Finishing up the tower...Kasempa, Zambia !

Hello everyone, I know it's been awhile since my last post.  I apologize, and I will be making regular posts in 2009 !  So, the past couple months have been very busy preparing for a medical trip to El Salvador, our trip to set up the radio tower in Zambia, and also preparing for a trip to Israel and Jordan in February. 

Myself, and a small group of engineers, radio installers, and laborers will be leaving to go to Kasempa, Zambia on Sunday, January 4th.  We will be going to the property of Lumba Christian Ministries to set up the first F.M. radio station in the entire area.  January isn't exactly the best time to travel to Zambia as it's smack dab in the middle of their rainy season, and also the middle of their summer.  We had no choice to delay our trip as the extension for our radio station permit expires the end of January. So we're praying that the Lord will give us a couple of days without rain so that we can set up this 100 ft tower.  I really don't want to be climbing that thing in the rain!  

During our 12 day stay I will also be doing some teaching which I am excited about.  I will be teaching on missions with the pastors from the Bible School for two days, as well as teaching at various churches that have invited me to share with them and to seek the Lord together.  In addition to setting up the radio tower,  setting up the actual radio station, teaching at the Bible School, and at various churches, we will also be working with the local hospital "Mukinge Hospital" which is a ministry of Samaritans Purse.  We will be partnering with them to help with the leper colony that we were working with during our last medical trip in November of '07.  This year in '09 we will be providing the funding to supply the vilage with enough food for them for an entire year! 

So as much as I can, I will be updating this site with pictures from our trip.  Please be praying for a couple of things : 

Safe Travels - not only our two flights, but also our 12 hour drive once we get to Lusaka.  It's rainy season, so we may be battling heavy rains while driving. Also, this will be my first time driving there without anyone guiding me. Please pray that I can find my way there!

Quick set-up of the Radio Tower, and Station -  Pray that we would have all of the tools necessary, as well as the proper know how to get this 100 ft. tower, and the radio antenna installed.  One small problem can be a HUGE problem in the bush where the nearest town is 2  1/2 hours away!

Effective Ministry - Pray that the Lord would use His Word to minister to the pastors that I will speak to a the Bible School. Please also pray that the Lord would meet us as we gather (the local churches) to seek the Lord, and study His Word.

Team Unity - Pray that the Lord would take a team (1 from Canada, 1 from Arkansas, and the rest from Philly) and build us together in Him.  I'm really praying that we will have a sweet time of Christian fellowship each day throughout the trip.

Something personal from Jesus - Whenever I get back from a trip, I always say that the Lord always does more work in my heart then anything that I could ever give to the people I have ministered to.  Pray that each of us would come back with something that the Lord has showed us, something He has done in our hearts and lives while there.

Keep checking back, I promise I will be writing! Thanks in advance for your prayer.

blessings,

Carlos

5 months later........

I am very excited to write that after 14 months since first purchasing our 20 ft. sea freight container, it has finally arrived in Kasempa, Zambia! It took around 5 months from the time it left New York (check out my post on April 22nd) until the time it arrived at Lumba Christian Ministries in Kasempa, Zambia - that was partially because it was stuck in Mozambique for 2 months due to contract negotiations with our trucking company. I was so relieved to read in the email from Ron Wint (Founder of Lumba Christian Ministries) that not only did the container get there, but that the security lock had not been tampered with, and everything that we had filled the container with (to overflowing) was still there, and accounted for. Praise the Lord !

So now, we are planning on arriving in Kasempa, Zambia in early January with our team to install the radio tower, and set up the antenna, receiver, and radio station there on the property. 1,000 solar powered radio's with a fixed signal to their radio station (90.7 f.m.) were donated by Galcom, and between the radio's and the setting up of the first ever F.M. radio station in Kasempa, we know there will be a "buzz" all over town when we get there in January. Please continue to pray that we can set up the tower and antenna with no problems, and that everything would run smoothly before the end of January, which is when their permit expires! They will not be able to extend it after that if something would go wrong !

Thanks for all of your prayers regarding this container. I know that the Lord has heard all of them, and in response has done what at many times I considered to be impossible ! Please continue to pray that the Lord would be glorified in this project, and that MANY, MANY, MANY would come to know Him as their LORD through the broadcast of His Word 24/7 in Kasempa, Zambia.

Blessings,

Carlos

The Great Comission, Great Commandment, and Great Compassion

Hello everyone, I was reading a book about the Missionary Call and the author mentioned how part of the missionary call is a burden for these three things. I really enjoyed what he had to say, so I figured that I would take a little time to write about them.

