Greetings to you my friends, supporters, and spiritual family!
My prayer for you in this coming year is that God's perfect plan for your life be fulfilled and that in every season of the year, you have the confidence that the Lord is directing your steps.
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23
In this last month of the year, I had many celebrations. At the Oasis Center we recorded 12 devotionals in anticipation of Christmas Day entitled “Christmas Presence, 12 unique Christmas gifts for you”, provided by CBN Europe. We really enjoyed doing these devotionals.
For our Christmas outreach, we handed out shower fizzers that we made ourselves. It was a pleasure to give these gifts to the people in the district, but even more fun was the time we spent making them. In total, we made 600 shower fizzers and gave away 150 bags during our outreach on Dec. 22. Later that day, we had a Christmas party with some of the people who came to the Center. We had a good time playing games, singing a Christmas song, and reflecting on the devotional about the pastors who were the first people to personally announce the birth of our Savior.
As a team, we were also able to meet on Dec. 4 with the founders of the Breaking Chains Network, Jerry and April Foster, who came to Belgium to sign the papers for the purchase of the building. Praise God! The fundraising they have been doing in Alaska and the United States has been very good, and now we are able to own the building where the Oasis Center is located.
Church Activities
At Christian Community, I had the joy of sharing a message this month titled “Jesus, our Priest”, which points out the importance of recognizing Jesus as Messiah, the Anointed One, who fulfilled the role of Prophet, Priest, and King.
At our monthly CoffeeConnect meeting, we built gingerbread houses. It was a fun time for everyone. We also had a visitor who came in thinking it was a coffee shop and wanted to buy a coffee. He stayed during the whole activity, and at the end, he heard the gospel of Jesus. Hallelujah! That is exactly the purpose for which CoffeeConnect was created.
At the Brussels campus, The Bridge, we were able to find a larger building that would hold 140 people in its main hall. They plan to start the modification works to meet in this location by February. It has been a great opportunity and we see the confirmation of the Lord in each step of the paperwork and renovation process.
Regarding Die Brücke, our campus in Eupen, we held the last meeting of the year in the community center. The local pastor has decided to have one meeting a month there and the rest at his house. This change has provided the opportunity to contact more people and families than when the meetings were held at the center. Also, as one of our missionaries who was supporting the work in this city, Jennifer Moore, returned to the United States to begin the itineration process with the goal of returning and continuing to support our work in Belgium, this occasion also served as the farewell meeting for her.
The Bishop of Belgium has invited the whole church to start the year by reading the Gospel of Matthew during the month of January. To motivate the members, he has asked the pastoral team to make a seven to 15-minute video each weekday with a small reflection of the coinciding chapter of the day. It is incredible how technology helps us to build the body of Christ from our own homes. I have also been asked to record a video to give a word of edification for The Bridge Church once a month. These activities, coupled with my direct participation in Christian Community, involves me more and more in the pastoral work for the body of Christ in this country.
On a Personal Note
As for personal news, I'm still working on the process to get my Belgian driver's license. I know, it is taking a long time, but if all goes well, I hope to finally have it by February. Please continue to pray for me on this matter.
I have also been enrolled in the second level of the language school. The program has five levels, but levels four and five are for advanced students who want to continue their studies at the university level. If you just want to have a good level of communication in Dutch, level three is enough. My plan is to complete levels one, two, and three. This time, I won't be following an intensive six-week course like the last time, but I will finish level two in four months. Your prayers are greatly appreciated as this will be my third language and I hope to have the ability to communicate in Dutch as well.
Another important personal issue is that when I had a routine checkup with my gynecologist, they found a 2-inch ovarian tumor. Thank God, after doing all the necessary studies to see if it was malignant or not, it was found to be benign; however, I still need to make an appointment to perform the surgery to remove it. I also ask for your prayers so that everything goes well, and that I don't have any complications.
This is my second Christmas on the mission field without my husband, and I still miss him very much. But, thank God! This year I had the privilege of spending this time with my children and my grandson. It was the most pleasant time I have had in my life in the last 18 months, and I was able to have my family together again. God has been so good to me and my family all this time, and until this day He has kept us and protected us. My son, his wife, and their son now live in Brussels, and from time to time I have the opportunity to see them. But my daughter and her husband live in the United States, and it is more difficult for me to see them. I am very grateful to God for the time He allowed me to spend with my family.
Once again, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your financial support, and your constant support in prayer for the work God allows me to do in Belgium for the expansion of His kingdom. May the Lord reward each penny you invest in this ministry a hundredfold, knowing that the work Jesus ask us to do preaching the gospel to all nations can only be accomplished by working together as a team.
"But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”- Romans 10:14-15
Lulu Salazar
Missionary to Belgium
