Train up a child… Mexico Worship

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

boyspraying2Tonyia and I attended services at Pastor Hernandez’s church Sunday evening. The pastor called for a time of prayer when he asked men to pray for men, women for women. It was up lifting as everyone participated and the room filled with the sweet sound of folks connecting with the source of life. I was particularly touched to see two boys pouring out their hearts for each other.

It is a very active church. The congregational worship is on Sunday afternoons and Thursday nights. Plus, they have special service times for youth, teen boys and children. The church is often full, but there may only be one or two cars parked out front – most people walk. Many don’t have cars or can’t afford gas. After one recent service Tonyia and I took some ladies home and they had walked over two miles to attend.

adultchurchThere are no pew sitters in the churches in Mexico – everyone is expected to actively participate. Tonyia and I sang “I have decided to follow Jesus,” others offered a testimony, or read passages from the Bible. The preacher also expects everyone to follow along in their Bibles as he leads a preaching and study time. People in the congregation are called on to read the passages aloud and sometimes to recite the text out loud together.

It is common to see everyone at the alter by the end of the two hour service. The Holy Spirit is very alive in worship here – the people are sincere and many live totally by faith. It seems they have taken what Jesus said in John 4:23-24 to heart “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

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Casa Cristana Del Alfarero Dedication & Needs

Dedication to Jesus

A small group gathered recently at the ministry house we have named Casa Cristana El Alfarero (Christian House of the Potter) to pray and to dedicate the facility to Jesus. We had a time of prayer, song, Bible reading and to share where the direction the Lord is leading us in using the facility. However, there is a lot of work that must be done before we can start using the compound.

The Vision
It will be a place where believers, both new Christians of all ages and seasoned followers, will come to go deeper in their faith. Plus, we believe the Lord will use it to draw non-believers to commit to a life following Jesus and they will be directed to one of the great local churches
We plan to be a Christian resource center where the many area independent evangelical fellowships will find Spanish language teaching material, commentaries, books, tracts, CD’s, DVD’s, maps and charts. We plan to host children’s events and possibly a weekly “kid’s club” for pre-teens in the area. Also, there will be special times for teen girls and boys.
We will have a couple of rooms with bunk beds where we can accommodate overnight groups from the US or Mexico. We plan to have pastor/leader conferences a couple of times each year to help deepen their walk with the Lord. These will draw folks from the many rural communities.
Sponsors
The facility is made possible by the cooperative effort of True Path Ministry, Inc. a partner with Damascus Road Fellowship in Ennis, Texas. We are also pleased to have Iglesia Pentecostes Central Cristiano Victoria Mexico join us in this calling. It is an association of churches in Mexico based in Reynosa. Pastor Francisco Ramirez Pena heads up the organization.
The Needs
minstryhouse1smallWe need individuals and groups to come help us make this facility usable. We hope some groups will come during spring break to help us. Below is what we are facing in repairs by area:

All areas
• Cleanup inside and out
• New water supply line from main to house
• New water heater
• Clear overgrown lot next to house
Living room
• Concrete patch
ministryhseoutside6• Paint
• New light fixture or fan
Master Bedroom
• Locking door
• 1 window glass replaced
• Light fixture
• Paint
• Bunk beds
Master bathroom
• Commode lid
minhseinside1• Doors for toilet and shower areas
Kitchen
• 1 window glass replaced
• Handles for cabinet doors
• Re-work kitchen faucet (now two separate faucets)
• Paint
Bath 2 downstairs
• Shower head
• Toilet seat
• 1 window glass replaced
minhseinside2• Shower curtain (already has rod)
Library Room
• Remove old carpet
• Install complete new window (currently has wood shutters only)
• Door knob
• Repair light fixture
Upstairs Landing area
• Bars on one window
• Replace window glass X5 (one very small)
• Paint
Upstairs bedroom
• Change door lock
• Replace window glass X3
• Paint
Tiny Upstairs bedroom with Toilet Closet
• Replace window glass X4
• Paint
• Toilet lid/seat
• Re-do plumbing
• Add small sink

Prayer Answered for Joventina

In one of my posts some weeks back I mentioned Joventina and her ten-year old daughter are struggling to make ends meet after her husband died two years ago. One way she makes money
joventin2is by knitting scarves, but she had run out of yarn and had no money to buy more.

Thanks to a generous donation from our home church Damascus Road Fellowship in Ennis, Texas she now has a good supply. Tears welled up in her eyes as she accepted the gift in the Name of Jesus.

For Joventina it was a prayer answered and for Tonyia and I it was a joy to play a small part in sharing the love of Christ with her.

Our Mexico Kitchen & Dinner

An Adventure in Moving – to Mexico