More Venezuelan Baptisms!

Wow, is God ever good. We got an email yesterday from our friends Thoby and Elizabeth Ramirez, pastors in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela. They attached several photos of a recent baptismal celebration where 16 new Christians were baptized. It is so inspiring to see people who are passionate about reaching others with the good news of Jesus' love. Not only to see them, but to know them, and to enjoy partnering with them in their ministry! A year and a half ago we helped their congregation celebrate their 3rd birthday, so they have been a special part of our lives. Go God!

Pastor Alberto Mendoza

We want to share the story of Pastor Alberto Mendoza with you. He is one of the Seminary students in Venezuela, and the Seminary has transformed his ministry. He told Dan two weeks ago that the Seminary taught him how to disicple people, how to develop small groups, how to study the Bible, how to preach, how to design worship experiences, and how to engage in community ministry. Concerning the latter, his church is partnering with another church in his town (also pastored by a Seminary student) to build a Senior Citizens' Center and feed senior citizens Monday-Saturday. Wow! What a blessing to play a small role in helping nurture this kind of strong Christian leader. He has all the tools for ministry and simply needs some gentle guidance. Thank you for your investment in our ministry, as we invest in the ministry of others in Venezuela and Costa Rica. Your prayer support and your financial support are making an eternal difference. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

God's Amazing Creation

We simply must share this picture with you. This beautiful bird has never visited us before, then one day in January he just showed up at our birdbath and mingled with the robins for a few minutes, and then he was off. We've not seen him since. Does anyone know what kind of bird this is? Celebrating the amazing beauty and diversity of God's creation. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Friend Carlos Pirona and Church

We have our home internet connection restored at last! Now we have access to the pictures Dan took in Venezuela, so we can post them along and along. This picture shows our friend Carlos Pirona at his church a couple Sundays ago. They were dedicating the newly completed second floor of their church building. 700 people were in attendance at this worship experience, and the people you see in front of Carlos were responding to his invitation to become Christ-followers. Praise God! One of the meaningful moments for us was when Carlos made a special point of greeting Dan and telling the congregation that he (Dan) was one of the first people to believe in that congregation's potential (we sent a mission team there back in 2002). What a blessing to be a small part of what God is up to in His passion to help Venezuelans choose to follow Jesus. Thanks for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Safely Back to Wilmore

Hi Everyone. We are safely back in Wilmore. We got home around 6pm last night and were greeted with hanging gutters and downed tree limbs from the ice storms two weeks ago. However, the electricity is working and we haven't discovered any plumbing leaks, so we are most grateful. However, we don't have any cable or internet and the cable company reported that it could be days before they get to us. Therefore we are limited in our internet capabilities, so we will need to wait until our home internet is restored before sharing more pictures with you.
Dan's time in Venezuela was wonderful, and we also had a good exploratory trip to Miami, where we were checking out research possibilities for Dan's dissertation. The new semester started this morning with an 8am class, so we've hit the ground running. Nancy goes next week to another conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina, so please pray for her safe travel. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Venezuelan Baptisms

Dan is in Venezuela for a 7-day trip, and Saturday he had the wonderful blessing of witnessing 12 baptisms of recent converts with the Ondas de Paz UMC. This took place at a local river about 45 minutes from the church. the congregation gathered for praise and worship music, followed by each of the people being baptized giving a short testimony, then followed by the baptisms. It was great to witness a congregation so committed to helping non-Christians choose to become Christ-followers. Please pray for continued safe travel. Dan will return on Wednesday. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy