Need in Mexico

Below is an email I received today from Ed Jump the head of the CC Baptist Association. Just felt like I needed to pass it on.

If there is a whispering of the Spirit in your life about this then contact Raul Elizondo (raul4christ@msn.com) . . . and also 'comment' at the bottom of this post so that you can connect with others who God is whispering to . . .


Brother Ed,
Alejandro Cortinas is the pastor of the church we assisted in building homes during our summer mission trip in Matamoros, Mexico with RHBC and ABC churches. He has contacted me about a church pastored by his brother, Gilberto Cortinas. Giberto's church lost their roof during Hurricane Alex. They would like to build a new roof, but a solid one not one from metal sheets, the cost is approximately $4,000.00. I verified the damage and the cost with Dwight Hendricks, our contact in Brownsville. Gilberto sent pictures of the damage made to the church as well as some of the surrounding houses. Could you please send out this information to our sister churches. The church is 2 hours south of Matamoros. If anyone feels the Lord would like them to help, they can call me and I can provide them with contact information.

Community affected by hurricane Alex:

Ejido Santa Isabel

Municipio Soto La Marina

Ejido Santa Isabel is at few hours south from Matamoros near Ciudad Victoria Tamaulipas. This is a ranch that has approx. 50 homes that live in very poor conditions and that has never had electricity, sewer system or phone lines. All they had was their homes and descent/low income jobs to support their families.

Church affected in the above mentioned community:

Iglesia Bautista Pescadores de Hombres

Pastor Gilberto Cortina

Intermediary - Pastor Alejandro Cortinas (Cell # 011 521 86 81 35 80 73)

Pastor Gilberto has no way of communication from Ejido Santa Isabel. Therefore, he has asked his brother, Pastor Alejandro Cortina from Matamoros, to assist him in getting the help they need. Pastor Alejandro will be using Moises’, his brother, email to communicate and ask for support in the reconstruction of the church in Ejido Santa Isabel. Pastor Alejandro will be sending us more pictures of the affected area via Moises’ email.

Thanks,
Raul Elizondo

Praying . . .

Please pray with me for our group from Oso Creek who are on a Compassion Trip in Mexico this week.

Tim & Susan Klaus, JT Wranosky & Rachel Wranosky are part of a larger group that is serving the children and staff at the Pan de vida orphanage in Queretaro, Mexico!

"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." Ephesians 6:19

Mexico Mission - Pray . . .

A group of Creekers left last Friday and is in Queretaro, Mexico at the Pan DeVida Orphanage. God has made their entire route smooth to this point.

Tim Klaus is leading the trip and emailed me asking for you to pray in this way: "Please pray for us during this week that we will reflect God's love well to these orphan children as we spend time with them and get things fixed up around the orphanage."

Compassion?

From December 26th to January 4th we will be making another compassion trip to the Pan de Vida Orphanage in Queretaro, Mexico.

I like the idea of calling these 'compassion trips' (I stole it from another pastor) because that's exactly what we are going to do . . . show compassion to the orphans and anyone else who crosses our path.

Are you up for it? Our life is changed when we give it away . . .

Here's some of the details:

When: Leave Corpus Fri 12/26 @ 10am . . . Arrive back Sun 1/4 by noon

Cost: $400 (inlcudes transportation, food, lodging, constructing materials & tourist visa)

There will be an informational meeting after the 11am Celebration THIS Sunday (10/12) . . . or you can email Tim Klaus (click here) for more info.

Pray for Mexico Trip

Yesterday we had to cancel our trip to Durango, Mexcio amidst many concerns about security. There has been an increase of rebel violence in that area and several people have been killed near where we go - one only a couple of blocks away.

Because 'foreigners' only draw attention to themselves and those they are with - our host in Mexico decided that the risk was too great - both for us and those we would be working with. He and his family are also pulling out until things cool down.

Those folks from Oso Creek who were going are now checking into going back to the Pan de Vida Orphanage in Queretaro, Mexico where another group from Oso Creek went in June.

Please pray with us for wisdom and open doors if/where he would have this group love folks for Jesus.

Giving Our Lives Away

Central to what it means to follow Jesus is losing ourselves . . . and putting great value on those who are in need and hurting. James the brother of Jesus even asked the question: 'What good is it if you claim to have faith but have no actions to express that faith?' (James 2:14 my translation)

And it's amazing how this tendency to 'keep ourself' - instead of 'lose ourself' - blinds, or at least stiffens, us to those who are in need.

I have also observed that it many times takes radical acts of 'getting lost' to break out of self. It's like the deeper in ourselves we are the more 'lost' we've got to get.

This Summer all of you have an opportunity to lose yourself amongst the poor and hopeless in Mexico. The first of two trips is to Queretaro, Mexico and the Pan de Vida orphanage (see pics) on June 13-22. This is where Richard and Ximena Roseland serve with Orphanos.

This Sunday (May 4th) immediately following the 11am Celebration Dino Roseland will host an informational meeting about the trip. ANYONE even remotely interested is encouraged to come and check it out - men, women, students, children.

Caring for Orphans in Mexico

I'm excited to let you know that we are creating an awesome opportunity for you to be used by God to show the hope of Christ to some of the least loved in Mexico.

On June 14-21 we will be taking a trip to Queretaro, Mexico where Richard and Ximena Roseland live and give their lives through the Orphanos ministry to children.

Dino Roseland will be leading the trip and there will be many ways to be involved from being hands on with the kids to building projects. But there's only room for 30 folks who will be staying at Pan de Vida - so you'll want to get signed up quickly!

You can email Dino for more info (click here).

Mission Possible!

On Friday night one of our Life Groups (Teel's Group) had a spaghetti dinner to help support Richard and Ximena Roseland who have given their lives to love orphans deep in Mexico.

This pic is of Richard & Ximena who serve through Orphanos - a ministry to children - at a Pan de Vida Orphanage in Queretaro, Mexico.

The Teels said that they were hoping to raise $1,000 and as of this afternoon God had raised over $2,000 and folks were still giving! Way to go Teel Group!!

On another missions note, we are making plans for a couple of short term mission trips in 2008! I'll get details to you as soon they're available . . .