MissionDunns - Serving Christ's Kingdom in the Americas

Great Time with Due West UMC, Headed Back to VZ

2012-01-31T19:59:00.001-05:00

We had a great time with our friends at Due West UMC over the past several days, including a visit with Sonia and Edwin from Costa Rica, along with a fun afternoon of evangelism teaching - we are headed back to Venezuela tomorrow (Feb. 1), and will hit the ground running - we will arrive in our home town of Cabudare on February 2nd, and on February 3rd Dan will start an 8-day stretch of translating, followed by a 1-day break, then 6 days of translating and teaching - please pray for safe travel and for God to bless all the upcoming Seminary classes - February and March will be very busy, but we arel super grateful for the opportunity to be a small part of what the Spirit is up to in Venezuela

2012 Ministry Plans - Venezuela and Costa Rica

2012-01-18T06:15:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

We hope your Christmas season was filled with the love of Jesus, and that your New Year has been saturated with God’s grace. We have been richly blessed during this season of our lives:

· Jace came home from Ethiopia on December 2^nd and we LOVE being Granddaddy and Gram!!!
· Dan passed his dissertation defense on December 16th, and has almost finished his revisions – things are on track for him to graduate on May 19^th – (God is faithful)
· We have been able to enjoy several visits with family and friends during our time in the States

Our 2012 plans are pretty well set now, and we want to let you know what those plans look like. Please see a few details about those plans below. As always, please know how much we appreciate your prayer support and financial support, both of which are vital to our continued ability to minister in Venezuela and Costa Rica.

Much Love, Dan and Nancy

· January 23-31: Ministry Time with Due West UMC, along with Edwin and Sonia Brenes, from Costa Rica
· February 1 – March 27: we return to Venezuela Feb. 1 – Dan will teach, preach, translate, and host other professors – Nancy will continue her work with Seminary finances and will also sew some more curtains for Seminary dorm rooms – together we will host a mission team from Due West – we are looking forward to this time of ministry
· March 27-April 16 : we will be in the States to spend some time with family and enjoy Easter worship
· April 17-May 14: Dan returns to Venezuela, where he will teach two Seminary classes on Colossians and host a guest professor for another week of classes
· May 15-May 22: Dan returns from VZ so that we can both drive to Wilmore to enjoy his May 19 graduation, and then celebrate our 36^th anniversary on May 22^nd
· May 23-June 8: Dan will be in Venezuela, where he will host two weeks of classes – since this is such a short time in VZ, it makes more financial sense for Nancy to stay in the States, rather than buying another plane ticket
· June 9^th: Dan returns to the States for Annual Conference and two Costa Rica trips
· June 12-14: We will be in Athens for the North Georgia Annual Conference
· June 16-23: We fly to Costa Rica to serve as leaders and translators for a mission team from Due West UMC, working with Sonia and Edwin in Guaplies
· June 30-July 7: We fly to Costa Rica to serve with a second mission team from Due West
· July 31-August 21: We will fly to Venezuela – Dan will translate for two classes, and we will both help make preparations for, and then enjoy celebrating, the third graduating class of the Seminary (12 graduates!), PLUS the TENTH ANNIVERSARY of the Seminary – we are very excited about this
· August 21-October 1: we are going to visit some with our families in Jacksonville – Dan’s mother is in her 80s, and we want to be sure we get down to visit with her – plus almost all of our siblings and nieces and nephews are there - we will also do preparatory work in advance of our upcoming 6-week trip to Venezuela
· October 2-November 13: we return to Venezuela – Dan will translate for 2 classes, teach his own class on the Gospel of John, and then translate for two weekends of ministry in UMC churches, as we partner with the Lathems to encourage pastors and their congregations
· December: at some point in December, we may be flying to Costa Rica to translate for another Due West UMC team that will be serving in San Jose to help the Amor en la Calle Ministry with their Christmas ministry preparations

As you can see from the information above, Nancy will spend more time in the States in 2012 than Dan will. During her time in the States, however, she will continue to work with the Seminary finances, getting the information she needs from VZ via phone and email. Beginning with his April trip to VZ, Dan will stay on the Seminary property in VZ rather than in the house we are currently living in, because the owners of the house are planning to sell.

One great blessing we are excited to share with you is that God has provided a place for us to be based in Athens when we are in the States. This is wonderful for us, because it means that whenever we return to the States from Venezuela or Costa Rica, we will no longer be homeless. We appreciate the generous hospitality of many friends and family over the past 18 months during our visits Stateside, but it will also be very nice to have our own base in the States again. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for God’s guidance concerning this process. We can testify yet again in our lives that God is faithful, so very faithful.

Thank you again for your prayer support and your financial support. To give, please make your check payable to VNI, write “Project 3455” on the memo line, and mail to: VNI, P. O. Box 1655, Duluth, GA 30096.

