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.