Celebrating 12 years!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Christmas Recap

Our Christmas Program at a Nursing Home

Our Christmas Ladies meeting. We made Christmas cards.

We then had our Christmas Program on Sunday night (the 21st) for our church. We joined our few resources and our children with the only other Independent Baptist church in Asturias. It was a blessing to be able to serve the Lord this way.

To our dear family, church family and friends,
December 2008 - January 2009
Thank you so much for your prayer and financial support. It has been an exciting past two months as we and the folks here in Centro Bíblico Bautista, Gijón have seen spiritual battles, but have also seen God giving victory. There is an excitement about growing in the Lord and serving Him. The Great Commission teaches us to reach the lost for Christ, and assembled as a local church, teach them to serve Christ by keeping His commandments (Matthew 28:18-20). While we strive in evangelism, we are praying that we can build this core of believers into committed members of a local church and that they will continue evangelizing Gijón.

We have consistently had an average of 15 meeting together for Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday evening services. That is a praise since in the past we would be half that number and those who would come for Sunday morning services would be different from those who would come in the evening, and up to this point we never really had a consistent attendance on Wednesday evenings. Folks are becoming faithful!

Joe Norris, of Bible Baptist Church, Matthews, NC, who is working temporarily here in Gijón, has been praying with me and Chris, the Englishman, for three more faithful men for this work. God has brought Amos, a mature born again believer with a strong testimony who left his Brethren church years ago because it brought in neo-evangelicalism. He is faithful, involved, and in unity with us in doctrine and practice. Xavier, a former member of the Baptist church where Jose Manuel resigned as pastor because of its liberal hierarchy, has been in our services as well. Pray he will grow in faithfulness. And Joseph´s football coach, Jesús Cosie returned for a visit in our services. Pray for his salvation. Also, nearly every week we have had new couples visit our preaching services. Pray with us that God will bring more men and their families to serve as we plant this church.

Danielle has been working closely with Agustina in encouraging the ladies. Thank you for praying for María Elena. She has really gone through struggles, but we praise the Lord for her tenderness a couple of weeks ago as she has made decisions to grow personally. Diana has made an apparent profession of faith and has been in services. Pray that God will continue to give her understanding of the Gospel. Susanna has resisted the discouragement of physical problems and her unsaved family, and Christ´s strength has been evident in her as she faithfully serves with joy.

Continue to pray for Jose Manuel and Agustina. Having experience in the ministry in Asturias, they have become a big part of the church planting work here in Gijón. Their convictions on Baptist distinctives and separation are strengthening and we trust God will use them in a great way here in the long run. Above all, pray that the faithfulness and warm spirit among all the folks in this work will remain and grow so that God would be glorified in Christ Jesus through a local New Testament Baptist church in Gijón (Ephesians 3:21).

Yours for Christ´s Great Commission,

The Contreras family -
Your Baptist church planting missionaries to Gijón, Spain
Joseph, Danielle, Isaiah, Andrew, and Michael

Christmas Every Day

15 Days till Christmas!

I think more than anything I am looking forward to some good quality time with my family. (my Hubby and three boys as we are far from our extended family) It would be wonderful if we could all be together though.
Jesus is the reason for this season, but every day can be Christmas for those who have put their trust in Him.

A Christmas Nostalgic Touch

As a child my family would buy egg nog every Christmas so it´s become a tradition with my boys, too. But here in Spain we can´t buy it already made. I usually try to make it for Christmas Eve, but this year I want to make it for our decorating day. This evening we are going to decorate!!
Here is a new recipe for Egg Nog.

Classic Cooked Egg Nog
(1 1/2 quarts or 12 (1/2-cup) servings)
•6 eggs
•1/4 cup sugar
•1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
•1 quart milk* divided
•1 teaspoon vanilla
•Garnishes or Stir-Ins, optional

In large saucepan, beat together eggs, sugar and salt, if desired. Stir in 2 cups of the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and reaches at least 160°F. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 2 cups milk and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight. Just before serving, pour into bowl or pitcher. Garnish or add stir-ins, if desired. Serve immediately.
*For faster preparation heat milk until very warm before stirring milk into eggs and sugar.
MICROWAVE: In 2-quart liquid measure or bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and salt, if desired, until thoroughly blended. Set aside. In l -quart liquid measure or bowl, cook 2 cups of the milk on full power until bubbles form at edges, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir into egg mixture. Cook on 50% power until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and reaches at least 160°F, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 cups milk and vanilla. Continue as above.

GARNISHES AND STIR-INS
Choose 1 or several:
•Chocolate curls •Cinnamon sticks
•Orange slices
•Extracts or flavorings
•Peppermint sticks or candy canes

How about your family? Do you have some special nostalgic recipes? I would love to add some new ones to our traditions.

After the Turkey, and Sunday News

How was your after turkey day? Ours was busy and of course we missed all our family greatly, but we had a good day celebrating all we are thankful for.

We give thanks!

(me especially because my Thanksgiving meal turned out yummy! )Our company came all the way from Mexico to join us. Every year my pies get a little better. Thanks Mom for all your help from the distance.

Then Saturday, we had a wonderful get together over Churros and Chocolate! The two on the left came for the first time. And then came Sunday evening for church! Makes it worth it all!The men folk went down several streets inviting people. It was so rainy and cold!
The Lord brought 18 altogether to share in the fellowship Saturday night. We are so amazed to see the Lord fill the seats in our small locale each Sunday. This Sunday morning attendance was low but then Sunday evening we had a total of 16.

I want to give a special thank you to the Lord for bringing back a dear one to the fold. We have been praying for her and I believe a great victory has been won! Also, we are so blessed to have with us a couple who are to us as "Pricilla and Aquila" was to Paul.