Much Love, Dan and Nancy

More Frequent Updates on Facebook

2011-01-09T08:39:00.000-05:00

We are very grateful for the opportunity to serve Christ's Kingdom in Venezuela, and appreciate your friendship and your prayer support. Just a quick word to remind you that we don't update the blog nearly as often as Dan posts updates on Facebook. So if you're a Facebook user and want to keep up with what's happening with us on a more regular basis, invite Dan W. Dunn to be your Facebook friend. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Navidad 2010 - La Flor de Venezuela

2010-12-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-15T20:37:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-29T08:26:00.000-04:00

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

2010-10-13T07:02:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-04T08:24:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-02T09:50:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-12T10:37:00.005-04:00

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

2010-08-31T19:07:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-26T13:13:00.003-04:00

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

2010-08-17T11:34:00.003-04:00

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

2010-08-15T20:24:00.002-04:00

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

2010-08-13T23:32:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-08T17:11:00.005-04:00

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

2010-08-06T08:36:00.003-04:00

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

2010-08-05T06:22:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-30T22:01:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-23T14:03:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-13T11:34:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-05T08:16:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-29T10:48:00.002-04:00

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

2010-06-19T07:43:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-09T10:10:00.004-04:00

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

2010-05-24T07:44:00.002-04:00

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

2010-05-12T14:16:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-29T05:39:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-04-21T08:51:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-04-16T15:06:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-13T03:25:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-08T09:31:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-03T13:34:00.002-04:00

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

2010-03-29T12:59:00.003-04:00

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

2010-03-20T20:15:00.003-04:00

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

2010-03-17T06:35:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-03-14T16:07:00.007-04:00

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

2010-03-13T07:47:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-11T12:58:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-10T16:14:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-08T09:49:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-07T17:58:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-04T07:11:00.001-05:00

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

2010-02-27T16:44:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-24T18:30:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-23T05:27:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-22T08:51:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-02-15T08:11:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-04T05:27:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-01T08:21:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-21T06:44:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-14T04:57:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-06T20:10:00.002-05:00

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.

Proposal Defense Report

2009-12-18T08:11:00.002-05:00

Hi All, Thank you for praying for Dan's proposal defense yesterday. We are grateful that Dan passed his defense with minor revisions, and also some substantive changes required in the theoretical section. The defense meeting was intense and exhausting, yet helpful. Some very good guidance was provided to help the dissertation take more shape and clarify some fuzzy issues. Of particular importance for our ministry is that it became obvious to Dan and his entire committee that there is no way he can finish in June. The new projected date for graduation is December. This impacts us in a ripple-effect way. It will be more difficult for Dan to get a teaching job beginning next Fall without his degree, should God continue to lead us in that direction (we're still praying about that!). Some schools will hire faculty as ABD (All But Dissertation), but not all will. If he doesn't find a teaching job, we'll need to discern from the Spirit what to do regarding the balance between the need to focus on finishing the dissertation and the need to earn living expenses. If possible, we'd prefer to live on support until finishing the dissertation so Dan can focus on "gettin' 'er done." But this may not be feasible financially. The good news is that God is in control and has a wonderful plan. We just need help discerning that plan and being obedient thereto. Hence, please continue praying for us. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Proposal Defense Scheduled!

2009-12-12T10:37:00.002-05:00

We are thrilled to report that Dan's proposal defense has been scheduled for next Thursday. We have been waiting to receive feedback from all three of his dissertation committee members. We finally heard back from the third one yesterday, and he, like the other two, agrees that Dan is ready to defend his proposal. Please pray that Dan will pass his proposal defense with only minor revisions. This will allow him to make those revisions quickly and then be released to begin research. Courses are over for the semester, but Dan has one more paper to finish for a group project in his Healing class. He will do this early next week, and then on Wednesday and Thursday morning he will make final preparations for his defense meeting on Thursday afternoon.
In the meantime, we had a fun evening last night at a Christmas party with other students, faculty, and staff. We discovered some interesting things through a game that was played. One man from India has never eaten pizza or worn a pair of jeans. Never! Another young woman, a very good friend of ours, has never chewed gum. Never! One daughter of a missionary couple, who is probably 8 or 9 years old, has already spent Christmas in four different countries in her life. And finally, one fellow from Kenya speaks eight languages. Learning these "fun facts" about one another, in addition to good food and Christmas carols, made it a very fun night. Today, a little work at the library, and then we may hang some Christmas lights outside, if it's not too cold. Thanks for your prayers! Dan and Nancy

Yet More Venezuelan Baptisms!

2009-12-08T18:04:00.002-05:00

Wow, is God ever good. We have reported in the past on baptisms in Venezuela, and we just received an email this week that 11 more persons were baptized into the family of Christ through the ministry of the Ondas de Paz UMC in Venezuela. Pastors Alexander and Amarilis are friends and Seminary students, and it is a joy to see them blossom in their ministry. Thank you for your continued prayers as we play a small role in training these kinds of leaders. Your partnership in the gospel makes an enormous and eternal difference. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Busy and Thankful Week

2009-12-01T07:11:00.002-05:00

Monday - Wednesday of this week Dan is working on a group project related to Healing from Perfectionism. Thursday and Friday he will be writing a paper on three questions related to healing: healing's relationship to God's Kingdom, the role of faith in healing, and why some people are not healed. Nancy is sewing some Christmas gifts this week, plus doing some research. We are thankful for a great visit with John and Tara over Thanksgiving, and for a good phone conversation with Chris. We are very blessed with our family.

