Blessed New Year

We returned from our trip about 7pm Christmas Eve, and by the time we unpacked the car and our suitcases, it was 9. We were exhausted but thankful for the opportunity to see so many friends and family members. We are pictured here with Wade and Marie. Wade is Nancy's cousin and they live in Old Town, Florida. We also got to see his brothers Dick (Fort Myers) and James (Everglades City), plus all our brothers and sisters (Jacksonville) except for Nancy's sister Kathy, who lives in Texas. Most importantly, we were able to visit a little while with Mama, the loving matriarch of our clan. Since our return home Dan has been studying really hard, trying to make a lot of headway through an independent study course. In five days he has read two books and written four reflection papers. One more book and reflection paper to go, and then a long term paper. Help him Lawd! Nancy is catching up with household business and continuing her own reading projects related to her year-long course on Advanced Healing. We will have a quiet New Year, studying and watching a little football (only Dan will watch football), and probably participate in a Wesley Covenant service tonight at a local church. Dan starts a 2-week intensive course on Monday, and he's facilitating part of the first session, so he doesn't really get a break. But God is faithful and continues to provide strength and wisdom. We had a fun Christmas celebration with John and Tara last night (see picture below), as well as celebrating Tara's birthday. Thanks for all your prayers, and we will post more pictures in the next few days. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

On the Road Again

We left town Friday for our 12-day road trip. We drove to Atlanta where we spent the night with our wonderful friends Ralph and Donna, and had a great visit with them. Saturday we had a meeting with the Venezuela Now leadership team to do some planning related to the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela, and then attended a wedding that night in Waleska. After the wedding we drove two hours to Athens to enjoy visiting with our great friends Kent and Sandy. Yesterday (Sunday) we made our way from Athens to Charleston, where we are having fun with our terrific friends Chuck and Katie. Today we will visit the USS Yorktown and share a relaxing day, then tomorrow we hit the road again, heading toward Orlando where I will meet with one of the members of my dissertation committee. We will stop off in Jacksonville on the way to Orlando to visit with family. Please pray for safe travel, and that God will guide our steps throughout our trip. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Venezuela

Here's a picture of some of our teen friends at the Lugar Altisimo congregation in Venezuela. It's been a huge blessing to get to know them and be a small part of their spiritual journey. Please keep the Venezuela ministry in your prayers. We still need money to finish paying for the Seminary property there, plus we need help with some "gussying-up" items such as bunk beds (82.50) and mattresses (60.00) for the dormitories, etc. The Seminary has a huge impact on the ministry of the churches in Venezuela, and we are grateful for your partnership with us there. Also please pray for Dan's health. He has been sidelined for a week with an acute sinus infection. He started antiobiotics today, so hopefully he will begin to perk up soon. This is Finals Week at Asbury, so the timing of this illness could have been better :) :) :) Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Update from Pastor Sonia

We received an update from Pastor Sonia (in Costa Rica) yesterday. 3 women and 2 men have graduated from the residential ranch program for street teens. Two of them have moved back home with their families and are very happy there, plus they are attending a local church. The other three have asked to stay at the ranch for a longer period of time to receive more training in how to serve Christ in some form of ministry. It's truly amazing what God has done in the lives of these young men and women through the grace of Jesus. Thanks for your continued prayers for Sonia, Edwin, and all who are involved in the ranch ministry. And remember that we're taking a mission team there again August 1-8, 2009. We'd for you to be a part of that group! Nancy is pictured here with some girls who graduated from the ranch in past years. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Knock Us Over with a Feather!

God continues to give us wonderful surprise gifts of grace. Today we were walking home from taking a baby gift to a Korean family whom we are close to, and a car stopped right beside us. Puzzled as to what was going on, we stopped too, and a young woman jumped out of the front passenger seat and came rushing over to us. Lo and behold it was Julie Lane, a long-lost friend of ours from 25 years ago. Jeff and Julie were the pastoral family at the Mountville UMC when Nancy and I were at Stripling Chapel UMC, all back in the early 80s. Jeff and I were in a Teaching Parish group together, and our families had several occasions to share in joyous times. Julie is in Wilmore visiting with a friend whose husband has been ill. What makes this even more amazing is that she and Jeff have been following our blog and keeping up with us, and we didn't even know it! So Jeff, if you're out there and reading this, we hope you've kept your good looks as well as Julie has kept hers, and we wish y'all continued joy as you serve Christ together. To all our friends, this is a reminder of how precious your friendship is to us, and how thankful we are to God for bringing you into our lives. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Insight from Luke 8

As part of my devotional time this morning I read the story of the Gerasene demoniac in Luke 8. I was particularly intrigued when the man who had been delivered from demon oppression asked Jesus for permission to travel with Him. Jesus refused permission, but instead "sent him away, saying, 'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." At first glance we might find this strange. The man wanted to go with Jesus and be one of His traveling disciples. He wanted to spend more time with the One who had delivered/saved him. But Jesus had a different idea. More important than "soaking up" more of Jesus was the man's responsibility to share what God had done for him with those who knew him best: the people in his own town. Spending time with Jesus is of course not wrong: in fact too many of us spend far too little time with Him. Conversely, however, this incident reminds us that our time spent with Christ has a dual purpose: it grows us up in Him, AND it prepares us to share Him with others. We are not called to be sponges only. We are also called to be salt and light. We are called to be sharers of the good news, not hoarders of the good news. I invite you today to tell someone how much God has done for you. Many Blessings, Dan

Great Weekend in Atlanta

We had a great time in Atlanta this past weekend. Dan taught for two days in the Lay Missionary Training program of the North Georgia Conference, and was blessed to be with such passionate and gifted brothers and sisters in Christ. He taught on The Mission of the Church, and also on Personal Evangelism. Nancy ran some much-needed ministry errands, and also got to visit a little bit with a first cousin with whom she has recently reconnected (after 30 years!). We also got to visit with some of our ministry partners. We are reminded of how thankful we are for the support that so many of you offer us through your prayers and your financial giving. Please ask God to continue His provision in our lives as we seek to serve His Kingdom in the Americas. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Hosted a missionary pastor from India

