We appreciate you so much! You play such an important role in all that we do through your prayers and generous support. Enjoy this video which we have made to help keep you well informed on what we are doing together. 

Wow, what a summer it has been! Thank you for your prayers and support that help make everything we do possible. You are such a blessing!

The Lord Jesus Christ, Our First Love 

The Lord has been speaking to me about living with Him as our first love (Revelation 2:4). That is very normal for us. It is how we are designed to live. We are born-again Christians, new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God already lives in us. It is the most natural thing in the world for us to partake of the supernatural life of God that is on the inside of us. If we simply keep our eyes on Christ and His Word and live out of the peace and joy in our hearts, we will experience the rich blessings that come with having the Lord Jesus Christ as our first love.

On the other hand, the Christian that accepts the Lord and has God living in Him but continues to focus on everything that is going on in the world is like a person who lights a candle and puts it under a bucket or a bushel basket (Matthew 5:15). This person has the burning, shining, explosive, wonderful power and presence of God living in them. However, by focusing on their bills, or their physical pain, or social media, or movies, or that guy that did them wrong, they keep any of that light and life from escaping to bless themselves or others. The Ephesian church in Revelation 2 is an especially interesting case. Jesus commends them for working hard for Him and having good discernment, but He later says that He is not happy with them because they have left their first love. How can that be? Well, we should work hard for Jesus and be able to discern that which is not of Him, but apparently the Ephesians were focusing on their works and their discernment instead of focusing on Jesus while they were working hard and being discerning. This is a subtle but vitally important distinction. Let’s be sure to keep our focus on the person of Jesus and our relationship with Him even as we serve Him.

In all we do, let us love Him and put Him first by focusing on the truth of His Word and the power and presence of His Spirt who ever indwells us. Then we will live in the fullness of all that He has for us (John 15:7).

Testimony: God provides a good job!
One of our ladies had been working in a temporary job. She needed her boss to offer her a permanent contract (a big deal in Spain). She prayed with Rev. Daphne, asking God for what she needed. She also happeded to give an offering to the church for the first time (another big deal in Spain). You already know what happened. When people obey God and believe Him, He always comes through. She got her permanent contract the next day!

Our work traveling to other nations with those that are interested in missions continues to grow. In the past year, Rev. Rich has traveled more than 40 days to 7 countries (outside of the USA and Spain) with Rev. Daphne and 3 other individuals. We are having tremendous times connecting with people and preparing for outreaches in each of these places. And through our training program, we are helping to prepare laborers for these works. With the growth of the ministry in Burgos and these areas, we are believing God for an increase in funding. Thanks so much for all you already do! If you or anyone you know are looking for a good place to sow some extra seed, please visit our donation page. Together we will reach those who do not know the gospel of our Lord Jesus!

When we aren’t in Bugros…

We spend over 9 months of the year in Burgos, but sometimes the Lord deals with us to travel to other cities and countries and lay the groundwork for future outreaches. Here in Spain, it took a couple of years to get things started. With some targeted trips, we can do much of this preliminary work in several places at the same time. More and more, the Lord is providing me travel companions so that Daphne can stay and take care of the Spain work. Here is an update on two countries I visited recently. God is leading us into His fruitful harvest. We give Him glory for all that is happening and you thanks for being such an important part of this ministry!

By the end of our third trip to Mons, Belgium we have:

• Befriended the owner of a coffee shop that is open to having us use his facilities to teach the Bible
• Met and shared the gospel with a Turkish apartment-hotel manager who will help arrange housing for those who travel with us
• Connected with someone in America that is fluent in French and can teach and translate for us.
• Visited a local French school and discussed options for anyone wanting to learn the language

Early outreach in Mons:

• Gave the book In Him by Kenneth E. Hagin to a kind Catholic man and encouraged him to use it to study his Bible
•  Met a man who struggled with schizophrenia and lost his arm in a motorcycle accident – He tried to convince me that God could not love him because of all that he had been through. I assured him that God did love him and gave him a track about His love. He was thankful and, as he left, he made sure that I saw him clinging to the track.
• Had a very good first conversation with a Muslim store clerk that knows I am a Bible teacher
• Became Facebook friends with a local man who, after finding out that we were a long way from our destination, walked with us to his house to pick up his car and gave us a ride.

Fascinating Fact about Mons:

The last shot of World War I was fired in Mons, Belgium when a German sniper shot and killed a Canadian soldier just 2 minutes before the arimistice was to take effect.

