Important Ministry Update ~ May/ June

 We have exciting news and 

important ministry updates to share with you.

It finally happened - Isaiah and Andrew have graduated from high school!  We came home from the field of Spain exactly three years ago for this purpose, and our hearts are so thankful to the Lord His grace made it happen.   Along with the great academic, sports, and music experiences, God has taught us all great spiritual lessons during this time.  

Pray for us now as we begin yet another change in our family’s life, and especially that Andrew and Isaiah will seek Christ and His desires throughout their college career.  

July Update

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Momentous Moments

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Also, if you feel led to help with our shipping costs, 

you may donate online on our YouCaring sidebar 

or at our mission's donation page HERE. ( you just have to register)

March/April Contreras Prayer Letter

It is Resurrection Sunday as I sit down to write this prayer letter.  We had beautiful worship services exalting the Lord Jesus Christ this morning in both the Spanish and English services of our home church Starkey Rd Baptist.  And in a few moments we will be leaving for the evening service in which 13 people will follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.  Praise our risen Savior who faithfully continues to save souls and change lives for eternity. 

Spanish Ministry

Each Sunday morning we continue to lead worship in the Spanish church service.  Joseph’s guitar student, Daniel, and our son, Andrew, are accompanying the congregational singing as well.  We are thankful to be mentoring young leaders who can serve in the Lord’s work in this way in the future. 

Joseph will be preaching twice in April for the morning Spanish church service.  Please pray the Holy Spirit will guide him in the preparation and preaching, as well as work in the hearts of those who will be present to be drawn to closer fellowship with God.  And pray for the pastoral staff of the Spanish church, Miguel Quintana, missionary church planter; Juan Cornell, who grew up on the mission field; and Joseph, also a missionary church planter.  Pray that God would give us wisdom to follow Christ, the Head of the church.

In the Community

Joseph has been witnessing to an older man, Lee.  He is of a Catholic background, but goes around attending a variety of services, including Jehovah’s Witness, and Seventh Day Adventists.  He asks Joseph many questions and Joseph has had the opportunity to explain to him clearly the basic, unchangeable principles of the Gospel and the Christian faith according to the Bible.  Pray this man will come to a saving knowledge and faith in Christ.

The other young person mentioned in previous letters, to whom Joseph teaches guitar, has been open to discuss some social topics.  He has expressed desire to visit our church and the different youth activities throughout the week.  Pray for his and his family’s salvation.

Shipping Needs

We thank the Lord for providing funds for our shipping needs to get our personal belongings sent to us from Spain.  We have received $700 thus far and will need at least $1500, possibly as much as $2000, by some quotes, for complete door to door shipping.  We have greatly reduced the amount needed to be shipped and it fits on one pallet.  Again, we thank missionary James Grant living in Asturias, Spain, for getting our things ready for shipment.  Thank you so much to all of you who have given, and please pray with us that God will provide the rest needed.  It would be great if all of it could be shipped by this Spring.

Thank you ~

The Contreras Family -
Joseph, Danielle, Isaiah, Andrew, and Michael

Is there anything more?

To go to the ends of the Earth...this was the call we answered 15 years ago when we went to Spain in February of 2000, . We knew that Spain would be our home for the rest of our lives. After all, it has been called the "the graveyard for missionaries". The adventure and the fields white for the harvest were before us! We were finally fulfilling the great commission. There wasn't anything more on the list.

We still have a great burden for Spain, but this past year God closed the door for us to return to our home of 14 years. It has become clear through many different circumstances and time, that there is definitely something more ahead for us. We thought that we would settle in, get jobs and serve in our local church, but that isn't the only something "more" God had in store.

God has continued to show us glimpses of that "more" for our lives. Gradually, through the healing of reverse culture shock and all the transition, we have become more burdened for our home country! We have seen how secularism and materialism is just as prevalent here in our so called Christian nation as it was in Spain. Oh how it saddened us to find areas in our home states without gospel preaching churches!

It is our desire to continue planting churches and working with the Spanish speaking communities. Using our vision of Be Strong Evangelism Ministries, we will continue to help reach people for Christ through teaching English, sports, music and Bible studies.

