Presents in Purisima

(Guest written by Jeanette, niece of Stephen and Tonyia)

We have just returned from our last day of Christmas gift giving in Purisima, Nuevo Leon.  This was my first time to visit this tiny village.  The church there is nestled near the edge of a canyon with a river at the bottom.  Lebardo is the pastor there, and tomorrow he celebrates his 67th birthday.  He, his wife, and three of his daughters were there to greet us when we arrived. 

Since church was not scheduled to start until noon, we had some time to spare and hiked down the canyon to the river at the base.  The water, rocks, and trees were beautiful and reminded me of where I grew up in the Texas Hill Country.

Church began at noon with LuLu leading the praise songs, and the Pastor Lebardo’s daughters getting all the ladies from the village to sing a special song for us visitors.  It was wonderful.  The group from Iglesia Getsemani also sang a special song for the church.  Then the children were dismissed, and we all went outside in front of the Pastor’s house to have children’s church.  The kids enjoyed the singing, craft, and the story of Christ’s birth.  One little girl was only 3 years old and sat and listened with the attention span of a much older child. 

Evangelist Ramiro was with us once again today and preached a sermon on Isaiah 60:1. Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  A reminder that we need the light of Jesus.  It helps us to be content.  Also remember that your soul reflects your mood to others, and your glory to God.  Always remember how God has blessed you, even in your difficult times.

After all this we handed out the gift boxes to the children and the handmade sock hats.  The families were also given donated blankets.  Most of the children today were very small and they were completely amazed by the bubbles, dolls, balls, yo-yos, and everything that was in the gift boxes. 

Being a part of the giving adventure this year has been such a blessing to me and all the members of True Path Ministry.  I realized that I started coming to do this in 2017, so next year will make 5 years.  I absolutely love doing this and cannot wait to come back.  It is now time to start working on Christmas 2022 and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  Thank you to everyone in the U.S.A. that made this happen and Dios de bendiga…God Bless You!

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