Sabbath Time

2009-11-21T09:38:00.003-05:00

We are taking a couple days of Sabbath time this weekend. Dan usually studies at least a half day on Saturdays and sometimes longer, but we've decided to enjoy a "normal" weekend of rest and relaxation. Nancy will do some sewing and reading, and Dan will mostly piddle around the house, watch some football, and enjoy some time with Spanish. We will also go for a walk each day, taking advantage of sunshine and highs close to 60. We are thankful for the concept of sabbath and glad that God not only invented it but also endorses it. Monday and Tuesday of next week will be two intense study days as Dan writes a position paper for his healing class. John and Tara will arrive Tuesday evening for a Thanksgiving visit (gloria a Dios!), and Dan wants his paper finished before they get here. After Thanksgiving the focus turns to making revisions to his dissertation proposal chapter, working on a group project in the healing class, and making final preparations for his proposal defense in mid-December. Please pray for God's hand to guide this process. Thank you for your continued prayer partnership with us during this time of equipping! Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Proposal Chapter Submitted

2009-11-17T11:48:00.003-05:00

We are celebrating the submission of Dan's dissertation proposal chapter last night. Hurray! The next two weeks he will focus on catching up with assignments for his healing class, then he hopes to have his proposal defense in early December. If this proceeds according to plan, and without too many revisions to the research and writing schedule that he is proposing, he will be released to begin his research late December. Thank you for your prayer support during this arduous yet enjoyable time of equipping. And thanks be to God for God's incredible faithfulness and provision.

Relational Dimensions of Fully Flourishing Life

2009-11-13T06:00:00.004-05:00

A couple days ago we talked about Fully Flourishing Life in Jesus Christ. Today it behooves us to think about the relational/communal dimensions of new life in Christ. What is the relationship between my experience of fully flourishing life in Christ and your experience of it? Can a person experience the life that God intends outside of relationship? Is our experience of God’s fully flourishing life somehow linked with our sensitivity to, and ministry with, others? How privatized can the experience of life in Christ be? How communal should it be? Miroslav Volf has written a book titled Exclusion and Embrace, in which he talks about the human tendency to fear and loathe "the other," because the self is under threat of disappearance, loss, and death. In response to the fear of losing our "self," we respond to others in one of four ways. We try to conquer then, or we isolate ourselves from them, or we relate with them contractually, or we surrender to them (meaning we capitulate, but don't enter into true mutual relationship).

Volf suggests that this impacts our participation in "life flow," meaning that when we respond in one of these four ways based on our fear, we block the possibility of life flowing from us to others, and from them to us. He encourages us to embrace others with love. Vitally important, however, is that the love we must embrace them with is not our own love, but God's love flowing through us. It's suicidal to try to give our own love to others. We can only love others when we move into and get hold of God's love for ourselves. We must love out of God's supply of love and life. When we do this, then we can give the gift of true God-love, and we know that we are doing this when we see that the other person is coming alive and thriving. A core dimension of truly flourishing life in Christ, therefore, is that we help other people blossom, flourish, and thrive. Ask yourself, therefore: Do I help other people thrive? The life that God intends for all of us cannot be experienced or shared outside the scope of relationships, nor at the expense of other persons.

Trading our Sorrows

2009-11-12T06:59:00.003-05:00

I heard a short teaching time last night related to healing, based on the worship song, “I’m Trading My Sorrows,” which includes the chorus, “Yes, Lord, Yes.” The presenter referred to the fact that healing is often closely related to how much we say “yes” to the Lord, but that it also relates to how fully and honestly we embrace (say "yes" to) our suffering and sorrow. There are times when we suffer and endure sorrow due to decisions which other people make rather than due to our own choices. This can cause deep feelings of anger and resentment. For healing to occur in our lives, we must come to a point where we acknowledge and own those feelings as being real, rather than keeping them pushed down. God won’t heal things that we insist on hiding from Him.

Once we acknowledge and own the feelings, we must choose to say “yes” to our unjust suffering. We must choose to embrace it, accept it. In this sense, we not only say “yes” to the Lord, but we also say “yes” to our sorrow and suffering. There are things in our lives that we simply have to surrender to, and then God can redeem them. He cannot redeem them if we keep saying “no” to them. Integrity and truth have to come together. Because Jesus became a man of sorrows He can take our sorrows. If we will deal with our sorrows with truthful acknowledgement and integrity, we can trade our sorrows for the joy of the Lord.

Fully Flourishing Life

2009-11-11T07:28:00.002-05:00

As part of the Spirit's receny teaching in my life, I have pondering the notion of Fully Flourishing Life. Especially in light of the numerous references to life in the gospel of John, it seems to me that too many Christians have an undernourished view of the gospel. They follow Christ "somewhat," perhaps with integrity but also a bit half-heartedly, with the result that their lives are "moderately touched" by Jesus, but not truly transformed. The question I would raise is this: are you experiencing the Fully Flourishing Life that God intends and desires for you? Or have you settled for less? This not only impacts you, but it also impacts the non-Christians in your life. If you do not understand and experience the Fully Flourishing Life that God-in-Christ makes possible, you won't be able to share that life with others. The Greek word for "gospel" means "good news." We might ask ourselves, therefore, what is "good" about the "good news"? "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10 ESV).

