Navidad 2010 - La Flor de Venezuela

 

 

On the evening of December 14th we went with friends to a cultural site called La Flor de Venezuela. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and they had various musical groups ranging from elementary through high school.  There was also an area with kiosks for purchasing Christmas gifts, most of which were pretty standard, but some of which featured interesting handmade products.  We had a wonderful time and it helped lead us more into feeling a little Christmas spirit.  With highs each in the upper 80s it's been tough to "feel" Christmassy, since we're accustomed to cold weather at this time of the year.  So last night really helped a lot.  We are so thankful to be here, and appreciate your prayers.  Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Back in Swing, Seminary Next Week

We returned from our brief trip to the States on November 16th.  Since then Nancy has been catching up on her work with the financial side of the ministry here, updating accounts, creating needed reports, etc.  Dan has been focusing more on his dissertation, and actually got 6 pages of a new chapter written this week, which is very exciting.  Today we picked up a used car, so we finally have our own transportation, which is a huge answer to prayer.  We have another week of Seminary classes next week.  David Cosby will be teaching on The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit, and Wilmer Perez will be teaching Inductive Bible Study.  Please pray for God to move powerfully in their classes.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  If you want to keep up with us more frequently, you can befriend Dan on Facebook.  He posts things on there fairly regularly.  Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Heading Home

 

We have had a whirlwind trip in the States, visiting family and friends (pictured above left is Nancy with her brother Harvey and niece Anna, and pictured above right is our oldest son Chris).  We head back to Venezuela tomorrow, where Dan will begin final preparations for hosting the December week of Seminary classes, and Nancy will try to catch up on financial accounting/reporting, plus get more work done on curtains for the Seminary dorm rooms.  Additionally, Dan is reaching the must-buckle-down-hard stage of dissertation writing, so please pray for the ability to focus and the ability to analyze, read, and write well, and FAST!  Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement.  Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Visiting Family and Friends Before Heading Home Again

 

We safely arrived in the States yesterday for a 3-week period of visiting with family and friends before we head back home down south.  Please pray for continued safe travel.  The Seminary week ended very well, and then Dan got re-focused on dissertation research, developing more complete student records for the Seminary, and future course scheduling for the Seminary.  He also preached at Ondas de Paz last Sunday, and 3 persons made first-time decisions to follow Jesus (a party was celebrated in heaven!).  Nancy continues to oversee the financial aspects of the Seminary, develop her Spanish understanding, and many other tasks to help keep the overall ministry functioning smoothly.  When we return, we'll begin making final preparation for the December week of Seminary classes.  Thank you for your continued prayers.  Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Seminary Week Going Well

We are thankful for a blessed Seminary week to this point.  Three intensive courses are being taught: Global Outreach (Dan), Inductive Bible Study (Wilmer Perez), and Prayer/Devotional Life of the Pastor (Carey Akin).  There are 45 students in all, which is very encouraging, because we had been averaging 42-44 students, and then we graduated 11 students in August, so God has sent new students to start their training process.  Yesterday (Tuesday) in Dan's course on Global Outreach, the students were asked to name the various countries where they know of Venezuelan missionaries serving (small discussion groups are pictured above).  We were thrilled to hear that there are VZ missionaries in Egypt, Pakistan, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Peru, Congo, Cuba, USA, Spain, Germany, St. Lucia, Colombia, India, Curazao, Aruba, Haiti, Panama, Ecuador, Portugal, China, and among indigenous peoples in VZ.  God has been stirring some missionary fires here!  Thank you for yous continued prayers.

Visited Pastor Jesus Rivero and His Congregation

 

Yesterday (Sunday) we had the joy of visiting with Pastor Jesus Rivero and his congregation. We got to visit the children's Sunday school area, and later they invited us to share prayer time with the congregation. We sensed the Holy Spirit asking us to pray for one-by-one for everyone who wanted prayer. This took about an hour and a half, and it was a special time for us, as we had the privilege of sharing prayer with these precious brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you for your continued prayers and your financial support, both of which enable us to be down here doing this type of ministry. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Mango Trunk/Stump Removal

 

We were finally able to get rid of the mango tree debris, including the large/heavy trunk-stump, thanks to the ingenuity of our friend Samuel.  Next week we'll be able to pick out another mango tree to plant in the same spot.  This tree will be a strain that doesn't grow so large, so it won't do damage to the house's foundation.  Next week we will also be working hard on preparations for the upcoming week of Seminary classes October 11-15.  Nancy will be working on registration/accounting processes for tuition, room and board, etc., and Dan will continue preparations for the class he will be teaching on Global Outreach.  Thank you for your continued prayers.  Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Water Tank Project

Last week our focus was on resolving the water shortage problem at the Seminary. Volunteers from two UMC churches (Ondas de Paz and Restauracion) came and worked with us to clean and refurbish one round water tank that sits on top of a concrete column/platform, and another rectangular tank that sits on the ground (perhaps we would call this a cistern). The rectangular tank will be used as the back-up tank for our primary tank, so 200 meters of water pipe had to be laid between the two tanks. This involved trenching, laying, covering back up, and also concrete work where the line had to cross two driveways. They worked extremely hard, and we are thankful. We think both tanks will be up and functional sometime this week or the following week. Nancy finished sewing curtains for the men's dorm room, and has now started working on the curtains for the ladies' dorm. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Fabrics and Beads

