Wow! After what often felt like a slower pace of activity due to the pandemic, it seems that all of a sudden that activity is picking up in many areas of ministry. Please read below to see what God has been up to.
Iglesia Gran Comisión and Youth Group
We’re so excited that beginning a couple weeks ago, our church services on Sundays and Saturday youth small groups are meeting in person every week! As we were occasionally hosting in-person gatherings to gradually transition away from online only meetings, it’s so nice to now be completely in person again.
Chepe has been hard at work with updating production teams, equipment and schedules to accommodate to the new space for Sunday services. The church has found an event space that is perfect for the San Salvador church. We are even able to store our band and production equipment there during the week. No more loading and unloading for every service!
We are really enjoying hosting our small group in person again, taking advantage of the beautiful common areas in our neighborhood to get some fresh air. We often have soccer or basketball with the youth and other members of the church in addition to Bible study.
Children’s Development Centers (CDI)
We have more exciting news! After over a year of being unable to host children for classes at the CDIs, we are taking the final steps to open back up next month. We are currently enrolling all the kids for in person classes, updating our rosters and facilities, and prepping for the additional protocol required by the government to keep everyone safe. Our goal is to open our doors in the third week of June. I think I can speak for all of the staff and families in saying that we are EXCITED!
My priority right now with the CDIs is organizing and updating all child files, making sure we have all the proper paperwork for enrollment in the program. I will also be assisting teachers with cleaning, inventory and whatever else they may need. When students are back with us, I will get right to work on child updates to send to their sponsors.
Mission Teams 2021
I am also working closely with our staff in preparation for the upcoming mission teams we will be hosting. You may remember, but the last mission team we hosted was the same week that most of the western hemisphere swiftly began shutting down due to the pandemic. We are so excited to receive these teams and are expectant of all that God will accomplish through them in the coming months.
¡Adiós, Familia Turcios!
Although May was very exciting in many ways, we also faced a bittersweet moment in saying goodbye to our friends in the Turcios family (Victor, Silvia, Silvita and Victor Raul) as they moved the States with the vision of planting a church in Los Angeles to meet the needs of hispanic immigrants. They have been dear friends and partners of ours in ministry since well before I moved here. I will always be grateful to them for hosting me in their home for almost three years until it was time for Chepe and I to make our own home together. We’ve watched their children grow up and mature and had the honor of being their small group leaders for over two years.
We will miss them, but are excited to see what God has planned for them and admire their boldness in following His will for their lives.
Please Pray…
- For the church and our small group; for God to encourage everyone to again create a habit of congregating regularly with fellow believers, for protection as we navigate new health protocols, for His supernatural provision for all the families that are experiencing unemployment or reduced income due to the pandemic.
- For the CDIs; for wisdom as we plan the right steps for re-opening, for protection over all children and families, for God to put the right people in place to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
- For mission teams; for guidance as I plan logistics for the teams, for God to prevent any obstacles with COVID testing (entering and exiting the country), to prepare the hearts of the missionaries and the locals they will meet.
- For the Turcios family; for provision for their ministry, for God to guide them to make lasting connections in Los Angeles and for God to ease the transition to a new culture.
- For our church leadership (especially Pastor Nelson) as they work to find the right people and take more leadership to continue the work that were Victor and Silvia’s main roles with the ministry here.
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