If your reading this, I am assuming that you know what the first of these three is, the "Great Commission". This is the command of Jesus to go to the nations (ethne) and make disciples - it is recorded in every gospel and the book of Acts. (Matt 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:74, John20:21 and Acts 1:8). I think most people would say that in order to be a missionary you just need to have a burden to fulfill this call of our Lord to go into every people group and to make disciples among them teaching them to obey all that the Lord has commanded us. I think that is certaily a main piece, but I also believe that they must feel a burden to fulfill these two other area's mentioned above.

Matt. 22:33-40 explains what the "Great Commandment" is.
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Not only are the law and the prophets summed up in these two commandments, we also see the start of the missionary calling in them as well. The author I was reading say's "When you love the Lord, you long to glorify Him, and see the nations fall at His feet in worship. When you love your neighbor as yourself, you share the gospel with him and seek to meet his needs in every way you can, which includes seeing them fall at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving for salvation."

Lastly, we read of "The Great Compassion" in Mark 6:34 which says
34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
When our heart is united with the Lord's heart, the great compassion will be part of our everyday life and actions. When each day that goes by is filled with burden of the nations being lost and without any hope, we then can say, "Here I am, send me"!

I believe that hearing the Lord's call to missions will include a burden to fulfill the Great Commission, and a deep desire to obey the Great Commandment, and lastly for all things to be guided by the Great Compassion. I pray that these things will be able to guide us and direct us to exactly what the Lord has for us, in the places He desires us to be in. I am praying in my own life that these three things would be in the forefront of everything that I do, from how I spend my time and money, to how I relate with other people. Praise the Lord for the power of His Word, and His Holy Spirit to guide us into all Truth.

Blessings,

Carlos

God's sovereignty

Hello everyone, I just wanted to give you guys an update on the freight container to Zambia, as well as our trip to set up the radio tower for Lumba Christian Ministries over in Kasempa, Zambia, which by the way have had a direct affect on my lack of postings lately!

Unfortunately the news is bad regarding both the freight container, and our trip to Zambia that was to leave on the 18th of September. The freight container is still in Beira, Mozambique and for reasons that I cannot comprehend, or at this point control, we really don't have a time on when it will be shipped to Kasempa, Zambia. From what I am being told, there is a dispute between the trucking company taking it to Zambia, and our shipping company who is to pay them. It has something to do with contracts and money and all that stuff, and unfortunately, without me actually going to Mozambique, we may just have to wait it out a bit. Of course that means that I had to cancel our tickets for our trip to go and set up the radio tower from September 18th -28th, but I am trusting that this is the Lord's will, and that He will have us there in His perfect timing. Also, the longer that this container sits in one place, I think it has a greater chance of looters getting to it, and the contents being stolen. So I am asking you guys (and anyone else that you give this to) to please labor in prayer for this container to leave Mozambique quickly, and arrive in Kasempa, Zambia with all of it's contents still in there. I would love to see a miracle take place, and the Lord to receive even more glory for what has taken place, so that's what I'm praying for.

Regarding God's sovereignty, I really believe that He is in control in this situation. One of the reasons is that now, the Lord has freed me up a little more to concentrate on our El Salvador medical missions trip this October 31st - November 8th. There are allot of details in regards to getting the proper licenses, and approvals for our trip, and it is taking up more of my time that previously expected. I am very excited about this trip as it is our first medical trip to El Salvador, and the Lord has opened up many doors to minister the love of Christ in various Calvary Chapel church plants throughout El Salvador. Please be praying for this trip as well - that we would receive all of the medicine that we are trying to collect (if you know anyone who is a pharmacist, or works in a hospital or a drug rep that could help in donating medicine please let me know), also pray that the Lord would continue to unite our group as we meet and pray, and prepare for this trip.

I really appreciate all of your prayers, and please feel free to pass this link on to others who can be praying for us. In a couple of days, I'll be posting on

"The Great Commission, the Great Commandment, and the Great Compassion".

blessings,

Carlos

Recent articles and thoughts on the persecuted...

