Dear Friends:
Just when we think that all of the social distancing and lock-downs and unemployment are about over, we learn that there are new variants and that apparently covid is with us to stay. So how do we deal with all of that as Christians? Does our mission or our goals change? Should we quit going out into our world to spread the Good News of a Savior (Mk. 16:15)? Should we avoid fellowship (1 Jn. 1:7)? Should we quit ministering to others (Mt. 25:44)? I think we would all agree that God’s Word does not change, that His Call upon His people to minister, help, and to call people to salvation in Jesus does not change. One thing I concluded early in the current health scare is the following: 1) We were born with a purpose, we are not just some random production of accidental evolution (Jer. 1:5); 2) The goal of our lives is to fulfill God’s Call (1 Cor. 9:24) and to enjoy fellowship with Him, which always involves putting God first and performing acts of love for our fellow human beings, whether friend or enemy (Matt. 22:37-40). All of the days of our lives are numbered by God, not by us (Ps. 139:16, Acts 17:28) 3) We are not to live in fear (2 Tim. 1:7). Our final habitation is not in our earthly bodies, but rather in our Spiritual bodies in the presence of the Lord (Jn. 14:2-3, 2 Cor. 5:8), and ultimately in our resurrected immortal bodies (Rev. 21, Jn. 5:28-29).
We are reminded “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:24-26 NIV. I do not think that this means literally that we must hate our lives here on earth. After all, God gave us this life. But it does clearly show us where our priorities need to be. Our priorities need to be focused on fulfilling God’s call upon our lives here, and then in the world to come, we will have an eternity covered by His love. Jesus tells us, “I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world." John 16:32-33 TLB. Therefore we can say with assurance that this life is not all there is. We do not live only for this life, but rather to prepare for our Eternal lives. Jesus is our perfect example of a life lived that way.
What a joyous season we are in! Do not let the world’s priorities and preoccupations take away from God’s Eternal truth for us. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of God to earth in human form, born as a baby in the poorest of circumstances, it is important for us to remember that this is the greatest of God’s many promises in the Old Testament hundreds and even thousands of years before his birth. He promised that a Savior would come, someone who would set His people free from their sins, someone who could fully identify with us as a human, suffer and die for us, and yet raise us from death to eternal life, forgiving our sins (if we repent and accept). God fulfilled His promise and this child, Immanuel, God with us, was born on that amazing night over 2,000 years ago. We should celebrate the fact that Jesus’ birth, his life, his death, and resurrection are the greatest proof that God fulfills His promises, that His plans for us are for good, not evil, and that his promises for our future are trustworthy. God’s gift to us this Christmas season can never be surpassed!
Because of God’s gift to us we also get to spread the joy of giving, helping the poor, helping the orphan, helping the widow, helping all who are in need. We are so thankful for your giving hearts pouring into this ministry! You are affecting children who would have never had a chance for a bright future without your help. And right now, we are hoping to help 9 more orphans, but it is going to cost us an extra $2,000 per month to do so (extra food, support staff, and general living expenses). That’s about $250 per girl per month, not a high cost when you consider it means rescuing a girl from terrible circumstances and helping her set and achieve goals that will give her a good future! We are all volunteers, but our staff in Mexico who run the orphanage must be paid for their service, and our facility must be maintained. So, we are trying to raise our annual donations by $25,000! If you can help in this, or know of others who can help, God bless you! Maybe you can make a year-end special gift, or maybe you or someone you know wants to help with monthly support. Giving to those things that are closest to God’s heart are a blessing, and not without rewards from Him! “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38
We will be holding our annual Christmas celebration for the families in our program on Saturday, December 11. It will be a huge event, as in years past, we have had up to 600 people attend! We will have preaching, fun and games for kids, a light meal (frito pie), and gift-giving to all of the kids, providing them with needed clothing, shoes, and something fun, like a toy or a soccer ball. It requires a lot of help, and we do have a number of people who are volunteering to help us put this event on, but we would love to have more! If you are able to come, maybe to encourage one of the kids you are sponsoring, or to encourage one of our girls in the orphanage, we would love to have you! Give me or Pat a call. 505.670.5659. Merry Christmas!
Hello, Alas family! We are already nearing the end of the year, and what a long and strange year it has been. Most of us have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, some of us more than others. Alas de Amor has had an unusual and difficult year, as a lot of our outreach involves in-person gatherings and 1-on-1 interactions with the children in the program. However, we are thankful for each and every one of you who has been steadfast in your support, financial or otherwise. In times of trouble and uncertainty, Alas has managed to carry out its mission and help the children of Palomas because of your generosity and prayers. We extend to you our most sincere gratitude.
This past month, we had individual guest speakers for elementary, middle school and high school. All of our speakers focused on the topic of loving your neighbor, a topic all too relevant for all of us now that we have been so distanced from one another. Though our number of volunteers has not been as big as we had pre-COVID, God has consistently provided someone to serve every child, as well as their parents and siblings.
Thanks to our volunteers, we were able to begin preparations for our Christmas celebration. This year’s celebration is a much needed one, as we have not had a proper celebration for the past two years. We ask for your prayers so that we can give our children a fun (and safe) Christmas celebration, alongside their families and friends.
One other piece of good news: Two of our Palomas high school graduates have been accepted to college! This is truly a great achievement for any of our kids, and we see more and more students choosing to go to college every year. This news is the kind of news that keep us motivated and validates all of our hard work. Let’s keep up the good work!
We would like to close off this month’s newsletter by thanking all of our sponsors who have sent a gift to their child. These gifts mean the world to our children and bring a smile to their faces. They are a reminder that Alas is about more than just good grades, as we want to make every child feel loved and cared for by someone. With that we are signing off for this month, but we will be back with more news and updates about the Christmas celebration next month. Thank you, and God bless you.
Berenice