A New Church to Serve in 2016

Holiday meal hosted by newlyweds Paul and Aimée. My sister Mary Ellen and her husband are on the left, my mother on the right and Paul's dad, Tim, in the center.

Hello Friends!

Greetings from wet and wonderful Washington! I wrapped up the mission in Puerto Rico in mid-December and returned to my Colorado home base for the holidays. It was great to celebrate with family and with my sending church, Boulder Seventh Day Baptist. One highlight was doing the downtown Boulder table ministry one afternoon with Dave Hawkins and Tracy Haines, fellow evangelists from previous years. I also got to volunteer one night with the homeless shelter my church hosts on Saturday nights during the colder months.

The family I lived with during my Colorado stays (thank you to the Bates!) was selling their house in early 2016 so I needed to move right after Christmas. Prayers were answered when a Christian couple in Boulder offered me a room for the three weeks before I left for Washington. Thank you, Fromholzers! They are connected to the Navigators ministry at the University of Colorado where my son, Paul, serves with Navigators. They were very gracious and I felt right at home. The view of the mountains from their living room was spectacular. Another blessing was the offer of long-term storage for my belongings in the home of friends of Ana, my daughter. Thank you to the Seatons!

On January 17^th I set out for Washington driving through Wyoming and Montana where the west winds blow with gale force (so it seemed to me). I stopped in Hungry Horse, MT, where my friend Vivian Allen lives with her children and leads a small SDB fellowship. I enjoyed staying with her and her children two days and got to see a very snowy Glacier National Park as well as the Hungry Horse Dam. It was encouraging to hear how God is at work in both our lives. 

Vivian's home. The fellowship meets in the large front room.

They are praying for someone to join them to pastor the group. Just like the Church of Corinth did for the Apostle Paul, they “sent me on my way” with a gift of financial support (1 Cor. 16:6, 2 Cor. 1:16). That was a wonderful and unexpected blessing. December gifts for me were much lower than normal but in the first two months of this year the gifts have been way ABOVE normal. Praise the Lord for His provision!

 

My current home, blessed by a rainbow!

I arrived in Auburn (20 miles south of Seattle) late in the evening on January 21^st. I’m renting a room from a friend of Pastor Ben and Marcela Figueroa, Karen Coon, which is not only very affordable but she and I have become good friends and that has eased my adjustment to this new location. 

 

My office is set up in my room and not far away is a large park with walking paths through the woods, so I’m thrilled to explore the flora and fauna of a new climate. When it’s raining I just put on my waterproof poncho and keep going. The trees are very tall and many are covered in a coat of green moss. In the light of the setting sun they seem to glow!

  The church I’m serving this year is a Spanish-speaking church plant, the Iglesia Bautista del Séptimo Día, sponsored by the Seattle Area Seventh Day Baptist Church, located in Auburn. We meet on Sabbath afternoons in the church building of the English-speaking SDB church. Pastor Ben and Marcela had been attending the Seattle church for about a year when they felt God's leading to begin a Spanish fellowship. That was 18 months ago and there are 20-25 people in the congregation today.

The youngest singer in this picture is part of a home Bible study with her brother and sister.

Leading worship in song.

  Pastor Ben told me the greatest need was to disciple new believers.  Within a week of arriving he began to give me names to contact to set up home Bible studies. I currently have three going. One is with three children and their mother, studying the life of Jesus. The second is with a married couple who want to know more about SDBs and receive training in evangelism. 

The third is with a mother of 4, Claudia, who wants to learn how to study the Bible and then teach her children to do the same (disciples making disciples)! Her teen daughters are already reading the Bible of their own accord. Claudia has a friend who is going to be joining us for the Friday morning study, and another friend who can’t make that time but would like to meet on another day. Definitely a hunger for Jesus here! What a privilege to teach these new believers

This is one of the families doing a home Bible study.

  When I brought my guitar to church one Sabbath for special music, Pastor Ben realized the church could offer guitar lessons as an outreach so I've started those on Wednesday nights. When the weather gets warmer I hope to add a table ministry in the downtown area or at a Farmer's Market. We have several people eager to serve the Lord through that kind of gospel outreach.

Singing with Pastora Marcela

Celebrating a birthday. Pastor Ben and Marcela top right.

  I'm also teaching the adult Bible study after the worship service and before the potluck supper. We're studying core SDB beliefs since many people are new to SDBs. I'm developing the lessons in Spanish, with copies in English for the few English speaking people who enjoy being part of this church. One of my goals is to include answers to the challenges believers face in sharing their faith, such as why we believe the Bible is accurate and reliable, or why evil is found in the heart of every person and we need God’s help to change (we need a Savior).

