September 30-October 7

This week was a very special one for several reasons. First of all, we celebrated baptisms this week. I have had a series of studies with Antonio and Gloria since they asked to be baptised after we got back from the USA. Two of my children, David and Andrea expressed the desire to be baptised. So I had some studies with them as well to prepare them for baptism. Yesterday in our morning service, Israel preached about Christ's interaction with Mary and Martha. It was a blessing to see how the Lord used the message to stir hearts. After our morning service, the whole congregation went to Antonio and Gloria's house. We had a barbecue lunch, and then we had a special testimony service. All four candidates gave a clear salvation testimony and then were baptised publicly. There were several unsaved visitors present who heard a clear testimony to the Gospel.

It was also a special week because on Friday I taught the first class of my course on Biblical Hebrew. A Christian student at the university approached me some time back about learning Hebrew. It has been a long process to get the official recognition of this course, but it has finally happened. I have 12 students in the course. I trust that the Lord will open doors to share Christ through this class.

Our other activities of the week went as scheduled. Maria Eugenia was present at our midweek study and prayer meeting.

David & Maribel
"servabis pacem pacem quia in te speravimus; sperastis in Domino in saeculis aeternis" Is 26.3-4

September 22-28

On Wednesday evening we had our prayer time and were happy to have Maria Eugenia with us. Since Sergio is now gone, she spends her weekends out of town with her children, so this mid week service was the first time we have had her with us for a service in a long time. I met with Antonio and Gloria this week to continue preparing them for baptism. I am pleased with their understanding of baptism and their desire to give this testimony. Yesterday morning we had good attendance. I preached from Matthew 7 about judging ourselves before we try to help others. In the evening there were thunderstorm alerts which kept Angel and Patricia from making it back for the Bible study. But we met as a family and looked at Colossians 3, a passage which we are trying to memorize as a family. Lord willing (and weather permitting) next weekend will celebrate a baptismal service.

David & Maribel
"servabis pacem pacem quia in te speravimus; sperastis in Domino in saeculis aeternis" Is 26.3-4

September 14-21

School started this week for the kids and Maribel. We also had a great time with Pastor Conley and his wife. I drove up to Madrid to pick them up on Tuesday. We were able to spend the day on Wednesday together showing them around our town and around Alicante. The time of fellowship has encouraged us to continue forward in our calling. On Wednesday we were with the Conleys in the service in Elche, so we had our prayer meeting on Thursday. Yesterday morning I preached from Psalm 3 about remembering and recognizing God's blessings. When Absalom kicked David out of Jerusalem, many assumed that God had finished with David. But David by faith knew that God would save him when it was time. So often Satan gains the victory with us by making us overlook God's many blessings to us even in the middle of the trials. May we have clear vision to see God's hand at work in our lives! For our evening study we went to Emilio and Ester's house. I spoke from Matthew 11 and Luke 16. Israel's parents came for the study as well.

David & Maribel

"servabis pacem pacem quia in te speravimus; sperastis in Domino in saeculis aeternis" Is 26.3-4

September 8-14

This week I was able to get a good number of projects done around the house. The kids went down to Elche every day for the Vacation Bible School that Israel directed. We were very glad for them to be able to have that contact with other Christian children and sit under the teaching of the Word. For our prayer service we looked at Psalm 2 and its implications for prayer. Yesterday in the service I preached from Acts 8 about how we view God. Unfortunately we often try to use God for our own purposes, as Simon the Sorcerer did, instead of allowing God to use us for His own purposes. In the afternoon we got a severe thundershower and had some flooding in our basement where we hold our services. We are very thankful that nothing was ruined, and we were able to get rid of the water fairly quickly. In fact, we finished getting rid of the water and still had time to make it to Elche for evening service in which they talked about the Bible club and then Israel preached.

David & Maribel

"servabis pacem pacem quia in te speravimus; sperastis in Domino in saeculis aeternis" Is 26.3-4

September 1-7

Last week we got back from the USA. We arrived on Saturday evening and got a good night's sleep before Sunday morning. For our service I preached about being true disciples and making disciples. It was a good service with nearly everyone present. After the sermon Antonio gave a testimony. He thanked the Lord that Gloria has been declared cancer free, and he announced publicly that they want to be baptized. Throughout the week we have been working on the house to get things in shape after being away all summer. On Wednesday we started our first semi-formal prayer meeting. Right now it is just our family, because no one else is close enough to come. We will be studying the Psalms and spending time in prayer together. Yesterday I preached from Acts 16 about difficulties that arise when we follow God. In the evening we had our first evening Bible study after the summer, and I spoke about true wisdom from James 3.

David & Maribel

"servabis pacem pacem quia in te speravimus; sperastis in Domino in saeculis aeternis" Is 26.3-4

May and June, 2009

The last two months have been full of amazing opportunities for ministry. In May we enjoyed a very special visit. Paul and Theresa Bixby were with us for just over a week. We enjoyed a special time of fellowship with them as we recalled our first months of ministry here in Spain when we worked with them. But the highlight for us came Sunday when Paul preached for our morning service. The Lord used his message to convict and encourage hearts. It was a special blessing to hear the testimony of Antonio, who shared how God had especially moved his heart as he heard the Sermon. We also took advantage of their visit to have a special memorial service for Vicente. The Lord brought Vicente to Himself under Paul's ministry in Alicante some 12 years ago. Two years ago when he passed away, his family asked me to preach the funeral. The Lord has opened their hearts up more after Vicente's death then they ever were during his lifetime. So we took advantage of the Bixby's visit which coincided with Vicente's birthday. We invited Vicente's family members for a special evening service in which we remembered Vicente. I was able to preach to the Gospel to two of Vicente's daughters and one of his granddaughters. We rejoice in the opportunity to share with Vicente's family the spiritual blessings which Vicente found in Christ.

May was also a busy month for us all of the preparations for an extremely full month of June. Let me give a little bit of background. Three years ago, we organized the first Spanish Study Abroad program from Bob Jones University in Elche. We repeated the program two years ago. This year as we made plans for our third summer, the Lord put it on our hearts to have the program in Petrer where we live. This meant a significant change for us, for we have always tried to house the students with families from the church in Elche, but in Petrer we do not have enough contacts in the church to house the students. So I met with a local government official in charge of education in Petrer and asked if the Town Hall would be interested in collaborating with us. The response was enthusiastically positive. Over the following months, we slowly put together a list of and then interviewed interested families; when June came, we were able to place the students with unsaved families from our city. I must admit that there were several moments along the way in which we were very nervous about what could go wrong, but we prayed and trusted in the Lord to work in each situation. In fact, throughout the month of May, I preached a series of sermons from the book of Isaiah about trusting the Lord. And each week the Lord encouraged me to trust Him more. In June we saw the Lord work in clear and wonderful ways, opening hearts and allowing the Gospel message to reach people. The students were a beautiful testimony for Christ in their homes, taking the gospel to families that would have normally been closed to the message. But their testimony went much further! The families started asking permission to come to church with the students. Over the month we had visitors in our services almost every week. The last week of June was a special highlight for us. We had almost 60 people in our Sunday morning service, and I was able to present the gospel in a clear way. After the service, we heard several very open and positive responses to the message. We are praising the Lord for the door He opened for us to reach out to families in our town through these students. It was also a blessing to spend time with the students and see how the Lord is working in specific areas of their lives. This program reached far beyond academics through daily Bible studies and first hand contact with the lost. We rejoiced as we saw the Lord burden the hearts of the students not only for the families they were living with but also for others surrounding them. We feel like the Lord advanced His work here in our city by years through the contacts made in the last month. Please pray for us as we follow up these contacts and minister to these dear people. We look forward to seeing how God will continue to work in their lives.

