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.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Transportation Troubles turned to Triumph: Thanks to…
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Missionary Kids Need Love Too...
[Correction: I talked to Tina, and she said that the girls can only earn 1/3 of the tuition in the work program. Also I forgot to add student fee's and books. This raises the monthly investment to $1,000 monthly.]
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Time for Something New?
We are struggling to find a way to solve this problem.
After so many frustrating vehicle problems impeding our work, Tina and I are seriously thinking of getting a new car. We did some research this afternoon and found that US News & World Report has a good article on the "10 Best Affordable Cars." We like the "Honda Fit," which ranks in the #2 spot. The only problem is, we can't afford the "most affordable" cars on that list! But neither can we afford to be cut off from our work and ministry by unreliable, sporadic and dangerous transportation.
We might be able to limp along for a while, but I really don't want our work to limp along. We want to see it prosper! If you can pray, help, lend or give us a hand, please do so. We really want to get the job done here in Puerto Rico.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Cars Trouble Still, but Walking & Getting Healthy
We are walking a lot more. Tina walks to our Bible College, cooks for the students and walks home after dinner. Our daughters are walking back and forth to school, and I am walking whenever possible. I must car-pool sometimes, but other wise we are on foot. The doctor told me I should walk an hour a day, so at least our current car crisis has the side benefit of getting us all in better shape.
We really do need at least ONE car though. We are looking around for a used car in good condition. The prices are higher in Puerto Rico for used cars because they must be shipped in, raising the costs about $800-1,500 compared to US prices for the same vehicles. We are looking for something about six years old or so, that still might have a few good years in it. The prices we are seeing run about $5,500. We don't have the funds to replace our car, but we can't stay housebound either and expect our ministry to continue advancing. Please pray for us. If you wish to help us,please click on the "Donate" button on the right side of the page, or send a love offering in our name to:
Continental Baptist Missions, 11650 Northland Drive NE, Rockford, MI 49341
PS. I started web page called "Prediabetic Headquarters" in order to educate and motivate myself to keep in shape. You are cordially invited to visit it or the matching Fan Page on Facebook and leave a comment.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Two dead cars in one morning. Help (please) !
Something NOT funny happened on the way to church today.
We filled our 2002 Honda Odyssey with our family, two college students, an electronic piano and headed down the road to go to church. Before we had gone very far, the transmission gave out.
Fortunately, we were still close to home and were able to get back before it was completely unusable.
Well, we loaded up the 1992 Toyota Previa and tried again. We were about half way on our 45 minute drive to church when something else happened. I smelled something burning. The car was making a loud whining noise and getting difficult to steer. It seemed like something was wearing out in the rear-differential and causing friction, heat and noise.
I decided not to risk the mountain road to church and called a church member to open up the church for me and tell everyone I could not make it. Tina said, "Everybody, Let's pray!" and we had an impromptu prayer meeting in the mini-van. We then nursed the car back home by driving about 10 miles an hour for 15 minutes or so and then stopping to let the car cool down for another 15.
Our prayer was answered. We made it all the way home without an accident, lose of life, property or sanity. But let me tell you, a car full of loved ones, a church full of waiting people and a drive home in a dangerous car make for a very stressful Sunday morning.
Please pray for us and our new problem. We have both cars simultaneously needing expensive repairs.
We are grateful for being spared a tragedy today. But we do need some mobility so we can get the work done here on the mission field. Please help as you can.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
We Are Coming Home! Can You Help?
- URB SIERRA BAYAMON
- 33-15 CALLE 31
- BAYAMON, PR 00961-4365
Blog: Prelgovisk.Blogspot.com | Web: OverlookedFields.com | Phone: 787-702-8790
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Dodging Hurricanes
We are busy down dodging Hurricanes. We have THREE nasty ones at the same time in our region. Even if they all pass us, each one consumes our attention & must be prepared for.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Prayer Letter: Hard work and Rewards
Hard work and Rewards
Tina & I have been working harder on our mission field than ever before. But Praise the Lord, there are a lot of blessings to show for it.
It gets better. Sunday morning a girl named Joyce (about 11 years old, I think) stood up in the morning service all by herself & said, "I got saved Friday & I want to be baptized!" What a great week!
Irrepressible Enrollment: The government hurt our enrollment at Puerto Rico Baptist College by denying many student visas. But I just heard that we now have enough new students coming in to replace our graduating seniors.
