Thankful for a weak battery

As Elizabeth, Daniel and I were just outside of Puerto Montt the battery on the truck started to lose strength. "Oh great", I thought to myself. This was a one-month old battery and I could not imagine that it was the battery itself that was the problem, maybe it was the alternator. (No, I am not a mechanic but I have learned from past experiences.) So anyway we limp into town and do what we need to do and find our lodging for the night. First thing in the morning we go to a garage and they send us to another garage and they send us to another garage until we finally get to the place where a guy comes out to the truck and takes out the alternator. He puts it in the vise and takes it apart. "Aqui esta tu problema", here's your problem he says to me. I am directed to go across the street and buy a new part for the alternator. I go across the street and buy the part and when I come back the mechanic has found another problem. And I am glad he did. The fan belt was razor thin in at least three places and could have broken off at any moment. The mechanic proceeded to explain to me that this would have been "muy malo", or very bad. "El motor se puede calentar demasiado y el motor podria echarse a perder", the motor could overheat and be ruined. So I thanked him for his eagle eye and went across the street to buy a 3 dollar fan belt. He puts it on and we pay him his $25 fee and are on the road. Normally I would not have been thankful for a weak battery nor for the need to replace part of an alternator. But considering the fact that the Lord used this to mercifully save the functionability of our truck was reason to give thanks. The moral of the story..... Do not be so quick to judge that the situation is bleak and/or without hope. The Lord knows what is going on and He will use whatever it is for His glory. In all things give Him thanks! (1st Thessalonians 5:18)

Keeping watch

Tonight was one of the nights when I laced up the old sneakers and headed off to the local gym. I brought along two of my biggest fans, Elizabeth and Daniel. Of course they didn't spend much time watching me play, but just having them there made the time more enjoyable. The competition was decent as we had the old guys (my team) against the young guys. The final tally indicated that we might be old but we can score more baskets than the younger guys.
Anyway upon coming home I needed to get the truck in off from the street and park it in the driveway. So I did that and before coming into the house I took a quick moment to look up into the sky and check out the stars. It has been pretty clear the past couple of nights and this has made for some nice vistas in the sky. I really enjoy taking a moment (when I can and when I think about it) to look up at the stars. The heavens declare the glory of the Lord. (Psalm 19:1a) Well, as I am still out in the front of the house checking out the show in the heavens I look over to my left on ground level and see another thing of beauty. Next to our house is an open lot. Green grass and the open space make it a nice pasture for several sheep. When I saw them lying down for the night, I had the verse pop in my mind from Luke 2:8, "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night." Why that verse? For several reasons. 1. There were sheep. 2.It was night. 3. I am a shepherd. The last reason brings to my mind another verse, found in Acts 20:28 "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God which He bought with His own blood." What a beautiful, powerful verse! Without much commentary I would just ask that you pray for us and for the flock that the Lord has placed in our care. And that we as well would ever remember that although "we were as sheep going astray, (but) now we have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls." (1st Peter 2:25) And He doesn't slumber nor sleep, He is always keeping watch. (Psalm 121) Amen.

37 degrees farenheit (inside!)

It has been very cold over the last couple of weeks. And due to our house's lack of insulation and adequate heating sources we have been very chilly here in the south of Chile. Maybe we should start eating some "chili" for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With some nice, hot peppers of course.
Would any of you, the multitudes who read this blog, have any ideas about how we could keep the house warmer than 37 degrees? Our friend and partner in ministry, Jorge Villalobos, suggested that we get a different house. Good idea but easier said than done. We have followed up some leads but nothing has surfaced. It appears that we will be here for a while. So any good ideas would be "warmly" accepted.
Things are going well with the ministry. People are receiving and rejecting the good news. May we be found faithful to share as the Lord would have us to share and serve as He would have us to serve. Thanks again for your prayers and partnership in the ministry down here. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

"I Thought That You Were a Bum!"

Today I needed to go over to Castro and buy some parts for the mechanic who was fixing our truck. Things here are a little different than in the good ol U.S.A. No Napa nor Parts Plus to deliver the parts to the garage. It's the client's responsibility to pick up whatever the mechanic tells you to get. And you had better get the order right considering that it is a 3 hour round trip to pick them up. Wahoo!
So anyway as I am walking around getting the necessary materials I happen upon a couple from our church. (see picture in post below) I spot them from about 20 feet as I they are walking towards me. But did they see me? When they are just about to walk by me (without having said anything), I say "hola". And still nothing. So then I follow them a couple of steps and say, "como estan?" Still nothing but I note that they appear a little uncomfortable. I take a couple of more steps closer and say "Osvaldo y Miriam...." Miriam turns around and looks at me and says, "I thought you were a bum!" People say the sweetest things sometimes. They had been walking arm and arm, all cuddly with their little baby between them and they didn't even notice that the guy who was greeting them wasn't a bum but it was their pastor. We had a good laugh, greeted one another more appropriately, and warmly went our seperate ways. Of course it made me think of the way(s) that we perceive and react to people, things, and situations.
Well I finally corraled all of the car parts on my list and after sharing lunch and fellowship with a local pastor friend I was off to drop off the parts to the mechanic. Upon arrival I show him the parts and fortunately they were all met with approval. Supposedly the truck will be ready tomorrow by noon. (we will see) So back to the bus stop. On the way to the bus stop I stopped by the home of a very poor family and had some good fellowship with one who is a believer and had a good opportunity to share the gospel with one who isn't yet. (to my knowledge) It was a special time to share with them. Now I need to walk about 10 minutes to get to the bus stop. As I am approaching the bus stop I notice that their is a bus zooming by but I am never going to catch it because the last two blocks to the bus stop are uphill. Why not sit down for a minute, I think to myself. Seated there waiting for the next bus (about 15 minutes between them) I am going over the day and rehearsing the different situations in which the Lord placed me. Then I got a visitor. A heavy man, with the stereotypical "bum-look" pushing a handcart stops right in front of me and asks "What are you doing here?" And I'm like "waiting for the bus." So he sits down next to me and starts asking me a bunch of questions. Alright, two can play at this game. I ask him some questions with the idea of sharing about the gospel of Christ. We had a good conversation and although at first I was taken aback by his look and demeanor I am glad for the opportunity to have shared with him about the Way, the Truth and the Life. Yes sir, Don Patricio "I thought that you were a bum" but now I realize that you are one of the people that we have been praying for when we say "Lord please give me the opportunity to tell others about you." Because of our sin we are all bums. Bouncing around without any kind of bearing, just responding to the stimuli around us. However now through faith in Christ we are dressed in new clothes (Luke 15:22; Galatians 3:27; Romans 13:14) and are no longer seen as bums, but seen as dearly beloved sons and daughters of the Most High God! (Luke 6:35; 2nd Corinthians 6:18) Yes I was a bum, but now I am a Son of God!

Brethren, please pray for us!

Sing Praises to the Lord!

We as believers have the express privilege of singing praises to the Lord. We are the only ones that can truly do it. The Scripture is very clear that there is one God (Exodus 20:2-3) and one Mediator between Him and man. (1st Timothy 2:5) Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to know the Father (John 17:3) and correspondingly give Him praise for who He is and for what He has done.
It has been a joy to see the recent formation of the children's choir at Grace Baptist Church. Listening to the children share special music last Sunday and hearing them practice again yesterday truly was "music to my ears". And I trust to the Lord as well.
As children of God we have so much to sing about. How I love the truth found in 1st Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."
May we bless the Lord at all times, may His praise be forever on our lips!

Teaching the kids the Word of God

A Good Father

The title of the message today at Grace Baptist was "A Good Father". With it being Father's Day I figured it was a good fit. From the beginning I stressed to the congregation that this day was first of all to be about our God and not about men. This and every other day "is the day that the Lord has made" (Psalm 118:24) and it is He who deserves all glory and praise.
Our message consisted of 4 aspects of how God is a good Father and how men should follow this model in their fathering. Here's the four things that we spoke about.
1. God as a good Father teaches His children
2. God as a good Father listens to His children
3. God as a good Father provides for His children
4. God as a good Father disciplines His children

What a joy it is to reflect on the goodness of God and His care for His children. What a model we have to follow. May we commit ourselves to the task at hand, trusting in God's grace and God's Spirit to help us.
It was a beautiful service today. Special music by the newly formed children's choir. Several times needing to put out more chairs as people continued to pour into the building. Sweet fellowship over a tasty after service meal. Nice Sunday School time with the children. God is so good to us! What a Good Father we have!

