Tuesday night, they traveled 2 hours to a church Salamanca, where other surrounding churches were invited. Armando gave a message on the 7 Principles of Relationships, by Josh McDowell. Besides reaching people with the love of Jesus Christ, this message comes second as something he is very passionate about because too often, especially in the small towns, kids become adults having NEVER heard their parents say a simple, "I love you" or "I'm proud of you." Then the cycle starts over because it's what they know.
Well, let me share with you a certain man's reality. Before Armando speaks, he normally talks or at least shakes people's hands. A man comes up to him and with sarcasm says, "I KNOW who you are! We'll see what you have to say!" almost challenging him. Well, apparently he got something out of the message because he came up to Armando again at the end and shared his heart...
This man's father used to beat him up, sometimes until he was bleeding! Even more tragic was the fact that his father was a minister! I believe he still is and was actually there as well for the message. How sad that a child would grow up in this contradiction!
Now an adult, this man is still very much emotionally scarred. He was very emotional as he shared with Armando. He has been looking for a job, but has been unsuccessful. He is very discouraged (to say the least) and said he is tired of waiting for God to provide.
This man's reality is not unique to him, but join us in praying for him...that he would have peace of mind, for doors to open for him as far as employment, and most importantly, that he would truly know the greatest love from his heavenly father!
Again, thank you to all who have been praying for this trip. It is truly a blessing and such an encouragement to us! They arrive Friday morning. Till next time, praise God for what He is doing in Mexico and for what He will continue to do!!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
An Exciting Testimony!
This story was too exciting and required its own special post, although, I apologize as I did not get specific names...
During the EvanTell certification class, there was a guy who ended up having to leave before the class was over because his wife's grandma was very ill and was in the hospital. But, before he left, they prayed over him, specifically for things that pertained to boldness in sharing the gospel as the grandma was a non-believer.
Now, before the guy got to the hospital, the grandma had been in such pain and anguish (probably making sounds of misery). However, as soon as he got there, the grandma stopped and said to him, "I've been waiting for you." He was extremely nervous about sharing the gospel with her, but gathered up courage and did it--other relatives were present in the room. With the method he had just learned, he was supposed to ask if she had any objections to trusting Christ at that moment, but before he could even finish, the grandma declared her trust in Jesus Christ!!! She then said, "Tonight, I'm finally going to be able to sleep in peace."
That's not the end of the story...As he was leaving, one of the grandma's sons came up to him wanting to talk and one thing led to another and the gospel was also presented to him. He didn't vocally declare his trust in Christ, but did confess he was an alcoholic and said he was tired of living the way he had been living.
The guy then returns to the certification class and shares what had just happened and enthusiastically affirms that the method (what they had just learned) really works!!
Just imagine, with this guy's new-found passion, even if he is the only one who ends up giving evangelism seminars in his area, that is ONE MORE laborer fully passionate for God's work and it is ONE MORE person in the process of "producing" more Armando's and Guillermo's, for the work is GREAT in Mexico and the laborers are few...Let's pray for MORE, even if it is one person at a time!
During the EvanTell certification class, there was a guy who ended up having to leave before the class was over because his wife's grandma was very ill and was in the hospital. But, before he left, they prayed over him, specifically for things that pertained to boldness in sharing the gospel as the grandma was a non-believer.
Now, before the guy got to the hospital, the grandma had been in such pain and anguish (probably making sounds of misery). However, as soon as he got there, the grandma stopped and said to him, "I've been waiting for you." He was extremely nervous about sharing the gospel with her, but gathered up courage and did it--other relatives were present in the room. With the method he had just learned, he was supposed to ask if she had any objections to trusting Christ at that moment, but before he could even finish, the grandma declared her trust in Jesus Christ!!! She then said, "Tonight, I'm finally going to be able to sleep in peace."
That's not the end of the story...As he was leaving, one of the grandma's sons came up to him wanting to talk and one thing led to another and the gospel was also presented to him. He didn't vocally declare his trust in Christ, but did confess he was an alcoholic and said he was tired of living the way he had been living.
