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August sees us sadly saying farewell to our last team of the summer season. This month we had the privilege of hosting two teams, a second week with additional people on a team from LaOtto [IN] and a team from Avon [NY]. We had a blessed time ministering alongside these two teams. Both teams worked hard to sharing the Gospel with San Juan community. Some of the projects were home visits with some Happy Tummies families; lessons at Stitches of Blessings; spending time with our Happy Tummies kids and Abuelitos; holding basketball camps in local schools; building a very nice swing set for the Happy Tummies children (the Abuelitos have enjoyed swinging just as much as the children!); giving a couple of Abuelitas eco-friendly stoves; and, working on a way to collect and purify rain water that will benefit the families of Happy Tummies and as well as others in the community. Impacto also sponsored a great training session led by our friends from  Servants 4 Him . Pastors and church leaders came and were taught a wonderful study on the New Testament book of Philemon. We provided lodging for the trainers and some pastors who traveled the evening before the session so they would not be late for its early morning beginning and we also provided meals for them and lunch for all the participants. God blessed us with great teachers and over 40 participants. 

We have many things going on the next few weeks. We are holding intensive training on Saturdays with the youth that will travel with us to lead VBS in Coban the first week of November. We also will be holding a weekend retreat for all the youth leaders planning to bring their students for Zona Cero in December. There also are some last-minute details being finished up to start the Happy Tummies in Panyebar and many other happenings.

We are so very thankful to all of you who came to minister with us this summer; it is so overwhelming to already be seeing fruits of what you came and planted! We've established better connections with a few of the public schools and have been actively participating with them the last few days (including being able to provide daily nutritional snacks to a school who ran out of funds)! Another praise is that the friendships with our Happy Tummies families have truly blossomed after being able to visit them more.

Though we are definitely seeing God's hand guide this ministry according to His will we ask for your continued prayers. We know Satan is hard at work but we won't let him bring us down. Pray for Impacto as a whole, for each individual ministry, for our staff and for the Country in which we are serving. Thank you, once again, for all your prayers and support!

The Impacto Staff,
Pastor Luis & Dinora, Sarah, Bryce, Tony  & Andrea

Pastor Luis' Corner
Pastor Luis & Dinora

The Hardest Part of Making a Decision
 
I have no doubt in my mind that many of you reading this are going through a situation where you will be forced to make a decision. You might be waiting for a phone call from the court to sign your divorce papers, or trying to find a way to save your marriage. Maybe you're going through a situation where you have to forgive or confront someone and you are lacking courage. Or, maybe you have to give someone a call but are not sure if you're ready just yet. I want to tell you, if you are not in a situation where you have to make decisions now, I'm sure you have been or will be.
 
My wife and I are, in this precise moment, having to make decisions that will very much impact our lives. I want to share something with you that's helping us make these decisions. 1 Kings 3 says that while Solomon was in Gibeon the Lord appeared to him and gave him a short phrase "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Generally we are taught that Solomon asked God for wisdom and that God, very pleased with his answer, gave him just that. However, in Solomon's words we see that he's asking for more than wisdom. He asked for discernment. This humble prayer of Solomon we find in 1 Kings 3:6-9 "Solomon answered, 'You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?'" (NIV)

Further along Solomon repeats it by writing Psalm 72:1-4 "Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor." (NIV)
 
Wisdom and discernment were the two elements that contributed to Solomon being able to judge and rule over the land. These same two elements are the ones God can use for you to make the right decision. I ask you to take a few minutes and ask God to give you discernment and wisdom. James wrote in his letter, James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (NIV)
 
It is my prayer that after reading these scriptures and asking God to be present in your decision making you will be able to make the best decisions.
 
Blessings,
Pastor Luis

Tyler Vasko

 

Tyler interned with Impacto for two weeks this month. It was our great privilege to be able to minister alongside him. He was a huge help to our staff and made an impact on many people in the community. The children and Abuelitos were very sad to see him go. We praise God for Tyler's life and we hope and pray that he will continue to be the God-fearing young man he has proven to be. Thank you Tyler for a job well done!

 
Giving Back

A team from LaOtto [IN] brought a special project for our Stitches of Blessings class. They taught the ladies to make dresses for the Dress A Girl organization. The women made dresses, prayed over them and sent them back with the LaOtto team to be sent to girls in India. This truly was a special project for our ladies. It really showed them how there are many more around the world who are less fortunate, and they were still able to practice their skills! This touched our hearts in so many ways and it was pleasure to be a part of this. We love being able to use missions to teach missions!
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