We recently returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon with our team-mates the Neufelds. The purpose of the trip was 3 fold. 1) Take a bit of a breather 2) Get reacquainted with some good friends from Paraguay (US missionaries who we served with there), 3) purchase some items in order to remodel the current youth room so that it will double as a Youth Drop In Centre.
It was great to get away and just relax for a week or so. Life and ministry here can get quite hectic with the many needs that exist. There are highs higher than we could have imagined - emotionally, spiritually - but then come the lows as well. All in all, we wouldn't trade our life and ministry here for anything. God is using this ministry and those that are involved with it and we are privileged to be a part of it!
One thing that has become part of my life that tends to drive me crazy is analyzing. Anyone who knows me knows that is the case. Sheri generally analyzes enough for both of us! However I have found myself analyzing many ministry decisions that we make. For example take the Youth Room I mentioned above. The vision is to make a nicer room and put some things in it that will hopefully attract the teenagers from the area around the church (the ones who respond tend to be those of the lower economic class) and get our Church Youth motivated to reach out to them, spend time with them and lead them to Christ. This all sounds well and fine but as I was purchasing some of the items we are furnishing the youth room with, I found myself wondering if I had gone off track. This ministry shouldn't be about "things" I told myself. Do we really need "nice stuff" in order to get the unsaved in the church? Can't the Holy Spirit bring them in without the "stuff" I wondered? Of course the answer is a resounding “no he doesn’t need the stuff to do His work”! Yet as long as our hearts are in the right spot concerning the “stuff” isn’t that what is most important? Our focus needs to be on Him, not on the stuff. However what are we saying to the kids who come from a lower economic reality? Might they think that church is for richer people who have nice things? That is a risk I suppose even though our hearts are to bless them and spend time with them in hopes of leading them to the Saviour.
These are the internal battles I have almost on a daily basis.
Then there is another reality that we face weekly if not more frequently. We have gotten to know some families from the same poor area close to the church. It has been exciting to get to know them a bit and plant seeds in their lives and even see some of those seeds begin to grow. We are realizing at the same time that these people live in another sub-culture of their own, one that we know almost nothing about. It is hard enough to understand a culture that isn’t our own (Mexican culture in this case) but then add to it their sub-culture and it can be overwhelming. These people have some resources and can be industrious if they need to be. At the same time they know how to ask and are used to receiving as well.
I have done considerable reading and research on “How to Help Without Hurting” this lower economic class of people and let me tell you, IT IS COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT! Just today I received a call from one family in that area asking me to come to the hospital and if I would pay for medication for one of their daughters who just had a baby. The word was that it was serious and both mom and baby were in danger of dying. I called our friend Marcella and Sheri as well, (since they both have had more contact with the family than I have had) and off they went. Even now they are at the hospital ready to pay for medicine (even though now we find out it isn’t as urgent as first thought – something I suspected from the beginning). Earlier in the day as they were waiting at the hospital with the family, the request was made for lunch. So off Sheri went to buy chicken, the whole time wondering how necessary it was. Yes they hadn’t eaten yet but that is nothing new for them. Often they go without meals because there is little to no money around. In this families case part of the reason is because the money is spent on illegal drugs to feed their habits.
So you begin to ask yourself, “Am I enabling them to continue in their drug habit even though I am simply trying to help them and show Christ’s mercy to them by buying some chicken”? I told Sheri to be generous in so far as meeting the urgent needs. The extras really need to be looked after by the family. They do have some resources and can be industrious if need be but if we just hand over what they are asking for, then we rob them of their ability to be industrious. The question is where is the line between helping them help themselves in healthy ways and maybe just being cheap? I really don’t think we are cheap and I don’t want others to view us that way either so sometimes I might give more than I really should and by extension, do something for someone that they really could have done for themselves inadvertently rob them of dignity.
Do you see what I mean when I say that helping the materially poor can be complex and difficult? Just like many requests are made of us, let us make one plea to you now. PLEASE PRAY FOR US! We need Christ’s wisdom!
