Pastors: You are welcome to use this in a church service. Let us know if you do! It's always encouraging to know someone is praying for us!
Church Planting in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: The Back Door for Reaching the US Spanish Speaking Population. Our ministry is Church planting and training men and women for Christian service at Puerto Rico Baptist College. We are reaching people here, who immigrate and reach others in Spanish speaking communities across our nation.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
The Prelgovisk's in Puerto Rico Video Prayer Letter
I made my first video missionary "prayer letter" with a Puerto Rican friend, Roque Becerra. Together we share what is happening here in Puerto Rico, both the blessings and the needs that we face here.
Pastors: You are welcome to use this in a church service. Let us know if you do! It's always encouraging to know someone is praying for us!
Pastors: You are welcome to use this in a church service. Let us know if you do! It's always encouraging to know someone is praying for us!
Friday, May 08, 2020
Getting Out the Good News in New Ways

My pulpit looks different, but I'm still preaching, teaching, and reaching out to others.
I'm giving sermons from my small home office. I record them on Zoom, convert them, and post them on YouTube, then send out the links to our church members.
I made a Facebook page for our church where we can share our teaching, preaching, and send encouraging messages. We can geofence invitations and posts also. They can be sent to people that live within just a 1 mile walk from the church. That is important, because a lot of people walk to church and parking is a problem in our town.
In our Bible College, I'm teaching Biblical Greek and a Christian Ed class on metrics. I'm also using Google Classroom to teach Computer Science and Music classes for a Christian school here, Levittown Baptist Academy..
We are using what we have and are happy to do it. But, I would like to get a webcam to improve what we are doing. We found that the ones recommended to us, the Logitech C920S and a few other models, are out of stock. I think we might go for the budget choice, the Echo, because it's in stock and the price is $62, and it will certainly be better than the laptop camera.
I'm not happy about the restrictions, but I am glad that we leaned how to use some new methods and technology during this time. I think we will keep using all the methods. Why not have multiple hooks in the water, if you want to catch some fish?
Sunday, April 05, 2020
People ask "How can I give?" Here is how!
When people are led to give toward our ministry, we are humbled, encouraged, and very, very thankful!
Sometimes we get requests asking us the best way to give. Here are ways to give, Please use the one that best fits your preferred way of giving.
1. Through your church. If you are in a church that already supports us, you may give the gift through them. It helps to inform them it is an extra gift, so it will be added to the support they already send.
2. Through our mission agency, Continental Baptist Missions
Online ( include our name in the memo)
By mail ( Tell them it's for us)
Continental Baptist Missions
11650 Northland Dr NE
Rockford, MI 49341-8706
(616) 863-2226
info@gocbm.org
3. Through PayPal to Prelgovisk@yahoo.com
4. Through direct mail. Some people like to send packages directly to us. Puerto Rico is in the US postal service.
Steve and Tina Prelgovisk
33-15 Calle 31
Urb. Sierra Bayamon
Bayamon, PR 00961
5. Personal visit!
Give us a heads up on this one!
Please feel free to contact us about any questions you have.
Thanks for caring and thanks for making a difference!
Sometimes we get requests asking us the best way to give. Here are ways to give, Please use the one that best fits your preferred way of giving.
1. Through your church. If you are in a church that already supports us, you may give the gift through them. It helps to inform them it is an extra gift, so it will be added to the support they already send.
Online ( include our name in the memo)
By mail ( Tell them it's for us)
Continental Baptist Missions
11650 Northland Dr NE
Rockford, MI 49341-8706
(616) 863-2226
info@gocbm.org
3. Through PayPal to Prelgovisk@yahoo.com
4. Through direct mail. Some people like to send packages directly to us. Puerto Rico is in the US postal service.
Steve and Tina Prelgovisk
33-15 Calle 31
Urb. Sierra Bayamon
Bayamon, PR 00961
5. Personal visit!
Give us a heads up on this one!
Please feel free to contact us about any questions you have.
Thanks for caring and thanks for making a difference!
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Shaking in Bed Saturday, OK Sunday!
Saturday morning, our bed began shaking. It felt like the bed got shoved an inch back and forth in different directions for about a minute. I've been in earthquakes before, so I thought it felt like maybe a strong 5 point something earthquake. But after the 6.4 one earlier, followed by a swarm of minor quakes, a bit of anxiety came along with the quake.