The Gift of the Body of Christ

2009-11-06T06:27:00.002-05:00

Today we are grateful for the gift of the Body of Christ, the fellowship of believers. What brings this to mind is the experience we had over the past couple weeks. Two weeks ago we were planning to drive to Milledgeville, Georgia to visit for a couple days with our good friends Virgil and Jo. Through a phone call, however, we found out that Virgil's mother had been moved to the Serenity Room in her nursing home in Vidalia, Georgia, to live out her last few days. After thinking and praying, we decided to drive the next day to Vidalia so that we could support Virgil and Jo during this time. It was a great joy to be a part of their lives during this important phase in their journey, and we are grateful that God made this possible. We sat with them some in the nursing home, as they provided 24/7 care for "Miss Nell," talking, laughing, plus reading Scripture and singing hymns to Miss Nell. She went to be with the Lord last Thursday, and the funeral was this past Monday. Miss Nell's church (Tabernacle Baptist) was very supportive during this time, with pastoral visits, a covered dish meal, and a beautiful funeral service. Additionally, the local UMC helped find a family who could host us for four of our nights in Vidalia, which saved a lot of hotel money. So in the midst of this situation, two congregations, two pastors, a particular family, and untold numbers of invidual Christians, were used by the Lord to be an instrument of His love for Virgil, Jo, their family, and us. There is great room for improvement in how churches in the USA understand and live out the gospel of Christ, but there is also much to celebrate, and we experienced that personally over the past two weeks. Thank You, Lord, for people in the USA around the world who love You, and in so doing, are our brothers and sisters, who also love us. Thank You, Lord for the gift of the Family of God.

Passed the Quals!

2009-11-05T07:22:00.001-05:00

Good news - Dan has found out this week that he passed his Qualifying Exams. Thank you for your prayers a few weeksk ago when he was in the midst of preparing for and taking the exams. His next big task is to write his dissertation proposal chapter, which is due in 20 days. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Our Abba God

2009-10-22T08:08:00.002-04:00

Last night in my Healing class at the Seminary the professor asked if any students would like to receive prayer for direction, comfort, or to lay down burdens. I was one of the students who asked for prayer. A group of about 10 classmates gathered around me and prayed for several minutes. One of the students was given an image of a child's bicycle, with an accompanying thought concerning how I am God's son and that He, my "Daddy", will continue to take care of me. This was a precious gift from the Lord for me at this time our journey, and I am so thankful to be reminded of God's care and provision. No matter how uncertain the future seems, no matter how low our support fund gets, no matter how difficult the dissertation process appears to be, my precious Abba Father will continue to take care of me (and Nancy too, of course). If this is a message that resonates with you as well, I invite you to receive from the Lord a fresh measure of His love and of trust in His loving care, so that you can more fully abide in Him your
Abba (Daddy) Father. Much Love, Dan

Finished with Quals!

2009-10-13T21:24:00.003-04:00

Gloria a Dios! Dan turned in the 2-day take-home portion of his Qualifying Exams at 5pm today. We are thankful for God's grace steering him through this stringent process. The next big step is his dissertation proposal chapter, which is due November 22nd. In the meantime, we each have upcoming ministry opportunities. This Wednesday through Sunday Nancy will be attending a Dunamis Conference, and Thursday through Sunday Dan will be serving as a table discussion leader at a Consultation on World Revitalization Movements. Busy times, but we are grateful to be allowed the privilege of sharing in God's passion to reach the lost people of the entire world with the good news of the full/vital life that is available in Jesus. "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord" (Isaiah 66:22-34). Oh what a celebration that will be!

2009-10-11T06:46:00.002-04:00

Nancy has recently had two trips that were blessings from God. On the first trip she participated in a 3-day advanced seminar on prayer and healing, followed by 5 days as a member of a prayer team that ministered healing to several folks. It was a joy to continue learning from the Lord as well as being used by Him. On the second trip she enjoyed a 2-day event in which she learned about a ministry perspective on wholeness through Christ that is called Sodzo (from the New Testament Greek work for wholeness/salvation). Dan was feeling puny most of last week, which was very bad timing, since he had to take Days One and Two of his Qualifying Exams. God gave him strength to make it through those exam days, and we're trusting His will concerning whether or not Dan passed. Monday and Tuesday of this coming week Dan has a 2-day take-home portion, and then his Quals will be over. Thursday evening marks the beginning of a consultation at Asbury on world revitalization movements, an event which lasts until noon on Sunday. Dan will be serving as a table discussion leader during this event. We continue to be amazed at the new opportunities for learning and ministry that God opens up for us, and thank you for your gracious and generous support. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Final Push Toward Quals

2009-10-01T15:53:00.002-04:00

Dan is in the final study push before his Qualifying Exams begin on Monday. The next 3 days will be critical to his success with the exams, so we ask for these prayers: clarity of thought, energy, and excellent memory. The Exams will conclude at 5pm on Tuesday, October 13th. Nancy is still in North Carolina. Beginning yesterday, she will be engaged for four days as a prayer servant with other folks who will be praying with various persons for deep healing needs. Please pray for her protection, for her to be an instrument of Christ's compassion, and for God to be glorified. Thank you so much for your love and your support. We are so thankful to be part of the worldwide Body of Christ. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Nancy Ministering and Learning in NC

2009-09-26T07:34:00.003-04:00

Nancy drove to Black Mountain, NC yesterday. This weekend she is involved in the final weekend seminar of her year-long advanced course on prayer healing. Next week she will be a prayer ministry volunteer, serving on one of the prayer teams that will be ministering to people with a variety of healing needs. Please pray for her guidance, protection, empowerment, and strength. Dan is going to enjoy a "normal" weekend without studies today and tomorrow, in order to rest his mind and body prior to his last intensive week of studying in preparation for qualifying exams. The week after qualifying exams he will be leading a class session at the Seminary on Dynamics of Interpersonal Evangelism, then later serve as a table discussion leader for a Consultation on Christian World Revitalization for 3 days. All this while also trying to write the proposal chapter for his dissertation. Please pray for wisdom, strength, and "redeeming the time." Thank you for your love and prayers. We can truly discern how your prayer support draws us closer to God's will and way. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Qualifying Exams - 2 Weeks Away!