Today our friend and helper Ana accompanied us to downtown Barquisimeto to buy fabric for curtains for the Seminary dorms, plus beads to use in teaching ladies how to make jewelry. We had a great time, and we are thankful to know that Nancy's sewing and craft abilities will be able to be used in the ministry here. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Busy but Blessed

We have been very busy the past 10 days, but it has been a blessed time. As you may recall, David and Carol left last Tuesday, late morning. We spent Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday, and Thursday getting the house set up the way it will work best for us. David and Carol left it in great shape, so we were able to start right away on re-arranging furniture, unpacking our suitcases, etc., in order to set up housekeeping. Friday was a work day for both of us. I chipped away at a couple projects related to Seminary administration, and Nancy began the process of setting up the financial administration in a way that will best match her gifts and the ministry's needs. Then we actually took the entire weekend OFF. Two whole days of rest and reading novels. It was wonderful. This week we've been doing more of the same. I made more progress with administrative tasks, and I also did some dissertation-related work. I read an academic, theological book in Spanish (aye papa!) plus 3 articles in English. Nancy made great headway with setting up her accounting system, and together we worked to bring everything up to date. She also got to start setting up her sewing room! First on the agenda for sewing will be to make curtains for the women's dorm at the Seminary. Thank you so much for your prayers: we definitely discern your prayer support and it is making a world of difference. We both sense a strong confirmation that we have accurately heard God's call to be here during this year, and we can see the ways He might be able to use us, and more importantly, to teach/guide/form us. His grace continues to amaze! Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Transition

It's a little more real now! This morning David and Carol and Warren and Jane headed to Caracas prior to flying back to the States. So we are now alone in the house, with the exception of regular visits from our dear friend and helper, Anna, who is pictured with us above. The other pictures shows me walking to the end of the street to open the gate so that the van could leave, and then close the gate behind them. What a mixture of emotions we have: excited, scared, curious, trusting, wondering, anticipatory, cautious - but we know that God is faithful and will bring about His plan in our lives, as long as we continue to trust, discern, and follow. Thank you so much for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

2010 Graduation, Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela

Today we had the great joy of being a part of Sam's and Laura's wedding here in Venezuela. Sam is the right-hand-man in the ministry here, and we love him dearly. It was such a blessing to be able to share this occasion with them. While they are on their honeymoon, we will continue the transitioning process. Tomorrow, Nancy meets with Carol one final time to help finalize the transition related to ministry finances, and I will meet with David to help finalize the transition regarding Seminary records, classes, grades, etc. We can't believe that we've already been here 11 days. So far, things are going very well, and we are thankful to God for the opportunity to be a small part of what He is up to in Venezuela. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Seminary Week, Graduation Banquet

We enjoyed a good week in the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. Dan had fun translating for part 2 of Warren's course on the Mission of the Church. The students responded well to his insights, especially concerning how to engage in strategic planning, so that when they dream God's dreams for how they can reach lost people, they can partner with God to bring those dreams to reality. Tonight we celebrated the graduation banquet for the 11 graduates and their families. It was great to see so many smiling faces and hear testimonies from the students about the impact the Seminary has had on their lives and ministries. Nancy has been working diligently with Carol to make the transition concerning administrative issues with the ministry here. We appreciate all that Carol and David have been doing here, and hope that we can fill their shoes at least halfway! Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Powerful Worship at Ondas de Paz UMC

Today we were privileged to participate in a joyful and powerful worship experience at Ondas de Paz UMC. Musical worship helped us focus on celebrating God's love in our lives and giving Him thanks and glory, with an exuberant spirit of gratitude and glee. The preaching was strongly based in Biblical truth, with an emphasis upon the full life which God intends for each of us, in conjunction with an emphasis upon honoring God as God rather than attempting to use God for our own ends. Several people made first-time decisions to become Christ-followers (pictured on the left), and there was also a 20-minute time of prayer for married couples focusing on restoration, reconciliation, or renewed commitment. This was a special work of the Spirit for many couples (some of whom are pictured at the right). This local congregation has just recently moved the setting of its worship experiences because it outgrew the former facilities. It is exciting to see how the pastors and lay ministers of this congregation have been impacted by some of the training they have shared in the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. God is amazing! Please continue to pray for the UMC of Venezuela (and for all other churches too). There is a great need here for a strong move of the Spirit. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Safely in Cabudare

We arrived safely in Cabudare yesterday afternoon, following a 7-hour drive. It is normally a 5-hour drive, but we encountered a lot of delays, including a closed tunnel (due to a water pipe bursting), 2 closed lanes due to a landslide, and several traffic checkpoints. But we made it safely, had a pleasant evening with David and Carol and Warren and Jane. Today we begin the Annual Conference of the UMC of Venezuela. Pictured above is the view from the mountainous highway that we had to take to get around the closed tunnel. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Have Arrived Safely in Venezuela

We arrived safely in Venezuela last night - made it to our guest quarters close to the Caracas airport around 11:30 - this morning we drive to Cabudare, about 5 or 6 hours - this will be our home for the next 12 months. Tomorrow begins a whirlwind schedule for 10 days - Friday/Saturday, Annual Conference of the UMC of VZ; Sunday, either preach or translate for Warren to preach; Monday-Friday, translate for Warren to teach in the Semnary; Friday night, graduation dinner; Saturday, graduation (the 2nd graduating class of the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela!); Sunday, church and then Sam and Laura's wedding. Please pray for wisdom, strength, health, and guidance during this busy time. Thank you for your partnership with us in the gospel.

