Sunday “Agape” at Calvary

The first Sunday of every month is “Agape” Sunday at our church plant: besides normal worship and Bible teaching, we also include a testimony time (where a different brother each month shares his testimony of coming to faith in Jesus Christ), Lord’s supper (partaking of bread and wine), and a potluck meal.  The fellowship is very special on these Agape Sundays!

This specific Agape brought a full

house! We had standing room only at our tiny church room!  4 brothers did not have a chair for the service.

We loved to witness not only new people joining us this Sunday, but also regular members stepping up to serve without being asked: giving up their seats to newcomers, greeting at the door, serving the food during the meal, cleaning up the plates and folding chairs…

The Lord is obviously forming servant hearts in the brothers of Calvary, as well as a true family of faith who love and care for each other.

Unload “The Greatest Journey” Discipleship materials

Even before the shoebox gifts arrive in December for Operation Christmas Child, boxes of discipleship materials arrive to prepare teachers and churches to instruct the children after receiving their shoebox. 

Though a much smaller load than the shoebox trailer, these boxes of materials must also be unloaded, counted and stored in preparation for their use in training the churches in the next month.

This year, we had special help with our unloading: Jemina loved moving the boxes on her tiny dolly.  May her love for ministry at this age continue and grow along with her J .

Searching for Churches for “Operation Christmas Child”

Christmas has started… in August!

The new ministry season for Operation Christmas Child starts in August each year as our state team starts to search for churches to participate in this ministry. 

As always, the work involves driving from town to town, knocking on doors, and asking where to find “Bible studies” or “Hallelujahs” (as Christians are sometimes mockingly called here). 

This year, we pray to find double the churches because we will be receiving double the shoebox evangelism gifts: instead of 1 trailer of material (for 10,000 children), we will receive 2 trailers!! Material to evangelize 20,000 children!!  Though this challenge will require double the effort and

work hours, we also pray it will result in double to fruits of eternal life in Mexican children.

 

Paco always returns with stories of his search for churches in the communities: 

This month, he asked a group of women with children walking along the road about Christian churches in the area.  They answered: “Yes, we know of one. And we will show you if

you give us a ride” (the poor women we obviously overheated walking in the sun with so many children).  Paco opened the door and 7 children and 3 women piled into the 4 empty seats of our car!  What a load!  We trust the Lord uses even these brief encounters to reveal His love to these communities.

Jesús accepts Christ

A new family joined our congregation in May- starting with their 9 year-old son at our mid-week kids’ club, then the mother for Sunday service, and then the father started attending.  At that time, they also asked our church to be praying for their 17-year-old son, Jesus, who was in alcohol rehabilitation, as they were very concerned for his lifestyle and desirous of him to accept Christ and join the church fellowship as they had.

When Jesús was released from rehab in August, he started attending church with his family, and even more exciting, he was open to receive Biblical counselling along with his family. 

Paco started visiting once a week, and, as a family, they not only studied Bible passages, but also shared their past hurts and verbally forgave each other as a family.  Paco marveled- a family that is open to exhortation and forgiveness was obviously the work of the Holy Spirit!

At one counselling session with his family, Jesus expressed his desire to change from his previous wild lifestyle.  As Paco explained that only Jesus Christ can make us new creatures and guide us to change to live lives pleasing to Him Jesús expressed true interest in giving his life to Christ as His Lord.  He prayed right there, before his family and Paco as witnesses.

The following Sunday at worship service, he agreed to share his decision for Christ with the rest of the congregation.  We were amazed that he was willing to make his decision so public- such evidence of a true desire for Christ!  Our whole church family gives thanks and prays for what Christ has already done in him, and what He will continue to do!  

Women’s gathering

At our monthly women’s gathering at Calvary, we studied together 1 Thessalonians 1 about the Biblical characteristics of a new church, which we strive achieve as a new church body ourselves.

Afterwards, we took Fiorella, one of our beloved women out to lunch.  Fiorella and the other women at our small church are struggling through very tough situations, but we rejoice to see each of them striving to trust their

God in the trials.

Asher Obed’s Baby Presentation at Church

At only two weeks old, we presented our beloved Asher Obed before our church plant congregation.  In a short ceremony, we publically declared our commitment to raise him in the fear of the Lord, the knowledge of His Word, and fellowship with His church.  The church body prayed with us for Asher to be sensitive to the direction and truth of the Holy Spirit and set apart as a child of God through Jesus’ sacrifice for him.  What a special moment to see

our precious boy received into the church!

New Teachers at Kids’ Bible Club

With Asher’s birth, I was resigned to have to cancel mid-week kids’ club for a few weeks during my maternity leave, though I was concerned that I would lose contact with the attending children for future classes.  In the weeks before Asher’s arrival, the church body was praying with us for continuity in the children’s ministry at

the church even after my baby’s delivery.

And the Lord responded to our prayers!  Fiorella and Anita, the two young women who assist me with the kids’ club, offered to teach the class themselves during the weeks of my maternity leave!  They divided up the activity preparation between the two

of them (like the craft and games, and the worship songs and Bible story) so that the class would be complete every week.  And they are in contact with me for materials and ideas for the classes. 

They are such a God-send!  They prepare their classes with love and

prayers, and the children love them.

We continue to pray for the children of Calvary: a neighboring family that would send 3-4 children to the kids’ club moved away this month, so attendance has dropped.  We pray that the Lord would draw other children in to know Jesus for eternal life.