Category: Prayer Requests

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

As always I would like to begin by giving thanks to God for His faithfulness and provision over the years. We are thankful for everyone of you. It is the Lord who has put many of you in our path and moved you to give and to pray for this ministry. May the Lord bless you for your obedience and your love for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Here are some of the most recent things going on:

Last week we did a three day vacation Bible school at the a school  we are working with. It went quite well. There was a group who was supposed to come with the owner of the school who lives in Florida. Something happened and the group was unable to come. Thankfully we have left over things we have used in the past from when our mission partners from Morriston have come down and supported us in coming (and many other ways too!) and in bringing the resources neededin order to put on such an activity.

The result was that we have more contacts and a presence with the people in the community to follow up with we didnt have before. People in the immediate area already know me and have attended a Bible study there held at the school. We still have a lot of work to do there but this allowed us to meet and speak with people in the community that we did not have an audience with before. Now we continue to evangelize but especially with those we have recently met.

The main thing of course is the Gospel. Different kinds of outreach like this are great, but the reason for all of it is the proclamation of the Gospel. We dont trust in any specific method of reaching people at all. We do no good just singing with and playing games with kids if we don’t share the Gospel with them. We trust in the power of the Gospel. For this reason I prepared the Bible lessons myself to be sure the lessons were Christ centered and  would take the children to the cross. Please pray for the efforts in that community and that the Lord would save and allow a new work to be planted there.

At the church in Hato Mayor,  we just began a new expository series on Philippians titled “Gospel Joy and the Missionary Church”. We will learn important lessons like, joy, generosity, contentment, unity, mission partnership and of course the humility and exaltation of Christ. Pray that the Lord would give me wisdom and that the church would be edified and grow.

We are still planning things for later in the year including a medical clinic around October where we offer free exams and medications to the poor. These have been a great way to serve the community while at the same time meeting new people and obtaining new contacts to follow up with. During these kind of outreach events, we put together a small team of people to share the Gospel with everyone who comes through. Pray for that upcoming activity.

We still would love to have others come and teach for us. Having likeminded brothers come and teach for conferences has been very edifying and beneficial in the past. Pray that the Lord would open new doors and lay on peoples hearts to partner with us in this mission and have a willingness to committ.

The needs are great as always, and our resources are very limited. Here are just a few of the needs at the present moment. We hope that one or more churches would partner with us and take one of these needs on as a project of their own.

-There is a sister in the church who is very ill. She has to have surgery to remove a finger that has gangreen and has begun to rot still attached to her. Her husband is a former pastor and works but they barely get by. Her insurance is spent and no longer covering any of her procedures, removing the finger being one of them. She is also receiving dialysis and a diabetic. Any help towards this couple would greatly relieve the burden of brother Nico and his wife who’s health is already in a delicate state and would be greatly appreciated.

-We are still short on our children’s funds for schooling.  The schooling is expensive unfortunately, but the only school around that has teachers specially trained to help our daughter Maya with her learning diability. We homeschooled for years but eventually it got very difficult not being able to give Maya the help she needed. Since attending the school Maya has made great improvements. We still need $6000 for that need to cover the upcoming school year. Please pray about helping.

-We recently launched our first arrow (oldest child left the nest). Trinity is in Florida now, but still quite a way from meeting her goal for her time in Papua, Indonesia in December to work with the Johnson family. You can find that fundraiser on our facebook page and in past newsletters. We can email it to you directly if you wish to help. Salgadodrmission@gmail.com

-The church building is still in need of classrooms. By God’s grace, last year we were able to replace the old roof. As the church grows the classrooms are needed more and more. It would be an addition upstairs to the half of the building that has a concrete plate for a roof. The plan is to add at least two rooms and a bathroom. This would  help tremendously as we are very cramped for space and the ministry would greatly benefit from the extra room as it would help and play an important role in the process of growth for the church. Especially for the much needed theological training of the men. We are presently seeking an estimate for this project will share asap.

If you or your church would like to help in this or any other need, corporately as a church project, please contact us at salgadodrmission@gmail.com.