As we begin the application process with Baptist Church Planters mission board, whose main goal is planting churches across America, we continue to serve in our home church, Starkey Road Baptist Church playing music, teaching, and preaching wherever needed in the Spanish ministry as well as in the youth group and young adults group. There is more ministry ahead!

There is "more" for you as well! Maybe God is calling you to pack up your house and move to the ends of the Earth, or  maybe, you too can help start and grow churches across America. Maybe He is calling you to stay and give your "more" to help those who are in need.

We need your "MORE". We still have all of our things in storage, as well as other ministry expenses there in Spain. Our needs keep growing here in the USA, with our boy's braces, schooling and everyday living.  We are finding it impossible to send funds over to Spain.  In order for us to move on, we must ship all of our belongings home and close all of our accounts. We pray to use a door to door shipping company.

Would you pray about giving toward bringing our family's belongings home?

This is a link to give online HERE (tax deductable through our clearinghouse)

or by Paypal (directly)

Remember, whether to the ends of the Earth, or here at home, there is always "MORE" to missions!

Furlough, Ordination, and Travel Needs

                                                                          

“For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord” (1 Thess. 1:8).  

This is certainly true in regards to your missions giving for our work in Gijón, Spain.  Thank you for faithfully praying for us and giving so that the Gospel could sound out to many people who need the Lord in this city.  The 26^th of this month we will arrive in the States to begin giving a personal report of the work, raising lacking support, and recruiting more missionaries.  We will be on the East coast this year and be out West after the New Year.

Preparations for furlough are going well.  Our plane tickets were purchased a couple of months ago, housing for our arrival in NY city is settled, and our need for a van has been supplied.  Our video is finished (after 4 tries), but we still need to print prayer cards / brochures, and prepare a simple display.  If you would like to give a special gift for this material, and also for initial furlough travel (in the month of June alone we will be in upstate NY, MN, and FL), please send it to CMC designated “Contreras furlough”.

Last month, we sent a special request for help to get caught up with Andrew´s orthodontist bill.  A number of you responded and the Lord provided through you $620 which we were able to pay this week.  Thank you so much!  If you would like to continue giving toward this need (he has one more year which will continue in the USA) please do so sending a designated gift to CMC.

We are finishing packing, putting things in storage, we finished our last English classes, and the Gijón Mariners Jr tackle football team, for whom Joseph was the strength coach, finished their season.  When we first moved to Asturias, we were told that Asturianos are friends for life.  We are motivated to come back after furlough to our friends, these young people and their families, to continue sounding out the Word of the Lord to them.  The believers who remain with us in Iglesia Bautista Libertad (Liberty Baptist Church) are older, grounded believers from Christian homes, and will be strong as they meet in homes for Bible study and prayer.  Please keep them in your prayers.

On the 18^th of May Joseph celebrates 15 years since being ordained to the ministry by Sun Valley Baptist Church of El Paso, TX.  The charge preached by Pastor Carl Chitwood of Westside Baptist Temple of El Paso, TX is as clear to Joseph now as it was when it was first preached:  to always keep the family above the ministry.  This is always a guide as we make decisions for our lives and ministry and God is good and blesses.  As a married couple we continue deeply in love with each other as we serve the Lord together, and we are so thankful for our three boys who are the greatest fruit of our ministry, who love the Lord and have a heart for what God has called us to do here as a family.

Pray for travel safety.  Thank you for having a burden for souls in Gijón, Spain.  Keep sounding out the Word to them and pray more churches will have a burden to see this city be reached with the Gospel.

In Christ,

The Contreras family

– Joseph, Danielle, Isaiah, Andrew, and Michael

Please note our temporary USA address: 

5362 SE Celestial Circle

Stuart, FL 34997

Special Finacial Needs

We have received so many encouraging notes in response to our last April 2014 update. With this upcoming furlough, we are excited to see how God will work and provide both for our family and for the work in Gijón, Spain.

There is a need that we need to mention. In March of 2013, we wrote in our prayer letter that our second son, Andrew, needed to begin urgent orthodontal work to not lose his two front teeth.