Lights going on

Well it's about 6am and I decided that now was the best of any to get up and have some time alone with the Lord and the computer. As I contemplate that last phrase I realize how it might sound. I obviously I do not want to imply that in order to commune with the Lord that we need to have a computer in tow. What craziness that would be! No, what I wanted to communicate is that right now is the most quiet that I will find it to do one thing very important (spend time alone with the Lord) and another thing semi-important; put out a new post. So hopefully that clears up any confusion if there were any....
The title of this entry is "lights going on". It doesn't refer to physical lights but to spiritual light shining into people's hearts. Last night we had a Bible study with one of our most faithful church attenders. She is a lady who had grown up in church but as she got older she started to grow lukewarm. Her husband doesn't share her beliefs but is very open to her attending our church and us having Bible studies in their home. As we shared in the beginning of our study last week she made the comment that she doesn't know much about the Bible even though she has been a Christian for many years. Our reaction was an enthusiastic "well, let's do something about that!Let's dig into the Word!" So last night as we were sharing with her from the Word, the questions just kept pouring out of her. Not just any kind of questions but good questions, insightful questions. It was obvious that she was thinking about these things for some time and wanted to have a clear understanding what God's Word had to say on these things. Lights were going on. She just needed someone to come alongside of her and point her to the Lord and to His Word. We are clear about who we are as ambassadors of Christ. (2nd Corinthians 5:20) Just as John the Baptist said, "it's necessary that He (Christ) becomes more and that I become less." (John 3:30) Again along with "The Baptizer" we rejoice in "preparing the Way of the Lord"; pointing people to the Father through Him and trusting in the Holy Spirit for not only turning the first light on (regeneration) but to keep it shining and shining (sanctification) until the day of Christ.
So to sum this all up, we praise the Lord for the opportunity to know Him and to make Him known. Sometimes as God's servants we don't have the opportunity to see fruit from our labors but other times we do. Regardless of the results may we be faithful to use God's light (Psalm 119:105) to point people to the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. (John 8:12)

Worse than we think

Interesting that we often don't see ourselves as bad as we really are. I went to the doctor yesterday to find out why I have been coughing up so much green stuff and having some obstruction in my breathing. When the doctor looked at me she informed me that I indeed had some bronchial obstruction along with sinus congestion and an inflamed throat. Ok. And then she told me that I also had pink eye in both of my eyes. What? Pink eye? I can't remember ever having that before! I was worse off than I thought! So I left the office with an armful of medication that hopefully will give me some relief.
Now let us consider our sinful condition. God's Word is clear on the topic as it states that apart from Christ we are dead in our transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Not just kinda sick, but totally dead. Unable to fix ourselves we need someone to fix us. The only One who can do that is Jesus Christ. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1st Timothy 2:5-6) But many times people think that they really aren't that bad. They think that maybe they have some flaws, but surely they are alive. Physically yes, but spiritually no. So how will they find this out? Well this is our opportunity to share the good news. The good news in that although we must share the truth of man's spiritually dead condition, we also share with them the truth that God offers healing and restoration through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we never fall into the error of leading people to believe that they are "better than they are", let us lovingly tell them the truth that they are "worse than they think". Only by telling them the truth will there be any hope for them of recovering from their wretched condition.
"Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord." Luke 2:11

So much to be thankful for

Just a thought on fifteen things for which I am thankful today
1. God
2. God's Word, The Bible
3. My wife
4. My kids
5. Brothers and Sisters in Christ
6. Water
7. Citrus fruit
8. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes
9. A roof over our heads
10. A decent internet connection
11. Our co-worker Kristina
12. Trials
13. Health
14. Family
15. Each one of you who most likely fall under #3,#4,#5 and/or #14. Thank you so much for the part that you have had in our lives and in the ministry down here in southern Chile.

*May we remember to give thanks in all things, because this is God's will for us in Jesus Christ. (1st Thessalonians 5:18)

A High View of Scripture

Sola Scriptura. Scripture Alone. Of course it shouldn't just be a neat, little catchphrase. It is the recognition that our ultimate guide for faith and practice is found in a book; God's book called "The Bible". As the old song goes, "The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me, I'll read and pray and then obey the B-I-B-L-E." Some accuse of us as being "Bible worshipers" but we tell them that there is no truth in their accusation. We are worshipers of the One True God and we believe that He has revealed Himself in the Bible. Where would be without the Bible? How could we be reconciled to our Creator apart from it? Whereas God "could" have chosen a different way to communicate to us, He still chose to use a book. The Book that would recount His works from creation to fall to restoration. May we never stop thanking God for His Book and may we never cease to have a high view of Scripture.
Please pray for us and for the flock of Grace Baptist Church as we take a stand in our community for the infallible, living, and sufficient word of God. And please pray for the Spirit of God to work in the hearts of His people so that they would follow in the footsteps of the Word of God by putting God's Word into practice. (John 14:15; 17:17; James 1:22; 1st John 2:6)

OK, I'm not from around here

I don't think it is so much the face or the height that point to the fact that I am a foreigner in this land. It cannot be my fancy clothes nor the new vehicle that I drive; since I don't have either. It must be the accent. Not the fact that I cannot be understood by the locals but the accent is thick enough that they know that I am not Chilean. Sometimes they think I'm from Uruguay or maybe Brasil. Kinda like in the U.S. when we run across an Australian, or a Brit, or a Canadian. (Ha Ha Bill) The really funny thing is when the people don't think that Ruth is Chilean. They say that she has an accent as well. Too much time hanging out with the gringo I suppose.
But what we do tell the people is that although we aren't from this specific area we do feel that this is the place that God wants us to be right now. We tell them that we have come to share the good news that the One True God offers reconciliation to sinful rebels through their responding in faith to the sacrifice of His Eternal Son. The Son of God's face nor His height would have made people think that He was from somewhere else. (Is 53:2) It definitely wasn't His fancy clothes nor the beautiful chariot in which He traveled. It wouldn't have been His accent that gave Him away as being from somewhere else. It was His message that distinguised Him from the rest. He came with a message that the One True God offers reconciliation to sinful rebels through their responding in faith to the sacrifice that His Eternal Son would give on their behalf. (2nd Corinthians 5:21) And that He would be that sacrifice! (Mark 10:45) And as we read in John 1:14 and John 17:3, the One who was not from "around here" came down here so that we might know and experience eternal life through Him. He came to His own people (the Jews) but they did not receive Him, but to those who receive Him, to those who believe in His Name, they have received the power to be made children of God. (John 1:11-12) So He could say "No, I'm not from around here. But I have come here that you might know my Father and therefore become His children." And that is the same thing that I say, "No, I'm not from around here. But I have come here that you might know my Father."
Please continue to pray for a fruitful harvest for the glory of God. Thanks again for your friendship and partnership in the gospel.

Is anybody out there?

The reason for the title is quite simple. I want to know if I am writing this as some kind of quasi-diary or if anyone is actually reading this blog. Some time back I enlisted the "help" of a website that informs on how many people check out the blog. For the last several months my count has been at zero for everyday. So please know that this isn't just some desperate plea for affirmation, but if you could please leave a comment after this post so that I know that I am not just writing this for myself.
Thank you. If there is anybody out there.....

A High View of God

Either we have it or we don't. A high view of God. How do we see God? Do we see Him as small and moldable by our human hands or do we see Him as the Immutable Creator of the universe? This was today's message at Grace Baptist Church as we look at the pillars that hold up our church. Of course it is the Word of God that reveals to us the attributes of God and of His working in the lives of His people. We will be getting to that in a later message.
Today I felt horrible. Sinus congestion, body aches, and fever. I surely wanted to stay in bed but I knew that I couldn't. I had prepared a message for the flock and truly felt that this was something that they needed to hear. Praise God for His grace in that He allowed me to preach the message and quickly get home and back into bed. My intention for writing this is not to pat myself on the back for the discharging of my responsibilities. My intention is to glorify the Lord through my recognition of His strength and of my incredible weakness. It is the Lord's Spirit and work in me that allows me to do anything that is pleasing in His sight (1st Corinthians 1:31). While I wallowed in my aches and pains, I took my eyes off of the Lord "high and lifted up." (Is 6:1-5) I forgot for a moment that it was He who gave me a mouth in the first place and it was He who had given me the air that I breathe. So I committed myself and the message unto Him and went about my Father's business. I repented of my low view of God and declared that I would "lift up my eyes to the hills from where my help comes from." (Psalm 121:1-2) May our eyes be lifted up to the heavens and not stuck here on the Earth. (Heb 12:1-2) We aren't the important ones, God is the IMPORTANT ONE, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. May He receive praise in and through His church; here in Curaco de Velez and to the ends of the Earth!

