Evangelistic Christmas Movies in Misiones

This Christmas season, we shared the true message of Christmas at our new church in the Misiones community.

 

We projected “The Nativity” movie for members of the community on Thursday and Friday evenings, offering free popcorn and candy.  After the movie, Paco shared the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, born to die

and save from the punishment for sin each person who repents and confesses Him as Lord.  We then gave out tamales and Mexican punch, as we chatted with each of our guests.

 

On Thursday, 17 people attended, including all the children and families of our Tuesday Kids’ Club.  On Friday, we had a full house, as 31 people

attended!  We pray that the Gospel message planted in each of their hearts would grow toward eternal salvation!

 

Youth Christmas Party

For our final youth gathering of the year, our youth group celebrated with a Christmas party.  We played Christmas games, enjoyed a gift exchange, designed and baked our own pizzas, and watched a Christmas movie.

 

Besides celebrating Christmas, we were also celebrating the end of

reading the entire book of Acts!  We continue to rejoice that these youth (age 13-23) are reading their Bibles weekly and understanding God’s message to their lives.  Now, on to the book of Romans!

 

We thank God for this year of spiritual growth in these special youth! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baptisms!

5 new brothers publically confessed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when they were baptized this weekend!

 

So much joy!!  (I always get teary with joy at baptisms J).  Our church gathered at the home of one of the new brothers, who had not only prepared a pool for the baptisms but

also the meal to share with the whole church afterwards.

 

We marvel to see the hand of God in these 5 during just this past year- as they started studying the Bible with us, and excitedly responded in faith to God. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training Children’s Bible Teachers

Brothers from churches around the state of Tlaxcala gathered for training as children’s Bible teachers!  With 250 people at the first session and another 50 at the second, over 300 teachers received training! 

 

This training material comes through the Samaritan’s Purse organization for all the churches participating in

“Operation Christmas Child” this year.  It prepares teachers to lead the children’s discipleship program “The Greatest Journey” after they receive their shoebox gift and hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“First-Fruits Festival”- Day of Thanks to God

Our church celebrates a “First-Fruits Festival” at the end of November, which, similar to Thanksgiving Day in the United States, serves as a day of thanks to our God for His faithful provision during the whole year. 

 

Each family brings a box of groceries as a thanks offering to God (representing the “first-fruits” of his

harvest), and then stands before the whole church to publically thank the Lord for His many and specific blessings during the past year.  As each family gave testimony- I was reminded that this was a very difficult year for many families at our church, with imprisonments, limb-amputations, deathbed-sicknesses, husband’s abandonment of wife and child, loss of jobs, death of children, incurring debt, and more.  However,

each family, even in the middle of such dark times, could still say: “Our God has not abandoned us, because we witness His care and love for us, and we are thankful for Him.”  What testimonies!  God truly is our hope and our light!

 

Afterwards, we enjoyed a potluck meal together as one big family- with

as much joy as any Thanksgiving meal!

 

The offerings of groceries were then distributed among needy families in our community, along with a New Testament, and the Gospel message of God’s love.

 

 

 

 

Men's Malinche Mountain-Climbing Excursion

The men’s group at our church planned a “manly” outing: to climb the nearby Malinche Mountain. 

 

The November weather was perfect for the experience: dry, clear and cool (which is a miracle considering that normal Malinche weather is rainy, foggy and freezing!)  The men were able to appreciate the breath-taking

views of Tlaxcala from 14,500 feet up!

Amazingly, one of the participants was an 80-year-old man who kept pace with the rest of the group: 6 hours up and 3 hours back! 

Any “manly” experience would not be complete without a barbeque: and the guys recovered lost energy barbequing taco meat at the bottom of the mountain, celebrating their

achievement. 

 

Our prayer was that the experience would bless and unite the men of the church, as well as provide an opportunity to invite and minister to men outside the congregation.  Of the 8 men that attended, 3 were non-church visitors.  May the love and unity of Christ’s church continue to

draw others to Him! 

Kids' Bible Club in Misiones

Our new church in Misiones has a mid-week Kids’ Club!  We play games, eat snacks, make crafts, study the Bible and memorize Bible verses.

 

Starting a Kids’ Club is a challenge!- I never know how many children or what ages to expect.  Only 2 kids attended our first class, but by the end of the month our class had grown to 9

(from the ages of 5 to 13!)

 

About half of the children have had some previous exposure to the Bible and teaching about Jesus, but all of them seem to have a great need for Christ in their lives.  Two of the boys arrived one day bloody and winded after fighting with other boys on the street.  A girl in the class expressed (in

words and actions) hatred of other boys in the group.  My prayer is that the truth of God would transform their lives and perspectives- even at their young age!

 

The Lord has given me grace with the children- who now visit to greet me almost daily at our church building.  One 6-year-old even told his mother

that he no longer wanted to go to “the other school” (elementary school), but from now on only wanted to attend kids’ club classes J.  May the children be equally attracted to Jesus!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer for "Operation Christmas Child" in Tlaxcala!

The “Operation Christmas Child” project, through Samaritan´s Purse, is a huge ministry!

 

It starts with believers in first-world countries who pack and give the shoeboxes, then the Samaritan´s Purse teams that ship the boxes to third-

world countries around the globe, then to the state teams that distribute them to the churches, then to the local churches who deliver the boxes and share the Gospel with the children, and finally to the teachers who disciple the children in the following months. 

 

We are convinced that each step of

this process, as well as its ultimate goal of bringing children to salvation through Jesus Christ, would not be possible without the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit.

 

Representatives of the participating churches in our state of Tlaxcala gathered to pray for each step of this ministry, including each donor, each

Samaritan´s purse team member, each Sunday school teacher, and each child.  May the Lord pour out His salvation over the children of Tlaxcala, Mexico, and the world this Christmas season!   

 

Church Inauguration: HORIZONTE MISIONES!!

It is official: Horizonte Misiones Church has initiated activities in the Misiones community!!

 

To celebrate our very first Sunday afternoon worship service, we invited friends from our beloved church in Tlaxcala and Puebla to join us.  Our tiny “church building” was filled to the brim with friends, as well as one new,

visiting family.

 

The event was perfect! The Lord even placed a double rainbow in the sky above us!  Youth from our youth group prepared the worship music, which produced quite a few teary eyes of joy as we sang of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises calling us to this new ministry.

Then, Paco’s first pastor, Sergio, from Puebla, shared the Bible message, and both he and our Tlaxcala pastor, Moises, prayed for our Misiones church-planting team. 

 

Afterwards, we enjoyed a time of fellowship with cake and coffee.  With so many happy people crowded into our church room, right on the main

street of the community, we definitely made our presence known among the people passing outside.   

 

After this inauguration service, we will start new weekly activities: a Tuesday kids’ Bible club, a Thursday Bible study, and a Sunday afternoon worship service.  We are also offering homework tutoring three days a week

as a way to meet and serve children and families in the community.

 

We are convinced that the Lord has initiated this work, and we trust that it is the Lord who will complete it!  May He work through us to call out His people in Misiones to know Him!