At the end of the day we are blessed to be here as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and we are blessed to have you on our team! Thanks for praying!
Lane and Sheri
Have a look at what the Elliott's are up to in Northern Mexico
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Old Has Gone the New Has Come!
I have started a Bible Study for new believers in our church. Each Tuesday night we go through a workbook that leads through the basic foundations of the Christian faith. It is a blessing from God that we are able to offer this study as we indeed have new believers in our church! Thank you Lord!
Yesterday was the 2nd time we have done the study. At one point I looked around the table and realized who was sitting there studying the Bible with me. On my right, a young man of 26 or so who gave his life to the Lord about a month ago. He was the leader of a small gang who were involved in petty crime as well as much drinking and drug abuse. In fact he is right now struggling to overcome his addictions and "dry out". Next to him a friend of a year and a half who also has come out of a life of drug abuse and even living on the streets. He is maturing in his faith and beginning to lead others in the ways of the Lord!
Next to him sat a new friend of a few months. He is close to 50 and he as well has come out of a life of drug abuse and trouble with the law. He gave his life to God about 2 months ago and is truly becoming a new creation in Christ! He is eager to read his Bible and recently told me, "I have read the Bible before but I never remembered what I read and it didn't really make sense to me. Now I am begining to understand it and I never I thought I would enjoy going to church but I really do enjoy it now!"
Then between he and I sat another new friend. He made a commitment to Christ a year ago or so but I have only got to know him in the last 3 weeks. He is still a babe in Christ as we would say, having very little to no knowledge of the Bible. He too has come out of a life of drug abuse and trouble with the law. He is currently waiting for a kidney transplant as his kidneys have shut down completely even though he is only 25 years old! Please pray for a donor! It is wonderful to see the light go on in him when I explain spiritual truths to him!
All but one of these men have spent much time in prison. They know who they were, and now they are begining to see who they are becoming and who they really are in Jesus. We read a page full of "who you are in Christ" descriptions with bible verses listed. It was such a blessing to hear them each pick out one or two of the descriptions of who they are in Jesus and explain why it was important to them.
Jesus is truly transforming these men! All glory be to Him! And I get to be a part of it! What a blessing!
Please pray for these 4 men. They still have their struggles and temptations are around every corner here. They need your prayers! Thank you for partnering with us!
Lane
Yesterday was the 2nd time we have done the study. At one point I looked around the table and realized who was sitting there studying the Bible with me. On my right, a young man of 26 or so who gave his life to the Lord about a month ago. He was the leader of a small gang who were involved in petty crime as well as much drinking and drug abuse. In fact he is right now struggling to overcome his addictions and "dry out". Next to him a friend of a year and a half who also has come out of a life of drug abuse and even living on the streets. He is maturing in his faith and beginning to lead others in the ways of the Lord!
Next to him sat a new friend of a few months. He is close to 50 and he as well has come out of a life of drug abuse and trouble with the law. He gave his life to God about 2 months ago and is truly becoming a new creation in Christ! He is eager to read his Bible and recently told me, "I have read the Bible before but I never remembered what I read and it didn't really make sense to me. Now I am begining to understand it and I never I thought I would enjoy going to church but I really do enjoy it now!"
Then between he and I sat another new friend. He made a commitment to Christ a year ago or so but I have only got to know him in the last 3 weeks. He is still a babe in Christ as we would say, having very little to no knowledge of the Bible. He too has come out of a life of drug abuse and trouble with the law. He is currently waiting for a kidney transplant as his kidneys have shut down completely even though he is only 25 years old! Please pray for a donor! It is wonderful to see the light go on in him when I explain spiritual truths to him!
All but one of these men have spent much time in prison. They know who they were, and now they are begining to see who they are becoming and who they really are in Jesus. We read a page full of "who you are in Christ" descriptions with bible verses listed. It was such a blessing to hear them each pick out one or two of the descriptions of who they are in Jesus and explain why it was important to them.
