School Ministry
Our school ministry continues to go well. Maria is teaching English at a Christian school (El Shadai) three days a week and Jonathan is teaching at Jireh three days a week and Barrio 17 public elementary school two days a week. Teaching English has been a good challenge for Maria, but most students are eager to learn and are blessed to have Maria as a teacher. Jonathan is teaching religion and physical education to 3rd-6th grade at Jireh and physical education to 2nd-5th grade at Barrio 17. Working at the school right next door to where we do ministry each Saturday has been a blessing. Jonathan has been inviting the kids to basketball training and to our Saturday events and our numbers have grown. He is being a light to the kids there as it is a public school and is praying about how to creatively share Christ.
Enciende El Fuego
We are very pleased to announce that Enciende El Fuego is now a legal and official foundation as of last week! We knew we needed to take the next step and trust God to open the doors for more opportunities, donations, and support. God has been bringing us the right people in His timing, and there are now five of us regularly there with the kids each Saturday. In addition, we have an official soccer trainer that will probably be working with the kids in the near future as well as a baseball trainer who works for the city and wants to be a part of the ministry. Both are from our church.
We continue to have the full support of the Barrio 17 community president (whom God is drawing back to Him) and more and more people are noticing us and trust is growing. We know someday soon we will have a lot more kids that will be part of the ministry. This is all new for us, but we are trusting God to put everything together because it’s His ministry, heart, and plan. It’s not always easy as we have seen two fist fights break out and had a sports pinny stolen, but we have also seen changed hearts and a hunger for God.
Testimonies
Jonathan got to share the gospel with a 13-year-old boy from Venezuela at a park during a PE class and gave him a Bible. He is praying that God reveals Himself to him. It was a joy to see the 4th graders at Jireh be so excited to receive their Bibles that were donated by the Gideons of Santa Marta. Another awesome testimony of God using us happened last year when we did a kids’ event at a friends’ house group. There was a boy who came who had ugly skin spots over his whole body. We prayed healing over him before leaving that day. That friend just informed us recently that God restored (last year) the skin of that boy and now doesn’t have one single blemish!
Lessons Learned
God is always teaching us something. We have been especially challenged to have a thankful heart in all that we do, for all that He is, and all He has done and is doing. We have been encouraged that God is always doing way more than what we can visible see and also that our work in the Lord is never in vain and that we are reaping a harvest. Our job is to preach and live in holiness, not save people. With many opinions and voices out there, we are challenged to seek God’s voice and nothing more.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58
En Cristo,
María y Jonathan
Our school ministry continues to go well. Maria is teaching English at a Christian school (El Shadai) three days a week and Jonathan is teaching at Jireh three days a week and Barrio 17 public elementary school two days a week. Teaching English has been a good challenge for Maria, but most students are eager to learn and are blessed to have Maria as a teacher. Jonathan is teaching religion and physical education to 3rd-6th grade at Jireh and physical education to 2nd-5th grade at Barrio 17. Working at the school right next door to where we do ministry each Saturday has been a blessing. Jonathan has been inviting the kids to basketball training and to our Saturday events and our numbers have grown. He is being a light to the kids there as it is a public school and is praying about how to creatively share Christ.
Enciende El Fuego
We are very pleased to announce that Enciende El Fuego is now a legal and official foundation as of last week! We knew we needed to take the next step and trust God to open the doors for more opportunities, donations, and support. God has been bringing us the right people in His timing, and there are now five of us regularly there with the kids each Saturday. In addition, we have an official soccer trainer that will probably be working with the kids in the near future as well as a baseball trainer who works for the city and wants to be a part of the ministry. Both are from our church.
We continue to have the full support of the Barrio 17 community president (whom God is drawing back to Him) and more and more people are noticing us and trust is growing. We know someday soon we will have a lot more kids that will be part of the ministry. This is all new for us, but we are trusting God to put everything together because it’s His ministry, heart, and plan. It’s not always easy as we have seen two fist fights break out and had a sports pinny stolen, but we have also seen changed hearts and a hunger for God.
Testimonies
Jonathan got to share the gospel with a 13-year-old boy from Venezuela at a park during a PE class and gave him a Bible. He is praying that God reveals Himself to him. It was a joy to see the 4th graders at Jireh be so excited to receive their Bibles that were donated by the Gideons of Santa Marta. Another awesome testimony of God using us happened last year when we did a kids’ event at a friends’ house group. There was a boy who came who had ugly skin spots over his whole body. We prayed healing over him before leaving that day. That friend just informed us recently that God restored (last year) the skin of that boy and now doesn’t have one single blemish!
Lessons Learned
God is always teaching us something. We have been especially challenged to have a thankful heart in all that we do, for all that He is, and all He has done and is doing. We have been encouraged that God is always doing way more than what we can visible see and also that our work in the Lord is never in vain and that we are reaping a harvest. Our job is to preach and live in holiness, not save people. With many opinions and voices out there, we are challenged to seek God’s voice and nothing more.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58
En Cristo,
María y Jonathan