Dear Friends:
If you are interested in learning a little bit about missions, this is a great opportunity to experience missions short-term close to home! We started this mission work in Mexico 26 years ago, and it has become our way of life! Come and see why it is so amazing! We will leave from the church on Friday afternoon, spend the night at the orphanage, minister to kids and their parents all day on Saturday—then some will return to Santa Fe on Saturday evening and some will return after ministering to the college students on Sunday morning. There are always things to do! You can call Pat at (505)670-5659 or Jim at (505)690-8302 to find out more!
This last month, we started speaking about our theme for this year, which is taken from Joshua 24:15—As for me and my family, we will follow the Lord! Joshua points out that we all serve someone or something. For us, that usually means we want to live life our way! We want to decide the rules, we want to decide what is best for us, we want to decide where we will go, what we will do, and when we will do it. Most people live a self-serving life. But God challenges us be reminding us that He is the one who created us, we did not create ourselves, and our Creator is infinitely wiser and better prepared to lead us in lives of value, importance, and meaning. We challenged the students and their parents—who would they serve? Would they be willing to trust their Creator with their lives, with their plans, with their future? Even with their disappointments and failures?
It was a good discussion with our wonderful volunteer teachers, and we pray that it has an impact.
This year, we are going to be starting a training program also for Youth Leaders in the churches we serve in Palomas. We are hoping to help the churches build powerful Youth Groups with young people who are ready to follow the Lord wherever He may lead! One of our college graduates from our Alas Program, Oscar Maldonado, has shown desire to minister in this area, and so we are helping him with materials as he begins to plan a course for the Youth leaders!
His younger brother, Jimmy, led the Bible teaching for the college kids on Sunday, and it was really well-done. It is such a blessing to see how some of the families are really taking up the call of the Lord in their lives. They will be the ones who bring transformation to Puerto Palomas!
Here are some prayer points that we hope you will pray for our families and the ministry in Palomas!
1. That the power of the cartels will be broken.
2. That the Believers in Christ will be able to stand up against corruption.
3. That the Pastors and church leaders will have the full gifts and fruit of the Spirit manifested in their lives to lead their congregations into God’s Holiness.
4. That the congregations of Palomas will both grow and grow stronger in the Lord!
5. That the parents will raise their children in love and obedience to the Lord.
6. That the children will be able to resist the deceptions of the devil that are all around them!
7. That the teachers in the schools will have a passion for teaching the children well!
May the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.
Jim & Pat