2023 August Newsletter

“WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU, DO IT.” (JOHN 2:5)

These words were spoken by Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. The occasion was a wedding in Cana to which Jesus and His disciples were invited. This is a familiar and wonderful story of the first of Jesus’ miracles and it has much significance for those of us who are His disciples. John, the author of the Gospel of John, calls this miracle a “sign” (2:11). A sign is a miracle that has a prophetic or allegorical meaning – it points to something else. In this instance, the sign points to the transition from the Law to then new work of the Spirit through Christ. Notice that the water changed into wine is poured into stone waterpots used for ceremonial purification, a custom of cleansing under the Law. It is drawn out of the stone waterpots as new wine – the newest new wine possible! This was a miracle of conversion, of transformation. This is what Jesus offers to all who come to Him in faith.

There are many points we can draw from this passage. I would like to highlight one that is relevant to the work we are called to do in facilitating the launching of movements of disciples who make disciples. When Jesus turned the water into wine, He did nothing outwardly except to tell the servants to fill the stone waterpots to the brim with water and then to draw the water turned into wine out and bring it to the headwaiter. He didn’t speak to the water or the stone waterpots. He didn’t wave His hand or do some demonstration over the water. He simply commanded the servants, and the miracle was done. So it is for us. Often, the focus of our faith is on what we want God to do for us and we wait for His provision before we obey His command. The servants didn’t wait for Jesus to do some magic act over the water. They obeyed Him without seeing an outward sign and in their obedience the miracle occurred. Jesus has commanded us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). This command is as clear as the command to fill the waterpots with water. The conversion of the nations will happen only as we obediently do what Jesus has told us to do. We can begin wherever we are with whatever we have. I want to encourage you, especially as we see the end of all things approaching, to obey the Lord and make disciples who will make disciples. As Mary told the servants, so the Holy Spirit is saying to us, “Whatever He says to you, do it!”

In Jesus’ name!

Prayer

• Please continue to pray for our disciples around the world, especially those living and working in dangerous areas of persecution.

• Pray for students who are applying to attend our training events, asking the Lord to send those whom He has chosen and prepared to attend.

• Pray also for favor as they apply for US visas.

• Pray for the financial success and growth of The Keystone Project and our hotel, The Rushmore Express Inn & Family suites. Please know that the hotel generates only 30% of the total revenue we need to do the work of the ministry, so we need your financial support.

• Pray for our new fundraising effort calling upon our supporters to sponsor an international student to attend our training programs. The cost to train one student is $1200 per year ($100 per month). Your gift will enable us to continue to provide our training at no cost to the students. You can find the details about this on our website (www.keystoneproject.org). Any amount given towards the training will help us continue the work of the Lord.

• Pray for our staff, who work so hard and have sacrificed so much to serve the Lord through the mission God has given to us.

• Please pray also for the following ministry events:

o August 22-September 6 – Trip to India,

o October 2-27 – International Leaders’ Training.

o November 1-15 –Trip to Peru and Ecuador

We have received over 2,500 applications for the October training. This will be a very full training event, so if you wish to attend you must complete the registration process quickly (application completed and approved, secured visa, and purchased air tickets). We are able to accommodate only 80 students and have over half that number confirmed already, so do not delay.

As always, we deeply appreciate your prayers and support for these events, thanking the Lord for all of you and praying for His blessings in all that you do for His glory!

For God’s Glory,

Richard Greene,
President of The Keystone Project

Ending the Season Well In Keystone

ACTS 13:47

For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have appointed You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

Praise the Lord!

We have been very busy working at the hotel and sharing the Gospel here in Keystone. As some of you may be aware we are just now finishing up the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally which is the largest motorcycle rally in the world. This week brings a different type of crowd to our little tourist town than we normally see the rest of the year. Despite the change in visitors crowding through Keystone, it is important that we continue to minister to everyone during this time. 

Our season for business at the hotel will soon be winding down and many of the international J1 college students will start to go home. Our staff are spending the last few days with the international workers that they have witnessed to and walked alongside as these students prepare to go back to their home countries. This is always a bittersweet time for our staff. We are sad to see our new friends and disciples leave, but excited to see how the Lord nurtures and produces fruit from the seeds that were planted this summer.

Please join us in praying that we would be able to finish the season here at the hotel strong and that we would continue to see favor in sharing the Gospel with these International students as they go back to their families.

Thank you! 

James Greene,
Internship Coordinator

New Leaders Are Emerging

Dear friends of The Keystone Project,

I greet you from Houston, Texas bringing you great news in the latest edition of our Global Ministries newsletter! As we embark on the second semester of 2023, we are thrilled to share with you a few things that have recently occurred within our beloved organization.

After ten weeks of hard work, dedication, and the commitment of our students from Latin America, we are blessed to let you know we just graduated more than 50 Spanish-speaking students from our second online cohort. As part of the fruit of this training, this weekend a team of Peruvian leaders led by Charo Chirinos is heading to an indigenous people group with very few believers in Peru. We firmly believe in the power of training and its ability to transform and mobilize lives. The online training has allowed us to extend our reach beyond physical boundaries, equipping and empowering key leaders to grow in their passion for fulfilling the Great Commission. This is the second time our Peru team will engage this unreached people group. A few months ago, the Lord opened the door to a few villages. Recently, our team was compelled by the Holy Spirit to return to these villages in order to train them to embrace the vision of making disciples who make disciples and challenge them to go beyond the villages that have been reached with the gospel. Please pray for the team as they will be crossing rivers by boat in areas with little communication and limited infrastructure. We are believing God for a fruitful trip and a great harvest! There is also a movement in Colombia among the indigenous groups in Cauca led by Victoria Figueroa. Charo and Victoria are KP alumni being used by God in tremendous ways. They are connecting with key leaders and sharing the vision of making disciples who make disciples in the nations while leading others on the mission.

Recent graduates of our online academy 2023.

Additionally, this week we opened a new online cohort with leaders from different areas of India. After introducing The Keystone Project and talking about our vision and the training essentials, one of the students replied with the following statement: “Thank you, Pastor David, for the session today. There is a very genuine stir and excitement in me to be a part of this whole movement. I am yearning and praying I will find the specifics of my true calling through this program! May God bless you and your family. Thank you again.” Brethren, we are seeing a hunger in God’s people to do His will. Many of them don’t know how to follow Jesus to the mission, and we believe God is opening doors for us to step into those Kairos moments to deliver a vision of His glory in the nations. We have a desire to continue to open more international online cohorts and to follow up with regional trainings. Please pray for leadership on the ground, may God continue to connect us with the right leaders that will be leading the way in helping the church to fulfill the Great Commission.

As we reflect upon these milestones, we are exceedingly grateful for the unwavering support and prayers from every one of you. Through your partnership, we continue to make an eternal difference in the lives of countless individuals, spreading the vision of God’s glory and hope of Jesus Christ in the nations. May the Lord bless you abundantly as you continue to partner with us on this mission and may His hand guide and strengthen us in all we do.

For his glory,

David Saldivar,
Global Operations