My main job is church planting, but we also are training young men & women at the College to serve as the future missionaries we need in Latin America. Some come from Peru, Mexico, Columbia & even California to train here. They then return to evangelize their own lands. It is a ministry that yields great rewards in the workers it provides for missionary work.
Excitement Building : Two college age students that served in our church have decided to become missionaries. Zuley from Peru went & helped a church in Wisconsin reach Mexican families in their town. She is going to start deputation next year & is applying to serve in Panama. Stephanie from Connecticut spent the summer in India & helped at a Bible college there. It is a thrill for me to see the support & prayer we have received bear fruit here and then see that fruit bear new fruit around the world.
Family Expanding, Ministry Expanding: Our daughter Bethany & her husband Abe graduated from Pensacola Christian College this year. They went as missionaries to Saint Croix, one of the US Virgin Islands. Abe serves as youth director & helps at the churches rescue mission.
Our twin daughters Sarah & Kristin hopped the 98 miles between our islands in a 12 seater Cessna. They are helping with the move & also in the mission work this summer. They both plan on going to Pensacola Christian College next year.
Our other daughter Rachel is working, helping husband Max get through Seminary. She is raising one year old Hannah & is expecting her second child. Max is getting his Master of Divinity & plans on being a pastor or missionary.
Tina is preparing to cook for 50 people at the College. Along with her church work, home improvement projects and family care, she outworks us all.
Facing Our Giants: We just heard some sad news. Because of financial troubles in more than one of our supporting churches, our monthly support is expected to drop about $300 a month.
We celebrate the givers & sympathize deeply with those who sacrifice to keep us serving in this fruitful field. But we are anxious as well, seeing some giants on the horizon. We are facing the giant of college enrollment for our twin daughters next year. Essential home repairs, car problems & the cost of doing ministry present a great challenge.
I know David slew his giant with just a sling shot & one of the five smooth stones he had saved in his shepherd’s pouch. I know God gives the victory. My concern is that our giants seem to be increasing & the resources decreasing. Please help us face these giants. Even a small gift or a modest level of monthly support will go a long way in getting the job done & our girls through college.
We Might See You In Person Very Soon: We plan on reporting to our supporting churches & seeking new support June-July of next year. We need a way to travel from Tacoma to Los Angeles & then to Montana and back. If some of you could provide hospitality for the two of us or use of a car for those 2 months, it would help reduce our expenses greatly. We need your help & appreciate it greatly.
Next ImageDios Les Bendiga (May God Bless You All),
Steve & Tina Prelgovisk
PS. We publish our missionary news frequently at Prelgovisk.Blogspot.com. Please print out copies & share with others.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Surprised by Success: Mom Saved in VBS
I was surprised at church Friday.
A mother came along with her son and sat through most of the sessions of our Vacation Bible School. I gave a low key invitation at the end of my chapel message and thought maybe a few kids would raise their hands.
They all did! Mom too!
It gets better.
Sunday morning a young lady named Joyce (about 11 years old, I think) stood up in the morning service all by herself and said, "I got saved Friday and I want to be baptized!"
Our rental building doesn't have a baptistery, so we plan to have it at our home. The house we just bought has an above ground pool.
Following baptisms, our church likes to have a BBQ picnic, fellowship & a family game night.
What a great week!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Todays Sermon
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Showers of Blessing?
The good part:
The rains have cooled us from the 90-100 range into the mid-80s. Hurray! We can save on air-conditioning. Our new house has a 5500 watt power generator installed in the car-port. Now, when the rains cut off our electricity, we can save our food and have light during the frequent blackouts.
The not so good part:
These rains revealed a leaky roof plus faulty water reserve and pump system that we had to fix (three thousand dollars). The humid weather has really aggravated Tina’s allergy to mildew. Rainy days put a damper on our door to door visitation and Vacation Bible School is just around the corner. Though we love the convenience of our power generator , it’s loud and smelly and our neighbors don’t like it.
The bottom Line:
We will keep serving in the bad weather as well as the good and hope for blessings as we serve. These blessing often come from people who care, pray and give. We will keep plugging away, doing our part.
Please consider how you might share in our good times and not so good times and be an encouragement to the work and workers of missions.
Boy Saved by Ears (maybe we can be too...!)
Using your ears can keep you out of all kinds of trouble! Remember to use them.
PS. Use your ears to listen to your missionaries and your eyes to read our missionary updates!