Jesus is truly transforming these men! All glory be to Him! And I get to be a part of it! What a blessing!
Please pray for these 4 men. They still have their struggles and temptations are around every corner here. They need your prayers! Thank you for partnering with us!
Lane
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Memo part 2
Hey everyone,
The other day we went to the beach with the Didsbury Zion Youth team. I know, tough life.
Their time here is winding down as they will be leaving on Monday. If you read our previous blog entry, you will know that Memo (Guillermo) is a new believer who accepted Christ at a church family camp about a week ago. It has been a joy to see him jump right into ministry with the Didsbury team this week- orphanage ministry, fun outings and outreaches with our ministry in the poor area where he used to buy drugs. He has done all this with English speakers from Alberta even though he doesn't speak English!
Anyway as we were at the beach I was translating for one of the leaders and Memo. Memo told me a story that they write books about! Here is what I mean. Memo said that he was involved in a plan to assault a man who was going to be carrying a bunch of money. It was a simple plan, just jump the guy and take the money. These simple plans can sometimes go wrong as we know, and lives can be ruined forever. The plan was made and Memo was to be the guy to carry it out. So he was set and ready as the appointed day neared. Then he started doubting the plan and he began wresting within himself with doing such a thing, even though theft etc had been part of his life for many years.
Thursday night came along and the 2 friends that Sheri and I have been pouring into invited Memo to the church family camp over Easter weekend. Memo accepted, relenting to the still small voice inside that had been calling him for the last few weeks. He wanted to come to the church and see what it was all about. Once he arrived, he found a caring family with open arms. Of course not everyone was waiting with open arms, but he got to know some people and I was blessed to be one of them. He felt like people cared and he felt like he was starting to belong. This community felt so much more authentic than his "gang" in his neighborhood. Memo was becoming attached.
Then Friday night at a camp fire, the gospel was presented and a call to surrender to Christ was offered. Memo willingly gave his heart to Christ with tears streaming down his cheeks. He had found purpose and a place to belong.
As we wrapped up our talk at the beach Memo finished with this, "the assault was supposed to happen on Saturday , (he pauses- his eyes watering), look at the goosebumps on my arms".
Isn't God good? Wow, again, I marvel at how He works and His timing. Christ saved Memo from the trap Satan had set for him on Saturday, and He used His church to do it! Shouldn't love and accpetance and a sense of belonging in the church be replacing those same things young men look for in gangs? Memo is now experiencing the authentic version of what he was seeking.
Pray for him as he overcomes his addictions. He told me he has good days and hard days. The youth team leaves on Monday as I mentioned and the activity level will go way down as people get back into their routines. That might even be harder for Memo as he will have to go back home to his neighborhood where all the temptations will be. PRAY FOR HIM! He wants to find a job and start university, studying to become a Physed Teacher. I can vouch for him, God has certainly gifted Memo with kids!
Thank you for praying and lifting up Memo.
The other day we went to the beach with the Didsbury Zion Youth team. I know, tough life.
Their time here is winding down as they will be leaving on Monday. If you read our previous blog entry, you will know that Memo (Guillermo) is a new believer who accepted Christ at a church family camp about a week ago. It has been a joy to see him jump right into ministry with the Didsbury team this week- orphanage ministry, fun outings and outreaches with our ministry in the poor area where he used to buy drugs. He has done all this with English speakers from Alberta even though he doesn't speak English!
Anyway as we were at the beach I was translating for one of the leaders and Memo. Memo told me a story that they write books about! Here is what I mean. Memo said that he was involved in a plan to assault a man who was going to be carrying a bunch of money. It was a simple plan, just jump the guy and take the money. These simple plans can sometimes go wrong as we know, and lives can be ruined forever. The plan was made and Memo was to be the guy to carry it out. So he was set and ready as the appointed day neared. Then he started doubting the plan and he began wresting within himself with doing such a thing, even though theft etc had been part of his life for many years.