As a new resident I had to get a Washington driver’s license, as well as register the car and get local plates. Thanks to a new SDB program to partially fund church planters, I was reimbursed for my moving and relocation expenses, and will have the monthly donations matched up to $1,000/month. In addition to living and transportation expenses, I buy gospel tracts, Bibles, and materials for the home Bible studies from the donations I receive. Thank you so much for your gifts to God that He directs to this ministry!

 

Mount Rainier, 14,400 feet elevation (Auburn is about 600 ft elevation)

I'm busy for sure but happy to help fill the urgent need for teaching these new disciples. If anyone else feels led to come, give me a call! We could use more workers. I'll need new housing in June when Karen’s kids return from college so I'm thinking to get an apartment. They are very expensive in this area, so please keep me in your prayers for the right housing.

View from in town.

Because of you, I am able do this work full-time. The Apostle John wrote in his third letter, “For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support (show hospitality to) such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”

If you’d like to become a partner in this work, donations can be sent to the church I’m serving.  Please write my name on the memo line of the check and they will pass along 100% of the funds to me. You can mail (or use your bank's automatic bill-pay service) to send checks payable to:

IBS Dia
PO Box 217
Auburn WA 98071

 God bless you, my friends, and please keep up the prayers for Pastor Ben, Marcela, me, and the new church here.  “You also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.” 2 Corinthians 1:11

Signs of spring!

Year-End 2015

(Click on any picture to enlarge it.)

Hello Friends!

Greetings from the Isle of Enchantment, Puerto Rico! I’m here for a 7-week mission, but first a bit about the moving trip from Maryland to my home base in Colorado. I took a little over a week with stops to visit friends and family, including people I hadn’t seen for many years. 

I enjoyed Sabbath days with the Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church (Wisconsin) and the North Loup SDBs (Nebraska). I was especially glad to visit some of the people who helped me grow in the faith as a youth; Francie Van Horn and Rev. Mynor and Marian Soper. I also made a brief stop at Rez Connection on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to catch up with the Marks Family; yet another example of godly people who have influenced me for good. I’m so thankful for all of them.

North Loup, Nebraska, SDB Church

Milton Seventh Day Baptist (where I was baptized, age 12)

Rev. Mynor and Marian Soper

On October 24 in Boulder, Colorado, my son, Paul, married Aimée Joy Woodard. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a great celebratory supper. They chose to be barefooted for the ceremony (Paul loves to run barefoot, Aimée is a dancer) and included washing each other’s feet to demonstrate their commitment to care for one another. They are a wonderful couple, ready to serve the Lord in Navigator’s ministry at the CU Boulder Campus. I’m very excited to have a new daughter in the family and look forward to spending time with them during Christmas break.

Scenic overlook in Aguadilla

On Monday following the wedding it was off to Puerto Rico with pastors Judith and Joel Houts. They invited me here to help with gathering the documents needed to request membership in the SDB General Conference. The temperatures are in the 80s every day and low 70s at night. Rough, huh? Just keep in mind it comes with high humidity (sweat, sweat). The scenery is beautiful with lush forests, abundant flowers and sandy beaches. 

Trinitaria (Bougainvillea)

We’re an hour away from the shore (and two hours west of San Juan) up in the mountains in the city of San Sebastián. Well, actually on a hilltop above the city in a community called Hoyamala. The church sits on the main road with good visibility. 

Pastora Judith Houts

Pastora Judith is a native of Puerto Rico but lived in the U.S. for many years. She returned a few years ago to care for her mother before she passed away. God led the Houts to people who responded to the gospel message and a new church was born.

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and many people speak some English but Spanish is the primary language. The longer I’m here the better I can speak it but comprehension of rapid-fire speech is a challenge. As a missionary I’m often asked to pray aloud, which I’m glad to do but it takes some thinking to put the right sentences together. (Ever heard of the subjunctive tense?) About the time I get the hang of it, someone chimes in with “Sí, Señor!” or “Amen!” and I’m so startled I lose my next thought. I manage to recover but it makes me laugh inside.

Fridays are Talent Night and people share testimonies, poems, Scripture, a teaching, and various talents. I brought my guitar and have contributed a few songs that I learned in my missionary days in Honduras (1980s). 