A hurricane you can prepare for, but when the ground starts shaking, and you realize you're in a quake, you don't know if it's going to be a minor one or keep growing until the house falls down. You just have to ride it out and see.
We checked the news and saw that the Catholic church sent out a message that all masses were to be held outdoors. Some hospitals put patients and beds in the parking lots. As the day progressed we tried to get more info.

Sunday, we found the mountain road to our church was closed due to landslides. The detour we were forced to take was quite an adventure. It took us about an hour and a half to get to church this morning, winding our way through a couple of other small towns to get there. The town mayor said that because of hurricane Maria, the island government has been focusing reconstruction around the big metro areas and our the rural danger areas have been neglected. He predicted the road would be closed until February and then, only one lane opened.
No one said it would be easy!
Church was a blessing. Everyone had an earthquake story. Besides loss of power and water, none of us suffered loss. One the girls from our Bible college and her family were forced to leave their damaged apartment, but none of them were hurt.
We are thankful, especially since our electricity came back on, and we have ice and air-conditioning again, and are safe and sound.
We thank God and thank you for your prayers!
Requests:
1. Tina has had a bad case of bronchitis she is trying to get over. Prays appreciated.
2. I would like to replace our aging Briggs and Stratton generator with one that has an auto start. Our model is a beast to start with a pull cord and if I'm not home, no way could Tina do it be herself.
3. We have raised about $40,000 toward the purchase of a church home for our congregation. For $140,000, we can get a building the Jehovah Witnesses are holding on to. We would like to see ourselves there and them not there! Monthly contributions towards this will help it grow and help us get there.
Please pray and ask the Lord to supply our needs and send us the help needed to do the work of missions here in the Caribbean. Thanks again!
A hurricane you can prepare for, but when the ground starts shaking, and you realize you're in a quake, you don't know if it's going to be a minor one or keep growing until the house falls down. You just have to ride it out and see.
We checked the news and saw that the Catholic church sent out a message that all masses were to be held outdoors. Some hospitals put patients and beds in the parking lots. As the day progressed we tried to get more info.

Sunday, we found the mountain road to our church was closed due to landslides. The detour we were forced to take was quite an adventure. It took us about an hour and a half to get to church this morning, winding our way through a couple of other small towns to get there. The town mayor said that because of hurricane Maria, the island government has been focusing reconstruction around the big metro areas and our the rural danger areas have been neglected. He predicted the road would be closed until February and then, only one lane opened.
No one said it would be easy!
Church was a blessing. Everyone had an earthquake story. Besides loss of power and water, none of us suffered loss. One the girls from our Bible college and her family were forced to leave their damaged apartment, but none of them were hurt.
We are thankful, especially since our electricity came back on, and we have ice and air-conditioning again, and are safe and sound.
We thank God and thank you for your prayers!
Requests:
1. Tina has had a bad case of bronchitis she is trying to get over. Prays appreciated.

3. We have raised about $40,000 toward the purchase of a church home for our congregation. For $140,000, we can get a building the Jehovah Witnesses are holding on to. We would like to see ourselves there and them not there! Monthly contributions towards this will help it grow and help us get there.
Please pray and ask the Lord to supply our needs and send us the help needed to do the work of missions here in the Caribbean. Thanks again!
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Orion, Puerto Rico, and the Visit of the Wise Men.
It’s around late November and early December that people begin to notice Orion in the evening sky.
I pointed out Orion's belt to a church member one night. He told me that those were the "Reyes," the wise men on their way, following the star, to find the new born king.
I don't think Orion's belt was made to tell that story, but you know what? When a Puerto Rican looks up at the sky at night and sees the Wise Men on the way to see Jesus, well, that's a lot better than any message the story of Orion has ever given me.
So, good for them, and maybe it's time we updated some of our traditions to tell a better story and share a more important message than comes from our traditions.
The Wise men arrive Jan. 6th. The night before, children fill the boxes with grass for the horses (yes, the wise men ride HORSES in Puerto Rico, NOT camels). In the morning, the children find the shoe boxes full of presents, left by the Wise men in token of their thanks.
Now, isn't that a better story and tradition than our Santa Claus and how we have made Christmas a snow festival?
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Hurricane Dorian and the Prelgovisk's
Forecast to pass us on the SOUTH-WEST |
School was canceled here on the island as the hurricane was projected to miss us by 180 miles to the south east. It seemed like excessive caution at the time. But we took some basic precautions anyway.