Throughout June we were also busy making plans for a trip to the United States during July and August. Israel will be carrying on the ministry in Petrer while we are gone, and we are excited to see how God will use this experience to develop him. Please pray that the believers will grow spiritually over these months and that people who visited the church in June would return. Pray with us that Christ would build His church for His glory in Petrer.

April 7-20

On Wednesday the kids finished their last day of school, so they came
home and packed up, and on Thursday we headed out for Germany. We
spent a week with a German family we met a few years ago when I spoke
at a camp up in Barcelona. It was a wonderful week of fellowship and
fun; a needed break for us. On Easter Sunday we were in a church
started by a group of Romanians. Even though we didn't understand the
language, it was a blessing to celebrate the Lord's resurrection with
these believers. We traveled back to Spain the following Thursday, but
turned right around and headed up to Madrid for the conference on
Isaiah. The Lord blessed with very good attendance. I taught from 9-5
(with a break for lunch of course). It was a wonderful day of
fellowship around the Word. On Sunday morning I preached from Isaiah 6
and then after lunch we headed home. We made it just in time for the
service, and I preached from Colossians 1. My voice was giving out,
but I made it through the weekend!

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

March 31-April 6

As time ticks down towards the Easter holidays, there is a lot that
needs to be done. I have spent a lot of time this week working on a
series of special sessions on the book of Isaiah that I will be
presenting in Madrid. But there has also been time for the normal
activities of this week. We had our last Bible study on campus this
week before the holidays. And we had a good little group once again. I
also visited Antonio and Gloria this week for a Bible study. It has
been a special blessing to work through some parables with these new
believers. I read the story and explain it to them, and then let them
talk about what Christ meant to teach through this story. It has been
absolutely beautiful to hear them wrestle with the meaning and express
the main teaching. On Sunday I preached about one of the events
between Palm Sunday and the passion week. I spoke about Christ's
cursing of the fig tree. The picture prophecy involved in this act is
powerful, as is the application to us as well. God is not impressed
with "leafyness"; He seeks true fruit.

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

March 24-30

This past week was quite different for me. I spent Tuesday through
Friday in Morocco at a conference on translation. The University of
Alicante sent me to the conference where I read a paper on English
Bible translations. It was a very interesting experience. The
conference kept me busy, and there were many cultural experiences as
well as some opportunities to be a testimony. I thank the Lord for His
protection and help as I traveled. Yesterday was a nasty day with a
good amount of rain, but we had a good number in the morning service.
I preached a message to summarize the series that we have been doing
on Ephesians. In the evening we took Maria Eugenia with us and went to
church in Alicante. My son David and I played a special number with
French horn and trombone, and then I preached from the book of Isaiah.
It was a blessing to be with the believers there.

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

April 21-27

Things were almost back to normal this week, except that Thursday was
a local holiday. I was able to visit Antonio and Gloria again to
continue our study. We had a visiting speaker in the Bible institute
on Wednesday. We had a good class with Pastor Waters from Guadalajara.
On Sunday I preached from Mark 5 about people who are afraid of God.
The demon possessed man asked Christ why He had come to torment him,
and then the people from the town asked Jesus to leave because they
obviously did not understand what had happened. And many people today,
even believers at times, are afraid of what God wants to do in their
lives. In the evening we had our study at the house of one of our
families. We were happy to have a couple visit for the first time.
Next week we have a church retreat that we are looking forward to our
church retreat.

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

March 17-23

On Tuesday we had another good Bible study at the university. We were
missing a few that I thought would come, but some others came, so
there were still five of us at the study. After the study, I visited
Antonio and Gloria for a Bible study. We talked about another of
Christ's parables. It was fascinating to watch them meditate on the
image of the mustard seed and the leaven and come to Christ's teaching
about the kingdom. This past week was special, though, because we had
several days off from school because of Fathers' Day. So we spent a
good amount of time on Thursday and Saturday doing projects around the
house. On Friday morning we went down to the university to attend
Ruben Pineda's defense of his dissertation. He and his wife and
children lived in Alicante for a year while he was taking his
coursework. They were very involved in the church in Alicante during
that year. So it is always a blessing to see them again. It was a
special day for them, though, as Rubén finished up his doctoral work
and graduated with honors. We were glad to be able to accompany them
on that special morning. On Friday afternoon we had some unsaved
friends over for lunch. Flor studied with Maribel, and Antonio has
been in some of my classes at the Universidad Permanente. We had a
good opportunity to talk about the things of the Lord with them.

Yesterday morning Israel called me. He was not feeling too well, so he
stayed in bed. But almost everybody else from our small congregation
came. I preached on the Christian's armor from Ephesians 6. Yesterday
was our monthly church meal, so after the service we had a potluck
lunch. And then in the afternoon we watched a Christian film which
highlighted the family relationships we had talked about a few weeks
ago in Ephesians 5. The message was very powerful, and there were good
comments afterwards. We were glad to have Antonio and Gloria with us
for the first time at a church meal. Also, Angel and Patricia brought
some family members who just arrived from Argentina. We trust that the
Lord will give us further opportunities to sow the word with this
couple.

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

March 10-16

We had an extremely busy week! But there were many blessings. First
of all, we were finally able to get our garage painted where we meet
for church. The fresh paint and color make everything much brighter
and cleaner! We are thankful for this improvement. Even though I did
not do the work myself, it created quite a bit of cleanup, but we are
thankful to have that job done! On Monday I had an interesting
opportunity to be on the radio about the students who will be coming
to study Spanish this summer. Lord willing we will be able to have
them in people's homes from here, and in that way be able to reach out
to the community with a strong testimony. Please pray for us that we
will find the right families and that God would work in their hearts.
I had a special blessing at the university this week. As I was walking
across campus I saw one of my students from last year sitting under a
tree reading a book. It looked to me a little like a Bible, so I
stopped and talked to her. I invited her to come to the Bible study
(that same day), and she did! I praise the Lord for this new contact.
The Lord has really encouraged me through it! It was also an important
week for us as family. Andrea turned nine this week! We were able to
celebrate with her classmates on Wednesday in a park and with family
and church friends on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning Israel
preached from Ephesians 6 about the Christian in the workplace, and on
Sunday evening I preached about the concept of discipleship in Luke.

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

March 3-9

Our normal activities of the week continue as usual. I led the Bible
study at the University on Tuesday as we looked at Colossians 1 again.
I also met with Antonio and Gloria to talk about the parables of
Christ and follow up how they are doing with their new believers'
study they are doing. And Maribel had her study with the ladies on
Friday. On Sunday morning I preached on families from Ephesians 5.
There was a good response to the message. We trust that the Lord will
build strong families as a firm foundation for His church. In the
evening I also led the study.

