Renewing Our Vision
At the beginning of each year, as a congregation, we sit down and do some dreaming, planning, and praying. We ask ourselves vital questions such as, "What is God's plan for us this year?" and "How can we be good instruments in His plan?" Then we do our best to put it all in action.
This year we believe that we need to be renewed in God's vision. We want to focus on our commitment to our small groups, their growth and multiplication. During the past year we, the leadership, took large strides in achieving these goals on a congregational level. This focus led us to the multiplication of a new congregation, however our small groups' growth suffered. Our goal is to grow in all areas. Our plan for the new congregation in Ecatepec is going well and being blessed by God, and the small groups are all renewing their goals and vision. We are so excited about what God is going to do with us this year. We feel called to "return" to His vision. We want to dedicate ourselves to reaching out to others and to the growth of the church. As a family, we feel so blessed to be a part of such a strong core of leadership who truly desire to see their city become a "Christian" city.
Small Group NewsAt the beginning of each year, as a congregation, we sit down and do some dreaming, planning, and praying. We ask ourselves vital questions such as, "What is God's plan for us this year?" and "How can we be good instruments in His plan?" Then we do our best to put it all in action.
This year we believe that we need to be renewed in God's vision. We want to focus on our commitment to our small groups, their growth and multiplication. During the past year we, the leadership, took large strides in achieving these goals on a congregational level. This focus led us to the multiplication of a new congregation, however our small groups' growth suffered. Our goal is to grow in all areas. Our plan for the new congregation in Ecatepec is going well and being blessed by God, and the small groups are all renewing their goals and vision. We are so excited about what God is going to do with us this year. We feel called to "return" to His vision. We want to dedicate ourselves to reaching out to others and to the growth of the church. As a family, we feel so blessed to be a part of such a strong core of leadership who truly desire to see their city become a "Christian" city.
Our small group is still meeting in the Pink House. We have a new sister named Crystal, and she has become a member of our group. She came to know Christ in the Ecatepec group, but because of the distance from where she lives she has started to meet with us. Amanda has started new Christian studies with her. She is a vibrant young Christian with a heart to study God's Word. It is so encouraging to see someone so dedicated to knowing God. Please keep Crystal in your prayers.
Please pray for our outreach where we live. Because it is an upper middle class neighborhood it is difficult to get to know our neighbors. However, we know many people who work around here. These relationships go back years with all those who have lived in this house. We pray that God can use us in reaching out to these people and are thankful that our relationship with them is growing. Sometimes it takes years to build trust in a city where trust is considered unwise, so please pray for our perseverance. Please pray that we can be good examples of Jesus Christ and his love to this area of the city.
Ecatepec Congregation
The new congregation in Ecatepec hosted our last areawide leadership meeting. It is exciting to see the energy that our brothers there have; it is contagious for all of us to be around them. God is growing them in many ways, and God is also using them to grow us all. We are entering into some new phases of growth with this congregation as they will soon be meeting independantly on a more regular basis. This part of the work is such an adventure! Please keep this new congregation in your prayers, specifically its leaders: Miguel and Tina Rocha, Israel Campos and Dr. Salomon Than.
Thanks for Friends
Two of our dear friends Marco Antonio Ponce de León and his wife Claudia were fairly recently immersed into Christ. We met them through Ivan Ponce de León a couple of years ago. They are the couple who rented us the last house we lived when they moved out of the city. Since their move God has been working on their hearts through many different people, and they finally decided to give their lives to Him. A few months after becoming Christians, they were in a car accident, and as a result Marco Antonio found out that he has a brain tumor. He is scheduled for brain surgery here in the city this week. It is amazing to see such a young Christian have such great faith when faced with this kind of trial. Marco Antonio has been a light to all of his family and to us since he found out about his sickness. He is completely dependant on God and His mighty power! Please keep his surgery and recovery in your prayers over the next few days. Also pray that he is soon able to sale his house here in the city. He has had an offer this week, so we are hopeful!
Family
Our family is doing well. We are glad to be back home in Mexico after our long trip to the States. We have all been battling through sickness, probably like most of you, but we are hopefully on the downhill side with just some coughing and headeaches left. Adah is doing great, and Noah is growing more every day with a big smile on his face. He has just learned how to clap and is working on a wave. These are fun times. Adah loves to dance and pretty much anything to do with princesses (go figure.) She is so spunky and sassy! We hope to post some pictures soon. For now, I hope just reading will do.
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