July 2011

Church Inauguration
There's a lot to share and I'd like to start with the Inauguration of our church that happened on July 17. What a special time this was! We calculated about 800 people showed up many arrived by the bus loads from churches in San Salvador, and from our circuit of churches all around Chalatenango. We are humbled that so many people supported the event which was not only the inauguration of the building, but also the installation of the permanent pastor, Heber Elías and the official naming of the church. My mom came for the event along with Pastor Daniel Elías, both representing Tulare First Baptist Church. We are thankful to them for their partnership with us since the beginning. We gratefully received a special gift of a new glass pulpit from TFBC. Enjoy some of the highlights from the event:

Other happenings...
Translation work
In June Cindy had the opportunity to be translator for a mission team that came down from Kentucky and Ohio to Ezel Church in Ciudad Delgado.  God was faithful in protecting the team and blessed them with a week full of construction work and VBS with the children from the community.

What a great team!

Translating for Pastor Arelzo

Moving on...

In June we moved from our rented home in Ojos de Agua to our own home in El Tablón.  Camilo has worked really hard fixing up our small two room adobe house.  It's nice to actually have counters and a kitchen sink, and a sink in the bathroom! Simple pleasures.  The climate is a bit cooler and the church members and their families have warmly welcomed us to their community.  It is a wonderful place for Lucas to explore and the soccer field is only a short hike away! And, of course, the views of the mountains are breath-taking. We are thankful for this opportunity to live up here before we immigrate to the U.S.

On a personal note... On July 22, Camilo and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary!  We are thankful daily to the Lord that He has brought our lives together to serve Him!

Sunday School continues on our front porch!

Our car got stuck in the mud many times the first few weeks, but handy Camilo fixed the problem!

planting seeds with Lucas, yes that's me with a machete, my favorite gardening tool!

Construction Update
There is still work to be done on our church building.  Most of the guard rails on the windows are complete.  We still need more windows and doors.  We are trusting as always in the Lord's timing and provision. This week the showers were installed in the bathrooms. So if you happen to be in the area and need a place to camp out, we have showers! :)
The next larger phase will be to build Sunday School classrooms, a kitchen and a storeroom. Church members continue coming once a week to do volunteer work on the property.

Youth Ministry
Our youth ministry is growing, praise the Lord! I am meeting with a small team of leaders once a week for training and recently Ronal and Mari Molina joined the team. I am excited that this young couple will continue serving as mentors for the youth when we are gone.  Please keep them in your prayers along with our other leaders: Cesia, Yeni, and Beatriz. Our youth group has began to form service and visitation teams.  A few weeks ago they organized a work day to help out a friend of Ronal's who needed help building on his home (see photo below).  Last week we organized visits to some of the elderly church members, as a chance for them to get to know one another and encourage them. Blessings all around! This week we await Maranata Church from Soyapango to come up and hold their youth camp in Ojos de Agua, our youth group has been invited, and we pray that it will be a great time of getting to know one another, encouragement and praising God!

Mission Field: El Zapotal
Our church plant will not stop once we leave. The plant is complete in Ojos de Agua, but in January a group of youth from our church began working with children from a neighboring village, El Zapotal.  Every Sunday they travel to the community and give Sunday School lessons.  We are praying that God will open doors to visit parents and others that may be interested in receiving evangelistic Bible Studies in their homes.  Keep this project in your prayers, we want to go where He leads!

Compassion International (Click here to learn more)
Many of you are probably familiar with this Christian non-profit organization.  We have made contacts with them and they are interested in working with us in Ojos de Agua.  There are a few obstacles to begin a partnership.  We are seeking the Lord's will of course. Join us in praying for this opportunity.

Visit to Ezel Church, Ciudad Delgado
Yesterday, July 31, Camilo was given the opportunity share his testimony with the congregation at Ezel Church in Ciudad Delgado.  It was a special Sunday afternoon dedicated to missions where the promoter for missions on a national level arrived to share about the Salvadorian missionaries we have around the world.

Prayer Requests
Please join us in prayer for the following:

• Our health. Since the inauguration and a few vacation days, we have been under the weather with colds and digestive issues, please pray for complete healing and energy!
• Immigration.  We are in phase two of the immigration process.  We are waiting to hear back from the Embassy about a medical exam and then an appointment for an interview. Please pray for God's timing in this process.
• Mission Field: El Zapotal (read info. above)
• Possible partnership with Compassion International.
• For our ministries in the church: Deacons, Worship Team, Youth Group, Sunday School Program,and Phillip Project evangelistic home Bible studies.
• For God's provision in our construction project.

June 2011

Translations....