2009-09-21T14:20:00.002-04:00

Dan's qualifying exams are 2 weeks from today (Monday). Aye Papa! He has been studying for them since August, but still has a lot of material to review. The exams will cover eight of the courses he has taken over the past 3 years, which includes class notes and all readings (over 50 books). Please pray for him as he studies during these remaining two weeks. Pray for clarity of mind, analytical ability, strong memory, and the discernment to know when he just needs to stop, rest his brain, and go to bed each day. Thanks, and Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Street Kids Visit the Zoo in Costa Rica

2009-09-14T08:01:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite ministry partners is Amor en la Calle, the ministry with street kids and extremely-at-risk families in Costa Rica that is led by Edwin and Sonia Brenes. Here are some images they sent us of a day in August when they took a lot of teens from their ministry to a beautiful zoological park. For some of these young men and women, it was the first time they had ever seen any animals other than a dog or a cat. Sonia and Edwin used this visit as an opportunity to teach them that God is creator of all, and that He loves all His creation, including them (the teens). This is a critical message for them to hear, because they have been "taught" in so many ways that they are invaluable and worthless, rather than being taught that they are precious creatures of God whom He is calling back to Himself through Jesus Christ. We are very thankful for the opportunities we have to partner with Sonia and Edwin in their incredible ministry. Please pray for them, as you also to continue to pray for us. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Great Visit, Excited about Healing Class

2009-09-09T20:54:00.002-04:00

We had a great visit with John and Tara in Athens this past weekend. It was such fun to stay with them and catch up with each other. We are thankful for their lives and ministries. We then went to a wedding in Cumming, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing James and Sharyn begin their new life together. This was followed by two nights and a day with our long-time friends Ralph and Donna. What a grace-gift it was to relax and do nothing for a day on Labor Day. The only thing we labored at was enjoying some good food. We are now back home, and Dan's new semester has started. He is thoroughly benefitting from his class on The Ministry and Practice of Christian Healing. After one class session, he can already discern that this course will be a strong source of blessing and impact for his teaching ministry in Venezuela. We pray that you are experiencing the healing grace of Jesus in your own life, as we are. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

2009-08-31T13:04:00.003-04:00

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive" (Colossians 3:12-13)
We had a great worship experience yesterday. Our pastor preached a very helpful sermon about forgiveness, and invited us to respond in a specific way to address relationships that the Spirit brought to mind. We are grateful for God's forgiveness for us as well as the Spirit's power to help us forgive others. Forgiveness in and through Christ is one of the most important messages we can share with our families, friends, and acquaintances, both here and abroad. As we partner with the Spirit to share this message in Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the States, we thank you for your partnership with us through prayer support and financial giving. God is a good and forgiving God, and it is a joy and privilege to be partners and friends with good and forgiving brothers and sisters in Christ. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

St. Louis and Other Things

2009-08-26T07:28:00.002-04:00

We had a great visit with Chris and Eleanor last weekend in St. Louis. They love the new apartment they've moved into, and it is located in a very nice section of town. There is a large park right across the street with a lot of shade trees and about 3 miles of walking/biking trails, plus a lot of open spaces for soccer and softball, etc. They are about a mile from a very nice Botanical Garden, and also very close to an Italian section of town featuring some wonderful little delis and restaurants. They are both doing well. Chris has begun his 3rd year of teaching 8th grade math, and Eleanor continues with her post-doctoral research position at Washington University.
This semester Dan is auditing a Spanish class at Asbury College (as distinct from Asbury Seminary), and that class began on Tuesday. He is also buckling down hard on studies for his upcoming qualifying exams. Nancy continues with her reading projects and with trying to keep Dan moderately straight :)
The Seminary semester begins in a couple weeks, during which Dan will be taking a course on Christian Healing, plus studying for and taking his qualifying exams, plus trying to write and defend the proposal chapter for his dissertation. Thank you for your continued prayers!

Chris and Eleanor !!!

2009-08-20T08:37:00.003-04:00

We are really looking forward to the opportunity this weekend to visit our oldest son, Chris, and his wife Eleanor (pictured on the left, with John and Tara on the right). We will drive to St. Louis tomorrow (Friday) and return to Wilmore on Monday.

This has been a bit of an active yet strange week for Dan. Monday he made some progress on his dissertation research and his qualifying exam review studies, but he didn't have 100% energy. Tuesday morning he had even less energy, both physically and mentally, so he took a mental-health day. What a blessing that was. In the afternoon, however, he was working on a firewood project, and while using the chainsaw his glasses slipped off his face and fell right into the chainsaw blade, putting a big nick in one of the lenses. We are thankful he wasn't hurt. Wednesday morning he cut the grass, but the dewpoint and humidity were much higher than he realized, so this wiped him out physically. He had to rest up before he could function at all, and then after lunch he had to take a nap. That afternoon a trip to the chiropractor brought great relief from a back issue that had been worsening. On the way home we stopped at the optometrist's office and discovered that his glasses are still under warranty (hurray!), which was a wondeful serendipitous surprise. With his back feeling better, he slept much better last night and seems to be back to normal strength today. He is going to work on finishing up the grading for the Theology of Evangelism course which he taught in Venezuela this summer, plus do some work on our next printed newsletter.

