Update from the Dominican Republic

The Lord is doing a great work.

Here’s what happened yesterday evening and last night:

Lewis, Bobby, and I were walking down a dirt road in Cassandra (just down the hill from the house). A short muscular Haitian man walked toward us. After greeting him, we began to share the gospel with him. His name was Minaya. He asked if we could pray for him. I said to him, “Is there something that is bothering you?” He told us he was concerned about his brother. He invited us to come back to his house. Once we were inside, he told us that his brother’s motorcycle had been stolen. His brother (Aridio) had the man who stole it arrested. When the man got out of jail, he came to find him. His brother, in self-defense shot the man. His brother ran in fear and since then he doesn’t know where his brother is. Minaya was very concerned about his brother. We shared with him, prayed for him, and he, with tears in his eyes, surrendered his life to JESUS. There was a true transformation.

Several people got saved yesterday afternoon; but seeing this man’s love for his brother and his recognition of his need to be saved was particularly touching. We’re praising God that we could be a part of it.

Last evening we went to the square (a downtown park area). Some amazing things happened.

One of the groups (Jared, Steph, and Lewis) went over and began speaking with two men, both of them seem interested to speak about the Lord. As the group shared with them about 10 minutes into the conversation a very skinny woman wandered over and sat down next to the bench. The group shared the gospel with the men and then asked if they wanted to receive Jesus. The first man declined saying he knew the Lord already but he agreed that Jesus is the way…The right way. The second man agreed that he wanted to ask Jesus into his life. As soon as he was finished, the woman who had come into the conversation jumped up from where she was sitting and ran over to sit next to him exclaiming that she too wanted to receive the Lord. The group prayed with the two and they asked Jesus into their lives. After the prayer was finished the woman began to sob and cry. She was really broken. She went on to say that at one point in her life her sister had stolen her husband. In a rage she shot her sister the consequences of this led this woman to many years of doing drugs, she had also lost her children due to this situation, she no longer had contact with any of her family, was living on the streets and had no home. After speaking with her some more, the group decided to buy her some food. She said that she had not felt so happy in many years. It was obvious that the Lord had done a work in her life giving her peace and joy. Her name is Marta, please pray for her that the Lord would direct her life and provide a place for her to stay.

These are just two stories from an awesome night. Thank you for praying. Please continue to pray for us as we venture out to proclaim the gospel today.

Update from Barahona Outreach

This morning we hosted a time of worship & Bible study. We planned to begin at 9:30 AM. People started showing up around 8:45 AM. By 9:30 the yard was packed with children and adults. After Lewis welcomed everyone, Vicente and Angie led worship. The majority of people who came together were not regular church goers. After worship, we dismissed the children to go with Vicente, Angie and members of our team for a time of Sunday School. When the children left, more adults came and filled every chair (over 50 adults from the community). At the end of the Bible study two people prayed to receive the Lord. We asked how many people would like to get together the same way every Sunday Morning. Most of the people raised their hands. At the end of the study we surprised the group by inviting them to stay for hotdogs and soda. It was a great time of fellowship – and more people showed up. Please pray that those who attended would grow in their relationship with JESUS and that the Lord would add to the church those who are being saved.

Gracias,

Doug McClean

Pastor

Calvary Chapel of Delta

www.ccdeltapa.org

Our Greatest Need

The Holy Spirit changes lives. He convicts. He points to Christ. He cleanses. He reconciles. He restores. He refreshes. He empowers, emboldens, and enriches our lives. He is our Helper, our Counselor, and our Comforter.

Jesus said in Luke 11:13:

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”"

The Lord Jesus promised that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. So in Acts 1 and 2, we see the disciples praying just before the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost. In Acts 4, the disciples were once again praying and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. In both situations the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples in response to prayer. Boldness, unity, selfless giving, love, great power and miracles followed.

As I look at my life, the church, and our community, I’m convinced what we need is to experience a greater work of the Holy Spirit. He’s the One who can make us more like Christ, fill us with joy, empower us, give us wisdom, and endue us with love. He can heal relationships, bring back prodigals, and draw sinners to salvation.

It’s time for us, as a church, to come together and pray, to seek the Lord, to ask for the Holy Spirit to do a work in us and through us. Beginning this Sunday, 6/12/11, we’ll be meeting in the auditorium at 6:17pm to worship, to pray, and to seek the Lord together. Will you join us? Let’s follow the example of the early church and come together to pray.

We don’t have childcare at this time, so I suggest that husbands and wives alternate coming on Sunday nights OR perhaps a few families can arrange childcare.

Our hope for change is not a new program or activity. Our hope is the Lord, the Holy Spirit, working today in His fullness and power.

