Places Everyone, Places!

“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.” – 1 Corinthians 12:18

When I was in high school, I played in a couple of musicals. We learned our lines in practice for months in to prepare for opening night. Before each scene, we had to make sure we were in the right place on stage (or off stage if we were to enter during the scene) in order to correctly deliver our lines. Getting in place was not exciting or glamorous, but it was vital if the show was to be a success.

God has a great “show” planned for this time in history (Acts 2:17-21). The world is a stage, we Christians are his actors, and God himself is the master director calling out “Places everyone, places!” Each of us has words to be spoken and deeds to be done that God has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). However, in order for the show to come off as the Master plans, we must all be in our places.

And one of the scenes with our high school production, I had to position myself in a group of people next to a well in order to deliver my performance. You see, the show called for others to approach us during the scene so that we could interact with them. What would’ve happened if I had said, “I don’t like being by this well; I want to go stand by that tree”? Or, “I don’t want to be around this group of people; I’m going to hang out with those people over there“? If I had done that, all that I had work to accomplish would not have come to pass during the scene. I would have had everything I needed on the inside but not been in position to deliver it.

Let us consider our own lives. It may not be convenient to go to church both the Sunday in midweek services. Perhaps it is not our first choice to usher or work in the nursery. Maybe supporting our local church doesn’t seem convenient. As missionaries, we travel more than we would if we were our own Lord. The things God asks us to do may not always make sense to us. However, if our M is using them to get us in place for his end-time harvest, then it is vital that we obey. It is an honor and there’s great reward in serving the Lord!

When God instructs through the Bible and leads us by His Holy Spirit both in things that seem small and large, he is positioning us to be where we need to be to fulfill our role at this important time. The work is so great and the laborers so few (Matthew 9:37-38) that we were only accomplish God’s work in one way – by completely and specifically obeying His every direction. When we follow God in our service to the local church, and are praying, and are witnessing, and in our giving, we are cooperating with him in the greatest show of mercy and power that the world has ever known. Listening in the spirit, I believe we hear the director calling out, “places everyone, places!” Let us pursue his calling, his positioning, above all else.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The holiday season is already upon us. We are looking forward to doing some special events centered around Christmas and New Year’s day this year. Everything has been going very well in the ministry since our last update. We continue to see people saved and healed and to have first time and return visitors to our meetings. The Lord Jesus said “I will build my church…“ (Matthew 16:18). It is an honor to serve Him and watch Him work. Burgos will be won!

We are so blessed by your partnership through your prayers and giving. You’re making a big difference. We can’t thank you enough!

At Christmas, we pause to consider important things like the wonder of the Son of God born as a man, the life of giving, and blessing a family. But as Christians who meditate and practice God’s word and are part of a church family, we are privileged to live the whole year growing in the practical (practiced) knowledge of all God’s truth.

According to Mark 4:24 [AMP], Jesus said, “The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you…” As we think, study, and speak God’s Word, and spend time at church with our spiritual family, we will live in an ever-deepening relationship with God. Merry Christmas all year through!

What Is Happening In Burgos, Spain?

We returned to Spain in late May, and things have been great. We are doing a weekly Sunday service, a weekly prayer meeting, and spending extra time with our people. It is great to see them growing in knowledge and honor for the Word of God. In the beginning, most of what we did was very new, so singing during praise and worship, confessing the Word, and asking lots of questions are real signs of growth. The Bible is living and it is wonderful to see it come to life in human hearts!

Testimony: The daughter of one our members got into a bad relationship. We prayed for her at church that the Lord would send someone (a laborer) to give her guidance. Within a week, her boss talked to her about the relationship, and she broke it off.

What Is Happening Elsewhere In Spain?

We have been doing an online service and some Bible training for a couple in another city in Spain since the end of January. They are really running with the Word!

Testimonies:

• Their daughter accepted the Lord during one of our teaching sessions. Praise God!
• The wife prayed for her husband, and the Lord healed him from the flu.
• She has believed God and seen Him provide extra finances through increased hours at work.
• The husband of their friend could not find any steady work, and it was becoming a crisis (the unemployment rate is still over 20% here). She asked what they should do. One student told her to start confessing Philippians 4:19 (But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus) “all the time.” Her husband got a job right away and still has it months later.
• This husband saw how God had provided his job and wanted to move into Madrid (where apartments are expensive) so that he didn’t have to commute. He began to speak out Philippians 4:19 and that God would provide them affordable housing in Madrid before they left on vacation in June. Sure enough, just before leaving, they found a great place at a great price!
• This couple and their son accepted Jesus as Lord!!! (There is no better reason to teach that God provides. People see how good He is and want to serve Him!)
• They have invited a Muslim to participate in the teaching sessions. She is asking a lot of questions. When this Muslim lady’s son took a trip, he asked her if he could bring the book ‘God’s Medicine’ by Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin along to read on the bus, and she allowed it! Glory to God!

