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

For Whom Did Christ Die? by John Piper

For Whom Did Christ Die? by John Piper

Algunas palabras en "Spanish"

Hola, hola a nuestros amigos hispanos. Decidi que ya habia pasado mucho tiempo para nosotros a no tener algunas entradas en espan~ol. Aunque mi computador no me deja poner los tildes ni otras cositas, voy a hacer lo mejor que posible.
Primeramente a contarles que nos encontramos bien, gracias a la misericordia de nuestro gran Dios Padre y nuestro Salvador Jesucristo. Aqui en Michigan estamos super ocupados con las cosas en la iglesia, con la escuela de los chiquitos (Elizabeth y Danielito) y bueno con la vida en general. Me parece que estaremos aun mas ocupado en los dias siguientes cuando vamos a estar visitando varias iglesias compartiendoles acerca del ministerio alla en Chiloe, Chile.
Extran~amos mucho a la gente de Curaco de Velez. Ojala que Dios nos permite a regresar pronto para reestablecernos en la comunidad. Que la gente pueda ver el amor de Dios manifestado en y atraves de Su Hijo Jesucristo! Y a pesar de nosotros no estando alla, nos da mucho consuelo que Jorge y Vivi estan ministrando a la gente en nuestro lugar. A Uds. que oran por el ministerio, les pido que por favor orasen mucho por estos hermanos y el labor que nuestro Dios ha puesto en su camino. Que ellos sean encontrados fieles al Sen~or y a Su ministerio.
Bueno, podria seguir escribiendo pero ya estoy super cansado y man~ana va a estar igual o mas ocupada que hoy. Me voy a despedir de Uds. con estos ultimos pensamientos.....
Dios nos creo en Su imagen y en Su semejanza. Todos de nosotros hemos pecado. Merecemos el castigo de Dios pero en vez de castigo, El nos ofrece perdon. Sublime gracia. Imaginanse.
"Al que no conocio pecado, por nosotros lo hizo pecado, para que nosotros fuesemos hechos justicia de Dios en El." 2a Corintios 5:21 Gloria a Dios! Alabado sea el Sen~or!

We're back!

Hey, it feels good to be back in the "blogosphere". I'm not sure if that's actually the correct wording, but it is good to be back to blogging about God's gracious working in and through the ministry of Grace Baptist Church.
It has been around 5 months since the last blog, just before we left from Curaco. Why you may ask did we take so long off from informing you of the happenings? Well, it definitely hasn't been for a lack of things to fill you in on. Much is going on at Grace Baptist Church in Curaco.
As mentioned before, our last blog found us preparing to leave from Curaco and come back to the States. Our departure was bittersweet. Whereas we knew that we were to go back to see and share with many of our loved ones, we also knew that we would be leaving the little flock at Grace Baptist Church and the many people of Curaco that we were hoping to reach with the gospel. Well, now we are back in Michigan and excited about our opportunities to minister here and equally as excited about the current and future ministry in Curaco.
When we left from Curaco in April, the assembly was meeting in an old building without any modern conveniences. No water, no bathroom, no electricity, etc. But we praised the Lord for the place that He gave us to meet together and worship Him. It was beautiful to see the group of people that the Lord brought together: men, women, boys and girls. Many hearing the gospel story for the first time. And as we read from the Scripture, about the Scripture, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
Just two months ago in late July I (Daniel) made a two week trip down to southern Chile. The main purpose of the trip was to encourage our partners in ministry, to check on the well-being of the sheep, put on a VBS, and do some intense discipleship and teaching. Our co-workers Jorge and Viviana were being faithful in their shepherding of the sheep and they were all greatly encouraged by the visit. It was also a wonderful time to strengthen some relationships and start some new ones.
The last night that I was in Curaco I went to play basketball at the local gym. Right before we started to play, a friend named Omar came up to tell me that the building that we had been using for our services was about to be demolished and that we (obviously) were going to need to find some where else to have our services. I thanked him for the heads up and spent the rest of my time in the gym not only playing hoops but also playing scenarios around in my head of what we could do about obtaining a new place to hold our worship gatherings. I returned to the house and shared with our partners in ministry about this new challenge. Interestingly enough we had just went through a study on the providence of God and prayer. So we got to business. We prayed about it and trusted that God would make a way where there seemed to be no way.
And He did!!! (Of course)
The next morning I spoke to Jorge and I encouraged him to talk to the man who had rented us a building to use as a fitness center. This is the man, Francisco, who told us that we could rent the building to use as a fitness center, but not as a church. His reasoning behind this was to avoid persecution for himself. But over the past six months we had built a pretty good friendship and I felt that the Lord was leading us to approach Francisco about this matter. And he said "Yes!"
So now the assembly is meeting in a place where there is water, a bathroom and electricity. What a huge change! Please pray that the Lord would draw Francisco and his family into a saving relationship with Himself. There is much opposition to the gospel in Curaco and we want so much for there to be a testimony to His glorious grace.
Now we are in the process of raising the funds necessary to return to Curaco for the long-term. We are seeing our calendar fill up with opportunities to share the ministry in other churches and we are of course praying that the Lord would touch the hearts of people that He would have be a part of this exciting ministry.
Please pray for us, that we would be found faithful to share the gospel as we ought.
(Ephesians 6:19) Thank you again for your prayers and your support on behalf of us and the people of Curaco de Velez.
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)

