Dear Pastor, Congregation and Friends,
It has been four months since our last update and for that I sincerely apologize. We love you and do not take your faithful prayers and support for granted. While I have no excuse for taking so long in sending out a letter, I do want to inform you of what has been going on in our ministry here in Spain since June. The last four months have been the most difficult and at the same time the most encouraging of our entire missionary career. It all started with the departure of the Sedoski family. As many of you know, Eduardo and Angie Sedoski were some of the first converts of the Parla Baptist Church and they helped us start the Biblical Baptist Church of Colmenar in 2013. They have three beautiful children, Natasha, Eduardo, and Jonathan. They have been a part of our lives and ministry since we arrived in Spain in 2010 and are like family to us. They have been with us through all of the ups and downs of ministry and we greatly love them. However, because of work, the Sedoski family moved to London in August, leaving a big hole in the church and in our family. What was encouraging, however, was to hear the testimonies of how the Sedoski’s had blessed so many of our members’ lives. The Sedoski’s left, but the gospel fruit produced in and through their lives remains.
The other difficult situation was a long and grueling church discipline case, which consumed most of my time during the summer. I had been dealing with this matter off and on for several years and it finally came to a conclusion in September. Thankfully, the case came to a good and peaceful resolution, and the Lord was glorified through it all. I can certainly say that when we envisioned ministry in Spain, while we were on deputation, we didn’t envision the heartache and difficulty that comes with serving precious souls. We envisioned gospel conversions, leaders being trained, and churches being planted. And the Lord has given us both, and we thank God for both. We have learned so much during these more difficult times. Yes, they have been discouraging, but at the same time, we would not change things if we could, because we see God’s hand leading through all of these circumstances, to sanctify us and prepare us for what He has in store for us. Our marriage has never been stronger. Our desire to work and serve in Spain has never been greater. Our confidence in the sovereignty of God is richer and deeper. We know that God is working all of these situations for His glory and our greatest good!
One of the blessings that we thank the Lord for, especially in times like these, is our sending church, Landmark Baptist Church, in Louisville, KY. Our pastor Matt Anders, and the other pastors of the church, have walked with us during this difficult time and have given us much needed counsel and encouragement. Not only that, in a week, pastor Matt and his wife will be visiting us to help us and minister to us. We are definitely loved and cared for by our church and its pastors.
Because of the circumstances of the past months, I wasn’t able to start recording evangelistic videos yet, but by God’s grace I hope to have the Come and See recording studio up and running soon. I am sorry, once again, for the delay in sending out this letter. I will make sure to send future letters out in a bi-monthly fashion. Please know that we love you and pray for you. I want to thank you for your faithfulness, which is such a source of encouragement to us. God bless!
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