Final Move from Wilmore - 5 Days 'til Venezuela

We loaded the moving truck this past Tuesday, drove to Georgia on Wednesday, and unloaded the truck on Thursday, placing our things in storage. We are now spending a few days taking care of final administrative tasks prior to our move to Venezuela. We leave next Wedndsay! It amazes us that the time has drawn so near. We are grateful for God's call to do this, but it does still feel a bit weird to think that we are sort of homeless in the USA, and on the verge of living down there for a year. Mostly, we are anticipating (sort of have a curiosity about) what God has in store for us. His ways are always far wiser than our ways, so we look forward to seeing what He has planned. Thank you for your prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Costa Rica Mission Team

This week Dan has been serving in Costa Rica with a mission team from Due West UMC in Marietta, Georgia. The team has been partnering with a fabulous ministry that is led by Sonia and Edwin Brenes. The ministry, Amor en La Calle (Love in the Street), works with street children/teens and other at-risk kids and families. They have a variety of ministry outreaches, including discipleship groups, street evangelism, providing food/clothing, weekly visitation in the juvenile prison, and a residential ranch program. They touch the lives of 1,000 children each year. This week the team was helping lay the foundation for a new dining room project at the girls' ranch. Great progress was made on the construction, and more importantly, wonderful friendships were formed and a great deal of prayer and conversation were shared. Pictured to the left is Dan with two of the street teens and one of the team members. Pictured to the right is Sonia addressing the group, with Dan translating. Thank you for your financial support and your prayer support, which make it possible for us to follow God's call in our lives to participate in this kind of ministry. Through your partnership with us, YOU were sharing Jesus' love in Costa Rica too. Dan will be preaching at Due West this coming Sunday. Please pray for renewed energy and strength. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Joy in St. Louis, Disappointment in Kansas, Research in Illinois

We had a great visit with Chris and Eleanor at the end of last week. It was so good to be with them for a couple days. We wanted to be sure we got together with them before heading to Venezuela in August, so we are grateful it worked out. We drove from there to Kansas to visit with a relative in prison, and experienced heartbreak and disappointment. The day we went to visit him the visitation got cancelled due to flooding in the visitation room. We haven't seen him in a long time and were really looking forward to spending time with him before heading down south, but it was not to be. We went back on Monday to ask for an exemption to the weekend-only visitation rule, but they wouldn't make an exception, so no joy there. Curious as to God's larger plan. We are now in Effingham, Illinois, where Dan is doing dissertation research interviews. This is the last church he'll do this with, and then the field research component will be complete. This will leave literature review, field research analysis, and writing as the three large components remaining to finish his dissertation, which he will do while we are in VZ. Thursday we drive home to Wilmore for Dan to pack a suitcase for his Costa Rica mission trip, then we drive Thursday afternoon/evening to the Atlanta area, because on Friday we need to go to Athens to open a bank account. Then Saturday Dan flies to Costa Rica while Nancy drives to Wilmore to finish up the packing prior to a big move on July 27th. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Heading Out Again

Today (Monday) and tomorow we will continue with our packing for the "big move" at the end of the month, while also getting ready for our upcoming short-term trip. On Wednesday we will drive a small moving truck to St. Louis to take some of our furniture to Chris and Eleanor, and more importantly, visit with them a couple day before we head for Venezuela. From there we travel to Kansas City to visit with a nephew who is in prison, and then we travel to Effingham, Illinois to engage in research with the final church that Dan will be working with related to his dissertation field research. Please pray for safe and God-honoring travels.

This past weekend was a blessed one. We got a lot done at the house on Friday and Saturday, plus enjoyed the focus on the freedom we enjoy here in the USA. Worship yesterday was nurturing and insightful, and we were especially blessed to run into missionary friends Josh and Jennifer Reynolds, who serve in Mexico. Yesterday afternoon we enjoyed giving our freezer to a young couple who will be married in 13 days, plus some relaxation on the couch. Given our upcoming travels, we knew that a relaxing couch afternoon would be a big plus for us, so we are thankful for that opportunity. We are grateful too for your continued prayers as we serve in Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the USA. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Packing and Other Move-Related Tasks

Since returning home from our last trip, we have been packing up a storm, and trying to take care of a multitude of administrative tasks to get ready for our year in Venezuela. We're both tired but also very content and trying to take things one day at a time, and take at least a few minutes each day to rest and enjoy God's grace. Though we don't fly to Venezuela until August 4th, we only have 1 week of packing time remaining, because of our upcoming travel schedule prior to the Venezuela trip. Thank you for your continued prayers. We are so thankful for our friends and ministry partners. The worldwide Body of Christ is amazing to behold. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Heading Home

Completed research in Charleston, then with another church in Flowery Branch, Georgia. Attended the North Georgia Annual Conference in Athens, then last night enjoyed seeing a lot of our close friends in the Alpharetta area. We will visit with Ralph and Donna today/tonight, then head home tomorrow. We'll have a couple weeks to try to almost-finish packing up for our move to Venezuela in August, and then we'll head to St. Louis to visit with Chris and Eleanor, plus do research with a church in Illinois. This will be followed by Dan going to Costa Rica to translate for a mission team, while Nancy stays in Wilmore to make last-minute preparations for our move. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Christians and Fun

