God's General Will

Paul the Apostle closed his first letter to the Thessalonians by stating in verse 18 of chapter 5: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." We as Christians many times can get so caught up with wondering what God's specific will is for our lives, that we neglect His revealed general will found in the pages of the Bible. This verse alone tells us that God wants us to be a thankful people in everything. I began to "chew" on this verse as I considered the month of March. I looked at my calendar from March 2008 as well. Here are just a few things I am thankful for...

Mike and I continue to meet almost every week for prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and of course food:) What I am grateful for the most, is the fact that he wants to meet every single week without fail. February marked exactly one year since Mike and I started meeting. I can honestly say as God is my witness, that never once has Mike canceled with me. March marked on my calendar exactly one year since I picked Mike up from the hospital due to his long battle with alcohol. He has now been sober for one year!!

In looking at this newsletter and slide show from a year ago, you will also note some other things. March 29th marked one year ago that my friend and roommate Johnny got saved!! March 31st marked one year ago that Raf and I baptized him in the Mediterranean sea. I really wanted to make Johnny's 1 year Born Again B-Day special. Johnny likes to eat generally at home, and loves to cook from which I usually benefit.:) So, I cooked him dinner. Yes, that's right I cooked, and no it wasn't oatmeal with a pop-tart! We then enjoyed a conversation about the Lord and what He has done in his life over the last year. Next, we enjoyed some ice cream together and watched "Fury to Freedom." This is a movie based on the testimony of Pastor Raul Ries (CC Golden Springs). Johnny was very moved seeing it for the first time. Even though I have seen it many times, I too was reminded of the power of God to change a life. After the movie ended, we both wiped our tears away and prayed together. I am very thankful that the Lord has allowed me to be a part of His work in Johnny's life.

I also had the privilege of teaching on Sunday morning for Raf. I taught on the 4th commandment, which is to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. I titled the message "Have the day off." I just encouraged the congregation to not only find rest in Jesus, but to take a literal day off. I believe we all need a day where we can just stop working and really enjoy the day with Jesus. Now, I know this will vary, yet we miss out when we don't really set aside concentrated time to be with our Lord.

At the end of the month, all the students and almost the whole staff went to Rome. It is a fun, yet educational Semester trip. We go to many sites studying Church History and Bible History. My favorite site was Paul's prison. We all sit down and read the whole book of 2 Timothy together. They are Paul's "last written words" to Timothy before he would be martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ. I then was thankful to be a Christian. I thought "wow." I am saved, my sins forgiven, I enjoy the unconditional love of God, and I'm going to Heaven!! What was sad though, was the fact that Rome is notorious for being very religious. It is the home of the Pope! Yet, it is such a dark city with many of its people still searching and seeking the truth about God. What is ironic, is the fact that the book of Romans is all about how to get saved and what the Christian life should look like. Paul wrote that letter to the Roman Christians 2,000 years ago and yet so few Romans have read it!!

In closing, may I challenge all of us to be thankful. To really count our blessings is healthy, especially as we serve the Lord. God has been so good to us over the years and we still have Heaven to look forward to!!!

By His Grace,
Eric

Reunion

King David exclaims in Psalm 139:17-18: "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You." God is always working, thinking, and planning. Jeremiah would tell us also that those same thoughts are good and not evil, thoughts to give us a hope and future. There is also no harm intended from His thoughts. He truly does orchestrate events and circumstances in our lives. I saw once again God answer prayer early in the month of February. It started with an unexpected e-mail at the end of January...

