HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGELICA!!!

Oct. 1 is Angelica's birthday and we are celebrating with Mole Poblano in her childhood home.

Angelica's update

Below is a brief update about Angelica's recent activities with translation following.

SE QUE DAN HA ESTADO COMPARTIENDO LA VISION DE TRABAJAR EN LA MISION INTEGRAL, QUE COMPRENDE EL COMPARTIR EL EVANGELIO, PERO TAMBIEN PARTICIPAR EN LA COMUNIDAD PARA LOGRAR MEJORAR LAS CONDICIONES DE VIDA DE LA GENTE.
EN MI CASO, MI PRIORIDAD AHORA ES CUIDAR DE MI HIJO JACOB, QUIEN GRACIAS A DIOS ES UN NINO MUY SANO Y YA DA MUESTRAS DE UNA PERSONALIDAD MUY PARTICULAR. SIN EMBARGO, TAMBIEN HE TENIDO OPORTUNIDAD DE MINISTRAR A ALGUNAS PERSONAS. RECIENTEMENTE LLEGO UNA MUJER JOVEN (EN SUS 30’S) QUIEN VENIA BASTANTE AGOBIADA POR SUS PROBLEMAS. ES UNA MUJER CASADA CUYO ESPOSO SE FUE PARA EU EN BUSCA DE DINERO PARA SOSTENER SU FAMILIA JUSTO CUANDO ELLA ESPERABA SU SEGUNDO HIJO. ESTO FUE HACE MAS DE 8 ANOS. EN TODO ESE TIEMPO EL NO HA VENIDO UNA SOLA VEZ, SOLO HA MANDADO DINERO, CON EL CUAL ELLA PUDO CONSTRUIR UNA VIVIENDA DIGNA. ELLA HA SABIDO QUE EL TIENE OTRA MUJER ALLA DONDE VIVE, Y QUE TIENE FOTOS DE EL CON LA OTRA.
SU PROBLEMA AHORA ES QUE ESTA EMBARAZADA DE OTRO Y SU CORAZON AHORA ESTA ENLAZADO CON ESTE HOMBRE, EL CUAL ES SOLTERO Y QUIERE CASARSE CON ELLA, PERO EL NO QUIERE HACERSE CARGO DE LOS OTROS HIJOS. QUE CONSEJO DARIAS TU A ELLA? ES DIFICIL ESTE CASO, PERO LAMENTABLEMENTE NO ES EL UNICO, EN ESTE MISMO PUEBLO VEMOS VARIOS CASOS MAS, PUES HAY VARIOS HOMBRES CASADOS QUE HAN TENIDO QUE IR A BUSCAR EL SUENO AMERICANO DEBIDO A LA SITUACION ECONOMICA DE NUESTRO PAIS. HAY MUCHAS MADRES QUE SOLAS TIENEN QUE LUCHAR POR SACAR A SUS HIJOS ADELANTE. COMO VAMOS A PODER LEVANTAR A LA NUEVA GENERACION QUE ESTA CRECIENDO SIN EL MODELO DE UN PADRE? TENEMOS QUE BUSCAR SOLUCIONES PARA EVITAR QUE SIGA HABIENDO TAL GRADO DE MIGRACION EN NUESTRO PAIS, ESPECIALMENTE DE LOS PUEBLOS CAMPESINOS.
CADA VEZ ESTAN LLEGANDO MAS PACIENTES A BUSCARME Y ESO ME MANTIENE CADA VEZ MAS OCUPADA. NECESITO MUCHA SABIDURIA, PORQUE LA MAYORIA DE ELLOS VIENEN MAS QUE NADA EN BUSCA DE CONSUELO, UNA DE ELLAS ME DIJO QUE AL VENIR AQUI SENTIA LA PAZ QUE TANTO NECESITABA, PUES TIENEN HAMBRE DE DIOS, AUNQUE TODAVIA NO LES HA RESPLANDECIDO LA LUZ DE CRISTO, PUES EN ESTE PUEBLO HAY MUCHA IDOLATRIA. RECIENTEMENTE FUE LA FIESTA DEL PUEBLO QUE ES EN HONOR A UN SANTO Y GASTARON MILES DE PESOS QUE BIEN PUDIERON SER USADOS PARA MEJORAR EL ASPECTO DEL PUEBLO O PARA DAR DE COMER A LOS HAMBRIENTOS.
POR FAVOR OREN POR NUESTRO PAIS, HAY MUCHA NECESIDAD ESPIRITUAL, HAY MUCHA ANSIEDAD, MUCHOS TEMORES Y ELLOS TIENEN QUE SABER QUE JESUS ES EL UNICO QUE NOS PUEDE DAR LA PAZ VERDADERA.