Special Ops

Do we see the work that we do for the Lord as a special, mega important mission? We certainly should see it as such. (1st Cor 15:58; 2nd Tim 2:3-4) And so cool to think that the Lord has also promised to reward us for the work that we do in His name. (Matt 25:34-40; 1st Cor 3:12-15). It definitely is a privilege for us to be serving the Lord here in the harvest field called Curaco de Velez. (John 4:35)
The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of special opportunities that the Lord has given us to serve Him and to make His grace known to the people of this small and remote island. We hope that the Lord has found us faithful in the opportunities that He has given us and that we would be found faithful in the opportunities to come.
We received a special visit the week of April 1 thru 8 as a five person group from our sending church at North Casnovia Baptist came down and ministered unto us and the people of Curaco. The group was busy throughout the week, seeing the ladies put on cooking classes and crafting. Intertweaved into these times were Bible studies and the sharing of testimonies of the Lord's working in our ladies lives. The ladies of the community really liked these times and we were glad to see at least one of the ladies in our Sunday service following the team's departure. We look forward to seeing how the Lord will use His Word in the lives of the ladies and of course the lives of their husbands and children. Please pray for these people and the ongoing contact that we hope to have with them.
We have been encouraged by the response that we have received from the community in regards to our Sunday services. With the children we have seen a high of 35 for our Sunday School, and for the adults we have had a high of 11 for our worship service. Please pray for these people and that the Word of the Lord would grow deeper and deeper into their hearts.
We look forward to having a special time of sharing and reflection as we celebrate the Lord's Supper with our brothers this evening. We will be taking some special time to remember what the Lord Jesus did for us some 1,975 years ago. (approximately) And then on Sunday we will have our service when we will of course be emphasizing the rescurrection of the Lord Jesus and its implications for our lives.
We are seeing our time here in Curaco winding down as we will be returning to the States for a time in order to broaden our base of support with the hope of being able to return shortly to continue the work that has begun here in Curaco. If you would like to hear more about the ministry or if you would like us to come and speak to your church about what's going on down here, please drop us a e-mail at danruthyliz@yahoo.com
Please be praying for our co-workers, Jorge and Viviana. They are Chilean believers who have been with us here for the past several months and they plan on holding the spiritual ropes as we are gone for a time. Pray specifically for wisdom and for our brothers to keep their focus upon the Lord Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of their (and our) faith. (Heb 12:2)
So, there you have a short note on what's been going on here. Lots of people hearing the Word of the Lord and hopefully lots of people seeing it lived out before them. May the Lord's blessing be evident in your lives and ministries as you along with us seek to be found faithful to the One who has called you into His service.
For the King alone,
Daniel (for Ruth, the kids, and the rest at Grace Baptist Church)

The little children came!