We are currently in Charleston, where Dan is engaging in interviews with a local congregation. The interviews are going extremely well, and he is gaining a lot of insight related to his dissertation. An interesting question came up in one interview: should Christians have fun? We believe that Christians of all people should be joyful and live life fully. We are reconciled with the Father through the Son and are empowered/guided by the Spirit. We can/should understand priorities better than others, and thus should be able to enjoy life in wholesome, healthy, vibrant ways, to the extent that other folks yearn to live as we do. In this context we are not thinking of "fun" in any way that dishonors God, so that "if it feels good, do it." However, we do believe that the fullness and joy of our lives is an enormously powerful testimony of the work of God in our lives. If we are not enjoying life, then non-Christians won't have very much incentive to investigate what it means to be Christ-followers, because they won't see any benefit to following Him. There is a sense, therefore, in which your "fun factor" directly influences your abilitiy to be used by God to reach others. As Nehemiah says, "the JOY of the Lord is our strength." Hoping you are having fun in Jesus! Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Packing, Prep for Cincinnati, Charleston, Georgia

Dan has now completed field research in 6 churches. He will engage in research next week with a church in Cincinnati. The following weekend, we will drive a truck to Athens with some of our belongings that John and Tara will be using during our year in Venezuela. From Athens we drive to Charleston for research with an Anglican congregation, then back to Georgia for research with a UMC congregation. This will be followed by attendance at the North Georgia Annual Conference, then possibly some research with another congregation, in Decatur. We're still working on those arrangements. Nancy has just returned from a week-long Be in Health event, which she thoroughly enjoyed. In the midst of all our travels, we are also trying to get things sorted out, packed, and details ironed out for our year-long ministry time in Venezuela beginning in August. Thank you for your continued prayers. Please especially pray for wisdom, strength, and patience, as we deal with a multiplicy of tasks. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

McDonough, then Augusta and Thomaston

We are currently in the Atlanta area, where Dan is doing research with a church in McDonough. Tomorrow (Thursday) we will finish here, then drive to Athens to spend the night with John and Tara. Friday morning Dan will drive to the Augusta area for research with a church there, and on Sunday Nancy will drive with a friend to Thomaston for a week-long Be In Health training time. Please continue to pray for safe and Christ-glorifying travels. Much Love, Dan and Nancy



P.S. In case you missed it, please be aware that in August we will be going to Venezuela for a year-long ministry phase, during which time we will focus on Spanish learning, dissertation research/writing, leadership training, and pastoral encouragement. Please support us in prayer related to this endeavor, and please partner with us financially. You may send email notification of your prayer support to missionmandan@gmail.com, and you may send financial support by making your check payable to Venezuela Now, Inc., and marking "Project 3455" on the memo line. Mail to VNI, P. O. Box 3455, Duluth, GA 30096.

Continued Grace

We continue to experience the grace of God on our trip. Dan finished interviews with another congregation yesterday. He has now done interviews with three congregations, interviewing almost 50 people, and heard amazing stories of transformed living through Christ-following. Today we will drive to Jacksonville to participate in the wedding of our nephew and his lovely fiancee, plus Dan will preach at his mother's church on Sunday. Research with a church there will be done next week, plus visiting another church to check out future research possibilities. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Research Interviews Underway!

We are excited that Dan had his first day of research interviews yesterday with a church in the Kennesaw/Marietta area. The interviews went very well, and we are thankful for how smoothly the process is going. We finish here today, then will be a part of the support-raising dinner for the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela on Friday night, and then drive to Loganville on Saturday where Dan will be with another congregation for three days. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Two More Churches!

We had a great visit in Richmond with our friends and ministry partners - it was so much fun to catch up with them. While in Richmond, Dan received word from two more churches that they are ready to participate in his field research. This brings the total to 7 for now, which is wonderful news. He needs to do 10 churches in all, so this is significant progress. After Richmond we drove to Charleston where we are joining friends/ministry partners in a wedding celebration. We are both participating in various wedding-related activities, and Dan will officiate at the wedding Saturday night. Sunday we will worship with other friends, some we've known a long time and have missed terribly, and then we will drive to the Atlanta area to begin 10 days of research there, with 3 different churches. Please continue praying and safe travel and the Spirit's anointing. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Heading Out

We are heading out today for our 5-week trip. We will be going to Richmond, Charleston, Marietta, Loganville, Jacksonville, McDonough, Suwanee, and then back to Wilmore. Included in our time will be 2 weddings, 1 sermon, 1 support-raising dinner for the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela (April 23, Due West UMC in Marietta, please come), research with 4 churches, 1 wedding shower, and continued library research in our "spare time." Please pray for safe travels, strong guidance and protection from the Holy Spirit, and that Christ would be glorified through our lives and ministry, and lost people drawn to Him. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

15 New Christians in Venezuela

We have received a report from Pastor Thoby in Venezuela concerning the 2nd Annual Campamento of the UMC of Venezuela, and are thrilled to learn that 15 people made first-time decisions to become Christ-followers, and 7 persons were baptized. Thoby is one of the students in the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela, and is a prime example of the fruit of the Spirit's work there. Please keep praying for Venezuelan Christians to maintain their faith in difficult circumstances, and for the Spirit to use them to reach many more lost people.