I know Dan has been filling you in on our vision of “integral mission” here in Puebla where we hope to share the gospel of Christ’s Kingdom as well work to improve the daily living situation of our neighbors. Personally, at the moment my priority is to care for my son Jacob full-time who thanks be to God is very healthy and showing signs of his own distinct personality. Nevertheless, I have also had opportunities to minister to others here in my hometown. Recently a young lady came to our house very distressed by her difficult dilemma. Her husband and she have been married for 20 years and have one 18 year old daughter and a 10 year old son. However, just before the son was born her husband made the difficult decision to cross the border for the US because of his concern to support his growing family. Though he has never returned to his hometown over these 8 years, he has called and sent enough money even for his wife to have a nice house built. The difficulty comes with knowing that he has fathered another child in the US and is living with another woman. She also has recently been seeing another man and is now 7 months pregnant. The man is single and wants to marry this young woman but only take responsibility for his child. Her dilemma is making the difficult decision between her first two children and this man with his child. What would you counsel her? Unfortunately, this is not a unique experience here in our little town of Mexico. Many married men choose to cross the border in search of the “American Dream” and never come back. How are we going to minister to so many children being born without the example of a father? We need to find a solution to this immigration problem that has such drastic effects on our little towns all over Mexico. More and more people are beginning to come to our home for medical consultations but really what they are looking for is counsel. One young woman recently said that she feels such peace in our home when she comes to talk. There is much hunger for the Lord here in the midst of a very entrenched idolatry. Last weekend was the celebration of my town’s patron saint and thousands of pesos were spent on decorations, food and fun while so much more could have been done for the benefit of all of us with all that money. Jesus is the only one who can bring true peace to the fears, anxiety and desperation of so many of our neighbors.

A Prophetic Plea

Please read the following letter from Evangelical leaders from the "Global South" (Latin America, Africa and Asia). See the website for the Micah Challenge USA for more info.

August, 2008
TO THE CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES
As the Church of the Lord in what is known as the "Southern" part of the world, moved by the Holy Spirit to fight for the abundant life that Jesus Christ offers, we address our Christian family in the United States, a Church of the same covenant, faith and love. Grace and Peace to all of our brothers and sisters.
We know your works of love; these works have allowed millions of human beings for many generations in our countries in the South to receive the gospel, the Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of His Salvation. The U.S. church's untiring missionary effort planted in our lands Hope in Him who came to reconcile EVERYTHING.
Nevertheless, the political, social and economic situation in the places where this hope has been announced is increasingly distressing. Millions of people in the global South are dying of hunger, violence and injustice. These situations of poverty and pain are not simply the product of the internal functions of our countries; rather they are the results of the international policies of the governments that wield global power.
Therefore, we have this against you, brothers and sisters, that along with this powerful announcing of the Gospel, the Church from the United States has not also raised its voice in protest against the injustices that powerful governments and institutions are inflicting on the global South - injustices that afflict the lives and ecosystems of millions of people who, centuries after the proclamation of the Gospel, still have not seen the sweat of their brow turned into bread.
The worsening inequality and poverty in the South is alarming. Seven years since the United States and 191 other nations publicly promised to cut extreme global poverty in half by the year 2015 through the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), your country has made only a little progress towards fulfilling its commitments.
The MDGs should stir us to action because they echo the calls of the biblical prophets for justice and equity. Further, they are achievable and measurable markers on the roadmap to end extreme global poverty.
And so we ask you as sisters and brothers, citizens of the wealthiest most powerful nation on earth, to publicly challenge your candidates and political leaders - now and after the elections are over - to lead the world in the struggle to cut global poverty in half by 2015. If you who know the Truth will not speak for us who will?
The Church in the United States has the opportunity today to be faithful to the Hope that it preaches. We urge you to remember that the Hope to which you were called as a messenger demands that you seek first the Kingdom of God and God's justice.
Out of love for us, the global Church, in holiness, use your citizenship responsibly for the benefit of the entire world; it is for this very reason that the Lord poured out His life on the Cross.
All who have ears, let them hear what the Lord says to His Church.

An Evangelical/Emergent Approach to Missions

Our ministry here in Puebla is beginning to take shape and we would like to share with you a brief outline of how it looks so far. We feel so blessed to be able to have so much family close by to love and assist with our beloved Jacob. We also feel like it is of God that more and more neighbors are visiting now that they recognize that we are not coming and going as in the past. Jesus commanded the teacher of the law in the parable of the Good Samaritan to be a good neighbor when he said, "Go and do likewise." That is our commision as well here in San Mateo Tlaixpan.

A Jubilee Center

I. Community living: We currently have 11 members ranging in age of 1 to 85 with the median age being 34. We share household chores, cooking, grocery shopping, babysitting, specific talents and callings such as medical consultations, legal counsel and classes in cooking, artisanry, computer and English.

II. Mercy ministry: medical consultations and legal assistance for people with few resources.

III. Alternative sustainable living: sheep raising as an income generator for our community, organic gardening for our own consumption, and "green" architectural design for our Center.

IV. Justice ministry: "eye-opening" faith adventures to indigenous communities, networking with other social orgs. doing political/economic analysis, supporting local economies such as coops.

V. Sharing the love of Jesus as the embodiment of the Jubilee inviting others to follow Him.

Thank you for your continued support in prayer and finances as we seek to communicate the unchanging gospel message in an ever changing world.

Happy Birthday Jacob!