If Helmets Could Talk....

First three years of Be Strong Evangelism Ministries through football and weightlifting.

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.

God Fights Our Battles

I´ll just say not continuing our ministry and the thought of leaving Spain is never our first choice. This was the first time it seemed like it was getting to where we would be left with no choice and that God was really closing doors here. We just wanted to be willing to do or go wherever the Lord would lead. Involvement with a ministry in Mexico was even suggested to us by Athletes In Action. We are happy to know that for the moment we are not going anywhere nor changing anything, thanks to what the Lord has already been doing.

God is fighting our battles, answering prayers, and showing us He wants us to continue what we´re doing and for that we are relieved and encouraged. Listed are some recent answers to prayer and positive news.

Summer Strengths

Joseph giving the Gospel at the conclusion of our “Be Strong” event.

Evangelism - On June 23rd, we had a “Be Strong” evangelistic event in which Kathie, a doctor and member of our church shared God´s handiwork evidenced in recent investigations in nature and DNA.  We had 4 unsaved people visit for the very first time.  We pray they will be saved.

Missions - Iglesia Bautista Libertad (Liberty Baptist Church) of Gijón has been giving to 4 missionary works:  the Norbey family in Valladolid, Spain, the Moyano family in Uruguay, the Orphanage in Ivory Coast, and the Andrzejewski family in Portugal.  But pray that attendance in our services will be more consistent.

Football - Danielle has gotten in to the flag football action. 

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. 

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

August 2012 Update

August 2012 news from 

THE CONTRERAS FAMILY

BAPTIST CHURCH PLANTING MISSIONARIES IN GIJON, SPAIN

Hello once again from Gijón, Spain.  As missionaries, we enjoy so many undeserved blessings and provisions of all kinds.  “Thy right hand upholdeth me” says Psalm 63:8, and God continuously proves this true through our supporting churches and their pastors.  Among the many pastors God put in our lives is Pastor Dan Holland.  Pastor Holland went home to be with the Lord on August 14^th.  While pastoring Community Baptist Church of Stuart, FL, home church to Danielle´s family and supporting church for over a decade, Bro. Holland was a mentor during very important moments in our lives:  when I asked Danielle to be my wife, when we finished missionary deputation, packed, and left for the field of Spain, and every time we have been back on furlough and returned to Spain.  At the start of this Summer, he encouraged us with this note: 

        “The challenge for you is to "not get weary in well doing for you will reap if you faint not".  You redirected your ministry last year and it is almost like starting over again.  I believe in you and I know God has directed you to move in a new direction and there will be fruit.”