Small Steps. Big Faith.

Hello dear friends! In just one week Aaron and I will travel to Malaga for a weekend retreat-style gathering from Sept. 8-10, where we will join my LDHR teammates, Rex Winn and Gema Alvarez to help to welcome and orient our 2 newest candidates for full-time staff: MAURICO and MATU, all of whom, coincidentally, are from Latin America, specifically México and Argentina. I wanted to request extra prayer support over the next week that the Lord would orchestrate all the details for our time together. Would you be able to commit to pray daily over the next 10 days?  Please let me know! Below are some specific prayer requests... We would like to invote you to pray for a key event that is coming up right around the corner. From Sept 8-10, in Coín, near Málaga, Spain, the LDHR (Leadership Development and Human Resources) team will lead a training time for our most recent new staff. We are aware that in the midst of a job well done, it is truly God who prepares the people that He has c...

In July, God brought a new member to our Agape team for the 2017-2018 school year, intern Alejandro Bo, from Alicante. With Alejandro's arrival, God also gave a new challenge for me.... I had participated in new staff orientatons on various occasons previously, but this was my first time to organize and host an event like this. Since Alejandro lives closer to Barcelona than to Málaga,  where the directors of the LDHR team are, the decision was made to hold the Intern Orientaton in Barcelona. (Of course, since it was just one new member, the responsibility of this orientaton event was lighter than if there had been 20, although 20 new staff is what we are dreaming about and praying for in the upcoming years!) Working side-by-side with me was my fellow LDHR member, Donna Cannella. Donna is gifted as a detail person and a public speaker. Her perspective, clarity and thoroughness brought great balance to this time of welcome, preparation and orientation for Alejandro. At the l...

These smiling faces represent the best and the brightest of our new generation of staff. For the last 2 years they have been practicing the ins and outs of field ministry...but at the same time, carving out time for study and reflection and discussion with a staff mentor to ensure a solid foundation for the long haul. We believe that the condition of the hearts of our staff is priority number one and from a healthy heart that depends on the Lord a healthy, fruitful ministry will flow. Servant Leadership, Restoring God's Justice in a Broken World and Coaching were 3 of the New Staff Training topics that we covered during our time together. Together with New Staff Training director, Donna Cannella, we planned and prayed for months that the Lord would use this time to bring blessing and effective closure to this inicial season of staff life for these precious new staff. Their feedback about the weekend was encouraging. When asked, "What will you take away from this w...

100+ staff and volunteers descended on the Catholic retreat center outside of Madrid for 4 days of learning, celebrating and fellowship. Ruben and Aaron and I all attended. The theme, Raices, (or Roots) focused us on the importance of our spiritual health, reminding us to dig our spiritual roots deeply into Jesus and His truth. Also there were special sessions for practicing creative times alone with God through writing, music, nature, painting, etc. Back before Christmas, the conference directors had asked for new ideas that could be incorporated into our staff conference. I suggested a special dinner to honor the staff and help them remember how valuable they are. Of course, what usually happens if a leader likes your suggestion, he or she asks you to make it happen. So, I responded to the challenge of hosting a special dinner, a gala, to honor our staff. Much of the preparation was done ahead of time at home. With Ruben's help and then many extra hands chipping in ...

At the beginning of April the campus ministry in Spain ("Q" or C.U. - Cristianos Universitarios) gathered outside of Málaga for a special retreat. "A Challenge Came to Visit Me" was the theme and the staff teams addressed the topic of difficulties and suffering and where faith fits in. Cristina (Campus Intern) and Mariló (senior staff member) are pictured above, manning the registration table. In addition to hiking together, crackign an unsolved mystery activity and late-night games, several personal testimonies of pain and suffering were given and students were able to respond. Two students, José and María , students from the Q group in Málaga. have indicated decisions to place their faith in Christ!!!  Please pray for these students to hear the Lord's voice and to become grounded in their faith, especially during these summer months when they are away from their fellowship group.

  Remember when I went to Holland with Aaron and two other staff at the end of November? It was to become as a BPMT Facilitator. What is BPMT again? The Building Power Ministry Teams Assessment tool is based upon “ The Performance Factor: Unlocking the Secrets of Teamwork " by Pat MacMillan. This tool helps a team self assess six different aspects of teamwork (Common Purpose, Clear Roles, Accepted Leadership, Effective Processes, Solid Relationships and Excellent Communication). Teams can then see in which areas of their teamwork they are strong and in which areas they are weak. During the workshop the team creats action steps to address these areas. Now that we are officially certified, our goal is now to bring this important training to Spain. Rex Winn, Marc Fuentes and I make up the BPMT team in Spain. Our next steps include translating the material and casting vision for the various ministry teams in Agape Spain. There are already a couple of teams interested in re...

"José became a Christian at the Student Retreat!!!!" "Ruben and Loida are discipling several teenagers from their church." "Next weekend, we will host a cross-cultural training for a student mission trip to Argentina."      These are all statements that I have in the last week from staff who are working on the front lines. Full-time staff on the field are a crucial part to taking the gospel to every corner of Spain and the world!     Behind each full-time staff member on the field, there is also a special team, known here as the CAPACITY team, who works KEEP these staff on the front lines of ministry by depositing paychecks for them, creating and maintaining email and website platforms for them, providing training with ministry and leadership skills for them, etc.      In February 2017, the CAPACITY team (a virtual team of 11 staff living in 7 different cities) gathered in Valencia for 3 days for our own...