I had been praying for some time about the possibility of moving to mainland Spain and serving the Lord by helping with the ministry of Ivan and Eunice. Well, Pastor Randy e-mailed Ivan, Eunice, and myself informing us that he and Pastor Justin were coming to Spain. The Roybal family would also be coming. I hadn't seen all of them for 7 months. The weekend was packed with fun, food, flamenco, and fellowship. The trip went so well. We also had a prayer/discussion meeting about the future of the church Ivan was now pastoring. Pastor Randy, Pastor Justin, Tio Pepe, Paul Roybal, Ivan and myself were a part of this meeting. I couldn't have asked God for a better exchange of thoughts, opinions, ideas, and encouragement. I was also able to attend my first church service in El Rincon. Pastor Randy taught while Ivan translated. This reunion was definitely God-ordained!! I will keep you all posted concerning the development of my move to El Rincon de la Victoria, or staying here in Mallorca for another year. I know the right thing at the wrong time, becomes the wrong thing.

We also had another funeral this past month as one of our brothers Fred, passed on to be with the Lord. Every Sunday morning Fred was a pleasure to talk to. Fred heard my first teaching here at Santa Ponsa Community Church, and since then has encouraged me. He was a very kind man with sincere words. I am looking forward to my reunion with Fred in Heaven.

In closing, the highlight in the month of February was reuniting with some of my old church family. I came back to Mallorca with a fresh sense of what I am called to do as a missionary here in Spain. The support and backing of my home church and its leadership, does mean a lot to me. Thanks for your continued prayers and support Calvary Chapel of Upland! I also thank my other brothers and sisters in Christ for your love as well!!!

By His Grace,
Eric

Got Faith?

Sundar Singh said: "You cannot alter the will of God, but the man of prayer can discover God's will." We as Christians love quotes like these, but do we believe God's will is perfect, even when we don't understand it? I was challenged by this thought this past month in January...

German Yapeyu, a brother in our Spanish service was suffering from some health problems. After some treatment in the hospital, he came to church on Sunday January 4th. He was worshiping Jesus like never before with arms outstretched towards heaven. Raf had myself and the other leaders come up to lay hands on him for prayer. It was a very special moment as I felt him squeeze my shoulder in gratitude as I prayed for him. He then was admitted to the hospital later that week. The doctors discovered cancer throughout his entire body. He then passed away to be with our Lord on Sunday January 11th. We usually pray for a healing, and the person to get better. We don't expect just one week later for the person to not only get worse, but die. The truth is, God knew all along he was going to take our brother home one week later. He knew that he would ultimately be healed by receiving a brand new body built to last for eternity. German even told his family: "This is my last Sunday." God had really given him a peace that surpassed understanding.

Earlier in the month, I once again had the privilege of teaching on a Sunday morning for Pastor Rafael. I taught on Ecclesiastes 10:1-3, using Samson as an OT example of a man respected for wisdom and honor. It was a little folly here and there, that ultimately led to his downfall and demise. I exhorted the congregation and myself, that we can all become fools when we compromise.

I also went back to my tutor for Spanish Lessons. It had been 5 months since I had last met with her. Although I have studied Spanish on my own and practice with people here on the island, it was great to get back into formal language study. Please continue to pray for her salvation. Her name is Antonia. Our second lesson into it, unexpectedly we just talked about politics and religion in America and Spain. I loved it, especially because it was all in Spanish. Great practice:) She also gave me a lot of insight into the mind of an average Spaniard in regards to Christianity. She did this by speaking with me about the reign of General Franco and how he forced Roman Catholicism on the people. She remembers as a little girl in school, the cross next to Franco's picture on the wall. The teacher would then have them salute it. She described the experience to the Nazis in Germany saluting Hitler.

Ar the end of the month, Jimmy and I put together the church's first Men's Breakfast. Paul made some breakfast burritos, Marcus led worship, and Raf taught. The turnout was pretty good and we had a great time of fellowship with the men. Raf would like to do these breakfasts from now on every other month. Jimmy wants to also put together a Men's Retreat this year. I am truly thankful that God has blessed me with an awesome church family out here in Mallorca. I still miss my family in CA though:)

In closing, continue to pray to our Lord. May we continue to learn that answers like "No" or "Wait" are still signs of perfect love! My last image of German will always be him worshiping with passion Jesus Christ. In fact, he is doing that right now in Heaven! Peace out no doubt!