ERITREA – Students Imprisoned in Shipping Container, Bibles Burned
On August 5, Eritrean authorities locked eight high school students in a metal shipping container and burned hundreds of Bibles at Sawa Defense Training Centre. According to Compass Direct News, the students were imprisoned in the container after they objected to authorities confiscating and burning 1,500 Bibles taken from new students who arrived at the training center for the new 2008-2009 school year. “During the time that the Bibles were set on fire, the Chief Commander of Sawa, Col. Debesai Ghide, gave a warning to all the students by telling them that Sawa is a place of patriotism, not a place of Pentes [Pentecostals]. Eight male students to whom God gave boldness to speak against the burning of the Bibles have been taken into custody in one of the metal containers that the military uses as prison cells for Christians who have been found practicing in the center,” Compass reported. The Eritrean government cracks down on Christians, often placing believers in metal containers which are extremely hot during the day and cold during night. Nearly 1,800 Eritrean Christians are believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea. It is believed more than 28 clergymen are being held. Jailed Christians are routinely subjected to physical beatings and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs. Police and military authorities continue to demand the prisoners return to one of the three “official” Christian denominations recognized by the government. But even the legally recognized denominations-the nation’s historic Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches-have come under government disfavor in recent years past year, incurring threats and even jailing by security police officials.

ERITREA – Christian Woman Dies in Prison
On July 23, an Eritrean Christian woman, Azieb Simon, died of malaria in the Wi’a Military Training Center after being imprisoned and tortured for months. According to Compass Direct News, “Simon, a member of the Kale-Hiwet Church in Assab, was weakened by the mistreatment she sustained since her arrest in December, 2006. Authorities reportedly refused to treat her for the disease, which she contracted only a week prior to her death. Other Christians imprisoned in the center are under constant pressure to recant their faith.” Compass also reported that eight Christians being held at the Adi-Quala prison were tortured by military personnel at the camp and had to be taken to the medical emergency facilities. Earlier this month in the port city of Assab, 32 Christians were imprisoned and taken to Wi'a Military Training Center. Ask God to fill those who mourn for Azieb Simon with a peace that surpasses understanding. Pray for the safety of those still in prison, and for their quick release. Pray that Eritrean Christians will remain faithful in the face of pressure to deny Christ.

In light of China being in the news, and the Olympics in front of my eyes every night, I (I'm sure you all as well) have been thinking and praying more for the persecuted church. I was reading the other day and was really blessed by a section in the book talking about what suffering and sacrifice really is. Here are a couple quotes.

"Love labors, and if need be, suffers to enthrall us with what is supremely and eternally satisfying, namely, God. This is true for Christ's love, and it is true for our love. Christ loves by suffering to give us God. We love by suffering to give God to others. Giving ourselves without giving God looks loving o the world, but it isn't. We are a poor substitute for God. " "One of the radical implications of this book is that if we would love like Christ, we will bear whatever pains it takes to make Christ's glory seen. The aim of love - whether by gospel word or giving up our life - is to enthrall the beloved with the glory of Christ in the face of God forever".

When reading these words, and reading about those being persecuted for Jesus's sake, it just reminds me again that Jesus (and He only) must be our supreme, all-satisfying, and everlasting Treasure, and he must be shared, and proclaimed to the world around us.

East Coast Missions Conference 2008 now online !

Sorry this is so late. Soon there will be a link on C.C. Philly's homepage, but for now, log on to http://www.ccphilly.org/, then click on the Audio Resources link on the top of the page. From there, go to "Search by Topic", and the East Coast Missions Conference will be there. You can choose from 10 messages. Also, if you would like these messages on one MP3 we can make some and send it to you as well. Just call the church, and get transferred to the tape department. I will be updating soon on some things that the Lord is doing here, and things that He is showing me in His Word.

Blessings,
carlos

Medical Missions Trip to El Salvador

Hey everyone, I know it's been awhile, and I hope everyone enjoyed reading about our trip to Mexico. I also wanted to say that those of you who have been looking for the messages of our missions conference this past May will find it on C.C. Philly's homepage in the next couple of days, I promise. Anyway, I just wanted to write a quick note about a medical missions trip to El Salvador that I am praying about doing this October 19th - 27th. You guys will hear about it on Sunday, and it will be in the bulletin next week, but I wanted everyone who reads this to know about it and to pray that the Lord will raise up those from our congregation that He desires to come on this trip. Of course it's coming up soon and I'm behind on the planning, but I really feel like we are to do this, and things are already coming together really fast, praise the Lord! As mentioned above, the tentative dates are October 19th - 27th. It's an 8 day trip as opposed to a 14 day trip to Zambia. The good news is that it only takes about 5 hours to get there, and once we are there, we're there - hardly any travel time! We are looking for nurses, dentists, hygienist's, and Md's to do some medical clinics in the mountains of El Salvador. We will be working with three smaller Calvary's that we have developed a relationship with over the past couple of trips that we did there. I'm thinking we may do two days of clinics at each place. Also, we may work one day at the Children's Hospital in San Salvador, and go to a service at the main Calvary Chapel there as well. Anyway, I wanted you guys to know, and to start praying about it if the Lord leads. Anyone who is interested can contact me at church, or can shoot me an email. Of course our main goal is to come alongside of the local Calvary's there, and to tell people about the One who can cleanse them from sin and death. We want to see people saved, plugged into the local church, be rooted in Christ, and we will be using this medical outreach to facilitate that. So, if this trip is for you, pray about it, and contact me -

