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!

Long Day-Blessed Day

We met at Calvary Saturday at 2:30am to be transported to PHL for our 6am flight. U never know how many bags U really have on a missions trip until U have to check them in.

There wasn't much to say as we flew to Dallas Ft. Worth. Junior high students this quiet-Priceless. Our bodies were tired but our hearts were joy jumping in expectation of what Jesus has for us as we grow in knowing Him & making Him known.

What a difference a little lunch, some siesta, & most of all Raising the Praise singing to Jesus made in our day. I had the joy of watching young people sitting in various places throughout the motel complex with Bibles open, journaling, praying, & waiting upon the LORD.We are departing for Mexico in a few minutes. We covet & cherish your prayers.

MAY THE LAMB RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING IN, THRU & BY US!