

Houston, Texas 77218-9228

1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)

Office: 281-599-7411

Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

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 helping this ministry. God Bless You!

 

BCMS: Update from Antonio in the DR

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

 We are extremely grateful for each and every person who has taken time out to pray for this ministry, our family and those we serve. Especially those who take the time to personally reach out to us on occasion for much-needed encouragement.  For every person who has donated any amount throughout the years. Thank you, we love and appreciate your love for the Lord and the desire to be involved His work.

Yeison just turned eight years old this past Sunday. He is going through a growth spurt and  is getting very tall all of a sudden.  And even though he is struggling in school, he is becoming very responsible for his age. Right now he is doing school virtually and I have a tutor working with him one on one during his school hours. That alone is an expense, but thank God  there is a sister helping with half of that cost. But we’re still short about 100 US dollars a month to cover that. If the Lord lies on your heart to want to help with that, it would be appreciated.

Another personal need is that my vehicle needs many repairs. We were in an accident a couple of months ago, then and got ripped off by a shady painter and lost about 300 dollars in that incident. Apart from that,  there are other things that still need other things fixed with the steering, tires and front end. Any help with that would certainly be a blessing. Those are a couple of personal needs and there are others. But there are those we serve and who are in need as well.

Over the years, the Lord has used this ministry as a means to reach  and to bless others. As of recently, there are many needs that we presently have and have identified to help others and wish to continue doing so.

 

Yeison´s biological mother and her caretaker are in need. Brunilda, who cares for Yera (Yeison´s biological mother), has had some serious health issues. And although we sent her relief recently when her son passed away, we haven’t been able to help much more until we have more resources to do so.  Please pray about helping us help them.

 

This past Sunday, we took a good friend and sister to visit her grandmother, who she hadn’t seen in four years. It was a sweet reunion, but also very sad at the same time. We met Lourdes for the first time, an elderly woman who lives in a house by herself and has almost nothing. The holes in the wall where the windows should be, and are covered with old tin nailed into the blocks. She has a son who she can barely care for. He is about 40 years old, who suffered a severe head trauma when he was young and now cannot live a normal life or care for himself.

Lourdes, who can barely walk herself, actually uses a walker to scuffle uphill on a dirt trail to the small wooden house where her son lives to take him food and water. After spending some time there and getting to know her story, I felt moved to try to help. I am asking around in that area for a worker who can get me an estimate to install the aluminum shutters for her house and  do what we can to help at least with food and clothes for her and her son. Hopefully more than that. I f the Lord lies on your heart to help towards this need, it would be a tremendous blessing for them. I am waiting on an estimate to see what everything will cost to help her. Please pray about helping.

A couple of weeks ago we also did a food, medicine and clothes distribution. And apart from all that, I am still working at the orphanage. It takes a lot of my time, but they have given me great responsibility and freedom to create programs, evangelize and invest in the  children and adolescents there. It’s not just a job, it’s very much ministry, and I am thankful that the Lord opened this door. Especially since we already had a relationship with them since we used to come with groups  from the church in Hato Mayor to serve as volunteers. As the head of operations I do devotionals with the staff and my supervisors, give leadership training and create the tools and protocols that help us collect data on our progress and how to better serve the children.  We’ve seen a lot of progress in the last six months by the grace of God. Please pray for wisdom for me and to continue serving well with the many responsibilities and commitments I have at the present time.

In Christ,

Antonio Salgado Jr.

 

I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,- Philippians 1:3-5

 

 

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.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can  donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below and you can send support of any amount directly to the ministry. You can choose the option of doing a one-time donation and this is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

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 helping this ministry. God Bless You!

 

 

 

 

BCMS: Update from Antonio in the DR

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

Forgive the lengthiness of this update. As we draw to the end of one year and enter another, we reflect on everything that we have experienced, the good and the bad and we feel compelled to take the time to express our gratitude to those who the Lord has used to provide for our family and every ministry need met. We are extremely grateful for each and every person who has taken time out to pray for this ministry, for the church, for our family. Especially those who take the time to personally reach out to us on occasion for much needed encouragement.  For every person who has donated any amount throughout the year. Thank you, we love and appreciate your love for the Lord and the desire to be involved in mission work.

Anyone who has followed us for any length of time has probably read in a newsletter, or a post on social media, or maybe has heard me in person speaking somewhere say that, “Those who pray for and give to missions play a role just as important as the missionary on the field.”  I say it often, especially when doing some speaking back home or talking missions with anyone. I say it a lot because we really believe that. The church or person who gives any amout faithfully over time, or the grandmother who wakes up early every morning to pray for the missionaries that she has pictures of or names of on her fridge. Both play a crucial role in this long term partnership in the Gospel we call mission work.

When it comes to funding a missionary, some would say very simply that if it’s God’s will He will provide, and they take the position of not seeking to share needs or raise money. They firmly believe that in this way they are truly trusting the Lord. That’s fine, if it is their conviction, and I believe that if it’s God’s will then He will provide too. But to leave it so simplistic would really be to miss something important on the other side of the same coin. Something clearly revealed in the Scriptures that should not be avoided. We understand and believe that God has ordained all things, absolutely. But He has also ordained the means by which to reach those ends. One confession puts it well when speaking on the decree of God. It says that:

“God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree.”