Seek first the Kingdom of God

Interesting how things often turn out differently than we had planned. This past Saturday I had a Bible Study set up at 2 pm with a brother from our church. It had been raining hard all day (and the night before) so we got a little wet on the way down to the church. Ruth had come along with me to set things up for our services the following day. Around 3:30 pm there was a knock on the door. It was the brother with whom I was to have the Bible Study at 2 pm. "What happened?" I asked him. He told me that he didn't think that I was going to come due to the bad weather and that he now had to fulfill a commitment that he had with his family. "Could you give me a lift?" was his next statement. I agreed and off we went. The roads were wet and the ground was soft and muddy. Jorge advised me to just leave him at the entrance to his parents house but I insisted to go down the hill and take advantage of the opportunity to share with his parents as well. (dad professes faith in Christ) So we go down the hill and I suddenly notice that it is the grass is extremely soft and mushy and I am not going to make it out very easily. I try a couple of times to get to higher ground but to no avail. Then came the crazy idea....
Why don't we try to push the truck uphill? It only weighs a couple of thousand pounds! How crazy. I get out and Jorge and I are pushing the truck from the back end when it starts to advance backwards and not forwards. "What's the big deal?" you may ask. Well, down the hill is about a 200 meter drop into the ocean. Not good. So I need to make a split second decision. I must somehow stop the truck and fast. I run around the side and dive into the front cab and slam on the break. What an adrenaline rush. What a relief to have stopped the vehicle but now how were we going to get it out? We went out onto the side road and someone with 4 wheel drive passed by. He hooked on to my truck and was able to pull me out. I was really wishing that I would have had the $$$ to get my 4 wheel drive fixed. Maybe later. Anyway I say "chao" to Jorge and agree to see him the next day in church. Sunday comes around and after the children's Sunday School the adults started to come out for our adult service. We always give time for testimonies and on this day Jorge came forward. He rehearsed for the group what had gone on the day prior and how he had been at fault. Through tears he shared with the congregation about his poor decision in having blown off the Bible Study in order to watch a soccer game with his brother and father. And then there was almost the major incident with the truck. He stated that he had erred in seeking the things of this world before the things of the Kingdom of God. Jorge finished by stating that with the help of the Lord he wouldn't do this again. What a testimony! He recognized his sin and gave glory to the Lord by so doing and encouraged the rest of us to have our priorities right: seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. And there was even a little bit of irony thrown in..... After I had been towed out and went on my way, Jorge went back into his parents house. His dad came in the room and invited Jorge to have something to eat. Jorge said "Dad, we are going to miss the game." Then his dad countered with "Son, the game has been postponed due to the bad weather." When I heard this I couldn't help but laugh and thank God for His mercy and for using this situation in our lives to draw us closer to Himself.

Be anxious for nothing

People in the streets were talking about the dust that fell from the sky. I didn't see it. I will admit that the thought of volcanic ash falling upon our town was a bit intriguing. The volcanic explosion of a couple of weeks ago had not affected us but it had greatly affected the inhabitants of Chaiten and Futalefu only about 100 miles away from us. It has been said that if the winds had been directed to the west and not to the east that we would have been the ones evacuated from our homes. But this wasn't the plan of the Lord for us. The people here on our island sympathized with those affected by the explosion and at the same time were thankful that it didn't affect us physically. People were still a little worried when they heard of more action from the volcano and the possibility of the winds blowing our way. So when the dust started to come down, the people started to worry. We got a call the other night from one of our friends asking "have you seen the ash falling from the sky and covering the ground?" We answered "no" and I soon went outside to check out the situation. I couldn't see anything on the ground (it was night) but I could feel a thin layer on the hood of my truck. So we just went to bed figuring if there were to occur something more urgent that we would be informed of it. The next day (yesterday) came around and there was a town wide power and telephone outage and people again worried about the possible connection to the volcano. Our friends expressed again their concern and we encouraged them to not worry but to trust in the Lord.
As believers in Christ what other option do we have? The Scripture makes it very clear that God is faithful and can always be trusted. To not trust Him is to essentially call Him a liar and the Scripture also tells us that God cannot lie. The Apostle Paul reminds us to "be anxious for nothing but with all prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God". That's what we choose to do. Not just with the volcano situation but in all situations. We want to honor God by declaring to Him and to others that He can be trusted. He is our refuge, He is our shelter, He is our shield. Of course we are succeptible just like anyone else to the "natural disasters" that our world experiences: earthquakes, cyclones, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, etc. But we also know that we dwell under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91) and His eye is upon us on the sparrow (Matt 10:29-31); how much more will He take care of us? Beloved trust in God! Be anxious for nothing!

Thank God for His grace!

In our Sunday adult services we have been studying the Apostle Paul's letter to the Galatians. What a blessing it has been to our congregation! We have been confronted over and over again by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. No trust can be placed in man nor in his works; our only hope is in Christ. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2nd Corinthians 9:15)
Theologians speak of God's common grace and His special grace. Whereas they are radically different they both reflect the glory of God in His creation. The way that He makes the rain fall on the just and the unjust (it is pouring right now), the way that He provides food for the sparrow and for the rest of His creation, the way that He keeps our little blue ball in its perfect little orbit, etc... And then there is His aforementioned special grace. Oh to think that He would extend forgiveness to those who have so horrendously rebelled against Him! What incredible grace in not only showing us mercy, but in showing us forgiveness and reconciliation through faith in Christ.
Thank God for His grace!

Happy 4th Birthday Grace!

Hola

A friend dropped an e-mail along with a little hint that not much has been reported lately on this blog. So I say "hola" to all who are checking this out. How are you? I realize that sometimes I go on and on about us, but don't take the time to ask about you. Sorry. Please get in touch with us and let us know of what's going on with you and if you have any prayer requests.
We are all doing well. In the last couple of posts I made mentioned of our new building. It really is nice to have the extra space. Just today we had a little "tea time" with the moms of our Sunday School kids. It was nice to see some of the kids' moms actually show up, since quite a few of the kids don't have parents who are involved at the church. I would ask for prayer for one of moms, her name is Miriam and she has what appears to be an inoperable brain tumor. Whereas we have prayed for her physical healing our most urgent concern is for her to have peace with the Father through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Sunday services are great times of worship and edification. The Lord has blessed our weekly Bible studies. We have changed the format where we (Ruth and myself) now go into the homes and have studies with the individual families. This has been a blessing. There is a very obvious need for Biblical instruction. Please pray along with us for the Holy Spirit's work in and through the Word to change all of our hearts.
The English classes are a big hit with the kids. Currently about 75% of the students are kids who come to the Sunday School. It would be great to see that number swell closer to 100%.
Guitar class (taught by Ruth of course!) is going well for the adults and for the kids. The adults who shared special music several times during our Sunday morning worship services.
The Bible Institute has been a real blessing. We meet every Friday night for about 2 1/2 hours. It is a 2 year program and those who complete all the requirements will receive a certificate in Bible Studies. We are currently meeting in 2 different churches in 2 different towns, but when the next semester rolls around (in August) we will be one of the host churches. This is another benefit of our larger meeting place. Since our format is 2 weeks at one church (in one town) and 2 weeks at another church (in a different town) it will be nice to just have to travel about 3 blocks down to the church for our 2 weeks.
The kids are doing well. Daniel turned 5 back in April and Grace turned 4 last week. They are growing up so fast! Seems like someone told me that it would happen that way. With experience comes wisdom.
But hey, I had better stop typing. For various reasons. Number one being that you probably don't want to read much more. And number two being so I can share some more updates tomorrow.
Grace to you all.
Daniel

A dream becomes a reality

After two years of meeting in a tiny storefront building, the Lord has provided a much bigger place for Grace Baptist Church. Of course we are very excited about this new development. This past Sunday we had our first services in the new building and it was great to be able to divide up the children's Sunday School classes and also have more room for our adults upstairs. After the adult service we had a nice fellowship time with the kids and the adults. The weather wasn't pleasant, it was a cold, rainy day. But that didn't change the warmth that we felt in our hearts and the gratitude that we felt unto the Lord for His unfailing provision for His church.
Thank you again for your part in the ministry down here in Curaco. Many of you pray. Many of you give financially. We appreciate every one of you and pray that the Lord would bless you and use you for His glory.
Yours in Christ,
Daniel and Ruth

New ministry center for Iglesia Bautista Gracia?