By His Grace,
Eric

End of 2008

End of Fall Semester 2008

Gail Sheehy said: "If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living." Change is what God wants for our lives. I am reminded of what Max Lucado said: "God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay the way you are." In fact, that is one of the many reasons why I came to Christ in the first place. I wanted Jesus to make me a new person from the inside out. Not only was December the mark of the end of the Fall Semester, but it also meant the end of 2008. I couldn't help but think perhaps the greatest work God has done out here on the mission field has been in me...

The month started out with a break in. It turns out two young men who used to attend the youth group were the ones who were guilty, and went straight for the money. This incident was tragic as the mastermind of the operation had broke into the church nearly one year earlier. Afterward, he went on to tell Raf that he was sorry and "felt God." Obviously, it was nothing more than words as he did it again. Raf then proceeded to go to the police station to work it all out. As a result, Raf asked me to teach the Bible Study for the Spanish service two hours later. One verse came to mind at that moment. Paul the apostle wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2a: "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season..." As always God came through and His Word touched hearts and lives.

I also had the opportunity to teach at the last Men's Discipleship class. I was given the topic of "Discerning the will of God in the face of opposition." Many of these guys after the semester were aspiring to do full-time ministry positions or simply going home to get more involved with their church. One of the things I shared with them, is the fact that we can't expect to know God's specific will for our lives unless we do His general will for our lives. This was a truth that impacted me when I was in Bible College. Pastor Brian Brodersen had just got back from a being a missionary in London, England when he shared this in my Men's Discipleship class. I am so thankful that Romans 12:2 tells us that the will of God is good, pleasing, acceptable, and perfect.

In the middle of the month, we had a Graduation Ceremony for Solomon Padilla, who had been with us for 3 of his 4 semesters in Bible College. It truly was a privilege to have some part in his life and make some good memories. I truly am excited to see what God does with Solomon's life after Bible College.

This was also my first Christmas away from home. Although I missed my family and friends, God truly blessed me this past holiday season with a great church family. It is amazing how God sustains and strengthens us when we feel pain inside our hearts. I was reminded that the hardest part of being a Missionary is leaving behind the ones you love the most in this world. This is why it has to be a call from God and the motivation love for God. If you think about it, who in their right mind would leave their home, country, continent, family, friends, comfort zone, familiar surroundings, etc. to go and serve people they never met beforehand! Well, let me tell you something, it has been so worth it! This coming year, I hope and pray God continues molding me and shaping me into the Missionary that He wants me to be....

By His Grace,
Eric

God Gives The Increase

To the Corinthian church Paul the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God gave the increase." It is so important that we take to heart these words in our Christian service. How fights, quarrels, and competition would be eliminated if we really took these verses literally. I was struck by this entire chapter when I reflected on the month of November...

Early in the month I had a few teaching opportunities. I was able to teach another Foundations Class for those in the fellowship who were new to the faith or simply just wanted to learn more of what it means to be a Christian. I was given the topic of teaching on why we can trust the Bible to be God's Word. I also taught one class for a course Pastor Raf teaches at the Bible College called "Lessons in Ministry." I titled my message "Keeping it real." I was able to discuss with the students that although ministry is a privilege and joy, it is also a lot of hard work that requires sacrifice. I really challenged the students to "count the cost" as well as check their own motivations to why they serve God and people.

Pastor Raf and Loretta both enjoyed the opportunity to go to the Bible College in Murrieta, CA to teach some classes. While gone, I was able to fill in for Raf and teach on a Sunday morning. I taught on "Waiting on the Lord." I went on to discuss that God wants to build our spiritual muscles by sometimes letting us feel the weight of life. As well as how we grow during the tough times of life and see that our "weight trainer" Jesus Christ knows exactly what we need. How we need to trust Him more than we think we do!