The guy then returns to the certification class and shares what had just happened and enthusiastically affirms that the method (what they had just learned) really works!!
Just imagine, with this guy's new-found passion, even if he is the only one who ends up giving evangelism seminars in his area, that is ONE MORE laborer fully passionate for God's work and it is ONE MORE person in the process of "producing" more Armando's and Guillermo's, for the work is GREAT in Mexico and the laborers are few...Let's pray for MORE, even if it is one person at a time!
Leadership Conference & EvanTell Certification
Saturday was the much awaited leadership conference (the 2nd year in Mexico), where 3 messages from last year's Leadership Summit was shown. Over 50 people attended the conference, with 4 surrounding states/5 cities represented.
A presentation by the CCBT (Center for Church Based Training) Rep was also made, which was a big hit! The other message that was a hit was the Summit message by Craig Groeschel entitled "It." Overall, the conference was a success and hopefully, each church leader who attended got something that God wanted them to hear and act on in their local church!
On Sunday, the team was in Irapuato (NW of Acambaro) for the certification class by EvanTell's director of international ministries, David Souther, with Armando/Guillermo translating for him. 19 people came to the class(including 6 women, 4 of them as last-minute registrants). Basically, to be certified meant they would become trainers (as Armando and Guillermo are) giving evangelism seminars using EvanTell's resources and method of teaching/sharing the gospel clearly and simply. If you have never heard of them, check out their website (evantell.org). Something from their website summarizes what they are all about, "For 35 years EvanTell has existed for one purpose...to declare the Gospel clearly and simply around the world." It's very exciting because this is the first time EvanTell will have certified anyone in Mexico!!
Monday, they are back in Acambaro for a little rest. Armando will be spending a little time with his maternal grandmother, who has Stage 3 cancer, as well as his mother, who has been taking care of the grandmother. Both need our prayers: for peaceful and pain-free last days for the grandmother, and for renewed strength, peace, health for Armando's mom (she also has some painful health issues that she is suffering from).
Tuesday night, Armando will be in Salamanca to present a Josh McDowell seminar, called 7 Principles of Relationships. More on that on the next post. Till next time, thank you for your continued prayers and being a part of this adventure/God's work in Mexico!!!
A presentation by the CCBT (Center for Church Based Training) Rep was also made, which was a big hit! The other message that was a hit was the Summit message by Craig Groeschel entitled "It." Overall, the conference was a success and hopefully, each church leader who attended got something that God wanted them to hear and act on in their local church!
On Sunday, the team was in Irapuato (NW of Acambaro) for the certification class by EvanTell's director of international ministries, David Souther, with Armando/Guillermo translating for him. 19 people came to the class(including 6 women, 4 of them as last-minute registrants). Basically, to be certified meant they would become trainers (as Armando and Guillermo are) giving evangelism seminars using EvanTell's resources and method of teaching/sharing the gospel clearly and simply. If you have never heard of them, check out their website (evantell.org). Something from their website summarizes what they are all about, "For 35 years EvanTell has existed for one purpose...to declare the Gospel clearly and simply around the world." It's very exciting because this is the first time EvanTell will have certified anyone in Mexico!!
Monday, they are back in Acambaro for a little rest. Armando will be spending a little time with his maternal grandmother, who has Stage 3 cancer, as well as his mother, who has been taking care of the grandmother. Both need our prayers: for peaceful and pain-free last days for the grandmother, and for renewed strength, peace, health for Armando's mom (she also has some painful health issues that she is suffering from).
Tuesday night, Armando will be in Salamanca to present a Josh McDowell seminar, called 7 Principles of Relationships. More on that on the next post. Till next time, thank you for your continued prayers and being a part of this adventure/God's work in Mexico!!!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Morelia Experience
"For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise..."(1 Chronicles 16:25 NIV)
Praise God for what He is doing in Morelia, another very strategic place for the gospel to start spreading! They were actually taken to the place where the grenade incident happened last year.