Fruit that lasts

Today we had a special day at Grace Baptist Church. Our children's Sunday School was packed out and the children had a wonderful time of learning more about the Lord Jesus Christ. And then when it came time for the adult worship service we had a good crowd as well. But what was it that made for such a special day? Was it the amount of children who were in the 10 am service? Or was it the amount of adults who were in the 12 pm service? No. Although we were pleased to see so many people come out for the services, what really made it special was the group of people that showed up.
Last January Pastor Kelly Carlson (North Casnovia Batist Church) and I came down to Curaco for a couple of weeks and were able to minister to the flock down here at Grace Baptist. One of the highlights was being able to baptize five of the believers. We had to go back to the States but now my wife Ruth and I have come back with our family (and Kristina Erbes) to continue on in the church planting work. Today at Grace we had a baby dedication. Osvaldo and Miriam brought their 10 day old baby Yvonne to be dedicated unto the Lord. I had the opportunity to explain what baby dedication represents and what it requires of the parents and the congregation of the saints. So this of course was part of our special day. But it wasn't all that made it special. What made it "especially special" to me as a pastor was that Miriam was one of the five who were baptized 14 months ago and here she was still in the church, still seeking after the Lord. And then to look out into the group and see the four others who were baptized on the same day that she was. Jorge, Evleyn, Mari, and Juan. The Lord has given us fruit and it has been fruit that lasts. Praise the Lord for His work in the lives of His people. And please pray for these brothers and sisters and the others at Grace Baptist Church of Curaco de Velez.
As mentioned earlier in this entry we packed the place out this morning and afternoon. For some time we have been praying and seeking a larger meeting place. Yesterday we became aware of a possibility. At the close of the service I asked the brothers and sisters to pray for this. And then this evening Ruth and I were able to check the place out and supposedly we will hear back this week as to it being available unto us or not. We don't want to count this as a "done deal" seeings that we have had the rug pulled out from under us several times in situations like this one. So please pray for us and for those who are in charge of this property. If this is the will of the Lord may we be able to rent the place for a reasonable amount. The reason for wanting the larger space is not just to have a bigger place. What we want to do is have more room to receive more people and to split the kids up from one big Sunday School class to several smaller ones. And of course our main goal is to glorify the Lord and make disciples and that they would bring forth much fruit and that it would be fruit that lasts!
Daniel

Who's that knocking on my door (part 2)

Knock knock. Who's there? Waiting for the punchline? Well there won't be one. Probably a good thing since the majority of people find my jokes in english and spanish quite lame.
The last time I shared about people knocking on my door I wasn't very pleased with the visitors. Today was a bit different. The kids always get excited when someone knocks on the door. They love the wonder of "who it may be" and "what they might have brought" with them. So this morning the "knocker" was a man named Alvaro. He is from Brazil and came to follow up on our request for him to teach us Portuguese. (Ruth and I would like to learn Portuguese for potential ministry purposes and then be able to pass on to the kids another language) Alvaro stated that he would like to work out some kind of exchange of us teaching him English for him teaching us Portuguese. We told him that this sounded like a good idea and hopefully next month (April) we can get started with our classes. He ended up knocking on our door several more times throughout the day and we were able to help him with some things and generally get to know each other better. Please pray for Alvaro and for our relationship with him. We hope that through our time with him that he will hear a clear presentation of the gospel and that the Lord would draw him unto Himself.
Then there was the afternoon when I went over to Achao to help another pastor friend with some errands. He needed to move some desks from a different town back to his church. And since I have a truck I was the one that he asked. That's what friends and brothers are for, right? To encourage and help out one another. So on the way over to pick him up I came across four young ladies hitchhiking. This is still quite common down here. As we drove the 12 minutes over to Achao I struck up a small conversation. I asked them where they studied and where they were from. They told me that they studied in Curaco (our town) and that they lived in the dormitories alongside of the school. When I mentioned that my family is down here planting a church one of the young ladies (Marjorie) said that she had grown up in a Christian family and had always gone to church. What was so neat about this is the fact that Ruth and I had been praying for the kids in the dormitories and for bridges to be built between them and our church. And here was a neat opportunity to meet another believer and we hope for the opportunity to encourage her in the faith and to reach out to her peers with the gospel. Please pray along with us for the 150-200 young people that live in the dorms. And please pray for the people who are in charge at the dorms, that we would find grace in their eyes and be able to have easy access to the students.
Then this late afternoon/early evening Ruth had guitar class and then English class right after. English class was especially well attended and the kids are excited about what they are learning. And we were excited to see them there and of course encouraged them to come back on Sunday for Sunday School. Please pray for these kids and for their families.
And to round off the day we had a special time of studying God's Word in our adult Bible Study. Tonight we talked about the security that we have in Christ. We as believers belong to God, we are His children. No one can pluck us out of His hand. He has began the good work in us and He will complete it. What hope we have in Jesus! Praise His Name!
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. We love you in the love of Christ.
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)

Padre Gatica

There is a saying in Chile that goes like this: "Padre Gatica predica pero no se practica." The translation goes like this: "Gatica the priest doesn't practice what he preaches." I had that thought in my mind as I pondered upon the bottoming out dollar. The dollar has lost about 20% of its value in the 5 months that we have been down here. And the prices of things have not gone down, but they have gone up. So what does this have to do with Padre Gatica? Well I remember a message that I shared in November 2005 during a North American missionaries conference here in Chile. At that point the dollar was "way down" in the mid 600 range (it had been up to 740 in July of 2003) and I reminded the brothers and sisters about the sovereignty of God over all things including exchange rates. "We need not worry", I reminded them, "our trust and our hope is in the Lord." And of course I believed this when I shared it and I believe it just as much today. But the interesting thing is that through this time of financial uncertainty I have been crunching the numbers a little more than normal and have read more articles about inflation and recession than I had ever before in my life. So what happened? Had I forgotten about the Lord and His provision for all of our needs from past to present and of His promise to take care of our future? (physical needs yes, but more importantly our spiritual needs) Once I noticed this sin of unbelief and let go of it I received great peace from the Lord. I know that the Lord is still on the throne. I know that the Lord has brought us to this town of Curaco to preach and live out His gospel. I know that He holds the future. So I decide, so I desire to no longer be live like Padre Gatica but to live like an obedient, trusting child of the Most High God. Trusting Him for who He is, for what He has done, for what He is doing and for what He will do; all for His glory and for the good of those who love Him, those who have been called according to His purpose.

M&M

M&M is the "artistic name" given to my mother-in-law and to her best friend Monica. (Mother-in-law's name is Maria) They spent the last three weeks down her with us, helping us with the children and generally supporting the ministries of Grace Baptist Church. They left today in the morning and their time here will be long remembered. In the post below you can see and listen to them share special music in one of our Sunday morning worship services.
(Y si M&M estan leyendo esto, de nuevo le decimos "muchisimas gracias y que Dios les bendiga grandemente!")

Always something going on

When was the last time that you were bored? The last time that you just felt that there was absolutely nothing for you to do? I remember when I was a kid that there were quite a few boring moments. Although there probably were lots of things to do I felt like there was nothing to do. But not anymore. There always seems to be a lot going on!
I cannot believe that a whole 8 days have passed by since Ruth, Tabitha and I got back into Curaco after a few days away. As the old saying goes, "time sure flies when you are busy." Today our friend Dana left Curaco and began her journey back to Michigan. We enjoyed her visit with us and trust that the Lord used (and will use) her trip for His glory and for Dana's growth in Christ.
Today was a full day with some quality visits and contacts with the people. Please continue to pray for the people and for their spiritual needs. May more and more people truly bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Not just ritualistically nor legalistically, but sincerely. May the Name of the Lord be praised.
Let us as the servants of the Lord be busy about the Master's business and not just sit around twiddling our thumbs. With so much to do (and who know's how much time to do anything) may we be found faithful to the preaching and living out of the gospel. Remember, God has always got something going on. Don't miss out on it. Get involved in it.

Intercepted?

Again I have fallen behind on my blogging. Sorry. But I can say that it hasn't been for lack of things going on. Maybe my inconsistency is more a result of a busy schedule. So whatever it is (or isn't) here is something interesting that happened on Friday.....
Ruth, Tabitha, our friend Dana and I got back to Curaco on Thursday night. After Bible Study Jorge borrowed my truck and I planned on picking it up in Achao on Friday morning. So I hop on the bus and head over to Achao. On the bus with me is a family that I know and I offer to take them back to Curaco with me after we all get done with our respective errands. They indicate that it sounded good for them and we would meet up later at the bank. Cool. I went out and did my errands and made it back to the bank. We meet up and they said that they needed to go to the hardware store and I said "I'll meet you there." So I go and wait for them and they don't show up. And they don't show up. And they don't show up. I'm starting to think that someone else has picked them up. Maybe they have been intercepted. So I start back to Curaco. The distance between Achao and Curaco is 11 kilometers or 6 1/2 miles. About 3 kilometers into the trip I come upon three hitchhikers. I'm not going to lose these passengers! So they hop in and we proceed on to Curaco. I invite them over to lunch and we have a really good meal and some good conversation and an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our new friends names are Sandor, Daniella and Tomas. The first two are from Chile and the third is from Colombia. Please pray for them. After lunch Ruth and I were able to take them to the next town and drop them off. Along the way more seed was planted and each of them was sent off with a copy of "God's Bridge to Eternal Life" and a prayer that the Word of God would touch their hearts and that they too would come to know the Living God and His Son Jesus Christ. So all this is said not to bring glory nor adulation to a man (me) for what he has done. It is said to give glory to God that He is sovereign and He has a plan and He will always complete with it. Whereas I thought that someone had "intercepted" my passengers that wasn't necessarily the case. The Lord had other passengers for me to pick up and share with. If I had taken the original passengers I wouldn't have been able to take Sandor, Daniella and Tomas. Looking back on the situation I realize that again I have been humbled into realizing that the Lord's plans and thoughts are much higher than mine and I am thankful for that. He worked things out in a way that glorified Himself and that is what I want more than anything. May the Name of the Lord be praised!

