bonikowsky.org

Hello everyone, this is the first update I’ve sent to those we met during our 2-month trip to the US. I’ve been trying to get this update out since we came back at the end of October, and I guess it has finally made its way to you! For those of you who are new to our ministry and would like to know more from recent years, I encourage you to visit bonikowsky.org to read some of our previous ministry reports. I generally edit my letters before posting them online to remove personal details, but they will still give a good overview of what the Lord has been doing here in the Basque Region.

After 2 months, 7,000 miles of driving, and 20 churches visited in the USA, we made it back to Spain and the Puerto church ministry we love. We’re so grateful for the missionaries and nationals who led our church services while we were away. Immediately after we arrived I set up and started my English classes again (I had had to push off the beginning of the teaching year because of our trip), and this year I have new classes and more hours than ever.

*Almost all of the churches we visited were supporters of the Keisers before they retired from the field*

*In one church we were able to present the ministry with the Keisers being present*

Of course, by the time we got back, Raquel was almost in the final month of her pregnancy. And in fact, one week early, on December 2nd, Sofia Bonikowsky was born! We are so grateful for a quick and healthy birth. Leire loves her little sister and we couldn’t be prouder of them both. We were able to introduce her to our church members and of course they love her. One way or another, our church is growing!

*The family right outside Puerto (Seaport) Baptist Church*

Our trip to the US was a huge blessing. The lord provided transportation for us while we were there, and He kept us safe on the roads as we traveled. We had opportunities to visit many new places in between church visits. Among them was Jamestown, where Raquel was fascinated to find out that Pocahontas was a historic person and not just a Disney character! Of course, the highlights of the trip were meeting new people who promised to pray for us and reconnecting with friends who have followed the ministry for many years. There was so much outpouring of love and generosity everywhere we went, and for that, we are tremendously grateful.

*In an elementary school class at one of the churches we visited.*

So far, as a result of our trip, we have had 6 new churches take us on for missionary support. This is a tremendous blessing as it will cover some of the income Raquel was earning by working at the pharmacy up until our trip. We are confident it was God’s plan for her to leave her job to work full-time in the house and the church ministry, and we believe God will continue to bring in support as it is needed. We thank all the churches and individuals who are so involved in our ministry here, both through prayers and support.

*Us with the Moyano family, missionaries the church supports*

As far as the ministry here, church matters are moving forward well. I continue to meet with believers for one-on-one discipleship as often as I can, and I believe the members are continuing to grow. I especially see growth in Iñaki and Juan, our two recent baptisms. In particular, it is great to see them getting more involved in the prayer ministry at church. In addition, a new couple has been coming for some time now. They came to church a few services before we went to the US, and they have been coming faithfully ever since we got back. We recently went to their house for a wonderful time of conversation around the dinner table.

*With some of the believers from the Irun church, the ministry we were previously part of*

One thing to mention. I plan to start sending, in addition to these online updates, an updated prayer card every time I write a report. All of those who have supported us financially should receive a prayer card soon at their mailing addresses, and I would love to send them to anyone else who would like to start receiving them. They’re postcard-sized and easy to fit inside a Bible so you always have our up-to-date prayer requests. If you would like to start receiving them, just give me your mailing address and I’ll send one each time I write an update. Thanks for your prayers!

Please keep us in your prayers. We need them!

God bless,
David
Ps. 34:3

*Us in front of a tiny part of a city-block-sized nativity scene in San Sebastian*

*One of our church members is retired and helps build these nativity scenes all year long. (Not connected to our church ministry)*

Hello friends! I mentioned in our last update that we were hoping to make a trip to the US this summer to raise additional support. Lord willing, we will be traveling to the States in the middle of August, and we plan to be there for two months. We are praying that the Lord will allow us to fill the stay with meetings in new churches. We have had a few churches show interest in having us come to present our ministry, so we’re looking forward to the chance to meet new friends and new ministry partners! I have an online calendar set up here and we’re gradually filling it up with meetings and trips.

This trip will be very different though in that this will be the first time I leave as the pastor of a church. Raquel and I don’t have any co-workers, so it makes leaving the field much more complicated. As difficult as it will be to be away from my church members for two months, we’re grateful that the two nearest independent Baptist churches in our area will be taking over services for us in the meantime. And praise the Lord for WhatsApp and live streaming technology which will allow us to stay in constant contact with our people!

One of the reasons that led us to plan this trip was the decision for Raquel to stop working at her pharmacy. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, as Raquel has a wonderful relationship with everyone there, but we decided it was necessary for her to step back some so we both wouldn’t be stretched quite as thin. We will both be able to spend more time doing the work of the ministry this way. We have no doubt God will replace the income she’ll leave behind in leaving her job. Thankfully I have so many people contacting me for English classes that I’m having to turn some down. But I’ll be teaching more students this next year than any previous year!

*The pharmacy where Raquel has worked for 5 years.*

In related news, Raquel and I are expecting our 2nd child, due this December! We are ecstatic, and so of course is our church family! But please pray for Raquel as we’ll likely be doing a whole lot of driving during this trip, and she will be 7 months pregnant by the time we finish. Traveling can be very tiring under the best of circumstances, but we expect it will be more so with a hyperactive ball of energy and a pregnancy! We’re trusting the Lord to give strength and wisdom during our travels.

As for the church ministry, please pray for one of our believers who’s going through some especially difficult times here. His family is unsaved and he has a lot of complexities to deal with. Please pray as well for 3 other young believers who have recently joined the church. I’m doing weekly Bible studies with them, and they seem genuinely interested in spiritual growth.

Thank you so much for your prayers! We’re looking forward to seeing some of you this fall! And to finish, I’ll add here some of the information I’ve been sending to churches as we try to raise support. If you know of any churches that would be interested in having us visit, please let us know!

Ministry brochure Download

Recommendation letter from mission board Download

Ministry description video on Youtube

God bless, David
Ps. 34:3