Thursday night came along and the 2 friends that Sheri and I have been pouring into invited Memo to the church family camp over Easter weekend. Memo accepted, relenting to the still small voice inside that had been calling him for the last few weeks. He wanted to come to the church and see what it was all about. Once he arrived, he found a caring family with open arms. Of course not everyone was waiting with open arms, but he got to know some people and I was blessed to be one of them. He felt like people cared and he felt like he was starting to belong. This community felt so much more authentic than his "gang" in his neighborhood. Memo was becoming attached.
Then Friday night at a camp fire, the gospel was presented and a call to surrender to Christ was offered. Memo willingly gave his heart to Christ with tears streaming down his cheeks. He had found purpose and a place to belong.
As we wrapped up our talk at the beach Memo finished with this, "the assault was supposed to happen on Saturday , (he pauses- his eyes watering), look at the goosebumps on my arms".
Isn't God good? Wow, again, I marvel at how He works and His timing. Christ saved Memo from the trap Satan had set for him on Saturday, and He used His church to do it! Shouldn't love and accpetance and a sense of belonging in the church be replacing those same things young men look for in gangs? Memo is now experiencing the authentic version of what he was seeking.
Pray for him as he overcomes his addictions. He told me he has good days and hard days. The youth team leaves on Monday as I mentioned and the activity level will go way down as people get back into their routines. That might even be harder for Memo as he will have to go back home to his neighborhood where all the temptations will be. PRAY FOR HIM! He wants to find a job and start university, studying to become a Physed Teacher. I can vouch for him, God has certainly gifted Memo with kids!
Thank you for praying and lifting up Memo.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Easter means New Life!
Where to start, wow! The last 12 hours have been the culmination of something the Lord has been doing recently. I am not sure where to start. I know, I will start with Memo.
If you have been a frequent reader of our blog and or prayer letters, you will know who Cesar and Marcela are. They left a life of drug abuse and homelessness just over a year ago after losing their 18month old daughter. One of the members of our church reached out to them in their need and their lives have never been the same since. They know what it is like to go without food, eat out of dumpsters, beg on the streets and be addicted to drugs.
That brings me back to Memo. He is someone who lives not that far from where Cesar and Marcela live. They saw him at the park hanging out with “the boys” which means the gang he runs. Cesar could see the signs that they were a gang and that drug abuse was common place for them, as he knows what to look for. So Cesar and Marcela started forming a relationship with Memo with the hopes of leading him to the Lord. They felt like if He would give his life to the Lord then the rest of the guys in the gang would maybe follow in short order.
Onto Alejandra. She is someone who lives in the poor area where we have been reaching out. She is 18 and still lives at home with her mom helping out. She came out to one event we had and played soccer with us. We have encouraged her to come to church and keep coming to the soup kitchen etc. She has done so and has attended church a few times. She has professed a faith in Christ but it seems she knows very little about her faith nor the bible.
Onto George. George is a man in his 50’s who got in trouble with the law in the US where he has lived all of his life. He was born in Mexico and moved up to California with his parents as a young child. He never bothered getting his papers and so lived his life there in California as an illegal. He got into trouble with the law and after a lengthy jail stay, he got deported to Mexico. George has no family in Mexico and Spanish is not his first language (man can I relate to that!). The first day after arriving in Mexico, George fell and broke his leg (compound fracture). So he arrived in Hermosillo where the main hospital is and received medical care – surgery. He was put up in the homeless shelter and has been there since. Shelli Neufeld, our colleague, has been doing therapy at the hospital and came across George, who was drawn to her because he heard her speaking English. Shelli invited him to church and he accepted. He has been coming for about a month or so.
Ok, fast forward to this weekend. A team from a church in Didsbury is here and we have just finished a weekend family camp at the church. Memo was invited by Cesar and Marcela and accepted. George also wanted to come. I called Alejandra and encouraged her to come and she accepted. Last night we had a campfire and one of the leaders from our church gave a great message. God started moving, tears started flowing, and hearts started breaking. Memo gave his life to the Lord! George wants to take his newfound faith more seriously and Alejandra does as well! All three of them are going to get baptized tomorrow! Wow, what a testimony to the changing power of the Lord!