We had the privilege last night of hosting an Indian missionary pastor in our home. He is in the States to pursue his Master of Divinity degree, after which he will return to India and continue his missionary outreach to an indigenous tribe in a jungle region. He has been working with these tribal people for 15 years. They have no Bible in their language. A couple of Psalms have been translated and a few New Testament passages, but that is all. Even if the whole Bible were available in their language, they wouldn't be able to read it, because they are not a literate community. What a valuable reminder this is there are still many people in the world who have little or no access to the gospel message. This is hard for us to comprehend because the Bible is so readily available to us. We don't always use it, :) :) :), but it is readily available. I pray that God will help each of us be sensitive to and obedient to Jesus' command to pray for laborers for God's harvest. We all need to pray for laborers, and some of us need to become those laborers. What is God calling you to do? Have you been ignoring God's call? Evading it? Or answering it? Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Global Outreach Seminar

We are delighted to report that the Global Outreach Seminar which Dan facilitated this past weekend went very well. The attendees were quite enthusiastic about being involved in what God is up to among the nations, and there was a good spirit of learning and joy. We are grateful for these kinds of opportunities to help Christians embrace the clear Biblical portrayal of our Global God. Thank you for your prayers and your financial support that provide these opportunities to us. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Global Outreach Seminar and a Birthday

We had a great weekend celebrating Nancy's birthday, which was Saturday. We went with friends to Renfroe Valley for a bluegrass concert on Saturday, and then on Sunday we had a birthday dinner with John and Tara. Nancy was led on a short follow-the-clues journey to receive her gift and we had some fun laughs about that. This coming weekend Dan will be leading a Global Outreach Seminar at Nicholasville UMC. Please pray for for the Seminar participants to gain a stronger understanding of God's passion for reaching the nations. Thank you for your continued support as we seek to serve Christ's Kingdom in the Americas. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Visit with Chris and Eleanor

We had a great visit with Chris and Eleanor this past weekend. It was fun to catch up with them and share Eleanor and Nancy's upcoming birthdays. We also visited with our nephew in Kansas. We were reminded how precious our families are to us, and we thank God for them. We are also thankful for our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ around the world. Being part of God's family is a huge gift of God's grace. We invite you to give thanks today for folks in your life who are special to you, and tell them how much they mean to you. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Fun Ministry and Engaging Learning

We've had an interesting few days. In addition to our usual schedule-filling studies, on Saturday morning we helped with a Sidewalk Ministry our church does with Hispanic kids in a local Nicholasville neighborhood. There were about 15 highly energetic children present. We played games, helped them with a Scripture memory verse, had a teaching time about Paul's conversion, and then took them to church for a free lunch. We were once again humbled by God's grace in our lives as we had the chance to share Jesus' loves with them. Sunday morning we worshipped at our home church at 9:30 and then went to St. Luke UMC in Lexington to support our friend Kent Reynolds who was preaching that day. Kent did a fabulous job as he talked about the River of Life from Ezekial. It was Mission Sunday and he invited the congregation to receive the new life that comes from God's Living Waters, but then to also be a conduit of that new life for others (he was singing our song!). Today (Wednesday) Dan heard two speakers who addressed the critical need for Christians to engage civil society. It is an unbiblical dichotomizing of the gospel to think that Christianity means we do our "God-stuff" in the church but have no impact in the world. Jesus talks about being the world's light and salt, and these speakers encouraged us to take His teachings seriously and commit ourselves to practicing collaborative engagement. An important question to ask is "What difference has it made to your COMMUNITY that your local church exists?" All in all, we continue to be taught, challenged, encouraged, and equipped. We are so thankful that God continues to patiently grow us. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Seminary Funds Needed

The final payment for the VZ Seminary property is due in February, and funds are still needed. Additionally, the exchange rate is currently favorable, so we need to take advantage of this brief window of opportunity before the exchange goes back down again. We invite you to give generously to this vital ministry. The Seminary is equipping Christian leaders in Venezuela to have a missional mindset and lead their congregations in focusing outside themselves in order to reach their communities with holistic ministries. It is making an enormous difference. In addition to giving generously, please pray specifically that God would raise up many believers to support this effort. To give, make your check payable to VNI, write "Seminary property" on the memo line, and mail to VNI, PO Box 1655, Duluth, GA 30096. If you have any questions or want more information, please let us know. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Great Time Hosting College Students

We have had a busy but blessed week. Last night was the highlight so far, as we hosted four Asbury College students in our home. Blair is the son of our missionary friends David and Carol who are serving in Venezuela, and he is a senior this year. He and his friend Kat came over. Additionally, Stuart is the nephew of our missionary friends Ray and Lidia who are serving in Costa Rica, and he and his roommate Caleb came over. They are both freshman. They enjoyed home cooked roast, carrots,mashed potatoes broccoli, cornbread, and chocolate chip cookies. We all enjoyed visiting with one another and sharing God's grace together. One of the most enlightening dimensions of our global participation with God's work is sharing stories of how the Spirit moves in different parts of the world. Go God!

Word and Deed

Dan returned yesterday from a 2-day conference in New Orleans that focused on the importance of understanding that evangelism involves both Word and Deed. This was a gathering of evangelism professors from seminaries and colleges throughout the country, as well as Canada. Dr. Ron Sider was the keynote speaker (pictured here), and he did a fabulous job talking about how we must remember that Word and Deed are not identical, but they are both essential in the evangelizing process. This was a wonderful reminder that Christians must "name the Name" of Jesus with people, but must also "love the neighbor" in specific, real, concrete, ways that help people in their lives. This week we encourage you to fulfill this vital understanding of Loving God and Loving Neighbor, based on Jesus' words in Matthew 22:37-39. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Pray for Yolanda, Dan to New Orleans

For your prayer focus the next day or two, please pray for Pastora Yolanda in Venezuela. She operates six daycare centers, pastors a church, and sponsors children's outreach activities in two additional very poor communities. Dan is headed to New Orleans for a Conference focusing on the Gospel in the Place of Suffering. Please pray for safe travel, learning, and God to be glorified. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Hectic Yet Blessed Few Days

We have had some blessed and hectic days recently. Nancy went to North Carolina last Wednesday for a conference on Spiritual Warfare. She really enjoyed this conference and learned some key Biblical principles. Also on Wednesday, Jane Lathem's mother went to be with the Lord. I drove down to Canton on Friday so I could attend the funeral on Saturday. After the funeral I enjoyed lunching with some long-time friends and then I drove to Knoxville to visit with wonderful new friends whom I met at the language school in Costa Rica. I went with them to an English-language worship experience and a Spanish-language Sunday school class. Afterward I hooked up with Nancy at a Cracker Barrel north of Knoxville, as she was returning from North Carolina. We then caravanned home. That evening we had the joy of visiting with our great friends Virgil and Jo. We spent the day with them yesterday (Monday) as well and had a great time catching up with them. Dan is now getting back to intense studies and Nancy is catching up on reading and relationships. Thanks for your continued prayers!