blessings,
carlos

Super Special Sunday

We had a full day ahead of us. It would begin with worship & the Word with our brethren at Capilla, continue with the wrap up of VBS, go karting at Crash Run park and conclude with the presentation of an original song written and played by team member Corey Walters.

We first began ministering with Capilla during the summer of 2001. Every year we’ve returned we have rejoiced at the growth of the congregation in both quantity and discipleship. The sanctuary was full and more precious people were still arriving. We rejoiced to see faces of individuals who received Christ during the week. Capilla’s worship team led us in praise singing & then Doug and Donna Walters led the congregation’s singing of Breath & Open the Eyes of My Heart in Spanish.

We were honored that our ministry coincided with a mini Tarahumara missions presentation. Mission works in La Mesa, Cuiteco, & Sigurichi was displayed in the various children’s ministry room. Here are the missionaries & their families. Please pray for an Jesus movement among the Tarahumara & open doors to reach them in the cities, villages & mountains.

Once more I was given the honor of dedicating a son of Enrique & Laura Robledo. In 2006 it was Aaron & on Sunday it was Adrian. I don’t know what goes through pastor Joe Focht’s mind during a baby dedication but the persistent thought in mine was “Lord, help me not to drop this baby”.

I then had the privilege of sharing God’s Word with congregation. My interpreter Andres did an excellent job.

After the study it was the close of our VBS. There was an inflatable, clown, train, candy, & lots of laughter.

In the early evening we strapped into the one & two passenger go karts at Crash Run & the race was on. When we returned to Capilla we gathered to hear a song Corey wrote and played-what a precious & powerful song. The team rejoiced together at what the LORD has done & is doing in each of our lives.

All on the team are doing well (spirit, soul & body). We plan on leaving Capilla to drive to El Paso on Tuesday morning at 10am (Noon EST). Thank U for praying with & for us. The LORD has done, is doing & will continue to do great things in, with, for & through us.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!

The Great Hand of our God

On Friday evening we were excited about returning to Overlook Park to represent Christ & present His Word. After setting up sound and preparing to start we noticed ominous clouds & rain moving from the distance to where we were. We could see the rain pouring & lightning. We called upon the LORD & He graciously answered and held the sky above our ministry site free from rain, thunder & lightning. If a picture is worth a thousand words then look at this one.

The Champion team remained dry, thanks be to God.

Here is a new brother & sister in Christ. The fruit of God’s working on our behalf.

Pray that the LORD would lead them to a fellowship of believers to be fed & discipled. To God be the Glory, great things He has done, so loved He the world that He gave us His Son.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!

Downtown Gym Karate Outreach

The two days of VBS have been wonderful. On Friday night we returned to El Mirador (Overlook Park) for another ministry site and people came to Christ. There was a tremendous storm brewing all around us: dark clouds, visible rain with lightning & the LORD graciously gave us a canopy of storm free sky until our ministry was completed.

Capilla had obtained the use of the gymnasium in downtown Cuauhtemoc for a 2 session martial arts demo featuring our Doug Walters (4th degree black belt master) Tae Kwon Do, American Kempo & kickboxing. Doug, his wife Donna, and son Corey have worked with other members of our team (Zach, Ed, Austin, & Josh) to assist them in demonstrating self defense, board & brick breaking for the two scheduled presentations. They’ve been interviewed by local television twice this week and a city paper came to one of our ministry sites to speak with them and take a photo of the team.

This morning we arrived at the gym with a bit of bedlam surrounding the building. Although the facility had been reserved many weeks before there was a government assistance distribution taking place in the lobby involving hundreds of folks in long lines. Where there will be blessing there is usually a battle. We used the side entrance to unload the equipment and materials. Carpet was unrolled at center court where the board & brick breaking would take place & we walked the gymnasium praying for those who would attend. While the two Champion drama teams received their make up the remaining team members walked a couple of blocks to a downtown park called the Plaza to hand out flyers and invite folks to attend the free event. Two programs were scheduled, a Noon & 3pm program. The Champion drama was presented before the martial arts and Christ was powerfully represented.

