More Earthquake Victim Support- from our Operation Christmas Child Team

The earthquakes that struck Mexico this last month not only shook the ground but also shook the hearts of many, moving them to compassion to aid the victims.

Churches in our state and surrounding states sent donations to our Operation Christmas Child team to deliver directly to some the victims.

We returned to the isolated villages of Ixcamilpa in Puebla where Paco and the men had ministered the week before.  Many people remembered Paco, and in gratitude invited our OCC team for lunch (tortillas and beans), and sent us home with fresh-picked corn, guajes beans, and jamaica flowers.

In the villages, two of the village ladies led us door-to-door to the families with most need to distribute the donated goods and pray for the people.  The people were so thankful, and amazed that even sweaty baby Jemina (in the 93 degree heat) would visit them in love.  (Jemi would say “mey”- or “amen”- after every prayer ;) ).

First Baptisms in Horizonte Misiones!

Horizonte Misiones, the church we are starting in the Misiones community, celebrated our first baptisms this last Sunday!

Gerardo accepted Christ a year and a half ago, after an evangelistic movie in the community, and has been faithfully seeking God and serving others with our church since then!

Damaris accepted Christ this summer at one of our summer outreach concerts, and has joined the church with her husband and three children. 

Both Gerardo and Damaris were baptized, with their family and friends present, professing their faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ!

Our hearts were overjoyed! 

And we celebrated with worship of thanks and an abundant potluck meal.  Though ministry in the Misiones community has been slow, with few people attending each week, these baptisms are evidence that God is working and turning lives/eternities to Him!

Teacher Training for Children's Discipleship

One of my favorite aspects of the Operation Christmas Child ministry is the opportunity to train children’s Bible teachers around the state- a skill that will extend the Kingdom of God not only through the 12 week Samaritan’s Purse discipleship program after the shoebox distribution, but the rest of their lives!

This month, we led 3 teacher training sessions in three different towns for participating churches (each session is a full day of training).  During the sessions, we present the teacher and student discipleship books, demonstrate a real children’s Bible class, and teach how to present the Gospel to children during their lessons. 

We thank God for the teachers that He is raising up to reach Tlaxcalan children with His Word, as well as for the Operation Christmas Child ministry which offers these materials and opportunities!

Missionary Trip: Earthquake Victims of Isolated Villages in Puebla

Paco, along with a team of 7 other men from our church, spent two days serving in the isolated villages of Puebla destroyed by the recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake (in the county of Ixcamilpa de Guerrero- across rivers and roads semi-blocked by rock falls!).

They were impacted, immediately upon arriving, to see people living literally in the street, as the majority of the old adobe homes had fallen or destroyed beyond repair during the quake.

The men on the team had professional construction experience (welding, carpentry, electricians,

engineer, etc.) and offered their experience to the affected families.

They reinstalled electricity in two houses, built a support beam for an unstable roof, and even constructed a temporary shelter (like a shed) for a handicapped man, Don Nicolas.  He was so pleased to have a roof over his head, electricity, and even a

comforter (which the group donated to him), that he commented that he felt like he was in a hotel!  His thankfulness for so little humbled the whole group.

They also delivered packages of canned goods and donated clothing to the elderly and disabled people of the villages.  Upon visiting house

to house, the team was burdened by the great physical need of these poor people, who, on top of their poverty, had been hit by the earthquake.

They also handed out Gospel of John, shared the message of eternal hope in Jesus Christ, and prayed for each family with whom they had contact,

recognizing that only Jesus has the power to work in their desperate situation.

Packing Goods for Earthquake Victims

Our small church in Misiones united to help the earthquake victims in Puebla!

Canned goods, clothes, blankets, and money were donated, and brothers invested time to receive donations and gather for prayer.  Others, professionals with construction experience, prepared to deliver the goods and help reconstruct.

The night before the trip, our youth group gathered to pack each of the bags of non-perishable goods.  It was a

long but satisfying evening, imagining the families that would receive the gifts as tangible evidence of God’s love in their time of need, as well packed them into the car.