Busy and Productive Week

This week Dan focused on going through all his dissertation-related books to determine which pages need to be scanned prior to going to Venezuela in August. To avoid hauling books in suitcases, we are trying to take as much research material as possible in electronic format. He ended up going through about 150 books this week, marking to-be-scanned pages in 120 of them. Additionally, we both worked on getting our newsletter formatted and sent to the printer. Plus we've both spent a lot of time discussing logistics related to our move. What to store? What to sell? What to give away? What to take to Venezuela? What to buy there? So we've had a very busy but productive week. Next week Dan will need to shift his focus to field research arrangements, while also doing some occasional book-scanning. Nancy will finish the work with the newsletters, plus make more progress in our logistical preparations. We had a few nice spring days at the end of the week. Today is windy, cool, and rainy, but warm days are due to return again tomorrow or Monday. Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Headed to Venezuela for a Year

We want to let you know that we are sensing a strong call to spend 12 months in Venezuela beginning in August. This will allow us to spend more consistent time in our ministry with the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela, preach and teach in more Venezuelan churches, help host mission teams, and focus more diligently in language studies. Dan will complete most of his dissertation research before the end of July, and we are making arrangements for him to finish his research and writing while in Venezuela. His dissertation mentor supports us in this plan (for which we are very thankful). Our projected costs for the 12-month period, including living expenses, purchase of a used car, airfare, and language tutoring, come to a total of 39K. Please pray for us, and please give generously to fund this phase of our ministry. Every gift helps. We will need small gifts, large gifts, and everything in between. Make your check payable to VNI, write "Project 3455" on the memo line, and mail to VNI, P. O. Box 1655, Duluth, GA 30096. Thank you so much for your prayer support and your financial support. You are truly our lifeline in Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the States, as we attempt to serve God's mission in those places. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Back in Wilmore

We made it back to Wilmore Thursday night, and spent Friday and today catching up on a lot of household stuff as well as getting organized for my next round of dissertation studies. We are also getting our next email update ready, which we hope to send out on Monday, plus sifting through pictures and information to put in our next hard copy newsletter. We have enjoyed sunny days in the mid-60s, but tomorrow is going to be rainy and cold. We are looking forward to corporate worship tomorrow, plus a late celebration of my birthday, with Nancy's making a homemade coconut cake for me to enjoy. Life following Jesus is Amazingly Diverse and Blessed. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Back in the States, and Back Together

Hi All,
Dan arrived back in the States yesterday (Tuesday), and Nancy arrived back in Atlanta from her within-the-States-travels Monday night, so she could pick Dan up at the airport Tuesday afternoon. We are going to visit with our good friends Ralph and Donna today (last night too), and then head back to Wilmore tomorrow (Thursday). Only four weeks remain between now and our next trip, so Dan needs to get a lot done on his dissertation research during those four weeks. We then travel to Charleston for a wedding, and after the wedding we begin travelling to to different churches for the field research component of the dissertation efforts. The first weeked of May we will be in Jacksonville for another wedding, followed by more research. If you know of a congregation in your town that is effective at helping non-Christians choose to become Christ-followers, please email Dan at missionmandan@gmail.com. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Glorious Party in Glory!

We enjoyed a marvelous morning of worship and praise today. Pictured bottom left is part of the 300-strong congregation with whom we worshipped. Bottom right you can see Dan translating for Warren as he preached on Psalm 13 ("I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me"). Upper right shows some of the 15 or so people who made a first-time decision to follow Christ, and hence caused a great party to be thrown in heaven. Upper left is a picture of Pastor Antonio leading his congregation in a prayer for all of the North Americans. Thank you for your continued prayer support and financial support as Nancy and I try to be faithful to our call to serve Christ in the USA, Venezuela, and Costa Rica. To support us financially, make your check payable to VNI, and write "Project 3455" on the memo line. Then mail to VNI, P. O. Box 1655, Duluth, GA 30096. Much Love, Dan

The picture on the left shows Warren teaching and Dan translating, this past Tuesday, in the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. The picture on the right shows some of the students that were here this week. In the front row are Augustin, Thoby, Miguel, and Elinor. In a future newsletter I will tell you more about Elinor's amazing story. We have known her a long time, but had not seen her in about 7 years until this week. It's a wonderful story of God's grace, healing, and provision. She and her husband Miguel are starting a new house church in the city of Upata. Please pray for them. If you want to receive our occasional email updates and/or our occasional hard-copy newsletters, please let us know (missionmandan@gmail.com). Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Thursday update from Venezuela

We had another good morning in the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. Warren helped the students understand the difference between a mission-minded church and a chapel-minded church, and led them through a process for determining which way their church leans in this regard. He then dealt with the importance of vision for helping a church move toward becoming more mission-minded. The students seemed to appreciate the material and also seemed to understand most of my translation. I also had the joy of talking with a couple who are planning to start a new church in their city, and they are in the beginning stages of considering becoming Methodist. Please pray for our friend, El Abuelo, Luis, who had to leave the class today with some heart-related symptoms. He is a dear dear friend of ours, and a truly genuine Christian example from whom we have learned a great deal through the years. For more details about our trip. I invite you to check out the following blog: www.venezuelaforchrist.blogspot.com. This is a blog that Warren keeps up to date, and his computer is working better down here than mine is, so he is able to post pictures and I am not. He also tends to write more detailed reports which I think you would really enjoy. Thanks for your continued giving and your continued prayers for our ministry. Much Love, Dan