And it wouldn’t take long reading through the epistles before you would start to notice a couple of things:

First, Paul absolutely depended on God and prayed expecting God to answer, and God often did.

At the same time we see other examples of Paul making his needs known to the churches. He also expected the brethren to help him with his needs and the needs of others. Both are true and they go together.

Yes, at times he worked with his hands out of a conviction and even necessity. In Philippians he writes that at one time “in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.” (Philippians 4:15) This is incredibly astounding. Consider the great Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles, the great missionary. Now consider churches that he himself and perhaps others had planted, unwilling to give or help Paul so that the Gospel may go forth in other places?! If we lost all of our support, and only one (fairly young) church supported us, we would have to do the same. We too have had to do a little tent making  as of late until we acquire some new mission partners to help ease the burden of new needs and to prepare for future plans we have. But that hasn´t always been the case.

One realistic downside of bivocational missionaries to consider, is that it is easy to become overloaded and overwhelmed, and hence comes the possibility of becoming less effective and their longevity on the field may then soon be in play. Unless somehow, they had established in the past a business, or a high paying career before they moved to a foreign mission field, and they were able to somehow keep it going and make money for their family and ministry without sacrificing all of their time. But those are exceptions, and often bivocational missionaries usually end up spending less time working for the Lord (of course everything we do is unto the Lord, but I mean specifically mission work and ministry here) and more time working just to survive and make ends meet.

And as the Lord opens more doors, it also comes with more expenses and needs. In the past, I taught English at another school free of charge for almost two years. We still even recently have helped that school. But there are seasons of life and ministry when you just do what you gotta do. So I  was teaching at another school, but now I am working at the orphanage to make ends meet. I am willing to do it and even enjoy it in many ways. Sure it is a blessing and the opportunities to share the Gospel are many. But, family in that mix of a very demanding work load, both in ministry and secular work, and you will eventually have a recipe for burnout. Especially on the field where the needs are often much greater when working with the poor, and people aren´t so individualistic and private, but need and desire much more attention and time spent together with them. Often needing more time and resources than you have available, and need more than most Americans do. It is this way with ministry in many other cultures, it’s just different. And if we are honest, most people culturally as Americans just like thier privacy and in general are better off financially. And that’s ok. I say this to mean that just because something is common and or easily done in the States, it doesn’t mean it will be so in a different setting. And though bivocational ministry is always difficult, it proves to be even moreso where the people are poor, often sick and less educated. In those situations, things usually take much more time, energy and money.

But why do some missionaries seem to always need money? Well, first we would certainly agree that the most loving thing we can do for a person is to share the Gospel with them and point them to Christ. To this we say yes and amen. Yet at the same time, it would very unloving to preach the Gospel and ignore someones obvious urgent, basic needs, especially if we were in any position to help them. Of course we cannot help everyone, and the “poor will always be with us.” But this is no excuse for not being as generous as possible and we must remember that we were saved not just from something, but also for somethings,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Time and time again we see in Scripture the duty of the believer to compassionate, merciful and generous as we saw exemplified in the life of our Lord and the Apostles and the early church. When the other Apsotles extended the right hand of fellowship to Paul and Barnabas as they were getting ready to go off to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of the gentiles, they reminded Paul of something that was important to them beacuse it was important to God..

“Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”  Galatians 2:10

In the book “Controversies in Missions,” a compilation of essays written on various controversial topics in missions, a chapter on Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model puts it this way:

“The particular eloquence of Henry’s position is this: one need not deny the important biblical commands regarding social justice in order to arrive at prioritism (the Gospel proclamation is the priority), and the way one does this is by understanding the full weight of the doctrine of revelation within Christian theology. When this is done, it becomes clear that there is a direct correlation between the doctrine of revelation and the priority of proclamation. However, such a prioritist position by no means renders what the Bible says about social justice as irrelevant or unimportant. In fact, the opposite is true. A high view of the doctrine of revelation, especially concerning Scripture, also gives rise to a robust social concern because the moral imperatives for God’s people are divinely revealed.”

This is in no way a “social gospel” as some understand it. But rather biblical ministry centered on God’s revelation and the ethical demmands put on those who are transformed by the very same Gospel proclamation. The latter (compassionate generosity) actually gives evidence to and establishes that the first and main thing, (Gospel proclamation and salvation) actually took place to begin with. One is a priority, yet both are necessary and biblical. The author offers a very helpful illustration from every day life to help us understand how both are necessary, while rightly keeping the main thing, namely Gospel proclamation, the main thing.

“I might say that I am going to go to the bank to make a deposit and then to the post office to mail some bills. I furthermore declare that the bank is my top priority because if I do not deposit my paycheck, then the bills cannot be paid. Clearly, one has here a case of priority in which both things remain necessary. I still must deposit my check and I still must pay my bills. Yet one of these takes priority because the second thing depends on the first thing having taken place. It is the same with evangelism and social concern. The gospel must first be preached before converts can be discipled and, indeed, the content of Christian discipleship remains mired in obscurity apart from the proclamational foundations of the apostles and prophets, which is divine revelation. Thus, the logical priority of evangelism does not render compassion as optional. It simply affirms the ultimate place of Scripture and the unequivocal role given to proclamation in the life of the church.”

