Traveling

Recently the Lord has extended my ministry opportunities to outside my city of Irun, and I’d like to briefly share some of those opportunities with you. You can also see this update on YouTube below.

Preaching at the Easter RetreatI mentioned in my last update that I was invited to speak at an Easter weekend retreat this April. It was an exciting experience for me, and it was a privilege to be there. The Lord blessed us with a very pleasant time together celebrating the resurrection of our Lord.

In the course of these last few months, the Lord has been teaching me a great deal as I’ve studied the theme of God’s justice and its implications. This personal study has arisen in part out of the many conversations I’ve had with unsaved people who ask me some form of the question: “How can a just (or good, loving, etc…) God allow all the evil in this world?” This study evolved into the series of messages I preached at the retreat. The series was focused on understanding the justice of God in order to witness effectively. I trust the Lord was able to use it for some good. I’m thankful for all I learned as I prepared.


A few months ago I spoke with a missionary in France about another ministry. He pastors a church in Bordeaux, but had had contact with a group of men from Singapore who live south of the city. Several of these men are Christians. They all speak English, but know very little French, and they have no English-speaking church to attend in the area. The missionary holds a service in English once a month at his church which some of them attend, but he asked whether I would consider traveling north to where they live occasionally to have Bible studies with them. After getting in touch with these men, I traveled up into France to meet them for a time of fellowship. We had a Bible study together, which was a blessing to me and I trust to them as well.

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We made plans to continue meeting for Bible studies once a month, and I just got back from our second Bible study together. Please pray that the Lord will use this time. There is a large community of Singaporeans in their area, and I hope to get the Gospel out to those who are not saved. Please pray also for traveling safety each month, as it is a couple hours to travel each way.


As for the ministry here in Irun, please continue to pray for unsaved friends I have had opportunities to witness to. Especially pray for the names I’ve mentioned in emails. My list of unsaved contacts keeps growing longer.

During the summer, there are always many opportunities to take the youth group out into the mountains around for special activities, and it is much easier to see the young people’s unsaved friends come to activities with us, where they hear the Gospel preached. And towards the end of the summer, our young people always attend a Christian camp down south near Madrid. It’s always exciting for everyone, and this time, several unsaved guys want to go along with our youth group. For the first time since coming back to Spain I will be going to the camp with them as a counselor, and I’m very excited about what the Lord might do during that week of camp. So please pray that throughout this summer I’d be able to lead the youth group well, always encouraging them towards more evangelism.

Thank you for your prayers, and as always, I love to hear back from you.

God bless,
David
Psalm 34:3

 

Here is a video of something I had the young people do in one of our weekly
youth meetings. After going through the plan of salvation I had them
split up into groups to “practice” witnessing to each other.

Training Leaders

I’d like to give another update on what the Lord has been doing here in this beautiful part of Spain. We had a great Christmas season in Irun. And Christmas brought along some exciting opportunities. I also recorded a video giving updates along with some pictures, and if you’d like, you can check that out here.

One of the big activities for Christmas was our cantata at church. We prepared and successfully performed “Born to Die,” a Christmas cantata from Majesty Music. It was an excellent evangelistic opportunity with a very clear gospel presentation. This year we’ve ramped up the choir ministry at church. I believe it’s been very good for someChristmas cantata of the newer believers in church. Amadeo, whom I’ve written about in the past, is now singing in the choir. He is a very enthusiastic singer and he is eager to learn. He provides one of the biggest smiles on the platform whenever we sing in church now! I now direct the choir in tandem with one of the young men from church, and it has been a great learning experience for both of us. If you’d like to watch a video of a song the choir recently sang, you can find it here on YouTube.

The Lord has really been working in the lives of a few young people from church. Last month, Antonio, the son of a long time church member, was baptized. He gave an excellent testimony expressing his desire to serve and obey God. He has become great friends with Amadeo, and I believe Amadeo’s own testimony has had a great influence on this young man’s life. Amadeo has been instrumental in others’ lives as well. One of Amadeo’s best friends (also a soccer contact and friend of mine), recently made a profession of faith. He is showing a real desire to grow, and I meet with him and Amadeo every week for discipleship. It is so exciting to see what God is doing in their lives. As always, please continue to pray for them. There is also another young man in church who has been saved for about a year now. I meet with him every week for a good time of fellowship and discussion. Please pray for him as well, as he is really growing spiritually, and I have high hopes for him in the future. I invest a lot of time each with with these different people, and I’m excited to see where the Lord takes them in the future. Lord willing, they are the future of the church, and I know God wants to turn them into leaders for ministry.

20131122_183936one of my weekly Bible studies with Amadeo and his friend

1048323_338345969630296_1277600086_oThe Lord recently brought me another unique opportunity for which I am very excited. This past month, a pastor from Barcelona contacted me about a family retreat that will be held at a camp near Barcelona. He asked if I would be willing to come and preach for the week of camp. So, Lord willing, this Easter week (Semana Santa, as we call it) I will be travelling away for a week of preaching. I am very excited about the opportunity, and I’m praying the Lord will prepare me to be a blessing there. I would very much appreciate your prayers, as this will be a first-time experience for me.

As always, thank you so much for your prayers, both for me and for my ministry here. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for the year 2014 in Irun.

God bless,
David