November 2019 Newsletter
Greetings! October was productive. I had the monthly Bible School with the Indians which went very well. I preached 31 times this month and I sent one team of Indians out to preach the Word to the mountain tribes. (I would have sent more groups out -I usually send out 3 or 4 groups after the Bible School- but October is the rainiest month, and there are only a few far away mountain tribes where you don’t have to cross the rivers to get to the tribe.) I preached live every day Monday-Friday on my radio station (90.5 FM in Machiques, Venezuela.) I preached at my church in Machiques Venezuela, every Sunday morning, Wednesday night and Friday night. I also inaugurated a new satellite church in Machiques. Because of the lack of gasoline, it’s difficult to get around, so we decided to open up a church on the other side of town. We started with 40 members and it is growing. They watch the live video every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday night. So now I have 2 churches where I am preaching at. At each of these churches I pay a pastor and his wife to shepherd the church- they visit the people, have marriage seminars and also preach at the church. They will put my live videos at the new satellite church every time I preach at the main church which is Sunday morning, Wednesday night, and Friday night. We have Sunday night service but I have the leaders do that service. If you want to see the videos you can go on YouTube and look up doug dennis.
On November 5 th I will be going back to Colombia to preach. I am going to preach at San Pablo and I may also minister at Cartagena. I will also preach in some little towns. I am looking forward to going and preaching there.
I n September, I told the Indian leaders from the far away tribes not to come to the Bible School because October is always the rainiest month and it becomes dangerous for anyone who is from the far away tribes to come down to town. Many of the Indians from the faraway tribes have to cross the same river more than 70 times therefore it tends to be dangerous during the rainy season. This October was different- it rained so hard that it caused flooding like never before. Even the old Indians who have always lived near the river testified that there was never flooding like this before. The river killed 9 Indians so far but many have disappeared and they are looking for them. There is a testimony from an Indian who survived the flooding by the grace of God. His name is Jose Ramon. At the time of the flooding he was not a Christian. Jose Ramon and an Indian pastor named Pellaranda live in a new Indian tribe called Rocom. They are neighbors. The day of the flood they were both working together in a field near the river planting crops. That night Pellaranda was awaken because his dog was barking. Because his dog wouldn’t stop barking, he went out thinking someone was stealing something. When he was outside, he noticed the sound of the river. It sounded strange. It wasn’t raining where they were at, but there was so much rain and flooding on upstream near the head of the river that he could hear it. He went back to bed, but then he was awakened by the rocks crashing into his house. Pellaranda yelled over to Jose’s house (they are neighbors) “We have to get out of here. The river is overflowing.” Pellaranda tried to leave the house, but there was nowhere to go. There was water all around him. The water kept swelling until, still in his house, he was up to his neck with water. Then he was swept away by the river. Along the way he managed to grab a tree branch. With the light of the light ning he was able to see to climb up the tree. While on the tree branch he prayed and interceded for the people of his tribe. He said that he prayed and sang praises to God until daybreak.
At daybreak he shouted to see if anyone could hear him. He heard his neighbor, Jose, shout about 100 yards downstream. Jose also was swept away that night but managed to climb on the roof of a house nearby. Most all of the houses were destroyed but this house was made of blocks and was able to withstand. Jose said, “I wasn’t a Christian before that night. But that night when I was swept away, I saw how God intervened. My son was swept away with me and we managed to get on top of this roof (pointing at the block house.) While we were on the roof there was lightning and I saw 3 people ahead of me. Three days later I had a dream where I heard a voice that said, ‘I saved you and others with the purpose that you testify that I am the almighty God. That night when you saw the three people by the light of the lightening, those were 3 angels that I had protecting you.’ In my dream I cried and now testify today that I converted and am now a Christian.”
My ministry is going to provide some supplies to help build some of the homes that were lost in the flood. Also, we are going to build a church there since the tribe never had a church building.
Well God bless and thank you for your prayers and support.
In His Service,
Doug, Veronica, James & Ana