Thank you so much for your prayers and generous giving for all of the work that we do. While it can be difficult to measure, statistic show that less than one out of 100 people in Spain have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. There is a lot of hopelessness, and people need to know that Jesus is alive and God’s word works (if we put it into practice.) When Jesus saw all the hurting people around Him, He said, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38.) Please join with us in prayer and faith for many Christians and ministers to be sent out into the mission field. We must get in position to reach and teach all the people who need God’s love. We will cooperate with God’s moving and be right in the middle of all he has for us in this hour!

Our Trip To The USA

It was probably our fullest schedule ever. We traveled extensively around the country ministering in churches, meeting with ministers, and attending a conference.

Testimonies:

• I believe the greatest thing we do in the USA is serve, bless, and minister to the pastors. We never to teach the uncompromising Word of God and encourage everyone to contend for all that God has at this time. One pastor was clearly touched by our insistence that we do and see all that is in the Bible. Others wanted to share our message online or encouraged us to make CDs available so that more could hear the teachings.
• Without knowing why, the Lord dealt with us to attend a certain church service in another state. That day, the church had a missions focused and share the vision of some dear missionary friends who are being sent out into the field. It was such a blessing to be there!
• At one service we gave a testimony before the offering. Afterwards we were told that it was the biggest offering that ever received. (It wasn’t for us.) Praise God!

A Thought About Elections

Praise God, we had a good election in Spain on June 26. The communist had been on the rise here for the last year. The polls indicated that they would come in second in the selection and, perhaps, do you able to run the country with the help of the other left-wing party. Our church and people prayed and exercise our authority and prayed (alone with others, certainly) according to 1 Timothy 2, asking the Lord to give us wise leaders and wise voters. When the results came in, 1 million fewer voters had voted for the communist thing in the last election. They did not gain any seats in the parliament and continue to be the third largest party here. The leaders were dumbfounded. Thanks be unto God for helping us!

The ONLY hope for America’s government is for the Church of the Lord Jesus to take her authority and steadfastly and continually pray for our leaders and our voters. How long should we pray? We must continue until we see our country and our leaders return to God and godly principles. May the USA fulfill God’s plan!

What a time we have had in Europe! God has shown His faithfulness and given guidance in so many ways. Thank you for your faithful prayers and generous support!

Great Things Are Happening In Spain 

• Upon returning to Spain, two of our church members had rented two different storefronts for holding events. They both offered to let us use their building to hold church services. We chose the building that is in our neighborhood and hold services there for free. God is Good!
• WE have been training and preparing our people to be able to have services in Burgos while we are away. They are dong very well and will continue to meet after we return to the USA.
• One of our families moved across Spain to find work. We missed them but realized that they must do what they believe is best. Over the following months, they maintained contacts with us and expressed the desire to keep learning God’s Word from us. After much prayer, I began discipling one of them over the Internet. We meet weekly for nearly 2 hours. They are growing so much! They minister to people in the streets and have seen people saved or grow in God as a result. I am prayerfully considering visiting them next year to see what we can do to build the Lord’s Kingdom in their city. Glory to God!

In Paris, France – Three Days After Terrorist Attacks

The Lord dealt with us to visit Paris. We set up our trip, and then the terrorist attacks took place. We had peace to go, so we arrived in Paris three days after the attacks. Outwardly, things didn’t look very different, but we could sense the fear in the people. The occasional person told us that we were brave or warned us to be careful.

We simply endeavored to demonstrate the peace and love of God. We did a lot of praying for Paris. Since we don’t (yet) speak French, we were trusting God to connect us with French teachers and English speakers. He seemed to supernaturally connect us with a couple of French teachers and an ethnically Iranian English translator who is open to the gospel. Yes, I am still amazed by that last one! God is awesome!

We are having a great time teaching people how to find scriptures in the Bible and about God’s good plan for them through Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and financial support to help us accomplish this work.

What is going on in Burgos?

As you know, we have been traveling back and forth between the United States and Burgos, Spain for the past 2 and a half years. We have focused on building relationships with people and serving them any way we can. On June 1, we began weekly Sunday services which are set up as a 14-week, evangelistic class on what the Bible teaches us about relationships, money, mental peace, and health. 

Each of our classes have had 3-6 locals in attendance. Some did not have a Bible in their home before we met them. We are teaching our students how to find scriptures and read the Bible for themselves. The gospel is being preached, and people have the opportunity to accept Christ in every class.

Our 14-week class ends on August 31. We are currently working on the next step. Depending on God’s leading and our attenders’ level of interest we will probably either begin church services, continue the meetings as a home Bible study, or discontinue the classes and begin another module in early 2015. Please, pray for wisdom. We trust God to move us forward in His highest plan for this group.

Honored By Our Connections

We must be God’s favorite! Why? Because we have the greatest partners and partner churches in the world. God showed us how much He loved us by putting us around people like you! Thank you for every prayer you have prayed, every opportunity to minister, and every dollar you have given. We are a team in Christ’s service.

We are especially humbled to have been recognized as an official outreach of our home church, Family Church in Fredonia, NY. On June first, they hung a map of Spain (with the Burgos outreach marked by the cross) on the sanctuary wall. We served in Fredonia for over 5 years and received so much good training from our Pastors Michael and Nancy Lokietek. They have counseled us and generously supported us in every step of our journey. We can truly say that we are honored to be part of the family!

