Wednesday, January 14, 2009

January Prayer Letter

Planting Seeds

Sacred concerts. Vacation Bible school. Youth rallies. Family conference. Evangelism. Lots of steak and ice cream… Where do we begin in reporting on the Clearwater Christian College mission team? We were privileged to share our home and ministry with this wonderful group of 17 students and two sponsors. We saw God work, from beginning to end, in ways that amazed us all. Though there were never astonishing crowds, there were believers edified and encouraged as well as souls saved.

The seeds of the Gospel were planted here in our neighborhood through a VBS for children and a soccer ministry for the older boys. On the last day of VBS, we were alerted that we were no longer allowed to knock on doors to invite kids to the VBS because a neighbor had complained. After praying for God’s intervention, more kids than ever showed up to play soccer and one prayed to accept Christ as his Savior! Please pray for wisdom as we follow up with these new contacts.

You can read more about the trip from the students’ and sponsors’ perspective on the Clearwater website.

Serving with Joy
All week long, Julieta (14) and Franco (12) helped translate for the team. These are the children of Alejandro and Andrea, our Christian neighbors whom we have been discipling. This was a life-changing week for them to get to know young people serving the Lord and to see God work in their own backyard (literally). Their parents, too, were moved by the transformation they saw in their children.


Some of our church ladies prepared lunch for the team during the week. (One day they even managed without power!) They served with joyful hearts and were great examples to all of us.
All the families with young children brought them out for the VBS, so there were between four and eight church kids from outside the neighborhood every day. Plus, there were a total of 10 kids who heard the Gospel for the first time.

Building Update
Thank you for praying, as well as for giving, for the building we want to rent. The church people gave over $1,000 pesos toward the project (almost US 300) and the Lord provided the other $1,500 that we needed. With the holidays and the owners on vacation, they have not begun the paperwork. It can be frustrating, but we will keep trusting God’s timing in this matter and keep you updated.