For lack of time, a short version of the evangelism seminar was held in one of the churches there. 31 people attended, many of them very passionate about learning. Out of those 31, two women want to get certified by EvanTell to be able to teach those same seminars Armando gives. This is a BIG deal and an answer to prayer! (To put it mildly, many churches in Mexico do not allow women to have leadership positions.) SO, not only are they WOMEN, one of them is a doctor and it is very unusual to find highly educated, well-off people in Christian churches in Mexico to begin with! Imagine the impact this doctor can have in her sphere of influence!! They are both very eager to start sharing the gospel, then start teaching others how to share it as well!
Please pray for Saturday's event to be a success and for everything to go smoothly. Leadership Conference Day, a short version of the Leadership Summit 2008. It was very successful last year and the attendees wanted to have it again this year. Pray for open hearts and a willingness to be teachable (for those who may be new this year).
On a different note, three other people from the U.S. flew out this morning (Friday) to join Armando and Guillermo--David Souther from EvanTell, who will be conducting the certification classes to raise more Armandos's to be able to teach the evangelism seminars themselves; Julio Garza, the pastor who planted the Acambaro church; and Michelle Davis, from Chase Oaks Church, who read about what Armando is doing in Mexico and decided she was going to go...heard God's call and was willing to leave her family and comforts of home to be a servant for God!
Your continued prayers are much appreciated. More to come this weekend!
Praise God for what He is doing in Morelia, another very strategic place for the gospel to start spreading! They were actually taken to the place where the grenade incident happened last year.
For lack of time, a short version of the evangelism seminar was held in one of the churches there. 31 people attended, many of them very passionate about learning. Out of those 31, two women want to get certified by EvanTell to be able to teach those same seminars Armando gives. This is a BIG deal and an answer to prayer! (To put it mildly, many churches in Mexico do not allow women to have leadership positions.) SO, not only are they WOMEN, one of them is a doctor and it is very unusual to find highly educated, well-off people in Christian churches in Mexico to begin with! Imagine the impact this doctor can have in her sphere of influence!! They are both very eager to start sharing the gospel, then start teaching others how to share it as well!
Please pray for Saturday's event to be a success and for everything to go smoothly. Leadership Conference Day, a short version of the Leadership Summit 2008. It was very successful last year and the attendees wanted to have it again this year. Pray for open hearts and a willingness to be teachable (for those who may be new this year).
On a different note, three other people from the U.S. flew out this morning (Friday) to join Armando and Guillermo--David Souther from EvanTell, who will be conducting the certification classes to raise more Armandos's to be able to teach the evangelism seminars themselves; Julio Garza, the pastor who planted the Acambaro church; and Michelle Davis, from Chase Oaks Church, who read about what Armando is doing in Mexico and decided she was going to go...heard God's call and was willing to leave her family and comforts of home to be a servant for God!
Your continued prayers are much appreciated. More to come this weekend!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
2nd Annual Trip to Central Mexico (2009)
What's a trip without some excitement??!! I'll tell you about that in a moment. First, the boring details. Armando, Guillermo, and Armando's brother, Hugo left Tuesday night around 11:30 PM, drove all night to be able to cross the border in Laredo, then get to Acambaro before nightfall.
The Cherokee was LOADED to the brim with mostly care box items for kids and some clothing donations. We had such a great response for care boxes for kids that they ended up having to leave most of the shoe boxes here and just take the items in them to be "re-package" in Acambaro. Still, some will be going as luggage with the other 3 individuals flying out to join them this coming Friday.
SO, they get to Laredo in the morning. They get a green light, so they cross. However, there was a group of men (not in any kind of uniform) who wanted them to stop. Knowing they were not officers, but seemed to be just street guys, Hugo told Armando NOT to stop. Of course, the men got a little angry and tried to run after them, but Armando was able to drive off. Not sure what they wanted exactly, but Armando said some police officers saw the whole thing and did nothing...Makes you want to say, hmmmm??!!