Mrs. Baird Celebrates with Jesus

Our dear friend, Jane Lathem, lost her mother yesterday. Mrs. Baird has suffered with illness for several years, and she was a wonderful Christian, so we are grateful that she is celebrating with Jesus today in heaven. Please pray for Jane and Warren and their entire family during this time. They are also grateful that Mrs. Baird is no longer suffering here on earth, but of course we always miss our loved ones when they are gone. Also, please be in prayer for our dear friends Thoby and Elizabeth Ramirez in Venezuela. They serve as pastors in Puerto Ordaz, and we are grateful for their ministry. Please ask God to use them to reach many lost people with the good news of Christ's salvation. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Nancy to NC Again

Hi Everyone,
Nancy heads to North Carolina again today, this time for a five-day conference on Spiritual Warfare. Please pray for her safe travel, and also that God would equip, heal, grow, encourage, and use her during these days. For the next few days, we additionally request that you pray for our dear friends Edwin and Sonia in Costa Rica . They lead the ministry that reaches street kids and poor children in Costa Rica. Please ask God to continue to lead them, guide them, and use them to minister to these children, teens, and their families. For those who would like to go to Guapiles with us next year to partner with Edwin/Sonia in the residential ranch program there for street teens, please pencil in August 1-8 on your calendar. We are in the process of trying to firm up that date, but for now it appears that this is the week we will take that trip. Much Love and Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Please Pray for Juvenal and Nohely

Hi Everyone,

This has been an interesting week. We have both enjoyed learning a lot, while also "enjoying" back problems. Dan bent over to open a drawer on Monday morning, and something "gave" in his back. He is on the road to recovery, but the doctor thinks a slipped disc may be involved, so we're trying to be diligent about stretching, icing, and walking. He missed class on Tuesday but was able to get back to classes yesterday. Nancy is participating in a day and a half conference at the Seminary on Christian Healing, facilitated by Dr. Terry Wardle, and she is really enjoying it. Her back started bothering her on Wednesday (probably from caring for Dan), but it is much better today. For a Prayer Focus the next couple of days, we want to ask you to pray for Pastors Juvenal and Nohely Perez (Juvenal is pictured here with Dan). They serve in Punto Fijo, Venezuela, and are great friends. Please pray that God would continue to guide and lead them in their ministry to reach lost people in Venezuela, and also that God would protect and heal their family. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Teenage Missionaries

We had a great day on Sunday. We presented a slide show about our summer mission experiencies to a high school Sunday school class. This summer these teens received teaching on how to participate in God's passion for global disciple-making, and they were fired up! They prayed all summer for our travels, as well as for each of the street teens at Sonia's residential ranch program in Costa Rica. Five of the teenagers were commissioned this past Sunday as God's missionaries in their own corner of the world. This was a moving experience for us as we witnessed the Holy Spirit moving in these young Christians' hearts. God's grace continues to amaze us.

Newly Thankful

Hi Everyone. Nancy is in North Carolina for a week-long event focusing on prayer and healing. We are very grateful for God's continued work in Nancy's life to lead and guide her in these directions. Dan is great enjoying his new semester so far. It is continually amazing how much new learning is available when we open up our hearts and minds. We are both thankful for fresh equipping to be the persons God designed us to be, and pray that the same thing is happening for you as well. Thanks for your continued prayers and love.

Today we had the joy of sharing lunch with a young Venezuelan in Wilmore and his American wife. We were excited to learn that they are in town and really enjoyed getting to know them. We have asked them to begin praying about whether or not God would want them to serve in VZ after he completes his education. He is pursuing a double major at Asbury College, in Biblical Languages and Sociology. She has a wealth of experience in music, music teaching, and ESL training. Pictured here are our dear friends Efrain and Bethsaida Morales, with their daughter, Lim Morales Lathem. It was a great joy for Lim to be in VZ and share the graduation experience with her parents. Go God!

Enjoyed Preaching in Spanish Today

Today Dan had the opportunity to preach twice in Spanish. His theme was "Cuando Dios se manifiesta, la transformacion siempre es posible." We continue to marvel at God's grace in bringing Dan's Spanish to this point, and ask for God's continued favor with language learning. Thank you for your prayers!

Closed on the VZ Seminary Property Today!

Praise God, we were able to close on the VZ Seminary property today. We are so thankful for the hard work that David, Carol, Samuel, Tricia, Warren, and others have put into this project. We still need to pay the rest of the money in five months and also make capital improvements, so we continue to pray for generous gifts to help this dream come to full reality. But today was certainly a grand step in the right direction. Thank you for your prayers and your generous giving.

Back in Wilmore

Nancy and I made it back to Wilmore last night, and have begun the process of going through our mail and assorted errands that have piled up during our absence. We are very thankful for a great summer of ministry in America, Venezuela, and Costa Rica, but we are also delighted to be home. Nancy looks forward to several learning opportunities this Fall, focusing on Prayer, Healing, and Spiritual Warfare. I have some helpful learning awaiting me as well. I am particularly interested in an opportunity I have to design a Mission course this Fall that I can use in the future in various teachings settings that God might call us to. Thank you for your continued prayers as we serve Christ together to reach lost people with His love. Many Blessings, Dan

Seminary Graduation

Wow! Go God! Wow! Go God!