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

February 24-March 02

I am very thankful for yet another week with opportunities to minister
the Word. I met with Antonio and Gloria for another study this week.
Much to my surprise, her brother ate with us and was in on the study
as well. Later he shared some of his poetry with me. One of his poems
was about faith. This opened the door for more conversation. But the
most beautiful part of the afternoon was hearing Antonio witness to
his brother-in-law. He shared with him, in his own style, some of the
same concepts that I went through with them several months ago. What a
blessing it is to see the Lord at work! My class in the Bible
institute continues to go well. We discussed the Baptist distinctives
this week. Maribel continues to have good attendance at the Bible
study on Fridays with the ladies, and the Lord has given us a steady
attendance of four or five at the Bible study at the university. I
have more students who are interested, but it is hard to work out a
schedule when all of them can attend. On Sunday I preached from
Ephesians 5 about imitating God. This is the true test of a changed
life. Before the service in the morning we celebrated the Lord's table
together once again. It was a blessing to hear how God has been
working in the congregation. In the evening Israel gave the study, and
there was a good little group. Maribel continues to work with the
smaller children, while the older young people and adults meet
together for the study.

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

February 17-23

We thank the Lord for another week with activity geared toward
eternity. We were finally able to return to our Bible study on the
university again. Last month we had exams, so while there were no
classes we did not have the study. On Tuesday afternoon I met with
three students. This was the first study that I had been able to
invite some of my students to. I talked to three, and all of them
came, except one girl who came by to let me know that she would try to
come next week but this week she couldn't stay. We had a very good
time looking at Colossians together. On Wednesday I met with Antonio
and Gloria for a study. Last week I left them some photocopies of a
simple course on discipleship. I was pleased to see that they had done
both studies instead of just the first! We had a wonderful time
together full of good conversation. On Wednesday night I taught my
class at the Bible institute. We had a good time of discussion talking
about the purpose of the church and the purpose of preaching. On
Friday I met with Emilio and Ester for another study about the church.
And Friday afternoon Maribel met with the ladies for a time of study
and prayer. This weekend Israel preached in Almería for a youth
meeting. We were a little discouraged that Sergio did not go. All the
plans were made, but he simply decided that he did not want to go. But
Israel said that the meeting was a real blessing.

The Lord blessed us once again with good services yesterday. I
preached in the morning from Ephesians 4 about the changed life. Paul
gives very specific, concrete examples of this change (v.25-32).
During the testimony time Antonio told us that he was very thankful to
God because he had found what he had been searching for for years.
After the service we celebrated Gloria's birthday together. She told
us several weeks ago that she wanted to celebrate her birthday with
her friends! They brought food and we all stayed and enjoyed a nice
time of fellowship together. After we had finished eating I shared a
challenge from 1 Peter 5.7 especially for Gloria, as she begins the
next phase of her treatment. Please pray with us for her that her body
will react well to this medicine.

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

February 10-16

This week I had some good visits. I met with Antonio and Gloria for a
Bible study. For the first time I left them a written study that they
are going to work on before the next time we meet. I also had a good
study with Emilio and Ester. I met with my Bible institute class twice
to make up for the class we missed last week with the special
lectures. We had a good discussion on the qualifications for the
ministry and ordination. On Saturday Maribel, the kids and I were
invited to a dinner for the families in the Elche church. I gave a
challenge to the group about God's love and protection, and we all
enjoyed a nice evening together.

The Lord blessed us with a beautiful day yesterday. It was not sunny
or even warm. But we had a wonderful time of fellowship as we
worshiped the Lord together and studied His word. We had our monthly
meal together, followed by our Bible study. Yesterday was I think the
first Sunday that we have had all of our people here together at one
time. There were 19 including the children. We praise the Lord for
what He is doing in this little congregation.

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

February 03-09

This past week I did not teach my Bible institute class because we had
Andy Bonikowsky down to give some guest lectures on Bible Geography.
Those who were involved in the class greatly appreciated his teaching
backed up with his own personal experience in Israel. Maribel met with
the ladies on Friday for their study. The Lord gave us good services
on Sunday. I preached from Ephesians 1 and three about Paul's prayer
for the Ephesians. In the evening Israel led the Bible study as we
looked at the titles of Jesus in Colossians 1. Maribel met with the
children.

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

January 27-February 02

Israel hurt his leg several weeks ago and has not been able to go to
work since. This past week I took advantage of the situation and had
him come with me to make several visits on Monday. We visited Antonio
and Gloria. She went home from the hospital on Friday and is doing
much better. I left them with recordings of the services from the last
two weeks that they missed. Then we visited Emilio and Ester. We were
able to get back into our Bible study that we have not been able to
have for several weeks due to schedule conflicts. Maribel was able to
have a Bible study with the women again this week. It has been a while
since they have been able to get together. She is excited about this
renewed opportunity. I am also thankful for my Bible Institute class.
We talked this week about the call to the ministry and gifts of the
ministry. What a blessing it is to know that God never calls without
equipping.

Yesterday our attendance was once again affected by illness. Lorenzo
was sick, but Ana Maria came. We started out with our monthly
celebration of the Lord's table. Then we had our morning service. I
preached on Ephesians 3, about how God has united us to Himself and to
the chosen people through Christ. We ended our service with a call to
Gloria. We were able to sing a hymn to her and then all talked to her
individually. She thinks that she will be able to be in the service
again next week. In the evening we continued our study in Colossians 1
by talking about how God has equipped us to walk worthy of the Lord.
Maribel did a study with the children, during which Daniel publicly
prayed to ask the Lord to forgive him of his sins and save him!

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

January 20-26

Recently I have mentioned Antonio and Gloria often. Well, this past
week Gloria had surgery to remove a cancerous kidney. I called her on
Monday to pray with her before the operation, only to find out that
she had already been operated on. They ended up moving the operation
up a day! So on Wednesday Maribel and I went to visit with them in the
hospital. She is doing well, and the doctors are confident that they
were able to remove all of the cancer. We also began a new course in
the Bible Institute. I am teaching a class about the pastoral
ministry. It is a very small group, but I am very excited. We have a
few who have expressed a clear call to the ministry, so it is a
wonderful privilege to prepare them for the future with an extremely
practical class such as this. In our first class we looked at Christ's
compassion for the multitudes who were like sheep without a shepherd
(pastor). His solution was to pray that the Lord of the harvest would
send out laborers.

On Saturday the young people from Elche came up. We were going to go
and pass out tracts, but the weather was not very good, so we had the
meeting in our house. I spoke to them from one of the parables of
Christ and then we had a time of prayer. On Sunday Israel preached
from Ephesians two about how God has changed us. We had some bad
weather over the weekend, so our attendance was down, but we praise
the Lord for those who were able to come. After the service we had our
monthly church meal and then our evening study. I spoke from
Colossians 1 again about being grateful for what God is doing in our
lives.