On our first, four-day trip to Utretcht, The Netherlands:

• We spent time with Dutch friends and shared at their church (see below to learn the intriguing story of how God brought us together).
• Pastor Greg Anderson, who traveled with me, had a great conversation with a local about what it really means to know and serve God. 
• We met several people and learned our way around the community.
• We visited a local Dutch language school and became aquantied with their program for anyone who wants to study Dutch. (However, most people speak English in the Netherlands, so much can be accomplished at the same time as the language is being studied.)

How God brought us together with our Dutch friends

It was the summer of 2016 and Daphne and I were out and about in Burgos in our exercise clothes. I was wearing a Family Church t-shirt. We were returning home when I heard a voice behind me calling out, “Family Church, Family Church!” As I turned to see what was happening, I was wondering who could be saying “Family Church” in English in Burgos, Spain. It was Adriann from the Netherlands. He had been searching for an English-speaking church in Burgos, Spain and had come across our information (although we do our services in Spanish). He saw on our website that we are connected to the Family Churches in the New York and Pennsylvania region. And when he saw my Family Church t-shirt, he recognized me.

Fast-forward over a year and the Lord started to deal with me about Utrecht, the Netherlands. And over 2 years after we first met, as I was preparing to visit the city, I wondered if the man that I had met here in Burgos lived nearby. I contacted him and learned that he lived just outside of Utrecht, about 20 minutes from where we were staying. He was very welcoming. We had a wonderful time with him and his son and his church community. I am very thankful to God and to him!

Brothers, pray for us. We are praying for you!While I was doing my devotions, this Bible verse jumped out at me. “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:1 ESV) This is the perfect prayer to pray for us. As we work in Burgos and travel, we believe that the Word of God is speeding ahead and being honored! Thank you so much for your prayers.We pray for you, our partners, regularly. Most often we use the scripture prayers in Ephesians 1:15-23 & 3:14-21 to lift you up to the Lord. We believe, according to those prayers, that you have wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God and are strengthened with all might to walk with God and know the fulness of His love. Praise God for his powerful working in our lives!

“…I have come for your words.”

Look at Daniel 10:12. In this verse, Daniel is having a vision. A spiritual being, sent from God tells him that words that he had spoken (weeks earlier) had been heard in the spirit world and that he has come to him because of what Daniel said. Look at the power of words! They move things in the spiritual realm. The things we experience and don’t experience are connected to what we are saying and not saying.

The Bible says that our tongue has the same power over our lives as a rudder has over a ship. James 3:4 (ESV) says, “Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.” Jesus is our Lord, but He has made us the pilot of our lives (like the owner of a ship that hires someone to steer it for him). We direct our lives into The Lord’s will with our words. The pilot of a ship recognizes that if his ship is not in the port of New York, it is because he did not steer the rudder of the ship towards New York.

Here is an example closer to our experience: If I was at an airport and wanted to go to Tampa, Florida, I would get on the plane next to the word Tampa. I wouldn’t get on any planes next to the names of cities where I didn’t want to go. And I would never get on a plane to the city where I already was! Words steer us to our destination. Don’t speak about where you are unless you want to stay there. Speak of where you want to go. We are where we are today because of the words we have spoken in the past. But what joy it is to know that we can go anywhere in life as long as we begin to and keep on saying it!

Have you had problems with your body? Join the club. Perhaps you are dealing with an addiction. Maybe your body has strong desires to do things that you know aren’t right. Are you dealing with chronic sickness? Do you get into situations where fear grips you so badly that your body freezes up and you have problems breathing? You can live completely free from all of this and more! God gives us the answer in His Word. James 3:2 (ESV) says, “… if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” Simply put, any problem that we have with our body can be solved with the tongue. You may not see the change immediately just as steering a ship rudder towards New York doesn’t mean it arrives immediately. But keep that rudder pointing in the right direction and it will arrive, guaranteed. Keep speaking the promises of God and you will get into all the good that He has planned for you. Speak God’s Word and live free!

We just returned from a great trip to the USA.

• The Missions Prep Class met again at Family Church Fredonia in January. Rev. Daphne taught. People are growing and getting a vision for what God has for them on the foreign field. Awesome!
• We ministerd in New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia – 6 times in 22 days.
• Thank you for the many great meetings with Pastors and partners. You were so hospitable and generous!

God is doing good things in Burgos, Spain!

• We visit many family businesses in Burgos. Some, like the brothers in the above picture are extremely dear. They give us products generously, teach us about Spain, and introduce us to their friends, family and clients. We often have opportunities to share the gospel and our faith in God through these relationships.
• Daphne recently went to the hairdresser. As the owner visited with us, I thought that I should invite her to a meeting. Before I got a chance, she said that she wanted to come and to bring a friend. Fish are jumping in our boat. Praise God!
• We are so pleased to see one of the key people in the church maturing a lot. Their faith and commitment is growing exceedingly, and they are taking an important role in the church! 