Look What The Lord Has Done!

As I was working on this update, two of our class members stopped by the apartment for counseling. Both of them accepted Jesus as their Lord for the first time! Please pray for them as they begin their walk with God. Thank you so much for helping us come to Spain. We are having a great experience as we watch God touch lives!

One of our attenders and her son were facing a lot of problems. We prayed a general prayer with her. A few days later she told us that God heard our prayer and that her 18 year-old son had two good job opportunities open up to him (in a county with 25% unemployment)!

Another woman had faithfully attended an evangelical church before moving to Burgos 15 years ago. She hasn’t gone to any church here because she couldn’t find one with good doctrine. Now she and her 16-year-old (who had never been involved in a church) are faithful attenders of our services.

An American man was on a pilgrimage through Spain in search of God. College had left him empty and with a problem with alcohol. He accepted the Lord in our apartment, we gave him a small bible, and we prayed for him and taught him how to live free from alcoholism.

All the glory belongs to the Lord!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and generosity. It is with great anticipation that we are preparing to start having services here in less than three weeks (Sunday, June 1)!  The meeting room is reserved. The flyers and posters are at the printer. Bibles and faith-building books will be available. Best of all, we have friends that are looking forward to coming.  One of them keeps asking, “When are we starting? I will definitely be there!” Another tells us she is trying to think of all the people that she can invite. It is exciting to be a part of what God is doing. We are so thankful that you are a part of it too!

Praying For Our Services

One of our best and most humbling experiences on the mission field has been sensing our partners’ prayer support.  Some days and in some projects we experience extra strength and ability from God, and we know that you are praying. Thank you so much!  God is good and is answering your prayers!

Here is a brief list of ways that you can pray for our upcoming services:

1. Pray for us as we teach the Bible in Spanish. (Ephesians 6:19)

We must share God’s Word with boldness and fluidity in our second language!

2. Pray God’s power will be displayed to meet needs. (Zechariah 10:1)

The rain referred to in this scripture symbolizes the Holy Spirit.  Just like rain causes a seed to grow, the power of the Holy Spirit causes the seed of the Word of God to grow in people’s hearts.

3. Pray that those who don’t know God will know Him. (Ezekiel 22:30)

God asks us to pray for those who are far from Him, so that they won’t suffer the pain that comes from a life without God.  He wants to bless everyone.  If we pray, it opens people up to God and His blessings.

4. Pray this general prayer for the ministry in Burgos:

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.”                                             

2 Thessalonians 3:1&2 (ESV)

Doors Open In Spain

So much of what we have been working for in Burgos, Spain began to open up to us during our recent trip.  After several administrative details, we became official Spanish residents with government issued ID cards.  The relationships we have been cultivating since we first went to Burgos are growing much deeper, and we continue to meet and develop relationships with people.  Burgos are growing much deeper, and we continue to meet and develop relationships with people.  I recently counted over 40 relationships with people that we are trying to reach in Spain.  And God is moving.  This trip we were able to share the whole gospel message of Jesus Christ with a couple of our closest friends.  Later we taught them more truths from God’s Word.  And before they knew that we are working to start a Family Church, one of them told us that Burgos needs a good church (and they didn’t even own a Bible until we gave them one)!  We found a very good location to begin having services in the future and the future and have begun the legal work necessary to form a church. God is good!

Brothers, Pray For Us

The Apostle Paul, a missionary to Southwestern Asia and Southern Europe, was inspired by God to write the following while he was in prison for preaching the gospel: “…through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance…” (Philippians 1:19). The Bible also says that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (James 5:16). The Bible says that we who have faith in Christ have been made righteous by God. Your prayers make a BIG difference. We know that you spend time praying for our government leaders and for your Pastor and fellowshipping with God. These should be our priorities.  However, as the Lord leads and helps you, please pray for us. We can often tell when you are praying because things go so smoothly as we move forward in the work. If you would like any specific prayers to pray, e-mail me. Thank you so much for your faithfulness. We are praying for you too!

The Future Is Bright

Many exciting things are happening as we follow God, and we would not experience it without you, our partners.  Because we try to keep our newsletters short, I do not have room to share it all.  The highlights are listed below.  If you want more details, e-mail me.  Please pray for us as we endeavor to follow God and please Him in everything.

1. We will be itinerating and meeting with pastors and other ministers in Georgia, Florida, California and Alabama in January and February
2. We are consulting with US and Spanish lawyers to learn how to form a nonprofit organization (for church planting) that can easily function in the US and overseas.
3. We will be in the Northeastern US in March to do much needed paperwork and to meet with partners, ministers, and churches.
4. We plan to return to Spain in April to continue working on the Family Church plant.
5. We have learned that there is extensive groundwork to be done when planting an overseas work and are exploring the possibility of doing the groundwork for future works while still planting the work in Burgos.  We travel some for this purpose when necessary.