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

January 20-26

Recently I have mentioned Antonio and Gloria often. Well, this past
week Gloria had surgery to remove a cancerous kidney. I called her on
Monday to pray with her before the operation, only to find out that
she had already been operated on. They ended up moving the operation
up a day! So on Wednesday Maribel and I went to visit with them in the
hospital. She is doing well, and the doctors are confident that they
were able to remove all of the cancer. We also began a new course in
the Bible Institute. I am teaching a class about the pastoral
ministry. It is a very small group, but I am very excited. We have a
few who have expressed a clear call to the ministry, so it is a
wonderful privilege to prepare them for the future with an extremely
practical class such as this. In our first class we looked at Christ's
compassion for the multitudes who were like sheep without a shepherd
(pastor). His solution was to pray that the Lord of the harvest would
send out laborers.

On Saturday the young people from Elche came up. We were going to go
and pass out tracts, but the weather was not very good, so we had the
meeting in our house. I spoke to them from one of the parables of
Christ and then we had a time of prayer. On Sunday Israel preached
from Ephesians two about how God has changed us. We had some bad
weather over the weekend, so our attendance was down, but we praise
the Lord for those who were able to come. After the service we had our
monthly church meal and then our evening study. I spoke from
Colossians 1 again about being grateful for what God is doing in our
lives.

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

January 13-19

This past Saturday the young people from Alicante came up and passed
out tracts with us here in Petrer. Then we were able to have a good
time at the house with a challenge and a time of fellowship. We were
also working on a new pulpit. A few weeks ago, Israel's father
approached me about building a wooden pulpit for the church. The
pulpit is coming along nicely and is a nice addition to our meetings.

On Sunday we began a new series of messages on the book of Ephesians,
based on the theme, "See then that ye walk circumspectly" (Eph. 5.1).
I preached the first message from the hymn in the first chapter on all
that God has done to bless us. So often we focus on material
blessings, but Paul here brings us to remember the rich spiritual
blessings that God has given us in Christ. In the evening we met at a
Angel and Patricia's house for our study. Many of our people were able
to make it out, and Angel and Patricia invited some Christian friends,
so we had a very good group. Unfortunately, Maribel was not feeling
well at all, so she had to miss the service as well as several days of
work. I taught from Colossians 1 about walking worthy of the Lord.

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

January 06-12

This was the last week of the Christmas holidays. I had a special
highlight for this year. I played in the band for the Kings' Day
parade of our town on Monday. It was a lot of fun to march with the
band and play Christmas songs. After Tuesday, our schedule got back to
normal. The kids are back and school, and Maribel and I are back to
our normal teaching schedules. On Thursday I ate lunch with Antonio
and Gloria. I have witnessed very clearly to them in the past. But
last week I shared with them the concept of making a profession of
faith. It seems that they have slowly come (at least close) to the
point of faith, but they have never made a real profession of faith. I
had to be careful to help them understand Romans 10.9, 13. Antonio
wasn't sure if I was asking him to stand up at church and share all of
his sins. Gloria thought perhaps it meant that they had to go out on
the street and start preaching. In the end it was clear. Antonio told
me directly that he had placed his faith in Christ, even though he
still struggles with doubts. On Sunday morning in the service, he told
the congregation that he knew he was a sinner, but that the Lord is
working in his heart. Every time I spend time with them I am more and
more impressed with what the Lord is doing in their hearts. On Friday
I spent the morning with Israel preparing for the new series of
sermons that we will be preaching on Ephesians. We had good services
yesterday, even though Ana María was out of town and Lorenzo was sick.
Israel preached about love from 1 John 4. Antonio and Gloria were in
the service, and Antonio had some good questions. After the service
they stayed for lunch. We had a good time around the table. In the
evening we had a special service in which we watched the film Flame in
the Wind. The people were challenged by the stand for Christ that was
depicted in the film.

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

December, 2008

My weekly summaries dried up in December due to extreme busyness! But I will try to run through the weeks to recall all that was happening.

November 25-December 1

This week was a busy week preparing for my trip to the USA. I was, however, able to meet with the students at the university for another Bible study. It was also a special week because of Thanksgiving. The Tony Hart family came down from the Madrid area to spend the weekend with us. We had our Thanksgiving meal on Saturday, though, to accomodate our schedules. We were pleased that Camilla Becker who lives down near Elche could be with us that day. On Sunday Tony preached for us in the morning service on the topic of gratitude. That afternoon I rode up to Madrid with them and was in their church in Azuqueca for the evening service. 

December 2-8

This was the week I was in the USA. It was a whirlwind of activity, but a wonderful blessing. My major reason for going was to give a series of lectures on Translation Theory and the Bible. The lectures were very well attended, and I enjoyed the time greatly. I was also able to talk to many different classes. It was a special highlight for me to preach for the seminary students on Friday. My cup was full and running over! On Sunday morning I had the privilege of preaching for the hispanic ministry at Hampton Park, and then I was off to the airport to catch my flight back home. Here in Petrer, Israel preached a message to finish off our series of sermons on the miracles of Christ in John.

December 9-15

When I got back from the States, I had another two weeks of classes at the university. Those two weeks were extremely busy. But praise the Lord we were able to get everything done. I continued our Bible study with Emilio and Ester, and even got a chance to meet with Antonio and Gloria over lunch to continue witnessing to them. We were invited as a church to join the Elche church for their adult Christmas meal. María Eugenia came with us that night. Dr. Bob Jones was the speaker and I had the privilege of being his translator that night. On Sunday the 14th, we celebrated the Lord's table in the morning before the service and then I preached about Christ as the gift of God. That evening we went down to Elche to be in their mini-Bible conference. Dr. Bob gave an excellent challenge on a ministry of prayer.

December 16-22

On Sunday the 21st, Israel preached on Mary, the mother of Jesus. We were glad to have some visitors in the service. Bibiana, a Spanish lady we met in Alicante several years ago and visited in London earlier this year, was back in Spain to visit and brought her mother to the service. In the afternoon, we had our monthly church meal which was also a Christmas meal. After the meal we had a Christmas program. We read the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke and interspersed different Christmas hymns and special numbers. It was a nice time of fellowship as a congregation.

December 23-29

This was the first week of vacation. It was a wonderful breather for the family. We were able to have fun together and visit with friends and family that we have not had too much time to do things with in the past months. We decided not to travel anywhere, so we took advantage of the time together. On Sunday I preached from Zechariah 4 about the Spirit's roll in setting goals and making plans. Bibiana and her husband Rene were with us again this week, and once again they brought a visitor with them. In the evening we visited the church in Alicante and heard Israel preach. 

December 30-January 5

We had a special service on December 31 this year. I invited the Dodgens to come and Mike to bring a challenge. We had a good group at our house to remember the blessing from the past year and set goals for the coming year. It was another good time of spiritual challenge and fellowship. On Sunday morning I preached about the wisemen, in preparation for Kings' Day (Jan. 6). We were very excited to see Antonio and Gloria back with us after several weeks' absence due to her cancer treatments. I was very pleased that María Eugenia agreed to prepare a study for the children on Sunday night. I led a Bible study for the adults while she taught her lesson to the children. A believer from the church in Valencia came all the way to Petrer to be in our service and encourage us. We were very thankful for this blessing. Also a family from the church in Alicante was with us as well for the evening service.

