My husband just wrote an update e-mail and since it pretty much sums up our summer I am going to post it here. Thanks to God we have had an awesome summer so far. Its not over just yet, but we know that God has much left to show and do.
Long Summer but not over yet…
God has mighty and mysterious ways to work in our lives and the purposes He has designed us for. Even when the situation is forecasting storms and cloudy skies we have this divine certainty that tells us “it’s going to be Ok”.
Few years ago summers were like the rush-hour of our year. We would spend time with mission teams 24/7 we had little time for our families, friends, churches, and rest. But it was all worthy cause we knew it was all for the sake of the call and God’s kingdom. Little after ITAM Ministries (US) dropped the work we felt like the disciples going back to the nets. Trying to find a living out of what we used to do before finding our purpose in God’s call. I did a couple of jobs for an Airline and a Hotel. This past April I quit my job at the Hotel so I could work with a few mission teams that came and so I could work on starting the Mission Department at Pueblo Escogido. Kathleen and I have been blessed with a lot of opportunities to help and support different Ministries throughout the country. In May we worked with three Baptist Churches in Mene Grande (a small town east to Maracaibo). They hosted a team from Tennessee, US that came to help with Evangelism and teaching. Then in June we have the honor to work with First Baptist Alpharetta. They came and worked with Pueblo Escogido and Fuente de Amor helping with construction and carnivals. In early July we started the Bread of Hope ministry giving away 96 bags of groceries and over 300 meals served in a vigil organized by several Churches in La Concepcion. Mark Kreikemeier is leading this Ministry where we present the local church a way to touch their communities by providing for their physical needs. Later on this month we went out with a team from Fuente de Amor and passed out 140 bags of groceries in two communities. Soon after that Kathleen and I helped in an Evangelistic crusade for E3 Partner Ministries in Cabimas. They had several teams in different cities in Venezuela and they requested many translators. We helped with translation and some logistics. Coming back to Maracaibo, we got ready to go to the youth camp “Transformed Generation” where we served with some teachings and counseling. It was a great opportunity to get to know the youth at our church Pueblo Escogido and to share with them about the plans for the mission department.
This past August 7th Kathleen and I celebrated our first year anniversary. That same day we left to Guanare with a team of ten. We traveled to join many people that went to Portuguesa State to support the Baptist evangelistic effort that takes place every summer in different places around Venezuela. We were connected with Luminar del Este Baptist Church in Guanare. We did door to door evangelism, led children’s games, teachings, shared in a nursing home, and a drug rehabilitation center.
Right now we are getting ready for our trip to Bolivar state in September where have been invited to an evangelistic effort and we are putting together a team of 20. It will be a long trip, 22 to 24 hours by bus. We are still working on preparations such as training in evangelism, drama, fundraising and prayer.
We have had a very busy summer so far and God has blessed our lives with the privilege of serving him alongside our brothers and sisters. We are trusting that God takes care of everyone of our needs as we are ministering to others and taking His word to the lost world.
Please…
• Pray for us as we move forward with the Mission department at Pueblo Escogido
• Pray that the Bread of Hope ministry can be use to touch lives and that God would open doors for the water ministry in the community next to the dump.
• Pray for our trip to Bolivar as we raise funds for the costs and that we may show the love of Jesus to every person we come in contact with.