Thank you so much for your prayers, generosity, and all that you do to serve the Lord!

“Tell them I love them.”

When I prepare to minister, I ask the Lord what He would like me to say. Sometimes He sweetly and strongly answers, “Tell them I love them.” It always blesses me when He says that. I have stood in front of a room full of people, shared that simple truth, and seen the most seasoned and faithful saint look so relieved and even surprised. God loves you! The Lord Jesus loves you! Think about it. Talk about it. Sing about it. Let it fill your every day. A deep understanding that our Creator, the God of the Universe, the All-powerful One, loves us will radically change our lives. Praise God!

Good News and Updates

Our church has been videoing services since April. One of our members is very faithful and skillful at running the camera. These videos are a great resource to have available. Finding good, Bible-based materials in Spanish is easier than in most languages, but nothing like English. We English-speakers are super blessed!

Of course, I encourage our people in the Burgos church to read the Bible at home. One of the ladies always told me that she didn’t understand anything in the Bible. She was determined to start in the Old Testament because it is the beginning. I told her to start in the New Testament because it explains our covenant with God. Finally, she started to read the New Testament. After making that adjustment, she began to come to us excited about what God is showing her in the Word. Praise the Lord!

We spend time out in the streets and visiting small businesses. The Lord leads us to build relationships with local people. It is neat to see how He helps us share His Word or invite people to church. As Christians, we must remember that every conversation is an opportunity to glorify God and impact a life!

Our trip to Italy in May was great. There is a “Muslim” woman in Tuscany that has become very close to us. She drives us around and has offered to let us stay in her apartment anytime. We witness to her and have given her a book by Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin. We also got a chance to witness to and teach the Bible to some American tourists and pray for the Italian government and the Catholic Church right before they saw some major changes (as you may have seen in the news). We have never experienced more anointing and Holy Spirit leading in our ministry than when we take these trips. 

Rev. Rich will be traveling with a dear friend and minister from the USA to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands in November. Rev. Daphne will be staying to take care of the church in Burgos. She has been doing a great job ministering!

Concerning our European mission trips

While working in Burgos, we have learned some important things about ministry in Europe. Unexpectedly, the Lord started to deal with me about traveling to other cities. As I began to pray and obey, I saw that the truly time-consuming part of these works is in the beginning, while we learn the culture, meet people, earn their trust, preach and teach the Word, and develop faithfulness in a core group. It has taken us years to get to this point here in Burgos. However, by traveling to other cities for as little as several days a year, we can do much of the preliminary work in several places at the same time. Then, as the Lord leads us to begin a Bible study or church, we have a foundation laid and have saved years! 

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
Romans 11:33-36

We trust that you are doing very well. Many things that have been on our heart for years are coming to pass. Thank you so much for helping us obey God!

“Write the Vision and Make It Plain” – Habakkuk 2:2 

As I was first preparing to go on the mission field, a missionary acquaintance generously made himself available to answer some of my questions. While we visited, he said something that surprised me. “In the beginning, you will not know what your vision is,” he commented.

The Lord first dealt with us about missions, later Spain, then Burgos, and afterwards, starting a church. That seemed like all the information that was needed. However, the Lord kept right on revealing different things, growing our vision more and more. It quickly became clear that our work was not going to fit easily into the mold of how people talk about missions. After years of slowly proving things out, much of what is on our heart is starting to happen. I can finally begin to share publicly about the more complete vision of this ministry.

Some parts of this world have very little Christian witness. It is difficult to measure, but the best statistics indicate that around 1 in 4 or 5 people in the USA are evangelical Christians. * In Spain and France, only about 1 in 100 people fall into that category. We all know that America has her challenges and desperately needs Jesus, but imagine ministering in a culture that has 1/20 of the gospel light that we have in America. It is probably impossible for me to describe it to you. You would have to come and see if for yourself. I’m not saying it is difficult in Europe; I’m saying it is different. Here is one interesting thought: if the above statistics hold true, a church of 10 in Spain is equivalent to a church of 200 in the USA!

In the last 300 years, the United States has experienced the First and Second Great Awakenings, the Pentecostal, healing, charismatic, and teaching revivals while Spain and the countries near us have seen only isolated touches from heaven in nearly 500 years. From the beginning of our work in Europe, the Lord has been dealing with me about how to minister in cultures that have virtually no gospel foundation. We believe that He has given us concrete steps to prepare for the desperately needed harvest of souls that is coming to Europe.