Nancy has had a great week doing some reading, tending to some of our household affairs, and enjoying good health. She was a little tired yesterday (Wednesday) but has bounced back quickly. We are both wondering if the heat/humidity just snuck up on us and zapped us. Anyway, we went for a pleasant but muggy walk this morning, and both had sufficient energy to do that, for which we are thankful. Today she will also be working on our next printed newsletter, plus bake some homemade bread to take to Chris and Eleanor.

As always, we thank you for your prayers and your giving, which support us in our ministry of serving Christ's Kingdom in the Americas. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

More Saving Grace

2009-08-13T11:25:00.002-04:00

The young woman pictured here on the left chose to begin her journey with Christ on July 12th at McEachern UMC, as we worshipped and preached there with the Latino congregation. What a joy to see the Spirit at work! Thank you for your prayers for us and our ministry. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Grateful for Approved Dissertation Topic

2009-08-02T18:43:00.003-04:00

We are very very very grateful that God has finally led us to a dissertation topic for Dan that both he and his professors are excited about. This has been a frustrating 15-month process of thinking, praying, researching, experiencing much non-response from research queries, etc. Dan can now focus his energies on actually researching his topic instead of trying to simply select a topic. He is going to research the evangelistic implications of a Biblical theology that focuses on God as the source of full/vital life. Thanks for your continue love and prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Saving Grace

2009-07-30T10:33:00.003-04:00

This young woman became a Christ-follower in Venezuela in Pastor Antonio Toloza's church when Dan preached there back in June. We praise God for saving grace!

Snellville UMC and the Morales Family

2009-07-23T21:20:00.003-04:00

In June we had a great weekend with the Morales family and the Latino congregation at Snellville UMC. In the picture on the left, the Morales(es) are celebrating their grand-daughter's birthday, and on the right Nancy is chatting with a new friend in the congregation. Dan was blessed to preach in Spanish during worship on Sunday, and Nancy enjoyed fellowshipping with adults and children alike. It is a great joy to be a small part of what the Lord is doing to reach Latinos in the USA, in addition to our ministry in Venezuela and Costa Rica. God's grace continues to amaze us.

We're Home!

2009-07-22T09:05:00.002-04:00

Hurray, we got home safely to Wilmore Monday evening. Yesterday we started the process of catching up on stuff from being away for over 6 weeks: mail, cleaning, etc. Dan will now focus on dissertation possibilities (please pray for wisdom) and studying for his qualifying exams (in October), plus doing advance reading for his Fall coursework. Nancy is going to focus on finishing the five additional books she needs to read for her year-long course on Healing and Spiritual Warfare. No traveling for a few weeks, so come see us in Wilmore!

VZ, USA, Costa Rica

2009-07-15T09:16:00.002-04:00

Since our last post: Dan has safely returned from Venezuela to the States. We worshipped with the Hispanic congregation at McEachern UMC this past Sunday, where Dan preached in Spanish. We flew to Costa Rica yesterday with a team from Due West UMC. We are taking them to visit different ministries in the country, after which they will talk and pray about the possibility of partnering with a ministry in Costa Rica in the future. Alajuela yesterday. Today, we head to Alajuelita, Guapiles, and Siquerres. Tomorrow, we visit ministries in Pocoro and Puerto Viejo. Friday, Coronado and San Pedro, then Saturday we fly back to the States. We will worship with the Due West congregation this coming Sunday, then head home to Wilmore on Monday or Tuesday. Unless we need to go to Jacksonville to visit Dan's mother, who is having some complications following knee replacement surgery. Please pray for our safe travels, and for Dan's mother (Edith). Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Dan to Caracas, Nancy in Wilmore

2009-07-06T21:15:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow (July 7th) Dan heads to Caracas from Barquisimeto for 2 days of dissertation-related research. Nancy arrived in Wilmore on Saturday, and is tying up loose ends before heading to Atlanta at the end of the week to pick Dan up at the airport on Friday. Sunday we will worship with the Latino congregation at McEachern UMC, and Tuesday will fly to Costa Rica for a 5-day mission trip. Thank you for your continued prayers. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Great Weeks in Venezuela and North Carolina

2009-06-30T14:43:00.004-04:00

Dan had a great week last week teaching in Venezuela, and Nancy's week at the prayer event in Black Mountain, North Carolina was inspiring, edifying, and healing. 41 students were in Dan's Theology of Evangelism class, and they worked really hard engaging the different Biblical perspectives on evangelism. Nancy served as one of the members of a prayer ministry team which prayed for people with different healing needs, and she witnessed the healing power of God's love throughout the week. Thanks for your continued prayers for us as we seek to follow God's call in our lives. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Arrived Safely in Venezuela

2009-06-20T07:43:00.002-04:00

A quick note to let everyone know that Dan arrived safely in Venezuela. Today (Saturday) he will be driven to Barquisimeto (5-hour drive), where he will attend pastor Antonio Toloza's church tomorrow and then teach Theology of Evangelism this week at the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. Nancy is visiting friends in the Atlanta area until she drives to North Carolina on Monday for her prayer ministry event. Thank you for your prayers and support. We deeply appreciate your partnership with us in God's ministry to reach lost people and spread the good news of the Abundant/Love-Filled Life that God desires for each of us. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Pray for our Upcoming Travels

2009-06-18T06:52:00.002-04:00

Please remember to pray for us in our upcoming travels. Dan flies to Venezuela tomorrow (Friday) to spend 3 weeks teaching, preaching, and doing dissertation-related research. Nancy will be participating in two separate events during that time, one focused on prayer ministry and the other on spiritual life. Please ask God to grant us protection and to help us be used to bring lost people to Jesus and glory to God. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Virginia, Cumming, Snellville, Athens

