December 2017 Velasquez Family Update

Dear Pastor, Congregation and Friends,

Sometimes it’s good to look back and remember what God has done as you make plans and look forward to the future.  That is exactly what we are doing this month as we make plans for 2018 in the areas of evangelism, discipleship and leadership training. We look back across the seven years that God has allowed us to serve here in Spain and we see what God has done. He has done much more than we could have ever imagined. One of the things that God has done, for which I am very thankful, has been to work on my own life. Serving as a missionary has caused me to see my sin and my weaknesses like never before and to recognize my utter dependance on God. I still have a long way to go, but I am thankful for His sanctifying work in my life. I am thankful for the wife that God has given me and how she has been willing to leave her family behind and join me on this crazy journey called being a missionary. I love her so much and I feel that our marriage has improved and our relationship deepened during this time. I can truly say that I love her more today than when I married her back in 2006. I pray that God would continue to change us as we labour to proclaim the life-changing gospel to others.

The work of setting up a Training Center for raising up leaders is still moving forward. The Madrid Training Center for Applied Theology will officially inaugurate in January. In addition to our two churches, we will also be working with the New Life Baptist Church of Sanchinarro in the task of training men. It’s exciting to think about how God is going to use this ministry to impact existing churches and future church-plants for the furtherance of the gospel in Spain and abroad. Last week we had a small taste of what the classes will be like at the Training Center. The students had the privilege of spending three hours with veteran missionary Aaron Bashore, as he discussed the tools of a disciple-maker with the six men that participated.

During the next few months I would like to keep you updated about a huge and urgent need for the Parla Baptist Church. This church desperately needs a new building in which to meet. The Lord has greatly blessed them and they are now averaging over 60 people in attendance every week, but the building they currently have is too small to properly accommodate all of them. They simply cannot grow any more unless they get a new building. We are praying that they would be able to purchase a building that is at least three times the size of what they have now. They have already found a building that would be perfect for them, but it will cost around $90,000. We are praying that God would provide the funds for this new building as soon as possible. Very soon, I will be sending more information about how you can help. For the time being, please pray and let us know if you would be interested in helping. God bless.