Saturday, December 12, 2009

We need your prayers for ALL that is taking place, GOD IS SO GOOD!!

We have been home a month now and enjoying reconnecting with our team down here! It is always great to go on tour and see so many of you and share what God is doing here in Ensenada. Our hearts are here and it feels so good to be home and back at work. We have been busy meeting with each of the pastors and their families, sharing what God is up to in each of our lives. Casting vision for this year as we walk alongside our friends here. God continues to amaze us, it is such a privilege to be His servants and we are humbled to be used by God. Please stand beside us in prayer that we would continue to seek His face, and that we would be wise in decisions that need to be made here. The enemy comes in and wants to destroy, pray that our team will be strong and rise up and overcome the enemy. As we returned home we were very encouraged by the growth in the pastors, and how they have come together in unity. The pastors were joyful and excited to share with us what God is doing in their communities.

The second week we were home Jamin had a city wide worship service at his church. Ten different churches were represented from the Manaedero area. It had rained the whole day, they were expecting 300 people to come, even with the rain a 150-170 people showed up. The church was so full, you couldn't walk in the church without people having to move out of the way. Even twenty or so stood outside in the cold, rainy weather under a tarp. The pastors in the community will meet once a month at different churches to worship together.

Ricardo and Rosy had an evening for just married couples, Francisco and Jamin's church were invited to share in the evening. It has been great to see the pastors come together. The district superintendent, Roberto comes down to Ensenada once a month to encourage and train the pastors in the Alliance. Roberto has a lot of work to do, but he has been very encouraged with the progress each of the pastors are making. It has been an adjustment for each of the pastors to come under the a denomination, culturally this is not easy for them to have to submit to authority and be held accountable. This is very important that the pastors understand and are willing to go through the whole process so that they will grow as pastors. Pray for Roberto as he is leading the pastors, he has an incredible amount of understanding, but I am sure at times it is very testing.

This last weekend our family and Francisco's family went to Mexicali. We went to church with Gustavo and Francis, first time we had been back since Vegas had constructed the church. They are a church full of life, growing and sacrificing together. Their church was broke into in the summer and their sound system was stolen. Gustavo had to adjust the one mic they have several times throughout the service. It didn't put a damper on the service, they continue to be thankful for all that God is doing. Part of the reason we went to Mexicali was to visit a cell church Francisco has started outside of the city. We met in one of the families home with another family, they were excited to have started the cell church. Francisco has a vision to plant churches in the Mexicali valley. At this time he is meeting with this cell church once a month and hoping to train up a pastor in Maneadero to pastor his church, so that he can move his family to Mexicali. He has four solid families in this cell church, with a vision to reach those who do not know Christ. We are excited to see what God has ahead in Mexicali. As we drove home we were filled with awe at how God is moving, it was a great trip to Mexicali. Only wishing it wasn't so hot in the summer so that we can visit more often.

Our plan is to break ground this January to build our facility to house groups. God placed an amazing man in our community who has graciously given us land (right behind Tacos El Pablanos, how convenient). At the end of January we plan to lay the cement slab and over the month of February we have three groups who have committed to help build the NEW apartment complex. Pray for us that the funding and the help need to put this up will all come together. We are very grateful for the sacrifice each of these churches are committing to, not only the money but the time to come. As the mission has grown we are now in a place that we need to have a facility that is our own. We are moving ahead and trusting that God will give us just what we need and when we need it. Sometimes it is not always the way we think it should be, we are grateful for all who have surrounded us with support. Please pray for us as we move ahead with this huge project. If you would like to see what the apartment is projected to look like, please check out the ensenada project on facebook. Also, there are new pictures of Gustavos church and the work on Rafa's cement pad for a church building.