Consider this text in James:

“If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.” James 2:15-17

But now back to my first point on the funding necessary in order to do both of these things:

So we have the Apostle Paul, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write and explain the mysteries of God being revealed, praying to the Sovereign Lord, and at the same time He makes his needs known to the churches and seemingly expected them to meet those needs. We see true dependence on God through prayer, AND communicating to the churches his own needs and the needs of others. Why? Because He understood that the means to reach the goal of the church, IS the church. Specifically, the emphasis in the NT is overwhelmingly on the local churches.

God´s people have a mission, to go and make disciples of all nations, baptize and to teach all that Christ has commanded. God´s people also have the real responsibility to be intentional in going, sending, praying for and providing for that mission and showing mercy and compassion to others in the process. There are ethical demmands that are put upon the beliver through the commands in the NT. It´s not rocket science, but for some at least, its hard to stay balanced. Many people error and fall off of one side of the horse or the other. It just isn’t as black and white as some would like. We live in a tension in this area. Consider the beautiful mystery of God’s Sovereignty and the will and responsibility that man has. His decrees and His means to reach His intended purpose.

Who´s mission is it?   God´s.

Who has He commanded to fulfill the mission?   God´s people.

Who´s doing the calling?   God.

Who´s Word are we preaching and teaching?   God´s.

Who did He choose and inspire to write and preserve it? God´s people.

Who is the one preaching and teaching?   God´s pèople.

Who is forgiving sins and doing the saving?   God.

Who is being saved and who is He using to proclaim the Gospel?   God´s people.

Who is opening the minds of people, illuminating them to understand the Scriptures? God is.

Who does He use to do this?   God´s people.

To Whom belongs the cattle on a thousand hills (and everything else in the universe)?   To God.

Who is doing the praying and who is doing the providing?   God´s people.

Who has He entrusted precious resources to, to be used for His glory?   God´s people.

At the same time, who is really doing the providing and Sovereignly answering specific individual prayers of provision for His people who are doing His will on His mission? God is.

I could go on and on, but hopefully you get the point by now. His plans will be accomplished and cannot be thwarted, no doubt about that. But He has revealed and commanded how it is to be done as well. And we are very much responsible for being about the will of God in the work of the church. He will do it, and He will do it through His people. Paul knew this. But many who lean too much in either direction fall into error and become unbalanced, inconsistent or worse, unbiblical.

To deny the real responsibility we have before Him would be somewhat foolish and would require the systematic focusing on some particular texts of Scripture, while at the same time ignoring of a lot of other texts. Or putting Scripture against Scripture versus putting the two things together. It would be akin to an error as in saying, God will provide for me but I refuse to work. Or that God will cause me grow in knowledge but I refuse to read or study. For the above mentioned reasons, we have come to the understanding that it is ok to ask for help and make needs known for us and for others. We simply say “these are the needs, pray about helping.” If the Lord puts in someone the desire to help, then praise the Lord! We have examples of it in the Scriptures and we simply accept it and live in the tension between the Sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. There is no need to even try to reconcile the two, we see both in the Bible and they do not oppose eachother in any way.

Why even address this? I feel the need to expalian this mainly because of our critics, who themselves are of an extreme position and choose not to communicate or share needs out of their conviction. Unfortunately, the same often suffer need more frequently and unnecessarily. God has blessed and given the specific gift of helping/giving to some. (1 Cor. 12:28)  People who desire to see the Gospel taken forth and to help the poor and others. There are people and churches somwhere, right now praying about which mission to give to. We could testify time and time again about how the Lord in His providence would bring such people across our path through their own prayers in seeking who to help, while at the same time answering our specific prayers for provision. Many of who we have never even met or had any prior contact or relationship with! The Lord really has provided and answered an innumerable amount of prayers like these. And He always did so through His people, whether a church as a whole or through individual brothers and sisters.

Having said all of that, we are extremely grateful to God and to our mission partners who pray and support. Especially those who have done so faithfully over time. Without your prayers and donations we just wouldn’t be able to do what we do for as long as we have done it. That’s a fact. Thank you and God bless you.

There really is so much more I can say on the topic, but I will leave it there for now.

In Christ,

Antonio Salgado Jr.

 

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.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can  donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below and you can send support of any amount directly to the ministry. You can choose the option of doing a one-time donation and this is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

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 helping this ministry. God Bless You!

BCMS – Updates From The DR

 

 

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

I would like to begin with a very special thanks to those who continue to support the work here in spite of the difficulties and changes that have occurred over the last couple of years. Without your help and faithfulness in the past, we would not have been able to do what has been done over the last almost ten years. God bless you.

