Dear Praying Friends,

As we look back over the first few months of this year, we are thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness and for your continued prayers and support.

We ended December with several special events at church. One highlight was our Missions Conference, where we emphasized our own “Jerusalem” and encouraged our people to become more involved in the ministries of the local church. We concluded with a special Bring Your Neighbor to Church Sunday, and we were thankful that our neighbor, Nilda, was able to attend after several years of witnessing to her. We ask you to continue praying for her salvation. Her husband, Ben, passed away recently, and we are seeking to minister to her during this difficult time. Please pray that the Lord would use this opportunity to draw her to Himself.

We also enjoyed a wonderful church banquet at the close of the year. It was a sweet time of fellowship, music, food, and laughter as our church family shared Christmas dinner together and exchanged gifts. It was a joyful reminder of the greatest Gift we have received in Christ.

January began under unusual circumstances due to unrest in Caracas. For safety reasons, and following the counsel of our mission board and supporting churches, we remained at home during the first part of the month. We are thankful that the danger seems to have lessened, and although Venezuela still faces many challenges, we have seen some encouraging improvements. Since we were unable to hold services during those first two weeks, we used that time to complete a much-needed floor project in our church auditorium. We were grateful to see the church family work together on this improvement.

February was a month of getting back into routine. School activities resumed later than usual, and much of the month was spent returning to regular ministry. We were especially busy with counseling couples and meeting with church leadership to pray and plan for the year ahead.

In March, our family had the privilege of traveling to Open Door Baptist Church in the mountains, our first church plant, where I preached for the church’s 18th anniversary. It was a special joy to see many familiar faces and to witness how the Lord has continued to bless that ministry through the years. One of the highlights of the day was seeing the different generations represented in the church, a reminder of the lasting fruit of faithful ministry.

Also in March, just before my mother became ill, we were able to hold a women’s camp. Several ladies from our church attended for the first time, and this past Sunday we had the blessing of hearing some of their testimonies. We are grateful for how the Lord worked in their hearts and for the spiritual encouragement this was to our church family.

We would also ask special prayer for my mother, who recently experienced serious health problems related to her blood sugar and blood pressure. She was hospitalized and is now back home, doing better, but there are still concerns, especially with weakness on her left side and difficulty walking. Please pray for her full recovery, and for wisdom for our family as we seek to care for my parents while continuing the ministry the Lord has given us.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers, love, and support. We are grateful for your partnership in the Gospel and for the privilege of serving the Lord here in Venezuela.

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Nilda’s salvation

• Pray for continued safety and stability in Venezuela

• Pray for wisdom in our counseling and church leadership

• Pray for the spiritual growth of the next generation

• Pray for the ladies who attended the women’s camp, that the Lord would continue His work in their lives

• Pray for my mother’s health and recovery

• Pray for our upcoming 4th anniversary service at Anchor Baptist Church in Barquisimeto this coming Sunday, the 12th, that it would be a very evangelistic day as we invite neighbors and friends to celebrate with us

Loving God, Loving Others.

Nathan Arce

Church Planting in Venezuela.