A day later, the track showed Dorian making a direct hit through the town we live in! We kept checking the weather reports and asked for prayer. That night, Dorian moved to over 100 miles to the north-east!
Passed us on the NORTH-EAST! |
Hurricanes that miss us still take their toll. Depending on the level of stress, people will distill and store water, hurricane proof the house and yard, reschedule activities and allow church attendance to suffer. Then, every thing that was done to prepare for the hurricane has to be undone. It is a bit of an annoyance, but we just look upon it as a drill to be better prepared for the next one.
Please continue praying for us!
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
How a Dead Porcupine Helped Start a Mission Agency
In the 1940's, a business man turned evangelist was visiting a pastor and his wife who lived in the remote, upper peninsula of Michigan. The formerly friendly family seemed unhappy to see him. He found out why. They were down to their last potato, but the pastor had clubbed a porcupine and brought it home. They were loathe to share their only food. But, they did.

I'm sure glad they did. We joined the agency, now known as Continental Baptist Missions, and are in a church planting work in the US Caribbean, among the 3.1 million souls who live on the island of Puerto Rico.
We never had to eat a porcupine, or even a Puerto Rican iguana so far. We are so glad to be working here with Continental Baptist missions and supporting churches who care about reaching the lost in remote places like these.
Friday, March 22, 2019
How a Simple Request Boosted Our Spirits
I checked with Continental Baptist Missions and they have a nice, easy to use online giving app called Pushpay. I checked it out and it looks simple. and easy to use.
I like that. Simplicity in giving is biblical. "...he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity..." Rom 12:8.
Once on the CBM online giving page,
- Select "missionary" from the drop down menu
- Under "Memo," put our name and what you are giving towards ( Prelgovisk: Church Building, Prelgovisk: home, etc.)
- Select how mow much and how often you want to give
After you're set up, it makes it very simple to keep giving without filling in or mailing anything after that.
Our friend set an amount for $200 a month!
What a blessing when simple, biblical giving can be!
We got the news Sunday morning while speaking to our people about buying a Jehovah Witness building and converting it into a Baptist church. I got goose bumps!
Please visit the online giving page at CBM and prayfully ask God, how much and how often you could give.
Sunday, February 10, 2019
We could not believe the price!
We could not believe the price. A church available for the price of a house!
My deacon Luis Lopez and his wife passed by a Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall and saw a "For Sale" sign on it. We went and investigated it today.
The building is in a good neighborhood, built on a hill well above the highest flood water line. It is a two story building of 35,133.4
sq. feet, with a lot across the street of just over 21,300 square feet. It has parking for about 40 cars.
The asking price for all of this is $164,900!
Plus, it is already zoned and has all the permits for use as a church, which are hard to get here in Puerto Rico.
In a small town and in our post hurricane disaster economy, home prices have fallen, making this a tremendous bargain.
Our current, temporary building is comfy and cheap, but it t has mold issues affecting some of our members. We really need better place for growth and the health issues of our members.
Could you help us toward this goal?
Our church has over $21,000 saved toward a goal like this. That leaves $144,000. It seems like a mountain of a price for us. But, like Caleb, we can ask for that mountain!
Joshua 14: 12 Now therefore give me this mountain...
If you can help, please send a special offering to us through our mission agency or here online and put our name (Prelgovisk family) where it says MEMO.
Continental Baptist Missions
11650 Northland Drive NE
Rockford, MI 49341, (616) 863-2226
https://gocbm.org/contact
11650 Northland Drive NE
Rockford, MI 49341, (616) 863-2226
https://gocbm.org/contact
Saturday, February 09, 2019
Harvest Prayer Answered: Puerto Rican Pastors Rally to Work to Build Our Church
I have been praying for someone to go with me on visitation on Saturdays. I don't like to go visiting door to door alone here in Puerto Rico.
This last week, the pastor of a church I helped get started volunteered to go with me on visitation. His name is Angel Espada, which means "Angel Sword" in English, a great name for a pastor! He said he could give me one or two Saturdays a month. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it was a real emotional boost. During days when we hear a lot of "No's," having a visitation partner makes a difference, as we encourage each other, keep on going, and visit more people. I could also visit people with a partner that I would not otherwise visit if I was visiting alone.