With that behind them, they had to cross a second immigration post about 40 minutes into Mexico. The officer stopped them saying they had to go back to the border to get a permit. Mind you, they have all the proper documentation to begin with! He had them drive aside then proceeded to "ask" for money (i.e., a bribe). Not wanting trouble and definitely not wanting to drive back unnecessarily, Armando gave him some money to allow them passage. Somehow, the officer ends up telling them that he has a son who is sick, but when Armando offered to pray for the son, he declined and simply asked, "Are you a Christian?" When Armando replies, "Yes!" the officer basically says, "I believe in that stuff..." (not exactly his words as I'm not sure how he said it in Spanish). Then, he asked Armando if he wanted his money back! Armando told him to keep it and they went on their way.
Just a couple of things to keep them on their toes!!! They arrived safely in Acambaro around 6:00 PM Wednesday.
Thursday, someone will be picking them up in Acambaro to take them to Morelia, in the state of Michoacan, where they will be giving an evangelism seminar. The gospel is definitely needed in this area!! This is a place where a grenade attack occurred last year carried out by members of a drug cartel during the Mexican Independence Day--killed civilians and wounded over 100. One rapidly growing cartel based in this area, called La Familia, is now using religion as a way to recruit and create discipline within its members. Needless to say, spreading the gospel in this area is vital!
They will stay in Morelia overnight and will be driven back to Acambaro Friday morning. My next communication with Armando will be Friday night, so I will update you after that. We truly appreciate all your prayers!! Please continue to pray...
"to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." (Romans 16:27 NIV)
The Cherokee was LOADED to the brim with mostly care box items for kids and some clothing donations. We had such a great response for care boxes for kids that they ended up having to leave most of the shoe boxes here and just take the items in them to be "re-package" in Acambaro. Still, some will be going as luggage with the other 3 individuals flying out to join them this coming Friday.
SO, they get to Laredo in the morning. They get a green light, so they cross. However, there was a group of men (not in any kind of uniform) who wanted them to stop. Knowing they were not officers, but seemed to be just street guys, Hugo told Armando NOT to stop. Of course, the men got a little angry and tried to run after them, but Armando was able to drive off. Not sure what they wanted exactly, but Armando said some police officers saw the whole thing and did nothing...Makes you want to say, hmmmm??!!
With that behind them, they had to cross a second immigration post about 40 minutes into Mexico. The officer stopped them saying they had to go back to the border to get a permit. Mind you, they have all the proper documentation to begin with! He had them drive aside then proceeded to "ask" for money (i.e., a bribe). Not wanting trouble and definitely not wanting to drive back unnecessarily, Armando gave him some money to allow them passage. Somehow, the officer ends up telling them that he has a son who is sick, but when Armando offered to pray for the son, he declined and simply asked, "Are you a Christian?" When Armando replies, "Yes!" the officer basically says, "I believe in that stuff..." (not exactly his words as I'm not sure how he said it in Spanish). Then, he asked Armando if he wanted his money back! Armando told him to keep it and they went on their way.
Just a couple of things to keep them on their toes!!! They arrived safely in Acambaro around 6:00 PM Wednesday.
Thursday, someone will be picking them up in Acambaro to take them to Morelia, in the state of Michoacan, where they will be giving an evangelism seminar. The gospel is definitely needed in this area!! This is a place where a grenade attack occurred last year carried out by members of a drug cartel during the Mexican Independence Day--killed civilians and wounded over 100. One rapidly growing cartel based in this area, called La Familia, is now using religion as a way to recruit and create discipline within its members. Needless to say, spreading the gospel in this area is vital!
They will stay in Morelia overnight and will be driven back to Acambaro Friday morning. My next communication with Armando will be Friday night, so I will update you after that. We truly appreciate all your prayers!! Please continue to pray...
"to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." (Romans 16:27 NIV)
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