Latin America Q3 Update
MINISTRY: MiCaf Churches & DMM Movement | Latin American Country
MINISTRY PURPOSE: to make disciples through Gospel advancing small groups + minister to their people through various felt need ministries.
TESTIMONY:
John Giddens’ [Wellspring Mission Coordinator to Latin America] shortened personal testimony about my experience in Latin America.
I was personally able to join the Wellspring group that visited Latin America in August.
I can tell you that it was a Very Sobering experience.
In our country, we sometimes hear stories about the lifestyle of people in different countries. It is one thing to hear about it and another thing to personally experience it.
As our group traveled from the airport, by bus, to the area which we would be staying and ministering (about an hour drive), I could not take my eyes away from what I was seeing.
On the road were very few automobiles. Most people were in horse drawn carriages, on small motorcycles, bicycles, and walking. It was as if I had gone back in time. Along the side of the road were occasional, what we would call bus stops, where people were waiting and hoping to catch a ride in a horse drawn carriage, from an occasional car, or a motorcycles.
In the villages we traveled through, there were generally extremely Old houses with small fruit and vegetables stands in the front. My mind became overwhelmed with emotion. I thought to myself, most of the world lives like this and I never could have envisioned what was right before my eyes.
I began to pray, emotionally, asking God why he had decided for my life to be spent in an environment so much more financially blessed than this. My answer came later when the group was talking about the experiences we found ourselves in.
In the city we stayed, the buildings looked different than the small towns and countryside we passed from the airport. Lots of old buildings, but most were in disrepair. However, the transportation was much the same except lots more walkers on the road and on the street sidewalks.
There were a lot of new experiences on this trip but the most amazing one was when the group was asked to pray for those people that were coming out of the water of which that had just been baptized.
We formed teams of three to pray for these new brothers and sisters in Christ. In each team was one person that spoke Spanish so that we would be able to understand what was being said by the people coming to our group.
As my team began to pray I suddenly and unexpectedly received a holy spirit gift of prophecy for those that came to our group for prayer.
I struggled at first as I had never experienced anything quite like this.
However, the spirit was so strong upon me that I HAD to share with each person what I was hearing the Lord say to them.
Fortunately, the Spanish speaking person in my group was able to translate for them. It truly was a WOW time for me and, according to each person’s response to the Word I gave them, it WAS the Holy Spirit encouraging each one.
Coming back to the US, I feel an increase in faith for and understanding in the work of the Kingdom around the globe. God is on the move and I get to be a part of it in this neighborhood and even unto the nations!
KNOW:
August 4-10 – A group of 10 people from Wellspring traveled to Latin America on a missions trip lead by David Hayes.
Every 2 months, the ministry in Latin America hosts baptisms for those who recently gave their life to the Lord. We were blessed to join in the baptism service in Las Tunas. Around 70 people walked into the waters of baptism. 70 individual people who chose Christ over this world. WOW!
Early August, shortly after the team departed – “Our Teen Camp touched the lives of 240 boys and girls! We spent four days with them, had wonderful worship, great talks, challenges, and competitions, and many young people were weeping in the presence of God.
August 28 – Well Over 1000 young children attended our Vacation Bible School. So many that it overflowed the very large covered pavilion.
August – Water well initiatives – The water supplied to this country is not fit to drink. As we were told by N, as the Lord supplies the funding, there is a plan to begin drilling water wells all over the country. These wells will be drilled at Church Leaders homes to service/provide the residents around them with unpolluted(drinkable) water. The residents now, in most cases, have to walk a number of miles to get drinkable water in containers that they can then carry back to their homes. The drilling of wells will greatly help the surrounding residents and give the Leaders an opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus. The approximate cost to drill these wells is $1000 each. Recently, after hearing this, one of our members donated a well. Hallelujah!
PRAY:
These requests for prayer have been asked by N Perez.
1. Please pray for this Latin American ministry.
2. Pray for our leaders, that God will give them strength during this difficult time, amidst power outages lasting as much as 12 hours a day.
3. Pray for my people, Latin Americans, a people who despite being hungry (food is too expensive), despite not having medicine, and despite experiencing very bad weather, these people of Latin American have not lost their will to live. They continue to laugh, continue to serve, help others, and continue to trust in God.
4. Please pray that God will perform a miracle for Latin Americans; that we have electricity, food, and medicine for our sick.
5. Pray for provision and more Bibles for Latin Americans.
6. Pray for our team; for health, power, protection, and that we continue to press on in the missions with Jesus.
7. Pray for God's provisions for the new team of Latin Americans being deployed to work in the Muslim world.
8. Pray for my healing of these stomach issues, mental health, and spiritual strength, so that I can continue to carry out the Work of God freely.
9. Pray that the Lord will make a way for the USA to allow needed bicycles to be shipped to Latin America. This will surely take a miracle from the Lord.
10. As was our last blog, all the Perez family is doing well. However, N is still experiencing some stomach issues. He thinks is may be a bacterial infection that started with gastritis. He is under medical treatment and continues to improve but not yet healed.
GIVE:
Here are some of our projects of which will help our mission in Latin America.
1. Funds to finish by this fall, the main building at the rehabilitation center on the farm grounds operated by pastors Jesús and Angélica. With construction of housing, we will be able to bring more Addicts to be rehabilitated and at the same time the Addicts will grow in self-worth by helping us with the work on the farm. The approximate funds needed to finish this project is $7,500.
2. More Bibles. People in our country are hungry for Bibles.
3. Continued provisions our Clinic/Pharmacy.
4. We already have 17 dining rooms to feed children. Before the end of the year we are praying to have 20 soup kitchens feeding 30 children three times a week. We would be serving 7,200 meals a month.
GO: