salgado dr mission newsletter

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#

Salgado dr mission newsletter

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

First of all we would like to thank all of you who have prayed for, and supported this ministry. It is because of those prayers and your financial support, that we are able continue to minister here. Thank you so much for “holding the rope” for us. May the Lord bless you for your sacrificial giving.

This past month we have been VERY busy. We were asked to translate for a medical team that was visiting from Arizona which was a great blessing. We did a medical clinic with them for five days in and around  Santiago. We got to work with new brothers and sisters, able to help hundreds of people, but most importantly, we shared the Gospel with almost everyone who came!

Last week we were in the southern part of the country with a visiting pastor and friend, to bring encouragement and resources to him. It was good to see  the different places and ways Franklin was serving the people there. The drive was pretty long, and turned out to be about seven hours one way. But it was certainly worth it.

Here in Hato Mayor, we have a lot on our plate and need your prayers. Visiting and new baptism candidates, serving at the orphanage, prayer and Bible study, sharing the Gospel at the school, and soon a bible study there too. We also have a weekly men’s meeting, bi weekly women’s meeting, a bible study with the youth, and a new bible study in Creole that we began with several Haitians in the community. Enough to keep us busy for sure!

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

Our oldest daughter Trinity has started a fundraiser for a five month trip to Papua, Indonesia. She will be serving in the jungle there with a missionary family. Although she will be mainly be serving that family, and helping the wife many tasks, the husband and wife are both registered nurses. They have a school, church, and treat disease and injuries there. It is such a remote location that they are the only medical attention, education and bible teaching that the people there have access to. Trinity wants to study to become a nurse and then use those skills on the  mission field. This is a wonderful opportunity for her to get some experience doing that on the field, and shadowing this precious family. Please pray for her, and give if you can. You can find that fundraiser on our Facebook page.

Please begin praying for a new evangelistic endeavor, as we move a bible study that is presently held in a home, over to the school and begin evangelizing that community.

There are many needs and giving has been down, please pray that the Lord will supply the funds needed for the work here. Pray as we consider making steps to becoming a 501c3, and for the fundraising needed to continue the work here. Our desire is to expand and to help support some local missionaries and pastors in the area, for the future leaders, and Lord willing, future church plants. Pray.

In service to our Lord and King,

Antonio Salgado Jr.

Salgado DR Mission

 

 

Salgado dr mission newsletter

 

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

 

Salgado DR Mission newsletter

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

Salgado DR Mission Newsletter

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

 

Salgado DR Mission Prayer letter

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

 

 

 

Salgado DR Mission Newsletter

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

The feel of things here is beginning to change. But change for the good. The church, though still relatively small, is beginning to grow in other ways. There are new people coming. Some new converts, others who have come from other unbiblical churches and are seeking truth and wanting to be fed. The most encouraging thing is the answered prayers we are receiving. We have a good amount of men coming to the church now. Most have come through intentional outreach efforts, evangelism and home visits.  They are learning and asking to meet more often. They are wanting to spend more time together and they look forward to going out sharing the Gospel. We even have some aspiring the office of an elder.  We are  now putting together a plan for the next phase of growth. Pray about those plans. Lord willing, it is just a matter of time before our men grow in knowledge and maturity and we discover their gifts before we consider planting. Pray for this.

Christ is building His church here, there is no denying it. And God is so gracious and loving in His use of such flawed and weak vessels to do so. But it hasn’t come without a price. Many missionaries would steer clear away from sharing bad news or anything remotely negative at all in a newsletter. I have personally been told by other missionaries not to do so, that it isn’t good for supporters to hear, but we know the importance of prayer, and we NEED your prayers.

In the great awakening of the 1700’s during the time of Jonathan Edwards, early America experienced waves of revival and a moving of God’s Spirit unlike any other. According to the biography ‘The Short Life of Jonathan Edwards”, after times of great movements of God’s Spirit, there were some strange and evil things that followed. An obvious working of the evil one, people were hearing voices and having thoughts of suicide. Though futile in comparison, there certainly was a “counter attack” if you will, by the enemy in response to the many who were experiencing true repentance and strong new affections for Christ with an awe and fear of the holiness of God.

It is probably safe to say that it is not strictly unique to the great awakening, and has probably happened elsewhere in the world after times of revival and salvations during different periods of church history. Though on a much smaller scale, this has been our experience as well.  The last year and a half, we have experienced some of the hardest times with many challenges and periods of attacks on our family, our marriage, our children. It can take it’s toll. God has done so many great things around us in a remarkably short period of time, but the battle has also been most fierce during this time. Discouragement, deep emotional wounds and despair are no strangers. By God”s grace we stand united and trusting in Him. We stand still waving the flag of our Lord, proclaiming His glory and His mighty power, but we stand as those injured and weary after the war.

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 2:3

We still continue and will not surrender, but we do need your prayers. We are pushing forward and see that God is still working in so many things. We are praying for wisdom in when we can take a furlough for a time of rest and recuperation. But in light of the Gospel, to be sure we have made no sacrifices.

I never made a sacrifice. -Hudson Taylor missionary to China

Nothing is too great a cost to pay in comparison to Christ’s work on the cross on our behalf. But we are just weak humans and we need a little rest from time to time. We pray that our soon to be five years on the field can justify our need for a furlough for the health and longevity of our family on the field.

Please pray for Yeison’s visa. We are still waiting for that process to be finished. Then we would take a furlough so we can be together and Yeison can meet the rest of our (and now his) family for the first time. Christen has not seen her father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, in a long time and now her mother is discovering some medical conditions affecting her health and she desires to see and spend some time with them.

