One Voice

Dear Reader,

Mark 1: 3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

In the times we live in today, Satan is using every avenue possible to silence those who speak the truth of God’s Word. Sadly many have been silenced and many churches have closed their doors as confusion and wickedness continues to prevail. In our travels, we have come to the realization of this disturbing fact and our hearts have been burdened for our country and the values upon which it was founded. I truly believe that with the Lord’s help one voice speaking the truth of God’s word can be heard through the multitude of corruption and ungodliness that this world holds. One voice could be all that is needed to make the difference in a life, in a city, in a country, and in the world that we live in today. Would you be willing to allow God to use you to be that voice that could make an impact of change? It is a choice each of us has the opportunity to make. As Christians we have been given a voice and the ability to share the true Gospel with a lost and dying world unless we are silenced. We must ask ourselves each day, “Will we be the voice needed in today’s society or will we too be silenced by Satan?” One voice, one life, one person serving the one true God, telling the one way to enter into Heavens gates can be what it will take to make a difference. That could be you!

We continued to remain in Arkansas visiting churches, pastors, and people from city to city and seeing people saved along the way! On June 10, 2012 we were able to visit Bible Believers Baptist Church in Searcy, AR and Midway Independent Baptist Church in Cleveland, AR presenting, preaching, and visiting with many friendly people! Wednesday we stopped in at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Malvern, AR with yet another opportunity to take a few minutes to share our burden for Reaching the Next Generation to the member of the church.

Thursday we traveled back to Texas to share in the joy of Denton and Hannah Bell's wedding! It was an exciting and beautiful time as we were able to witness two pure young people be united in marriage having followed God and His will for each of their lives. We wish nothing but happiness for them and know that God is going to use our friends in a great way as they continue to together serve Him.

Saturday we returned to Arkansas to be in New Testament Baptist Church and Gospel Light Baptist Church on Sunday. Again to great opportunities to present our work and desires for our ministry and many hearts were opened as many expressed their excitement and enthusiasm to us. It was also encouraging to have even young people approach us asking how to be a part of Reaching the Next Generation as workers and allow God use them to participate in the work.

My prayer is that God will allow my family and I to be voices used and not silenced so that others may hear of God’s amazing love.



Gabriella getting right with God LOL





Fellowship after church







Denton & Hannah Bell's wedding

 

New Testament Baptist Church

Power of Prayer

Dear Reader,

II Thessalonians 3: 1 “ Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

                What is it that has allowed people to draw closer to God in a very personal way? What allows even the mightiest of men to fall to their knees in times of distress and weakness? What is it that brings us comfort and peace in a world of darkness and distress? Prayer, has the power to allow one to build a relationship with the One who has the ability to answer each and every request. We have been instructed and given an example in the Bible on how to pray and the importance of prayer in your every day life. With prayer we are able to talk directly to God, bringing not only our personal request and praises to Him but others that are close to our hearts.         

                As we continue our travels we cherish all the prayers that have been given on behalf of our ministry and dreams for Reaching the Next Generation. With each prayer I truly believe another door is opened that allows us to inch closer to the goals we have to accomplish for Jesus Christ. I think at times we lose sight of the importance and necessity of our prayers for others, but as the Scripture states through your prayers you are very much a part of the work that is being done for the Lord. With each and every prayer that you as a supporter, prayer warrior, and friend put forth, I truly believe the Lord not only blesses your efforts but the love you are showing for fellow servants in the Lord’s work. Together, on our knees before our Heavenly Father, we can be given the power to change the world with the Gospel.

                We drove into Jacksonville, Arkansas Saturday, June 2, and there began a five day missions camp at Bible Baptist Church pastored by Pastor Files. What a beautiful place it was as we drove onto the campsite and directed to our sleeping quarters. Throughout the week we were able to enjoy many great sermons from different speakers the main speaker being Pastor Cecil Ballard. With a spectacular balance of humor and Biblical truths, Pastor Ballard brought many great messages that encouraged all that were present. Pastor Files and his church members saw to our every need with such kindness, and throughout the week we were able to make many friends among them. Amongst these friends made were other young missionary couples, the Matt and Wynne families, with visions for their fields that God had laid on their hearts. What an exciting and eventful five days we had as my wife and I also celebrated our second wedding anniversary. I am truly blessed to have Elyssa as my beautiful wife who has been willing to sacrifice and be strong through our labors while on the road. She is truly the love of my life and I look forward to many more years together with her.