We strongly believe that those who give and pray for missions play a role just as important as the missionary on the field.

We pray for new mission partners to join us in our ministry. We strongly believe that those who give and pray for missions play a role just as important as the missionary on the field. Please share these needs and prayer requests with your church and others. Thank you  for your prayers and support, God bless!

You can give online here on our website, or you can send a gift of any amount to the Romeo church address in Florida. Click on the “donate” button to give online and/or for the address to send support as monthly mission partners or to meet a need.

In Service to our King,

Antonio Salgado and family

Salgado DR Mission

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

I would like to first thank each of you for your continued prayers and support for this ministry and our family. Although we go through different seasons of life and ministry, the goal is still the same. Preach the Gospel, and make Christ known in every place the Lords may have us.

We are certainly approaching a new season ourselves. Trinity is graduating high school and will be 18 next month. She plans to go back to the States in the Summer. Her plans are to begin studying to become a nurse, but first she will go back and work for a few months before heading to Indonesia, Lord willing. She will serve a missionary family there who are both nurses and have a ministry in the jungle. The plan so far is to stay for five months, from December of this year until April of next year. She still has quite a bit to raise, but Lord willing she will meet her goal and learn a great deal about what she wants to do with her life serving the Lord. You can find the fundraiser on Youcaring.com under “Trinity serving in Papua Indonesia” and there is a link at the bottom of this letter as well. Please pray about helping.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.- 1 Corinthians 10:31

We also will be focusing most of our time and energy on a new work. Some of you may have heard about the small christian school I am serving at during the week. The owners live in Florida, but sought me ought to evangelize the children, their parents, the teachers (yes, the teachers too), and the surrounding community of San Jose Las Minas. The school sits just above an area called the hole (one of about four in this city) that is drug and crime infested with many people living in extreme poverty. Some of the children who attend that school live there, and most of the others live nearby. It is going well so far but very much a challenge on many different levels. Right now there is a bible study open to the teachers, students and neighbors on Tuesday nights. But we still have much work to do in evangelizing the area. Please pray for this endeavor, that God may be glorified through people who presently have no hope in receiving Christ and being transformed through the power of the Gospel. 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^[i] because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.- Romans 1:16

As we begin focusing more of our efforts in the new area, I will certainly be in a somewhat different role for a season. Much more evangelistic for a while and a little less pastoral. But still teaching and discipling this new group of people as this work grows. Please pray for the much planning, footwork and resources needed to be effective in saturating this area with the Gospel, bibles and other helpful literature. Pray for the Lord to raise up others to join us in the work as well.

He told them, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.- Luke 10:2

Last month we had the privilege of hosting some wonderful brothers who visited to teach a four day conference. Brothers Steve Atkerson and Dan Trotter have experience in church planting and teaching in countries all over the world. We held part of the conference here in Santiago and the other part with Pastor Jose in Boruco with members from four different churches. It was very edifying and I had the privilege of getting to know and translating for the brothers who did the teaching.  It was also wonderful to see and spend some time with the brothers and sisters there that we haven’t seen for a while.

Please pray for Christen as she has had some health issues recently with some pretty high blood pressure and headaches for several days. She is on some medication to get it under control for now, but we are still waiting on the results of her EKG and the many blood tests they ran. We will share the results and keep everyone updated. You can check our facebook page (Salgado DR Mission) for more frequent updates and prayer requests.

Please remember to pray for the church in Hato Mayor and Pastor Jose who is still laboring in Esperanza, Boruco and Pierda Gorda. Pray for Trinity as she prepares to leave home, and for our family as we adjust to not having her here with us. Pray for her to meet her goal as well, and that the Lord would protect and use her during her time there in Indonesia.

May God give us the strength and the grace to keep running the race and redeeming the time. Pray.

In service to our Lord and King,

Antonio Salgado Jr. and family

Salgado Dr Mission

 

Trinity Fundraiser at Youcaring.com (copy and paste web address below)

https://www.youcaring.com/trinitysalgado-1144515#

 

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