Dear friends, mission partners, brothers and sisters in 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
As I write this newsletter to you I am stateside. I am here alone this time, traveling and sharing this ministry that the Lord has entrusted to us with churches, asking the Lord to provide for our family and ministry through new mission partnerships. It has been a very busy time having to seek help from outside of our state. We ask you to continue to pray for us during this time. Especially that God will provide abundantly for the many needs of our family and in the church.
We came to the mission field with very little, but by the grace of God, we celebrated three years in August. To cut back on constant fundraising, we have redone our budget to include some monies for ministry and several other needs that our family does without. As of now we are only at 40% of the new budget which only barely pays the bills. This hinders us from so much more ministry we could be doing and more needs we could be meeting had we more resources. This is the primary reason for this trip.
Even with the many needs, the Lord is blessing us with fruitful ministry. The picture attached to this newsletter is of a brother named Cesar following through in believer’s baptism. This man was an atheist and has lived with a woman he was not married to for over twenty years. I have mentioned him before in previous updates. After going through an eight week study on what baptism is, and an in depth look at the Gospel, Cesar was sure more than ever that he had counted the cost of following Christ and was trusting in Him alone for salvation. He is growing and bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. Upon my return I will have the privilege of marrying him and his future wife. I have already gone through a ten week pre marital counseling with them, and in depth look at how a marriage shoud reflect the love and grace of Christ and His bride. Praise the Lord!
There is another new couple in a very similar situation that is also wanting to do things the right way before the Lord. As soon as I get back I will begin baptism classes with the husband and pre marital counseling with them both. There has also been quite a few Sundays that we seem to be running out of chairs as new people continue to visit. These are reasons to rejoice and praise the name of Christ!
I have been praying for men. Asking the Lord to bring me men to disciple and train to be leaders. Leaders of their wives, their children and ultimately the church (2Timothy 2:2). The Lord is definitely answering those prayers. Another young man named Kelvin who is very sound and apt to teach was just married and is now serving with us at the church. He is filling the pulpit for me while I am away on this trip. I am very picky about who I let preach there for several good reasons, but I am thankful that the Lord has brought this young man to us who I can trust to preach the Word faithfully and point people to Christ.
The other prayer of mine has been for the Lord to provide resources we so very much need. Our family’s bills have increased since moving to Santiago and we want to be able to help and reach more people as well. Ministry costs money and we are asking the Lord to put us in contact with mission minded churches willing to partner with us as we seek to glorify God together, supporting us in our work of preaching the Gospel and making disciples.
“God is a God of missions. He wills missions. He commands missions. He demands missions. He made missions possible through His Son. He made missions actual in sending the Holy Spirit.” — George W. Peters
I am sure that the Lord will provide. But I also wanto to make our needs known the brethren. Paul did the same with the Philippian church and they shared in his troubles and met his needs. They were a mission minded church that understood at least these three things:
1) The responsibility and privilege of the Great Commission (praying, supporting, sending) belongs to the local church.
The apostle Paul could certainly testify that God does supply His people’s needs as on his missionary journeys. But God did it through the local church of willing, mission minded, brothers and sisters at Philippi! They sent out Epaphroditus to encourage, minister to, and take money and supplies to Paul.
I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, – Philippians 2:25
2) A mission minded church is a church of continued care and committment to those on the field.
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.- Philippians 4:14-16
3) As God uses that church to provide for the needs of others (in the context of missions), God will in turn continue to provide for them as well, for their obedience to His plan of glorifying Himself through taking the Gospel to the nations.
I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent (Hebrews 13:16), 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 4:18-19
Pray for the Lord to make you more like an Epaphroditus, a worker, a soldier, and a minister to someone’s needs. And that the Lord would transform your church into a mission minded church like the church of Philippi, caring and committed, trusting God as they partner with missionaries to take the Gospel to the lost that Christ may be glorified. Pray that the Lord will bring such people and churches into our lives. Pray.
If the Lord so lays on your heart, and you would like to either give a one time gift, or become a monthly mission partner, you can find out more on how to give your gift of any amount by clicking on the “donate” button on the home page of this website.