September 23-29

This week we have been back on our normal schedule. I had the study
with Sergio this week and I talked to him very specifically about some
aspects of his appearance and his attitude at home. He seemed to
receive it very well, and I noticed a few changes in his appearance
yesterday. Maribel continues to have good meetings with the ladies, as
they meet for prayer and Bible study. The Lord protected Lorenzo this
past week in his job. There was an accident with some of the heavy
equipment which could easily have killed him, but by God's grace he
ended up with only some stitches in his ear. We are all praying for
him that he would be able to find a new job closer to home.

In our service yesterday morning I preached from the life of
Mephibosheth. When David returned to Jerusalem after Absolom's
rebellion, Mephibosheth received him with joy. There is a lesson in
his joy, for he was more interested in his fellowship with the king
than all the possessions that his servant had gotten through lying
about him to the king. All too often we find ourselves more
preoccupied with possessions than with our King who can give or take
away those possessions. May we treat as most important that which
truly is most important. At noon we enjoyed a meal with all the
students and teachers for the Bible Institute. It was a good time to
celebrate together what the Lord has done and is doing through this
ministry. And in the evening we met for our service at Lorenzo and Ana
Maria's house. We dealt with the Biblical doctrine of salvation and
its fruits, compared to the Adventist teaching concerning the Law.
What a blessing it is to consider our free salvation in Christ and the
working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

David & Maribel
davidnmaribel@gmail.com
"vide ministerium quod accepisti in Domino ut illud impleas" Col 4.17

September 16-22

Our big event this week was a church retreat over the weekend. But I
had several other good opportunities this week to share the gospel. I
mentioned last week that we had a couple in our service last week who
were asking a lot of questions. On Wednesday I went and visited them
at their house. I spent three hours with them sharing the gospel. It
was a blessed time as they listened carefully and continued to ask
questions. There were wonderful moments when I could see them grasping
the truth. We are praying for them as a congregation physically, as
she goes through chemotherapy, and spiritually. On Friday evening we
drove up to the mountains to a camp site for our first-ever church
retreat. All of us from here were able to go, as well as Israel, a
lady who worked with Lorenzo and Ana María when they first came to
Christ and a couple we've known for years from the church in Alicante.
We stayed in three beautiful cabins and had a wonderful time of
fellowship, relaxation and BIble study. We studied the book of Second
Peter, talking about all the things that the Lord wants us to
remember. We continued the spirit of the retreat in our Sunday
services, finishing up the studies on 2 Peter and eating together. I
praise the Lord for this important time together to encourage the
believers and challenge them once again with the word. We praise the
Lord for the way that He is working here.

September 9-15

Last week the kids started school again so we are back in our normal schedule. I started band practice as well last week. I signed myself up for the local band. It has been years since I have played in a large ensamble, but more than anything, it is a good way to meet people and be a testimony in the city. The rehearsal schedule is not convenient but at least it doesn't conflict with my other activities: we meet from 10:00 to 12:00 at night! Maribel continues to meet with the ladies for their time of prayer and study during the week. I had hoped to have a study with Sergio this past week, but he ended up going out of town yet again.
Our service yesterday was very full! I think we filled almost every chair. Several families from the Alicante church visited us, as well as Israel's dad. One couple was very special. They came to church in Alicante a few times several years ago, but God has continued to work in their hearts. It is not clear where they are spiritually, but it is obvious that the Spirit is working in their hearts. I preached the Gospel from 1 Corinthians 13.11 about the changes in a believers life. In the evening our little congregation went down to Elche for the evening service. We had a special time of recognition of those who have studied in the Bible Institute this past year and who have finished a certificate. One young person finished the first certificate (two years), another young man who feels called to the ministry received his second certificate (four years) and two young men (Fran and Israel) completed the third and final certificate, represented six years of studies. After receiving a certificate and a Bible, Israel preached the message of the evening. He preached from Ezekiel about Judah's sins which brought about the judgment of God. Please pray with us about our church retreat next weekend. We will be studying the book of 2 Peter as we spend a few days together at some cabins up in the mountains.

September 2-8

This past week, there was a children's BIble club in the church in
Elche. It was a good opportunity to get Sergio under more Bible
teaching. He came with us two days. I would have liked for him to have
been there the entire week, but he had exams on Monday and Tuesday and
then he went to visit some friends on Friday. David and Andrea were
able to go everyday, and enjoyed the week greatly. Yesterday morning
we celebrated the Lord's table before our morning service. It was a
blessing to share this time with the believers and hear how God is
working in their lives.

In the morning service, Israel preached from the book of Ezekiel. He
spoke on God's displeasure concerning sin in His people. We were very
pleased to have two visitors in the service. Bibiana lives in London,
where she got saved, but she comes back to Spain to visit her mother,
and yesterday she brought her to church here in Petrer. We visited
Bibiana and her husband in London last February. In the evening we met
at María Eugenia's house to continue our study on doctrine. We talked
about the Seventh Day Adventists and their prophet, compared to what
we have in the Bible. María Eugenia invited Pedro to bring his wife.
Pedro is a believer who has come to the evangelistic Bible studies we
have given, and he even brought his wife, who is not saved, over to
the house. We had a good opportunity to witness to her, but she has
not come to any of the ladies' studies. We were looking forward to
seeing her again, but in the end she could not come because she was
not feeling very well. We trust that the Lord will continue to work in
Carmen's heart and that we will see her saved one day.

August 12-September 1

Last week we were able to take a week off to go on vacation up in the Pyrenees on the boarder of Spain and France. It was a wonderful week to spend with our family surrounded by beautiful scenery in the fresh, mountain air. On Sunday we visited some believers that I had met when I spoke at a camp in Barcelona. We enjoyed our time with them very much on Sunday, and then returned home on Monday. The Sunday I was gone, Israel preached here in Petrer. He is one of my students from the Bible Institute who feels called to the ministry. This summer he told me that he felt it was God's timing for him to start helping us here with the work. I look forward to working more closely with this young man in the ministry. We heard good reports about the service on Sunday morning, and on Sunday evening Lorenzo gave a challenge. This is a very good sign of growth in his life.
This Sunday was the first week that Sergio was back. He is struggling with several issues in his life. But we are very glad to see him back. I preached my final sermon in my series on the life of Moses. It was a review of everything we have seen about Moses and a few ideas to wrap it all up. In the evening, we began to talk about what the Seventh Day Adventists believe.