David & Maribel

davidnmaribel@gmail.com

"vide ministerium quod accepisti in Domino ut illud impleas"  Col 4.17

November 18-24

This was the second week of our Bible study on campus at the university. This week there were three young people at the study. We had a good time looking at Colossians and then a good time of questions and discussion afterwards. On Saturday night I played in a concert for our local band. After the concert we had a meal, and I was able to talk to several people about why we moved here. I trust the Lord will use this testimony to open other doors of ministry.

Yesterday we had a very full day. Our morning service went well. We had hoped to see Antonio and Gloria, but apparently she has not been feeling well at all after her last treatment. I preached on the seventh miracle in John, the resurrection of Lazarus. I focused particularly on three elements: the opposition to Christ's ministry, the love He felt towards Lazarus and his sisters, and the main focus of the miracle, faith. After the service we all went to the Soto's house for our monthly church meal. After a good meal and time of fellowship, we had our evening service. This was the last week of our series on doctrines. I talked about our doctrine of salvation, specifically the details about the atonement. After the service, Lorenzo and I went down to Elche to play in the service there. We repeated the special numbers that we prepared for Valencia last weekend.

November 11-17

Today was our appointment at the hospital in Valencia about David's heart condition they discovered earlier this year. After doing all of the tests on him, the doctor told us that his condition had not deteriorated any, so there was no immediate need for surgery. We thank the Lord for this answer to prayer.
This past week we had our first Bible study on campus. I finally was able to get permission to use a room, so I wrote all of the students from the Elche and Alicante churches. Unfortunately due to scheduling problems, only one boy made it for the study this week, but we were able to spend some time together talking about some details of the study and then give an introduction to the book of Colossians. Lord willing, we will have more present in the coming weeks. We also had a very special study at home. David invited one of his friends over to spend the night. He had already talked to him about the Lord, and since I had planned to do a study with Sergio that night anyway, David's friend sat in on the study. We studied John 3.16. It was a very simple study, but showed clearly the message of salvation. David's friend listened carefully to the study and asked good questions. He took a tract home with him and has since continued to ask David questions at school.
Yesterday it was Maribel's birthday, and we were were gone in Valencia all day. Here in Petrer Israel preached a message on Christ's calming of the storm. In Valencia our brass quartet (including Lorenzo, Isaac, a young man from Elche, and pastor Dennis Flower) played six special numbers. We introduced each hymn with a short biography or story about the hymn, and then after the music, I preached a sermon on praise from Psalm 19. The rest of the group went back home in the afternoon and our family stayed for the evening service. I preached again in the evening, this time from Isaiah on the mark of true faith. It was a blessing to be able to spend this time with the believers there.

November 4-10

In our morning service this week we began early with the celebration of the Lord's table. Antonio and Gloria came early for the service and were present as we finished out time of communion. Gloria expressed interest in participating. We are thankful for this desire on her part, but need to take more time with them to disciple them. In the morning service Israel preached on Christ's healing of the man who was born blind. He did a good job with the application of the text and many commented that it was a blessing. In the evening we met at María Eugenia's house for our evening service. I did a special study for the children from Ephesians 6.1-3.

October 28-November 3

The weeks seem to fly by us as if we were standing still. I can
hardly believe that we are in November already. We have some very
special activities planned for this month with the church. This month
we will be going to Valencia to play our brass quartet there for a
special service. We met on Saturday for a practice and things are
coming along nicely. Yesterday we celebrated the Lord's table before
our morning service. It was a good time of spiritual fellowship as we
shared what the Lord is doing in our lives. We were especially
thankful that in the morning service we had a visitor. Antonio and
Gloria were also in the service yesterday. Each time they come they
feel more and more a part of the congregation. Yesterday I preached on
Christ's walking on the water. I was struck with the contrast of the
disciples' inability to cross the sea when suddenly they see Jesus
strolling across the water with no apparent difficulty. Many times we
are at the end of our strength and ability, but God can complete our
efforts and do the impossible. In the evening we met at Maria
Eugenia's house and I gave a study especially for the children on
Ephesians 6.1-2. After the study we had a good time of prayer together.

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

October 21-27

The Lord blessed us this week with an excellent Sunday. It was a busy
week leading up to it. On Monday we received an unexpected visit from
some missionary friends of ours, and then on Tuesday we took our car
into the mechanic to have a small oil leak fixed. The situation with
the car made life a little more complicated, but the visit helped out
because they were able to give us a much needed ride! Yesterday
morning we were missing some of our regular people. Ana Maria is not
feeling too well with the new pregnancy so Lorenzo came by himself.
Also, Sergio spent the weekend in Torrevieja, so Maria Eugenia came by
herself. Israel preached on the feeding of the 5,000, and after the
sermon we had a very good time of testimonies and singing. Nearly
everyone present shared a thought about the message. After the service
we had a church meal together. And in the early afternoon we had our
Bible study service. Last week during our evening service I felt we
needed some more specific instruction about the nature of salvation
and the idea of losing one's salvation. So this week we spent over an
hour talking about the Biblical teaching concerning salvation. Once
again there was good participation by all. I praise the Lord for a
good day together with other believers, spent in worship and
fellowship together.

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

October 14-20

This week the Lord gave us a few more opportunities to be a
testimony. I am taking a Valenciano class here in Elda, so I decided
to ask a fellow student for a ride home to get to know him a bit. It
turns out that he is studying English as well. We agreed to get
together some time so I can help him with his English. I trust that I
will be able to present Christ to him clearly as we get to know each
other. Also, Israel and I were able to spend some time in a park
giving out tracts and talking to people. As always there were a lot of
negative reactions, but there were a few who received the tracts well.
Please pray with us that God would give the increase. Saturday was a
very special blessing for us. Enoch Guitierrez, a Mexican pastor, gave
a series of lectures for pastors and workers. Israel and I went down
and spent the day there. I really needed the encouragement and
teaching he shared with us.

Yesterday I preached on Christ's third miracle in John, the healing
of the lame man at Bethesda. The Lord gave us a good service and
hearts were stirred. How often we lie crippled and helpless trying to
find some solution to our problems instead of taking them to the Lord
and receiving His divine healing. Emilio and Ester brought her niece
with them again this week. This is the second time she has been in our
services. We are not sure if she is really a believer. Antonio and
Gloria did not come this week because she was not feeling well after
her chemotherapy last week. In the evening we met with Israel, Maria
Eugenia and Sergio here at our house to continue our study of the
Adventists. We talked this week of Biblical doctrine of the final
judgment as opposed to the Adventist teaching concerning Christ's
investigative judgment.

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

October 7-13

This past weekend I preached a missions conference at a church up in
Madrid. The Lord gave us a very good weekend and used the believers
there to encourage us. I preached five sermons around the theme of
missions, focusing on different aspects of Moses' preparation, calling
and service. I also gave my testimony on Sunday morning for the adult
Sunday school class. Here in Petrer, Israel preached on Sunday morning
about the second miracle in the book of John. Then in the evening they
met at Lorenzo and Ana Maria's house and watched a video about the
Seventh Day Adventists.