                May we each keep in mind that prayers lifted up for each other allows us to battle Satan on behalf of those we love. Each prayer being a defense set in place so that those we love can live and accomplish great things for the Lord Jesus Christ.



Celebrating 2 Years



Jacksonville, AR



Pastor C. Ballard



Fellowship after the Service



Jeremy, Cara & Philip Matt with us



Joe & Kella Wynne with us



Generation to Generation

Dear Reader,

                Psalms 78:6 states : “ That the generation  to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children.”

                What great importance does each generation hold in the world we live in today!  With each passing year another group of young people enter into the world ready to make a difference and influence the small portion in which they will live. As every school year comes to a close another group of students enter into an adult life embracing challenges and dreams that they have looked forward to with great excitement. Each year a generation passes away having completed their lives here on earth, some hoping that those they have left behind will carry on with what they had worked so hard to begin.  No matter what a person may think of themselves, each and every one of us make some sort of impact on the world and in people’s lives; however, it is up to us as to what sort of influence that is. This is one of the main purposes of our ministry of Reaching the Next Generation, that the generations to come might be able to have a positive and Spiritual influence on those around them reaching many with the Gospel.

                These thoughts came as I pondered on all the events that took place in the month of May. We had the opportunity to be able attend many graduations encouraging young people to keep going in their next step in life and in the will of God. Elyssa’s younger brother, Andres, graduated from high school, and we are very proud of his accomplishments. As he continues on, going to Bible college and serving God, our prayers for him is that he too will pursue great things for God and allow Him to use him in the generation coming up. Danny, the oldest of Elyssa’s brothers, graduated from Commonwealth Baptist College in Lexington, KY and what an exciting night that was. As he even now has gone to assist a pastor in Maryland we see how God has used him to carry on what he had been taught to help others come to know Christ. These graduations along with many others in connection to our home church, Parkside Baptist Church, really allowed me to see what great potential was coming up, surrendered and ready to serve God.

 The month ended with a mission’s conference in Denham Springs, LA, and what a great encouragement that was to us. The kind people under the leadership of Pastor Robinson prepared a week of inspiring messages along with great fellowship.  Our hearts were touched and I can personally say that with all the preaching, slides, music, and testimonies I was encouraged even more about missions! It was very clear that those who attended made some life changing decisions, and many committed sacrificially new amounts towards their faith promise giving.
We are looking forward to the month of June as we will be spending most of the time in the state of Arkansas! Continue to pray God opens many doors!



Danny's College Graduation

                

Danny's Ordination



Andres Senior Pictures





Louisiana





Missions Conference in Louisiana





Louisiana





Two special couples we met in Louisiana

















                     










Dare To Be Different

Dear Reader,

                Daniel 3:26a “Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.”

                We have all heard the phrase “I dare you” at least once in our lifetime, and we all know what this phrase implies. To hear the word dare is to give a challenge to do what seems or appears impossible. Would we dare to be different in our own lives as Christians when it comes to the world in which we live. The more corrupt the world seems to become the harder it appears to be for young people and even adults to separate from those we know are not doing or living as God would have us live. Would we D-A-R-E  to be different  by standing for what we know is right in our lives and take the challenge to surrender our lives to God’s service?

D-etermine to be

A-part of a Spiritual

R-evolution for all

E-ternity

                As Christians we must determine to join the other Soldiers of the Lord in the fight against Satan and the evil he continues to pollute our world with. We must DETERMINE to take a challenge by getting the fight back that will carry us through the hard times that come in our lives especially when trying to do great things for God.  To be APART of something greater than ourselves is such an encouragement to all servants of God who together as a team can carry on what other men and women have been used of God to do. REVOLUTION, used in reference to causing change in society, lives of people around us, in our own lives, and in so much more that will promote faith in Jesus Christ. All of this is done for the honor and glory of God and for ETERNITY which we will be able to spend in Heaven having first made the decision to accept Christ as our personal Saviour.  Can we take the challenge to D-A-R-E to be different?!