We read in the gospel of Luke and chapter 18 the Lord Jesus admonishing the disciples to "let the little children come to me for of such is the Kingdom of God." On the invitations that we passed out in the community, making known to the people of our first "official" service, we included this verse. And so of course it was great to see the little children come out and hear the gospel. (it appears that their parents took that verse seriously) What a privilege to tell them about the wonderful news that God the Father has sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins. Our little room was almost filled to capacity with little ones. (Good thing that they are little!) Please pray along with us that the Lord would draw them to Himself and that they would keep coming and hear the gospel again and again.
The building in which we are meeting is quite interesting. There is no electricity. There is no water. No bathroom. Nor an outhouse for that matter. But it is a place where we can openly invite people to hear the gospel. And that is what we consider the most important thing of all. We are currently praying for a piece of land on which to build a ministry center. Please help us pray for the Lord's will to be done. Seeing this dream become a reality would be a real testimony to the grace of the Lord.
Whereas we had a really good number of children in our first "Sunday School hour", the number of adults was significantly less. However we were encouraged by those who came out and look forward to following up with them and would ask that you especially be praying for a couple of people: Juan, Jasmina, Anita, and Omar. Pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth of the gospel.
We are already looking forward to next Sunday's services. Over lunch we discussed some of the things that seemed to have went well and some things that potentially we will do differently. We want to make sure that we conduct ourselves as a solid New Testament style church: orderly and passionately praising the Savior and His our Heavenly Father.
Before I sign off I will include some more prayer requests. Please pray for a woman named Maria and her numerous children and grandchildren. They are some real needy people. Spiritually, emotionally, and financially. May they encounter what they need in the Lord and may we as His people have compassion and discernment in how we minister unto them. Please pray for the relationships that we are cultivating with the people down here. It has been cool to get to know them more and for them to see that we are committed to them and to seeing a gospel church established here in Curaco. Please pray for some ideas that we are considering on how to have more contact with the people here; may the Lord illuminate our minds. Also please pray for the group from North Casnovia Baptist in Bailey (our sending church) that will be coming down to minister with us in the next couple of weeks. May the Lord be greatly glorified both in and through their lives.
So again we say thank you for your friendship and for your interest in the gospel ministry here in Curaco de Velez. We greatly appreciate your prayers and we are encouraged as we see God answering them for His glory. May you and may we keep it clear that God's glory is the reason that we do what we do. (1st Cor 10:31; Col 3:16-17; Ps 115:1)
Grace to you all,
Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)

Quick update

Greetings to you all. Here is a quick update from your friends down here in southern Chile. It has been about two weeks since I last wrote. Not due to the fact that I haven't had anything to say, just been busy with other things. No excuse for not having added to this sooner, so for those who actually read this in order to be more informed about the ministry down here: sorry!
Now, when I titled this blog "Quick update" I wasn't joking. I am actually going to sign off after a couple of more lines. We have our "launch service" tomorrow morning and I want to go get some ZZZZZ's. I will write tomorrow in the late afternoon/early evening with a more thorough report on what's been going on. Until then, (and after for that matter) may the Lord's grace be evident in your life and ministry.
Daniel

Prayer Team: Activate

I remember back to when I was a kid. A long time ago for those of you who are younger than me and not so long ago for those who are a bit older. One of my favorite cartoons to watch was called the "Superfriends". There was of course Superman, Wonderwoman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, and many more. But some of the more interesting to me were the ones called the "Wonder Twins". (They had this monkey along named "Gleek" but I was never too impressed by him) These two, a brother and sister, had the abilities to transform into different forms. If I remember correctly the sister had the ability to transform to any kind of solid substance i.e. animal, bridge, garbage truck, etc. And the brother was able to occupy any form and shape of liquid i.e. ice, lava, snow, etc. Needless to say it was pretty cool some of the things that they pulled off. Obviously a bit farfetched, but hey it was a cartoon. What else should one expect. But anyway, when they wanted to do some of these cool things it was necessary for them to somehow touch hands with one another and say "Wonder Twins' Powers: Activate." If they didn't touch their hands together and if they didn't say those words, nothing would happen. So, why do I bring all of this up today? Well, just to illustrate that we need each other and the help that each one can give to accomplish the tasks that lie before us.
The task at hand is prayer. We have been facing some interesting challenges the last couple of days. We are noticing that there is some real opposition to the spread of the gospel here in Curaco de Velez. We know that ultimately behind this opposition is our enemy at work, using human pawns to complete with his dastardly plans. As the Scripture says, we are not unaware of his attacks. So what we are asking from you all is that you would hold your hands out with ours and call out to the Lord on behalf of the people of Curaco de Velez. This way we can activate the power that is available from the Lord if we His people will only ask Him for it. (Matt 7:7-11; Eph 6:18-20) And of course we do this that He might be greatly glorified through the demonstration of His glorious grace. (Eph 1:6)
One of the greatest challenges that we have been facing is the hardness of the people's hearts to the gospel. Maybe this is also seen where you are living but I imagine that what we see here is a bit different. The people are very hardened in their religion and do not want to hear about the gospel. But to the point that they have not been willing to rent us a building in which to worship due to the fact that we are evangelicals. Just yesterday we were told that renting a facility to us would bring problems upon the owner and problems for us. Of course we are willing to be persecuted for the Lord's sake (John 15:18-25; 17:14; 1st Peter 4:12-19) , but understandably so the unbeliever is not. So, we are still looking for a place to hold services. Today Ruth spoke with someone about the possibility of renting out another place in the town. She was told that the request would be passed onto someone else and that we would have an answer on Thursday. Please pray for these people who are making these decisions. May the Lord move them to make the decisions that seem best to Him. (Prov 21:1) We have come to realize that there are some real strongholds up in this town. Please also pray that the Lord would tear those down and that this town would become a true "city of refuge". A place where people could find peace and forgiveness for their sins. A town in which the gospel would be clearly preached, openly and in an area accessible to all. May God be glorified in Curaco de Velez!
So, Prayer Team, please activate on behalf of the people of Curaco. And also upon our behalf. As mentioned earlier in Eph 6:18-20, please pray that we would share the gospel as we should and of course that the Holy Spirit would work through the preaching of the Word and convict people of sin and that these people would be regenerated and become worshipers of the One True God through His Son Jesus Christ.
May the grace of the Lord be extremely evident in your lives as you seek to be found faithful to the One who has called you into His service.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel and Ruth

