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Dave Cave Street Witnessing

Following a long, well fought battle with cancer, the Mexico Missionary Fellowship says goodbye to co-worker, friend, and leader by example, Dave Cave. Dave will be remembered for his no nonsense but passionate approach to life and ministry and for his willing heart to always to lend a helping hand. He personified the “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” view and many lives will bear his mark.

Dave, along with his wife Nancy got their start in missions and their interest in Mexico particularly through the influence of missionary educator Floyd Woodworth. Ignited by a passion to reach the lost, they raised the money needed for their first trip to Mexico in 1976 by literally gleaning piles of cotton bolls discarded by farmers and picking the bolls by hand before dawn until after dusk. Through this work way they paid for a travel trailer and later, language school.

During these first two trips, their desire to serve was evident, a disposition that they maintained throughout their ministry together. They “roughed it” to reach and teach the people. They bathed in the river where the local Mexican people bathed, and did their laundry there as well. They ate what the locals ate and rarely saw meat on their first two trips. Later, the Cave’s spent years living in travel trailers. What is for many a sacrifice, they considered living in “luxury.”

Still, even with their connection with the field, they never lost sight of their need to partner with US churches in the work. In fact, it was this need that moved them to formalize their relationship with the Assemblies of God World Missions Department. Realizing that few knew of their work, and therefore few were therefore praying for them, they applied for missionary appointment, which they received in April 1981.

The passion that the Dave displayed through his missionary career was visible from the start. In a letter to John Bueno upon arrival his arrival in Mexico he said: “ I am ready and willing to do anything and everything the Lord enables me to do. We will do anything we possibly can do to help evangelize these 17 million people among whom we live,” a task he accepted with eagerness and faith. The Caves’ first term goal was to see 10,000 or more accept Jesus through an ICI course, but their exuberance knew no limits. Even before they arrived on the field, they lead their first Mexican convert to the Lord. Their brakes had failed on their trip and the man who stopped to help was told about Jesus.

For the Caves, evangelism was always the “bottom line,” but Dave literally did whatever his hand found to do – often because “no one else seemed to be moving on the matter.” He assisted with church planting and worked with ICI, funneling students who came to Christ into new churches. At the request of National leaders, Dave also established and managed a Christian Bookstore in 1982, a huge assignment. He served as a construction coordinator for teams coming to Mexico, taught in Bible schools, and did prison work. He even served as the “Diplomatic Representative” between A/G USA and A/G Mexico in which he dealt with sticky church legal issues.

Dave’s health battle began in 1994, doctors saying the prognosis was “bleak.” But he withstood aggressive treatment and, in May of 1997, he was given a clean bill of health. He returned to work with fervor, assisting missions teams of all sorts, and focusing on planting new churches. He remained active until his cancer returned in recent years, and even in his weakened condition his continued desire was to return to the work and the people that he loved. He succumbed to cancer and departed to receive his heavenly reward on Monday, June 30, 2008

Dave Cave leaves behind his wife Nancy, who continues as a missionary in Mexico, along with two children Luke, and Cristina, who had been deeply committed and involved in the work that their parents undertook. With them, our hearts are saddened for the loss, but we rejoice in that Dave’s suffering has ended and he is in the presence of the Lord. He will live on as an example to us and all that would long to display Christ’s love to a world in desperate need of it.