The last week of the month, we had a team from Calvary Chapel Montebello led by Pastor Abel Maldonado come here to Mallorca. We had been planning this short-term mission trip for months. Pastor Abel really wanted to focus on ministering in the city of Palma. The team did a variety of things and made the most of their week here with us. They really sought to reach all ages. They did everthing from dress up like clowns to minster to children at some hospitals, go to the local skateboard park and pass out free shoes and skateboards, to throwing a carnival for the kids. They also did a lot of street witnessing passing out some tracts that one of our team members designed. The Gutierrez brothers also came out for a few days and ministered through music for our English service at the church and our Spanish service in the evening. They did both worship and their own material in both languages. There are so many cool stories to share, but that would take a few more blogs:)

In closing, the trip was a success. Although the harvest of souls that was reaped was "small" in some eyes, it wasn't in God's. Not only did God choose to use Montebello to plow and till soil out here, but they also planted seeds and watered others. Besides all that, if God brought the Gutierrez brothers and team all the way out here for the salvation of just one soul, then Biblically and Spiritually speaking it was a success! God is still working in this field even now. Please pray for the new converts. Praise Jesus Christ that we can have a part in His work. May God continue to give the increase here in Mallorca, Spain...

By His Grace,
Eric

On the Same Team

King David wrote in Psalm 133:1: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethern to dwell together in unity!" How true this verse is even more so in ministry. One of many things I have learned from Pastor Raf is the importance of working together on the mission field. Raf has often said: "we are not in competition with one another, but complement one another." It is no wonder Satan attacks unity among missionaries in the same battle field. I am glad the month of October was filled with unity...

Pastor Raf and I were able to fly to El Rincon De La Victoria (outside of Malaga) for a couple of days to visit Ivan and Eunice. It had been almost one year since I had last seen them. As the church is developing with Ivan and Eunice, other matters of ministry have come to their attention. As a result, they asked Pastor Raf to come over and help with some legal/financial issues in regards to the new church plant. I was also able to catch up with them and see the family of Eunice. It had been almost five years since I had been to the mainland of Spain and seen her family. Raf hit it off real well with the family and Tio Pepe (Eunice's father). While there, Raf and I drove with Ivan and Eunice to the village where Raf's mother was born. While going up and down the streets trying to find the home she grew up in, we ran into old friends who knew her. All in all, Raf and I had a great two days with Ivan and Eunice. It was fruitful, productive, and a great time of reunion for me.

This past month, we also celebrated our one year anniversary at our Thursday night Home Fellowship in Palma. We all couldn't believe how fast time had flown by! I reflected on how prayers have been answered, praise reports have been shared, and on how I have become good friends with the people I teach on a weekly basis. I definitely was challenged by God to count my blessings in regards to this Home Bible Study. A lot of good memories this past year.

Over the past few months, I have also been busy working with Pastor Abel Maldonado and others from CC Montebello to prepare for their arrival to Palma. They will be doing a short-term mission trip here at the end of November. Pastor Raf had delegated to me the responsibility of taking care of the financial and administrative side of things in preparation. I have also had some help from other church members and students. It has been interesting being on this side of the mission trip.

At the end of this month, we took the students to the other side of the island for the Semester Retreat. Justin Clark is one of the students here that is from CC Upland. Justin was saved just one year ago. My family introduced him to me almost a year ago when I was on furlough, then I saw him again this past summer. Long story short, it truly has been a privilege to have him at the school and watch him grow. Justin and I have not only gotten to know each other better over the past couple of months, but we also get together once a week to study the Word and pray. Justin also attends the Thursday night Home Fellowship in Palma. While at the retreat, he felt very strongly that it was time to be baptized. So, Raf and I both shared in the joy of baptizing Justin in the Mediterranean Sea! It was a very special moment in time.

In closing, pray for continued unity among the missionaries of Spain...

By His Great Grace,
Eric