Pastor Oscar Chavez, who works with Hispanic church planting from his base in Lancaster, California, sends along this news and challenge. Oscar’s e-mail address is ocnpat@msn.com and his website is WWW.iglesialacosecha.org.
As we approach this Thanksgiving Day I would like to share with you some of the many blessing that we are thankful for. In this year 2010 these are the things that God has helped us accomplish:
NICARAGUA
– In April we witnessed the beginning of a new Grace Brethren Church in Managua, Nicaragua. This is our second church in that area, and it has been growing in attendance averaging 50 adults per service plus 30 kids.
– We were also able to accomplish three different Bible training courses for our church leaders in Nicaragua. One of these trainings took place in Mexico City. This was almost an impossible task to accomplish for the Nicaraguan leaders because of the Mexican government not approving their visas, but we did not cease to pray and ask God to grant them their visas and He did so. Once they had their visas approved they were able to leave for Mexico City to begin the training. That was an historic event for the Nicaraguan leaders since they had never been out of their country and they were able to see the large church family that we have in Mexico.
MEXICO
– ENSENADA: In January, 2010 we began a Bible Training Center with the purpose of providing Bible training for future missionaries and church planters in Mexico. The task was not so easy since I had to drive from Lancaster, California, to Ensenada every other week. We started the year Feb. 6, and we just had a Mexican Potluck celebrating the end of the first year of the training Center on Nov. 13, 2010.
These are the two areas in the world that God has opened the doors for me to work under the supervision of GBIM.
A COUPLE OF PROJECTS BEFORE THIS YEAR ENDS:
1. Christmas for Kids in Nicaragua.
– we are taking a short term team from LA COSECHA, Lancaster to help do an outreach for the Kids at Christmas. Our team will cook meals for the kids of our church area in Los Catros (outside of Managua) and also for the kids of our church in Managua.
– We will have crafts that will help us share the gospel with the kids.
– We will share time and the hope of God with the parents
– And we will bring the kids 136 pairs of shoes. Last year we took toys for them and they were very happy but this year some of the kids ask if we could just bring them shoes. So our Lancaster church got to work and we have 136 pairs of shoes that are going to Nicaragua in two weeks. Praise the Lord.
2. Christmas for Kids in Ensenada, Mexico.
We will do the same work in Ensenada that we are doing in Nicaragua. Food, Pinatas, Crafts, etc.
We have 136 pairs of shoes to take to Nicaragua but we have not been able to collect shoes for the kids in Ensenada. We need 50 pairs of shoes for these kids.
How can you or your church help?
You church can adopt 10 pairs of shoes. You can tell your congregation or friends if they would like to donate a pair or two of shoes for kids in Mexico for Christmas. There are five groups of ten children each, please contact us to let us know which group would your church adopt before you announce it, so that we do not have two churches adopting the same group. All these kids are part of one of our Grace Brethren churches in Ensenada, Mexico.
All the shoes have to be collected no later than December 12th for us to be able to take them on December 17. Thank you so much for you prayers and kindness.
If your church prefers to collect an offering and send the money to help us buy the shoes calculate about $20 – $25 per pair of shoes and make a check payable to:
IGLESIA LA COSECHA.
Memo: Shoes for Kids in Ensenada.
Checks should be sent to:
Iglesia Cristiana La Cosecha
45437 Spahn Lane
Lancaster, CA 93535
Please pray for the kids and for us that are going to be doing these events in Nicaragua and Mexico and pray for the church leaders to be wise in the making of contacts through these events.