A little update from Curaco

Wow. It has been a long time since I sat down to blog. Maybe that is because I felt that I didn't have anything worth blogging or maybe it is because I have felt overwhelmed with all that has been going on as of late. I think it is more of the latter. Busy, busy has been our theme. Not that that is bad; just sometimes things get pushed onto the back burner. This has been one of those times.
We have been busy getting into touch with and staying in touch with the people of Curaco. It has been a real help living here in the "big town". Of course there are some disadvantages of living in town compared to living in the country. It's louder. It's more crowded. There isn't much privacy. But the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks. Come on. Our idea of coming was to have contact with the people. To get to know the people. To live with and among the people. (John 1:14; 1st Cor 9:19-23) What a privilege we have to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. That's what our goal is. We want to be a beacon of light. (Matt 5:16) We want the people to see Christ living in and through us. We want the townfolk to know that our God is great!
There has been some new goings on here in our home. We started a couple of weeks ago with Bible studies in the home. We meet on Sunday mornings from 11 am onward and have services for adults and for the little ones. Our meeting area is currently our home. It is a little problematic since we are not specifically allowed to use the home for a church. However we are able to use the home for Bible studies. So, without much advertisement (there is no sign out front) we meet in order to worship the Lord through prayer, song, and the study of His Word. Please pray with us as we seek a place where we can designate to our friends and neighbors as the place (i.e. the church building, the temple, etc.) where we meet together for worship. And then of course pray that they would show up, hear the Word, and worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth as they are saved by grace through faith.
This summer (we're saying adios to nice weather, and you're saying hola to it) we have had the privilege to receive many people into our home. This has been a real blessing to us. Some of our guests have been Christians, but the majority have not been. Some of our non-Christian guests have shown some real interest in the things of the Lord whereas some of them have shown no interest or even disdain for the things of the Lord. But what we seek to do is be faithful to the Lord in sharing with those that He has graciously placed in our path and pray for them, trusting that the result lies in the hands of the Lord.
So, I realize that this letter has been quite general. Not too many detailed details. But let me give you a quick couple of examples of what we have seen the Lord doing. The other day I was coming back from Achao, a town that is about 6 miles from where we live here in Curaco. As I was leaving town I saw some young people with backpacks hitch-hiking. I stopped to pick them up and we started to talk. Where are you from, what are you doing, and the like. They told me how the people in Achao hadn't treated them very well and that they (the young people) had not been very impressed with the hospitality in Achao. So, as we are going to Curaco I am sharing with the youth about the Lord and we get to town and I invite them over to have a bite to eat. They enthusiastically say "yes" because they hadn't eaten in quite a while. We get to the house and it's obvious that the youth are a little bit uncomfortable. We ask them why and they say "You people don't even know us and you are treating us like family." And we tell them that we seek to live as our Master lived and as He teaches us to follow His example. They got some good grub (Ruth made it, so it's gotta be good) and we started to talk more about the things of the Lord. The youth (16,17, and 18 respectively) had lots of questions which I (Daniel) tried my best to answer based upon my understanding of the Scriptures. Christopher, Vanessa, and Yoselin were very interested in the conversation and we pray that the Lord would continue to draw them to Himself according to His holy will. The next day I, Elizabeth, and Daniel were able to help them out with a ride to a good hitch-hiking spot. They quickly got a ride and made it to their homes that same day. Vanessa called and expressed that her parents were very thankful that their daughter had had the "good fortune" of finding nice people to help her on the way. And you know what, that's what we want to be known for. We want to help people on the way (Matt 7:13-14) and to tell them about eternal life offered through Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17; 14:6; 17:3) We do not know if those young people will or have made a decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, but we do know that they have heard the message and that they have seen it lived out before them. May we be found faithful to serve the Lord as we should.
Another quick example. The kids and I had helped out some hitch-hikers along the way and were returning with a couple more towards the metropolis of Curaco. When along the way I see the silhouette of a man along the side of the road. The guy is laid out and has his head almost in the road. I stopped the truck and got out and went to this guy. He was blind drunk and passed out along the side of the road. Worse yet is the fact that he had his three year old son with him. The boy was sitting in the grass holding his dad's jug of wine. I got the guy and his son into the truck and fortunately the kid was able to tell us where he lived because his dad was totally plastered. We find the home and get the guy out and walking towards his house (he wouldn't let me take him directly to the door) It turns out that some days prior I had helped out this guy's wife. She had a mountain of groceries that she was trying to carry up to her house. I offered to give her a ride. When we got to her the entrance to her home I offered to drive up the hill in order to leave her at the door. She said that this wouldn't be good because her husband is very jealous. I thought that was a sad commentary on the guy, and thought to pray for her and the situation there in the home. Then the Lord gives me the opportunity to help the guy out. I tell you the truth, the guys head could have gotten split open like a watermelon. Please pray for this family and others like it who are suffering from the consequences of living in the darkness instead of in the light. (2nd Cor 4:3-4)
So, there you have a "little" update. There is so much more that I could write about. So many more prayer requests that could be made. But ultimately I will ask you to pray that the Lord would continue to glorify Himself in and through our lives. May we be found faithful to worship the One who has called us out of darkness and into His glorious light. (1st Peter 2:9) Thanks again for all of your prayers and concern for us and for the people of Curaco de Velez. May the grace of the Lord be evident in your lives.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Daniel