Have you kept your New Year´s resolution?

I was so proud of myself for keeping up with this blogsite. I´m not sure if you remember or not but that was my New Year´s resolution. I decided that I was going to stay current with my blogging and informing yáll of the goings on down here in Chile. And I was doing quite well. Past tense. I was doing well but as of just recently I have both let you and myself down. Sorry. But I am not going to leave things unresolved. I am back on board and plan on staying more current with the blog.
Things have been going well down here. We had a special time last Sunday with our worship service and a baptism following. Another opportunity to witness to the community about our faith in the Lord Jesus. Please continue to pray for us and the flock at Grace Baptist Church.
Currently Ruth, Tabitha and I are in Uruguay. Nine years have went by since Ruth and I first met and we are taking some time to ¨get to know each other again¨. My mother-in-law, Ruth´s aunt and Kristina are holding the fort back in Curaco and we hear that all are doing quite well. We will be back in Curaco next week. I have a good friend who will be preaching in our Sunday service so I trust that the flock will be in good hands.
So, please continue to pray. Thanks again for your partnership in the gospel ministry. We truly do appreciate you and love you in the love of Christ.
Daniel

Busy day, blessed day

Today was one of those busy, blessed days. One of those days when you think that you know how it is going to start out but you really have no idea how it is going to end up. We had our services in the morning which went well. The Word of God was proclaimed and there were people with ears to hear. The afternoon and evening opened up some really good opportunities to connect further with some people both inside and outside the flock. Much to think about and more to pray about it. Please continue to pray for us and the ministry down here in Curaco. The work is plentiful so please pray that the Lord would enable us, the laborers. May we be busy like Martha and wait upon the Lord like Mary.
Daniel

Who's that knocking on my door? (and what do you need?)

In Luke 11:5-13 we find one of the many parables that Jesus spoke to His disciples. The message is that God's people need to trust in His goodness and in His faithful provision for their needs. It is interesting how the parable starts out and how this related to me in the past couple of days. In verses 5-8 there is mentioned a man who goes to his friend late at night to ask him for some bread. The guy doesn't want to do it, but he does it anyway because he doesn't want himself nor his family further disturbed at this hour. Understandable, right?
Well just the other day I heard a knock on the door, a rather loud knock on the door. I looked at the clock and saw that it was about 4:45 am. And I'm thinking, "what's going on? Is there some kind of emergency?" So I go to the door and there are three guys standing outside. I was a little hesitant to open the door but I did anyway. They ask for Jorge one of our coworkers who used to live in this house. I tell them that Jorge no longer lives here that he has moved a town over to Achao. Really I had hoped that that would be enough to get them going on their way, but of course it wasn't. The ringleader proceeds to tell me about the fact that he has a truck and that "many" times he had helped Jorge in the past. And I'm like "ok, I'm not Jorge, so now what?" But this guy is not taking "no" for an answer. And I don't want him to wake up the kids with his already elevated voice. So I get dressed and get the truck out and take them on their way. They are obviously intoxicated and I am just glad to get them out of the truck and to get myself back in the house. The next day I ask Jorge about this and he tells me that this is not the first time that they have pulled this trick. I say that for me it is the first and the last. And I would soon have my resolve tested. Just last night. About 1am I hear a knock on the door. It is a young man (one of the three from the other night) asking for a ride to Achao, a town about 10 minutes away from us. I put two and two together, realizing that there is no emergency and it just so happens that the big party just got over here in town and they probably want to keep the party going in Achao. Why would someone think to come to my house at 1 am asking for a ride to another town? Hey man, go to sleep and get up at 8 am and take the bus! Of course I don't want to be uncaring but I don't want to be a doormat either. And with that I also see an interesting connection with the parable found in Luke 11. God will of course hear our asking and our calling and He will notice that we are seeking. But what I believe is most important to Him is our motive. He doesn't want us to approach Him selfishly as if He were a celestial genie who must respond to our fleshly demands. He is the Holy One who does truly love us (John 3:16-17; Rom 5:8; 1st John 4:10,19) and will give us what He wants us to have (Matt 6:33), He is not a "name it claim it" God. He promises to give us "good things" (Matt 7:11) but He alone knows what we truly need and what He wants for us. (Psalm 37:3-5; James 4:2-3) So let's look for some balance here. Let's be fervent and consistent in our prayers, but at the same time let us leave the results in the hands of the Lord. (Is 55:8-9) He knows who is knocking on His door and He knows what we need before we ask Him. Let us approach Him boldly (and respectfully) through the Lord Jesus Christ trusting that we will find mercy and grace in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Daniel

His blood's for you!

Just the other day I was browsing one of my favorite internet sites called "A little leaven". It is a discernment/wake up call blog to the church to get back to the seriousness and the simplicity of the gospel. In one of the posts under the genre of "cheezy christian clothing" was a t-shirt that had obviously ripped off an idea from the Budweiser company. The shirt said "His blood's for you" (and for those of you who didn't know the Budweiser slogan is "This Bud's for you") And as the blogger stated, people are a lot more likely to relate this slogan to some watered down beer than they are likely to worship the Crucified Lamb of God. As a matter of fact when I read the blog and checked out the t-shirt I felt like both laughing and crying. Laughing because of the shirt being so ridiculous and crying over the way that it trivializes the cross of Christ. I mean whatever happened to not using persuasive (nor catchy) words and just preaching the gospel of Christ? (1st Cor 1:18-2:4) Brothers and sisters the gospel is our only hope. As the hymnwriter put it "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness". Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness. Yes His blood has been shed for us. Let us never forget that and let us never be ashamed to proclaim it to our fellow man. (Rom 1:16-17; 1st Peter 1:18-19) And may we not forget that it is the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God that saves people. It is not about man's wisdom nor gimmicks. Stick to the basics. It was good enough for Jesus. It was good enough for the Apostles and for the first disciples. Why would we think to use something different? Arrogance or ignorance? Whatever it be, let it not be so with us. Jesus' blood, the blood of the new covenant has been shed for the remission of sins (1st Cor 11:25) and praise be to Him who sits upon the throne! That blood avails for you and that blood avails for me. Thank you Jesus!

Now that's why I wanted to buy a generator!

We had a wonderful time of worshiping the risen Lord during our Sunday services then we had a nice time of fellowship with family and friends over lunch. A little relaxation and getting things ready for the kids' first backyard campout. (They were so excited!) Then a little visiting of the parishioners and back to la casa. I had invited some of the guys from church over to the house to watch "El Super Tazon". (The Super Bowl) And since we don't currently have an evening service there wasn't any need to cancel nor rearrange any service times and/or activities. Just a couple of guys getting together to watch the "big game". Whereas I enjoy sports I am past the stage of being a "sports fanatic". I really don't care who wins, I just like to watch a good game. So I didn't give a hoot if the Giants or the Patriots left Arizona as Super Bowl champs. I just wanted to watch the game with some friends. When the game started I thought to myself, "this would be a great time for the power to go out, and if it does I will post a blog with the title 'Now that's why I wanted to buy a generator!'" So if you read the title to this post you should already know what happened. By the middle of the 3rd quarter the guys were starting to understand more of why the referees throw flags and how many points a field goal and a touchdown are worth, etc. And then all of a sudden the power goes out all across Curaco. And I exclaim, "Now that's why I wanted to buy a generator!" Ha ha. Sure I was a little upset that I wasn't able to watch the rest of what had been an enjoyable game. (it was even free of any risque commercials, we have the international feed) After finding a candle and returning to the living room we talked a bit with our guests who after a few minutes excused themselves. I walked them to the door and that's when I saw a display much more impressive than the Super Bowl. With it being completely dark outside and with the night being 100% clear the beauty of the 2nd heaven sparkled for all to see. I commented to my friends that the heavens truly do declare the glory of the Lord and that we should stand in awe of His marvelous works. Have you not noticed that we often times are impressed with that which is not truly so impressive. And sometimes we lose sight of what (or Who) truly is impressive? For a moment I was concerned with the lack of light available in my house, the light that would allow me to watch a football game. But the Lord had all of His lights still on outside for the whole world to see. He has brought all of creation into being. His light cannot be turned off, His glory will be seen forever and ever! May we as well remember that we are the light of the world and that we have been called to display His light so that the He would receive the glory that He alone deserves. So I now realize that it is not so important that I buy a generator (so that I can watch a football game), the important thing is that I be a generator that shows forth the light of Christ!
Daniel

I passed the exam!