Today we went out into the poor area with Memo and Alejandra, Cesar, Marcela and group of the youth from Didsbury. Alejandra was giving out sandwiches in the name of the Lord to her neighbors and Memo was passing out Bible tracts to his suppliers (drug suppliers)! Surely they thought he was coming to buy more drugs but instead he was coming to give them the good news about his new faith! They offered him drugs and he replied “no I am done with that stuff”. I am overwhelmed by what the Lord is doing right now!
When we finished our distribution of tracts and sandwiches, we returned to the church. Cesar said, “I have done all sorts of drugs but nothing compares to the rush the Lord gives me when I see him use me like this”!
Pray for Memo, George and Alejandra tomorrow. It will be a big step for them! Pray for the guys in Memo's gang who will really be wondering what has changed in Memo. Continue to pray for Cesar and Marcela to stand up against the old temptations of the life they have left behind. God is using them and so Satan will continue to attack them.
Thank you for standing in prayer with us!
Lane for Sheri and the kids
If you have been a frequent reader of our blog and or prayer letters, you will know who Cesar and Marcela are. They left a life of drug abuse and homelessness just over a year ago after losing their 18month old daughter. One of the members of our church reached out to them in their need and their lives have never been the same since. They know what it is like to go without food, eat out of dumpsters, beg on the streets and be addicted to drugs.
That brings me back to Memo. He is someone who lives not that far from where Cesar and Marcela live. They saw him at the park hanging out with “the boys” which means the gang he runs. Cesar could see the signs that they were a gang and that drug abuse was common place for them, as he knows what to look for. So Cesar and Marcela started forming a relationship with Memo with the hopes of leading him to the Lord. They felt like if He would give his life to the Lord then the rest of the guys in the gang would maybe follow in short order.
Onto Alejandra. She is someone who lives in the poor area where we have been reaching out. She is 18 and still lives at home with her mom helping out. She came out to one event we had and played soccer with us. We have encouraged her to come to church and keep coming to the soup kitchen etc. She has done so and has attended church a few times. She has professed a faith in Christ but it seems she knows very little about her faith nor the bible.
Onto George. George is a man in his 50’s who got in trouble with the law in the US where he has lived all of his life. He was born in Mexico and moved up to California with his parents as a young child. He never bothered getting his papers and so lived his life there in California as an illegal. He got into trouble with the law and after a lengthy jail stay, he got deported to Mexico. George has no family in Mexico and Spanish is not his first language (man can I relate to that!). The first day after arriving in Mexico, George fell and broke his leg (compound fracture). So he arrived in Hermosillo where the main hospital is and received medical care – surgery. He was put up in the homeless shelter and has been there since. Shelli Neufeld, our colleague, has been doing therapy at the hospital and came across George, who was drawn to her because he heard her speaking English. Shelli invited him to church and he accepted. He has been coming for about a month or so.
Ok, fast forward to this weekend. A team from a church in Didsbury is here and we have just finished a weekend family camp at the church. Memo was invited by Cesar and Marcela and accepted. George also wanted to come. I called Alejandra and encouraged her to come and she accepted. Last night we had a campfire and one of the leaders from our church gave a great message. God started moving, tears started flowing, and hearts started breaking. Memo gave his life to the Lord! George wants to take his newfound faith more seriously and Alejandra does as well! All three of them are going to get baptized tomorrow! Wow, what a testimony to the changing power of the Lord!
Today we went out into the poor area with Memo and Alejandra, Cesar, Marcela and group of the youth from Didsbury. Alejandra was giving out sandwiches in the name of the Lord to her neighbors and Memo was passing out Bible tracts to his suppliers (drug suppliers)! Surely they thought he was coming to buy more drugs but instead he was coming to give them the good news about his new faith! They offered him drugs and he replied “no I am done with that stuff”. I am overwhelmed by what the Lord is doing right now!