I will be in the states sharing the things the Lord is doing here and seeking further support for the Biblical Christian Missionary Society. A plan to send out of Hato Mayor and support both Dominicans and Haitians, closley working with them in the spreading of the Gospel, in the city, and to other parts of the island. This requires a much larger network of supporting churches partnering with us. Lord willing, and with the help of the brethren and mission minded churches back home, we will soon be able to send and support  local missionaries here out of the city. We believe that the Lord has brought us to this place for this purpose.

We have worked in more rural areas in the past, and the Lord has blessed those efforts, but our philosophy of missions has changed over the years. Now it is geared more towards equipping local men in the city who can be sent to reach their own people in places like where we used to work, and with the prayer, resources and proper training, do so more effectively than we could. Please pray for the Bibical Christian Missioanry Society and for the Lord to open doors to new partnerships that would help make this possible. The Lord is rasing up faithful men and we are reaching a point where we only lack the resources to be able to effectively and consistently send more laborers into the harvest and more soldiers into the battlefield.

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

It was only a few years ago that we were praying for the Lord to send us men. There were days when I would sometimes preach to just my family and a couple of other people. That is still our continued prayer, for Him to send more laborers,  but it is a beautiful thing to know God heard and answered those prayers. Not always how we would expect Him to, but in better and often time bigger ways. Just yesterday I sat with a brother who was expressing his love for the Word and desire to preach the Gospel and teach others. Wow, just wow.

Our God is Good and He is Faithful, blessed be the name of the Lord and to Him alone belongs all the glory forever and ever.  Pray.

… For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. – Malachi 1:11

salgado dr mission important update (US visit)

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

Our family is planning on coming to the states in the Summer, probably close to July. Depending on how long of a visa for Yeison is given (if it’s approved), will depend how long Christen and the kids stay. Many know that we have been able to travel as a family since Yeison came into our lives. Pray that the visa is approved and he can come with us. I do hope to stay for a while, updating and sharing what the Lord has been doing here with churches in the States. Also seeking further support for this mission as the church plant in Santiago grows, and for our new endeavors as well.

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. – Luke 10:2

We have prayed to the Lord of the harvest for men and the Lord is answering and sending them. We are now praying and preparing ourselves (and soon others) for a strategic missionary plan that includes a full time discipleship program, pastoral training, and the scouting and evangelization of new areas for future church plants as the Lord leads. The logistics that all of that entails will require the prayers and support of a network of churches and mission partners, working together with our ministry here based out of the church in Hato Mayor, Santiago and the future pastors and missionaries that the Lord is raising up (Biblical Christian Missionary Society). We have been working in Cotui now (a mission two hours away with no previous evangelical presence) for two years and there is a possibility of working in another part of our city known as Cien Fuegos. For now we are limited only due to resources, but with a support plan in place, Lord willing, we could have people in these places sharing the gospel and doing ministry full time. This is our desire. This is also God’s command to us as the church. To see more come to know Christ, be discipled and trained as they grow in their faith and in knowledge of God’s Word, and then send them out to proclaim the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for us, and about helping by giving towards this important next step in missions here in the Dominican Republic.

Those who pray for and give towards missions, play a role just as important as the one the mission field. Will you ‘hold the rope’ for us?

Please feel free to contact us at salgadodrmission@gmail.com, biblicalcms@gmail.com, or through the website at salgadodrmission.com. especially  if  you are a pastor/elder, church leader, or on the mission board of your church, and the opportunity to come and share at your church is a possibility, or for any further information or updates about this ministry. Please also feel free to share this information with other mission minded brethren and churches that may be willing to help us reach our budget goal and move forward for the propagation of the Gospel to glory of God alone. Pray.

Soli Deo Gloria

In service to our King,

Antonio Salgado

Salgado DR Mission

 

Important update on the accident

Dear friends and brethren,

Some of you may know that Tony and Trinity were involved in a motorcycle accident. They were on their way to meet a brother from church on Thursday evening when a taxi cut out in front of them and they impacted the driver side of the car. The driver took off after the accident. Thankfully the Lord protected them and they suffered only minor injuries. Tony broke his right wrist and bruised up his legs and Trinity has some second degree burns on her right leg from the muffler. But they are ok, praise the Lord!

Thank you for your prayers. We believe that the Lord hears prayers of the faithful saints back home on our behalf and has protected us on these roads over the past five years, which are amongst some of the most dangerous in the world. Please continue to pray for our family as we minister here. Please also pray that the Lord would provide for our family to obtain health and life insurance. We are thankful that it was not worse as it easily could have been. But we would also like to be prepared in the future so that the family would not suffer unnecessarily in case of a tragedy or emergency situation. We are very well aware that both are a very real risk and possibility on the field, but we trust the Lord. We understand that nothing can happen to us that has not first run through the hands of our Sovereign and Loving God. At the same time we want to prepare as best as humanly possible should such a situation occur in the future.

We are extremely thankful for God’s grace and protection in this recent incident. We would also like to share that we have been experiencing a recent string of problematic events. We are well aware that we wrestle not against flesh and blood and have a real and present enemy. Please lift up the ministry and our family in prayer as often as possible. We have shared many other prayer requests in our last newsletter sent out earlier this week. Thank you all for your prayers and support. God bless! Pray.

 

 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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

Salgado DR Mission Newsletter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Service to our Lord and King,

The Salgado family

 

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

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

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

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

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