For the past few weeks Cindy has been working on setting up a website for the Hope and Life Association, a Christian Non-Profit that helps children with HIV/AIDS.  Check out the website so far: http://esperanzayvida-douglas.blogspot.com/

This week June 11 - 20, Cindy will be translating for a mission team coming into San Salvador to Ezel Church in Ciudad Delgado. Please keep this trip in your prayers, you can follow what the team is doing at this site: missionelsalvador.com


Immigration Update

We received the first packet of information in the mail to continue the Immigration process for Camilo. Please keep this in your prayers.

We've moved!

On Wednesday, June 8, we moved from the house we had been renting for three years to our own home in El Tablón. Little by little Camilo has been fixing up the house and we are excited to spend our last months (??) in the country here.  It's a small adobe home with an artisan touch. :) (photos soon)

Guatemala!

Camilo, Lucas and I had our first cross-cultural experience as a family at the end of May. We helped Missionary Doctor Mirna Gutierrez and her newly adopted four-month old girl move to San Juan Cotzal, Quiche, Guatemala. We had quite an adventure along the way as God faithfully protected our journey. Enjoy the photos that follow:

Baptisms May 8, 2011

Sunday, May 8, 2011, about 50 people from the congregation headed down to the local creek for baptisms. Please keep the following new members in your prayers (in order from left to right in the photo):  Dolores ("Lolo"), Gonzalo, Leonardo ("Nato"), Omar, Marilu, Elsa, Daniel, Aracely and Marleni (Lolo's daughter). Each one has their story...

Lolo used to make fun of Evangelicals and now that he's a believer is himself now criticized; Gonzalo is a recovering alcoholic, has lost his family, land, everything due to his alcohol problem;  Nato is a friend of Camilos from El Tablón, he is the first Christian in his family; Omar and Marilu, a young couple are called, "come pollos" ("chicken eaters") because some people think all we do is give away food so people will convert; Elsa has a young boy possibly autistic with perhaps another mental disability and has an abusive husband who struggles with alcohol; Daniel lives with his two older brothers and sister both his parents left them to immigrate to the U.S, he's entering adolescence; Aracely is the daughter of Peter, the local hardware store owner, and is the first believer in her family.

God is working in each of their lives as He is in all of ours daily.  It is exciting to see spiritual growth, but temptations are great and I ask that you would help us in praying that those stronger in the faith would serve those that are just beginning their faith journey so they can resist temptations, and be completely restored.

January to April 2011

You're Invited...

What’s been happening since January:

Baptisms

In February, 12 new believers were baptized in the Sunpul River. The following publically testified their faith in obedience to Jesus’command: Husband and Wife: Alfredo and Albertina; her brother Will, and nieces and nephews: Nora, Mariela, and Carlos; Mother and two daughters: Leonor, Glenda, and Veronica; brother and sister:  Alejandro and Sandra; and Diego. A couple unique moments that happened in these baptisms: - Pastor Heber’s daughter, Cesia participated with her father in baptizing Veronica, her disciple.  - three more new converts spontaneously joined the group in the water to be baptized, Sandra, Leonor, and Glenda; just as the Ethiopian eunuch said to Phillip, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” (Acts 8:37)

More baptisms are scheduled for May 8^th. 

Conversions

We have been blessed to be a part of the Lord’s harvest here in Ojos de Agua.  God is touching the lives of entire families.  A few weeks ago, in Camilo’s evangelistic/ discipleship Bible study to Leonor’s family, her husband Antonio, brother, Mauricio, and son-in-law, Omar accepted Christ together! God is changing lives all around us and wants to use us in the process. We need to “make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” as Paul writes to the Ephesians (5:15-16). When God opens those doors, we need to go through without fear, because there may not be another moment for that person to hear or see the gospel in our lives.

Evangelism/Discipleship

The Phillip Project continues in various homes. Please pray that the Lord continues to use His church body in spreading the Good News with these Bible studies with friends and neighbors.

In January, a group of youth decided that they wanted to put their faith in action this year by sharing God's word to children in the neighboring community of Zapotal. Currently they are working with 12 children and using the Phillip Project's children's lessons.  Please pray for this missionary effort.

On April 15^th we celebrated Lucas’ third birthday with a special lunch, brownies and ice cream with our neighbors, who are like close family to us.  That night our church held an all-night church service for the community.  We were happy to see new faces come and hear the gospel message and participate in our fellowship time. 

Weddings

Camilo has declared this year the “Year of Weddings.” In January we held a civil / religious ceremony for two couples: Ronal and Maria Molina and Remberto and Reina Molina that had been together for years but had never officially been married.  The local mayor, Raul Chinchilla, came to conduct the legal part of the ceremony.  It was his first time at our church, and was impressed by the construction.  In March we celebrated two more weddings. One of our church members, Leydi Marquez married Efrain Navidad from El Regadillo, La Libertad.  This was our first formal marriage that started with a formal engagement. The third wedding was the wedding of Genaro and Lola Melgar. This couple has been together for many years and their whole family has become Christian. 