When we finished our distribution of tracts and sandwiches, we returned to the church. Cesar said, “I have done all sorts of drugs but nothing compares to the rush the Lord gives me when I see him use me like this”!
Pray for Memo, George and Alejandra tomorrow. It will be a big step for them! Pray for the guys in Memo's gang who will really be wondering what has changed in Memo. Continue to pray for Cesar and Marcela to stand up against the old temptations of the life they have left behind. God is using them and so Satan will continue to attack them.
Thank you for standing in prayer with us!
Lane for Sheri and the kids
Monday, March 15, 2010
Langley E-Free comes to Northern Mexico
We just finished a busy week with the youth from Langley E-Free. They were here from the 6th to the 13th. This was my (Lane) first time planning and hosting a group largely on my own. We spent 2 of the days ministering in a little village about an hour outside of the city called "San Juanico". Our intention was to bolster the ministry in this village that an organization called "Partners in Christ" is doing there. We did a kids club and built a small one room house for a man in the town.
In the pictures above you can see the before and after images of his home. His name is Esteban and he has some health issues including diabetes. The pastor of the church there and the representative of Partners in Christ asked us if we would be willing to improve Estebans living conditions.
It was so good to see Esteban helping here and there in the construction of his new place. On the second day as the contruction was nearing its end, he even went and got a haircut to celebrate the occasion!
We gathered around the house holding hands and dedicated the house to the Lord and thanked him for Esteban. Right after one of the people from our church asked Esteban what he thought of his new place and he just choked up and tears welled up in his eyes.
What a blessing the youth and leaders of Langley E-Free were to this town and ministry, not to mention our own ministry as well.
Another evening we did a "Hot Dog" night at the soup kitchen and near 200 people showed up from the community that we have been reaching out to! What a blessing!
Thank you for your prayers and encouragements!
Lane and Sheri
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Beginnings of Transformation
Sunday was a great day! Have you ever left a church service and just felt like God was absolutely working in it? I sure hope so. Well Sunday was like that for me.
You see Sheri and I and some of the people in the church have been trying to reach out to a poor community beside our church. We have done this in various ways although the principal way has been the soup kitchen that we have been involved in running. Sheri and Marcela (one of our friends from the church) have visited in a few of the homes in this area. Jeseña and Maria are two of the ladies we have been reaching out to.
We first met them when they came by our house looking for baby clothes. They each have 4 children. We told them the clothes that we had were all at the church and were available to be given away, they just needed to come by the church to get them. So we invited them to the church and the next Sunday they came! The each took some bags of clothes home and since then we have seen their kids wearing these clothes which is a blessing in and of itself.
They continued coming to church here and there and then we offered a sewing class at the church (led by a volunteer from Alberta who was here for 3 weeks) and invited them to it. They both accepted and Jeseña particularily flourished in learing how to sew. We are exploring the possibility of connecting her with a seamstress here and maybe helping her to possibly start into sewing as a way to supplement the household income.
Fastforward to yesterday. Jeseña and Maria along with their kids were both and 2 other families that we have had some contact with as well. The message was a salvation message and when the pastor said that salvation is found not found with anyone (Buddah, Confusious, Mother Mary) except Jesus, I saw Jeseña say "amen". Sheri and I both felt burdened to pray for Jeseña's salvation at that point. The message continued and I could see that Jeseña was hearing every word. Then the end came and the pastor prayed a salvation prayer and asked everyone who had prayed with him in their hearts to stand. Jeseña stood up! Sheri and I both rejoiced in our hearts!
After the service I went up to Jeseña and asked her if she had given her heart to Jesus. She said that she had and I told her that if she kept seeking Jesus, her life would change as mind had 17 years ago when I made that same decision in my life. I told her that Sheri and I and Marcela were available to help her in her new faith and I gave her a bible.
Sheri and Marcela are making plans to start a bible study with Jeseña and I am so excited to see how God will be changing her life in the weeks and months to come! God is bringing about fruit and we are blessed to be a part of it!
