(Do you speak Spanish?)

“Vida Piedras Noticias,”

according to one translation of English to Spanish, means “Living Stones News.”

I have two other translations as well! Yikes! Living Stones News has been requested to publish a version of the newspaper in Spanish for distribution to Spanish-speaking communities.

My response, which was somewhat hesitant, was, “Well, we’ll walk through every door God opens for us until we either publish a Spanish version of Living Stones News or a door before us does not open.” I think I was feeling very brave when I said that, but I began to pray and enlisted the editorial board members in Duluth and Sioux Falls to pray, too.

Several months have passed since David Sohl, pastor of the Denison Baptist Church in Denison, Iowa, called me to inquire about publishing a newspaper for the large Hispanic communities in Denison and in Omaha, Neb., where he lives.

    David has expressed appreciation for the evangelical content of Living Stones News ever since he picked up a copy while in Sioux Falls, S.D., a few years ago. His church has looked for an evangelical tool to give to people who speak Spanish, but had not found what they are looking for until Living Stones News. So, when David said the church was ready to pursue this, I started breathing faster and praying hard for God to open doors.

Coming through the first open door, unsolicited, was Roberto Ornan Roche, a young Christian evangelical man from Cuba who found the Living Stones News Web site and sent me something he had written for possible inclusion in the newspaper. Holy Goose Bumps! When I replied, I asked Roberto if he would be interested in writing a column for Vida Piedras Noticias. He said, “Yes.”  You can read his first column on Page 15, “The Perfect Story.”

Several people walked through the next two open doors. In December my husband, our daughter and I went to Lansing, Mich., to spend time with our son and his family for Christmas. At a house party the first night in Lansing, I met a woman formerly of Guatemala. She is a Christian and was very excited about helping with the newspaper. We are awaiting her confirmation.

At another party later in the week, I also met Elena Hempsted, a Romanian who speaks Spanish, and she has since agreed to help in any way she can. Two people in Lansing, Mich., are on board.

Carlos Guerra of Panama walked through the fourth open door. My sister, Anita Nelson, in Atlanta, had gone to the same church as Carlos when he was in Atlanta. She contacted him. He contacted me.

His expertise is in translation. And, he has a degree in theology from Atlanta Christian College. Isn’t God good?

The Hartman family — Bill, Amparo and Camy — from Sioux Falls walked through door No. 5 and have agreed to help with much enthusiasm.

And, coming through door six is Waldo Alverez, a friend of Roberto’s from Miami, who will work with us as a translator.

Did you know God was in the door-opening business?

We have the quote from the printer. We have the Dension Baptist Church and Pastor David Sohl committing to funding the first printing. It is time to roll up our sleeves and start putting this paper together.

I must admit a few moments of weakness and asking myself, “What are you doing?” I had three quarters of Spanish in college in the early ’80s, but being that I was over 40 years old then, I didn’t become proficient in Spanish.

However, with a measure of faulty optimism, I just hauled my ?Como se dice…? textbook and the Spanish-English dictionary up to my LSN office in the attic. Just one first problem I see — the first question mark in the name of the textbook above is supposed to be upside down. I don’t know how to do that. I suppose we’ll figure that out!

In May 2003, I learned a precious quote from Lori Salierno, an inspirational speaker who also founded Celebrate Life International.

In a radio program, she said something like this, “We live, move, breathe and exist within this God Space where the need is greater than the resources and where the opportunity is greater than our abilities. People with vision live within the God Space — in the current of the Holy Spirit.”

That day in 2003, her program ignited Living Stones News. Now it is David Sohl and the Denison Baptist Church who have the vision for taking the message of hope and salvation to their Spanish-speaking neighbors and friends. They have ignited the project for Living Stones News in Spanish.

Only in the God Space can someone who doesn’t speak Spanish hope to publish a newspaper to the Hispanic communities. Like Jesus Christ said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Paul continues, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. … (Verse 10) Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, … with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

And, because Sohl, Denison Baptist Church and LSN are about kingdom business, I am not ashamed to ask you, dear reader, “How can you help?” Before I suggest how you can help, let me tell you that this Spanish version of Living Stones News will be a 12-page, nondenominational Christian newspaper and will probably be available in April. It cannot be supported by advertising, so communities will need to purchase the newspaper as a mission evangelical tool. LSN is not in the newspaper business to make a profit. We will charge printing and handling costs — about 20 cents per paper, plus the shipping costs.

So, if you know of a Hispanic community, would you inquire of your church or perhaps a couple of churches to see if they would sponsor an appropriate quantity of this Spanish version of Living Stones News for the Hispanic people? Please let me know by e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or calling (218) 728-4945.

I feel a draft. I think another door just opened. God bless you.