January Update

2014.  The New Year has started off slow but very restful.  Since Danielle was scheduled to have a minor leg surgery during the holidays, we did not schedule many activities or outings.  The operation was flawless and her recuperation has actually been faster than expected, though still too slow for Danielle!  We are thankful for your prayers for her during that time.   click HERE to print a pdf copy of our January update.

@ Daily Peace

God is dealing with us in a special situation right now. It is a place in our lives we have never been. We are needing to trust Him more than ever before. We need to trust, even though we don´t see the future clearly.

Not truly trusting and resting in God each and everyday can take away our peace. One of the fruit of the Spirit that we should all seek is peace.

A Big Day, a Big Step

Much work and preparation went into our Friend Day.

We made 7 pies. 

My Workout Buddies

These are the girls I workout with in our multipurpose/ gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am praying for them to be saved. They don´t normally want to listen to anything spiritual, so I joke with them a lot and then share bits and pieces of Biblical truths throughout our talks.

Mike´s word.

We wanted to share some thoughts our youngest son Michael has for his friends in the neighborhood:  

“I saw how good it was to have this relationship [with Christ], I knew that everyone should have a chance to know Jesus as a Savior and also like a best friend. I have invited all my friends and witnessed to some but now they push the gospel away and ignore it. They say they want to live their life how they want now and repent later but that isn't how God wants us to be. I ask for prayer for the teenagers of Gijon that God will open their ears to the gospel and that they might get saved.” 

Pray for Michael.  His dream is to serve our country (USA) in the Air Force and learn to be a pilot.

Mission opportunities

Midway through fall, Gijon, which was full of vacationers from all over Europe during the Summer, is now full of students attending Gijón ́s polytechnic school of engineering. The university campus is located in what is called, “The Knowledge Mile,” which is also home to the Science and Technological Park, two technology centers, and more than 50 technological-based enterprises and innovation centers of global scope. It is considered the “Asturian Simi Valley.”

We are pleased that by word of mouth more college and career aged people are coming to our Centro Be Strong to improve their English skills for school and work. At present we have about 30 students. Being an evangelistic center, we pray that as people browse through our Gospel literature and as we share our faith, that God would open hearts and bring young people to salvation.

 As Be Strong evangelistic ministries grows, there is a need for short or long term English teaching missionaries. If the Lord burdens your heart to serve in this type of ministry, please contact us for more information. 

Two Week Intensive English Classes

Lori Miranda arrived here in Gijón, Wednesday, from Danielle´s home church Webster Bible in New York. Even though, her bags were lost in Madrid, she got here safe and ready to work. 

Youth Group!!!!!!

Our movie night watching "Facing the Giants" turned into a wonderful youth night! 

Please pray for these guys. Many of them are coming to church on Sundays and Wednesday, and those who have not started yet, are training with Joseph on the Raptors Football team all the other days of the week. 

Be Strong In the Febuary Cold

BE STRONG evangelism.  As Danielle gives English classes, she shares hope in Christ to many unsaved unmarried couples, and single college and career age Spanish people.  Pray especially for Noé and Nuria, Aingeru and Naiara, Chema and Ainara, Alba, Julia, and the Friday English workshop group.

Friday  English workshop- We get to share our faith in many different topics. 

On March 23, we will show the movie “Facing the Giants.”  We showed it in 2007 to the Mariners tackle football team.  This time we hope to have our new Raptors football team and their parents and friends present.  We also trust young people who have been involved with fitness and weightlifting classes will come.

New Invitations and Visitors

Iglesia Bautista LIBERTAD.  A number of church folks have moved or have changed churches.  Adina and her friend César (who I had been discipling) have moved to Oviedo as well for employment purposes, but we pray that they will continue coming and growing. 

Andrew´s Update.

We are so thankful for the quick response to our prayer request for our dental needs.  We received a lot of advice and financial help - $2500 up to this point.  Along with our dental plan, we have the total costs nearly provided for!

Andrew begins the process of straightening his teeth and trying to save the eye tooth that is embedded in his gum, killing his front two teeth. 