Last week Lorenzo came to see me one night. They have been under a lot
of pressure with his work and Maria's school situation. He told me
that they have decided to move back to Alicante. They still plan to
come up to Petrer for services, but obviously this changes many
aspects of our ministry to them. This is hard for us to take in many
ways, but we are trusting the Lord to do His work here in building
this church. We would appreciate your continued prayers for our
ministry here.

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

September 30-October 6

On the home front this week we had a bit of a scare. Daniel fell on
the playground and injured his arm. At first they talked about
checking him in to the hospital, but in the end they were able to
massage the bone into position and there was no breakage. How we
praise the Lord for His protection. The other activities of the week
were fairly normal. Maribel met with the ladies for their time of
prayer and study and on Friday night we had dinner with an unsaved
couple and had opportunities to share the gospel again with them.

Yesterday I started a new series of sermons based on the sign miracles
recorded in John's gospel. So I started out with the transformation of
water into wine, discussing Jesus's power and authority to transform
lives. Antonio and Gloria from San Vicente were back with us this week
and both commented on the message. Gloria, as I mentioned before, is
going through cancer treatments, which is the reason they have not
been back in the last few weeks. We have been praying for her,
however, and sending her SMS messages on her phone. She expressed her
gratitude for our prayers and encouragement. Lord willing I will be
spending some time with them this week one afternoon. Next week will
be a bit different because our family will be up near Madrid for
special services in a church there. Israel, however, will be
continuing the series from John, and Antonio and Gloria are planning
to be in the service as well. Our afternoon service was rather small.
Israel was down in Alicante to preach there, and Maria Eugenia missed
both services because she missed her bus from Torrevieja where she
spent the day on Saturday. Unfortunately, Sergio took advantage of the
situation and did not come to church either. So in the evening for our
study, it was just our family and Lorenzo and Ana Maria with their
daughter. Please pray for us as we travel up to Madrid on Thursday
morning and as I preach throughout the weekend.

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

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.

August 5-11

Last week was the big week of youth camp. On Monday morning we
traveled up to Guadalajara with a car full of young people. I would
have loved for it to have been with young people from Petrer, but we
trust that the Lord will give us young people here in the future. The
Lord did wonderful things for us this week at camp. He blessed the
teaching and preaching in a special way as we talked to the young
people about the fear of man vs. the fear of the Lord. I taught a
short session every day at noon from Proverbs and a class in the
afternoons to deal with practical issues that young men face. Maribel
was a counselor for one of the girls' cabins. We arrived home on
Saturday afternoon completely exhausted, but happy to have had the
opportunity to serve the Lord.
We had a few unexpected visitors on Sunday morning. Lorenzo's brother
and friend came down to visit and came to church, as well as Ana
Maria's brother. Back in November we gave him a ride to Madrid and had
a good opportunity to witness clearly to him on the way. Sunday was
the first time he had come to church with us. We also had some
visitors from the Elche church. It was Jamie's last Sunday with us so
she shared her testimony with us. I preached about Moises' problems
with the leaders of Israel who were jealous of Moises (Num. 16-17). In
the evening we all went down to Elche to be in the service there.
Lorenzo and I played a duet and we participated in the camp testimony
service.

July 22-28

The Lord gave David and Jamie a good week at camp. They left early Monday morning and spent the week up in Guadalajara. We are very proud of David for winning a prize for verse memorization. Jamie did a good job working in the kitchen once again. Here at home things were a little quieter with just two children, but we had a good week too! I was able to finish up some of my preparation for the youth camp next week. I prepared all of the morning devotionals for the cabins, and I will be speaking every day on a verse from Proverbs as well as giving some classes to the boys in the afternoons about topics like materialism and relationships. We are excited about camp and asking the Lord for His blessings.

Our morning service yesterday was slightly smaller than usual. Maria Eugenia has a job taking care of an elderly man, and she had to work at 12.30. She felt that she wouldn't have time to come to the service and make it to work. She was with us for our evening service, though. In the morning I preached about Moses' problems with his family (Nu. 12) when God defended him before Miriam and Aaron as being completely faithful. In the evening we met at Lorenzo and Ana Maria's house and we talked about the Biblical doctrine of salvation compared to what the Jehovah's Witnesses believe about salvation.

July 15-21

Jamie, the student from BJU who is doing her missions internship with us this summer, has been meeting people here in town to exchange conversation in English for conversation in Spanish. This week she brought Juani to house so that we could meet her. It turns out that Juani grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. Maribel and Jamie were able to clearly share the gospel with her. We praise the Lord for this new contact! On Saturday evening the couples from Elche came up and passed out tracts. We went to several local parks to talk to people. We were pleased to see the response of some people to the tracts. Afterwards we had a good time of fellowship at our home. I shared a challenge with them from Colossians 3.12-14.

Yesterday we had no visitors in our service, but all of us were present except Sergio who is out of town visiting his mother. I spoke in the morning about the problems at Mt. Sinai. The people thought they could modify God's plan for them and ended up worshiping the golden calf. But we can never replace God's will with our own. God can, however, replace our will with His own (Phil. 2.13). In the evening we met at Maria Eugenia's house for our study. We were pleased that Pedro came. He is a believer we made contact with when we were distributing tracts. In our study we looked at what the Jehovah's Witnesses believe about Hell compared to what we find in the Bible.

This week David and Jamie are up at camp. We trust that the Lord will richly bless them this week.

July 08-14

Andrea and Jamie spent last week at camp. Jamie, the intern from BJU who is spending the summer here in Spain, worked in the kitchen and Andrea was a camper. They both had a good week. We were very proud of Andrea because she won a trophy for memorizing verses. On Wednesday last week, Maribel and Ana María drove down to Torrevieja, about an hour away, with Maria Eugenia to visit her son. He and his wife just had a baby, so the women prepared a special gift for them and made a visit. It was a good opportunity to show the love of Christ to a couple who have heard much about Christ from Maria Eugenia but are not saved. We also said goodbye to Sergio this week. He will be visiting his biological mother for a month. We had hoped that he would be able to go to camp this summer, but Social Services had already scheduled this visit with his family.
The Lord gave us good services yesterday. In the morning I preached about Moses' problems in the desert, as the people complained about what the Lord had given them, about what the Lord had (supposedly) taken away from them, and about what the Lord had not given them. In the evening we met at Lorenzo and Ana Maria's house to continue our study about what we believe (compared to the Jehovah's Witnesses). We talked this week about the Holy Spirit.

June 24-July 07

Last week I never got to writing. I had my last day of official work at the university on Monday and then a camping trip on Monday afternoon. David turned 10, so I and another adult took seven of David's friends on a camping trip. We had a great time on the mountain and had good opportunity for spiritual challenges. David said that it was an unforgettable birthday party. But it seemed that after that, I was running the rest of the week to catch up. And all that led into a very full weekend. On Saturday morning we finally met to work on our trombone quartet. We are trying to prepare music to be able to present in a church after the summer is over. We had a good rehearsal and all are excited about it. On Saturday afternoon we had the young people up from Elche and Alicante to pass out tracts. We covered several areas, putting tracts in the mailboxes (which is legal here) and a different flyer on windshields. There was a good spirit among the young people, and we are praying that the Lord will use this effort to reach people with the Gospel message.

