Building

While I was gone on my trip, back at home a team was sent for nearly a week to San Bartolo to help improve some of the villagers houses. Additions of rooms were added to 4 houses during that time. Here are a few photos from the team that went.

Fran adding the last nails, with Gabo good Mexican laborer that he is, looking on.

Phil, the Foreman adding the last piece.

Isreal, Fran and Gabo with one of the families who received an addition to their makeshift home.

Christmas Testimony

Our Home with our friends from Matamoros.

Our Christmas outreach didn't seem that unusual or outstanding, although we were inspired with the tools that were getting out, the souls saved, and also the beginnings of a singing team, which did well with their restaurant busking. We also participated in a few CTPs, and it seemed we needed to be content with the main difference between our Christmas push and our rest-of-the-year witnessing being that we did more of it. We thanked the Lord for the large amount of tools distributed, souls saved, and increase in the other stats, and we knew in our hearts that we had done our best to use this time of year to reach as many as possible with His Love. We had been praying for any leadings or openings He may want to interject along the way, but it didn't seem that the something “new and different” was coming.

However on the day after Christmas, we were invited to meet a man who came from another city, a Christian who we had worked with on a project earlier in the year. He was coming to distribute toys and other materials at a village we have been working together on witnessing to, gradually working to bring about changes both spiritually and physically in the lives of the poor people there.

This man said he had brought toys for the children in our Home too, and wanted us to pick them up. However when we arrived, he had about 10 large bags full of toys, which he was giving us to distribute as we wished! This was a real answer to prayer, as we had scheduled the days between Christmas & January 6th for more CTPs, however we didn't have toys to distribute, and now we had over 250 of them! This would enable us to distribute at an orphanage, as well as hold a special event at the poor area near us where we regularly bring food.

A few more miracles followed this one, as the next day this man and his family and team members visited our Home for an afternoon of fellowship. We shared testimonies with them, and our singing team sang them some Christmas songs which brought tears to a few eyes. Amazingly, they had brought presents for everyone in the Home, including a beautiful trampoline for our kids, something on our “wish list” for a while but unreachable because of other financial priorities. (During the month of November he and his brother also bought us a pickup truck, GBT! —This is something we’ve been praying for as it’s a real need for market pickups, CTPs, etc.)

But the real miracle is the Lord's working in this man and his family’s hearts, as although we’ve only met and worked with them once before, he looks to us as his family, and wants to learn real missionary work and methods from us. He said that during the remaining days of their stay here, before they return to their own city and jobs, they want to be with us as much as possible, accompany us on our projects, team up and learn from us. (Separately, two of his children confided in us that spending time learning and working with us to help others was the best vacation they could ever have.)

So besides joining us for the witnessing and distribution event the afternoon of the 31st, they will also join us for a candlelight evening afterwards. They were very excited to hear how we turn the page of the new year by thanking the Lord for the victories of the past year, committing our new year’s goals and prayers to the Lord, and claiming His promises. We’ll be working to prepare appropriate songs and Word, and desperately pray that it will draw them closer to the spirit of David and the Family, as they partake of this special time with us.

We hadn’t envisioned other Christians as being those who the Lord would want to use to increase our workforce and collaborate with, nor who He would want us to pour our unique training into, as we had been thinking mainly along the lines of the new disciples and Active members He’s helping us to win. But the Lord has the master plan, and it makes us desperate as we realize the responsibility it is to help teach and train these He’s brought to us, to help them to reach their own people.

It’s also causing us to face the reality of how the Offensive – once it really gets rolling in our Homes – is going to change things – our schedule, our lifestyle, and the things we’re used to. New Years eve will now be spent helping to draw our new friends and co-laborers into a time of thanks and prayer as we commit our work and lives to Him for the new year – rather than the inner-Family partying which has been our custom in the previous years. (Although we may still hold a party a few days later, as we are seeking the Lord for how to meet both needs, even if on a little different timetable!)

We know we’ve got lots to learn, and we’re praying for the Lord's daily instruction, claiming His keys of change and adaptation, as He works to mold us into the individuals and Home He wants us to be, and that He can use to the max to reach His Offensive goals for us in the year ahead!

Christmas Posada

Our home hosted a Posada and open house this evening for our friends and contacts. It was a nice time of fellowship and witnessing. We had about 45 different people visit us that evening. here are some photos.

Kina and Victor passing out our Newsletter to those attending before watching the presentation video about the work here in Cuernavaca.

The teens singing some Christmas carols.

The crowd watching the Christmas shows.

The kids doing one of the upbeat numbers from their show.

Alex, Bruni and I relaxing during the dinner.

San Bartolome Day #6

Today is the last day our team of 20-26 volunteers were here all day. We were joined by two member from the SSU which helped compliment the team for it's final day. We did a lot of activities that have become our trademark here, bible stories, games, songs and skits for the kids. Along with extensive personal witnessing on a constant basis for the adults. It has been quite amazing to see the lives of the people changing over the past few days.