Today, I just got a call from another Puerto Rican pastor, Gabriel, whom I had helped in the past. He said he wanted to help me visit every Saturday. Gabriel also asked if he could bring along another man who he is grooming to be a future pastor so he can train him in evangelism! Also, he wanted to know if it was OK to visit in the town and pass out gospel tracts on additional days or times! I said yes, along with a lot of "Amen's!"
After all this time praying, how sweet it is to hear people from our past volunteering to give us a hand in one of the most difficult areas of church planting, soul winning visitation!
Rejoice with us, but please continue praying that the Lord of the harvest would send us workers, that their good intentions and offers of help would be realized, and that our church would grow and prosper from the labor of these willing, worthy workers!
This last week, the pastor of a church I helped get started volunteered to go with me on visitation. His name is Angel Espada, which means "Angel Sword" in English, a great name for a pastor! He said he could give me one or two Saturdays a month. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it was a real emotional boost. During days when we hear a lot of "No's," having a visitation partner makes a difference, as we encourage each other, keep on going, and visit more people. I could also visit people with a partner that I would not otherwise visit if I was visiting alone.
Today, I just got a call from another Puerto Rican pastor, Gabriel, whom I had helped in the past. He said he wanted to help me visit every Saturday. Gabriel also asked if he could bring along another man who he is grooming to be a future pastor so he can train him in evangelism! Also, he wanted to know if it was OK to visit in the town and pass out gospel tracts on additional days or times! I said yes, along with a lot of "Amen's!"
After all this time praying, how sweet it is to hear people from our past volunteering to give us a hand in one of the most difficult areas of church planting, soul winning visitation!
Rejoice with us, but please continue praying that the Lord of the harvest would send us workers, that their good intentions and offers of help would be realized, and that our church would grow and prosper from the labor of these willing, worthy workers!
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Puerto Rico to California: After Hurricane Recovery Report
Tina and I are planning our 2019 summer and feel we should visit family, friends, and supporters in California.
We would like to catch up, and share our missionary experiences, especially what going through hurricane Maria was like.
We also want to share what we look forward to accomplishing in our church planting and Bible college ministry here in Puerto Rico.
If you would like to met us, host us, help us with transportation, or help us to find a missionary apartment for June-July, please let us know.
We would like to catch up, and share our missionary experiences, especially what going through hurricane Maria was like.
We also want to share what we look forward to accomplishing in our church planting and Bible college ministry here in Puerto Rico.
If you would like to met us, host us, help us with transportation, or help us to find a missionary apartment for June-July, please let us know.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Fishers of Men Tackle Box Additions
Good fishermen have tackle boxes with a good selection of items to choose from, the tried and true and sometimes, something new. We want to be good "fishers of men" so here is what we are currently doing.
The Tried and True: For door to door evangelism, we have recently bought a couple of boxes of gospel tracts. We like the ones that have print big that are easy to read for our poor rural people who often can't afford eyeglasses. The one's that are well illustrated and have fewer words seem to to be the ones that get read the most.
Passing them out in mountain neighborhoods, on hillsides without streets, makes for a lot of hill climbing. We navigate narrow cement stairs that zig-zag up the mountainsides. Some of my previous visitation partners have health issues that have them less able to accompany me. I am trying to recruit new helpers. I have visited alone and will do so if necessary, but visiting with others is the Biblical pattern and it certainly is best. Please pray that I can find some new visitation partners soon.
Something New: A Puerto Rican pastor's son I know and I talked about a new thing we heard of. We learned that on Facebook you can put a circle around a community, say a 5 mile radius around the church, and boost a post to that community. So we tried it. I wrote an invitation to our church, connected a Google map to it and set it to run for 7 days. Here is what happened.
We got a lot of reaction! For about the same cost of a box of tracts, we got 206 reactions, 55 written comments, and 29 shares! A few of the comments were negative, but I was able to answer objections, dialog with some people, and was encouraged by the vast majority of positive comments. We received a lot of promises for prayer, and even promises to attend.
We will keep doing the tried and true, but will also continue with the something new. I think this will be a great addition to the various way we do or could do evangelism here where we labor in the interior mountain region of rural Puerto Rico.
The Tried and True: For door to door evangelism, we have recently bought a couple of boxes of gospel tracts. We like the ones that have print big that are easy to read for our poor rural people who often can't afford eyeglasses. The one's that are well illustrated and have fewer words seem to to be the ones that get read the most.