1. Recruit and train Americans and eventually European missionaries to assist in different aspects of ministry here. A good team is so vital.
2. Travel to various cities to research and prepare for future outreach and, possibly, churches. We need contacts and knowledge of a city before we can bring others there.
3. Develop online courses and paper resources for the evangelism, encouragement, and training of the people reached.
4. Implement strategies to minimize the challenges that arise from Europe’s multiple languages.  

Hopefully, this information gives you a clearer sense of the work we are involved in, and what many of you are faithfully supporting. This vision has made it necessary for us to travel, even to the USA, to connect with churches and recruit help. In fact, we have traveled less than we should have over the past years in order to make sure we were hearing and implementing the vision correctly. I could share many more details now, but since this newsletter is already long, stay tuned for more specifics in future e-mails. 

We love and appreciate you!
*Evangelical Christians believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a personal relationship with God through Him, and that we are commissioned to share this gospel with the world.

Financial Update

And God is able to bestow every blessing on you in abundance, so that richly enjoying all sufficiency at all times, you may have amble means for all good works.

2 Corinthians 9:8 [Weymouth]

Because of God’s faithfulness and yours, we have not had to ask for finances in over 3 years. During that time, we have been able to live in Spain, fund the work here, and even support other great ministries. 

However, with new responsibilities, come many new expenses. We continue to maintain our home in Spain and the weekly meetings here, but we are adding more travel to other cities and training of missionaries. In fact, we will be in Italy for 10 days in May to prepare the ground for future work. We have recently added quality equipment to begin videoing our services and other lessons to post online in Spanish. This summer we have to report on our finances to the Spanish government and pay legal fees for our residency renewal.  

We know you tithe to your local church and generously support other great ministries. Thank you for your faithfulness! If you would like to support this ministry, you may use PayPal through the link below or mail support to Family Church, PO Box 179, Fredonia, NY 14063. Make the check payable to Family Church and put Rich Walker Ministries in the memo line. Please do what brings you joy, and God will meet our needs and yours (Philippians 4:19). Thank you so much!

Also, if you know of anyone that you believe would be interested in this ministry, pass along my e-mail (rich@richwalkerministries.org) to them. I would be happy to answer any of their questions.

A great harvest is coming, and we will be a part of it!

The Lord has been good!

• Thanksgiving is not celebreated in Spain, and turkey is not as common here as in the USA. So we special-ordered a turkey and did a mock Thanksgiving meal. Four people who had never come to our services heard the gospel. Thank God for a good event!
• After much training and work, we have 3 helpers in the church that are catching the vision and being faithful. This has been such a vital need in order to see the work grow like it should. Thank God for providing help!
• Rev. Daphne is taking a bigger role in the church and ministering in the services quite often. She is a great wife and an anointed minister. What a blessing!
• Thank YOU so much for your faithful prayers and giving. We are all working together to see God’s will done in Spain!

How are you doing? Send us a message. We would love to hear from you.

Update: Everything is very good with us. Developing a helps ministry has been this year’s most important goal for the work in Burgos. The Lord is helping us make real progress. We have also been working a lot on effective ways to reach out in Europe. The culture and belief system are very different from ours in the USA. We believe that God is giving us some good ideas about how to make a greater impact here. Perhaps I will devote an entire newsletter to European culture and outreach in the near future.

There is a move of the Spirit that will be lost to this generation if someone doesn’t teach and demonstrate it. The Lord revealed that to Kenneth E. Hagin. This is a serious matter. I don’t want to miss out on the smallest part of what God has for me. What does it mean? There is a way that the Holy Spirit wants to operate that is not obvious to the natural mind and senses. We have to be taught and shown these things to be able to participate in them.
It is interesting to consider this move of God in light of what 1 Corinthians 2:10 says about the “deep things of God.” In the natural world, deep things, those things that lie way under the surface of the ocean, will never be experienced by natural man without an expert who knows how to get down into the deep and bring us pictures and videos. These things also must be “taught and demonstrated” if we are going to experience them.
So it is with the deep things of God. Running around from work to soccer practice, Facebook to Twitter, and movies to bowling will not get us into everything that God has for us. While these things are fine and relaxation is good in the proper doses, we must seek to understand how to order our lives and prepare ourselves so that we can walk in a deeper relationship with God.
How do we get into this deeper place? How do we experience this move of God? Here are some tips to get us on the right path:

1. Build Our Lives on God’s Word – In Luke 6:48, Jesus said that those who practice His Word are like a man who “digs deep” and lays the foundation of his house on a solid rock. When floods or trials rise, that house, that life, will not fall. As Christians we must make sure not to read the Bible only because “it is the right thing to do.” We should be looking for specific instructions to put into practice in our everyday life. Popular culture and social media blare at us in order to influence our beliefs and actions. We are Christians. We only let the principles of God’s Word affect our beliefs and actions. This deepens our relationship with God and positions us to move with His Spirit.
2. Slooooow Down – In Luke 5:4-9, Jesus tells Simon (Peter) to “launch out into the deep” to catch some fish. Peter had been fishing in his natural strength all night to no avail. By obeying the Lord, he caught a huge amount of fish. In most lakes, the deeper part is further out. Ever consider the fact that it would take more time and effort to travel out into deep water? So it is with God. Some things happen fast with Him, but there are some things what will never happen if we don’t slow down and wait on the Lord.
3. Wait on Him in prayer – Isaiah 40:31 says that they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Waiting always takes time. Sometimes we only have a few minutes to pray, or we pray in the car on the way to work. These are good practices, but we should also set aside some long times to fellowship with the Lord so that we can really get to know him. This shows love and develops intimacy with God just like taking a long walk with our spouse. My Pastor, Michael Lokietek, has told us that not much happens in the first hour of prayer. We really get into the “deeper” aspects of God’s personality and works with time. And while we are at it we can pray according to Daniel 2:22. Ask God to reveal to us and our Pastors (and missionaries – wink) about His deeper self and the way He wants to move.
4. Prepare our heart before church – In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” A pure heart is a clean or clear heart. Preparing our heart can involve repenting from sin, but it may just be slowing down and making sure we aren’t thinking about work and family and bills all throughout the service. We quiet our mind and focus on God. If we do this, we will better hear and move with Him during our church services. Jesus told Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin that He has a specific plan for every service. He gives that plan to our Pastors, but, if we are sensitive, we can pick it up as well. When our heart is clear for church, we can better perceive what the Lord wants to do and cooperate with Him and those who are ministering.
5. Try to cut out some activities In Luke 14:16-24, Jesus tells a parable of a man that invited people to a fiest. They were too busy to come. One had just bought a field, another oxen, and the last person had gotten married. The parable ends with the man who held the feast saying that those guests will not taste of his meal. It makes perfect sense that they won’t eat his food if they don’t have time to go to his feast. There is nothing wrong with activities and involvements in themselves. However, we must remember God has prepared a spiritual feast for us every time the church building is open and every time we can get away to spend extra time with Him in the Word and prayer. If we are missing a lot of those opportunities because of a full schedule, then we are simply too busy. Ask the Lord what you can cut out in order to have time to get to know Him in a deeper way.

If we do these things, we position ourselves to move with God in all that He wants to do in this hour. I believe that we are going to see every last bit of it!

Fun Photos

“My Cup Runs Over.” – Psalms 23:5

“… prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” – Malachi 3:10

God’s Word is always true, so we should never be surprised when it comes to pass. That being said, it has been remarkable how quickly and powerfully I have seen the fulfillment of God’s promises to provide for our folks here in Spain (Philippians 4:19). Spain’s economy was terrible when we arrived, at one point registering 26% unemployment. Thankfully, things are improving and it is currently at about 18% and falling. Early on I decided to start meetings without giving the people an opportunity to support the work because I didn’t want them to think that we were “only after their money.” Within a month, the Lord dealt with me to teach with the Bible says about money and offerings, and give the people an opportunity to get involved financially. If they responded to the word by acting or speaking in faith, what happened next was awesome.

• One woman had defaulted on a large loan (over $50,000). Her debt was forgiven and her credit expunged.
• Another woman was struggling in her business Rev. Daphne encouraged her that the Lord would give her good ideas. She changed her store and her business has more than tripled in less than a month.
• A third person shared Philippians 4:19 with a couple in a different city they were out of work and desperately trying to find a job without success. She told them to “say that for us all the time.” Within three days, the husband had a job. Sometime later, they wanted the house closer to this new job, however it was an expensive neighborhood. They began to say that they would find an affordable house in that area. They found one quickly. (This couple wasn’t even saved at the time. They have since accepted the Lord.)

January 2017 Testimony

Another businesswoman in our church had been told by her accountant that she would need to pay a fee and do some upgrades in her building in order to keep operating. It would cost $5,500-$7,000. She had been struggling to come up with the money for some time when she started to respond in faith to a teaching on seeking first the kingdom of God. Within days, the same account and said that he had found a different way to register her business so that she could keep operating legally without spending that money. God is good!

God is our provider no matter what the economy is doing. And you are next! You are tithing and giving to your church and obeying God with your finances. Speak God’s Word and expect him to do the same for you. It was his idea!