Update from Benny - Rehab Center in Arizpe

Greetings from San Carlos!  I'm enjoying a change of pace, thought it was a bit of a weird feeling hitting Monday and knowing that there wouldn't be any students around!  We definitely miss them and are thinking/praying for them as they get settled back into their homes and ministries.

Benny has written a brief update which I wanted to pass along to you.  Thanks to those who wanted to be involved in their outreach for tomorrow, Día de los Niños.  More help was offered than what was needed, so some of you will just have to hold on for the next opportunity!  Here's Benny's letter:

Greetings from Arizpe, Sonora from your brother in Christ, Benito Hernandez.

We want to inform you of some of the activities that we are carrying on, firstly we want to inform you that when we first came to this place there were two people that were meeting here (mother & daughter) who helped us to find some of the people that had left the church for various reasons, people that we began visiting at their homes and inviting them back to the services and thus some of them have returned and are actually a part of the Church once again. Other activities that we have had is evangelism. We’ve have gone door to door, house by house where some people have showed much interest but they’re still afraid what others may say. Others who accepted the invitation are now attending some of the services. Also we’ve had some meetings in the town plaza where the people have come to listen to God’s word. The young people from the Church have helped presenting shows and dramas. Also we’ve been visiting Buena Vista, a town close by from which we had a good reception. The people came over to us and thanked us for going there. They told us that they were very thankful and blessed and asked us to return, something that we will keep doing since we had such a positive response by the people there. 

Other activities that are occurring in the Church are that Monday is a day of prayer in which we pray for the different needs each one has and for the growth of the Church.  On Wednesday we have a discipleship group where all are learning ways to  share the Gospel. It focuses on teaching how to reach out to people who are lost and on how to share God’s word with them.  On Thursdays we have an evangelistic meeting where we ask each member to bring a guest. On Fridays we show Christian films as an outreach ministry, also with the purpose of evangelism. On Saturdays we are going to neighbouring Buena Vista to continue in the work there.  We’re at the point of forming a study group in this town, since some of our Church members live there and their neighbours are excited about what is going on there, telling us that they would be interested in some Bible studies. For this reason we are thinking of forming a Bible Study group in Buena Vista. Finally, on Sundays we meet at 10:30 am. Our meetings are for singing and praising our Saviour Jesus Christ and the study of His Word. The children also receive a Bible Message. We continue to have a Biblical message every morning that we share with the town through two loud speakers. We do it as if it were a radio program, praying for the town, the people, their farms, etc. We have got good responses from the people, some have come closer to listen, others have made positive comments, we have seen that many want to come but they fear what others may say; we are sure that God is working in their hearts and those persons that still haven’t had the courage, we believe firmly that God is touching their hearts.

Also I want you to know a little about the work we are doing in the Rehabilitation Center. We actually have four young people that are in the process of rehabilitation. These youth are being instructed with the Word of God. Their activities are focused in the Biblical instruction where each morning they have a devotional discovering firstly the counsel of God, then both individual and group Biblical Readings, prayer, fasting and a discipleship class on how to incorporate themselves into society giving them the Biblical tools for living a Christian life, knowing that without God we can’t do it alone . Other activities that they do is sports where they have time to build themselves up physically, being active through exercise and sports. Also we have visited the Junior High School talking with the kids about drug prevention and their consequences where our youth share their testimonies making the youth reflect on the impact of drugs on their own lives. I follow this with some photos of the different activities aforementioned.

And without more, awaiting to hear from you, I say good bye, but not without blessing your life in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

I ask that you will join me in prayer that the Lord will give us strength to follow Him in His work.

With love, your brother Benito Hernandez

MAY THE PEACE OF CHRIST THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING REIGN IN OUR HEARTS,  AMEN

Here's some pictures of things happening in Arizpe:

A Church service

The inauguration service for the Rehab Center: Lugar de Encuentro, Vida Nueva - Meeting Place, New Life

A service at the village of Buena Vista

The four young people currently in the Rehab Center.

A Bible study at Benny's house.

God bless each one of you and thanks for your prayers!

An Easter Reflection

First of all, I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter season, and that every year you celebrate it, the significance of Christ's death and resurrection are becoming something more and more real for you!  We spend a lot of time (and rightfully so!) looking back on the personal cost to Jesus, all the He had to go through up to and on the cross.  It's so good to reflect on the path of the One who has gone before us leading up to the cross, and realizing that our path, as His disciples, leads to the same place - a death to our selves.  But the great news on the third day points to a wonderful, glorious future for us!  And we can have this confident hope overflowing within us as Paul writes in Romans 15:13:

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.  Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Looking back on this past semester, I've got to wonder where the time has gone!  We are on the final countdown, with 3 days left to go!  Friday holds the final graduation ceremony and we are expecting about 100 guests celebrating what God has done in the lives of the 9 students.  Last weekend we had the opportunity to go out altogether to serve in two different communities, one community a small agricultural village down some paved roads in very bad condition, which happened to be the home of one of our students, and then to a small remote fishing village, the home of another one of our students.  The students have been preparing elements for children's and youth ministries including testimonies, dramas, puppets, etc. which they had the chance to present in both of those communities.  It really was a pleasure to watch them and to see them being stretched and used, perhaps in ways that were outside of the comfort zones.  All students, even a couple of the pastors in the 50's and 60's were involved even with the puppets, (definitely a stretch for some of them!) and were willing to serve in whatever capacity, whatever the opportunity that arose.

Our students and staff

Looking back on my own experiences this semester, I'm very thankful for the things God has been doing in my own life.  It has been a very different year for me personally than the previous year.  God had other things in store for me, that I wasn't necessarily aware of (or ready for!)  Perhaps a second kick at the can allowed for more confidence, a greater level of comfort with my fellow staff, and more opportunity to get involved.  Those opportunities came largely in being more involved in the classes of the students.  I had the opportunity to teach a class called Music Ministry, focussing on what it means to worship and how to effectively lead others (well, that was the intention anyways!)  I have done some teaching and preaching in the past, though my experience was quite limited!  And though I have done it in Spanish before, this took on a whole new level, having to teach some each week.  Those first classes, my heart was pounding pretty much since the night before each class right through till the end of the class!  The preparation was always rewarding but the actual teaching still always felt like an uphill battle.  By the end of this semester, I can say that I actually got to the point of looking forward to the next class, (a miracle in and of itself!)  I thank God for these opportunities to step out of the boat, onto a windblown lake, and seeing Him proving Himself faithful as He never left my side.  I trust and pray that the students learned (even half) as much as I have.  I also had the opportunity to take in a couple of other courses taught by some other teachers which I may have the opportunity to teach in the year(s) to come.

One other quick update on the Arizpe front, Benny is doing very well with the church.  He keeps telling me of new people going to the services, some who have returned after not having gone for some time and others who have never gone to church.  That is exciting to hear!  He has a third person in the rehab center which is also great.  There is an opportunity for those who want to be involved.  At the end of this month (April 30) is Dia del Niño, Children's Day, which is a pretty big day in Mexico.  Many churches use this day to have activities aimed towards the children.  Often this involves carnival type activities, parties, and giving out little gifts (like stuffed animals, small toys, etc.)  Benny has asked for help to get some small gifts for 30 children, the amount of children he is expecting that day.  If any of you would want to be involved, let me know!

There are of course many ways you can keep us in your prayers including:

* Of course, Benny's ministry, the rehab center and the congregation he is working with
* Our final week - for the students as they start thinking about transitioning back to their homes and ministries
* Us as staff - wisdom, discernment, love, courage, all the things we need to be vessels of Christ for these students

Thank you for your faithful prayers!  God bless you for them!