Dear Christian Friends,
In 2004, Jorge Martinez moved his family to the mountains of Puebla and began services in the village of Chilapa. The area surrounding Chilapa was largely unchurched and there was often strong opposition to the gospel and threats against Jorge and his family. Since then, the work has expanded to 3 different villages. And, God’s Word has begun to change hearts and minds in these villages where Jorge is ministering. A few years ago we opened a work in the village of La Libertad and now there are approximately 30-40 people who attend services every week. The church was meeting in a space on the property of Jorge. Recently the church was able to buy its own piece of property and thanks to the generosity and hard work of the people from the congregations in the mountains and some of our STM groups, they were able to complete their own church building. A special thanks to Sheldon Church of Christ, Sheldon, WI and Compass Christian Church, Colleyville, TX for their groups who worked so hard to help build this new facility. A special thank you to Tomoka Christian Church for a special offering that helped us complete the facility and to Doris Hinch who has faithfully supported this ministry throughout the years. Below are a couple of photos of the new facility. May God continue to transform hearts and lives through the sharing of His Word in this place! Sincerely, Steve Ross Executive Director, Niños de Mexico
EMANUEL MEXICO MISSION NEWS HEADING NORTH: Not too many people from the south head north for the winter. That's what Sheri did from January 27 - March 27. She experienced the Ohio snowfalls and cold temperatures. She had a good reason for heading north though. She got to spend 2 full months with our grandson, Jackson, now 10 months old. He is a bundle of pure joy. GOING SOUTH: We live in the south, so when we mean going south it is to visit the mission work we have in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. 10 hours south of us is the Ontañon Church of Christ, the inner city church we began in 1992. The Ontañon church is enjoying a season of growth; so much so that it is growing out of the building. Attendance is now over 50, in a seating capacity of 50! There are no plans to build more space, the plan is right on schedule for the Balcones church, who meets with us, to relocate to a new site that they will entirely be responsible for. That will leave our building almost empty once again (2nd time in 4 years) to grow another church plant. Jose will graduate in May and head south to Ontañon and take over the ministry for us. He is ready, willing and able to work and serve! LIVING IN THE MIDDLE: Living here at the border town of Piedras Negras, Mexico, we have seen the season of spring come early this year. The creek in front of my office window is flowing full once again. Trees are now providing their full summer shade and flowers are in full bloom. The old farmer on the other side of the creek has tilled his ground with the help of his horse and then the old gentleman stooped down to plant each kernel of corn. The day after he got his crop in, God provided a beautiful rain for him and all of us here living in the middle. It is interesting to watch how someone still lives the simple life. But life in general is simple. Lay down the cell phone, turn off the T.V., internet and listen to God's voice. He's calling us each and every day. His answers are simple; work hard (2 Timothy 1:6), pray often (1 Thesalonians 5:17) and exercise daily by walking in the Word (Psalms 119:105). This winter was family in the north, experiencing mission growth in the south, and in the middle (Bible College) helping the students work hard, pray often and exercise daily by walking in the Word. We trust in God to watch over our families and have obeyed His command to go North, South and in the Middle. TRUST AND OBEY FOR THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. DAVID AND SHERI DEBOLT Dear Christian Friends, Here we grow again! We are so excited to announce that we have grown by three this past week. The sisters Yoselin, Jimena, & Sarahi joined the Agape home. They were a little shy and apprehensive at first, but the older girls from the Apage home embraced them warmly and helped them feel welcome. We were also presented with three girls who will be coming to join our homes as soon as their paper work is finished. Please be in prayer for the children and their new families as they adjust. Pray that we are able to ease their fears and allow the love of Christ to shine through our actions. Sincerely, Steve Ross Executive Director Niños de Mexico Hello! Just popping in to say hello and to you let know how things are going! My recovery is going so well! I had my stiches out today. The doctor said everything is going well. I can be out of my brace full time now. I will be off crutches in one week. The pain has been minimal and the recovery time has been great! It has been going by a lot faster than I thought it would. Prayers that the recovery process continues smoothly. That I will be a head of schedule in regards to healing and PT. Update in the MARC work, we will be meeting with a church in Onalaska on 4/22/2018. Prayers that the congregation is willing to hear about MARC and the work the Lord is doing in AK. Prayers that we meet our goal asap! The summer season hasn't started yet at MARC however, they have a lot currently going on and once the summer is underway, it will only increase the business. The sooner our family can move out there, the quicker we will be able to start working and provide rest to some of the staff. Many more things to come in the very near future. This entire process seemed like a mere thought one year ago. Well now its here and were so ready to go! Thank you for the many prayers, cards and checks-in. I have felt nothing but love and hope through all of this. Thank you! Many Blessings!! Allyson Hard! This is what community looks like!
