Thank You Vector Ministries!

June 10, 2010 in Day2Day, Thanks by Dave | 2 comments

Recognize this picture? If you’ve seen our missions display you might.

It’s a snapshot of our struggle to teach and train in spite of the lack of resources on the mission field. In that particular instance, I was trying to set up an old projector without a VGA cable on a kiddie table. The result, after an hour of work, was frustration. We went without the Power Point that session. It’s a common tale when we have to rely on what the local church may have on hand to facilitate our presentations. In many locations, even a white board is a luxury!

However, thanks to Vector Ministries and their Speed the Light challenge, the frustration that you see in the above picture is a thing of the past. This past Sunday, at Praise Assembly in Springfield, they presented us with a brand new Sanyo projector, complete with cables! Now instead of worrying about our equipment us as we head out to train, we’ll be able to focus on discipling those we’ve been called to serve.

Thanks Vector Ministries!

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The Summer Newsletter is Online!

June 4, 2010 in Media by Dave | Permalink

ENewsSum10The school year is over, and summer is here. As we welcome those warmer temperatures, we wanted to update you on our progress toward Mexico.

Click on the image above or here in order to read the two page electronic version of our print newsletter.



To open the PDF file you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. To get Acrobat, go here: https://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Making a Comeback (Progress Report–Part 2)

May 27, 2010 in Progress, Support by Dave | 1 comment

This is part two of our progress report the comeback that started in January of this year.

Think you can't participate in a comeback? Jonathan lifts me showing that a little can go a long way.

When we last talked, I was detailing the return that I had made from sitting on the shelf after my marathon to racing with a personal record in the Kitchen Run 5K. But that was just half of the story.

Back in January of 2010, we were facing a mountain as we attempted to return to Mexico. Because of our change of status, from Special Assignment to General Appointed Missionaries, the increase in time from a three year term to a four year term, and the attrition that comes from being out of the United States for 4 years, we needed to raise an additional 2,000 dollars of monthly support.

Although the current economic climate didn’t make the prospect of reaching our goal by August 31st any easier, we were optimistic. We knew that God had called us to a work as yet unfinished. He had given us a vision and a passion to see it fulfilled. With this in mind, we set ourselves to the work.

January was a slow month, but February saw our calendar full with services, sectional councils, and Light for the Lost Dinners close behind. Momentum was building, but the bulk of our work was still in front of us. By mid-March, as I analyzed our progress, I found that we needed to average about $72 in additional monthly support each week if we were to reach our commitment goal at the designated time. So I set myself to work, recontacting churches and individuals and sharing our need.

The first two weeks saw us meet our goal as certain churches agreed to do more and others became new partners. Then we surpassed our goal by double the amount, then triple as partners, both new and old resonated with our message and responded to our need. We had worked hard, but we had the feeling that we were witnessing a miracle.

As I post this update, we now stand at 94%, needing just $469 in monthly support to reach the field by the end of August. We’ve seen new support coming in at an average of $97 per week, and our weekly goal has been more than cut in half as we have dropped from needing $72 each week to $34 in order to make our departure deadline. We’re ecstatic to say the least!

Our comeback is in full steam, but we take nothing for granted as we set our sights on our return date. We don’t want to limp to the end; we want to storm past the finish line, ready to throw ourselves into the work. So, we continue to travel the country. We continue to schedule services and announce our need to all who will listen. We work as if it depended on us, but we pray, knowing that it all depends upon God.

So, as you read this post, we’d ask you, Are you interested in participating in our comeback? Perhaps you’ve met us at a church and have kept track of us through our website, but you’ve never had the opportunity to partner with us. Perhaps you’ve been reacquainted with us through the wonders of Facebook or Twitter and are just now getting excited about what God is doing in Mexico. Perhaps you’ve partnered with us for some time, but feel led to do more. We’d love to talk to you about how you can help.

Just respond to using the email link at the bottom of this post, or contact us through our contact page on our website. We’ll step you through the ways that you can be a part of sending us and keeping us on the field in Mexico–a part of making our comeback a reality!