Please continue to pray for Jeseña and for Maria and the others from this same community that have been coming to our church. They need Jesus and our church needs to be His hands and feet! Pray that Jeseña would grow in her new faith and that all the new comers would feel loved and supported by the people in our church.
Thank you for being part of our ministry- the transformation of the lives of the poor by Gods love shown through His kids, the local church. We continue to covet your prayers!
Lane and Sheri
You see Sheri and I and some of the people in the church have been trying to reach out to a poor community beside our church. We have done this in various ways although the principal way has been the soup kitchen that we have been involved in running. Sheri and Marcela (one of our friends from the church) have visited in a few of the homes in this area. Jeseña and Maria are two of the ladies we have been reaching out to.
We first met them when they came by our house looking for baby clothes. They each have 4 children. We told them the clothes that we had were all at the church and were available to be given away, they just needed to come by the church to get them. So we invited them to the church and the next Sunday they came! The each took some bags of clothes home and since then we have seen their kids wearing these clothes which is a blessing in and of itself.
They continued coming to church here and there and then we offered a sewing class at the church (led by a volunteer from Alberta who was here for 3 weeks) and invited them to it. They both accepted and Jeseña particularily flourished in learing how to sew. We are exploring the possibility of connecting her with a seamstress here and maybe helping her to possibly start into sewing as a way to supplement the household income.
Fastforward to yesterday. Jeseña and Maria along with their kids were both and 2 other families that we have had some contact with as well. The message was a salvation message and when the pastor said that salvation is found not found with anyone (Buddah, Confusious, Mother Mary) except Jesus, I saw Jeseña say "amen". Sheri and I both felt burdened to pray for Jeseña's salvation at that point. The message continued and I could see that Jeseña was hearing every word. Then the end came and the pastor prayed a salvation prayer and asked everyone who had prayed with him in their hearts to stand. Jeseña stood up! Sheri and I both rejoiced in our hearts!
After the service I went up to Jeseña and asked her if she had given her heart to Jesus. She said that she had and I told her that if she kept seeking Jesus, her life would change as mind had 17 years ago when I made that same decision in my life. I told her that Sheri and I and Marcela were available to help her in her new faith and I gave her a bible.
Sheri and Marcela are making plans to start a bible study with Jeseña and I am so excited to see how God will be changing her life in the weeks and months to come! God is bringing about fruit and we are blessed to be a part of it!
Please continue to pray for Jeseña and for Maria and the others from this same community that have been coming to our church. They need Jesus and our church needs to be His hands and feet! Pray that Jeseña would grow in her new faith and that all the new comers would feel loved and supported by the people in our church.
Thank you for being part of our ministry- the transformation of the lives of the poor by Gods love shown through His kids, the local church. We continue to covet your prayers!
Lane and Sheri
Monday, January 11, 2010
Dream Come True
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Yesterday a dream came true for our family. We were part of a Samaritans Purse Distribution of Shoe Boxes!
Each Saturday we help run a Soup Kitchen for a poor community close to our church. We do this in conjunction with a Methodist Church close by. For a few years in a row, this church has received shoe boxes filled with toys from Canada and the US from Samaritans Purse.
Well yesterday after we had played with the kids, and taught them Bible Stories and songs and after they had eaten, we passed out the shoe boxes and then just let our eyes feast on the joy filled kids as they torn into their boxes! It was great to see them so excited and the sound that came from all of them was good and loud!
It was great to see our kids help out with passing out the boxes as well, they were so excited to finally be part of something that our family has participated in back home (buying toys for shoe boxes and sending them). In fact we have also visited the distribution centre in Calgary (before leaving for the mission field) and that got our kids really excited as well!
Each box was passed out with a pamphlet explaining the Christmas story cartoon style in Spanish. Now we must pray that Gods word takes root in the homes of these children. Please pray for us as we build relationships with these kids and their parents. We are starting to see a few of them attend church and we need your prayers! Thank you for partnering with us like this!
For more pictures from this event please visit www.flickr.com/photos/elliottspics
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