Each year Empty Bowls serves as the kickoff to our annual March Campaign and because of you we are off to a great start! Over 800 community members attended or volunteered at our annual hunger awareness event. Bowls were crafted and painted, original art pieces were lovingly created and donated, delicious soups, bread, and desserts were donated and served, sponsors financially supported the event and you came to support our mission with a record-breaking result of $30,000 that will go directly into our mission of ending local hunger through access to healthy food. Thank you for making 2018 a banner year for Empty Bowls! Please support the sponsors who made this event possible, the restaurants and bakeries who donated soup and bread, and the artists who helped create the beautiful bowls and donated to our Art10 drawing. A full list of our supporters for Empty Bowls can be found here. In gratitude, Jason Viana, Executive Director The Open Door Greetings! Your faithful support has allowed us to continue to grow our HopeDay program and strengthen families who have a child with a life-threatening medical condition. Extended hospital stays and overwhelming medical bills can add stress to the family unit. Rebecca, Kellie’s mom, shares: “This organization has helped bring our family together. We spent so much of our lives apart and in hospitals. HopeKids has been a godsend for us. We could never afford to attend these events with our whole family and her PCA. She can hardly wait to see what we get to do next.” You can read more and view photos from our recent HopeDay events in our spring newsletter. We have some exciting facts from last year to share with you as well! Click the video link below to see the 2017 highlights of our chapter. Thank you for your ongoing support, as we couldn’t do it without you. With Hope, Brian Anderson, Executive Director HopeKids Minnesota Dear Valley Christian Church, We’re glad that you're with us in the mission to see two years of global service become the norm for Christian young adults! Together we’re working to change the culture on campuses and in churches to go beyond a short-term mission mindset and focus! Here’s an update on what our team’s been up to in 2018 so far… Tomorrow is a big day! March 1 is our first (and main) application deadline. Since September 15, our team has been visiting campuses, setting up at conferences and career fairs, speaking and doing presentations in campus fellowship groups and classes, and doing whatever we can do to get in front of students and invite them to take the bold step of investing two years in global service after college. Please pray for the final students who are busily trying to complete their application before the March 1 midnight deadline! What else is going on:
Winter recruiting season - March 1 is not the end of recruiting… we’ll still be reaching out to students to apply for our final application deadline on June 1. Praise God for continuing to bless GoCorps by opening doors on many campuses this semester Pray that our message would reach the right students who are ready to answer the call to go Pray for the knowledge of GoCorps to continue to grow across college campuses around the USWe are thankful for your partnership in the gospel! PAUL VAN DER WERF Along with the faithful giving of people in the United States, many people and businesses in Mexico have begun to take an interest in the children who call Niños de Mexico their home. This is a great cause for joy! There is a new sense of responsibility among the Mexican people to care for children who have been orphaned, abandoned or abused and are in great need. This was certainly not the case in the past. Mexicans are demonstrating their concern and compassion to the children from their own country in a variety of ways. Financially, the extra support helps us expand the number of homes and ultimately allows us to care for more children who are in desperate circumstances. Here are some examples of how our children are being blessed by individuals and businesses here in Mexico:
Thank you for your faithful prayers, giving and participation in the work of Niños. Our prayer is that our children will have the opportunity to have a life, blessed by God, as they make Niños their home. May God continue to bless you and use you to accomplish His will here and around the world! In His service, Steve Ross P.S. In Mexico, Valentine's Day is called The Day of Love and Friendship. It is a fun day for the children! DO YOU BELIEVE? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Yes, I believe! That proclamation of faith came from the heart, soul, mind and lips of a 12 year old boy on December 24, 2000. Let's go back a few years before those words were said on that special Christmas Eve service. God loved, guided and especially protected that small boy who once slept under a bridge. His blanket on cold winter nights was the warmth that came from slepping with a stray dog. His food each day came to him by begging. There were no nights spent in a warm bed or sitting at a table 3 times a day. For over 4 years (age 6-10) he simply did what it took to survive. Then one day a miracle happened in his life. He was guided to our home and hearts. In less than 2 years he learned the need of forgiveness and receiving Jesus as his Lord and Savior. At age 16 he began to preach. One Sunday a member of our church said, "He has me sitting on the edge of my seat, he makes God so real". That young boy who came into our lives will be 30 years old in May of this year. One more exciting event will happen to this courageous young man in May. His dream is about to beome a reality, he will graduate from Bible College. His sole desire is to serve God, who rescued his life. We want to invite you to witness this young man's graduation on May 11, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at Colegio Biblico, Piedras Negras, Mexico. Jose Aucencio Manuel Gonzalez, born on May 29, 1988, came into our lives on February 2, 1999. He was baptized on December 24, 2000 and will soon graduate from Bible College. There is so much more behind this young man's story. It is truly God working in miraculous ways of love, protection and guidance. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Jose will once more be on his own after graduation. At age 6, when he left home, he lost everything: family, home and security. He calls us Mom and Dad, a title we are honored to wear. We have gotten him through each stage of life since he came into our lives. Every time we hear him preach or sing we think of "our little boy who once slept under a bridge". Nothing in his life has come easy, but with perseverance and a God focused mind, he has overcome a multitude of obstacles. Coming with his graduation from Bible College are extra expenses. College ring, cap and gown, ceremony expenses and more. If you would like to share with Jose, we ask that you pray first for this special man of God and share from your heart as Jose enters into the ministry. During the next few months we will share about his plans and goals for ministry. This young man is serious about sharing God's love with others. God has done so much in Jose's life since that most important question was asked of him. Do you believe? Pray and Share a Blessing! David and Sheri DeBolt |
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