Enciende El Fuego
God is doing a mighty work in Barrio 17 de Diciembre and is raising up an army of children Christ followers. We have seen that the ministry there is bearing fruit and God is showering His favor upon all that we are doing with the foundation. It is a privilege for us to be chosen by God for this great work! Maria a few weeks ago had a prophetic dream about multiplication, and shortly after we began seeing this multiplication at the foundation and at times have received about 90 kids.
During the month of October we will be teaching on the Great Commission, teaching the kids how to share the gospel, and then sharing the gospel in the community. Three girls who dance in the church are volunteering teaching dance to the foundation girls as well. In November, we will be focusing on the armor of God and teaching them how to use it. Shortly, we will begin planning and contacting businesses and people for donations for our year-end Christmas party and gifts for the kids.
We are so thankful for the amazing staff that God has sent us, persons who volunteer from their hearts not asking for anything in return. God has been reminding us that we also have a ministry to them and their spiritual development and also to ignite their passion for evangelism, ministry, and missions. We had our first staff fast/time of prayer this past Saturday and God poured out his presence and united us even more. We will continue do this every other week as a staff.
I have been working in Divino Niño, another neighborhood not too far from 17 de Diciembre. We have been supporting a drawing teacher (who isn’t a Christian…yet) there and have been teaching the Bible and having soccer games. I feel we need to do more there and have contacted a local church to help in that ministry. We have been invited to visit and consider working in other neighborhoods and will also be visiting a Christian home for indigenous teens who come from persecuted families to see if we will support them. We just ask that God leads us to the right places.
Life is Good
We have really been enjoying life, marriage, and ministry and we are honored to be used by God to be blessings to others! We have recently started leading a home group through our church. Maria celebrated her birthday on September 8 and was showered with much love and blessings! God continues using Maria greatly in her teaching and ministry with the kids at El Shaddai and me at the school in 17 de Diciembre. I also work a few hours most Wednesdays with English assistance at a Christian school.
We have begun having sports activities for kids here in our apartment complex on Fridays evenings and basketball on Monday afternoons. We pray that God gives us more opportunities through this. We were blessed to be able to buy a cheap, nice, used bed for our extra room to be able to house missionaries and others who need a place to stay! God also continues to bless our partnership with Coparena, a missions training school here in Santa Marta. We hope to continue to support them next year as well. God has been so good to us and we continue to see His provision and favor in our lives and marriage. We know that we are laboring only to please the Lord and winning souls to Him!
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:7-9
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21
In Christ,
Maria and Jonathan
God is doing a mighty work in Barrio 17 de Diciembre and is raising up an army of children Christ followers. We have seen that the ministry there is bearing fruit and God is showering His favor upon all that we are doing with the foundation. It is a privilege for us to be chosen by God for this great work! Maria a few weeks ago had a prophetic dream about multiplication, and shortly after we began seeing this multiplication at the foundation and at times have received about 90 kids.
During the month of October we will be teaching on the Great Commission, teaching the kids how to share the gospel, and then sharing the gospel in the community. Three girls who dance in the church are volunteering teaching dance to the foundation girls as well. In November, we will be focusing on the armor of God and teaching them how to use it. Shortly, we will begin planning and contacting businesses and people for donations for our year-end Christmas party and gifts for the kids.
We are so thankful for the amazing staff that God has sent us, persons who volunteer from their hearts not asking for anything in return. God has been reminding us that we also have a ministry to them and their spiritual development and also to ignite their passion for evangelism, ministry, and missions. We had our first staff fast/time of prayer this past Saturday and God poured out his presence and united us even more. We will continue do this every other week as a staff.
I have been working in Divino Niño, another neighborhood not too far from 17 de Diciembre. We have been supporting a drawing teacher (who isn’t a Christian…yet) there and have been teaching the Bible and having soccer games. I feel we need to do more there and have contacted a local church to help in that ministry. We have been invited to visit and consider working in other neighborhoods and will also be visiting a Christian home for indigenous teens who come from persecuted families to see if we will support them. We just ask that God leads us to the right places.
Life is Good
We have really been enjoying life, marriage, and ministry and we are honored to be used by God to be blessings to others! We have recently started leading a home group through our church. Maria celebrated her birthday on September 8 and was showered with much love and blessings! God continues using Maria greatly in her teaching and ministry with the kids at El Shaddai and me at the school in 17 de Diciembre. I also work a few hours most Wednesdays with English assistance at a Christian school.
We have begun having sports activities for kids here in our apartment complex on Fridays evenings and basketball on Monday afternoons. We pray that God gives us more opportunities through this. We were blessed to be able to buy a cheap, nice, used bed for our extra room to be able to house missionaries and others who need a place to stay! God also continues to bless our partnership with Coparena, a missions training school here in Santa Marta. We hope to continue to support them next year as well. God has been so good to us and we continue to see His provision and favor in our lives and marriage. We know that we are laboring only to please the Lord and winning souls to Him!
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:7-9
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21
In Christ,
Maria and Jonathan