These weddings have served as a positive testimony for the younger generation of believers as they witness the importance of the marriage commitment and to the community as many friends arrived to witness the events.

Construction Update

Bathrooms

Praise the Lord the septic tank is finished and toilets are in use. The sinks and shower- heads are purchased but waiting to be installed.

Windows

In the month March we raised enough funds for six windows for the back wall.  Four windows were donated by Lidia Mejia visiting Ojos de Agua from Los Angeles and two windows were donated by various members from the congregation. Donations keep coming; currently we have enough to purchase 11 more windows.  With donations expecting to arrive for windows in the next two months, Lord permitting, we will have all the windows! 

What’s next…

The next step will be to raise funds for the window’s guard rails and for doors.  Thank you to all that have been praying and donating to our construction efforts!

Youth events

To celebrate Valentine's day, the Youth Group hosted a special dinner for friends and projected the movie, To Save a Live.  In March, 30 youth traveled to Nueva Jerusalen Church in Coyolito for a joint youth service and dinner.  It was a special time to meet new friends, learn from God's word and share dinner together. On April 23rd, it was our turn to host youth from Coyolito. We had a fun morning at the soccer field with team building games, lessons on unity from the Bible,  soccer and softball games.  We had a hamburger feed at the church building and then everyone headed to the creek to cool off.

Visit from NC friends

At the end of March we were blessed by a visit from long time friends of Heber and Mercedes, Stan, Bill and Bob from Cary, NC.  They helped us by building a storage room and a sidewalk around the church building. (See our last blog post for more details from their trip). 

Immigration

On April 11^th we took a trip to the US Embassy and successfully turned in Camilo’s US residency application.  We have been told to wait about a month to receive a response. Please keep the immigration process in your prayers!

Please Pray...

•  for the formation of church leaders
•  that the Inauguration of the church building would be a true act of worship to God and that many from the Ojos de Agua community would attend.
•  for our children's outreach in neighboring community Zapotal.  
•  for Camilo's U.S. residency process.

A Special Visit from "tres amigos" of North Carolina

It’s 8:00 PM and we’re sitting on the porch reflecting back on the past week since our three friends from North Carolina arrived in Ojos de Agua. It’s been a special time of laughing, sharing, and working side-by-side with these long-time friends of Pastor Heber and Mercedes. 

We just returned from a nice home visit with a new Christian family. After some time in the Word, and fellowship they shared delicious pupusas with us for dinner. Efrain and Maria Luisa have seven children. They share their home with two of their grown children and their families. Keep them in your prayers as they grow in their walk with Christ. Pastor Heber meets with this family on Thursday for Bible study using the  Phillip Project.

Monday night at Antonio and Leonor's home

On Monday night we went to Antonio and Leonor’s home.  They have three daughters and one son-in-law. They are a new Christian family with three of them accepting Christ a week ago. Camilo meets with this family on Mondays for the Phillip Project Bible Study. Please keep this family in your prayers as they have been criticized for converting and have had fewer clients come buy at their little store they have in their house.

Stan Simpson, Bill Grimme and Bob Thimsen didn’t know what they were getting themselves into on Sunday afternoon as we left the town of Chalatenango and started to head up the mountain. “Who stole the road?” Stan asked as we bounced up and down in the car 20 km for about 45 minutes. The church service began a little after 5:00PM and instead of bringing the light to Ojos de Agua, our friends brought the darkness as the lights went out after the first 10 minutes of the service! But this was only a “temporary setback” (as my father would say),  Camilo took out the acoustic guitar and accompanied Stan as he sang, “The Power of Your Love,” as the sun set behind the mountain. Stan and Cindy communicated God’s word with the light of flashlights and some members in the congregation used their cell phone lights to read their Bibles. Most of the community was in the dark, but as we arrived home after church they came back on. Let’s just say it was an interesting way to start off the week for the missionaries who have been to El Salvador many times since 1999. In all their trips to Ezel Church in Ciudad Delgado, this had never happened before.

Church service in El Tablón on Tuesday night

On Tuesday afternoon we took our friends to the community of El Tablón on a hike to see petro glyphs that the ancient Pipil civilization had left behind.  In the evening they participated in a church service that we hold on Tuesdays in the home of Martin and Francisca. This was a very encouraging time of fellowship and praise.