2009-06-16T20:40:00.002-04:00

Since our last post - we drove to the Roanoke Valley area of Virginia to visit with some of Dan's family on his mother's side. In particular we wanted to visit with 2 of his aunts, one of whom is 93 and the other 85 (pictured above). We thoroughly enjoyed our time with aunts and cousins. From there we drove to Athens, Georgia, where we spent a couple days with our friends Kent and Sandy. We enjoyed some rich fellowship and prayer together. We then travelled to Cumming, Georgia, where we stayed with our friends Virgil and Jo. In addition to visiting with them, we also sat with Jane Lathem and many other friends while Warren was having surgery. Warren is most likely going to go home from the hospital tomorrow. Our next stop was Snellville, Georgia, where we spent the past weekend with our Venezuelan friends Efrain and Bethsaida. Dan preached in Spanish at their congregation on Sunday. Sunday evening we drove back to Athens. The Annual Conference of North Georgia is meeting this week in Athens, plus John and Tara moved to Athens this weekend from Wilmore. We're having fun helping them with painting and unpacking, while also attending annual conference sessions. Friday Dan flies to Venezuela to teach in the Seminary (all next week - Theology of Evangelism), while Nancy drives to Black Mountain, North Carolina to participate in a week-long event as a prayer team minister. Thank you for your continued prayers and your love. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Course Development and Upcoming Trip

2009-06-03T07:49:00.002-04:00

We've had a busy week. Dan has been working diligently on the development of a Theology of Evangelism course to teach in Venezuela June 22-26. In addition to the difficulty in choosing which material to include and how to help the students engage the material, he has had to work back and forth between Spanish and English. He has written a Spanish-language note-taking handout (26 pages), plus a combination Spanish/English teaching manual (45 pages). Nancy has writing reading reports on some of the texts related to her year-long advanced course on Prayer and Healing, plus getting a lot of our household affairs in order for us to be gone so long on our upcoming trip. We will leave on Friday. We will be traveling to Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Venezuela, and Costa Rica. Thank you for your financial support that makes it possible for us to offer ourselves to the Lord's ministry in the States and in Latin America. Thank you for your prayer support that provides wisdom, protection, and encouragement. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Graduation Weekend, John and Tara

2009-05-25T12:40:00.007-04:00

We had a great weekend celebrating the graduation of John and Tara from Asbury Seminary. Chris drove over from St. Louis to be with us (Eleanor is in California on a work research project), and almost all of Tara's family came from Atlanta, Kentucky, and Las Vegas. In about 10 days John and Tara will move to Athens, Georgia. She will serve as an Associate Director (with Prayer Ministry) at the UMC campus ministry at UGA (Wesley Foundation), and John is looking for a ministry job in the local area. Thank you for your prayers for Chris, Eleanor, John, and Tara. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Fun Visit with Ralph and Donna

2009-05-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

We had the wonderful joy of a weekend visit with our friends Ralph and Donna. They came in Thursday night and left this morning. We were able to celebrate Ralph's birthday on Friday, which was a rare privilege. We took him to the new Star Trek movie, treated him to Graeter's ice cream, then enjoyed a beautiful drive in the horse country surrounding Wilmore. We are very thankful for God's gift of friendship. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Venezuelan Missionaries in Paraguay

2009-05-09T06:40:00.003-04:00

We are very excited to receive an update today from our friend Fabio and his family. They are Venezuelan missionaries serving in Paraguay, whom we met several years ago through his participation in the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. Of particular interest is a new ministry they have begun to provide music lessons to special needs children, accompanied by an inclusion of these children's musical abilities in the church's worship services. The Lord is using this ministry to bless the children and in turn using them as a channel of blessing for the congregation as they worship God in music. This kind of passion for touching peoples' lives in creative ways is one of the things we treasure the most among our Venezuelan friends. Go God!

Closing In

2009-05-06T13:51:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
We're closing in on the end of the semester, which takes place in 2 1/2 weeks. Dan continues to enjoy his classes and learn a lot. He is especially enjoying his Gospel of Mark class. There was a great discussion on Tuesday about the need to link our Scriptural studies of particular passages with the whole of the Bible, to be followed an appropriation of the Spirit's insights to allow Him to transform us. For example, some Christians search in the Bible for principles that will support their idea of the good-like, but God wishes for them to immerse themselves in the Bible deeply with an open mind and heart in order to discover His intended God-life. This kind of discussion reminds us how grateful we are for the gift of God's Word and the double gift of this time of learning, reflection, and equipping. Thank you for supporting us during this phase of our ministry. We are deeply grateful. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Still Alive and Kicking

2009-04-23T07:33:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delay between posts. We're still not accustomed to blogging. Anyway, we're doing well. We had a great Easter weekend. Nancy went to St. Louis to visit with Chris and Eleanor the weekend prior, then on Easter Eve we had a super fun celebration with 0ur monthly small group, followed by worship with John and Tara at their church on Easter Sunday. Dan's classwork is still consuming all his time, but we are thankful that he continues to learn. Concerning Nancy's year-long program on Advanced Prayer Healing, she is at the stage of writing reading reports on some of the 10 books she has been reading. She is learning a lot too. Dan has especially enjoyed his Inductive Bible Study class this semester on the gospel of Mark. This has really helped him learn to dig deep into the Word in a different way, and he is grateful. He will eventually teach a course on Mark in the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. This June he will teach an evangelism course, then stay in VZ an extra two weeks to check out some dissertation research possibilities. Thanks for your love and support! Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Global Jesus

