Ordination Day

God called Jeremiah and said in Jeremiah 1:5:"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." It is an amazing thing to consider that God knew each one of us before we were born. On top of that He does have a plan for our existence here on earth. God has used this verse and this chapter many times in my walk with Him. I sensed His call to be a Pastor back in October 1999 at the age of 17. For a majority of the time since then I had struggled whether I really heard from God or not...

The month of June started out with 2 days of major spring cleaning of the church building. Everything was done from painting, repairing, varnishing, and organizing. Moments like these truly remind me that to serve Jesus in any capacity is a privilege and honor. The team did such a great job and the building looks great.

I was also able to teach on another Sunday morning for Raf as well as teach at the Spanish service that night. As always it was truly a blessing to impart the truths of God to the people of Santa Ponsa Community Church.

My parents arrived here on June 11th with the intention of staying here for one week. As I mentioned a couple of newsletters ago, they came because they wanted to be a part of the Ordination Service. I hadn't seen them for one year in person. It was a great reunion. They had never been to Spain or Europe. It was such a joy to show them around the island and the world I had been living in for nearly 2 years. I couldn't believe they were actually here meeting the people, staff, and Pastor Raf along with his wife Loretta. God is so good.

We also had a conference called the "The Reality of Christianity." It started Tuesday June 16th and ended Thursday June 18th. The theme verse was Galatians 6:9: "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." The speakers had 2 objectives. They were to do a Bible study on this verse. Secondly, since they had all been involved with ministry for 20 or more years, Jimmy and I asked them to get practical in the 2nd session. The question went something like this: "What would the older version of yourself tell the younger version of yourself?" In other words, what are some things you wish you knew as a young Christian/Pastor. It took a lot work to host our very first conference and praise God it went well! Once again, the team here pulled together.

Then June 17th came. Ordination Day and the 2nd day of the conference. Jimmy and I picked out a few worship songs to be played. Pastor Raf gave an incredible message on Ordination. He first spoke on what it wasn't, and then what it was. He concluded by giving Jimmy and I a charge on the responsibility of being a Pastor. Next, he spoke about how he saw the call on my life and then Jimmy's life. We went up after individually to have the Pastors lay hands on us to pray. The 5 Pastors were: Rafael Manzanares(CC Mallorca), Ivan Martos(CC El Rincon), Joe Holden(CCBC Murrieta), Dave Shirley(CCBC Director), and Louie Monteith(CC Norco/Go!Ministries). I couldn't have asked God for a better Ordination service or day! So, 9 years and 8 months later it became official. It came to fruition. God's timing is truly perfect. Later that night Phil Twente(missions pastor) of CC Costa mesa arrived. He brought Jimmy and I up to pray for us. He anointed us with oil on the right thumb, ear, and toe. This was done when the priests were anointed for ministry to Israel in Leviticus 8:23-24.

In closing, a lot of things have been said to me after the Ordination. Good things, really nothing negative. Things like: "So, your a Pastor now." I thought about this statement and think, "yes and no." The truth is I have been doing the work of a pastor, teaching the Bible, and preaching the gospel for almost 10 years. For 8 years I was involved with the youth ministry of CC Upland and in God's eyes I was a pastor to those teens. The things I did before June 17, are the same things I am currently doing after June 17th. Now, man recognizes the calling as well as I am legally a Pastor for other practical aspects of pastoral ministry.

Out of all the Bible characters, David comes to mind. Anointed and ordained by Samuel the prophet to be King of Israel in 1 Samuel 16. Some say David was in his teens or early twenties. It is not until 10 years later Judah acknowledges it in 2 Samuel 2. Then the men of Judah anointed him. Finally in 2 Samuel 5 the rest of Israel acknowledges it and anoints him again at the age of 30. Anointed 3 times. The first time was Ordination and the other 2 times was a Coronation. According to the Lord, I believe the first time counted. David was just being trained as well as learning what it meant to shepherd God's people. As Pastor Louie said to me: "This service is more for us." Either way, it is a new season/chapter in my life as it was in David's life. I am truly humbled and excited. God help me to always remember I am what I am because He ordained it so before I was in my mother's womb...

By His Grace,
Eric

Spring Semester 09

Unfinished Business

The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church in Colssians 4:17: "And say to Archippus, 'Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.'" Paul traveled around a lot preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, he never moved on until his job was done in the area he was ministering in. He really did listen to the voice of the Lord. The Lord used this verse in my life six years ago when I wanted to move at that time to be a full-time Missionary to Spain. The Lord told me "Not yet, it isn't time." Looking back, I can see God's hand on my life over the years. I would have missed out on some great times in the youth ministry of CC Upland. God used this verse again in my life in the month of May...

