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Bless the Lord oh, my soul! The past few months we have had many changes and many ups and downs but we have felt the Lord's presence by us every step of the way. With heavy hearts we said goodbye to the Dixon family. We trust they are following the Lord's will and we know that God has everything under control. Following their departure we also had to bid farewell to Christina. She was the mother of Elmer, one of our Happy Tummies kids. We had seen her earlier that day at the workshop we had with the Happy Tummies moms. This loss came as a shock to the community and, needless to say, an even bigger shock to her children. We were able to step in and help with some of the funeral expenses thanks to many of you who were led to give to help.
Though we've had a few downs we still will praise God's name and continue on; for example, our staff-led ministries have been thriving and we couldn't be more thrilled! There are now 3 active ESL classes per week; a beginners, an intermediate and an intensive course. This has become a great way of ministering as the students learn Bible verses weekly and the intensive course has a full devotional. The visits to our local youth groups are going great, the youth is being encouraged to be the light and to set a good example to the community. They are being guided towards having a better relationship with Jesus and to follow His ways. The local churches also have joyfully been inviting members of our staff to preach at different celebration services. We love really being able to get to know the people in our community. The Happy Tummies Mom's ministry has also been thriving! We are seeing the moms becoming closer to each other, joining in fellowship and being a support system for one another, both physically and spiritually. The sewing ministry is booming as well with all the women immensely happy when they see their finished products. We are seeing small changes in them as we study the Bible with them more every month.
Please keep us in your prayers as the entire staff heads to Zacapa this coming weekend for a crusade held at the Wesleyan church there. Pastor Luis will be the guest evangelist and our staff worship band will be leading praise and worship time. We also plan to gather information for the Happy Tummies we hope to start there. Prices will differ because of the area and we hope to find a menu that will work with the area of Zacapa. Additionally, we will start gathering information for when God's timing is right for us to start this particular Happy Tummies. Please pray that souls are won to Christ through this crusade and that many seeds will be planted.
Another exciting thing about this weekend is that we will welcome Sarah Newton, Bryce's younger sister. Sarah will be joining Impacto as an intern for the month of May. Sarah's major in college was teaching English as a second language. Plans are that she will begin teaching English to our Happy Tummies children each day and also helping our Abuelitos to learn a few phrases.
On Monday, May 6, we will welcome a team from Christ the Redeemer Church, Marietta, Georgia. They will minister alongside Impacto; please pray for safe travels and a blessed week. This team has had a monumental loss recently as one of their members passed away. Our prayer is that this week will help with their grieving process as they work to honor God along with and their friend's memory.
We know the harder we work for God and His Kingdom the harder that Satan works to bring us down. We ask that you pray alongside us for God to keep us close to Him and to keep us safe both physically and spiritually. We are excited where this year is heading and we can't wait to see many of you throughout the year as you come and minister to the beautiful people of Guatemala.
In Christ's love,
Impacto Staff |
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Rosario's Story
I met Rosario through Impacto�s sewing ministry. A pastor from one of the local churches brought her into the program. The first day there she was very quiet and kept mostly to herself. I did not know much about her, but I was glad she was there. Later on that day some of the ladies, who were part of the sewing ministry, commented that they were glad she was there; turns out that in the community she was seen as someone with a "questionable reputation." When I heard this I knew that we, the Impacto staff, were to pray for her and show her the love of Christ through this ministry.
The way God works is amazing and even after so many years in the ministry He still surprises me every single day. Everything was being prepped for the teams to come, the staff was trying to interview a list of people waiting for a widow's house, and wouldn't you know it, there was Rosario's name! We were so overwhelmed and knew God had placed her in our path for a reason. Her house was built within the next month! My heart is overwhelmed to think how God takes care of His own; the month after that in our next sewing class Rosario accepted the Lord! We see such changes in her, she shares with the women in the sewing ministry, she seems much happier and though she knows her problems still exist she has a new-found faith in God. Last week we met to finish some sewing projects and she shared with me how God, through Impacto, has changed her life. I want to share with you what she told me:
My life has changed greatly in the past 4 months! Things that I never even imagined would happen to me have come true. I'm still in awe of what the Lord has done for me through Impacto. I have had a chance to learn how to sew! Never did I think I would even come close to touching a sewing machine, let alone actually learn how to use one! I have 3 children, the oldest is 15 and is very excited about her education. I've been alone with them for 12 years. I've worked hard to have them go to school; they all want to continue studying. I'm trying to be more faithful in attending church. It is very hard to turn your life around, but I could not be happier to be on this new path. I am so thankful to God and Impacto for giving me a chance to better myself. God, through Impacto has also provided me with a home of my own. I never thought I'd be able to give my children a house of our own, but now God has given us just that. My biggest prayer request now is that God will provide for my children's school and for us, as a family, to strive for a better life. For sure my life has changed greatly this year and I owe it all to God who used Impacto to bring so much joy to me and my family.
written by: Dinora Martinez and Rosario Cortez
translated by: Dinora Martinez
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Happy Tummies -- The Moms
The welcoming we received from the 30 moms of Happy Tummies was life-changing! This is a new ministry Impacto began this year. In addition to meeting with the moms once a month where we hold a Bible study, we have began to visit each mom every month. As many of you know the majority of the families involved in this project are non-Christian. It was so awesome to see the joy in these women's faces as they saw us standing on their front steps.
What we thought would take a couple of days to do ended up taking us four! We had a couple ladies from the local Wesleyan church go with us to form a connection between the church and the moms. Every mother was so thankful for a visit that included prayer time. Most of these women could not believe that someone had come to their home to pray with them and for them.
There were many tears as we heard incredible testimonies of these women's strength and faith. Thanks to these visits and and by mercy of our Lord, we are starting to see the change in these families. One mother has started attending the local church, praise the Lord! We know her soul is worth more than gold or silver. Please continue to pray for these moms as they lead their homes and their children closer to God and in His path.
written by: Andrea Mendez
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ELS Happenings
Since January I have been teaching two ESL classes every Friday night. This month an opportunity opened for me to teach a group of teachers from various schools here in San Juan. Every Wednesday night I am teaching an intermediate level class for these teachers and it really has been a blast. Every class has been a great time of learning but also a great opportunity to share God's Word. Through these classes I've gotten to know my students more and more and talk to them about various spiritual matters, encourage them, pray with them, and receive it in return as well. I'm so blessed to have this opportunity and I pray that it continues to enrich the lives of my students. The Bible study that was led by Fred Dixon was decided unanimously to continue on even though Fred has returned to the States. Fred did an incredible job getting it started and it only made sense that we continue. This Bible study is comprised of many of the Impacto staff and translators. It has been truly an incredible time where walls have been torn down and emotional and spiritual healing has come about. With so many different cultures, languages, backgrounds, and experiences, it's amazing to see that we can still be united as one body and encourage each other as brothers and sisters. We've just started a new series by Francis Chan called Basic. Please pray for this group as we continue to grow together in our relationships with each other and with God.
written by: Bryce Newton
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PASTOR LUIS' CORNER
I have a verse for you:
Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."
I encourage you to study, to obey, and to share God's Word daily.
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