2009-04-04T16:49:00.002-04:00

March 22nd we had the fun of kicking off the Global Missions Emphasis Week at the Nicholasville UMC in Kentucky. Dan preached, encouraging the congregation to be globally focused. The following Sunday the senior pastor (Mike Snyder) preached on the need for Christians to share the good news of forgiveness with non-Christians all over the world. It was a helpful week of planting seeds that we pray the Holy Spirit will water and bring to fruition, as this congregation grows in their passion for the nations. We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of that seed-planting, and thank our supporters for making that possible. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

quick trip, but good

2009-03-25T13:51:00.003-04:00

Last Friday/Saturday we had a quick turn-around trip to Atlanta and back. Friday night we participated in a support-raising dinner for the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. We are thankful for the many people who attended and for those who made 2-year pledges to support the ongoing work there. It was great to catch up with our Venezuelan friends, Efrain and Bethsaida Morales, plus Hur and Luci Morales and their children. They are serving as missionaries here in the USA. Efrain/Bethsaida serve with the Snellville UMC to reach Latinos there, and Hur/Luci serve with McEachern UMC in Powder Springs to reach Latinos in that community. All of them have participated in the Venezuela Seminary and were there to attest to its significance in their ministries and in the evangelistic outreach of Venezuelan churches. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our work through the Seminary. We are deeply grateful. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Great Week plus headed to Atlanta

2009-03-19T10:26:00.003-04:00

We've had a great week. Nancy has been catching up on administrative tasks, plus making jewelry for friends. We had a fun gathering with our monthly fellowship group Saturday night and were enriched by the laughter and sharing. Sunday evening John and Tara came over to have a belated birthday celebration (pictures above) and we had a blast. Dan's schoolwork this week has been very helpful. This morning, for example, in his Gospel of Mark class he learned a lot about how to appropriately interpret Chapter 13 of Mark, and gained a lot of insight not only about that chapter but also about how to more deeply engage the Biblical text. Tomorrow we head down to Atlanta for the support-raising dinner for the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. It will be a quick turn-around trip. We have to come back on Saturday after attending a wedding, because Dan is preaching in the Nicholasville UMC Sunday morning (Global Jesus). Nancy continues working on her Spiritual Warfare project. She is completing her reading and sketching out a tentative outline for a course that we will teach together in Venezuela at some point in the future. We are grateful for God's grace in our lives during this time of ministry and learning. Thank you for your love and friendship and support. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Faith-Sharing in Venezuela

2009-03-14T11:46:00.004-04:00

The March session of the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela met this week. Our friend David Cosby taught Part II of the Church Planting course. 56 students were in attendance, including four new students. We praise God for the continued vitality of the Seminary. David asked the students to give him some statistical information regarding their ministries. We found it particularly encouraging that 529 persons were baptized in 2008 in the churches which those students serve. Additionally, 12 new churches were planted, and 1,114 new conversions were reported. Among 56 students! This passion for leading others to Christ is one of the reasons we so appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the ministry in Venezuela, and why teaching in the Seminary there is one of Dan's all-time favorite things to do. Thank you for your continued love and support. Many Blessings, Dan and Nancy

Living in Grace is Such Fun!

2009-03-11T17:21:00.002-04:00

We have been having a great week in God's grace. We returned from our trip on Sunday night, and then on Monday had a day of catching up on studies, laundry, and chainsaw work (for firewood). Yesterday (Tuesday) Dan had a good class session in the Gospel of Mark, followed by reading and writing assignments for his Theology of Evangelism class. He is learning a lot in the class that he will be able to use in future teaching in Venezuela. Nancy worked on catching up the checking account, the bills, and emails. Our whirlwind trip last week caught up with both of us late afternoon yesterday. We just simply ran out of gas physically and mentally, so we watched Good Will Hunting and ate popcorn for supper. Sort of an at-home, inexpensive date :) It was a very relaxing evening and we are back to normal energy now. Today in a morning Seminar Dan heard his dissertation mentor, Dr. George Hunter, share some of the insights from his new book on the church growth movement. This was a very helpful session, because Dan's dissertation will relate to some of the perspectives from that movement. More ministry administrative work for Nancy today, plus she cleaned out the fireplace so we can build another fire tomorrow (it turned cold again here today), bought farm fresh eggs, and did some more reading. We are so thankful for God's grace continuing to nurture us and support us, and we are grateful for those who make our ministry possible. Much Love, Dan and Nancy

Back from North Carolina and Georgia

2009-03-09T15:30:00.003-04:00

We returned last night from a 6-day trip to North Carolina and Georgia. We attended an evangelism event in Black Mountain, North Carolina and had a great time. God moved powerfully to teach and inspire us, and we are exceedingly grateful. Pictured here are friends praying for our ministries to be freshly empowered by the Holy Spirit. From there we went to Alpharetta, Georgia to staff sign-up tables at Mount Pisgah UMC Sunday morning for the March 20th support raising dinner for the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela. It was great to see so many of our MP friends and catch up with them. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We appreciate partnering with you in God's ministry around the world.

More Venezuelan Baptisms!

2009-02-24T19:55:00.007-05:00

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!