Although this is the last day of all of being there on a daily basis it is by no means the end of our project in this village, more on that in a future post. The day went late into the night with many families staying till midnight for fellowship and prayer. We made it safely home around 2am.

Here are some random photos from the last day.

Sara and Gaby praying with a group of children before the afternoon meal.

Esther surround by a group of kids while listening to the bible stories.

Gabriel, Kat, Ivan, Sara and Danny (AM) leading the kids in the song "Jesus come into my heart." In total over 250 souls were saved this week.

Adrian (8), Lena and Esther with some friends. As a parent seeing my kids interacting and witnessing with the village kids was a huge reward and blessing to me.

Me, trying to hold back the line of people waiting for all the last of the shoes and clothes to be set out for them to choose. In total over 750 pairs of shoes and 650 kilos of clothes were given out over the past 5 days.

Philip doing painting of ceramics with the village young people. This is an activity that we only did on the last day and was a huge hit.

Chris, from the SSU personal witnessing in song. GB him and Danny (AM) that came from their home to help out the last day. MANY THANKS to the SSU home for their support in personnel and prayers with us for this project. We really love you guys!

Here I am with one of the village babies.

Sara, doing action games with the kids with Adrian (8) and Alex (9) mixed in the crowd helping to lead the motions.

San Bartolome Day #5

Today was another great day in the village. We took the kids today and they all had a blast. It was nice for me to see Adrian and Jade interacting with the other kids and constantly asking me how to say different things in Spanish. They each made new friends and were able to help and participate in the different activities.

Adrian playing soccer.

Pablo (the Medic) giving people check ups, and Victor offering words of encouragement.

Jade and Sara helping to give away clothes.

Esther, Bruni, Gaby, Sara and Victor giving away shoes.

Jade sharing some banana bread with one of the children.

Adrian and Jade participating in a gunny sack relay race.

Pilar, Esther, Kat and Alex (9) with a group of children for inspiration.

Phil with two ladies at lunch.

San Bartolome Day #4

Along with all the physical aid we are trying to help this village with, personal witnessing is our primary focus. This morning we started the day with a group devotions and ended it with the salvation message and led the group that had already gathered there in prayer to receive Jesus. Witnessing and praying with people became the common sight of the day.

Bringing happiness into these peoples lives and into the village has taken on a festive role. the face painting of smiley faces on people is the new trend. Today we decided to step it up a bit and we also painted the cars so that where ever we drive we are also being a witness.

Some of the village ladies following along in bibles at the morning devotions.

Kat and Gabriel painting the cars.

The finished product.

And Kat insisted on painting my head too... I guess she found the smooth surface attractive... LOL!

Holding up a caterpillar before making him lunch... Yes!! You read that right, we cooked and ate caterpillars. More on that along with the video coming in a later post.

Dawn, Kat and Sara all sampling the caterpillars.

Some of the happy children at lunch time.

The kids listening to a bible story.

Gabriel and I helping to pass out the shoes.

Kat, Phil and Sara helping to pass out the clothing.

San Bartolome Day #3

Today was another great day at San Bartolo. I personally didn't go as we still need to keep up with our other projects and pickups during this week so Adrian, Jade and I did the markets here locally. But our team that went consisted of 11 volunteers and 3 children. God bless them they put in a long day and despite a few hours of hard cold rain they did a wonderful job help ping the people.

As word spreads in the village and the other villages around more people are showing up each day and despite the rain the doctor stayed busy with over 20 examinations today. when lunch was served about 100 people were served. Here are some photos of the days event's.

Ivan, Kat, Tuchi (6), Alex (9) and Gabriel leading the kids in some action songs.

Pilar, Gabriel and the kids doing games with the kids.

Kat, Gabriel and Ivan overseeing the kids at the coloring table.

Sports

Alex (9) giving out some small toys.

A child trying to outrun the rain and make it to the tent.

San Bartolome Day #2

Our Team: Phil, Bruni, Ivan, Sara, Kat, Me, Gabriel and Victor (behind the camera)

This was our first day on site. Upon arrival we set up different tables to run the activities from while others set up the "clinic" in one of the homes of a local family.

The Clinic

After the tables were set up the different activities started. While parents where having their medical checkups the kids would be in our care or that of one of their other family members.

We had all kinds of things for them including, coloring, storytelling, face painting and balloons, songs and dance, sports and games, and first aid classes. Following are some photos of the days event's.

Gabriel demonstrating a life saving technique.

The balloonist: Kat, Ivan, Sara and Gabriel

Bruni helping with the arts and crafts.

Victor and Kat teaching the kids "In Right, Out Right."

Victor and I helping to give the shoes out.

Around 2:30 pm we had a delicious handmade traditional meal for anyone who was there both people coming to receive aid and those of us volunteering. It was a nice time of fellowship and relaxing getting to know everyone and their families.

Making handmade tortillas.

A volunter helping to cook the "nopales" (cactus) for a local dish.