June 2016 Mothers and Evangelism
One thing I've learned in cross-cultural ministry is to take opportunities for evangelism as they come. For many Hispanics, Mother's Day is a day you need to go with mom to church. For our churches doing ministry in Spanish, Mother's Day Sunday can often have the biggest or nearly biggest attendance of the year. This year at Cruz de Cristo was no exception. We had a great crowd to hear the Word. Several new families visited the service. We even ran out of chairs, which is a very nice problem to have in a mission church!
The kids came in on Saturday for their usual Bible class. As part of the class, they made thank-you cards and gifts for their mothers based on the Bible story of the one leper who gave thanks in Luke 17:11-19. The Sunday service was an encouragement to the moms to share the faith of the Bible with their children, just as we see Lois and Eunice did in 2 Timothy. And then we had a little fellowship with cake and juice after the service. In the end, it was a wonderful opportunity to tell a large group of people how to get to heaven through faith in Jesus. ~Pastor Valleskey | | | Summer Projects
In June we're looking forward to welcoming a number of visitors from the U.S. From June 11 to 21 six students from Wisconsin Lutheran High School will join us together with their teacher, Karen Kilchemann. They will teach VBS, lead the kids in playground games in the local community center, and, in partnership with church members and neighbors, do some community clean-up and beautification projects. They will also participate in the regular church activities of the week, including the Sunday services, Saturday kids' Bible class, and a trip to Pulticub. We will definitely be keeping them busy!
Then from June 15 to August 16, Wisconsin Lutheran College student, Austin Wagenknecht, will be here to teach English classes to adults, teens, and kids. He also plans to be involved in the church's outreach. We ask God to bless their ministry among us! ************************************************* KM 55
"Kilometer 55" is an area on the outskirts of Mahahual. It got its name from a road sign on the side of the highway. Years ago many of the locals owned pieces of land in this area, and though they were the poorer people of the town, what they had was theirs and they did what they could to live off it. Then the Mexican government convinced them to trade their land to the government in exchange for government-built houses, and were promised working water, electricity, and septic. What actually happened was the people signed over the one thing that was actually their own, the government-built concrete boxes barely big enough to fit a family of four or five, and after nearly a decade is only now beginning to keep its promise of electricity. Water is collected in cisterns on roofs or makeshift platforms. If a family has a septic system of any kind they probably installed it themselves. The power comes from a massive bank of junction boxes at the edge of the area, which the people themselves must connect to and run their own electrical line to their home. Imagine the risks involved in doing that. | | | What can a small Lutheran mission do for such a people? Well, we can make sandwiches. We can bring the kids and their parents to the church, give them a good lunch, pray with them and give them God's Word. We can invite the kids back the next day for a Bible lesson and some snacks, and we can give them a backpack stuffed with basic hygiene supplies and school supplies. Is it enough to make a major difference in their lives? Maybe not today, but is it enough to show them they are loved? Is it enough to open a door for the Gospel? Is it enough to show them the grace of God and give them a chance to know him so they have hope? Si Dios quiere (If God wills it). But since El Señor es siempre bueno (The Lord is always good), God can and will work good from what we do. We leave it to him what that good will be. ~B Steenbock ***************************************************** Online donations can be made at www.Costamayaministries.org or by check to Christ Lutheran Church, 121 N 3rd St, Eagle River, WI 54521
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