The technical revision monster has been conquered! Oh it was a formidable foe but it wasn't able to handle the power of the 1997 Chevy Luv. More details to follow. It's late and I'm tired and we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Please continue to pray for all of us down here. We are praying for you as well.
Daniel

The exam

Today is the day that I go back to the "revision technica". Hopefully I will pass this time. There is always that hightened anticipation when one knows that they are going to be tested on what they know or on what they have done. As the Scripture tells us we will all stand before our Creator and give an account for our lives. Fortunately it isn't a pass/fail exam or even a "grade-on-a-curve" exam. Why? Because we all fall short (Rom 3:23) and even our righteous acts or as filthy rags before a Holy God. (Is 64:6) Praise be to God for His provision in Christ Jesus the Lord. He (God the Father) has made Him (God the Son) to be sin on our behalf that we may become the righteousness of God in Him (God the Son). So it's not that I could ever pass the test on my own; that would never happen! But Jesus did pass the test and through faith in Him I have had Christ's righteousness applied to my account so that God now accepts me and sees me as being clothed with the righteousness of His dear Son. How will you do on examination (judgement)day?
Daniel
p.s.
Of course there is "extra credit". Eternal rewards are part of the equation as well. We will talk about those in a different post. But suffice it to say, the grace of God in Christ is truly amazing!

Salvation

Just a few hours ago we wrapped up our Thursday evening Bible study. It is always a wonderful opportunity to open up the Word of God together as a church family. Tonight our topic was salvation. What a challenge it was to cover this in an hour. Of course I realized that an extensive study of salvation would take several sessions so we just went over the basic tenets of salvation. Our main focus was on Christ. After all Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the door. He is the way, the truth and the life. His is the only name given unto men by which they may be saved. He is the only mediator between the Father and His creation. So we focused on Jesus. And what joy there is in that! O the wonder of it all, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins! Praise and glory be to God for His great mercy and grace! Let us not take His sacrifice for granted. May we continue to stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene. May we continue to shout praises to the One who sits on His throne in Heaven above. Just now I had the words of a song pop into my head. It's a song that I learned in Sunday School back at Grace Bible Church in Newaygo, Michigan. The song goes like this.... "Thank you Lord for saving my soul, thank you Lord for making me whole, thank you Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free. Amen." Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. To God be the glory great things He has done! Salvation from sin through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Father for sending your Son, thank you Jesus for coming and doing what You did, and thank you Holy Spirit for your work in my heart showing me my need for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Daniel

Just a quick note

In order to keep my blogging streak going I jot out this quick entry. Today was a good day. The main excitement of the day was when I was told "daddy there is somebody at the door." So I proceeded to look out the window and I slowly opened the door thinking that it was a salesman. Then the surprise came. He whipped out his wallet and there was this somewhat shiny badge. It was like I was in the movies. At first I was a little startled but then I noticed that his badge said "Customs" and I remembered that someone was supposed to be coming down to check out the stuff that we had sent in the container. Of course we were told that an agent would call to set up a time to meet with us, so we were caught a little off guard. But that was alright. More natural. The agent did what he needed to do; he looked around at our things and asked us several questions and he was on his way. He was very efficient. Hopefully in a couple of weeks we will be able to use the things that we sent down for Grace Baptist.
On another note, we received word that a dear sister named Louise Fish (our home/sending church, North Casnovia Baptist) is in a coma after a severe stroke. We ask that you would please pray for her entire family during this time of trial and uncertainty. May they find the comfort and assurance that they need in the arms of our loving sovereign God.
May we all be found faithful in our service unto the Lord,
Daniel

Would your car pass the "revision tecnica"?

I imagine that if you are like most U.S. car owners, you have never thought about having to put your vehicle(s) up against the rigors of a finetooth comb inspection. Well every year in Chile it is required for all vehicles (except new ones) to pass a full technical revision. And it isn't always a walk in the park. How do you think your vehicle would do if faced with such a mighty foe? Here in Chile if your vehicle cannot pass the revision then you have to fix it until it can pass. You are breaking the law if you drive your vehicle without it having passed the technical revision. And now another question... With that being said, how many of you would be walking and/or riding a bike rather than driving a car? I went to the revision expecting to pass but what I almost did was pass out. I couldn't believe all the things that they found to be wrong with my truck. At first I thought that they were being a little too nitpicky and that all of these repairs were going to be a big hassle. Whereas I have spoken of in previous posts, these repairs have been a real hassle. But as I found out yesterday and today they also bring their blessings.
One of the reasons for the revision is to assure the safety of the driver and for others on the road. Yesterday when I went in to get the shocks changed (yes they got me on that too!) the mechanic told me that I was very close to having my wheel fall off of the truck. So we got that fixed up. Then today I was getting the brakes fixed and was informed that there were some more serious issues to deal with. That is now taken care of as well. Tomorrow and Thursday I hope to wrap up the repairs and maybe on Friday the truck will pass the technical revision. But looking back on it all I thank the Lord that He had mercy on each and everyone who has been riding in the truck. And I give Him thanks for His sovereign direction in all of this. Check this out... Down here on the island there are a couple of places to go for the technical revision. One is very, very busy and very, very slow but at the same time quite easy to pass. The other is operated efficiently and is not easy to pass. After having failed the "easy" one due to some minor issues, I went to the "hard" one thinking that since I had corrected the aforementioned minor issues I would pass with flying colors. Boy was I wrong. The only flying colors were the "red" marks all over the printout that I received. Many things were found to be deficient. So when I shared the results with a brother from the church down here, he encouraged me to go back to the "easy" revision center so that I would pass and not need to spend anymore $$$$. I thought that the saving of $$$$ would be nice but the more that I thought about it, I thought that maybe those guys at the "hard" revision center had it right. I should get these things fixed so that I can have a safer, more efficient vehicle. And that's what led me to get these repairs done over the last couple of days and those repairs quite possibly saved my life and the lives of my passengers. The Lord had a plan with this all along and His plans are always good! (Is 55:8-9)
Hopefully on Friday night I will write a post telling about my having passed the technical revision. I won't ask that you pray in this direction, I just ask that you pray along with me that the Lord would continue to glorify Himself as He works in and through our lives.
Yours in Christ,
Daniel

Would you please take this from me?

No this is not the phrase that I use as I pass out gospel tracts. This phrase "take this please" or in the spanish "podria tomar esta por favor" turned out to be quite humorous. To me at least. Today was one of those days when you wish you were in Western Michigan. I needed to take the Chevrolet pickup in for some much needed work on the shocks and rotors. As it turned out the problem was much larger than we had originally thought and the mechanic told me that I was fortunate that the passenger side front tire hadn't fallen off the truck as I was going down the road. But anyway, why would I be glad to be back in Western Michigan? The drill here is much different when it comes to vehicle repair. The customer must first buy the parts and take them to the mechanic who just might be able to put them on. He might have to send you someplace else. Or you might have to wait all day to have the job done. No courtesy shuttle. No free coffee. No soft chairs to relax in. Just lots of waiting around and lots of time to be patient. Hopefully.
So what about the "take this please" phrase? It has long been my policy to not travel alone if I don't have to. I enjoy taking people along so that I can help them save a couple of pesos and try to sow the seed of the gospel. Today I had two passengers with me. The first one was picked up right in town and the other was picked up about 5 miles outside of our town on the way to the big town where I would get the truck fixed. The second passenger was an elderly woman probably about 75 years old. She had her faced weathered and dried by the sun but an interesting sparkle in her eyes. We talked a bit along the way and then when it was time to cross over on the ferry I decided to back onto the ferry so as to be able to roll right off on the other side. My front seat passenger was busy talking on the cell phone and I had a can in my hand. I probably could have backed up with the can still in my hand but thinking that it would be easier without the can I said to the back seat passenger "podria tomar esta por favor?" Would (or could) you please take this from (or for) me? She readily took the can and as I was backing up I saw her take a chug and smile. I had to control my laughter. Talk about a lack of communication. I just wanted her to "take hold" of my can, not "take a chug" out of it. Not only that but I was a bit concerned for her given that it was an energy drink. Hopefully she doesn't have a problem with B12 and caffiene. She gave me back the can and I just held the can until later and then threw the rest of the drink away. I don't know why I didn't want to drink it, maybe just the thought of an unknown person's backwash. Anyway I found the whole thing kinda funny and what made it more funny was her innocence and contentment with the whole situation.
So after a long, frustrating day with auto parts stores and mechanics I look back on the morning and my time with the old lady and I smile. And I remember that we need not carry our burdens by ourselves but the Lord has offered to "take them from us". (Matt 11:28-30) There is so much to be thankful for and I ask that you pray for me and for the rest of us down here that we would be faithful to share what the Lord has freely given to us. First of all His love through the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ and also that we would open our hands to share the material blessings that He has bestowed upon us.
Daniel

Truly a blessed day!