Yesterday we had record attendance in our services with some friends visiting from Alicante and Elche. These visit always do a lot to encourage the three families living here. Our morning started off with our celebration of the Lord's table. Then in the service we looked at Exodus 14 and the "Moses' Problems at the Red Sea". When a problem comes, you either look inward and let yourself worry or you can look upward and let God work. In the afternoon we looked at what the Jehovah's witnesses believe about the person of Christ and compared it to the Biblical doctrine of Christ. There was good participation by all present. Jamie, our intern from BJU has been doing a great job. She has been taking all the children to do classes with them during the adults' study. Tomorrow, Andrea and Jamie will be headed up near Madrid for a week of camp. Maribel will be driving them up and coming back the same day.

June 17-23

The kids finished up their school year this past week. That means that summer is finally here for them! We are making plans for children's camp. I had hoped that perhaps Maria Eugenia's granddaughter would be able to go to camp, but it does not look like it will be possible. Sergio is supposed to leave for the summer, but we are praying that he will be able to go to young people's camp first.
Jamie, the missions student from Bob Jones doing her internship with us, went down to Alicante on Saturday evening for the youth meeting there. Here at home we had our normal group for the service. But just as we were starting we were surprised by a visit from some friends of ours who used to live in Elche. It was a blessing to have them with us in our service as I preached about Moses and his problems with the leaders of the people. He was the right man doing the right job in the right way, but things just did not seem to go "right". Pharaoh ended up making the work load heavier and the people cursed Moses. My phrase for this message was "God never asked us to understand Him; just to know Him." Moses once again had to trust the Lord that he was on the right path and that all would work out. In the evening we began a new topic. Several commented that they wanted to study what other religions believe, so we will be taking several weeks to dig into doctrine and compare what we believe with the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Adventists and the Mormons.

June 10-16

This past week Jamie arrived. She is a student at BJU who is studying missions. She will be with us all summer to have some first hand experience with missions. So far she has fit right in with the family and the ministry. Right off the bat she has been spending time with the women in our little congregation. And the people have accepted her nicely. This weekend was a very special time. A lady we met in Alicante years ago came up and spent the weekend with us. She is a believer and a very special friend. Two years ago I preached her husband's funeral. For the last year and a half, she has been in Argentina, but she returned last week and gave us a call. We had good opportunities to talk about spiritual things and encourage her.

This week the ladies had their prayer time/Bible study as usual, and I did the study with Sergio. Unfortunately he was away for the weekend, so he wasn't in any of the services yesterday. We had a special treat on Saturday evening. We were going to drop by and visit Lorenzo and Ana María, but as we got near their house, we saw them coming towards us with Gospel flyers in their hands. They were out passing out tracts as a family. What a blessing it is to see believers involved in sharing the Gospel in this way. So we split up the flyers and helped them pass them out. On Sunday Lorenzo and Ana María were not in the service here because they went to Alicante. The pastor there asked them to come and share a testimony with the church, since the church gave them an offering a few months back when Lorenzo was out of work. But their absence was made up by a few visitors from the church in Elche. We continued our series on Moses, looking at the excuses that Moses gave for not wanting to do God's will. In the evening we met at Lorenzo and Ana Maria's place for our last study in the series on the church. We looked at several signs of a healthy church.

June 03-09

After last week's contact with Carmen, we were excited about the possibility of her coming to the ladies' Bible study. But unfortunately she did not come this week. We will continue to pray for her and seek opportunities to share Christ's love with her. I continue to have good opportunities in the Bible study with Sergio. He suddenly started wearing a crucifix a few weeks ago, so we talked about it last week. He claims to be saved, but it is always good to go back over the gospel, and the crucifix provided the perfect opportunity as I shared with him the importance of Christ's death AND resurrection. Maria Eugenia thinks that Sergio will soon be leaving to spend the summer with his family in another part of Spain, so we must take advantage of every opportunity the Lord gives us with him. He came and spent the better part of Saturday with our family.
On Sunday I continued our series on Moses. We looked this week at the problems that Moses had as he was beginning his mission. He had a wonderful start, but he got ahead of God, and there are always problems when we get ahead of God, no matter how good the thing may be that we are trying to do. For our evening service we watched a gospel film and then had some time to talk about it afterwards. It was good to see how people were able to relate its message to the sermon from the morning.

May 27-June 02

Last week my parents left. We had a good time with them and were able to do some special things. I was especially appreciative of the advice and encouragement that they gave us. On Wednesday we got back into our normal schedule. I had the Bible study with Sergio and David while Maribel met with the ladies for a time of prayer. On Thursday I met with a Christian man from town who called me two years ago after receiving a tract in his mailbox. I have prayed often for his unsaved wife, but the Lord put it on my heart to invite them over for lunch on Saturday. He was skeptical whether or not she would come, but we prayed about it and he promised to talk to her. To make a long story short, he and his wife spent a wonderful day with us and another Christian family from the Alicante church. After lunch we had a short devotional in which I presented the plan of salvation. She listened carefully and is interested in meeting with the women for their time of study.
Yesterday in our service, after celebrating the Lord's table, we started a new series of sermons on the life of Moses. I have called it, "Why so many problems?" We looked at all of the problems surrounding Moses' birth. The solution for his parents was found in their faith, according to Hebrews. They trusted God and He used that "problem" to prepare Moses for his future service for God. In the afternoon we finished up out discussion on spiritual gifts with the second half of last week's study on the gift of tongues.

May 20-26

Last week I prayed very specifically about Lorenzo's work. I asked the Lord to give him a job this week if it was His will. I was really hoping that he would find work here in Elda, but the Lord answered in another way. They called him from a company in Alicante, and he is starting work today. This means that he has to travel almost an hour on his motorcycle to get to work and then another hour in the evening to get home. The hours are long, but at least he will be earning money. It doesn't seem like a long term job, but it is the answer to our prayers. Last week Lorenzo came to my Bible institute classes with me since he was not working yet. We were covering James and Hebrews. It was a special blessing to go through these books.
This was the last Sunday that my parents will be here, so it was nice to have my dad preach. He preached about the "complaint" sections of Jeremiah. It was a good message for our congregation. It reminded all of us that we must keep our eyes on the Lord and His promises to us. In the evening we met at María Eugenia's house for our study. We talked this week about the gift of tongues. We looked at the book of Acts and then started to look at 1 Corintians 14. We'll be coming back to this study next week, Lord willing. All of the believers in our little church are first generation Christians, and all have had at least some contact with Charismatics, so it is important to make sure that we have a firm base to understand the Scriptural focus on gifts.

May 13-19

Maribel and I celebrated our anniversary this past week. How we praise the Lord for these thirteen years the Lord has given us together. Last year we had to celebrate our anniversary in the hospital, so this year it was special just to leave the kids with my parents one night and go out together on a little date. We had many of our other normal activities this week. Marbel met with the ladies for a Bible study and I had our Bible study with Sergio. My Bible Institute class continue to go well. This past week we finished up the Pastoral Epistles. This week we will be starting the General Epistles. We have finally finished the construction project downstairs. So we had Lorenzo and Ana Maria over on Friday to help clean up all of the dust and dirt.
Yesterday we had good services. Unfortunately, Maria Eugenia and Sergio were out of town because of a local holiday. We were happy to have a family up from Alicante to visit. I preached my second message from Colossians about seeking the things from above. This week we looked at 3.2-4. There are two phrases there that really catch my attention: our life is hid with Christ in God and Christ is our life. We talked about several practical aspects of seeking the things above, like how we can do it, why we can do it, and why we should do it. In the evening my parents went down to the church in Elche and my father preached there. So it was just Lorenzo's family and mine. We met at their house and watched a Christian film together and then had a time of prayer.

