Joy for Children of Prisoners!

Though one of our fellow church leaders remains unjustly imprisoned, the Lord continues to use him to minister not only to the Tlaxcala prisoners but also to their families.  With Osbaldo as our contact, we planned an “Operation Christmas Child” event for the

prisoners´ children!

 

Osbaldo, inside the prison, made a list of all the children of his prisonmates, and then delivered invitations to the families during visitor hours. 

 

The struggle for the event was: where to hold a children´s event outside a state prison?  We asked surrounding neighbors about empty, abandoned lots in front of the entrance.  Unfortunately, we were denied

use of the closest lot when the owners discovered we were Christians and were planning an event to proclaim Jesus!  However, the Lord gave us favor and opened a neighboring lot for our use.

 

Even with limited decorations and no electrical access for either microphone or music in our abandoned lot, the event was a huge hit!  32 children and their families arrived, and enjoyed games, face-painting, songs, a clown show, and the message of Christ´s love and

sacrifice for our salvation.  Each family received a bag lunch, a New Testament, and the offer of prayers and church contact for anyone interested in learning more about Jesus.

 

The families were so grateful

for the love shown to them and their children. They seemed worn-down after visiting their family members at the jail.  One small boy was especially tearful; his mom explained he always acted like that after saying goodbye to his father at prison.  However, at the end of the event, he was happily

participating with the rest of the group!  May the Lord continue to speak to and strengthen these families in their need through His Word!

 

"Operation Christmas Child" in Tlaxcala

Many “Operation Christmas Child” events were held around the state of Tlaxcala this month!  (“Operation Christmas Child” is an international children´s evangelism project organized by Samaritan´s Purse)  Paco and I, along with the rest of our Samaritan´s Purse team in

Tlaxcala, had the joy of observing these events.

It was amazing to see whole churches actively serving the children of their communities and sharing the Gospel!  Some churches had small events, for

30 children, while others planned large events, for 350 children!  Some did crafts, others did games, others did children´s worship songs, but all shared the love of Jesus Christ for the children and prayed with them.  At the end of the events, each child would receive his Christmas Shoebox

of gifts as a visible symbol of God´s loving care for them. 
 

Many of the children live in poverty, and this is the only gift they receive at Christmas time.  One 9-yr-old boy touched Paco´s heart: he had no socks

or shoelaces (though it was cold out!), and he said he didn´t know how to read. Paco read the Gospel booklet with him and gave him his shoebox gift. He was overjoyed!

An 11-year-old boy at another

event received a toolkit in his shoebox. As Paco explained the name and function of each tool to the excited child, including the “carpenter´s pencil”, the boy declared: “Then, I am going to be a carpenter!”  This simple shoebox gave him vision for his future! 

 

After one event, an elderly lady, Estelita, approached us with her four

grandchildren, not only to thank us for the gifts but for the message of salvation.   She said she had resisted turning to God her whole life, but that day recognized that she needed Jesus.  She planned on joining the church with all her grandchildren to learn more!  We were left open-mouthed at

such an obvious testimony of God´s work through these events!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Youth Christmas Party!

Our youth group finished our year with a Christmas bash!

Following Mexican Christmas tradition, we broke a piñata and drank hot fruit “ponche”.

Creating new traditions, we

played Christmas “Minute-to-Win-it” challenges- which had us all laughing hysterically.
 

We also introduced the group to the “White Elephant” gift exchange.  However, Paco and I marveled at these youth who really seem to love each other

too much to steal anyone´s gift from them (as the game rules stipulate).  Even the most envied gifts stayed with their original recipient, as the other youth did not want to steal their friends´ joy.  We really have a special group of youth kids J. 

Paco shared a message from Colossians 1, reminding us from God´s Word what our true New Year´s resolutions and goals should be.  May this new year bring new growth and commitment to the Lord in each of these young lives!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Church Christmas Celebration

Our church celebrated Christmas as one big family in Christ!!

We presented the biblical Christmas story narrated in poem and acted out by our children’s classes.  Between

each scene, the congregation sang a Christmas carol by candlelight.  Afterwards, our pastor shared the message of God’s love for us revealed through Christ’s birth. 

For our Christmas dinner, the church purchased a sheep! -

which we had slaughtered and cut.  We prepared it in chile sauce for “mixiotes” and cooked it over a fire the morning of the celebration. (I imagine very few American churches would purchase and slaughter an animal for their gatherings- but it is widely done in Mexico!).  We served

the mixiotes with rice, beans, and salsa, and “ponche”- a seasonal Mexican hot fruit beverage.  God multiplied our food for the brothers and many guests that arrived to celebrate with us!

Praise God for the gift of His

Son that united such a special group of people!

 

Middle-School Evangelism Miracle!

We never would have imagined that this season we would share the Christmas message of Jesus Christ at a public Mexican middle school- but we did! 

 

A lady from a Tlaxcala church that is participating in

“Operation Christmas Child” is a teacher and counselor at a public middle school, where she has seen the great need for Christ among her students (many come from problematic home situations and even cut themselves).  She gained permission from the school director to plan an “Operation

Christmas Child” event at the school for these “high risk” students.  And she invited our Samaritan’s Purse team to attend and assist!

100 middle-schoolers gathered for the event- which included worship, a video, and even a

testimony from one of the students who had recently accepted Christ into his life, along with Bible verses in a PowerPoint presentation he had created.  I marveled that a middle-school boy would stand before his peers and share his life transformation in Christ (an act that many adults would not

be brave enough to perform!). 

At the end, we reinforced the Christmas message (that Christ is our greatest gift of all!) and gave a Christmas shoebox and New Testament to every student.  They were thrilled!  May the Lord bring salvation,

hope, and transformation to the lives of each of these troubled youth!