My desire is to resume and add to much of what we have not been able to do, due to insufficient funds, continue helping, teaching and serving the people of the Dominican Republic and the many Haitians and Venezuelans who also live here among us. Right now the biggest need we have is more mission partners. Without funds, I’m stuck. Without help from brothers and sisters back home I am forced to rely on the very little bit of money  I can generate here, and it doesn’t provide enough for myself, family needs and expenses of doing ministry. I would love to resume the medical clinics, bible distributions and different outreaches and workshops we do. I would love to resume the work in Haiti with Leonel. I haven’t been physically back to Haiti since the pandemic, though Leonel and I keep in contact frequently. Sadly, I have had to draw back on some of what I was doing before the pandemic.

Right now, I am in survival mode. Almost living check to check trying to do my best with the little that trickles in these days. I make here about 1/4 of what I would make at a secular job back home. I work at the orphanage to pay my bills. Furthermore, I love the work, the children and teaching and helping others here. But it does not pay enough for me to pay my bills and do ministry and offer help to others. I really love the work, but with each passing month I am realizing the need for much more help from the outside very soon. Even so, I have still helped as many as I can, but won’t be able to soon, if something doesn’t change in the funds that come in or if new mission partners don’t come on board.

For years, we depended on the generosity of others to help me live and work and serve here, as Paul did on his missionary journeys. Praise God for the help we received over the years. When I arrived here in 2012 we came with very little, practically nothing.  And although there has been changes, there is work to do, the needs remain, and there are many. I am committed to stay. I am committed to serve. But Yeison requires help, and sometimes I fear that soon I will not be able to do so as I have in the past. Even though I trust in God’s provision, the thought of not being able to not only help people, but not even provide for my own very much terrifies me, if I am honest. My only options are to pray and ask for help.

Please share the need for help with your friends, church, or other brothers and sisters who the Lord may touch to help and become a part of the work that is being done here.

Even the Apostle Paul rode the emotional roller coaster, rejoicing at times, but suffering needs and moments of feelings of abandonment. In the letter to the Philippians writes in the beginning a very warm thank you to these special brothers and sisters.  

“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.” 1:3-5

But later in the letter we see why this church was so special and beloved by Paul. It appears that at one time, many turned their back on Paul, and in the beginning only the Philippians were willing to help him in his journeys. Later in the letter he writes:

 “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me, but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him[d] who strengthens me. Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship.

 And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.

First we see how he rejoices at the fact that the Philippians gave, and even though for a time they were not able, but when able they began to send him help again. Later he states that at one time, no other church helped, they were the only ones supporting.”

I  can relate to the situation. Content with little, trusting the Lord, but not afraid to ask for help and rejoicing when brothers and sisters back home get on board and are willing to support again. To the Romans, he wrote that he expected them to help with his needs and travels. 

I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey. – Romans 15:24

So asking for help isn’t bad, in fact it’s biblical when working in foreign and cross-cultural ministry. Over the years things change, people change, situations change, but the work and the mission remain the same. And the need for help also remains. Please pray about becoming a mission partner and/or sharing the needs here. Thank you for your prayers and support, God bless.

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.

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

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

You can also donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below and you can send support of any amount directly to the ministry. You can choose the option of doing a one-time donation and this is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) 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 helping this ministry. God Bless You!

 

Update from the DR

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

Here we have ended  another year. By God’s grace, we survived many challenges in 2021. But even in difficulties, the Scriptures tell us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” That is easier said than done, but very possible by God’s grace. I am very thankful for the faithful few who have continued supporting until now. May God bless your intentions to help us, others in need and your faithfulness.

Things are going well at the orphanage. The work is tough, the days are long, but working with children who come from vulnerable situations is rewarding, and they have given me a lot of freedom to develop tools, activities and programs to apply to the logistics and training of the personnel to better care for the children. I am thankful that I can work in a place that allows me to use my experience and are open to changes and trying new things. Another positive thing about working here is that there is always an opportunity to share the Gospel, and I record and share a devotional every morning with over 120 employees. 

I keep in touch with Leonel in Haiti often. We actually spoke this morning as he was asking if Yeison has gotten better. Yeison was recently very sick with vomiting for a few days. He began to get better, then presented fever for two days. We had insurance in the past, but do not have it at the moment. After a very difficult day spent in the emergency room here, I decided to take him home and treat  him myself. The symptoms are gone now, and his COVID test came back negative, so thank God for that.

Hopefully in 2022 I can make it back to Haiti for a follow-up visit that is long overdue. Since the pandemic started, I haven’t been able to make it back, and unfortunately we’ve lost a few good brothers over there since my last visit. There is an urgent need over there, not just for him and his family, but for many others I personally know due to the instability of the country overall. He has needs, but as of now I am very, very limited in resources unless new mission partners come on board to help with these needs. Please pray for that.

I have a possible trip planned to Venezuela this year, Lord willing. We are helping some family and friends of  some brothers very close to us. We hope to even help a few people here (through some very helpful contacts) to offer them more opportunities and a better quality of life compared to the horrible state of their country right now. The situation is worse than most think, and many are suffering and struggling just to feed themselves. We have helped several Venezuelans in the past, and these are friends and family members of some people near and dear to us. Those are also long and costly processes. But I wish to help as much as possible with that. Any prayers and donations toward that is also very appreciated.