Hoping you’ll join us,

Pastor Doug

Lessons from Israel

I just returned from my fifth trip to Israel, the land in which so much of the events of the Bible took place. Each time that I've made the journey I've learned something and have grown in my faith. It's a joy to be with people who are experiencing Israel for the first time. Their questions and curiousity is encouraging and leads to further understanding.

I was thinking this time while standing at the Western Wall about the Orthodox Jews practice of praying at the wall. They believe that it's the closest they can get to the former location of the Holy of Holies and therefore the closest they can get to God. I can't imagine what it would be like to arrive totally uninformed and see a group of men standing and bobbing up and down (sort of like a mild "head-banging" action) talking to a wall. It's odd, quite frankly.

We began our day in Jerusalem by walking onto the Temple Mount. We walked all over the 35 acre platform and most likely even very closely to the Holy of Holies. While the Orthodox were outside at the wall, we were walking on the Mount, much closer than those outside by the wall. It reminded me of the bondage and restriction of legalism and tradition. Their traditions, their legalism, kept the Orthodox on the outside, unable to draw near, unable to see, unable to be on the Mount. But, we who are in Christ, know the truth and have been set free. We can draw near. We can go where tradition and the law cannot take a man. We can bodly approach the throne of Grace. We're not looking at a wall, we can see.

Please pray for ISRAEL, for the blinders to be lifted, and specifically for the Orthodox who are zealous for the Lord to come to the knowledge of the Truth -- for only the TRUTH will set them free!

Day 6 of DR Trip, January 12, 2011

This morning we enjoyed devotions and were joined by a few of our Dominican friends.

This morning three teams went out to share the gospel. Several people received Jesus into their hearts to be Lord and Savior. We were encouraged in the evening as several people who received the Lord joined our New Believers' discipleship classes. We ran out of books again. We had a bunch of new people up. We've had about 60 people participate in these classes on the basic foundational truths of Scripture. The Lord is really doing a great work. It's awesome when people turn their lives over to the Lord and immediately begin reaching out to their friends.

Tonight was a bit crazy. We went downtown to get ice cream. While witnessesing to a group of street kids / shoeshine boys, a teenager (about 17) who stopped by to listen for a few minutes kicked one of the little boys (about 7 years old) in the back -- for no reason at all. After attending to the child and calling the police, Lewis and I went to find the young man. When we caught up with him we insisted that he apologize to the little boy. We brought him back to the boy and told the police we had things under control. He apologized. The little boy forgave him. I shared the gospel with the "Kicker" (David) and he received the Lord. There are more details. It's too late to say more. Thanks for praying...

Day 5 of Ministry in Barahona, Dominican Republic, January 11,2011

We began this morning with worship & time in the word together. We had three teams witnessing in the community. The Lord used our group to lead 8 people to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior.

It began with an attempt to deliver a package sent by a sponsor to a child’s family. The mother and child were not home. A woman named Cecelia who lives next door told us that we just missed the family. We took that opportunity to share Jesus with her. After she received the Lord, as we were leaving we met a group of five young men who heard the gospel and received the Lord. With each person it took some time to explain the gospel and share the word and as we patiently explained the simple truth the Holy Spirit did a great work.

We explained how we have the opportunity to share the good news with others and exhorted the last group to tell their friends. Two of the young men took us to one of their friends so that we could share the gospel with him. After hearing the word David got saved too!

Frankie (Francis) one of the two young men who led us to David then took us to the house of a young man named Noelle. Noelle recognized me. I had led him to the Lord two years ago. He hadn’t been walking with the Lord and knew he needed to repent and return to Jesus. Again we exhorted him to tell his friends right away about the decision he made.

Tonight we began a new believers Bible Study. 36 people came and participated in one of our three discipleship groups. The study will continue tomorrow. It was encouraging to see Cecelia, Frankie, and Noelle come tonight! Noelle brought two unsaved friends. Frankie is joining us for devotions in the morning and has more people that he wants us to share the gospel with!

We’re praising God for His awesome work and enjoying seeing answered prayers!

Day 4, Barahona, DR, January 10th, 2010

Today we left for Batey 6 early for a special conference/retreat. It was a 4 hour meeting with prayer, worship, Pastor Bill and I teacing, Q & A. It was an edifying, encouraging time.

We stopped for lunch on the way home. When we arrived back on the mountain a few groups went out on the mountain to come to the weekly Bible Study.

At 5 pm the seats were full. We worshipped & then dismissed the children. Some seats emptied more adults arrived. It was awesome. We did a study in Luke 7 about the sinful woman who came to Jesus' feet. These pictures are from the study and the children's ministry.

God is doing great things!

Tomorrow -- witnessing in the morning and discipleship classes in the evening. Please pray!