It's about time

Time. We seem to have so little of it. What we have seems to go by so quickly. We should be very careful how we use it.
Just this morning I was reminded of something that I did exactly one week ago. At first I found it hard to believe that a whole week, 7 days, 168 hours, a lot of minutes, and a lot of seconds had passed by. But it was the truth. I took a quick moment to think of all that went into the last week, and looking back on it it appeared to be more than a week. We have so many things come into our lives that consume the time that the Lord has given us "on commission". I use that phrase "on commission" recognizing that He is the owner of everything (1st Chronicles 29:14) and that one day we will give an account for how we have used the time and opportunities placed before us and consequently be rewarded; much or little based upon our faithfulness (2nd Corinthians 5:9-10) Let us be found faithful to the Lord in the administration of the time that He has lent us.
In John 4:35 Jesus tells the disciples to check out the fields and notice that they are white unto harvest. How important it is for us to remember that NOW is the time. NOW we are to be out in the harvest fields. NOW we should be bringing in the fruit.
It gives us great joy to be representing the Lord and you His people here in this harvest field called Curaco de Velez. We have been seeing the Lord's hand at work in and through our lives. It is so cool! How important it is for us to remember that it is He who receives the glory when it is weak creatures like us are "doing" the work (1st Corinthians 1:26-29)
In the past week we have made some new and some improved contacts. Last night we had an exceptional time with a couple from whom we had been renting our house. It was wonderful to see and feel the Lord working in and through the lives of His people.
So, my brothers never forget that your work done for the Lord, your time spent in His service is not done in vain (1st Cor 15:58) I mean, that's what it's all about. Redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16) Glorifying the One who has brought us out of the darkness, and into His glorious light (1st Peter 2:9)
May the blessings of the Lord be evident in your lives as you along with us seek to maximize "your" time and "your" gifts for the glory of the Lord and the edification of His church.

Daniel (for Ruth and the kids)