Wednesday report from Venezuela

Yesterday morning and this morning I had the joy of translating for Warren in the Seminary. My Spanish is far from perfect, so my translation is filled with errors, but to be able to do it at all is truly a miracle of God's grace, and I am very grateful. Warren is teaching on the mission of the church, helping the pastors understand how important it is for the church to be focused outside of itself, and how to take their congregations through a process to help them understand the same principle and put it into action to reach their community with the love of Jesus. The students are both resonating with the material and wrestling with it, and they seem to deeply appreciate Warren's insights and passion. He and I were both saying today that "mission work" isn't supposed to be this much fun (in the old stereotypical model). We are thankful and joyful. We continue with the classes tomorrow and Friday, and we look forward to continued growth, learning, and fellowship. So far my health is doing great, too, which is a real blessing. Please keep praying! Much Love, Dan

Update from Dan in Venezuela

Hi All, We finally found a place with internet access today, so I'd like to update you a little bit. Last Friday morning Warren, David, and I had a very productive meeting with our friend Juvenal Perez, who is the bishop of the UMC in Venezuela. Then on Saturday morning we had a gathering of many of the UMC pastors from all over Venezuela. We enjoyed some musical worship and prayer time together, and then Warren taught for about 3 hours, sharing insights from the church at Antioch (Acts 13 and 14). I translated for this teaching time. Saturday afternoon we had lunch with a smaller group of UMC pastors, and heard some wonderful stories of evangelism, healing, restoration, and church planting.

Yesterday we worshipped with our friends at Ondas de Paz UMC in Cabudare. The Lord moved in a powerful way through worship, praise, dancing, singing, praying, and preaching. Six young teenage girls testified to a powerful work in their lives by the Spirit through a weekend retreat, with most of them coming to a place of forgiviness and reconciliation with their parents (all were from broken homes). Additionally, four persons made an initial decision to follow Jesus. There was great rejoicing in heaven.

The Seminary classes begin today. David will teach this afternoon, and then tomorrow morning Warren will teach, with me translating. Warren is teaching The Mission of the Church. We will teach/translate Tuesday through Friday mornings.

I don't want to burden you with an overlong post. I will share more details later on the blog, plus through our email updates and our hard copy newsletter (if you'd like to receive these, let me know). A few quick snippets of stories we've heard already: a man came back to life while on the autopsy table - another man with 30% brain function was fully restored and is now working full-time and testifying to his miraculous healing - a new UMC church plant has started in Caracas, plus another one in Maquetia - a new church plant in Valle Dorado is focusing on helping unwed teen mothers - and much more! It is a joy and privilege to be a teensy-tiny part of what God is up to in Venezuela. Please keep praying and giving. Much Love, Dan

Venezuela Trip

This is Nancy. Dan discovered when he arrived in Venezuela that there is no internet access in the home where he is staying. This is why he has not updated the blog with news from Venezuela. He has already done some translation work with Warren Lathem and will do more this week at the Seminary. He experienced a powerful worship service this morning, with four people choosing to become Christ followers for the first time. He hopes to find a location with internet access later this week and will further post further updates at that time. Please keep praying.

Safe Arrival

We have arrived safely in Venezuela - flew into Caracas last night - driving to Cabudare today - supper tonight with a Due West UMC mission team that has been here all week - tomorrow begins the 2-day pastors/spouses conference for the UMC of Venezuela.

Missiology Conference north of Chicago

I was one of the van drivers for a group of Asbury colleagues (18 in all) that drove to Bannockburn, Illinois yesterday to participate today in a 1-day missiology conference sponsored by the Evangelical Missiological Society. They have had a Spanish-language track this year, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I've heard several very interesting presentations, and I've been able to understand 85-90% of the Spanish (go God!). I have included a couple pictures with this post. One is of me with a pastor who was a missionary in Venezuela for about 12 years back in the 60s and 70s. It was great to meet him and hear about his ministry those many years ago. The other is of me with Tito Paredes, who trains hundreds of pastors in four Latin American countries through a ministry called FATELA, based in Peru. He gave a very good presentation about the good and bad points concerning short-term mission trips. I am thankful for this oppotunity to continue being equipped for God's work. Much Love, Dan

Wonderful 2 Days

God graced us with two wonderful days yesterday and today. I was able to complete all the revisions on my proposal chapter this morning and get it emailed to my dissertation mentor. This is a very important step in my dissertation process. Additionally, Nancy was able to bring a lot of our statistical analysis to a conclusion, which allowed me to put together a "short list" of churches to start contacting for my field research. I finished gathering all the contact information this afternoon, and will be able to start making phone calls tomorrow. On Friday I will go to Chicago with Asbury friends to participate in a conference with the Evangelical Missiological Society. We will return on Sunday. On Monday Nancy and I will make final preparations prior to leaving for Atlanta on Tuesday, for me to catch a flight to Venezuela on Wednesday. I'll keep you posted on that trip, so be sure to check the blog regularly. I'll be translating for Warren in the Seminary, plus we will have a Pastors' Conference for all the Venezuelan UMC pastors and spouses, plus be preaching in local churches. Just for fun, I've posted a photo of a recent sunrise taken from our kitchen window. Keep praying! Much Love, Dan (and Nancy)

