November Update

Season’s Greetings!!!

The holiday season has indeed arrived, and we are gearing up for our Christmas celebration here in Cofradía! This time of year is always rather hectic, but it’s all worth it. Each activity and rehearsal is just another reminder of why we are celebrating, and I’m thankful that those reminders are present daily! November was a great month as well and full of celebrations and challenge! Check it out…

Evangelism Crusade

We started the month of November with a bang! Pastor Rafael Gradilla from Washington state came to preach for a weekend-long evangelism crusade. This was such a blessing to all of us as members of the church and staff, but it was also an exciting opportunity to reach out to those who are just starting to know Christ or who have not yet heard the good news. Many church members invited their unsaved family members, and we had groups of people come from Pilas, Paso Real, Mojocuautla, and Sand Diego! Most of these towns, though close by, have remained on the fringes of our outreach for quite some time. However, the local church members have caught the fire of outreach and evangelism and have begun to visit and minister in all four towns weekly. They are seeing fruits of their labors as there are a couple of families in each of them who receive them and the Word and have received Christ into their lives. This evangelism crusade weekend was very encouraging for all of these new attenders, and provided even more opportunities for our local body to reach out to those in need.

On Friday, November 9, Pastor Rafael gave a message intended for our church body that focused on leadership. He spoke about being faithful in the little things and how the Lord will eventually increase the responsibilities and sphere of influence to those who remain faithful and willing. We looked at the lives of Stephen and Philip, the first martyr and the first missionary, and all were encouraged to open their eyes and see the opportunities awaiting us for faithful service right in our own church.

On Saturday, November 10, Pastor Rafael spoke on the excellence of the name of Jesus Christ! This service took place in our new church facility. Though the facility is nowhere near completion, we were excited to make this happen, and how excellent that the very first sermon preached in the new facility was about the excellence of the name of our Savior!! Praise the Lord that it all came together quite nicely. Electricity was hooked up the week before the service and we were able to rent chairs and move all our sound equipment over to the new church sanctuary! As the band rehearsed that afternoon and the rest of us were setting up chairs, we all looked around in awe with the realization that we were witnessing the first fulfillment of a great dream and promise as we filled that sanctuary for that evening’s service! Pastor Rafael spoke with power and conviction, and many came forward to receive prayer and to give their lives to Christ. It was a wonderful time of unity and power!

Then on Sunday morning, November 11, Pastor Rafael gave the sermon for the normal weekly service speaking on the blessing of living under the authority and filling of the Holy Spirit. Again, it was a powerful message that left its mark. Many came forward again to be ministered to, and I know I left the service that day with renewed conviction in my heart. What a blessing the entire weekend was! We are still reaping its fruits and continue to pray that the Lord will bring forth even more!

On Turning 28…

On November 16, I turned 28!!! I’m still having a hard time believing it. Thirty continues to get closer and closer, and I can’t wrap my mind around it! Mili and Sandy’s mom, Flavia, made a birthday dinner for me again this year, and the all her sisters and their families as well as all the staff families were invited. We had a wonderful meal of chicken birria with rice, and Pola made me a cake as my birthday present. It was absolutely mouth-watering!! My birthday was on a Friday this year, and Sunday night Mili and Sandy spent the night for my birthday PJ party. We had dinner in the town center at the taco stand and then bought churros for dessert afterwards. We opened my presents and just had a good time hanging out! It was a lot of fun.

I found myself much more pensive this year as I mulled over turning yet another year older. Age means nothing without maturity. I continue to see how the Lord desires to mature me more as well as how I have grown already. My prayer for this next year of life is that the Lord will keep me moldable, teachable, and open to His direction rather than getting stuck in my own ways. I pray that this 29^th year of my life will be a refining year!

Mentor Gazette…

I continue to meet with both Sandy and Ana weekly. Sandy and I started studying through Stomping Out the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson and Dave Park about three weeks ago, and Ana and I will begin the same book this week. This book deals with understanding and walking confidently in our true identity in Christ rather than in the lies we are fed by the world about who we are and where our value lies. Although this seems a very basic issue in the Christian faith, it is often overlooked, even among mature believers. Both Sandy and I are finding it refreshing to be reminded of the truths we already know and are finding that the Lord continues to dig deeper and challenge us more as He uncovers even deeper issues that root themselves in what we believe about who we are. God is certainly wonderful!

Sandy continues to do research in regards to the “Life Chats” idea that the Lord has put in her heart. In addition to Stomping Out the Darkness, she is also reading The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn and a devotional adaptation of The Power of Forgiveness by Joyce Meyers. In addition she has read bits of Without a Hint by Joshua Harris. In recent conversations she shared with me how she’s beginning to see how all of these issues (forgiveness, purity, healing, etc.) are all bound up together and much of what motivates us to make certain decisions or participate in certain behaviors finds its roots in the identity we believe about ourselves (what we’re studying in Stomping Out the Darkness). The Lord is definitely revealing a lot of truth to her that is not only useful for developing this purpose He has put in her heart but also to continue to mature her and mold her into the woman He created her to be for the purposes He longs to fulfill in and through her! It’s definitely an exciting journey, and I constantly am in awe of the Lord that He has blessed me with the ability to watch and partner with her in it! Please continue to keep this in your prayers.

Anticipation..

The Christmas holiday is upon us!! We are in the midst of preparations for the Christmas service and holiday activities. The youth are rehearsing their drama of the Christmas story, the kids are rehearsing their songs and recitations. The adults are preparing for Christmas worship and Christmas sermons. In addition there is a men’s weekend soccer tournament going on every Saturday in December, and the youth Christmas soccer tournament beings December 26. Both tournaments will end the same day with their finals, and the two winning teams will play each other to see who will be the ultimate winner. Afterwards, there are plans in the making for a huge church potluck. We’ll be killing a pig for this event and enjoying a ton of other yummy Mexican dishes for the Holiday Potluck!

In addition, I’m anticipating the arrival of my sister, Heather, on December 22! Everyone here is excited to meet her and get to know her, especially the girls. Heather and I are planning an “American Family Christmas” on Christmas Day after the service for my girlfriends here. The girls know about it, but they don’t know that they will be receiving gifts. Heather and I are both very excited about this and have spent much time talking and planning and gathering. This will be complete with presents under the tree and stockings as well as yummy Christmas-morning foods we grew up with!! It’s exciting!

Please Pray…

Ministry Finances: we are in desperate need to increase the funding for our ministry right now. Things are usually pretty tight at the end of the year, but especially so this year. Please pray that the Lord will give us wisdom in how to cut down on expenses where we can as well as provide the financing that we need to keep everything running and running well.

Christmas Harvest: we have a lot of new folks coming to Sunday services now that the local body has begun to reach out to the surrounding towns. This Christmas as they hear about how God came to this earth to make a way for them to know Him personally and the peace He wants to bring them, please pray that the Lord will give them ears to hear, minds to understand, and hearts to receive him truly!

Sanity: please pray that as we the staff continue to aid in planning and executing various activities that the Lord will fill our hearts and minds with clarity, organization, and most of all peace! It is so easy for the activity to lose its heart and become pure hecticness in our lives. Pray that we hold tight to the reason that we do all of this….to know Him better and to make Him known!

Happy Holidays to each one of you! I hope you are enjoying your traditions and the spirit of the season. More than that, I hope you are enjoying the Joy we have in Christ as we celebrate in our hearts the real meaning of Christmas…the birth of our Savior and the fullness of a personal relationship with the Father!