I am currently waiting on a donation of some large boxes of what is usually food and clothes to arrive, but the shipment is extremely delayed. Pray that they come soon so that the donation can be distributed to those who need it. We can always use donations. In fact, we need them desperately. Many I have relationships with here have asked for help who have benefited through BCMS or Salgado DR Mission in the past, but unfortunately, resources are becoming more scarce every month. 

There are tons of needs. A few weeks ago I had a car accident and the repairs on that alone will cost me at least $1000. I already got ripped off by one painter and had a difficult time getting the vehicle back. Thankfully, I  got it back this week. As far as Yeison´s needs with the  school, I have a sister who has pledged to help with 2/3 of the cost of the special assistant Yeison needs because of his attention issue, but I am still 100 USD short a month to cover that cost. The school keeps asking when I will begin to pay, and I have asked them to please be patient. There are plans for things I’d love to do here in this community near the orphanage or the other communities I have worked in. If the Lord leads anyone to help with any of these needs, it would be very appreciated and will truly be a blessing. 

In Christ,

Antonio Salgado

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

To donate to me personally, the work I do here in the DR and financial help for Yeison and I, you can donate at this link through PayPal.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission

To donate directly to Fundación Red de Misericordia to help with the needs of the children we work with, you can donate at this link:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GKASFXK6R4EYC&source=url

 

Update from the Antonio in the DR

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

In the last newsletter, I explained some changes in life here. I will still remain here to raise Yeison and desire to continue the work, but I cannot do so, or at least not very well, without some help. Since the school I worked at changed their language program, I found myself without the monthly income that helped, a lot, even though it wasn’t much. Thank God, I am now working with the same orphanage we used to visit and serve. But the income here is not much at all either, and I am finding myself in a financial difficulty.

At the orphanage I am the supervisor of operations, that means I only have one boss above me, the founder. But the responsibility is immense. Every need that the child has from the moment they enter to the moment they leave is my responsibility.

If a child gets sick, I must be sure they get the medical attention quickly and keep records of everything. When they go to school, when some may have appointments with family members or government officials, I must make sure they get there. I must be sure they have supervision around the clock and everything they need at all times. Thankfully, I have a team of supervisors and caregivers under me, but the logistics of it all is still mind-boggling. There is a lot to still learn, but I feel like I’m finding my place there, and they are pleased with my work, by God’s grace. There are also innumerable opportunities to minister to the children there, and the Gospel is a priority.

I can use the ministry van there to help transport children and youth to their activities. Recently, two different camps right before the start of the school year. One was more recreational, the other more spiritually focused with the older boys up in the mountains. The orphanage is also connected to a good church in this city, which I attend now.

I am personally studying strategic planning for non-profit, and biblical counseling through a program in Lafayette, Indiana. That has been a tremendous blessing too, but also a ton of more work. The boss wants me to take other courses, but I think I am full for now. Between the workload, the extra reading and studying and a little time for Yeison in the evenings, I’m going full speed 12-14 hours a day, six days a week. I thank God that I still feel pretty good and still have my health for now.

Working with the children is rewarding, but it is also extremely difficult. Children that come there come from some of the worst situations you could imagine, and  it really is heartbreaking. But the place really is much more than an orphanage. They have their own school, they go to church and have several kinds of programs, agriculture, painting, technology, etc. There are plans for a center for women who are victims of abuse and much more. Thankfully the staff is helpful, patient, experienced and mostly Christian. The children there attend church, have daily devotions, and are saturated with a Christian worldview and biblical principles. Praise God for that.

At one point last month, I almost had to leave this job for another job opportunity (due to a little desperation at the time) that would have left me needing to commute to another town every day. But when I told the director of my present job that I may have to end my employment with them for a better opportunity, they asked me to stay and matched the other salary that was offered to me. Almost immediately, so at least I feel like I’m doing a good job there. Now, to be clear, even with the raise in income I make less than $900 USD a month. Only about $220 a week! Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for my job. And yes, SOME things may be cheaper here, but some things are also much more expensive, especially fuel. I could easily burn through at least $100USD a week just with my normal routine. Thankfully, at least I won’t have to commute now. But it’s not much at all to pay all the bills and raise a young child.

Sadly, because of the financial hardships, I have had to cut support to some who depended on us in the past. Tough times call for drastic measures, literally, but I am really uncomfortable after so many years of helping others, and now not being able to, and even finding myself in need. By God’s grace, a dear family I have known for years helped me a few months back with what allowed me to resolve many needs and get by until now. But, things are getting rough again quick, and I’m in survival mode. I have fallen way behind, sending Leonel in Haiti financial help. We often speak, but his needs are great too and the feeling of helplessness definitely looms overhead. Not being able to help with his needs are one of the things that bother me the most. He has been such a good and faithful friend, fellow servant and brother over the years.

Yeison´s uniforms and school supplies alone cost over $300 USD just because it’s a good school, and they require a lot. Thank God that this is the same school I taught at, and they decided to give him a scholarship this year, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to pay it. Everyone that meets Yeison just falls in love with him. And the school was very clear when they told me that they have never given anyone else a scholarship, ever. So I definitely see God’s provision there and am very thankful for that.