Our Missionary updates (almost weekly): Prelgovisk.Blogspot.com
Family, a general overview and missionary information: OverlookedFields.com
A six-year-old boy was saved from certain death by his ears, which prevented him from falling from a high-rise apartment block. Adventurous Ming Ming managed to get his head stuck in window bars of his home in Yinchang, China. Crowds gathered after hearing his screams and rescuers moved into saving the child from an eight storey drop. An onlooker said: 'The only thing stopping him from plunging to the ground below was the fact his head was trapped between two window bars. 'Once inside the flat firefighters quickly used a hydraulic pressure expander to force the bars apart and pulled Ming Ming back into the apartment.”
Friday, July 16, 2010
Catching up on the paperwork!
It is not all fun, but like the farmer, the hard work and the sweat of the brow come before the harvest. We are getting fruit, but paperwork is still paperwork.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Fading! Order more ink!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Embarrased by a New Idea: Give Me One of Yours!
I was embarrassed a little bit recently, by not living up to a high reputation someone had for me.
Our head deacon said, “My friend’s pastor is sending text messages to his church member’s cell phones every week. He reminds them to think of spiritual things during the week. It also reminds them to come to church Sunday. Shouldn’t we do that too? You know a lot about computers Pastor; don’t you think that is a good idea?”
I do! I just never thought about it before. I had looked down on using text messaging in the past so I never gave it much thought. But, I had to admit, that the other pastor had a great Idea. After all, it seems tons of people are text messaging each other. Shouldn’t the church have a part in the content they are receiving every day?
I am usually the idea guy, ahead of the curve in technology. You have to be if you want to teach young college students computer skills they don’t already know. When I heard of the use of text messaging in ministry, it caught me off guard, and I had a “Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?” moment.
I give a class lecture or two on the use of computers in the ministry, but I can see now I need to devote a lot more time to the subject and include more than just teaching on the use of Bible programs.
After considering the cell phones and texting idea, it made sense to examine how all social media could be used in ministry. In my research, I found a chart that supposedly clarifies how to connect with people, but it’s complexity really convinced me there is a need for an entire course on the subject.
An entire course on this makes perfect sense, using Social Media to connect and to minister to a societies of people, such as: Church members, supporting churches, and Bible college students for example.
Now for making the course: I NEED YOUR INPUT!
Do you have any ideas or have heard any stories of how churches, pastors and schools are using social media in their ministries? Please drop us a line at Prelgovisk@yahoo.com or “friend” us on Facebook and help us train a new generation of pastors using the newest and best tools available.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Learning to Be Quiet: Important Discipleship Skill
While they were employing their gifts for the good of the church, I went downstairs and substituted for a missing Sunday school teacher. I think I had the hardest job that morning!
I am learning something: the missionary or pastor can become a one-man show. It is easy to justify: after all, if you think you do every job in the church better than the members , why not do it all yourself? This feels right at times. Who wants a second rate service when it can be first rate? But there is a better way. More often than not, it is a better policy to shut up and let others use and develop their gifts.
Wilfredo and Luis both did a great job. The congregation was blessed. I got to thank them and see them leave the church happy. I felt like I was doing my job as a missionary. That is a win-win-win situation.
It really doesn’t take some of them very long to surpass us in skills, or at least in being a more enduring blessing to the church. After all, if we never shut up and let them serve, how will they ever mature to the point where they can do the work themselves, without our help? It is not easy, but as I see them grow, it certainly is very satisfying!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Time to Get a Big Piece
Friday, June 18, 2010
Time for a (Work) Break
Friday, May 28, 2010
Missionary Wife Month!
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Getting our hands dirty: Car Trouble
Last night the bumper fell off of our 2002 Honda Odyssey and our 1999 Toyota Previa wouldn't start. Our girls were stranded at the church and had to find a ride home with the Aunt of a friend of theirs. Tina and I have been working on attaching the bumper today.
The check engine light came on and I took the Honda to Pep Boys for a computer scan. They said it was the transmission and I could be looking at about $4000 for parts and labor.
We don't have the time or money to get this fixed right now. So for the immediate future I am just keeping the fluids filled and driving carefully.
The drive to church tomorrow will have my full attention.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Big Plans for the Future
The school year is slowly coming to a close. We are making plans for some big projects down the road. Some of our upcoming projects are:
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Too Calm and Too Cool, & Maybe, Too Crazy
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Working with what we have
I saw this great idea today - someone made a hanging chair out of an old shipping pallet and parachord. It is comfortable and just about free, but it does take a while to get it all put together and strung up just right.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Family Pride
We flew to Pensacola this last week to have a special family time and share in an important event with our daughters.