Productive Day, plus Language School Possibility

I'm thankful for a very productive day yesterday with my proposal chapter revisions. I still have a lot to do, but have made excellent progress. My sinus congestion cleared up and my energy level was good. I was able to work from 8:30-6:30, with a chiropractice visit squeezed in, which my back greatly appreciated. Nancy and I are feeling a tug from the Lord to consider language school in Costa Rica this Fall, unless He leads in a different direction related to a teaching job somewhere. This would help me make another quantum leap toward fluency, and it would help her pick up a beginning level of Spanish that would be beneficial in our future ministry opportunities in Venezuela and Costa Rica. She is beginning to investigate the costs of the language school, so we can compare those costs to our current monthly expenditures, to determine how feasible it would be financially. I would need to finish my dissertation writing before the end of August, so that I would only have the editing/revisioning process left to do in the Fall, plus the defense in December. Please pray for continual discernment for us. Also please pray for John and Tara, as they seek guidance regarding job possibilities for John. Thanks, and Many Blessings, Dan

Ironically Productive Week

Last week was a little strange. On Monday I had one of my occasional low-energy days, and was unable to do much work on my review of material in preparation for re-writing the theoretical framework for my dissertation. I have learned through experience that I simply need to be patient during these times and rest, so that's what I did. On Tuesday my strength was back, and I had very productive days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Friday morning, however, I started feeling the effects of the onset of a cold, with weakness and congestion. At the same time, my back was very uncomfortable due to a strained muscle that I suffered a couple weeks ago. So I rested again on Friday and Saturday and most of yesterday. I am thankful that several times while I was resting the Lord gave me some ideas for how to improve my theoretical framework, so I wrote them down and then was feeling strong enough yesterday afternoon to get them incorporated into the revisions. This morning I have good strength so far, praise the Lord, with a mild bout of sinus congestion, and my back is somewhat better. I will move now to other parts of my proposal chapter (such as Literature Review and Methodology/Data Collection), and then come back to the Theoretical Framework later this week. I need to finish the entire re-write on Thursday, because on Friday I head to Chicago for a conference with the Evangelical Missiological Society, and then next week we drive to Atlanta for me to catch a plane to Venezuela. Nancy has been continuing to help with the statistical analysis and information-gathering related to the field research component, plus other administrative tasks related to our ministry. We are thankful for God's provision and guidance, and for your continued prayer support during this phase of our ministry. Much Love, Dan (and Nancy)

Review Today, Re-Write Starts Tomorrow - Prayers Welcome!

After investing the past 6 weeks in a ton of reading, today I will review journal articles (about 20) and reading notes from books (17), in preparation for re-writing the theoretical framework section of my dissertation proposal chapter. I will start the re-write tomorrow, and hope to complete it within the next 2 weeks. After that, I will be going to Venezuela for two weeks to translate for Warren as he preaches and teaches, and depending on time available and invitations extended, I may preach some myself. I simply must complete my proposal chapter re-write before the Venezuelan trip. Therefore, please pray for clarity of mind and wisdom to know which insights to include in my re-write and which to leave out, and for clear guidance from the Holy Spirit as I write. I'm discovering that one of the hardest things in dissertation research is knowing how to sift through the enormous amount of material that has been written through the years. It's very easy to get trapped in chasing rabbits that are interesting and could be helpful, but aren't absolutely necessary. While I'm doing this work, Nancy is helping me with the statistical analysis that needs to be done in preparation for the field research portion of the project with local churches. Please pray for her wisdom regarding that work too. Thank you for your continued friendship and partnership with us in ministry. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Reflections on Nehemiah 8

This morning as I read in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, I came to Chapter 8, where Ezra read the Law to all the people who had gathered in one large assembly for that purpose, and the Levites assisted the people in understanding the Law: "They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading" (Nehemiah 8:8, ESV). I was particularly struck by the connection that is made between the understanding of the Law (and the worship that accompanied it, see verse 6), and the celebration of the goodness of life. "Then he said to them, 'Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord'....And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them" (Nehemiah 8:10,12, ESV).

Two things in particular strike me as important in these verses. the first is that the people were instructed to "send portions to anyone who has nothing ready." This is one of many examples in the Bible of the integral link between our experience of life as God intends and the experience of this God-intended life by other people. It is too easy in our culture for us to be self-focused and enjoy the "good life" at the expense of others. Biblically speaking, we cannot and do not enjoy the "God-intended good life" unless we are also helping other people experience it. This reminds us of the need for sharing, generosity, creation care, justice, and deep relationships. God created us as relational beings, and the life that God intends for all creation is designed to be mutually shared with others. Through the gracious gift of Jesus in our lives, we are intended to experience the God-intended good life, but this experience must always include our participation in helping other people experience that same life, and conversely must not exclude our experience of that life at the expense of someone else. I am reminded of John Wesley's recommendation to "do all the good you can" AND "do no harm."