What a grand graduation celebration we enjoyed yesterday. After seven years of dreaming, planning, and hard work, the first 12 graduates of the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela received their diplomas. Families and friends gathered to witness this exciting event, and we basked in the blessings of God's grace. It has been such a joy for us to be a part of the teaching team through the years and engage in mutual learning with the students. We have learned so much from them, and more importantly, we have become friends in Christ. The graduates are pictured here tossing their graduation caps into the air in a final act of celebration.

Graduation Banquet a Huge Success

Last night we celebrated the Graduation Banquet of the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. The twelve graduates and their friends and families were in attendance, along with the Cosbys, Dunns, and Lathems, who helped found the Seminary through Mount Pisgah UMC in October of 2002. It was a great evening of joy and laughter and remembering, as well as looking ahead. The Mount Pisgah mission team presented beautiful crosses to the graduates, and two representatives from another supporting church, McEachern, also presented gifts. Dan had the joy of serving as master of ceremonies. At the close of the evening, Wilmer Perez, the Valedictorian, preached about the paralytic man who was carried to Jesus by friends and let down through the roof of the house and laid at Jesus' feet, where he received healing. Wilmer asked Dan to close in prayer with Bishop Juvenal Perez, Rev. Julio Lopez, and a Venezuelan teen, representing each of those four persons carrying one corner of a stretcher, symbolizing that our mutual responsibility is to carry the lost people of VZ to Jesus to receive His love, healing, and salvation. Thanks for your continued love and support. We are deeply grateful for your partnership with us in Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the Americas. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Consecration Service

Here is a picture from the Consecration Service this afternoon. What a grand time we had celebrating God's grace in providing a place for the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. About 100 people were in attendance and the Spirit moved in a powerful way. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Another Update from Venezuela

We apologize for not updating you in a couple days, but the pace has been hectic here. Tuesday Dan had a blast teaching a session in the Seminary on New Church Planting. The students seemed to enjoy the material, and we had a great time getting excited about new church planting possibilities in VZ. Wednesday (yesterday) Dan spent the entire morning with the students discussing the Urban Challenge that faces us today. This is especially pertinent in VZ. Worldwide, about 55% of people live in large cities, but in VZ 87% live in large cities. In recent Christian history we have often ignored ministry in the cities because of fear, prejudice, and the unknown. This must change if we are to reach lost people. We ended our session with Bishop Juvenal Perez praying for the cities of Venezuela. This was quite a moving experience. Today Dan will teach a session on How to Reach Secular People. Nancy is busy working on graduation-related tasks. Today and tomorrow she will be ironing all the robes that the students and faculty will wear for graduation. Last night she wrapped graduation gifts for the students. Please continue to pray for good health. We are doing well but we are definitely getting tired. We love you and appreciate your partnership with us in ministry.

Blessed Afternoon in VZ Seminary

We praise God that 60 students were in the Seminary today, which is a great turnout. This included 10 new students, something we are especially thankful for. Dan enjoyed teaching his first-ever Spanish-only session in the Seminary, without the aid of a translator. This is an amazing gift of God's grace. Dan is pictured here with our great missionary friend, David Cosby, who is the Academic Dean of the Seminary. The other picture is of some of the students who were in attendance today. Please continue to pray for God to be glorified and lost people to be brought to Jesus. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Seminary Week Begins Today in VZ

This afternoon we begin another Seminary week in VZ. I will be co-teaching a course on Church Growth with Warren Lathem. Contrary to what the term sometimes implies, Church Growth is a field within mission/evangelism that focuses on continually discovering ways to creatively reach non-Christians with the gospel of Jesus in order to invite them into a living relationship with Him and help incorporate them into a local expression of His Body (congregation, church, etc.). It is about how to Make Disciples of people who are currently not disciples, and how to do that through local congregations. The focus is on growing the global church of Jesus, not local denominational churches (though that is sometimes a side benefit). I look forward to sharing with the students this week, and learning from them. Nancy and I both slept very well last night, and we are most thankful. Our recent illness and tiring travels had gotten us down, so we are thankful for renewed strength. We are still a little tired, but so much better than before. Please continue to pray for us. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Safely Arrived in Venezuela

Nancy and I arrived safely today in Cabudare, VZ, after a 29-hour journey from San Jose, CR to Atlanta to Houston to Caracas to Cabudare. We praise God for healing us of our recent illness, and ask for your continued prayers for strength and recovery as Dan teaches in the Seminary this week and as we both celebrate the graduation weekend of our first graduating class of the Wesleyan Seminary of VZ.

Finsihed Language School Yesterday

After seven very busy, intensive, but enjoyable weeks, I finished my stint at the Language Institute yesterday. Hopefully my Spanish has improved with this investment of time and energy. I have received a lot of new information that should help me, but the information has come so fast and furiously that I'm not sure how well I've assimilated it to the point where I can actually use it correctly in conversation. I am praying that God will grant me favor with my Spanish so that I can be used by Him more effectively in ministry with Spanish-speakers in America, Venezuela, and Costar Rica. I ask you to pray the same thing.

Nancy and Ralph and Donna come in two days!!! Then the Guapiles mission team will come on August 2nd. I'm really looking forward to our week with Pastor Sonia and the street kids at the ranch. We will be doing some type of construction work with the teenage boys, and sewing/jewelry-making with the teenage girls. I will be translating for the team members who work with the sewing and jewelry. Thank you for your continued support of our ministry. Nancy and I deeply appreciate the opportunity to serve Christ together through our partnership with you. Much Love, Dan

5 more days!

Only 5 more days until Nancy arrives with Ralph and Donna. Hurray! My back has greatly improved since Sunday evening. Thanks to everyone for their prayers. I have three more days of classes at the Spanish Institute. I am taking an extra private class each of those days to try to finish all 15 rules related to the Subjunctive Mood. I know I won't be able to "capture" all the information and use it right away, but this will help me get a complete set of notes that I can continue to study when I get home. I have posted a picture of my Costa Rican host family. They have been so gracious to me, and I appreciate them very much. Pictured from left to right are Rodrigo, Zoraida, Emilio, and Diego. Please keep praying for God to provide the funds to purchase the Seminary property in Venezuela. We hope to close next week. What a great ministry tool this will provide for God's work there. Much Love, Dan

Seven More Days!!!