Passing them out in mountain neighborhoods, on hillsides without streets, makes for a lot of hill climbing. We navigate narrow cement stairs that zig-zag up the mountainsides. Some of my previous visitation partners have health issues that have them less able to accompany me. I am trying to recruit new helpers. I have visited alone and will do so if necessary, but visiting with others is the Biblical pattern and it certainly is best. Please pray that I can find some new visitation partners soon.
Something New: A Puerto Rican pastor's son I know and I talked about a new thing we heard of. We learned that on Facebook you can put a circle around a community, say a 5 mile radius around the church, and boost a post to that community. So we tried it. I wrote an invitation to our church, connected a Google map to it and set it to run for 7 days. Here is what happened.
We got a lot of reaction! For about the same cost of a box of tracts, we got 206 reactions, 55 written comments, and 29 shares! A few of the comments were negative, but I was able to answer objections, dialog with some people, and was encouraged by the vast majority of positive comments. We received a lot of promises for prayer, and even promises to attend.
We will keep doing the tried and true, but will also continue with the something new. I think this will be a great addition to the various way we do or could do evangelism here where we labor in the interior mountain region of rural Puerto Rico.
Sunday, September 09, 2018
Preparing for the worst, praying for the best
Hurricane Issac is coming. We are in the cone of probability for a strike this coming Friday. Although for now, it looks like the northern edge of Issac will scrape the underbelly of our island. If it misses us, it might seem that all the time, materials, and expense of being totally prepared was wasted. Well, not really. It serves as a good drill for weathering future storms. Preparing for Irma last year left in a better position to survive Maria that devastated the island a year ago.
Saturday, September 01, 2018
A Recovery and a Wedding

Recently, a storm passed us to the south and panic gripped our area causing many store shelves to be quickly emptied of key supplies.
It feels like paranoia, but it is understandable. People suffered much more during and after the hurricanes than early reports indicated. Those experiences have not been forgotten. It was a false alarm, but alarms like these take their toll.
We suffered the loss of the church building we were renting near the city center. Church members lost roofs and were forced to move away to live with relatives in other towns. Our numbers decreased, but we kept our congregation together. Our people wanted to continue as a church and continue an outreach and church planting ministry to our devastated town of Comerio.
We began meeting again, first in a home for a while, and then in a small concrete building that was a video rental store that was operated by a church member who died of cancer last year.
It is like beginning again, but with a good dedicated core group as a team that has a lot of good will and experience. Our church has saved twenty thousand dollars toward getting a building of our own, so we have that to draw on in emergencies. Friends and supporters sent us financial gifts to help. It was a blessing to be in a position to distribute food, tarps to cover damaged homes, and to help repair storm and tree damage to our Bible college. The resilience of our people and the positive progress we are seeing is very encouraging.
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Sarah & Mario Fragela |
We had the wedding here and had quite a few people in our home. I preformed the ceremony and was able to give a simple and clear gospel message along with the vows. From all accounts, it went well.
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Kristin & Danny Becerra |
We are happy survived the storm. We are enjoying the smiles and help of new people. We are thankful for a core of faithful and dedicated church members who have sacrificed to continue the work of church planting in the rural mountain areas of Puerto Rico. We are thankful also for your help and encouragement.
It has made a big difference. Please continue your prayer and support for our missionary work here in Puerto Rico.
Saturday, July 07, 2018
How our hospitality turned into a TV interview
Tina was interviewed for a TV segment about Puerto Rico recovery efforts yesterday (Segment starts at 3:05, Tina's part: 7:45). Chuck Holton, A former army Ranger, visited the island as trouble-spot news correspondent for NRA TV. We met him and some of his helpers and showed them around the day they arrived. Chuck brought a SAT phone and allowed our Bible college kids to contact their parents to say they were OK. That night, they could not find lodging in any hotels, so we offered our home as a base for them the week they were here. They left us some cool inflatable solar lanterns which came in handy for our Sept-Jan period of no electricity.
Chuck remembered us when he went to do an update on the recovery (or non-recovery) here in Puerto Rico. He called us by Skype and Tina gave him an update on the state of things on the island.
We appreciate Chuck and are grateful for his help and also for getting the word out on what is happening down here. Chuck and crew are great people to have around when things get tough.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
How We Use Gospel Tracts on the Mission Field.
We use gospel tracts here in Puerto Rico.