The Demo team went to work & there hard work preparing was blessed of the LORD. Here Doug is demonstrating a self defense technique and Zach feels it. Zach has done an amazing job the past couple months training to represent Jesus using martial arts as a platform.

Ed had never broken bricks before but here he goes through a stack of five.

There was an exhortation from God's Word & invitation to Christ given by Doug at each presentation.

After the invitation, our MIG (ministry teams) would engage people on the floor & in the stands sharing their faith, answering questions and praying with people.

We had the joy of praying with children, youth and adults to receive Christ & gave out over 175 new Testaments. A precious moment for me was meeting a female police officer named Reina who had just received Christ and then both of us remembering she was a cadet at the academy in 2005 when some of our CC law enforcement held a couple days of training in police procedures as well as sharing their faith in Christ. It was a sweet moment. Here is one of our many new brothers in Christ.

This is our new brother Salvador (on the right) with Enrique Robledo, one of Capilla's pastors.

Great is the LORD & Greatly to be Praised. Thanks for praying for & with us-please don't stop.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING

Overlook Park Outreach

For the first time we had city permits to do ministry at the Overlook Park (not what it’s called in Spanish) the highest point in the city. We loaded the vans and headed out not knowing what to expect & having no idea the beauty we’d behold as we could see for miles in various directions. We took our team picture along with the brethren from Capilla who have been doing ministry with us.

The park was a place for families to stroll, bikers to bike, sk8teboarders to skate, athletes to work out and people to chill as they beheld the sublime beauty of the mountains before them. We set up our equipment, invited folks to join us, cranked up some tunes and prayed for the Holy Spirit to draw Whom He would & make much of Jesus in & through us.

As a crowd gathered Dean introduced our team. The Doctor skit broke the ice & brought much laughter. The martial arts team gave an exciting & skillful demo which led to the Champion drama. After the drama, Ed presented the Gospel and gave an invitation to come to Christ. No one came to the front but some raised their hands and our ministry teams engaged those who remained & preached Jesus. The LORD was with us & drew many to Himself.

Here are some of our new brothers & sisters in Christ. The first group of young men who responded was a coach & members of a team that plays American football. They were at the park to run hills but by divine appointment they now belong to Christ. Pray that they would each grow in the grace & knowledge of Jesus.

Pray that the LORD would lead them to a fellowship of believers to be fed & discipled.

We will be returning to the Overlook Park for a second night of ministry on Friday at 6:30pm. We covet your prayers.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING

Rojo, Amarillo, Negro Y Blanco

That's the title in Spanish to the children's song Red, Yellow, Black & White that our team will be singing to the children during VBS. Thursday morning began Capilla’s three day VBS. We were expecting 45-50 children for the first day but 78 actually registered. The ages ranged from three to eleven years old. Our CrossWalk team works in partnership with Capilla’s children’s ministry to host this event.

The 3 hour session would include praise singing, bible lesson, snack, ballooning, face painting, self defense, nail painting, sports & games. The staff and students were marvelous in their loving care & joyful play with each child. As I observed the various stations I would have been hard pressed to judge who was having more fun-the children or M2M team.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!

Nursing Home & Youth Detention Ctr Outreaches

That's the view we are blessed by each morning from the view of our dormitory at Capilla

In the morning we took our convoy of vans to a nursing home to be with, care for, show Jesus’ love & share His good news with the residents. While a some team members played guitar and song praise songs in Spanish others were Jesus’ hands & feet to individuals as they their brushed hair, lotioned their hands, listened to their stories (such as meeting Pancho Villa as a child) and told them the good news of Jesus. This is a picture of Manuel, who is now 98 years old. A few years ago in 2005, while he was 95 he received Christ as Savior.

This gentleman was deeply touched as these two students patiently shared the gospel & prayed with him to receive Christ. I had the privilege of standing near them & watching them love & lead him to Christ. How the angels must have Raised the Praise as He was born again.

