Salvation, Prison and Prayer

Rafael preached a great sermon Sunday morning. Afterwards 22 year old Fernando prayed with Rafael and asked to receive Jesus as his Savior.

I announced Teen Camp and offered to pay half for whoever sent their kids. A couple with three teens took us up on it. We have to come up with $45 for each now, but I asked them to help out at church this comming Thursday to help the church that is helping them. We have 5 mahogany pews we bought for $25 each that need major sanding and so will have a furniture refinishing party and pizza Thursday! It is a little expensive for us, but motivating teens in the right direction is worth it.

Sunday, I discovered that a former visitor to our church had been put under house arrest and is wearing one of those ankle braclets. I went to her house with my deacon's family and Rafael and the girls ex-mother-in-law. She received us well and we held an impromptu prayer meeting and bible study under her carport. She was happy we came and shed many tears over the love shown her yesterday. I presented her a book on discipleship that has forty lessons and asked her to do two a day, so as to finish the book before her day in court. Her case is to decided July 16.

Please pray that she will remain receptive and make the correct choices regarding her spiritual life, regardless of what the judge decides.

You just never know what opportunities await for you everyday! Pray for us so that we may maintain a bold witness for our Lord in the face of much danger here on the mission field.

Training Students. I am giving Rafael an opportunity to preach this Sunday. He is a smart and good natured student that comes from Cartegena, Colombia. We would like him to serve here in our church, but he feels called to return to his nation and start a seminary. Our seminary is scheduled to start the Summer of 2005. We hope he will study with us and replicate what he sees among his own people. 

Summer Camp Fun and Life Changing Decisions

The twins and I went to summer camp last week. I preached to forty-five kids morning and evening on the theme of how to prepare for God's service. Six children prayed asking Jesus to be their personal Savior and more than fifteen prayed for help in different areas of their lives! My science experiments, including the water rocket and sock bazooka worked great. I think the kids will remember the lessons learned at camp for a long time.

Bethany and Rachel sent me some nice letters for Father's day. They are doing well in Pensacola Christian College.

This week I have invited Rafael to preach in our church. He is a 27 year old student from our Bible college. He was an engineering student in Colombia that decided to answer God's calling to the ministry and come to our college to prepare. He plans to return to Cartegena, Colombia and start a christian seminary. I have invited him to work with me and I hope he says yes. 

My Potato Cannon gets converted. Every year at camp I like to do memorable object lessons, but I do try to keep them safe. I built a cannon that instead of shooting potatoes, has been converted to shoot rolled up gym socks. The kids like this and the socks are less of a hazard than a flying potato! I illustrate how we can get out of a tight place by faith, prayer and God's mighty power. The cannon is powered by hairspray or WD-40, an internal BBQ igniter and operated by us with LOTS of caution. 

It really is rocket science! I built a rocket launcher yesterday I plan to use at childrens summer camp next week. I have to wait for the glue to dry before I try it out, but it is supposed to shoot a 2-Liter plastic coke bottle containing some water about 200 feet straight up into the air. I use object lessons like this to help the kids remember what was taught at camp. I believe I will launch our water rocket and teach about reacting correctly under pressure. Just see how far you can go! 

A New Family. Israel came to our church about two years ago. I married him and his girlfriend in our church last Summer. He has been faithfull and helps in the youth group. I just found out that he and wife Kathy are expecting their first child. I led Israel to the Lord, preformed his baptism and wedding and now they will be bringing a newborn to church. I think I might be almost excited about it as they are! 

I Love to Baptize New Members!

Our visits to Evelyns home are going well. She wants to be baptized. We hope to baptize her and another lady this July. 

Bethany and Rachel said good-by to good friends in our Puerto Rican youth group. They will never forget all the good times they had together. We called Pensacola yesterday and the girls are doing well. They are getting used to working those long eight hour shifts, exploring the college and even making some new friends. 

Big News: Tina leaves Bethany and Rachel at College and we are accepted at CBM

What a week! Tina left Bethany and Rachel at Pensacola Christian College in Florida. After many tears and prayer she got on a plane and joined me at Continental Baptist Missions, just outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We presented our desire to start churches in the Spanish-speaking US and they put us through a week of intense missionary training. At the end of the process we were interviewed by about twenty pastors and waited out in the hallway while they voted. I was so happy to see the door open and the chairman-of-the-board extend his hand in welcome.

Tina and I will be transferring from Baptist Mid-Missions for two reasons. One is to be under a better and less expensive health insurance. The second is to change the perception of missionary work among the Spanish. It is no longer foreign missions, but home missions. We love Baptist Mid-Missions and are leaving on good terms with them. We are excited with our new friends at Continental Baptist Missions and hope soon to share our vision with churches in the States and employ new resources in reaching the Latino population among us. 

Twins turn 12 in July! Wow, time sure flies. Sarah and Kristin were born in Costa Rica and have been raised in Puerto Rico and in Tacoma, Washington during our missionary furloughs. They are very nice girls. So nice that they have not complained about dad's cooking over the last week.  

Leaving the Church in Good Hands? Wilfredo (center) will be preaching while I am in the States. He has great talent and a good personality. Pray for him and his walk with the Lord. I hope he may develop into a pastor, or at least serve to his greatest potential. 

Twins in good hands? I have been cooking for the twins for a week now. I think I have done pretty well, but I believe they are looking forward to Moms' home cooking. Friday the 4th I will be flying to the Grand Rapids area to interview with Continental Baptist Missions. I am looking forward to seeing Tina again and hearing how Bethany and Rachel are adjusting to life in college.

Camp preperations are underway. The girls in the photo are some of our best helpers. The girl on the left is Cynthia, a pastors daughter from Lima, Peru. She will be baby sitting the twins for the week Tina and I are in the Grand Rapids area. Please pray for us. These next few weeks are so full of so many important tasks. 

Our Youth Group. The youth group has really been doing well. They won third place among all our churches in a scripture memory challenge where they had to master the contents of Psalm 119. They also hosted Mothers day in our church. But Rosendo has gone to start a church in Mexico, Tulio is helping his father start a church in North Carolina and my two daughters have gone off to Bible college. Please pray for our youth group that their former enthusiasm will not be derailed by this exodus of four of their members.