Since we wrote last, we've had a lot going on in addition to our regular ministry activities. These are some of the extras:
Laura shared at a women's breakfast for the "Church in the Park" in Tizayuca.
We cooked and baked for and hosted our annual staff Christmas party (for 40 people!).
Our family, plus others, led worship in 2 Christmas services (including Emily, who was fresh off the plane from college).
Manuel preached for the last in a long string of quince años celebrations.
Manuel's maternal grandmother was called into the Lord's presence (near Acapulco). Of his grandma's 7 living children (above), only 2 are believers. Manuel was able to share the Gospel message at the funeral and lead his mostly-unsaved relatives in a prayer of salvation. Praise God!
After the Christmas services there were multiple piñatas for the many kids to break open.
Kids Club members sang for the Christmas program in Puebla.
But best of all is the spiritual fruit we have seen lately in many different areas. Our missionaries in the Mixtec region of Puebla, Agapito and Elsa, had 80 people at their Christmas event! This has been a very tough area with heavy resistance to the Gospel, so this response, and the fact that most present prayed to accept Christ, is incredibly encouraging. Please continue to lift up the Osorio family as they minister among these Mixtec people.
The church plant in Héroes Tecámac is growing and doing very well under John & Tracey Pieters' leadership. John baptized 4 more new believers this month, and the congregation is studying Basic Christian Doctrines in preparation for becoming an officially established church next spring.
We received word that spiritual seeds planted 22 years ago have now borne fruit. When I (Laura) worked in Chiconautla as a single missionary through the Spearhead program, my roommate and I invested a lot of time in a woman named Rosario. She attended church as long as we personally invited her, but after my term in Chiconautla ended I never heard from her or saw her again. A couple of weeks ago Rosario stopped by the church to say hello and to tell us that she was baptized in March 2014 and is faithfully attending a church near her home at the top of the hill! Praise God for the growth of those seeds planted long ago!
One last bit of news...Manuel grew up in a tiny village in Oaxaca called La Hierba Santa before moving to Mexico City, where he then met Christ at the age of 15. There was no Christian witness in La Hierba Santa, and Manuel always wondered when that might change. Meet Norberto, a man who became a Christian in the Chiconautla church several years ago. Norberto went through our discipleship course and attended church for years before moving to another "suburb" of Mexico City. He called Manuel a few months ago to say hello, and what do you think Norberto has been doing? He has been making periodic mission trips to La Hierba Santa (a 12-hour drive, one way) to help a nearby pastor build up a church there! Isn't God amazing? He is using a soul saved in the church which Manuel pastors to reach souls in Manuel's home town! ¡Gloria a Dios! Here are some of Norberto's photos from La Hierba Santa:
So as 2014 draws to a close, we praise God for all the fruit that is evident in so many areas. As we continue to labor on, sowing seeds, watering others, and harvesting for the Kingdom, we are thankful for the partnership of those who pray and give to make this possible. Happy New Year, and to our supporters, may you find great joy in being a part of what God is doing here in Mexico! Blessings to you throughout 2015!