I ordered a "Sampler Pack" or assortment of gospel tracts from a couple of places. We got a nice selection online from a place called "Moments with the Book"
I asked our people to read and evaluate them. We look for tracts that have clarity in communicating the Gospel, are likely to be read, and that our members would feel good about giving to someone.
Then we ordered a bunch of the ones that our members liked the best.
I find that the members of our missionary church are more likely to pass out tracts they have read and got exited about, than those we just order and put out in a tract rack.
Scheduling a "Tract Day" is something we have done in the past and I think we will do again in the near future. We pick a day, usually a Saturday from 10-2. We try and get everyone from our church, plus maybe some friends from other churches, to pass out tracts with us. Then we split up into small groups and have a tract blitz, blanketing different areas of our town with tracts. After a couple of hours, we return to the church for lunch and share our experiences. I ask our helpers to give a testimony Sunday morning about their experiences to encourage the church.
Does it work?
Having a tract in hand makes it easier for our people to visit homes than just walking up to a door with a Bible. Since it's easier, the tracts make the visit between our members and neighborhood people more likely to happen. It is true that the personal contact and the shared testimony of our members is more likely to encourage others to make a life changing decision than the tracts we give out, but the presence of a tract giver, giving a positive testimony, makes the tracts more likely to be read and for that message to be received in a way that will make a difference.
So, Yes! It works!
I asked our people to read and evaluate them. We look for tracts that have clarity in communicating the Gospel, are likely to be read, and that our members would feel good about giving to someone.
Then we ordered a bunch of the ones that our members liked the best.
I find that the members of our missionary church are more likely to pass out tracts they have read and got exited about, than those we just order and put out in a tract rack.
Scheduling a "Tract Day" is something we have done in the past and I think we will do again in the near future. We pick a day, usually a Saturday from 10-2. We try and get everyone from our church, plus maybe some friends from other churches, to pass out tracts with us. Then we split up into small groups and have a tract blitz, blanketing different areas of our town with tracts. After a couple of hours, we return to the church for lunch and share our experiences. I ask our helpers to give a testimony Sunday morning about their experiences to encourage the church.
Does it work?
Having a tract in hand makes it easier for our people to visit homes than just walking up to a door with a Bible. Since it's easier, the tracts make the visit between our members and neighborhood people more likely to happen. It is true that the personal contact and the shared testimony of our members is more likely to encourage others to make a life changing decision than the tracts we give out, but the presence of a tract giver, giving a positive testimony, makes the tracts more likely to be read and for that message to be received in a way that will make a difference.
So, Yes! It works!
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Boldness from the Book: From Surviving to Thriving
I give a devotional on Wednesday mornings to the 7th through 12th graders at Levittown Baptist Academy in the town of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.
They can get pretty excited about things..
I also teach Bible to a class of 8th graders twice a week. Just one of me and thirty-three of them for an hour. Some days that hour seems like it's a lot longer than an hour.
I used to be intimidated by the thought of speaking to rowdy groups of kids. But, even when there doesn't seem to be enough of me to last that hour with the lot of them, I have always found that the Word of God is enough to get us through. It is sufficient in itself to do miraculous things. It is easier to boldly proclaim something when you know with a certainty that it has the power to change lives for the better.
So here we are, missionaries in Puerto Rico, boldly proclaiming the Word of God, not just on Sundays, but during the week as well.
You may also note that we seem a bit tired at times. That's OK too. I don't mind getting tired doing something that's worth while doing, and nothing is worth doing more than reaching the souls of men (or rowdy school kids) with the Word of God. It has the power to change lives. That's something we should all get exited about.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Replanting Can Be a Good Thing
Our church is being replanted again as well. We have rented a small building in a new location. We have met there now for the last 3 weeks. Every week it is looking better and there is a good spirit among our people. Please pray that our church might prosper as it is replanted in its new location.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Rebuilding Hurricane Damaged Puerto Rico Baptist College
After four months of no electricity and numerous months of rebuilding, we are trying to get back to our practice of weekly ministry updates.
People responded to our needs and sent money to help rebuild missing roofs, personal losses, and to repair damage at Puerto Rico Baptist College. The fence between our Bible college and a mechanic's car strewn field was taken out by the hurricane and a number of very large trees that came crashing down on it. But thanks to gifts that we have received, we were able to contribute $2000 towards rebuilding it. Now, not only does the school look better, but because of the wall, it is more secure.
