I thank the Lord for a fantastic Christmas season, and for the beginning of a new year here in Irún, Spain. Last month, the Lord brought all my immediate family together for a combination wedding, Christmas, and New Year celebration. On December 19, my sister Rachel married Ethan Johnk in the first wedding held at the Aierdi farmhouse. The Lord gave both our families a great time as we celebrated together. Christmas and the New Year meant even more time we could be together as a family.

In church, the choir presented our Christmas cantata. It was the culmination of several months of diligent practice, and the Lord blessed the presentation. A number of unsaved visitors had the chance to hear the Gospel for possibly the first time in their lives.

In my last letter I mentioned the table we set up one or two times a month with gospel literature. Last month, when we went out, I brought a number of the young people along to sing choruses. We all spent a while singing Christmas carols and gospel choruses. The response seemed very positive, and I don’t think we’ve ever had as much audience as we did that day!

I have also mentioned a young man from Equatorial Guinea who has started coming regularly to church. He is still unsaved, but he has started reading the Bible and he comes to me with questions about his reading. I recently sat down with him after church one Sunday and went through the plan of salvation with him. He remains very curious, and I am very encouraged about his progress. About four weeks ago, another young person walked in one Saturday right before our youth activity. One of the men at our church had brought him, though none of our young people knew him from before. I believe he has come every Saturday since then, and he has started coming to church as well. Please pray for him too. It is very exciting to see new and unsaved people coming to church as a result of our youth group’s testimony. Both these men need the Lord, so please pray diligently for them.

Next month, Lord willing, I will be substituting for another missionary here in the Basque Country as he leaves for two months in the US. Roy Keiser pastors Iglesia Bautista del Puerto in the nearby town of Pasaia. He has asked me to fill in while he is away. It is a newer and smaller church plant, I will be preaching and directing the service alone there every Sunday evening. I’m very excited for the opportunity, but please pray for the Lord’s guidance as I serve there.

I am very excited to see what what else God has in mind for this upcoming year. As always, thank you so much for your prayers. I’ll end with two verses I read this morning. I was encouraged by the words of God to another young preacher, a long time ago.

Jeremiah 1:6-7
Then said I: Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

God bless,
David Bonikowsky
Ps. 34:3