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!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
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)
Monday, June 8, 2009
June 3-7 Puebla, Mexico Trip
Armando's Summary of his most recent Mexico trip: Puebla and Mexico City.
Wednesday
I arrived in Mexico City in the afternoon and was scheduled to present the You Can Tell It seminar from EvanTell, to teach people how to present the gospel in a clear and simple way. Over 40 people from 3 different churches were in attendance. We had a great 3-hr session and during one of the breaks, one of the leaders came up to me and said that there were 2 non-believers in the crowd. It is my understanding that at the end of the session, one of them put their trust in Christ or at least understood what salvation was. I was supposed to only teach 3 sessions out the 8, but the people were so eager to learn that I made a decision to come back to MX City after my trip to Puebla to complete the seminar.
Thursday/Friday
I traveled to Puebla, Mexico, home of the Puebla Bible Seminary, to participate in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Seminary, where I manned a table to represent the EvanTell organization. I taught 5 workshops, one of them unscheduled. People were really open to learning what it means to trust Christ. Out of this conference, I was invited to give 3 seminars in other parts of Mexico; one of them has a confirmed date and time in the state of Michoacan, where drug dealers have a big presence. It will be in July, which will coincide perfectly since I will already be in Mexico (close to Michoacan) during that time.
Saturday
I was scheduled to be in Mexico City by 7:00 PM to complete the seminar started on Wednesday night. Around 1:00 PM, I received a call from the person who was supposed to drive me to Mexico City to tell me that his car had broken down. By now it was too late to even take the bus and make it to the conference on time, so the director of the seminary and other people tried to find someone to give me a ride, but were unsuccessful. As I was next to my EvanTell stand, I had one packet of evangelism tracts on my table left. One lady came up to the table and picked them up to look at and so I said, “If you want them, they’re yours.” It turns out her husband has been to Dallas to take the EvanTell training and uses those tracts, so she was very thankful to have more. It also turns out they live in Mexico City and had one space left in their minivan. We encountered a lot of construction traffic and an accident, but I made it a few minutes past 7:00.
To my surprise, we had more people on Saturday than we did on Wednesday, even though the Mexican Nat’l soccer team was playing a very important game and usually people would rather stay home to watch. This group in particular was very attentive (over 50 people from 3 different churches). One of the churches in attendance meets at a house in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Mexico City, named Tepito, in which one of the leader’s sons was killed (shot over 20 times). The pastor that invited me to present this seminar told me that these small churches are very evangelism-oriented, so they were very eager to learn. No one even flinched when they found out Mexico lost the game.
Sunday
On Sunday morning I had a pleasant surprise. Just before services, they had 2 groups in Sunday school and one of them had 3 non-believers and that morning they used what we taught them the night before to present the gospel to them and ALL three of them trusted Christ and they stayed for services and worshiped with us. As I was passing by where the other Sunday school group met, I very clearly heard how they wanted to start to pray for Laborers, Opportunities, Boldness, Success, Safety, and Salvation (LOBSSS, an acronym, which was part of the seminar) for their community. These 2 things completely made my day and my trip so worth while! The pastor wants me back in Mexico City to teach the seminar to five other churches he knows.
When I arrived at the Mexico City airport, I had an opportunity to present the gospel to one more person before I left. He didn’t clearly put his trust in Christ, but he does want to be at my next seminar in Mexico City and he wants to bring his wife. I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to at least plant a seed. I know He will do the rest! Thank you all for your prayers…it always makes a big difference!
Wednesday
I arrived in Mexico City in the afternoon and was scheduled to present the You Can Tell It seminar from EvanTell, to teach people how to present the gospel in a clear and simple way. Over 40 people from 3 different churches were in attendance. We had a great 3-hr session and during one of the breaks, one of the leaders came up to me and said that there were 2 non-believers in the crowd. It is my understanding that at the end of the session, one of them put their trust in Christ or at least understood what salvation was. I was supposed to only teach 3 sessions out the 8, but the people were so eager to learn that I made a decision to come back to MX City after my trip to Puebla to complete the seminar.
Thursday/Friday
I traveled to Puebla, Mexico, home of the Puebla Bible Seminary, to participate in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Seminary, where I manned a table to represent the EvanTell organization. I taught 5 workshops, one of them unscheduled. People were really open to learning what it means to trust Christ. Out of this conference, I was invited to give 3 seminars in other parts of Mexico; one of them has a confirmed date and time in the state of Michoacan, where drug dealers have a big presence. It will be in July, which will coincide perfectly since I will already be in Mexico (close to Michoacan) during that time.
Saturday
I was scheduled to be in Mexico City by 7:00 PM to complete the seminar started on Wednesday night. Around 1:00 PM, I received a call from the person who was supposed to drive me to Mexico City to tell me that his car had broken down. By now it was too late to even take the bus and make it to the conference on time, so the director of the seminary and other people tried to find someone to give me a ride, but were unsuccessful. As I was next to my EvanTell stand, I had one packet of evangelism tracts on my table left. One lady came up to the table and picked them up to look at and so I said, “If you want them, they’re yours.” It turns out her husband has been to Dallas to take the EvanTell training and uses those tracts, so she was very thankful to have more. It also turns out they live in Mexico City and had one space left in their minivan. We encountered a lot of construction traffic and an accident, but I made it a few minutes past 7:00.
To my surprise, we had more people on Saturday than we did on Wednesday, even though the Mexican Nat’l soccer team was playing a very important game and usually people would rather stay home to watch. This group in particular was very attentive (over 50 people from 3 different churches). One of the churches in attendance meets at a house in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Mexico City, named Tepito, in which one of the leader’s sons was killed (shot over 20 times). The pastor that invited me to present this seminar told me that these small churches are very evangelism-oriented, so they were very eager to learn. No one even flinched when they found out Mexico lost the game.
Sunday
On Sunday morning I had a pleasant surprise. Just before services, they had 2 groups in Sunday school and one of them had 3 non-believers and that morning they used what we taught them the night before to present the gospel to them and ALL three of them trusted Christ and they stayed for services and worshiped with us. As I was passing by where the other Sunday school group met, I very clearly heard how they wanted to start to pray for Laborers, Opportunities, Boldness, Success, Safety, and Salvation (LOBSSS, an acronym, which was part of the seminar) for their community. These 2 things completely made my day and my trip so worth while! The pastor wants me back in Mexico City to teach the seminar to five other churches he knows.
When I arrived at the Mexico City airport, I had an opportunity to present the gospel to one more person before I left. He didn’t clearly put his trust in Christ, but he does want to be at my next seminar in Mexico City and he wants to bring his wife. I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to at least plant a seed. I know He will do the rest! Thank you all for your prayers…it always makes a big difference!
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