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Making a Comeback (Progress Report–Part 1)

May 17, 2010 in Progress by Dave | 1 comment

Back in January, I wrote about making a comeback –about how difficult it can be, but how I was determined to make it happen physically, coming back from a marathon injury, and in our ministry, raising funds for our return to Mexico. Well, I thought you’d like to get an update on our progress.

First I’ll let you in on my physical condition. As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been struggling with an IT Band injury. It is an inflammation of the band that connects the hip to the knee. After my marathon in November, I had been unable to run for 6 months as any attempt reduced me to hobbling in 3 minutes or less. I had gone through an inconclusive MRI and 12 weeks of physical therapy which never seemed to give me the relief that I was looking for. However, slowly but surely, I returned to the road, first with my boys going for 5 minute stints, then one mile intervals. Finally, I was able to run for three miles straight with my brother during our family reunion. That got the wheels turning for a comeback in the month of May.

As I took a look at the race schedule for the Springfield area, I noticed that the Kitchen Run was set for May 8th, the Saturday before Mother’s Day, and I floated the idea to Kelly. She was game for the entire family to participate. So, on the Friday before the race, we registered as a family for the 5K.

On the morning of the race, I wanted to be as conservative as possible. I had set my virtual training partner to pace me for a 7:30 min per mile pace. That would put me in for a 24 minute 5K, certainly not my fastest time, but respectable for not having raced for a half a year. I lined up in the middle of the pack, and got ready for the gun.

When we set out, I felt myself moving out pretty fast. Looking down out my watch I noticed that I was running a 6:11 pace, quite a bit faster than my conservative estimate. Still, I felt pretty good, and knowing that this was a 5K and not a marathon, I decided to see what might happen. I tucked in behind another runner who was running a similar pace, and waited to see if I’d be able to hold on.

At the one mile mark, my time was 6:30 and change. I felt good. The pace was challenging but not impossible, and I had a good duel going on with the runner I had been following. We traded the lead for the next mile before I began to hear him labor for breaths. At that point, I had thrown my conservative expectations out the window. I was racing!

I put on a bit of a burst and set my sights for the finish line, now less than a mile away. I labored a bit on the uphill, but when I turned the last corner and saw the clock, I began my finishing kick. I had beaten my impromptu opponent, and now I was going to beat 21 minutes! I put my head down and gutted out the last 100 meters, crossing the finish line just as the clock hit 21. My official time was 20:48, good for a 6:45 min per mile pace and a personal best! I had just come off of an injury to run the race of my life. Talk about a comeback!

I also had the pleasure to pace Joseph in for a 38 minute race, while Jonathan and Kelly crossed the line at 40 minutes flat. Rebekah finished with friends just three minutes later. Jonathan and I both placed in our age groups as well. Needless to say, it was a pleasant finish to a difficult road to recovery.

Now for our progress on our return to Mexico… Actually, this post is already too long. I’ll save that update for the next.

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A Reason to Pray

May 4, 2010 in Prayer, Progress, Thanks by Dave | 3 comments

If you needed a reason to pray for your itinerating missionaries, this weekend surely made our need all the more apparent as torrential rain and floodwaters nearly stranded us in the state of Tennessee on Saturday.

We were travelling from Dalton, GA to Caruthersville, MO, returning from services in Georgia and a family reunion in South Carolina. We were on our way back to Missouri on Saturday morning via I-24 and I-40 with hopes to spend a leisurely afternoon with the Titus family, pastors of Caruthersville First, before holding services the next day in the Kennett section of the Southern Missouri District.

Things progressed as expected until just after lunchtime as we reached the Murfreesboro area. As we continued west, the skies opened up soaking the roads and slowing our momentum to 40 miles per hour at times on 70 mile per hour freeways. This kept up for at least an hour, finally breaking as we passed through Nashville. However, just as we thought that the worst was over, our progress ground to a halt in front of a river that had overflowed it’s banks and now crossed the entire highway.

