October Prayer Letter for the Phillips’
Greetings from Vilassar de Mar!
Family
Our children started their new course at the public school a month ago. We have been enjoying the process of learning to write and read in Catalan. Sebastian (6) and Stephen (5) are always paying attention to letters on cans, cereal boxes, clothing, and now they are reading to us, slowly but surely. Naíme (3) also likes to pretend she’s reading, repeating what her brothers say. She is becoming pretty articulate in Catalan, and doesn’t seem to be very interested in holding a conversation in English. Steve and I speak English consistently to them at home, but we can tell how comfortable they feel when they switch to Catalan.
Our oldest son is our little evangelist. We have seen how bold he is in asking boys at the park if they know about God, and how God is good and powerful to take care of us, and about heaven too, and the mansions Jesus is preparing for those who believe in him. A couple of weeks ago, he got two vaccination shots, and he was brave enough not to cry. Immediately after that, he said to me in front of the nurse and the doctor, “Mom, it didn’t hurt much. Imagine how much it hurt Jesus on the cross!”
Church
Matt and Nuria have left for Salamanca where Matt is both studying Spanish as well as starting his doctoral work. We miss them a lot. I am now acting as sole pastor again. Not very fun J. All this makes me think that we need to ask the Lord to raise up some elders in the church.
We are going through some growing pains as a congregation. As many of you know, our church is quite a diverse mix of people. I would say that the diversity that has been most challenging is not doctrinal, although that is part of it. The challenge is more along the lines of practice. How to conduct the Lord’s supper, who should participate, what our worship services should be like, etc. I pray that the Lord would not allow Satan to hinder the progress of the Gospel here over issues which, while requiring attention, are really seconary or tertiary in the grand scheme of things.
That is not to say that all is bleak. We have our challenges, but we also see great things that the Lord is doing among us. Particularly, we have seen a number of “back-sliders” come back to the Lord in a powerful way. Two women, “Claudia” and “Fatima” had not been walking with the Lord for many years and the Lord has brought them back to himself and has brought them to our church. The transformation we are seeing in them is a testimony and a much needed reminder of God’s power to change lives.
Argentina
This afternoon I leave on a trip to Carlos Paz, Argentina to participate in a conference on the Reformation. I have been invited by an ARBCA missionary, Don Donell and his wife Amy. The name of the conference is “Palabra Fiel” or “Faithful Word”. Along with some other speakers I will be speaking on the Solas of the Reformation. I look forward to this opportunity and would appreciate your prayers both for me as well as for my family as I will be away from them for 12 days.
With Love in Christ & gratitude to you all,
Steve & Naíme
Greetings from Vilassar de Mar!
Family
Our children started their new course at the public school a month ago. We have been enjoying the process of learning to write and read in Catalan. Sebastian (6) and Stephen (5) are always paying attention to letters on cans, cereal boxes, clothing, and now they are reading to us, slowly but surely. Naíme (3) also likes to pretend she’s reading, repeating what her brothers say. She is becoming pretty articulate in Catalan, and doesn’t seem to be very interested in holding a conversation in English. Steve and I speak English consistently to them at home, but we can tell how comfortable they feel when they switch to Catalan.
Our oldest son is our little evangelist. We have seen how bold he is in asking boys at the park if they know about God, and how God is good and powerful to take care of us, and about heaven too, and the mansions Jesus is preparing for those who believe in him. A couple of weeks ago, he got two vaccination shots, and he was brave enough not to cry. Immediately after that, he said to me in front of the nurse and the doctor, “Mom, it didn’t hurt much. Imagine how much it hurt Jesus on the cross!”
Church
Matt and Nuria have left for Salamanca where Matt is both studying Spanish as well as starting his doctoral work. We miss them a lot. I am now acting as sole pastor again. Not very fun J. All this makes me think that we need to ask the Lord to raise up some elders in the church.
We are going through some growing pains as a congregation. As many of you know, our church is quite a diverse mix of people. I would say that the diversity that has been most challenging is not doctrinal, although that is part of it. The challenge is more along the lines of practice. How to conduct the Lord’s supper, who should participate, what our worship services should be like, etc. I pray that the Lord would not allow Satan to hinder the progress of the Gospel here over issues which, while requiring attention, are really seconary or tertiary in the grand scheme of things.
That is not to say that all is bleak. We have our challenges, but we also see great things that the Lord is doing among us. Particularly, we have seen a number of “back-sliders” come back to the Lord in a powerful way. Two women, “Claudia” and “Fatima” had not been walking with the Lord for many years and the Lord has brought them back to himself and has brought them to our church. The transformation we are seeing in them is a testimony and a much needed reminder of God’s power to change lives.
Argentina
This afternoon I leave on a trip to Carlos Paz, Argentina to participate in a conference on the Reformation. I have been invited by an ARBCA missionary, Don Donell and his wife Amy. The name of the conference is “Palabra Fiel” or “Faithful Word”. Along with some other speakers I will be speaking on the Solas of the Reformation. I look forward to this opportunity and would appreciate your prayers both for me as well as for my family as I will be away from them for 12 days.
With Love in Christ & gratitude to you all,
Steve & Naíme
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