Tina has been taking pictures of the progress on her way to cook meals for the students. It's going up!
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Seeking Calm in the Tempest
Irma scraped us, but Maria is coming at us head on.
We are busy hurricane proofing the house, as much as possible anyway.
Windows are sealed, dry foods and water are stored and we are securing what we can.
Tina opened up the vending machine at our Bible College to distribute what was in there among the students that will be waiting out the storm in the dorms.
The scary thing about this hurricane is that the hurricane force winds are to last about 24 hours. That is a long time under that kind of stress. Please pray for our safety and that we might be able to encourage our church members and Bible College students through this tempestuous trial.
We are busy hurricane proofing the house, as much as possible anyway.
Windows are sealed, dry foods and water are stored and we are securing what we can.
Tina opened up the vending machine at our Bible College to distribute what was in there among the students that will be waiting out the storm in the dorms.
The scary thing about this hurricane is that the hurricane force winds are to last about 24 hours. That is a long time under that kind of stress. Please pray for our safety and that we might be able to encourage our church members and Bible College students through this tempestuous trial.
Monday, September 04, 2017
Scarier Every Time I Look
We are following the track of Hurricane Irma, and it seems to be inching its way towards us. At first, the projected trajectory showed it missing our island by over a hundred miles to the north. But ever since then, the cone of probability has continues to move south and we now have a 50/50 chance of getting hit with hurricane force winds sometime between Wednesday and Thursday.
Prayers are appreciated whether we get a direct hit or not. Hurricanes that miss us still take their toll.
We have to distill and store water, hurricane proof the house and yard, reschedule activities and church attendance suffers. But then again, a miss is better than a direct hit.
Please pray for our safety here on the mission field of Puerto Rico
Monday, June 05, 2017
Special Music for a Missionary Church
Special music for a missionary church is extra special, since new works tend to be small. But God has graciously lent us some young people with big talent. Jhonatan Ponce and Josue Coca from Bolivia are studying here with us at Puerto Rico Baptist College. Jhonatan has been active in our church for two years now.
Thank you for giving us this gift of special music!
Friday, June 02, 2017
Former student becomes a missionary helping other missionaires!
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Left: Bairo Corrales, Missionary-Colombia, Right: Giovanni, Missionary-Guatemala, Regional Field Director of Latin America, International Partnership Missions |
To my surprise, I found an interview of Bairo that was done by one of my earlier students, Giovanni Avendaño, who, to my bigger surprise, had become Regional Field Director for Latin America for International Partnership Missions.
I taught Giovanni when I was a new missionary on the island about 20 years ago. He graduated, worked in a church in the US for a while and then became a missionary to his home country, Guatemala. I lost track of him. Today, I am so glad to hear that he has prospered in the ministry.
I was also happy to hear that our vision of being missionaries, who make missionaries, who make missionaries, is coming true.
Click here to hear it
It has an English translation voice over, so you don't need Spanish to hear it. The interview starts at about 0:57, after the intro.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Our Power Outages Make Headlines
I knew we had a lot of annoying power outages here in Puerto Rico, but I didn't know how bad it was I read this summary of it today in the news article below..
It is not unusual to for our electricity system to go out during a church service. Computers, sound systems, and other sensitive electronics can suffer from brownouts and power surges. Sometimes frozen vegetables have mold on them, showing that they thawed and were refrozen. People here eat dried cod fish (Bacalao) or fresh fish. The frozen fish might be OK, but it's chancy, because of the freezing, thawing and refreezing cycles. How many has that fish been through?
Leaving stuff in the church refrigerator during the week, like milk for our coffee, is a bit dangerous also. Sometimes we find a puddle of water in the kitchen area that came from when the fridge thawed out during the week.
We do have a power generator, but it is so loud, that we really can't use it without having the neighbors complain, or if we want to hear ourselves think.
Are we unhappy? Complaining? No. We usually just wait for the power to come back on and enjoy a day of reading, board games or having conversations.
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NASA image of Puerto Rico at night, before and during a power outage |
Leaving stuff in the church refrigerator during the week, like milk for our coffee, is a bit dangerous also. Sometimes we find a puddle of water in the kitchen area that came from when the fridge thawed out during the week.
We do have a power generator, but it is so loud, that we really can't use it without having the neighbors complain, or if we want to hear ourselves think.