Seven more days until Nancy and Ralph and Donna arrive in Costa Rica!!! This is Day 44 of our separation. Yuck. However, I am definitely learning a lot of Spanish, so I am grateful for that. Today I ask for special prayers for my back, which went out on me yesterday for some reason. I'm icing it and resting it, but I'm a LONG way away from my chiropractor, so please ask for God's provision and healing. Please pray too for God's wisdom as I lead a Bible study this coming Saturday morning for a group of young people affiliated with Pastor Sonia's ministry in the San Jose area. Many Blessings, Dan

A Blessed Sunday

Hi Everyone,

Nancy and I both had blessed Sundays yesterday. Her presentation about Sonia's ministry went well. The teenagers seemed engaged and interested, and they prayed for her at the end. Yesterday I heard one of the best sermons in Spanish that I've ever heard, and at the end of the service 6 people gave their lives to Christ. There was great celebration in heaven! It was wonderful to be a part of a congregation that considers new converts to be a normal part of its life, so that they expect conversions to take place, they invite people to say Yes to Christ, and they are prepared to follow up with them. I was also able to get a picture of Roland and his wife yesterday, which I have posted here. He is the friend I told you about in a previous blog whom I used to know at Mount Pisgah, and who now lives in Costa Rica. This week I am focusing on my Spanish classes, plus I am continuing my work on designing the Church Growth course that Warren and I are going to team-teach in Venezuela in August. Thank you for your prayers and your financial support that make it possible for me to serve Christ in this way.

Much Love, Dan

Nancy speaking Sunday in Kentucky

Hi Everyone,
I want to let you know that Nancy will be offering a presentation this Sunday, July 13th, to a high school Sunday school class at the Nicholasville UMC in Nicholasville, KY. She will be talking with them about Pastor Sonia's ministry with street kids in Costa Rica. This Sunday school class is excited about supporting Sonia's ministry through their prayers and theirs gifts. They are praying for all of the teenage residents of the ranch program in Guapiles by name, and will be sending personal greeting cards by way of Nancy when she comes in a couple weeks. It is great to see the Lord beginning to stir a missionary spirit with this group of young people in Kentucky, and we pray that this excitement about global outreach will spread throughout the congregation. Thank you for your support of our ministry that allows us to engage in this kind of teaching and encouragement.
Many Blessings, Dan

Please pray for my BP

Please pray for my BP. It's been a little high yesterday and today. My medication and exercise have been effectively handling the BP so far in Costa Rica, so I don't know what has caused the elevation. Probably missing Nancy! Anyway, please pray. I've had another two good days in class today and yesterday. I have now learned 5 of the 15 rules related to the Subjunctive in Spanish. My brain is continually tired and twirling, but I keep reminding myself that this is the reason I have come! Nancy heads home tomorrow after visiting with family in Jacksonville. Please also pray for her safe travel. Much Love and Many Blessings, Dan

A Wonderful Sunday

Today I went to the Alajuela Evangelical Methodist Church, and was pleasantly surprised to see a friend from years past. Some of you will remember Roland Torres (I think his first name is Roland, but in my old age I'm not certain), who is the son of Letty Torres and her husband (whose name I have forgotten). This family used to serve with the Hispanic Ministry at Mount Pisgah. Roland has travelled to Costa Rica several times with mission teams, and he is the best translator I have ever personally seen. I knew that he had been "struck" with a Costa Rican girl on one of the mission trips, but after Nancy and I moved to Wilmore in 2006 I lost touch with him. Turns out that he and his girlfriend got married last April, and Roland moved to Costa Rica in September. It was a great joy to see them and visit for a little while after church.

I also met a mission team from the Lawrenceville UMC, where one of my friends, Davis Chappell, is the pastor. The team is helping the Alajuela church with a building project. They arrived yesterday and will be here for a week. There are about 20 people on the team, and they are sleeping on mattresses on the second floor of the church's education building. I always appreciate meeting mission teams, because they are such an integral part of our ministry. During worship today we celebrated communion together, which is something else I always appreciate. It both reminds me of God's amazing love for me, and of the worldwide Body of Christ.

Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for God to grant me favor with my Spanish. I have three more weeks in the language institute, and I want to take full advantage of them. I am counting down the days until I am reunited with Nancy (22!). It has now been 29 days that we have been apart. The longest period in our marriage up until this trip was 19 days, so I'm getting pretty difficult to get along with (no comments from the peanut gallery, please). Also please pray for God to continue to pave the way for our mission team experience in Guapiles August 2-9, when we will be working with Pastor Sonia and her residential ranch program for street teens. We still have room for folks if you would like to come. Just send me an email and I can give you the details. Much Love, Dan

Update from Costa Rica

Hi everyone,
Sorry it's been so long between posts, but I've been busy with advanced Spanish grammar. Aye papa! Sunday was a really good day. I worshiped with the congregation at the Evangelical Methodist Church in Alajuela. The music was inspiring, the preaching was encouraging, and the people were very friendly. Afterward Emilio, Zoraida (my host family parents) and I went to lunch at Rosti-Pollo, one of my favorite Costa Rican restaurants. We then picked up another student flying in for a one-month intensive at the Institute. She is from Chile but has lived in the States for seven years and is starting to lose some of her Spanish, so she decided to do the one-month intensive to get back to full fluency. After dropping her off at her host family home, we came home and enjoyed a relaxing evening watching television and talking.

My fellow classmate David and I have really been pushing ourselves in grammar class, because we want to take full advantage of this great opportunity. The teachers at the Institute do a great job of explaining the advanced stuff and helping us work through a lot of examples. It is very taxing, but I'm thankful for the new learning. Hopefully it will pay off in the long run. I continually pray for God to grant me favor with my Spanish.

We have been without water in the house a couple days this week, as the city tries to repair a broken water main. We have also been without electricity a few times, but as is common in Costa Rica and Venezuela, you just learn to roll with the punches.