May 06-12

On Tuesday my parents arrived. They will be with us over the next three weeks. But we had a weekend with plenty of activity. On Saturday Maribel organized a ladies' tea for Mothers' Day. She as well as the other ladies in the church invited neighbors and friends over to our house. She also asked a lady from the church in Murcia to come up and speak to the group. We had a wonderful lunch with the lady and her husband, and the ladies had an excellent meeting. I was very encouraged by the fact that several of our neighbors came. One of our neighbors has studied quite a bit with the Jehovah's witnesses, and she asked a lot of questions. Another neighbor took a Bible with her and promised to read it. Yesterday God blessed in our services. María Eugenia had her grandkids with her over the weekend, so we had extra children. I preached from Colossians 3 about seeking spiritual things. After the message, we split up and the adults spent a time of sharing and singing while Maribel took the kids and reviewed the message with them. In the afternoon we continued our study on the Church. I spoke this week about the temporal gifts. This was a very important part of the study because several in the group have had some contact in the past with charismatic groups, so I want them to understand clearly what the Bible teaches. The Lord blessed and there was a very good spirit.

April 29-May 05

This week we had some special days off from work because of a holiday. So it was nice to take a break from the routine. On Thursday we were able to take Sergio and Maria Eugenia with us to spend the day with a Christian family about 45 min. from here. Bible Institute continues well. Lorenzo was able to come to class one day with me this week. We continue to advance through the Epistles. Last week we talked about Ephesians and Colossians. Yesterday we had a very small service. Lorenzo and Ana Maria were here with their daughter, but Maria Eugenia ended ended up going to visit her daughter since it was Mothers' Day. We celebrated the Lord's supper and then had our normal service. In the evening we traveled down to Murcia with the young people that I traveled with over Easter and presented the same program in the church there. It was a blessing to be able to present it again, and many in the church commented on the blessing they received. There were also two unsaved university students who came to church for the first time and heard a clear presentation of the gospel.

April 29-May 05

This week we had some special days off from work because of a holiday. So it was nice to take a break from the routine. On Thursday we were able to take Sergio and Maria Eugenia with us to spend the day with a Christian family about 45 min. from here. Bible Institute continues well. Lorenzo was able to come to class one day with me this week. We continue to advance through the Epistles. Last week we talked about Ephesians and Colossians. Yesterday we had a very small service. Lorenzo and Ana Maria were here with their daughter, but Maria Eugenia ended ended up going to visit her daughter since it was Mothers' Day. We celebrated the Lord's supper and then had our normal service. In the evening we traveled down to Murcia with the young people that I traveled with over Easter and presented the same program in the church there. It was a blessing to be able to present it again, and many in the church commented on the blessing they received. There were also two unsaved university students who came to church for the first time and heard a clear presentation of the gospel.

April 22-28

We have been very busy this week. Since Lorenzo is out of work, I asked him to help me with a church construction project. We have been digging out an area to create another access to the area where we meet. I think that this will make our meeting space much more convenient. Lorenzo has done a fantastic job, but there has been a lot of work for us. We have carted out hundreds of pounds of earth and stones to create a space for a mason to come and build the stairs. I am glad for this time with Lorenzo. And God has used it to supply his needs right now as he is without work.

And I just realized that I have not said anything here about Bible Institute. I began another class this month, the second half of the New Testament Introduction course I taught last year. I have a small group, but we are enjoying the time together. Since Lorenzo has been out of work, he has been coming with me to some of the classes. This past week we talked about Romans and Ephesians. It is always a blessing for me to be able to teach these courses.

Our "normal" activities were all in swing this week. On Wednesday I met with Sergio for our Bible study while Maribel met with the ladies. Sergio is really struggling. He seems to genuinely enjoy the study, but when he gets back into his life, he struggles with what he is really going to do with God. On Friday we met at the public library for our second Bible study. All of us were present, along with Pedro, a believer who responded to one of our tracts over a year ago. We had hoped for another visitor, but as of yet, we have no response. We had a good time studying John 1.4-9. It was profitable for the believers even if none of the unbelievers we invited came. On Sunday we had a very special day. We invited the Dodgens family from Elche to come up and be with us in our service. Two others from the church ended up coming along as well, so we had a good group. After the service we all ate lunch together. In the afternoon we continued our study on the church. We are talking about the gifts right now.

April 14-21

I can't believe that it has been a month already since I last wrote. There has been a series of events that has kept me from writing these weekly reports, but I am back at it! The first was the team of young people that I took out over the Easter break. We had wonderful meetings in six different churches in central and western Spain. The Lord blessed in our lives as we shared and sang and in the people who came to the services. There were many visitors in the services, one profession of faith and many believers who expressed God's working in their lives.
This past week we began working on another entrance to the basement where we have our services. Since Lorenzo lost his job this month, he has been coming to help every morning. We have a lot of work ahead, but it is progressing slowly. In the middle of the week we had a funeral down in Alicante. Carlos, one of the men in the church when I came to Alicante, finally passed away. He has slowly degenerated over the last five years, and on Tuesday evening the Lord called him home. It was especially for his mother who is 88. He was really the only person she had left in this world. Perhaps now she can begin coming to church again. He has been so sick for the last few years that she has not been to church much at all. Yesterday we had good services. In the morning we ended up meeting in our living room because of all the dust from the work downstairs, so our service felt different, but the Lord blessed as I spoke about God's purposes for suffering people. Elena, a girl from the church in Alicante came up for lunch and spent the afternoon with us. We met for our evening study at Lorenzo and Ana María's house. I taught about spiritual gifts in my series about the church. It was a good time of fellowship.

March 11-17

On Friday night we held our first public Bible study in the library. We gave out some invitations personally and put up a few announcements. On Friday evening at 7:00 there were five of us who met. Maribel kept all of the kids here at the house so all of our people could be at the study. Pedro, a man I met over a year ago who is already a believer came to the study as well. Unfortunately we did not have any visitors. But we began our study of the Gospel of John. After we spent about an hour studying together, we took thirty minutes to pray together. Lord willing we will be repeating this activity on a regular basis. And we trust that next time we will be able to have some more visitors with us.

This Sunday morning we met early once again to celebrate the Lord's Supper. Normally we have celebrated it on the first Sunday of the month, but this month we wanted to wait and celebrate it closer to Easter. We had a very special time of sharing and reflection as we broke bread together. Following communion we had our normal service I spoke from Psalm 115 about our God who knows no limitations. I applied it to Christ, especially focusing on the resurrection. In the evening we all went down to Elche for the special Easter cantata. It was a blessing for all of our small congregation to be present for the cantata.