Are we unhappy? Complaining? No. We usually just wait for the power to come back on and enjoy a day of reading, board games or having conversations.
Outages increase as Puerto Rico company crumbles amid crisis
Published April 11, 2017
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Spoiled food. Damaged appliances. Shuttered businesses.
A recent increase in power outages is taking a heavy toll on Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory's heavily indebted public power company struggles to modernize decades-old equipment that is crumbling amid a deep economic crisis.
The frequent loss of power, coupled with rising power bills, is spooking potential investors. It has frustrated business owners who complain of lost revenue and forced homeowners to buy new appliances amid unexpected surges.
"It's never been worse," Mariela Aguirre, a 49-year-old sales trainer, said of the weekly outages in her neighborhood tucked in an upscale suburb near the capital. "This is turning into a Third World country."
The cycle of homes and businesses being plunged into darkness only to be jolted awake by appliances that beep, whir and hum back to life has become common across the island for tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans such as Aguirre who cannot afford generators to offset the costly interruptions.
Last year, the island of 3.4 million people reported more than 54,000 power failures, a 24 percent increase compared with 2014. Outages in Puerto Rico overall are up to five times higher than those experienced by customers in the U.S. mainland, according to a report published in November by independent, U.S.-based experts at the request of a local commission charged with improving the power company.
The scathing analysis of more than 200 pages says the power company faces an emergency that must be addressed immediately, warning that its generation and transmission infrastructure is "literally falling apart."
"(The company) appears to be running on fumes, and in our opinion desperately requires an infusion of capital - monetary, human, and intellectual - to restore a functional utility," the experts wrote.
But Puerto Rico's government cannot provide any kind of cash infusion. It faces major budget cuts in the upcoming months as it struggles to find revenue and restructure some $70 billion in public debt during a decade-long recession. The Electric Power Authority holds roughly $9 billion of that debt, and has reached a tentative deal reached with bondholders after nearly three years' worth of negotiations.
The power company hasn't found new sources of revenue given that Puerto Rico has no access to the capital markets. Meanwhile, outages continue to vex its more than 1.5 million customers.
"You hear all the pings, and you're like, 'Oh, God, everything's going to break down on me,'" Elizabeth Laide, a 50-year-old swimming instructor, said of her appliances.
She lives near the capital of San Juan and has power outages twice a week lasting anywhere from six to 12 hours. Her washing machine already stopped working, and she keeps her grocery lists short because she doesn't want food to spoil.
Laide also has stopped calling the power company.
"You get tired of waiting on the line," she said. "It's something you can't fight."
Edgardo Rivera, the new director of the power company's transmission and distribution system, blamed the majority of outages on long overdue improvements that require crews to disconnect power for several hours.
"Of course we can do better, that's our goal," he said, adding he expects the improvements will reduce outages.
But many Puerto Ricans remain wary, especially after the entire island lost power last September in a three-day blackout affecting 1.5 million utility customers.
A fire at a main power plant caused the blackout, but most outages are blamed on deferred maintenance, bad weather, overgrown trees, crumbling infrastructure and lack of skilled workers, according to the report by independent U.S. experts. The study noted that the power company's workforce is now 22 percent slimmer than it was in 2014. Outages also have become longer, now lasting more than two hours on average.
"(The company) is barely able to provide electric service with its present fleet and dispatches its units with software that was developed in 1985," the experts said in their report. "Its approaches to problem-solving are often improvised, with results that are disastrous as often as they are admirable."
The company also has been plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement and is now struggling with a fresh round of negotiations with bondholders.
More islanders demand that the company be privatized in hopes service will improve, but Puerto Rico economist Jose Joaquin Villamil considers that unrealistic.
"That requires a large investment, and it's not very likely that a private firm will find this a very attractive proposition," he said.
Amid the outages, Puerto Ricans try to find humor in their situation. A popular meme during Puerto Rico's recent undefeated run to the World Baseball Classic finals reads, "I ask that the power company give us electricity from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.," referring to the game's scheduled time.
Islanders also have become used to the boom of exploding transformers followed by a string of expletives from those living or working nearby.
Jose Garriga, who owns a large Puerto Rico refrigeration and ventilation company, said the power at his headquarters near San Juan and other nearby properties goes out at least once a week.
"Sometimes you'll have two transformers explode, one after another," he said. "Everyone in Puerto Rico needs a generator. The system is broken."
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