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

 

Salgado DR Mission Newsletter

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

This month we a wonderful update and praise report. Thank you to all who joined us in prayer for this. The Lord has truly heard our prayers.

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. – Luke 18:1

For years my wife wanted another child, but I did not. My wife prayed for one and for me and the Lord changed my heart. We tried for years to have another child but were not able to. We continued to pray. One day out in the campo, God brought across our path a sick, weak, and injured little three month old boy. His mother was an extremely poor and mentally handicapped young lady who was the victim of a rape. Her own mother allowed her to be prostituted and sexually abused by men. This baby was malnutritioned, dehydrated had some physical problems in his neck, face and feet, including possible neurological damage from being dropped on his head on a cement floor at only ten days old. He was in bad shape and basically slowly dying.

We took him to a hospital to be treated and planned to have him checked out and help nurse him back to health. The family decided the child would be better off with us and would probably just die if left with the mother. We came home with him that night with mixed feelings. We found ourselves just staring at his little disfigured face and weak frame wondering if this was God answering a long time prayer of ours. Christen and I then put our hands on this child and prayed over him asking God to bless him, strengthen him, and allow us to care for him.

Shortly after we took him to the government agency here that oversees adoptions. We didnt know anything and were wondering what to do next. They asked us many questions, told us we would never be able to keep the child and even threatened to take him from us. By God’s grace one woman in charge allowed us to leave with him that day. They said it would be impossible.

We continued to care for him. Our children accepted him as their sibling and we quickly fell in love with Yeison. We saw him quickly become strong and active, though we still worried about him because of his mother’s condition and his head injury as a new born. Time passed but we didn’t find anyone who could help us. We continued to pray.

A few months ago we had a glimmer of hope hearing of other missionaries who successfully obtained custody or even were in an adoption process. We were told this was near impossible. We finally began learning more about the system, the process and the laws. A few months ago by the grace of God, we were finally able to get him a birth certificate. Before that, he basically didn’t exist. We learned a little more and eventually tried to get legal custody on our own with his mother present and a letter from a psychiatrist proving her inability to care for the child. Again they told us no, we would not be able to have him as our own. Even with the horrible conditions where he was born, the authorities argued he was better off with the mother (she could not care for herself or provide for him), than with a family that loved him, provided for him and has been raising him for three years.

We were very torn and grieved at how this could be possible. Doubts and questions swarmed our minds. Was this the Lord’s will? We began to pray even more for him and the situation. Shortly after we met a lawyer who agreed to help us and things started looking up. We were very nervous about everything being rejected and told bad news over and over. The process has been long and difficult. Misplaced documents, legalize this, get a seal on this, pay a tax on that. Go to this place and another and another with many appointments and meetings, sometimes for nothing and to make no progress at all.

We finally seemed to be getting somewhere a few weeks ago. We would pick up and drop off his biological mother during his whole process. Lots of trips, lots of frustrations and lots of disappointments along the way. Today we finally were interviewed by a very intimidating judge. She was short with us, very serious, and had us nervous. We had prayed before getting out of the car and before going in. When suddenly towards the end of a very long interview and nerve racking interview, her countenance seemed to soften and her tone was changing. She said she wants to send a social worker to where his mother lives and then to our home where the child now lives. But before ending the meeting, after years of praying and tears we heard what seemed to be the most comforting news we had heard in a long time. We had been told it would be impossible. We were told to give up, it wouldn’t happen. But we prayed and prayed and trusted the Lord.

Just a couple of days ago that same judge told us that SHE WILL BE GRANTING US LEGAL CUSTODY of this special little boy. Our hearts lept with joy and praises to the Lord!

He is a living miracle, he is a testimony to God’s faithfulness, and the Lord has taught our family so much through him and on this journey. He is a constant reminder of God’s grace given to us as His adopted children.

This is our story. The little boy’s name is Yeison. He is our son.

Our God is Good and Mighty and Faithful and True. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Pray.

 

In service to our King,

Antonio Salgado Jr.

Salgado DR Mission

 

…to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.- Ephesians 3:21

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!

Salgado DR Mission Newsletter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In service to our King,

The Salgado family

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

important Update: opportunity to help and prayer requests

The Salgado DR Mission is completely dependent on the Lord’s grace through the generous giving and donations of others. Through the church plant of Iglesia Bautista Hato Mayor, which is still young and growing, by God’s grace, we are able to take the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the people of the Dominican Republic. Especially in the community that the Lord has put us in. We are thankful for all of the brethren who pray for and support this ministry. Over the years the Lord has been faithful and gracious to us.

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

This year our budget must increase in order for us to be able to continue to minister effectively, keep up with growth and plans as a church (with the ultimate goal of the church being self sufficient in a just a few years), and continue to help meet needs of others especially the brethren. This is all above and beyond the many needs that our family still has. We are praying that this year we would finally be able to have health insurance. It is by God’s grace that we haven’t had any serious emergencies over the years, but this is one very important need we have as a family.

Other items in our budget include a pastors fund, to supplement some income to the men that God is raising up for a time so they may dedicate themselves to spiritual growth, disciplines, and serious study of the Word (a vital step for the future health, growth and multiplying of disciples, leaders, and future church plants). Assigned monies for local mission work and outreach, mercy ministry, health insurance for our family, and the many needed repairs to the vehicles and building.

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

Over time and due to several different reasons and circumstances, some supporters are no longer able to give. It happpens. 2016 was a very productive and fruitful year of ministry and we pray that 2017, Lord willing, would be better yet. The Lord has blessed the work here, the church is growing and we need to prepare for the future. But we need your help. We need new mission partnerships with local churches AND individual brothers and sisters who are willing and able to give in order to further the Gospel work we are involved in here in Santiago.

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

We are asking that you would please pray and consider partnering with us. For the sake of Christ and His gospel, the growth and edification of the church here, for God’s glory alone. Every bit of every donation given comes directly to the mission field either to meet our family’s needs, equip us for ministry, or towards helping others. Whether it’s a monthly commitment, or one time donation, every bit counts and no gift is too small.

Those who hold the ropes are just as important in the partnership as those who go down into the mine. It is essential for the spread of the Gospel.- Jerry Bridges

We are currently are running at only 40% of the new budget. We presently need to raise $3000 monthly. This means we would only need 30 new mission partners at $100 per month, or 60 new mission partners at $50 per month, or 120 new mission partners at $25 per month. This can easily be done if our brothers, sisters back home who are not presently giving, would make that commitment to partner with us this way in giving and prayer, as well as share these needs with their friends, family, and churches.

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. – Philippians 4:17

You can conveniently donate a gift of any amount online by clicking on  the “donate” button on the home page.

Or, if you would like to commit to being a monthly mission partner, in the same place you will also find the address you can send your tax deductible gift to.

Please take a moment to share these needs with others, pray, and give if you can. You can contact us from this site or directly at salgadodrmission@gmail.com. Thank you and God bless.

In Service to our Lord,

The Salgado DR Mission

Salgado DR Mission

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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