The second thing that strikes me about this passage, though, is that there is a real sense in which there is a fullness of life which God intendes for those who acknowledge Him as God and follow His ways, and that this life is intended to be experienced here and now, on this earth, in our current physical situation. The people "went away to EAT and DRINK and to send portions and MAKE GREAT REJOICING." This reminds us that the salvation which God intends and which Christ makes possible is not limited to being a "spiritual" entity that is "way out there" somewhere and has no connection with our daily lives. Salvation has a variety of possible meanings in New Testament Greek, among which include healing, blessing, and wholeness. In this sense, I am suggesting that Christian living is intended to involve more than a simple (yet important) peace of mind about where we will go when we die. The "God-intended good life" is something which we experience here on earth, now, while we are still in our current bodies. It is to be a fleshly, earthly, real experience of full living. When we follow Jesus, we are able to live with things in their proper perspective, putting God first, and then our living can truly be full, and we can "make great rejoicing."

I am not suggesting a hedonistic lifestyle. Allow me to repeat: I am not suggesting a hedonistic lifestyle. This is why I FIRST mentioned that we cannot experience the God-intended good life at the expense of others. I do not recommend nor condone hedonism. However, neither do I recommend walking through life with our sights always set so far ahead on heaven that we fail to experience a fullness and vitality of living NOW. We are to live with a strong sense of ethics and morality, but we sometimes mistakenly equate ethical living with asceticism. If we are called by God to asceticism for a special purpose, I'm all for that. But if we are not so called, I am suggesting that it is both possible and intended by God for Christians to experience full, vital living now, on this earth, in all its physicality: as long as we follow God's guidelines for what this means.

This not only impacts us, but it impacts non-Christians with whom we live and relate. It impacts their understandings and impressions of what it means to be a Christian. It influences the message that we communicate about what following Christ means. Should people be invited to follow Christ? Yes! When we invite them to follow Christ, though, are we inviting them to give up all chance of expeiencing life in fullness and vitality on this earth, so that we are really only saying "become a Christian so you'll go to heaven when you die"? I suggest that it is possible to say something else: "I invite you follow Christ so that you can experience life to its fullest, so that you and others around you can thrive, and so that you can enjoy this kind of life forever, even after you die. I invite you to join me in the great adventure of the God-intended good life."

More the Same Blessings

We've been enjoying more of the same blessings that God has been showering upon us - last week Dan focused on his dissertation research, making good progress in his current reading related to the Kingdom of God - he also finished the translation project for the March session of the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela - Nancy did a lot of work related to household affairs, applied for another job (no luck there), and helped make plans for Dan's March trip to Venezuela - we enjoyed a restful weekend, with a lot of snow on the ground, old movies, good books, and worship on Sunday - this week Dan will meet with one of his dissertation committee professors to discuss progress thus far, then continue his studies - we were blessed by a gift of sky miles from a friend, so his March ticket to Venezuela has been provided for (thanks J!), plus two other friends have given some miles toward the August trip to VZ (thanks L and P!) - we are so grateful for God's faithfulness and provision, and for our friends and partners through whom God often works - Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Translation Project Almost Completed

We returned home Monday evening. Tuesday and Wednesday Dan focused on the translation project he's been working on. He has finished a first draft of this work and now awaits feedback from Venezuelan friends before making final edits. Nancy has been catching up on household business (mail, emails, paying bills, etc.) and getting ready for our visit from good friends Larry and Valorie, who will arrive later today. We enjoyed a really good visit with Lyle and Carroll last Friday, including some special prayer time concerning discernment for them related to future job/ministry possibilities. Our time with John and Tara was very special: what a joy to relax/visit with them in their home. The Sunday afternoon meeting about the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela was very productive, and it was great to see Warren, Jane, David, Carol, Jared, Lim, Zoe, Efrain, Bethsaida, Beta, and Ingrid. We are so blessed with friends, family, and ministry partners. Please pray for God to raise up more laborers for the work in Venezuela, as well as more financial support. Thanks for your love and friendship. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Heading Back to Wilmore

Tomorrow (Friday) we begin our trek back to Wilmore. We have enjoyed a peaceful week here in the home of a friend close to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Dan has made excellent progress toward his reading goals for the week, and is thankful for some very helpful insights he has gained related to the theoretical framework of his dissertation. He will continue that particular focus next week when we get back home. He has also made good progress on the translation work for the teaching material for the March class of the Venezuela Seminary that Warren will be leading. He has completed 100 of the 154 Power Point slides. He hopes to finish this project next week. Tomorrow we will drive to Monticello, Georgia to spend the night with our great friends Lyle and Carroll, whom we deeply love and appreciate. Saturday we drive to Athens to visit with John and Tara (hurray!). Sunday we will worship with their congregation in Lawrenceville, and then drive to Ball Ground, Georgia where we will meet with the Lathems and Cosbys to discuss several important issues related to the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. Sunday night we get to lodge with our dear friends Mike and Beth, and we are very excited about that. Then Monday we head back to Wilmore. Thank you for your continued prayers. We are constantly amazed at the new things God continues to teach us and the new ways He calls us to minister during this phase of our journey with Christ. May God bless your socks off as you continue to serve and love Him with all your being. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Back to Studies

We have enjoyed a couple weeks of down time, including a Christmas visit with Chris and a post-Christmas visit with John and Tara. We also got to see Ralph and Donna, and spend a few days with Jo and Virgil. Dan began studying again today, working on dissertation research. For the next week or two he will be focusing on the already/not-yet nature of the Kingdom of God, and its relationship to evangelism. He is also doing some translation work in preparation for a March class that Warren will be teaching in the Venezuela Seminary.