The next two hours were spent in a number of switchbacks as we looked for a suitable detour. We traveled across US-70 through the flooded Dickson and then onto Waverly, where the river had virtually cut off that town from the highway. We crossed the water to travel down route 13 only to be turned back again 4 miles from rejoining I-40. We drove back to US-70 then and on to route 641 where we were finally able to regain I-40 and continue our forward progress toward the boot heel of Missouri.

As we looked to the right and the left of the roadways, everything seemed to be underwater–houses, businesses, churches and farms. The water was everywhere and seemingly in everything. By the time that we made it through Dyersburg and across the Mississippi it was well after 8:00 PM, and we were overjoyed to have reached Missouri and our journey’s end.

As we traveled, there were moments when I doubted that we would be able to make it through. I second guessed our decisions to continue, thinking perhaps that it might have been safer to stop and attempt forward progress at a later time. However, after spending a stormy night in the hotel in Missouri, I was confident that the urgency that I had felt to press on was well founded. The situation only got worse the following day in Tennessee.

So I am thankful that God had His hand upon us, guiding us through. And I am grateful for the prayers of those who stand behind us, as much during our itineration as during our time on the field. We appreciate this much needed support!

Still, as I am glad to be home to tell my tale, my heart goes out to the many who weren’t able to escape the flooding–those who lost possessions, homes, even loved ones to the raging waters. One quote from a news story read, “I know God doesn’t give us more than we can take, but I’m at my breaking point.” As you pray for us, please lift up these who are now suffering in the devastation through which we were guided this past Saturday.

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Getting Back to Our Roots

April 17, 2010 in Day2Day, Ministry, Missions by Dave | 2 comments

This last weekend was full of amazing coincidences. It started on Friday evening. Headed down to Nederland, Texas for services with Greg and Amanda Swafford, we stopped for a night with friends Brian and Jessica Fisher in Frisco, just north of Dallas. They had apologized earlier in the week for having to attend a minor league baseball game while we were there, but being the flexible, baseball loving missionaries that we are, we were up for the outing. Imagine our surprise, however, when we found that the game was between the hometown Frisco Rough Riders and the visiting Springfield Cardinals! We got a chance to root for our hometown team in Texas!

The real treat came following our weekend. Our nine hour trip back from services with Danny and Stephanie Baker in Leesville, Lousiana would take us past Hot Springs, Arkansas, the birthplace of the Assemblies of God. We debated the visit, as the side trip would certainly kill our ETA, but our debate ended as we researched the stop. The first General Council which gave rise to the Assemblies of God took place from April 2nd until the 12th, 1914. It just so happened that on Monday we were passing by Hot Springs on our denomination’s birthday!

We called area churches and were directed to the spot which sits on Bath House Row in downtown Hot Springs. The plaque, laid on the 60th anniversary of the event, is the only physical remnant of the former Hot Springs Opera House where the council took place. It’s easily overlooked as visitors pass by, many without even looking down at the inscription affixed to the cement, but for us it has special significance.

On Monday, April 12, 2010, 96 years after the event, we found ourselves returning to our roots, and as our feet surrounded the memorial plaque, we reflected on the principles that brought about the founding of the Assemblies of God–evangelism, missions, and ministerial training. We’re glad that now, almost 100 years after its organization, those principles are still at the forefront of its agenda. What’s even more humbling is that we’re able to serve as its representatives as we emphasize evangelism, missions, and ministerial training, making disciples in the Yucatán.

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Praying for a Resurrection

April 3, 2010 in Prayer by Dave | 1 comment

Dave Greco, our area director, emailed us in anticipation of this Sunday’s celebration of the Resurrection. In his email, he reflected on a missiology lecture given during his days at language school. In the lecture, the guest speaker recounted the events of Christ’s passion–the betrayal of a friend, the abandonment of his followers, the mockery of a trial that led to his execution, even a plot used to cover up the resurrection. He reviewed them all to emphasize his point. “God is not limited by circumstances. He is well able to work His will, even in corrupt situations.”

Even though it seemed that Satan was given a free hand to accomplish his will, even though it seemed that everything that could go wrong did, the empty tomb on Sunday morning proved that God still won the day.