I made it back into the blogosphere for the second consecutive day. Yahoo! And to avoid any confusion, I meant that as an exclamation and not as a plug for the company "yahoo!".
Today was a very full day. Of course it had the same amount of hours, minutes, and seconds but they somehow found themselves very full. So what did the day consist of? Well let me tell you...
After the normal routine of waking up, getting dressed, attending to the kids, etc. it was time to get down to church. Our Sunday School begins at 10 am and our adult worship/celebration service is at noon. The kids were excited about their story (the Israelites ask for a king) and their singing and craft time. It is great to see the kids get involved in the class. Paying close attention and interacting through question and answer. And then listening to them sing praises unto the Lord. Please pray along with us that these children would continue to grow in their understanding of the Word of God and by so doing they would be those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
Today we had a special communion service with the adults who make up Grace Baptist Church of Curaco de Velez. We truly felt that we as a congregation experienced a special time of communion with the Lord as we placed our entire focus on the wondrous cross. Oh that we would all do this more often. After the message entitled "Why do we partake of the Lord's Supper?"(from 1st Corinthians 11:23-29 and John 19:17-30 and 2nd Corinthians 13:5) I encouraged the congregation to spend some time in self examination while Ruth sang the song "Ante el trono celestial" (Before the throne of God above). We sang the third stanza as a congregation and upon finishing I spoke more of the significance of Christ's death on our behalf and I started to pass out the elements. As I was passing out the elements I noticed that there were several professing believers who abstained from partaking of the elements. So after we had taken the bread and the cup I included in my closing comments that we must all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and so receive reward based on what we have done in the body. I commended those who had abstained from taking communion because I knew that they knew that something was not right between them and the Lord and that they were taking their faith seriously. But of course I didn't leave it there. I went on to encourage them with the words of 1st John 1:9 among others, reminding them that restoration is offered to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. He not only gave His life for ours that He might save us from Hell, but He gave His life for ours that we would no longer live for ourselves but that we would live our lives for Him. I do not share this step-by-step account to puff myself up as a super pastor. I write these words to give glory to God for His work in and through His church. It was so evident today that His Holy Spirit was moving in the hearts of the people of God that fellowship together at Grace Baptist Church of Curaco de Velez, Chile. To God to be the glory for what He is doing in and through His church!
The rest of the day was pleasant as we were able to enjoy a nice meal together as a family, go to the beach and then help out a brother with a special need. But all of these things paled in comparison to our midday mountiantop encounter with the Lord and His people. It truly was a blessed day!
May we not forget to count our blessings, with the greatest one being the reconciliation that we enjoy with the Father through our faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Daniel (for all)

Is it too late to make a New Year's resolution?

I hope it's not too late to make a New Year's resolution. I really want to make one and I really hope to keep it. So what is it? Is it to lose some weight or to give up carbonated beverages or something else? None of the above. My New Year's resolution is to be more current with this blog. Why? Whereas I realize that there may not be a huge amount of people who actually check this site out, there are some who would like to know more of what is going on in our lives and ministries. So for you my dear people I resolve to be more current and consistent with my postings. We will see very soon (in the next couple of days) how this is going to go.
There has been much going on down here in Curaco. The Lord has been very good to us. We are ever aware of His amazing grace. Not only has He redeemed us from our sins but He has also given us the great privilige to testify to His glorious goodness. As the Apostle Paul writes to the Romans in chapter 1 of his epistle, the reason that we share the gospel is for the sake of (or for the glory of) the Name. That name being the Name that is above all names, the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are pleased to report that people are responding to the preaching of the Word. Should we expect anything different? Of course we realize that the Lord sovereignly works in ways that are above our finite comprehension, so we trust that His Word will accomplish whatever purpose that the Almighty has set forth. But what if we didn't believe that the Lord would reach people through His Word, what kind of servants would we be? We would be servants of little faith, maybe even unfaithful servants. We don't want to be like that. We want to pray and cast our nets and wait and watch and see what the Lord will do. To this day we have seen the Lord do wonderful works in the hearts of His people, through His Word and through the ministry of His Holy Spirit. To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Please continue to pray for us and the flock at Grace Baptist Church in Curaco. We believe that an effective door of ministry has opened up and just as the Apostle Paul said "there are many who oppose the work." Oh that God would work in their hearts as He did in the heart of Saul. That they would stop being persecutors and that they would become proclaimers of the gospel! Please pray believing that this could happen, just as the miracle of regeneration happened in your life it could happen in the life of any other hardened sinner. Of course it has to be the Lord doing it, but He can do it!
Thanks again for your prayers and support towards us. We truly appreciate you all in the Lord Jesus.
Your brother in Christ,
Daniel

Nov 18 2007 - VID00016

Thank you for your prayers and be careful with those street vendors

The long and odd title to this post actually has some meat to it. Many of you (hopefully there are many of you read this blog) have been praying for us. Again we humbly say "thank you". These last days we have especially sensed the need for prayer.
We have been here for almost three weeks now and have been overwhelmed with all the things that we've needed to do. We went from the near purchase of an "almost" new home to the need to fix various things in a "no way close to" new home. Mountains of paperwork from opening a checking account (not nearly as easy as in the U.S.) to getting a national i.d. card and a Chilean driver's license (both for Daniel) to many other beaurocratic wranglings. Fun, fun, fun. Well, not really but all quite necessary to live and minister most effectively. ***I know for those cynics out there you could say the Apostle Paul didn't have a driver's license nor a checking account. Amen. But we are living in the 21st century now aren't we?!?***
Then on this past Tuesday as I was beginning the first of my three day journey towards obtaining a Chilean driver's license (yes, that's how long it takes down here in southern Chile! So don't go complaining about the EXCELLENT attention given at your local Secretary of State) and I was getting a little hungry on my way back home. So as my friend Jorge and I were crossing over on the ferry from the main island to our smaller island I was intrigued by the street vendor's offer of some meat empanadas. (for those of you who might not know, an empanada is a baked or fried bread stuffed with meat, chicken, seafood and/or cheese) I am always up for an empanada and I was really hungry and she was selling them quite cheap so I went ahead and bought four, two for Jorge and two for me. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized that I shouldn't have eaten those empanadas! I was totally wiped out for two days. High fever, chills, head and body aches and I probably lost at least 5 to 10 pounds. When I called Jorge last night (Thursday) to ask him to fill in for me at Bible Study he told me that he as well had been knocked down by some bug but that it only stuck with him for 1 day. That was when we traced our infection back to the empanadas that we ate on Tuesday afternoon. Whereas I realize that I am not a detective (well, of sorts as the Scripture tells us to diligently search the Word of God-2nd Tim 2:15; Acts 17:11) the empanadas are the prime (and only) suspect. Anyway I am so, so thankful to be feeling better and I will be much more careful and disciplined when the next street vendor approaches me about purchasing their wares.
Some of you knew of this situation as it was going on and were praying for me (Daniel) specifically. There are those of you who were praying generally for me and my family. To both of these groups, thank you very much. The Lord used all of your prayers and the prayers of our Thursday night Bible Study group to bring about healing. After a 10:30 pm visit from the paramedic, an injection, and some "stomach calming agents", I actually had a decent night's sleep and woke up today feeling like a new man.
Have you realized how we tend to forget how good we have it until our situation changes for what appears to be the worst? If we are accustomed to feeling good we can take it for granted. If we are accustomed to being able to drink the water (without getting sick) or use a public restroom for free we can take it for granted. If we are used to having a hot shower or a large, warm house in which to live we can take it for granted. May it not be so. May we learn to be thankful and rejoice in the Lord for what He graciously provides for us. (Matt 6:25-33; James 1:17) But may we never cease to thank the Lord for His incredible gift to us in Christ. (2nd Corinthians 9:15) God is great and greatly to be praised. May we focus on Him and His Kingdom and His righteousness. And always be thankful! And once again, we are thankful for your prayers and ask that you continue praying for us and the work down here in Curaco. Your prayers are being mercifully and graciously answered by the Lord and we give Him all the praise for any good thing that results from our ministry down here on the island. To God be the glory!
Daniel (for Ruth and family)