Graduation took place mid-May, and so ended yet another semester. I had just finished my 4th semester/2nd year at the Bible College here in Spain. This August will be 2 years I have been here in Mallorca. As I had mentioned in previous newsletters, I had been praying and thinking about moving on to mainland Spain. A long time ago, Raf and I agreed to have my final decision mid-May. To give him a 3 month notice was ideal in order to overturn the ministries I was involved in, and to prepare myself for the move. So graduation was taking place, Raf needed an answer, my visa was about to run out, my fleeces of faith were out, and Johnny needed an answer so he can prepare to move himself!

God truly was faithful and answered my prayers. I cried out in desperation and prayed: "Lord give me wisdom, I don't know what to do." Immediately the Lord spoke to me the verse mentioned previously. A verse I hadn't read in a while, a verse that was so powerful to me six years ago. Yes, I have unfinished business here in Mallorca. I believe my work is not done yet with Johnny or Mike. These two men are new believers and still need discipleship. The Lord also just opened wide the prison in Palma. We also found out that we can go in daily if we wanted to. There was so many obstacles at first, I honestly thought we weren't going to get in after all. God answered in a timely manner. So, looks like I will be committed here another year. Next year will be my 3 year mark and I will be able to apply for residency here in Spain.

On a practical note, God gave me favor and I was able to renew my visa for another year quite smoothly. Lord willing, after the five year mark I want to apply for dual citizenship.

At the end of the month, I was able to fly to El Rincon de la Victoria for 3 days to be with Ivan and Eunice. Steve and Catalina Flores were there as well for a one week vacation. It was there first time to Spain. It was great catching up with them both. We had a lot of laughs, fun, and fellowship. I was also able to share with all of them the news of me staying in Mallorca longer. I am now looking to prayerfully move there next year. As of right now, I am going to move in that direction unless the Lord intervenes and interrupts again.:) However, I told Raf he had me for another year and I would give him my best. Ivan and Eunice have been good to me and very supportive. They would still like to have me join them, but ultimately really want God's will for my life. Either way, I look forward to the years ahead as I serve as a Missionary here in Spain.

Until next time, be blessed by the love found in Jesus Christ!

By His Grace,
Eric

New Doors of Opportunity

Proverbs 16:9 states: "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Most people have dreams, aspirations, hopes, and desires for their future. I would say when Christ gets a hold of that person's life, even more so. The questions you may find yourself asking is: "What if?" or "I wonder?" Many more questions like this flood our hearts everyday. We even make statements like: "Some day I would like to.." or "This would be a dream come true if this happened..." However, the great conflict comes when you ask yourself: "Do you want to do God's will or your will?" This struggle was very real for me during the month of April...

After a year and a half, we finally finished studying the book of Revelation at our Home Bible Study in Palma on the first week of April. The following week in light of Easter, we watched The Passion of the Christ. It was a very special time as we reflected on the power of the gospel in our lives to this day. Back in February I was already praying and thinking about what to do after Revelation. God answered very loud in many ways. So, in April we began a DVD series with Pastor Bob Coy (CC Fort Lauderdale). The series is titled "Building a Godly Marriage." Everybody in the group has really appreciated it and we have a lot of discussion after each study. There has been a lot of great feedback.

Earlier in the month, Raf asked a question that caught me off guard. First of all, Jimmy and I have been planning a conference for June when 4 pastors will be coming out to visit. Raf shared with me that they would be ordaining Jimmy into the ministry as a Pastor. Now, I have saw myself out here as a Missionary wearing different hats. The Pastor hat wasn't one of them. The question Raf asked me was if I would like to be ordained as well. I said NO due to many personal reasons. However, I wasn't being totally honest because I knew God was really calling me to this...

Mid-April we took the students to the other side of the island for the Semester Retreat. Our guest speaker was Pastor Rob from CC South London. Some of you might know him from the old rap group known as MOD. Five or six years ago I booked them for the youth group at CCU. He came with his wife and 2 kids. The theme was "God's Plan & Purpose for our lives." The whole week we studied through the book of Jeremiah. A book that God has used so often in my own life. It was the very last day of the Retreat that God nailed me. So on Sunday April 19th, I said yes to God and Raf concerning the ordination. After only 2 weeks God got his way. Please pray for me. The ordination service will be on June 17th. My parents will also be flying out to be a part of this special time in my life. God is good!

On Tuesday April 28th, Raf received a call from Johnny about some very exciting news. After almost exactly 8 months, Raf and I were finally accepted into the Prison in Palma! This is not only the prison for Mallorca, but all 4 islands here in the Mediterranean. It is one of the most corrupt prisons here in Spain with terroists from ETA there. I'm so excited for this new opportunity to share the gospel.

At the end of April, I had the privilege of teaching at our Men's Breakfast. The title of my message was, "What is a Real Man?" We looked at God's opinion of true manhood found in Jeremiah 9:23-24. Once again, God came through and we all were blessed we came.

Well, what can I say? To this day I still try to give God advice concerning my future:) In His loving care, He is more stubborn than we are. Some of the most miserable times in my life has been doing my will. On the contrary, some of the most joyous times have been doing His will!

By His Grace,
Eric

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