Nancy and Chris are in Jacksonville for a few days visiting with family. They plan to visit my mother in the rehabilitation center where she is staying right now while she does her physical therapy following knee replacement surgery. I know she will be thrilled to see Chris, as well as Nancy. As always, thanks for your continued prayers. Please keep praying especially for the funds we need to purchase the Seminary property in Venezuela. We need to raise about 300K in the next several months. We are trusting God to provide through God's generous people, and we would deeply appreciate your prayers and your gifts. This is an excellent piece of property with use-able buildings already on it, and we are very excited about the ministry that will take place there. Much Love, Dan

Busy but Good Days

I have had three very busy but very blessed days. In my Advanced Grammar class our teacher knows that we each (there are two of us in this particular group) want to learn as much as we can in our short time here, so she is really pushing us. This week we have had a test on the 9 different verb tenses in the Indicative Mood, plus we have learned the Imperative Mood, plus the 7 different types of reflexive verbs, plus we have begun the Subjunctive Mood. I'm tired just thinking about it. I have used my day off from classes today to catch up on typing all my notes and vocabulary words. I have 22 pages of new vocabulary words, in just 3 weeks!

Last night 14 of the students and/or their children gathered at a Costa Rican pizza restaurant to celebrate the birthday of one of the students. He turned 26 today. We had a great time visiting with one another. The birthday boy was very grateful for the surprise party. He told us this was the first birthday party he has had since his 16th birthday (for some reason his family stopped celebrating his birthday after the 16th birthday).

Chris is driving to Kentucky tomorrow to visit with Nancy and John and Tara and Nancy's sister Kathy. On Wednesday Nancy and Chris will drive to Athens where Chris will finalize getting his house into condition to put on the market, and then later that week they will drive to Jacksonville to visit with family members.

Good News about Dan's Mother

Some of you know that Tuesday Dan received word that his mother was experiencing severe pain during her first week of recuperation from knee replacement surgery. One concern the doctors had was that of a possible blood clot. They ran a test today that showed that there is no blood clot, so we are extremely grateful for that good news. I am waiting for further updates from home, but at this point things certainly seem to be headed in the right direction. Thank you so much for your prayers.

I have had a busy but blessed two days. I have been studying even harder than usual this week in preparation for an advanced grammar test yesterday, and praise God I did okay on the test. Some concepts are still difficult for me, but I'm definitely making progress. Today we started on a new subject in grammar class, and in my conversation class we started practicing some tongue-twisters to improve our phonetics and anunciation - Spanish versions of "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." A lot of fun!

Thanks for your love and your prayers. Nancy and I are constantly reminded of how much your support means to us. You truly are "partners in the Gospel" with us, and we deeply appreciate it. The attached picture is of a bird that was right outside the back window of the house I'm living in. Very cool. Much Love, Dan

Weekend Report from Costa Rica

Hi everyone, this is Dan updating you from Costa Rica. I had a very busy weekend. Saturday morning I visited Sonia and Edwin's ministry, Amor en la Calle (Love in the Street). They work with street kids and very poor people in San Jose. This particular event was a health campaign offered in partnership with Amor en la Calle, the Salvation Army, and two pharmaceutical companies. They provided health screenings, medicine, haircuts (a good opportunity to check for lice), toys for the kids, and a little food. Over 200 people showed up, which was a great turnout. This took place in a very poor neighborhood called Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family). For those of you who know about Cabbagetown in Atlanta, this is similar but a little worse.


Sonia and Edwin and their team work in this neighborhood twice a week. They provide food, clothing, recreation, and discipleship training. It's a great ministry and I enjoyed the opportunity for them to take me around some of the shanties (kind of like a squatter camp with tin shacks) and introduce me to people, plus hear them describe their weekly ministry. They have invited me to lead a Bible study for a discipleship group they have with teenagers on Saturday mornings which they host in their downtown offices. I will probably do that on July 19 or 26. After returning home from that event, David Mosher (a fellow student at the Institute) and I went to LibroMax in the San Pedro mall. I was hoping to find some Spanish crossword puzzle books but was unsuccessful. We then went to HiperMax, the CR version of Wal-Mart, and by the time we finished shopping there, it was time for me to go to Ray and Lidia Zirkel's house for dinner. Some of you know Ray and Lidia, great missionary friends of ours. They are sort of my mentor missionary couple, in terms of how much I have learned from them. I had a great time visiting with them, and Lidia, who is from Alabama, made sweet tea, which was a great treat for me.

Sunday, Nancy and I took care of making a ticket change that we've been needing to make for our trip to Venezuela, so that we can arrive early enough for me to team-teach the whole week of Seminary with Warren, August 11-15 (we are teaching a course on Church Growth). We've been trying to make the change for several weeks but no Sky Mile seats have been available. Through God's grace 2 seats were available yesterday morning so that we could make the change. Nancy called Delta while we were "chatting" on the computer. This was a great answer to prayer. I then went to church, and then to a bead store to price beading supplies for our mission team to Guapiles, before finally returning to my Tico home. After a short nap, I studied for an upcoming grammar test and spent some quality conversational time with my Tico family.
Nancy had an equally busy weekend at home in Wilmore, taking care of a lot of house issues while our wonderful landlady was in town. This is Day 16 being apart from one another, with 35 more to go. Aye papa!

Thank you for your continued prayers for us as we partner with you in the gospel. Much Love, Dan

Big Bird Gets a Nibble!

While visiting the waterfall park on Saturday, a large bird landed on my back/shoulder and began to become intimately acquainted with my left ear. At first it was an enjoyable novelty, but after a minute or so it became less comfortable. The staff told us that he was probably looking for an earring, so I reckon he was disappointed :)

Today I'm feeling a little stronger. The antibiotic is kicking in pretty well and knocking down the infection. I need my strength to continue tackling advanced Spanish grammar :) Tomorrow I will get to see Pastor Sonia as she and her team sponsor a health campaign in a poor community in the greater San Jose area. I will ride over in a taxi to help in any way they need me. Please pray for Sonia and Edwin and their ministry with street kids and other at-risk children.