As we look at the situation in Mexico, it may seem that evil has had it’s way. The news reports of assassinations, kidnapings, and war between drug traffickers and the government paint a desperate picture, but God is not limited by circumstances.

So this month, on the eve of the celebration of our Savior’s resurrection, I’d ask that you’d pray, that in the midst of this corrupt situation that God would show himself to be sovereignly in control in Mexico. Pray that in this country where sin seems to increase, that grace might increase all the more. Pray that where evil has held this country in slavery redemption might occur, and that where hope seems to have died, a resurrection might take place.

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In This for the Long Haul

March 24, 2010 in Missions, Progress by Dave | 9 comments

It’s official! We’ve just received notice from Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM), our missions sending agency, of our status change from Special Assignment to Appointed General Missionaries.

What does that mean? Well Special Assignment Missionaries are contracted to work for a period of time. They are called in in specialized circumstances for specific jobs. Appointed General Missionaries are missionaries who believe that God has called them to a lifetime of missionary service and who are involved in general missionary work from church planting and construction to Bible School ministry and leadership development.

While we always felt and communicated our lifetime commitment to missions, this status change marks for us the maturation of our calling in the eyes of AGWM. It’s a recognition of our ministry and the communication of their belief that the Lord will continue to use us to fulfill his purpose to win the world for Christ.

So celebrate with us! This is a milestone that we’ve achieved with your help. Pray for us as well that we’ll continue to merit the favor that we’ve been shown over the long haul.

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The Spring Newsletter is Available!

March 15, 2010 in Media, Progress by Dave | Permalink

ENewsSpr10Has it been three months already? That must mean that it is time for another newsletter! Click on the image above or here in order to read the two page electronic version of our print newsletter.



To open the PDF file you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. To get Acrobat, go here: https://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

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Getting to the Positive Side of Inertia

March 13, 2010 in Ministry, Missions by Dave | Permalink

People have asked me (Dave) as we have been on the road visiting churches, “What is the most difficult problem facing the Mexican church today?” To that question I have always answered this way: “The greatest problem of the Mexican church, and the church worldwide is inertia.”

Now I understand that a word like inertia may stir up memories of tenth grade physics class, but give me a minute to explain.

When it comes to momentum, inertia can be described as the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest. My old friend Gilbert could explain it best. He would sit in his chair after a long day working in the Evangel University Chapel and deadpan, “I suffer from dropsy and heart failure. I’ve dropped down and don’t have the heart to get up!”
As a church, we can tend toward this negative aspect of inertia. In this day and age, we often look to the church as a type of refuge, a place to rest. While this is true, an over emphasis of this one aspect can lead to negative effects. We can get so used to sitting in the pew that we lose our heart to get back up to meaningfully engage the culture.

But we don’t need to be stuck in a state of inactivity. Inertia can also be described as the tendency of an object in motion to remain in motion. The New Testament church is a clear example. Although certainly given to times of teaching and fellowship, their compassionate involvement in the community led to the Lord adding to their number daily those who were being saved. Success led to success. By the end of the book of Acts, Christianity was being preached and disciples were being made in the heart of the pagan Roman Empire.

But how do we return to Acts 2? How do we get to the positive side of inertia? It’s certainly more complicated than simply starting over. I believe that it is two-fold. First, it requires proclamation. A call must go out to return to the Bible, to the model of Jesus who was criticized for frequenting the homes of sinners. Second, it requires modeling, a living out of the biblical pattern. This is the vision that we feel that the Lord has given us for Mexico, to partner with the Mexican Assemblies of God, reaching, equipping, and releasing people to fulfill God’s redemptive purpose.

We proclaim as we train and equip, but we model as well, reaching out to the lost and giving opportunity to become salt and light, offering new life to others. This breathes new life into church programs that may have faltered along the way, and gives rise to new church plants that leverage positive inertia as disciples in turn make new disciples.

So inertia is the problem, but it can become the solution as well. The key is moving to the positive side. We believe we have the solution for Mexico, a solution that can be universally applied.

How about your situation? In which state of inertia would you describe it existing? How do you feel that the Lord would have you to keep the positive going, or to turn around a negative situation?

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