$5.30 a gallon for gas and the need to eat jurel

Yes you read that title correctly. I was not too pleased when I pulled up to the pump and saw that my gas would cost me about 700 pesos a liter and that would equal out to about $5.30 a gallon. But we need to roll with the punches or just go out and buy some horses. We have noticed that the prices of a lot of things have gone up over this past year. Milk is about twice the price as it was a year ago, as are many of the fruits and vegetables. The price of bread is about 35% higher and the big thing with this is that bread is one of the staples down here. (Chile is said to be the country with the 2nd greatest amount of bread consumption, trailing behind France alone) Added to that the devaluation of the dollar it makes the foreign missionary seek to cut corners wherever possible. Seeings that we can't afford to eat canned tuna we have turned to one of its uglier sisters, jurel. Just today I was telling Ruth that it was a luxury being able to eat a can of tuna. With canned tuna you just open the can, drain the water (or oil) and eat. Not so easy with jurel. The canned jurel comes complete with the bones, the skin and the blood. The only things we don't find in the can are the internal organs and the head. So the process with the canned jurel is a little more complicated than with the canned tuna. I need to open the can, drain the water/blood/slime mixture, scrape off the dried blood and then take the bones out. Then I rinse it again and it is ready to eat. Not nearly as easy as the canned tuna and not nearly as flavorful, but still a good source of protein and Omega-3's and hopefully not too much mercury. But at least there is food to eat and just as the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6 in His "do not worry" passage (verses 25 thru 34), He will take care of our needs and we see Him doing that most clearly as we recognize that He is the greatest need that we have. (Matthew 4:4)
So please take note that we are very thankful for being able to eat jurel in Curaco de Velez. The Lord has opened up many doors for ministry and I like the Apostle Paul ask that you pray for us that we would be faithful no matter what may arise against us. (1st Corinthians 16:9) There are those who seem very open and anxious to hear more about the gospel. Just last night we had the wonderful opportunity to share with a woman named Juanita. She is the employer of two ladies that attend Grace Baptist. They have been praying for her and just recently she expressed to them that she was glad that Ruth and I were back in town and that she wanted us to counsel her. Well last night was our opportunity to visit her and we had the wonderful opportunity to share with her the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh that the truth of the gospel would resonate in her heart and that the blessed Holy Spirit would convince her of her sin and of her need for the Savior. Please pray for Juanita and many others like her. Religious people in need of a restored relationship with their Creator. May we never cease to thank God for the one way that He has established for man to be reconciled: by grace (God's gift) through faith (again God's gift) through God's Son Jesus Christ (and one more time, God's gift). To close I encourage you to meditate upon the words of the Apostle Paul in 2nd Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"
At the end of the day it doesn't matter how much gas costs. It doesn't matter how much a can of tuna costs. It doesn't matter how clean or dirty jurel is. It doesn't matter how high or low the dollar goes. What matters is the gospel. May we never forget that!

We are in Chile!

Yes it is true. We finally made it back to Chile. We haven't made it to the town of Curaco de Velez yet, but we hope to in a couple of days. The trip down here was quite uneventful. The kids were relatively well behaved. A little cranky at times, but that is to be expected. We didn't miss any of our connecting flights. (probably helped that we only had one to make!) All of our luggage made it down with us. And we had zero complications with immigration and customs. So overall it was a good experience.
Now we will be in Santiago until Tuesday when we plan on flying down to Puerto Montt and then catching the bus that will take us down to Quinchao Island and the town of Curaco de Velez. During our few days here we plan on getting some paperwork done for me (Daniel), visit with family and catch up with some old friends. Some of those friends are fellow missionaries, Pedro and Stephanie Garcia. They are just across town and we hope to see them tomorrow. (Saturday)
We would like to thank you all again for your prayers and financial support of the ministry in southern Chile. May the Lord be glorified as His gospel goes forth!

We have a launch date!

It has been a while since our last post and if you have actually been looking for something new here I say "lo siento". From the multitude of comments that I find here I doubt that many people are actually checking this out. But for those of you who are we say "gracias por su interes en nosotros y el ministerio de Chiloe Island Mission."
We are excited to announce that we are scheduled to leave for Chile on November 8th. Just last night (Sunday the 30th) the church voted to release us to the field. Now the pressure is on to get a lot of things ready in a not-so-spacious time frame. However we trust in the Lord for what He has for us and the ministry. Please pray for us and the many decisions that need to be made and the many, many things that we will need to accomplish over the next five weeks. May the Lord be glorified in and through our lives.
One of the things that we had been prayerfully considering was someone to help us with the kids once we get back to the island. Well, the Lord has provided a young lady from our local church (her name is Kristina, please pray for her) to come along with us and be sort of a big sister to our children and help Ruth out as needed. She will not be an employee, she will be a member of our family. Please pray that the Lord would knit our hearts together and that we would seek to glorify the Lord as we serve Him together.
In the next couple of days I hope to get some new pictures up. I have misplaced my "cable-from-camera-to computer" and without that I cannot upload any new pictures. I hope to find that cable soon. (obviously)
Thanks again for your interest in and support of Chiloe Island Mission and Iglesia Bautista Gracia. (Grace Baptist Church) We anticipate the Lord doing great things in and through our lives. May we never forget how great and mighty our God is and that He alone is worthy of all honor and praise!
Grace to you all,
Daniel

Back to normal

Normal. What does that mean? I imagine that the word means different things to different people at different times and under different circumstances. In this instance I refer to my vacation being over and getting back to our "normal" schedule.
Our three oldest are back to school. Elizabeth goes five days a week, all day. Daniel and Grace go four days a week, just in the morning. So Ruth, Rebekah, and Tabitha are experiencing some good bonding time. I enjoy being back in the office and being occupied in the work of the ministry. I really feel blessed to do what I am doing, helping to pastor the church here in Michigan and pastoring the church (by correspondence) in Chile.
We are excited to share that I (Daniel) have been invited to travel down to Chicago on the 21st to get my visa. I will also be turning in the final paperwork for Tabitha's Chilean citizenship. The only other logistical things that we need to do before leaving for Chile are 1) purchasing a vehicle 2) obtaining the shipping container 3) purchase our airline tickets 4) liquidate our remaining assets here in the States (home and stuff that we don't need to take with us). So, please pray for us and the accomplishing of these things. We have definitely seen the Lord at work in our preparations. We have committed our way unto the Lord and we have seen Him give us the desire of our hearts. (Psalm 37:4)
Thank you again for your prayers on our behalf. Please keep it up. As well, let us know how we can be praying for you.
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. -Galatians 6:18 (NASB)

Busy, busy, busy

Interesting how busy one can be when supposedly it's time to relax. I have been on vacation this week and have felt overwhelmed by all the things that I know I should be doing when the thing that I really want to do is: relax!
A while back a friend introduced me to a book "When I Relax I Feel Guilty". At the time I wasn't that busy, or didn't feel that pressed for time, but now I am and now I do. And I do feel guilty for doing nothing. So I'm doing things that I probably "shouldn't" be doing on vacation. I stopped by the office yesterday and was told "you don't belong here." But I needed to be there. When one is on vacation, it doesn't stop the fact that there are things to do. Maybe next time I take some time off, the family and I should go to Hawaii or Mexico or to the U.P. . Actually get away and leave the phone and the laptop at home.
With all this being said, I realize the need for balance. I love the idea of sabbath rest. We need to recharge our batteries: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And better said, we need the Lord to recharge our batteries. He is our strength and He is our rest.
We praise the Lord for the ministry to which He has called us. We thank Him for the busyness that at we times complain about. But most of all we thank Him for who He is and for who He has made us; His children through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
May we all "be still before the Lord our God, our Maker" and enjoy Him and all the bounty that He has brought into our lives.
A Dios sea la gloria,
Daniel

It's been a long time, baby!

Wow. A lot of time has passed since our last post. We are going to try to be much more consistent. Kinda like a mid-year resolution.
So much has been going on these past months. We are excited about getting back down to Curaco de Velez and continue shepherding the flock at Grace Baptist Church. Thanks to all of you who have so supportive in so many ways.
I'll write with more detail later, but wanted to get the ball rolling.....

The Gospel in Curaco de Velez

The gospel. The good news that God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to the world (that they had created together along with the Holy Spirit) to live a perfect life and ultimately to pay the price for our sins on the cross of Calvary. This is the message that we have been commissioned to share with the world. The message of the gospel, that although we have turned our backs on our Creator we can have a broken relationship restored through faith in the finished and perfect work of Christ on our behalf.
The gospel is powerful. How do we know this? Well, those of us who have come to faith realize that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." And as Paul said a few chapters before to the Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God." The power of God. No power like that! Only God can save and the way that He works it out is through the gospel that testifies to His gracious working through Jesus Christ. And that is the message that we are called to share. Not just us down here in Curaco de Velez but each one of the Lord's servants. May we never take the power of God for granted. May we never doubt its ability to transform others as it has so transformed us. The gospel. The power of God!
Today we had a beautiful time of fellowship in the Lord. I had the privilege to share the gospel with the young ones and then with the not so young ones. Please pray along with us that the seed of the gospel would fall on fertile soil and bring forth much fruit, and fruit that would last unto the glory of God!
Tomorrow Pastor Kelly Carlson and the Soto family will be down to share with us. The Soto family for just a day and a night but Pastor Kelly for the whole week. We are looking forward to the time and trust that the Lord will use it in our lives in order to build up His church.
Thank you again for your concern for us and the ministry down here in southern Chile. We truly pray that the Lord would open the hearts of the people that they would turn their eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
May we be found faithful in our service unto our Lord and His church.
Daniel