Also, in Venezuela a great piece of property with use-able buildings on it has become available for the Seminary. Please pray for God to provide the funds to purchase this property. This would be a huge boost to the ministry of the UMC of VZ.
Thanks, and Much Love, Dan

Starting to Feel Better, Learning a Lot

Thanks for all your prayers. Through a small series of God-incidences, I was able to get to a doctor early yesterday morning, 15 minutes before he was to leave on his vacation :) I have an upper respiratory infection, primarily limited to my sinuses. He started me on an antiobiotic and reminded me to drink plenty of fluids and rest. I have been doing both. I feel a touch stronger today. I'm still very weak, but I can tell that I have begun to turn the corner. I made myself go to grammar class the past two days, but I did not go to conversation class, which allowed me to rest a little more. I simply cannot afford to miss the grammar classes. Hopefully I will make both classes this afternoon. Please pray for mother Edith, who is having knee surgery today, and also for our daughter(in-law) Tara, who is doing a job inteview today. Here's another picture from Costa Rica. Much Love, Dan

Feeling Puny, please pray

I woke up this morning (Monday) feeling extremely weak. I rested most of the day, skipping my Conversation class and only going to my Grammar class. I can't afford to miss any grammar classes if I can help it, because that's where I need the most help. I think I just wore my body out over the weekend with a very arduous walk on Saturday, and then a slow but long walk on Sunday. Please pray for my health to recover quickly so I can focus well on my Spanish. I have posted a couple bird pictures from our trip Saturday. I hope you enjoy them. More to come in future posts. Much Love and Many Blessings, Dan

Happy Father's Day to All Dads

Happy Father's Day to all dads out there. What a blessing to be able to enjoy rearing children and influencing them for Christ! I hope your day is amazingly blessed by grace, mercy, and joy.

Yesterday David and Jama Mosher and I went to La Paz Waterfall Park with my host father, Emilio. We had a fabulous time. There is an aviary there, plus a butterfly center, hummingbird stations, and four waterfalls. It was a beautiful day. The rain held off until the evening, and the temperature was perfect. We enjoyed celebrating the creativity and diversity of God's creation. This morning I will attend the El Redentor Church in downtown San Jose. David and Jama are going with me. They aren't staying with a host family during their visit, so they are trying to get out of their apartment and into the community as much as possible, to enhance their immersion experience. Jama is pictured here with a butterfly that visited us during lunch yesterday. I have also included a picture of David and Emilio and me next to the river on our walk to the waterfalls. I have some beautiful bird pictures to show you too, but I'll save for those for my next post tomorrow or Tuesday. Thanks for your prayers and your support!!! Much Love, Dan (and Nancy)

A Great First Week

Hi everyone. This is Dan. I have had a great first week in the Spanish Language Institute in Costa Rica. The staff here are very good at assessing student problem areas and grouping the students accordingly. They strike a wise balance between stretching the students and knowing when to back off a little and let them "breathe" and process. I am thankful for this opportunity to improve my Spanish. I am going to learn a lot.

I am also thankful for the immersion experience with my host family. We are enjoying one another. They have permitted me to cook breakfast two mornings, and this morning they provided a Costa Rican breakfast of scrambled eggs with onions, combined with a delicious version of black refried beans. Emilio, the father of the host family, also asked me to try an avocado sandwich with butter. I don't like avocado, but I felt I should try it anyway. I actually liked it a little bit. It won't make my list of favorite foods but it was palatable. He was very pleased.

Today (Friday) I am going with Emilio to do some kind of work project that he has. He is a freelance truck driver (small panel truck). He does all kinds of jobs, from hauling trash to delivering furniture. I'm not sure what we'll be doing this morning, but I want to experience more time with him because he talks very fast and so being with him is developing my capacity to understand native speakers.

Tomorrow Emilio is going to take me and two friends of mine from the Institute to a park that has a small butterfly center, hummingbird station, and two or three beautiful waterfalls. Nancy and I have been in the past, with our great friends Virgil and Jo. I look forward to introducing this area to my new friends David and Jama Mosher. They are school teachers in the Knoxville area and they are participating in the Institute in order to improve their ability to communicate with their friends in the Hispanic congregation that they are a part of. I'll update the blog again Saturday night or Sunday and let you know how my work project goes today with Emilio, and also how our day trip goes on Saturday. Please keep praying. Pray especially for my blood pressure. It's been a little high. It's better today, so please pray for that trend to continue. Much Love, Dan

Musical Treat Sunday night

Sunday night I had the pleasant surprise of getting to listen to Diego and six of his friends play music for several hours. Diego is playing the keyboard in this picture. He is a music education student and very talented. He and his friends have been practicing on Sundays for about 5 weeks now, and they sound very good. I was reminded of the days when Chris and John had their band practices in our home. Good memories! Diego is the 19-year old son of my host family. Rodrigo is the older son (20), the father is Emilio, and the mother is Zoraida. I hope to take a picture of the entire family soon, but they are never all home together! Rodrigo leaves the house at 5:45am to go to work, then he goes to night classes at the university, so by the time he gets home, I'm already in bed. Hopefully we can work around their schedules somehow to get a picture of them together. Anyway, they are a great family and I am thankful for their hospitality. Please keep praying! Much Love, Dan

Church Yesterday, First Class Today

Yesterday I got to worship at El Redentor Church in downtown San Jose, and then enjoy lunch with our missionary friends, Ray, Lidia, Sarah, and Emma Zirkel. They are some of our ¨missionary mentors¨ and I thoroughly enjoyed our time together.

Today I had the first day of classes at the Language Institute, and I am very thankful for this opportunity. The classes were fabulous, and I am going to learn a great deal while I am here. Being immersed in the language with my host family is also a big help, and they are wonderful people. I hope to have a picture of them for you in a few days.