                March began with a running start as we attended an exciting mission’s conference at Iglesia Bautista Crossroads in Gainesville continuing on to Mckinney and Wylie! We were blessed to have both Iglesia Bautista Crossroads and Lighthouse Baptist Church in Wylie take us on for monthly support. By Wednesday we were able to attend and present in a church in Rockwall, TX. It was a great service and many hearts were touched by our testimony and presentation. By the weekend, Sunday the 18^th, we were in the city of San Antonio with Pastor Lira and Corpus Christi at New Hope Independent Baptist Church. Two churches  with people who welcomed us with such warm friendships and smiles including an invitation for some after church fishing with the men in the church!  Monday took us further south towards the border to Edinburg ending with a great service. We ended the month in Tomball, TX with Pastor Farley and his people  before going back to the valley in Mercedes, TX.  God gave us a fantastic month with many churches joining us  and our ministry of Reaching the Next Generation.

Through this time we also have watched Gabriella grow so fast and with some new teeth coming in! It has been exciting traveling together, seeing so much beautiful country side as well as serving the Lord together. Please continue to pray for us as we continue on in the month of April! May God bless you all for your love and support.

The Lira Family

Pastor and Hna. Vera singing a speical

The Castaneda Family

Grace Baptist Church

Soul winning with Daddy and Mommy

Signing Bibles after the service

So many decisions!!







 



























Step Into Their Shoes

Dear Reader,

             Has your curiousity ever caused you to wander how someone could be so passionate about a certain matter or cause? If we think about it, everyone has something in their life that brings out the most energy and drive with which they use to bring themselves to accomplish a certain task or endeavor. This passion is what is missing in many lives of Christians all around the world and the lack of it is what brings us to a place in our lives that cause us to feel depressed, unaccomplished, not useful, and worth very little. We could have all the possessions and excitements that we desire but yet not feel like our life has meaning. Perhaps  our passion is somewhat out of place and being put towards those things that do not give a life that true meaning that only serving God can. Well what is it that would allow each of us at these times in our life when we feel our passion has slipped away to build it back up and keep us serving Christ with all our hearts? The answer to this is to take a moment to “Step into their shoes”.

                We have heard the phrase “If you were in their shoes…”. In order to be given a burden for lost souls, hurting people, broken lives, abandoned and abused children, it would be beneficial to take a look and “step into their shoes” ever so often to feel the pain, suffering, and desire for someone to care. It is easy to overlook others when focused on ourselves, but when we stop and take time to place ourselves in the lives of others less fortunate, we realize how blessed we are and how much we can do to help in other’s lives.
                The Lord allowed us to bring the month of February to a close with many exciting conferences and meetings throughout Texas, Mississippi, and Kentucky! These times have been such an encouragement to us and have been such great experiences! We were impressed with the decorations of each conference and great international dinners that were served. The ladies of each church did a superb job cooking and fixing dishes representing different countries allowing a variety of foods for everyone. The food was not the only variety we had during this month; we also had a variety of scenery as we went from the southern part of Mississippi to Lexington, Kentucky. What beautiful country side God has created for us here on earth to enjoy and praise His name.  
                With the many meetings we have had and those in the future, we praise the Lord with all the opportunities He has given us! We are excited about all the churches that have become a part of our ministry by taking us on for support. With our goal of being on the field by January of 2013 we pray that many others will see the need for Reaching the Next Generation and come along side us in our endeavors. We ask that you continue to pray for us as we continue on in deputation.

Arlington Missions Conference

 Ocean Springs Missions Conference

 Kentucky

The Fight to Survive

Dear Reader,

            What is it that can keep the drive and determination in the hearts of Christians around the world? What are young people as well as adults lacking in our lives that allows us to fall prey to our weaknesses and temptations placed by the Devil? I believe it is the fight characteristic, the very attitude of survival against impossible odds. There are so many things in today’s world that can tear us down and even apart unless we fight back with what we know is right. Our Christian lives mean nothing if we are not even a small threat to Satan and his evil plan. As a threat he will do all he can to destroy us, but just as a flower can grow through concrete and survive, we too can break through the Satan’s strong forces.

