Before He went back up to heaven, Jesus commanded the disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every nation.” This means spreading the gospel to people in our immediate area of influence and around the world.
In Mexico, Pastor Alejandro Ponce has a church in the city of Cuernavaca. In Ecuador, Pastor Omar Sandoval has a church in the city of Guayaquil. In Guatemala, Pastor Carlos Chavez has a church in Guatemala City. In Argentina, Pastor Roy Najera has a church and in Peru, so does Pastor Jaime Arispe. All of these pastors are blessed to be supported throughout the year by Pastor Milton, as he is faithful to his calling by donating financially, providing moral support, and praying with them over the phone. Traveling to Mexico and Guatemala at least twice a year and when possible once a year to Ecuador allows Pastor Milton to be a part of gospel outreach events that are put on by these local churches. As he preaches messages during these events, many people make the decision to make Jesus their Savior. These trips also allow him the opportunity to provide the pastors with Bible study materials as well as church supplies and other goods.
God brought Pastor Milton into our lives when one day, Pastor Luis Bonilla and his daughter Nohely invited our church to hear him preach. He was staying with Pastor Luis while visiting for a week from his home in Fontana, CA. The Holy Spirit prompted Pastors Josh and Chelsea to chat with him after the message, and they discovered that his passion for not just making converts but making disciples of Jesus was a common conviction they shared. Over the next few weeks, the relationship grew and the Lord began to put it on our pastors’ hearts to support this man as he obeyed the Holy Spirit and continuously stepped out in faith, believing that God would provide if he obeyed.
Shortly afterwards, it was unanimously approved by the Pastor’s Council and we officially adopted him as our missionary the week after we were set forth as a church body.
And the Lord’s provision has never failed, but comes right at the perfect moment. Milton continues to be a missionary, even while working a fulltime job in California and supporting his wife, Gloria, and their beautiful children. Milton works hard to provide for his family, and save enough money to help the pastors he supports who have so little compared to us Americans. His heart is to invest in building God’s kingdom and enabling pastors to train up leaders, but more than anything, to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
When you give to the missions fund of New Beginnings Family, you will be investing in building God’s kingdom, too. Not only by helping to support Pastor Milton, but also another ministry that we support financially - a church called Iglesia de Cristo in Parramos, Guatemala. Pastor Francisco Javier Berduo, is a friend of Pastor Luis Bonilla and has become connected to our church family through him. New Beginnings Family was honored to be able to help contribute toward about 30 new pairs of shoes to go to children in need and living in the area where Iglesia de Cristo meets.
What other ways can we support our missionary and other ministries around the world? The same way that Milton supports the overseas pastors; praying for him, sending words of encouragement, donating goods or Christian materials he can bring to the people he visits in other countries, checking in to make sure he and his family are doing well, and educating ourselves on the different obstacles that he might come up against as a missionary. As you seek God’s will and guidance on what He would have you do to contribute to making disciples around the world, we would encourage you to pray about joining New Beginnings Family in supporting Pastor Milton Lopez and the Iglesia de Cristo in Guatemala and what that support should look like.