Please continue to pray for my time here in Costa Rica, and for Nancy as she takes care of things back in the States while I am away. Many Blessings, Dan

Dan Arrived Safely in Costa Rica

I arrived safely in Costa Rica today. I am almost finished unpacking and settling in with my host family. I will attend the El Redentor Church tomorrow and then begin my Spanish training on Monday. My host family hopes to buy a router on Monday so that I can use my laptop in their home. If that turns out to be the case, I will try to upload some occasional pictures with my updates. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan

Georgia, then Costa Rica, then Venezuela

We have enjoyed a couple days in Georgia visiting with good friends, and are reminded of how blessed we are to have so many wonderful people in our lives. On Saturday Dan flies to Costa Rica to begin his 11-week ministry trip. During the first 7+ weeks he will be in language school. He will also be working on an independent study for his doctoral program, related to how Costa Rican churches reach non-Christians. At the end of July Nancy, Ralph and Donna will fly down to meet Dan and we will all enjoy 4 days of vacation prior to the mission team coming down to work with Pastor Sonia in Guapiles. We are looking forward to this mission team experience. After returning to the States for two days to wash clothes and re-pack, we will fly to Venezuela for two weeks, where we will celebrate the first graduating class of the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela, and where Dan will teach a class titled "Encounters with Christ." Please pray for us during our summer ministry time.
Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Preaching in Nicholasville

Last night (June 1st) we worshiped with the Hispanic congregation at Nicholasville UMC, with Dan preaching. We enjoyed being with these loving brothers and sisters in the Lord, and were especially moved as they gathered around us and prayed for our summer travels. We invite you to be in prayer for us too as head to Georgia, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.

Exciting News About Authorship

We were excited this week to receive the page proofs from Bristol House Publishing for the book that Dan and Warren Lathem are co-authoring, titled Preaching for a Response. We pray that the book will speak to pastors and help them learn how to more effectively invite their congregations to respond to gospel invitations on a regular basis. Additionally, being a published author should help Dan somewhat as he pursues various teaching opportunities in the future. God's grace continues to amaze us.


Pictured here is one of our backyard birds enjoying a cool morning in March.

Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Great Health Report for Dan

Dan had a followup visit with his doctor yesterday related to his blood pressure, and the doctor was very pleased. Dan is on a relatively low dose of blood pressure medicine and he has reduced his salt intake and is fairly careful about avoiding caffeine. Additionally, he exercises 3 or more times per week and has lost 25 pounds in the past 15 months. All this has combined to keep his blood pressure under control, and we are very thankful. The most difficult thing was giving up salt, because he has been a salt addict for over 50 years. However, his taste buds have made the adjustment, and he now even eats grits with no salt. Can you imagine! :)

Fun Conversation with Kids about Mission

Recently we were privileged to participate in the Mission Emphasis Week at Nicholasville UMC. One of our fun blessings was the opportunity to share with a group of about 20 children concerning what it means to partner with God in the work that God is doing around the world. The kids had lots of questions about children's lives in Venezuela and Costa Rica, and we enjoyed spending time with them. We pray that God will use this conversation as a seed of mission passion that will grow to full measure as the children mature.

Family Reunion

Dan had the fun of participating in a family reunion a couple weeks ago in Virginia. This was an Angle-Wray reunion, which were Dan's grandparents on his mother's side. There are 12 cousins in Dan's generation, and 10 of them were able to attend the reunion, including Dan's two brothers, Dale and Don. This was the first time the cousins had been together in many years, and great memories were shared. We praise God for everyone in our extended families. We are indeed richly blessed.

Venezuela Seminary Week

Dan enjoyed a great time in Venezuela the last week of January, as Steve Wood led the Venezuelan pastors in understanding how to improve their Bible study and preaching skills. Steve did an excellent job with this important process, and we have already heard from Venezuelan friends about how special the week was for them. We are thankful for the chance to play a small role in what God is up to in equipping leaders to reach the wonderful Venezuelan people with the transforming news of Christ's love.

Home from our Travels

We are home from our recent travels to Georgia and Venezuela, with blessings abounding through God's grace. More details will be forthcoming in the coming days, after we download our pictures. For now, we request that you pray for Dan and the many others in Wilmore who have been hit by a flu virus this week, and well as for their caregivers. Much Love and Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Samuel Esta con Nosotros

Our Venezuelan friend Samuel is with us for a weekend visit, and we are thrilled to see him. He has come to America for a couple months to visit friends, speak at churches, and take care of a couple of medical issues. Samuel is our right-hand-man in Venezuela. He serves as bodyguard, driver, prayer partner, administrator, liason, and much more. We love him as a third son, and it has been great to see him. Yesterday he went to the College chapel with Nancy and the Cosbys and also attended Spanish class with me. The previous evening we went to the Asbury House of Prayer on the Seminary campus and spent some time together praying. We also met an American girl who had spent two and a half months in Ecuador at language school, so Samuel enjoyed talking with her. Today we are meeting with two friends who are going to Venezuela with Dan in late January, and they are going to pick Samuel's brain about various Venezuelan questions they have. Tomorrow we'll probably visit four different churches, two Anglo and two Hispanic, so he can experience some of the variety of worship experiences available here. Samuel's visit is a great reminder of the global nature of the Body of Christ. In Jesus, there truly "is no east or west, in Him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth."

Pray for Allison

We have returned from our recent teaching/preaching trip. Thank you for your prayers. We ask that you continue praying for our ministry, and especially for a young woman named Allison. At the church where Dan preached on Sunday, we talked afterward with Allison about a call she is discerning to partner with God in South America. Please ask the Holy Spirit to guide her as she continues her discernment process. We are so thankful that we are blessed to participate in these kinds of conversations, as God "percolates" among God's people. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Heading to Georgia

We drive to Georgia today and ask for your prayers for safe travels and effective ministry. Dan is teaching an Evangelism Workshop in Norcross and then preaching about Global Outreach at a church in Cherokee County. We look forward to spending some time with good friends in the area, and hopefully eating some good barbeque :) Please continue to pray for Chris and Eleanor as they grieve the death of Eleanor's father, and pray for John and Tara as they continue their mission trip ministry in India. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Pray for India Trip

We have begun 2008 with a wonderful time visiting with our family. Chris was able to spend two nights with us on his way back to St. Louis from Virginia. Last night John and Tara came over and we all shared dinner and fun conversation. We regret that Chris' wife, Eleanor, could not be with us, but she was still in Virginia with her mom and brother as they mourn her father's death on December 23rd. Today we take John and Tara to the airport for their mission trip to India. As we depart for the airport, Chris will also leave for St. Louis. Please pray for safe travel for everyone, and also pray that our family will experience God's love and grace as never before in 2008. Much Love, Dan and Nancy