The orthodontist says that everything has a solution, but Andrew´s case is only 3 out of over 8,000 patients that he has seen like this. 

It will be a long road ahead of him, but thankfully he is taking it in stride as he does everything. He is our trooper. 

January 2013

The Contreras Family in Gijón, SPAIN - 

Thank you to all of you for continually praying for us and supporting the work God has called us to do in Gijón, SPAIN.  This February 3^rd we will be celebrating 13 years as full-time missionaries in Northern Spain.  God never ceases to amaze us, giving us yet another year to battle for souls in this country so hurt by man´s religion and philosophies.  Keep praying for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives (1 Thess. 1:5)!

A slow start to 2013.  We started the New Year with a drop in church attendance with one family moving to Madrid in late December, Carlos starting a job in Galicia on January 2^nd with his wife eventually moving there too, Alejandro finding a church to attend closer to where he lives, and many others battling the flu.  The church (Iglesia Bautista Libertad de Gijón) is printing new postcard invitations for distribution.  Pray we can reach new people and families. 

Be Strong weight training participants, Raptors football players, and English students are down in number as well.  However, we did start a new English student, an ex-Mariner and fellow football coach!  He is one of the best linebackers in Spain, played with Joseph on the Gijón Mariners football team from 2005-2008.  He has shown much interest in our conversations about the Gospel, Baptist history and Bible principles, the End Times, and the cults.  Pray he will come to know Christ as Savior.

Danielle has some new unsaved young ladies in her fitness class.  She is witnessing to Caro, who, like many people we meet, doesn´t believe in God, but in “energy.”  Pray for her and her family´s salvation.

Our greatest goal for 2013.  One of our main goals and prayer requests for this year is to get full-time co-workers to share the work with us here in Gijón.  We are so pleased with how the work has been the last two years, but we really need help.  For the majority of our years as missionaries in Spain, we´ve worked with co-workers.  Pray especially that God would call a family for church planting, and also who has a heart for evangelism through sports, since God has led our work to develop in this way. 

Family prayer requests.  God has blessed us with three young men, Isaiah, Andrew, and Michael, who love serving the Lord.  We continue homeschooling them, and they are friends with all the kids in the neighborhood.  Girls like them too.  Pray for us as we raise teenage boys.  The challenges have changed, but we just keep teaching them to be pure, godly friends, and to point their friends to Christ.  We pray to instill biblical principles in their hearts during these years as one day they will marry and start a home.  Our family prayer request is that we can have a couple of furloughs during their high school years in which we can be in the States, even as soon as 2014.

May God continue to bless and prosper you as you serve Him.  Thank you for your commitment to Christ´s Great Commission in Gijón, SPAIN!

The Contreras Family

Joseph, Danielle, Isaiah, Andrew, and Michael

Jdc4asturias@gmail.com 

Support address:  Central Missionary Clearinghouse

                                  PO Box 219228, Houston, TX 77218

Field address:  Calle Feijoó 52, 4-C,

                            33204 Gijón,

                            SPAIN

Sending church:  Sun Valley Baptist Church

                                9901 McCombs, El Paso, TX 79924

First Be Strong Event Update

Hello from Gijón, SPAIN, 

We appreciate all your prayers and encouragement as last Sunday evening, September 30^th, we gave the first of six BE STRONG spiritual-related presentations which will be given over the next six months.  We will then repeat them creating a continuous cycle, making adjustments as needed.  I´ll explain the program.

As mentioned in our email last week, we have had about 200 people, mostly college and career age, involved with BE STRONG throughout the past year.  Some came for only a week, some have been with us for more than a year.  The majority came to weight train for tackle football, and English classes.  As we work one on one with these young people, we have been able to discuss the Gospel and numerous Bible issues with many of them.

We prepared this first evangelistic session for them and the theme was:  “Spiritual Life - People don´t need religion, nor psychotherapy.”  As spiritually dead beings, we need to be given life through Christ (Ephesians 2:1-9).  Many were positive and said they would come, so we literally prepared for at least 50 visitors.