Living Stone Baptist Church

In all of our updates we have failed to tell you of perhaps the most important aspect of our ministry.  We could not accomplish or even begin the deputation process if it were not for Living Stone Baptist Church in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, our home church.  Living Stone has more than simply affirmed our call into full time ministry and service for Christ in Spain.  They have enabled it and encouraged it!

Living Stone’s history begins nine years ago when the idea for planting a church came up at First Baptist Church of Perkaise, Pennsylvania.  The idea developed into a reality in January 2003, when they held their first worship service in a building adjacent to First Baptist.  Tim Vander Stel was appointed as the pastor of this fledgling church and has served there since.  Approximately sixty members uprooted themselves from the comforts of a familiar church and rooted themselves in a new church plant. 

Lorena and I have an excellent example to imitate as we seek to multiply by church planting in Spain.  Pastor Tim has been a mentor, a leaer, and a shepherd to us.  We are grateful to God for a church and leadership that has affirmed God’s leading in our lives and has enabled us to seek other partnerships for the joy of the Gospel in Spain.  Acts 13 cannot be overlooked as Living Stone Baptist Church has done much like the church in Antioch did for Paul and Barnabas.  “Then after fasting and praying they laid hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:3)

Quebec, Canada

Bonjour  from Quebec, Canada.  We have been here visiting family and speaking in their church just outside Quebec City.  It is the first time I have had to be translated.  Not that I am always easily understood in English!  As a young people, we always were the ones doing the translating for pastors or friends that came to visit us in Peru or Spain, but now I needed my brother-in-law, Benoit, to translate into French. 

Being here reminded us of Spain.  In many ways Quebec and Spain resemble each other…cobblestones, quaint shops, and even a castle. But what stood out the most was their spiritual state.  Believers here in Quebec quickly understood when I said the Spanish are like Catholic atheists.  For in Quebec people claim Catholicism but practically God does not exist to them.  Our hearts are knit together understanding the need for the joy of the Gospel in both Quebec and Spain. 

We also wanted to share with you two pieces of good news.  First, our teammates, Scott and Juli, welcomed Dominic Joel into the world last Tuesday morning.  He weighed 6 pounds and measured 19 ½ inches.  The second piece of good news is that our support jumped this week from 11% to 13.5%.  Every time it jumps it puts us closer to Spain and makes us just a bit more excited.  Thank you for partnering in praying with us.

Deputation is a daunting task, but..."to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever an ever. Amen." Eph. 3:20, 21

Faith Baptist Church

During three years of my college experience at Northland International University, I and several other students piled into a car and drove three and half hours to Faith Baptist Church in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.  Every weekend Pastor Steinmetz and his wife poured themselves into us students.  When the time came for me to prepare my first message, it was he that I ran to for help.  We sat in his office for over an hour combing through my sermon outline.  In fact my very first message preached in a church was here at Faith Baptist. 

Fast forward five years. I have come back to Wisconsin Rapids for the purpose of preaching and sharing our vision for ministry in Spain.  Several new faces now sit in the pews.  Pastor Steinmetz still greets everyone as they funnel towards the exit after the service.  No one can escape him as he stands at the door.  Not much has seemed to change except that men and women are growing.  God has used Pastor Steinmetz’s investment in his member’s lives to grow them closer to Himself.

I am typing this out as we drive back to Pennsylvania on our sixteen hour trek back home, and I have plenty of time to reflect on the events of the weekend.  I realize how Faith Baptist and Pastor Steinmetz have continued investing in our lives. I echo Paul’s words with Faith Baptist Church in mind.  “I thank my God in every remembrance of you” (Phil. 1:3). 

Prayer Requests:
      1.  Scheduling church meetings for the next year.
      2.    Continued financial support from churches and individuals.
      3.   Safety as we travel many miles

"My Little Jerusalem Shot"

It was a rainy and dreary Sunday morning when Lorena and I pulled into the church parking lot of Crossroads Baptist Church.  We hadn't been there more than five minutes when Bob drove up in his car.  The church was still locked so we carried on a conversation between cars with our windows rolled down.  Bob shared with us how he had come to know Christ and how his life had been completely turned around because of God’s undeserving kindness.