Yesterday, the clutch went out on the van and there are other repairs needed that I just can’t cover at the moment. I barely made it home. I have no doubt that God will provide for needs again as He has in the past, but to be honest, humanly speaking, the situation makes me very nervous. I’m surviving, but the help I received in the past from mission partners has dwindled to almost nothing. Sometimes I understand, other times I just don’t and struggle for a little while to be honest.

Yeison is growing up quick and doing very well, but he does struggle in school a little. A test we did on his brain just under two years ago determined that the central part of his brain processes a little slower than average. But for the most part, he is doing well and learning a lot of big boy stuff like organizing his room, washing dishes and folding and putting away his clothes. So I thank God for that. Please pray for us, God’s provision and that I can maintain my workload and continue to do well at the orphanage. They also receive volunteers and donations and I can put you in direct contact with the department that handles that if you wish to visit the facility or to donate be a part of something beautiful being done here you will find a link below for donations directly to the Fundación Red de Misericordia. Thank you and God bless.

In Christ,

Antonio Salgado

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

To donate to me personally, the work I do here in the DR and financial help for Yeison and I, you can donate at this link through PayPal.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission

To donate directly to Fundación Red de Misericordia to help with the needs of the children we work with, you can donate at this link:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GKASFXK6R4EYC&source=url

Salgado Newsletter BCMS

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

I would first like to express my gratitude to all the mission partners who have prayed for, supported, and even visited us over the last nine years. We are extremely grateful for each and every one of you that God has used to help us continue the work here, share the Gospel, help us with Yeison’s (and the rest of our family’s) needs and for every encouraging message to let us know that there were always countless people praying for us and those we have been serving. When we were in hard financial times, when one of us were sick, when loneliness and other hardships came and went, I have no doubt that it was through the many prayers of the saints that God continued to help us and provide in every situation.

It is STILL humbling to remember how everything started. Almost nine years ago, my family and I came here to live full time to serve with pastor Jose. We came here by faith and with very little support. We spent almost three years working with him and the three churches that were planted there in and around Esperanza. We visited the country, kept in touch with him and would send financial help during nearly five years prior to the move. Through a series of events, the Lord opened the door for us to serve in Santiago. Eventually, a church was planted in Hato Mayor which is still doing well and has their own Dominican pastor now, by the grace of God.

There were ups and downs as always of course. Some of us got sick many times. Most of us have had our share of dengue, chikungunya, parasites and bacterias (including shigella). I was involved in a few motorcycle accidents and fell ill quite a few times myself. But the Lord continued to work through weak and broken vessels. Besides health problems, there were marital issues, family issues, financial issues and other situations (including opposition quite often), that at times, had me in despair. We suffered in silence many times. The kinds of things you don’t read about in newsletters. Most missionary families have real issues but are afraid to speak about them. Between the pressures of living in a foreign context, far away from family and the fear of losing needed support. Only a few trusted people close to us knew all that we had endured and were enduring on a personal level. Most people only saw the pictures and videos in the posts on social media. Mostly the good side. But there was always so much more, that often had us to our limits. The pandemic certainly hit us hard too.

Some children came to live with us for a time over the years, but then would move on. Yeison and Sahira stayed with us. Our own kids grew up. They spent at least half their life here in the DR. But over time, our children began moving out and becoming independent one by one. The family has certainly been through many changes, especially over the last 1-2 years, and our family looks much different today than it used to. Trini left a couple of years ago and is married now. Maya moved a year ago and just graduated high school. She has a car and is working and planning for college. Nito is working and became independent and recently moved out on his own here in the DR. There have been many family issues, and we desire to remove ourselves from the “spotlight” so to speak. Things are much different now than they were a few years ago. But there is still much that can be accomplished, and I will still be in country for Yeison. But the work will hopefully continue, Lord willing, with a few changes.

Therefore, it’s my desire that neither I, nor what’s left of the family, be the focus of anything done as ministry here in the future. Even so, my desire is not to stop the work or cut off potential help that any national partners of ours would or have received through BCMS. The plan is that although the “Salgado DR Mission” will go away, the hope is that BCMS (which started as Salgado DR Mission but grew to start and help other ministries here and even working in Haiti), would continue with the support and prayers of mission partners back home. Support has certainly gone down through these rough seasons and transitions, yet my prayer is that support would continue so that the work and help can continue as well. That the medical clinics, evangelism, help for the poor, food and school supply distribution, providing bibles and supporting nationals who we have worked with for years would continue as we function as necessary  support system, a lifeline of resources for others here, Lord willing. This all depends upon what the Lord provides through our partners back home of course. People like Leonel in Haiti come to mind, who has many needs, serves faithfully and received financial help through us for his family so that he would be able to continue ministry there.