The church has cement walls and a tile floor like most buildings here, where termites can be a problem for wood structures. It was previously a small grocery store and they’ve made it attractive inside and out. The music worship team is terrific, led by Marizta and her husband, Adrian. I especially enjoy the praise songs in Spanish with a Caribbean rhythm.  (Search YouTube, “Paseate Nazareno, Faba Marin”.) We have many tambourines and maracas going during the singing time!

Café Sabatino

The church is actively reaching out to the community in many ways. One is the "Café Sabatino", coffee offered to people who wander by on Sabbath morning before church (as in 7:30 am). The price is “just a smile” (Solo una Sonrisa). 

 


 
 





They also host a monthly meal for the needy of the community (same price). In November we served over 20 meals.  I enjoy hearing about people’s lives and answering questions. One man asked what we believed about the second coming of Christ and we started reading passages in the Bible about that. He asked if I had ever read the Bible cover to cover and I was glad for the YouVersion daily Bible reading plans (smart phone app). I’ve read through the Bible 3 times in three years – good stuff!

I’m staying with the Houts in the lower level of their home. The gate at the front of the house says “Agape” (the Greek word for God’s love, also their ministry name). The house is on a hillside. Below my level is the patio where I have access to a 5’x6’ kitchen just right for one. 

 

I have a small refrigerator and cook with a two-burner propane gas stove. Works great! 

 

Behind the house are 1.5 acres of fenced land where they hold summer camp for the youth (that little patio kitchen puts out a lot of food for the campers). They made a cross from a small standing tree and have other creative structures. 

 

Pastor Joel Houts at the camp cross

On a tour of the land, Pastor Joel showed me how he harvests the avocados from 15’ up in the trees using a long pole with a wire basket on the end. I’ve been enjoying those avocados, along with grapefruit from their trees, and bananas! 

I watched Pao (church member and caretaker) push down a small tree to collect the bananas. A banana tree is really a large stalk that blooms and bears fruit just once. It also produces a new shoot before dying, so they harvest the bananas and remove the old tree to make room for the new one.

Not oak leaves - Pana leaves

I’ve taken a few walks along the side roads but it’s a little tricky as they are only slightly wider than a single lane. The houses (or the cement footers for fences) sit right against the road, so very little shoulder space. Every time two cars meet they have to squeeze by using the gutters. It was probably easier in the early days with only horse traffic. :)

Farmer's Market featuring "Bacalao" - dried codfish

I’ve been happy NOT to drive, accepting rides when I need to get somewhere, like a weekly trip to town with resident missionary, Ruth Russell, to get groceries and go to the Post Office. She’s also taken me to the Farmer’s Market where more traditional fare is found - like native fruits, root vegetables and hand-woven baskets.

 To do my work on the church documents I use a small table on the lower level, under stairs and next to the door to the side yard (where I often hear a chorus of wild chickens next door). So far I’ve helped consolidate their statement of belief, updated the English version of the Covenant, and translated the existing Constitution into English from Spanish. Next up is adding By Laws to cover additional church processes.

I enjoyed helping with a visit to a local nursing home (another outreach of the church), singing with the residents and giving a short salvation message. 

One of the highlights for me each week is meeting with an older brother named Adam to teach basic Christian beliefs in preparation for baptism. His home is a small cement structure with a hammock on the porch. He made me a type of coconut candy that I liked despite not being a fan of coconut! (“Where He leads me I will follow, what He feeds me I will swallow.”)

I hope you all enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving. The Houts celebrated with a traditional turkey dinner along with Puerto Rican rice with gandules (small beans aka “pigeon peas” and they grow in the back yard, too). I enjoyed meeting members of their extended family. We closed the day with a small campfire, toasting marshmallows and singing camp songs with guitar accompaniment.

I’m very thankful for God’s many blessings, including all of you for your friendship, prayers and donations. Year-end gifts are much appreciated and can be made out to the SDB Missionary Society, 19 Hillside Ave, Ashaway RI, 02804. Email: Office@sdbmissions.org, Phone: 401-596-4326. (Or mail it to me directly, but it would not be tax-deductible.)

I return to Colorado on December 14 and look forward to some down time. In mid-January I’ll load up the car again and drive to the Seattle area to serve the new Spanish-speaking church under the leadership of Pastor Ben and Marcela Figueroa. Please pray for safe travel and for God’s provision for housing (it’s on the expensive side there). Also pray for these new church plants as they seek to love their communities and grow new believers. 

Merry Christmas to you all!  Feliz Navidad!

View from our neighborhood along one of my walking routes