Dear FBBC:

I would like to take a couple of minutes expressing our thanks for all of the help that everyone has given to Sue and our boys since they came back in May. I know that several people have given us extra offerings, many from our prayer group sent Ben and I back with things from our wish list, and others have just done lots of little thoughtful things for us. I know that most of you are very busy, between the new building, your various ministries, and just life itself. So to take the time and effort to do something for someone else, especially outside of the normal schedule, is a sacrifice that we recognize and appreciate. It is something that the Lord has been trying to teach us in Spain, to take time for people no matter how busy our schedules tell us we are. Thanks you for doing that for us. May the Lord bless you for your sacrifices and service for Him.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. "

As I told you in our last letter, we were saddened by the loss of our friend and brother, Emilio Diaz. Many of you will remember that he was from Cariñena, one of the towns that we have spent several years ministering in. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go visit his mother, Gloria. She knew me from a previous visit to her home, she had wanted to meet the man whom her son was spending so much time with. In our last visit, I was able to give her the gospel very clearly, because she had already seen a change in her son, and wanted to know what was causing it. This time, she was obviously saddened by the loss of her son, and despite the assurance of the priest, beginning to "lose her faith." The Lord gave me tremendous liberty to talk about the assurance that we had because of the fact that Emilio had put his faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save him. We talked about the miraculous power of our God who could take a man who had been in bondage to drugs and alcohol his entire adult life, and transform him into a joyful, compassionate, and committed follower of Jesus Christ. I also encouraged her to begin reading the Psalms, whose writers also suffered various difficulties in their lives, complained to God about it, but in the end ALWAYS chose to glorify God despite their circumstances. Gloria told me that I was welcome to come and visit them any time, and that Emilio's sisters would also like to meet me, since they had also seen the change in their brother. Please pray for this family that it appears God has given us an open door to enter into.

In addition, our family that lives there, José Manual and Belen, are really starting to get excited about the things of God. José was able to witness to one of his cousins after Emilio's funeral. They also asked the town mayor for permission for our young people to come and sing in the town fiestas. Unfortunately, we weren't able to go because the youth group already had another commitment, but it is exciting to see this couple take the initiative in trying to reach their own town. When José heard that Belen's sister was going to start traveling to Cariñena to give a ladies Bible study, he turned to me. "The ladies get to do everything, " he said, 2so we should just start a Bible study of our own." When I told him that I would be thrilled to do that, he told me, "We could invite my cousin Fernando, my brother in law, and Ivan from La Almunia, and I am sure they will all come." Please pray for José Manuel and Belen, that God would continue to bless their efforts to serve God in their town.

Luke 19:41-2 "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes."

Recently, the Lord has allowed me to begin to see the people as I believe he would see them were he here. Ever since I got back from the US, we have had some Jehovah's Witnesses coming to my house to try to convert me! The thing that struck me most, and saddened me greatly, is a statement that I have heard from at least a dozen different witness in both Zaragoza and Tauste. When I try to tell them about the opportunity that God's gives us to be His children and to live in heaven in His presence, they tell me, "I do not want to live in heaven, I want to live on the earth." It simply confirmed to me what I keep insisting, that they do not have the Holy Spirit and therefore cannot understand spiritual truths. I KNOW that they have no idea God is; the Author of life, the God of love, the Source of peace and light and truth, the one from Whom all blessings flow, and Who is so much greater than words can describe. NO ONE who knows this would voluntarily choose to live on earth instead of in His presence. It saddens me greatly that they have been sold this lie that keeps them from knowing the Truth. But it is not just them. A man who we spoke to in the town of Ejea concluded our conversation with this statement, "Every night when I go to bed, I pray, and I ask God, when I die, what will become of me?" Those words have been burned on my heart, and I am certain that the Lord allowed me to hear them so that I would learn to have the same compassion on these dear lost people as He does. Please pray that God would continue working in hearts, of both the saved and the lost, so that we would preach with compassion and that they would have ears to hear and hearts to understand God's message of love to them.

Sincerely,
Tha Taglialatela family