My decision to remain in the DR, apart from overseeing the work here,  is mainly because of Yeison. After God, then our spouses, comes our children. In the case of , my next priority must be to my children, mainly Yeison since the rest are older and independent now. Just as God never abandons His children, I could never come to terms with leaving him behind for something so superficial as a better life temporarily for me. Of course, I would do better off in the States financially. Some think I should come home. Work is easier to find, there is easier access to resources and I would be closer to family. But what about Yeison? What would happen to Yeison? How would he feel? What would that do to his emotional state and his future? How could I even live with myself? He’s been with us since he was barely three months old. I just can’t come to terms with leaving him behind. My other children feel the same way. They have expressed to me how there is no way I can leave their brother. They love him very much and so do I.

This entire process has been very stressful and painful. Since the letter I wrote about the furlough and break from ministry, giving has gone down significantly. On top of that, the school I have been teaching at for a couple of years has decided that they are trying a different kind of English program that partners with another institution. Which means they are bringing their own teachers. Which also means another loss of income for me. Thankfully, the school decided to give Yeison a scholarship for next year, because everyone that meets him loves him, and wanted to somehow help me. This was purely the grace of God since right now, I cannot afford that on my own.

So, I now find myself at a very difficult transition in life, praying for God’s guidance and relying on His provision. Ironically, after years of helping and serving others, now I find myself in need of much help myself. This letter is not only an update to our crisis, but also a very real cry for help at the same time. I did not expect to lose my job at the school and work is not easy to come by here. I admit, I worry quite a bit. I worry about Yeison and what will happen to us. I worry about how we’ll survive if support no longer came in. I worry about others who have depended on the help that came through BCMS/ Salgado DR Mission. Even with the changes, there is still much good that can be done and plenty of work to do through BCMS and the nationals here. But that takes resources and willing mission partners.

I ask all of our supporters to pray for all of this and help if you can. I have faithfully served the Lord here for almost nine years, and several years before that in our local church back home too. Please bring these requests before the Lord in prayer and consider helping, supporting and praying if you can. Thank you and God bless.

In Service to Him,

Antonio Salgado Jr,

“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

 

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.

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:

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

You will then have a private giving solution that comes with many benefits to you the donor. If you have any questions please call the office (tel:1-800-262-7729 or 281-599-7411), and they very kindly will walk you through what you need to do.

You can also donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below and you can send support of any amount directly to the ministry. You can choose the option of doing a one-time donation and this is the fastest option to get funds to us.

Unfortunately through Paypal we are not set up for receiving recurring donations at this time. But the other online giving option above does the recurring monthly donation option. Simply register one time and that’s it.

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) 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 helping this ministry. God Bless You!

Salgado DR Mission Newsletter

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

It is most appropriate that we begin by expressing our gratitude to God for all of you who have prayed for and supported us over the years. The Lord has been faithful to provide for us, and for others through times of celebration and times of difficulty. To God be the glory.

Yeison had another evaluation last week. The doctor decided that since he has progressed so well, that he can now continue his therapies at home with us. This is great news and we are so happy for our little guy. He is very excited and already talking about wanting to start playing sports, something he couldn’t do before since he used to easily trip and fall often. It took a long time to get his surgery done, with lots of battling with the insurance company who was not wanting to cover things, but even so, we are thankful for all the progress that has been made. His life has changed in many ways since his surgery, and he is really excited about possibly playing sports. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and even helped us pay for that surgery and the therapy sessions that were not covered either.

This past year has really been a difficult one, for everyone really. I personally know of many churches that are struggling, some have even had to close their doors. I know of lots of missionaries that are struggling  since the pandemic started. Some got blocked from going back into the countries they were serving in. Some have lost portions of their funding due to supporters losing their jobs. Some missionaries are ill and recovering, unsure if or when they can return to the field. Some have had bouts of depression or other mental health issues due to the overwhelming increase of stress due to the needs in the people they serve. The loss of employment in an already poor and unstable place causes desperation among the people. There is a thick tension and there is a burden to help. But with an obvious burn out on the horizon, many missionary families have had their share of difficulties. The wife, the children, all of them.

We are one of those families. Many of our supporters know about our situation with Yeison. Until he gets approved for a visa and can travel with us, we are pretty much stuck between two worlds. We have been here for over 8 years now. We have never had a furlough. We (usually separately, so one of us can stay with Yeison) have gone back to the States for a month here and there when I have spoken at different churches, or Christen would visit with the kids to see family. Rarely have we all traveled together in the last six years since Yeison came into the picture. The couple of times we did, on short trips, he was left with very trusted friends here that are like family. But it affected him. He thought we weren’t coming back or felt abandoned. He asks why he can’t get on a plane with us or if he is going to have to live with another family. It was heart breaking to think that he felt that way or even thought such things on his own.

About three years ago I attempted an “in country” break from ministry when we were on the verge of burnout, but it didn’t work out so well. I still ended up very involved in many things. And in a short time I was doing even more than before and I ended up even more exhausted afterwards. But it’s been eight years now. Yes, we have done a lot by the grace of God. But humanly speaking, it all has taken quite a toll on us. The pressure to perform, for fear of losing the few supporters we have. The overwhelming amount of needs. It was always in the back of my mind how we were so easily forgotten. Not to the mention the other issues that just arise out of the nature of ministry dealing with everyone’s sins and mistakes, including our own. Don’t get me wrong, we have always trusted the Lord and always will. We know for a fact He has provided and sustained us here for this long, Especially, since we came to the field with practically nothing. The Lord has always been very good to us. And it has been very helpful to remember all of those answered prayers and God’s faithfulness through dark times over the years.

