Dear Pastor, Congregation and Friends,
A proper theology of suffering is indispensable for an enduring missionary work. I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently as once again we are going through a complicated church discipline matter in our church in Colmenar Viejo. No, the situation is not as serious as the one we experienced in 2023, but it’s heartbreaking nonetheless. Witnessing the consequences of unrepentant sin in the lives of professing Christians is one of the most difficult things we’ve had to endure as church-planting missionaries. However, I am reminded of the words of Paul and Barnabas to the young believers at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, when they said, “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22b). We certainly are not experiencing the same kind of suffering that Paul and Barnabas endured—especially considering that Paul said the above words after having been stoned by an angry mob—but we are reminded that suffering of all sorts will always be a part of our ministry. But we rejoice for God’s sustaining grace!
The church continues to experience growth in spite of the discipline issue. One of the results of the growth is that we have more children than ever in attendance and we need to expand the children’s ministry. Thankfully we have some dear ladies that are stepping up and are preparing to help with this need. We also have 5 membership candidates that are close to finishing the membership process and will soon be available to help in many necessary ministries such as evangelism, discipling, and audio/visual. And just as there are discipline matters to attend to, there is also visible gospel fruit in the lives of others, that God is using to encourage us in the work. Marriages are being restored, prodigals are coming home, and we glorify God for all of it.
Please pray for Antonia, an elderly Spanish lady that has been attending church services for several weeks now. We believe that she is close to coming to faith in Christ. God is using Juan Carlos, a dear brother with a wonderful testimony, to accompany Antonia every Sunday and also every Thursday (for the Bible study), and to help her with her doubts and questions. We believe that Juan Carlos will be key in helping us reach more of the elderly community, as he lives in the largest senior residence in our city. In addition to Juan Carlos, one of our membership candidates, Karla, is a doctor that works at the residence. So clearly God is opening up a great door of opportunity there!
As I wrap up the letter, I would like to thank you for your prayers for our children. Ian, our oldest, is close to finishing his first year of university here in Madrid. We are thankful that he is able to continue living with us as he studies and still be an active part of the church, serving in the audio/visual ministry. Several of you have gone out of your way to write birthday notes for our kids and even send them special gifts. Thank you for those details that show us your love and care for them. We love you in Christ. Blessings!
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