When we finally got inside the church and out of the pouring rain, the atmosphere was noticeably different.  The folks were so kind to us.  They treated us well and asked good questions about Spain and missions in general. God's hand is at work in this small congregation.  The believers there desired to be in fellowship to learn about God.

Later that afternoon I found out why.  In the picture below you will see Pastor Becker and his wife.  He took us up to this little spot that sits looking over the city of Allentown. "There's our one little skyscraper," he said as he pointed between the trees to the city of Allentown.  He called this vista of Allentown his "Little Jerusalem Shot" for here he would at times come just to pray over his city.  The folks in his church are a direct result of the power of prayer and dependence upon God. What an example for me to follow while on deputation.

Prayer Requests:

·          Finalizing our move this week.

·          Scheduling meetings with churches for the next year.

·          Individual supporting partners.

Castilian Spanish

Many have asked me if my Latin American Spanish is any different than the spoken in Spain.  There is a slight variation, though not much of one.  Lorena’s Spanish is known as the Castilian Spanish.  The most noticeable difference between the two is what is called the “theta.”  Most “C’s” before i  and e as well as the letter “Z” are pronounced with a “TH” sound.  Here is an example using the word heart:  Corazón vs. Cora(th)ón.

Linguist debate where this subtle variation came from.  Some have suggested a Spanish King once had a lisp, and his subjects then took on the lisp in deference to him.  This is perhaps more mythical than anything.   Another suggestion by linguist scholars is that it is “related to a local pre-Roman language, or perhaps Basque.” (The History of Spain, p. 11)  In any event, my Spanish is now changing to the Castilian with Lorena’s help.  I have preached and carried on many conversations in Castilian without any significant problems. 

But if we went back a bit further in history, say a few thousand years, we would find a story that actually gives us insight into the origin of languages.  Genesis 11:1-9 explains to us not just the origin of languages but their purpose.  God in His mercy and grace exposes the builder’s sin of pride and fragments their one language into many so as to continue with His ultimate plan to redeem mankind through Jesus Christ.  So if you ever hear someone speaking another language, with or without the “theta,” let it be a reminder of God’s mercy and grace.

Prayer Requests

·          We will be moving to cut expenses as we travel. 

·          Fruit from relationship building with churches and individuals

·          Our sending church, Living Stone Baptist Church, as we grow alongside them.  

Candidate Seminar

Tax ramifications and government red tape for living in a foreign country are just not my particular field of expertise.  For the last week and half Lorena and I have saturated our minds in the Baptist Mid-Missions candidate seminar in Cleveland, Ohio.  We have been exposed to more legal documents than a mind should  be allowed to assimilate.  Both of us were missionary children, and we never would have guessed the massive amount of information our parents needed to know before moving to their respective mission fields.  It would be close to impossible for us to keep track of at minimum 10% of what our mission agency cares for us.  

With us during our training are Scott and Juli Fulks, our teammates.  Every evening after eight hours of candidate school, we have either prayed together, laughed together, or sorted through hours of video footage and images for a our dvd presentation.   Both Scott and Juli have encouraged us so much.  Almost every idea, pondering, vision, or insight is bounced off of them.  We could not have asked God for more fitting teammates.

To add to our excitement during our time here, we met a third couple now decided to go to Spain.  Jonathan and Hannah Romaine have exciting testimonies of God's grace.  We are thrilled to work on the same mission field as the Romaines and see His undeserving goodness in all our lives.

Old & New Spain

Did you know that 40% of Spanish men admit to having solicited a prostitute (La Vanguardia TV)?  According to the Menéame, 50 million Euros are spent every day on prostitution.  77% of Spanish adolescents, the upcoming generation, approve of homosexuality (El Mundo).  In approximately thirty to thirty-five years Spain has moved from a country emphasizing monogamy to a country emphasizing sexual liberty. 

Sin only becomes more obvious and more radical with every successive generation.  An older generation simply chose to conceal their sin while a new generation is more than indifferent.  They now accept and embrace sexual sin.  Only the grace of God can take a man or a woman ravaged by sin, fully pursuing their sinful passions, and make them a new creation in Christ.  "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:1-5

Isn’t this where we all once were before Christ?