After lunch and a rain shower we loaded up to visit the Ceremi, Cuauhtemoc’s youth detention center. It had rained much of the day so our plans to play basketball, volleyball & soccer with the residents didn’t pan out. In 2005 I blew up my knee playing on a dry court who knows what would have happened to me on a puddle covered surface (LOL).
The director of the center cleared out the front lobby area so we could come be with and share our ministry with the residents. Our presentation consisted of the martial arts demo, a couple testimonies and the Champion drama. After the drama Zach explained the gospel and invited the young men to give their lives to Christ. The four in attendance prayed to receive Christ and became our new brothers. We were blessed with some beautiful soccer shirts with the Icthus (Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior) on the back. Pray for the young men below that each would continue to grow in the grace & knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Upon returning to Capilla some of our students assisted our team electrician Francesco in digging a trench crossing the driveway from office to café. I must take off my hat to those who dug ditches for a living. Electrical cable was laid, connection was made & driveway lighting was installed.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!

Esperanza Park Outreach

We loaded the vans with equipment, literature, & our team and headed to a sports park near Capilla (local Calvary Chapel). By God’s grace it was prime time: people playing soccer, basketball, children in the playground, an addictions rehab class letting out & folks just chilling in the park. We set up our sound equipment and blasted out some tunes in Spanish by Michelle Bonilla. As folks began to gather to check out what’s going on, we were introduced to the crowd.

The team then presented our ice breaker skit, “The Doctor’s Office”. This was followed by a presentation by our martial arts demo team led by instructor’s Doug & Donna Walters. They wowed the crowd with their kata forms, self defense moves and board breaking by three other members of our team Zach, Austin & Ed. The demo’s climax was Doug breaking a stack of boards. Austin then shared his Jesus Story (testimony) with the crowd.

The evangelistic drama The Champion followed the testimony. This team of students represented hard core for their KING. The drama proclaims the victory of Christ Jesus over death & Satan.

After the drama the gospel was explained and an invitation to Christ extended. Individuals (children, youth & adults) began to come forward to receive Christ. Our ministry groups then went among the crowd and folks around the park to share literature and present the gospel. The presence of Jesus was sweetly apparent. People prayed to receive Christ throughout the park. One worker from Capilla was praying for words to begin a conversation with a couple she saw and as the approached them before she spoke to them, the couple said she was told “we heard the message we want to receive Christ” What a joy to be fellow workers with Him Who loved us & gave Himself for us. Thanks for praying for us-don’t stop.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!

Marvelous Monday Morning Ministry

We awakened Monday to a delicious Mexican breakfast prepared by a few of our sisters @ Capilla. After our personal quiet time in John's Gospel our team gathered to Raise the Praise (sing unto the LORD)

One of the many privileges the LORD has granted us on this trip was transporting Mega Voice (solared powered Mp3 players) loaded with the New Testament in the Tarahumar Baja dialect. These will be used by the translation team (Don & Marie Burgess) and missionaries to this people group to evangelize, disciple & train indigenous leaders. What a joy to be a small part of Tarahumara hearing the good news of Jesus in their own heart language. Join us in praying for the Tarahumara that their ears & hearts would be prepared to hear, believe, receive & enjoy the One Who loved them & gave Himself for them.

Our ministry in Cuauhtemoc is in partnership with Capilla Puerta Del Manzano. Here are some of the adults & students serving Christ with us doing work projects, evangelism, & mercy ministry.

Monday morning we mixed cement, poured walkways and painted the skatepark & cafe walls. I don't usually enlist our junior high students in painting in the U.S. (LOL) but they did a wonderful job painting South of the Border.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING

IF GOD BE 4 U

We set out from El Paso on Sunday morning for a 6-7 hour drive to Cuauhtemoc City, little did I know we would arrive in the wee hours of Monday morning. Our convoy of 6 vans crossed into Mexico at Santa Theresa and headed into the Mexican immigration building to get our visas and van permits to enable travel into Mexico’s interior.

As we got onto the highway heading for a welcome lunch in the town of Via Ahumada we were stopped at a checkpoint and found out there was an error with two of our vehicle permits (VIN# didn’t match what was on the permit). The federal officer told us the vans would have to return to immigration office to have the matter resolved.

While three of the vans proceeded to Via Ahumada, the two vans headed back to get the proper permits to travel to Cuauhtemoc. This took almost four hours of travel, conferencing with officials and much prayer. When we met up with the team in Via Ahumad (they were prayerfully & patiently waiting 4 us) it was a comforting reunion.

Not only did the LORD work on our behalf to obtain the corrected vehicle permits, to the glory of His Son, He used the time in Via Ahumada for the team to be salt & light to the restaurant staff. Before we drove on to Cuauhtemoc, two precious young women at the restaurant received Christ as Savior & Lord. What the enemy works for evil the God of all Grace turns for His glory & our good. Here’s a picture of our two new sisters in Christ. Antonia Torres & Alma Torres

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!