But it is wise to know your limitations. As much as we want to do, we can’t do everything. I have not been good at discerning that and saying no to things. I have been pushing the limit for too long and unfortunately it has hurt us. All of us. We always have hoped to get the visa and then take the furlough for at least a year back home, only entering and exiting the country when necessary to keep his visa active. That hasn’t happened yet.

So I write this update to announce that we will be taking a furlough. Due to the circumstances, it will have to be an in country furlough from all ministry. On our break we still be working and praying to get another appointment in hopes of getting a visa approval. It is is possible, but we realize it is not guaranteed. But, in the mean time we will be resting from most of our ministry labors, almost everything. I will be only working as an “administrator” of sorts to keep things going. We are a small ministry, and to keep costs down we have always had to do almost everything ourselves. But there are areas of ministry that should go on and people that depend on us to keep it going. We do not want the support others receive through us and their respective ministries to stop or be affected at all if possible. Thankfully, I do have a few faithful men I can count on to make things happen in my absence who are trustworthy and can get it done. Praise God for that.

We will continue to support the church of Hato Mayor, though we may not be present for a time as we plan to go elsewhere for counseling and to disconnect a bit. We will continue providing for Pastor Victor’s seminary training. We will be continue supporting Leonel and the work in Haiti, hoping to get a few more men involved to support and join him in the work with a few groups there as well. We will continue to provide help and food and medicine for the several people in and around the community as we have always done, it will just not be us personally doing it. We will provide (Lord willing of course) the means to allow this type of ministry to continue by others who work closely with us. We pray that the funds continue to come in so that these and other projects can continue as usual. These are all done with funds that come in above and beyond what our own family’s needs are. So please consider praying for us and continuing to support us through this season.

There will be costs like that of our counseling sessions, a possible relocation to disconnect from things for a while in order to avoid another failure like our last attempt at some rest and healing. This was not an easy announcement for us to make. But it is necessary.

Some may ask, “why don’t you just come home?” As in leave Yeison behind for our family’s sake. Implying that somehow Yeison is not really part of our family. Well that is easier said than done. Not even easily said for me.  Most people tell us “you’re wife and kids and your number one priority. Yes, we agree. Christ loves His bride and we should do anything for ours. Except that our situation is bit unique and multifaceted. We have a Dominican child, he is our son. He’s been with us since he was only three months old. So although the argument that Christ would never abandon His bride is true, and although we should do anything for ours, it is also true of our God that He never abandons or forsakes any of His children. So what are we supposed to do? Leave Yeison behind in the name of being Christlike in one sense, while at the same time going against the character of God by abandoning one of our own children?? God forbid. We don’t see that as an option. We have also known of cases where people with good intentions took on children only later to give them back or abandon them altogether at an orphanage, causing more harm than good to both parties, but especially to the children. We hope and pray that we can get a visa soon. But that is really out of our control. Please pray that God would graciously allow for that to happen.

So this break while being here is the best possible solution we can come up with for now. I am still teaching at the school for now, but am seriously considering if I should stop for a while. I will no longer be involved in the magazine project, the Bible Institute (which was put on hold due to COVID anyway) or food and medicine distribution, at least not personally during this break. But we are still willing and feel led to raise and receive funds for those things entrusting their execution to a few faithful brothers, especially Leonel in Haiti and Pastor Victor in Hato Mayor. But I will be protecting my time to be intentionally focused towards God, myself, my marriage and my family as much as possible.

This will come with a cost and a risk. Counseling sessions aren’t cheap, catching up on doctor visits that have been put on the back burner as usual due to work have their cost, and some cash to just get away and rest with the family are all extra expenses we will need help with. We have received a few private messages or caring brothers urging us to slow down or happy to hear that we will be taking some time for ourselves. That has been encouraging. But the pattern in the past has been that the less active we seem on social media or in reporting, the less funds we receive. Even though there are times that I seemed to report little, but we actually remained quite busy. But I have come to the point that I just cannot worry about this and allow that fear to hinder me from doing what I think is best and necessary for myself and my family.

I often am surprised that people forget we are just regular people with our own issues, struggles and sins just like you. Perhaps because of the kind of work we do, others may tend to see us as more spiritual or somehow above certain things. That is certainly not the case and there are no superheroes in the Kingdom. Don’t let others fool you or tell you otherwise.  If anything, our problems and struggles and multiplied by our complicated situation here in another context and an immense load of responsibility. It really puts a strain on everything over time. I am weary and tired and need some time to rest and to pour into my family and refocus. I pray that our supporters will continue to be there for us financially and pray for us more than ever. We really do need your prayers and support during this time. May God give us the rest we need and the wisdom to use this time wisely for healing, personal and spiritual growth, and increased unity in our family and marriage for God’s glory. Pray for us.

In Service to our God and King,

Antonio Salgado Jr.