WOW! It seems like May went by in the blink of an eye! May has been a wonderful month for us. We have loved hosting Hillside Wesleyan Church team [pictured below]! They were of great encouragement to our staff and, as always, a great impact to our community!
Another wonderful thing to happen this month was that we have our Happy Tummies kids and Abuelitos back with no restriction on time and numbers! This past month we also lost one of our beloved Abuelitas, Isabell. Visiting with her family and hearing stories of how much the Abuelitos ministry meant to her and how she was so joyful every morning on her way there, made us reflect on the importance of this ministry. The fact that they receive breakfast is great, but the fact that they are loved on, make friendships, and fellowship with others who love Christ has a bigger impact on them than we often realize. We are so very grateful for all of you who support and pray for this ministry. Those who are able to come and give of their time and love, you will never know the impact you have on each HT child and Abuelito.
We’ve also seen the rainy season start with a bang! We are so grateful for the rain as we are seeing the crops grow around us, including our very own crops use in feeding the children and Abuelitos! However, the rain has wreaked havoc in other parts of the country including floods and mudslides. Please join us in prayer for those being affected negatively by the rain.
As we move forward, we want to thank you for being so patient, loving, kind, and supportive through this pandemic. Now our prayer is that things will only get better and we will be able to restart some ministries/ideas that had to be paused. Yet God has been good and through the pandemic He brought new ministries/ideas/opportunities.
Through these he has given us his very
great and precious promises
2 Peter 1:4a [NIV]
THESE THINGS
In 2 Peter 1:3-15, Peter says that God has given to us all the things needed to live a Christian life. The expression “these things” is repeated twelve times in twelve verses. But what are those things? I share them with you here.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance;and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.”
May God bless you,
Pastor Luis
TRAINING MINISTRIES
Did you know that when you donate towards our Training fund you are helping us disciple a plethora of Jesus followers? To wrap up our Training Ministries highlights, we share with you about Zona Cero.
ZONA CERO (“Ground Zero” in English) is a ministry focused on youth. It is an annual camp held in December when school is out. Zona Cero [pictured above] is a 4-day event in which time is spent playing, eating, holding different workshops for young men and young women, worship time, preaching, devotions, and time of prayer. At the end of camp, teens return home with their cups flowing over and with new friendships made within the family of Christ scattered all over the country. This event is for youth from all denominations! We encourage the teens to bring as many non-believer friends as possible to reach souls for the Kingdom.
We wish we had time and space to share each testimony we have experienced through Zona Cero. One that truly stands out is a young man who had denied God and proclaimed himself an atheist. He had once been a part of a youth group in his church, but due to trials and hardships he stopped believing. Yet, his youth group did not lose their grip on him. They convinced him to come to Zona Cero using the fact that he’d be able to see the lake. Well, he came “just for the sites” and by the end of camp he came forward, declared Jesus as his one and only Savior and proclaimed that God was real! His entire youth group surrounded him and rejoiced with him as they had been praying for years for him. Of course, the rest of the teens there (close to 200) cheered, clapped, whistled, and cried tears of joy! It was a sight to behold and it made us imagine the same party and reaction that was happening in heaven.
Teens are often forgotten here, but Jesus doesn’t forget. He sees them, knows them, and loves them. We pray and hope we are being His hands, His feet, His hugs, His tears, and sharing His words of affirmation for these beautiful souls.
To sponsor each teen for Zona Cero costs US$200. We ask for a US$25 donation, yet out of 250 teens maybe 50 of them pay in full and another 50 can only pay with a partial donation. We tell those who cannot afford to pay anything that they have been funded. Sometimes, we don’t have the funds but we let them know they can come and God will provide. He always does. Please join us in the effort so that US$25 won’t stand in the way of a teen and this Jesus-filled time at camp.
Construction at Xejuyu continues...Pastor Luis is seen above working with the architect.