            Our next conference was in San Antonio, TX, only about four hours away from our home in Dallas. Beautiful Gate Baptist Church, pastored by Pastor Carrizales, invited us to present in their Tuesday opening service of their conference on February 7^th. What a great church filled with loving people with hearts for missions. As they came by our table they shared such interest and made us feel right at home. We were able to also run across another fellow missionary who we had seen in another conference in the area and have some great fellowship! Bro. Cox preached the beginning sermon opening it up with a great and encouraging message! You can always see his heart for mission work as we have heard him preach at many mission conferences already. After a few specials done by the people of Beautiful Gate, Pastor Victor Alvarez was up next. What a great sermon as he preached also on the importance of faith promise and the importance of giving. He always seems to have a way with people and usually has the crowd laughing with his many jokes and stories. It was a great night followed by food and fellowship where we were able to speak with other pastors and Pastor Carrizales’ family. Gabriella made her appearance as usual having with her little smile and jumping into the hearts of those present. She has truly been such a blessing to our family, and we are so happy to have her in our lives.

            The next morning, Wednesday February 9^th, we traveled to Beeville, TX where we were scheduled to be with Pastor Tim Stowe and his people. We arrived early and were able to sit down and enjoy a nice lunch and fellowship with Pastor and his wife. We had a great time and really enjoyed getting to know them even better. We were able to talk about years past as their church has brought their young people to our youth revival for many years. After some time at the hotel Elyssa, Gabriella, and I headed for the church for service that night. We were looking forward to it, even more as we heard Pastor Swope was the guest speaker for this first night of their conference! He too was a pastor we had known from youth revivals past. We had a great time as we sang mission songs, heard testimonies of other countries, watch the church honor the Swope family, and allowed us to present our field. They treated us with such great love and generosity that we felt very overwhelmed with their support for us for simply coming and being there. There is no way we could ever thank them enough for being such a blessing to us on our journey in God’s will. Bro Swope preached a great message and the altar was filled. After services a large group met at the local Subway and we enjoyed fellowship with the church members and reminisced of times past!

            The more I have traveled the more I have seen the importance of relationships made throughout the years! We have gone to churches that because of friendships made we have come to find many whom we have known. It has shown me the value of every minute you have with those around you even for a short time, for you never know if one day your paths will cross again.

Beautiful Gate Baptist Church

Singing Group

Young people at the Altar

Pastor Swope Shooting

Mrs. Swope Special Music

You Are The Completing Piece

Dear Reader,

            Many may think that their lives are two insignificant to make much of a difference. Perhaps some consider themselves but a small piece in even a bigger puzzle, but what we fail to realize is that without that piece the puzzle goes uncompleted. Each of our lives have meaning and with each day of our lives we can do everything we can to make a difference in the lives of others. The decision is ours to make. Will we allow God to use us to complete the will He has for us or will we decide to let this opportunity pass us by.   

            After a very busy week in the Philippines, I returned and we were on the road again! We had a lot of missions conferences already scheduled, the first being in Longview Baptist Temple. Pastor Bob Gray was gracious enough to have us be a part of his mission month and I had the great privilege to preach Wednesday night! It was such a great opportunity to stand behind the pulpit where many great men had stood before. Bro Bob Gray has been a great example in my life and I was overwhelmed with this chance! Elyssa also was able to see her dear friend DeAnna Gray who grew up together and were part of each other’s weddings. Thursday I attended some of the classes at Texas Baptist College and the chapel services where Missionary to West Africa, Bro. Holmes, preached an encouraging message to all the students of the college. After eating lunch with the students we went to the academy and had an hour of question and answer time with the young people. I thoroughly enjoyed that as we anticipated what sort of questions would come from the younger aged children. Questions from the first through third grades like “Are their banks and robbers there?” or “Did you see any sharks?” we found so delightful as their little minds raced for yet another question. Many, however, even from the younger grades had very good questions showing they had put much thought to them and some even had lists of questions in their hands. This was such a special time to be able to give them a visual of what life was like in the Philippines. The entire time we spent with Longview Baptist Temple was such a pleasure for us and felt very honored by their kindness and generosity.

            That night we were able to go out to eat with Josh and DeAnna and spend a great amount of time catching up with them. Josh and I were able to talk quite a bit, at least until my jet lag, which had been giving me a great amount of trouble that week, kicked in. He was very kind and both treated us to a wonderful night of conversation, food, and, best of all, friendship! We enjoyed them very much and appreciate all they did for us.

            God has allowed Elyssa and I to have such great relationships with people in many areas and deputation has simply added to this. We are so grateful for such a blessing to not only have the pleasure of doing God’s will for our lives but to meet so many others serving Christ with their lives.

Texas Baptist College Chapel

The Man, Jordan Gray

Sarah, Gabriella, Elyssa, Joanna

Wednesday Night