 On Wednesday our friends were able to witness a wedding of a couple from our church.  Genaro and Lola had been together for years but had never legally been married.  In a beautiful ceremony including their four children, the couple exchanged vows before God, the congregation and many visiting friends from the community.  Stan also participated in singing, “Shout to the Lord,” during the service.

We are grateful to our friends for helping us in the area of construction as well.  In just a few days they built a much needed storage room, where construction tools, instruments and sound equipment will be stored. Along

Making concrete for the sidewalk on Thursday morning.

with our church members they are also installing a sidewalk that is being laid around the outside of the building.

Tomorrow, we head to Nueva Concepción to our monthly Pastors and Leaders and  Pastor’s wives’ meeting.  We are planning on introducing our new friends with the Pastors that we work with in Chalatenango, take them to the river and in the afternoon to a town called La Palma.

On Saturday, construction work will continue and in the evening we have our youth group meeting and then plan on projecting a movie called, Saving God.  Today we put up signs around the community advertising the event.  Please pray that God touches lives through this activity!

On Sunday our friends are planning on helping us with Sunday School lessons in two different locations, and Bob is planning on preaching in the afternoon service.

We are so grateful for their visit, they have been very encouraging to not only the Pastoral team, but to the congregation as a whole. 

January 2011

Church Building's Floor design completed!

On Monday, January 10 we did the first deep clean of the new floor.  Here are some photos to show the design. 

Celebrating Camilo's #30

On Monday January 10 after a deep cleaning of the new floor, we celebrated Camilo's 30th birthday.  This year Camilo turned 30, Lucas will be 3 in April and Cindy will turn 33 in August, a year of 3's!!

  

Visit from Missionary, Dr. Myrna Gutierrez

On Wednesday, January 12 we had the privilege of receiving a visit from Salvadorian missionary Dr. Myrna Gutierrez who has spent the last  four years in Northern Africa taking care of abandoned babies  in a maternity hospital. Due to difficult situations for Christians in this area, she has returned to El Salvador to pursue a new project serving in Guatemala.  It was wonderful to have her visit our congregation and share her experiences in a very different culture from ours and how God used her there. On Thursday on our way back to San Salvador we took a trip across Suchitlan Lake on the Ferry and spent the afternoon enjoying Suchitoto. 

Myrna in traditional Northern African clothes

Myrna and Lucas discussing how kites fly on a windy morning

Cafecito in Suchitoto

We are thankful...

• that we will be receiving a donation that will take care of the septic tank and bathrooms!
• for the new believers in our congregation.
• for your support!
  

Please pray for...

• God's provision for the windows (with defense bars) and doors: approx. $5,500.
• The four couples that plan on getting married legally on January 23 in our church building. We are helping them complete the legal process and the local Mayor will be present to sign the documents.
• That the new believers will stay strong in their commitment to follow Christ and follow through with baptisms that we are planning for February 5.  

September - December 2010

1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.”

FELLOW WORKERS

Children watching the Christmas story in El Tablon
(note Pastor Heber and Mercedes as Joseph and Mary!)

Visits from Ezel Church Ciudad Delgado– On October 14 and December 4 the missions committee from Ezel Church, Ciudad Delgado came to Ojos de Agua to partner in our work here. In October the team of volunteers worked on digging around the perimeter of the church building with the purpose of channeling water. In December the team returned the purpose of blessing the children of El Tablón with a Christmas celebration that included the Christmas story, games, piñatas and gifts. The enthusiasm of these young people eager to serve is contagious! We are thankful for their partnership with us!

Visit from Tulare First Baptist-

Left to Right: Tree, Brett, Eric, Andy, Mary, Carlos, Daniel and James

November 19-26 we had the privilege of hosting a mission team from Tulare First Baptist Church. The church raised funds for our building’s floor. Between members from the mission team and church members the floor was laid in four days! The team also gave a soccer clinic to kids from the community on the last day. Before traveling back to San Salvador we celebrated a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner together. God blessed the project with funds to purchase musical instruments as well: a drum set, a bass guitar, amp, and a microphone. We are forever grateful to TFBC for their partnership with us in this project! Members of the team were: Pastor Daniel Elías, James Neeley, Eric York, Andy Tiner, Mary Jones (Cindy’s mother), Brett and Theresa Jones (Cindy’s brother and sister-in-law), and Carlos Elías (Pastor Daniel’s father).  

Watch the slide show for some highlights of the week:

Music Classes

Aspiring drummer boy, Lucas Blanco

As soon as the musical instruments were purchased, Camilo began giving music lessons. Drum and bass lessons meet on Saturdays with five students.  On Wednesdays piano and guitar lessons are being given to six students.  It is wonderful to see the enthusiasm the students have in praising the Lord with music!

Isabel Melgar sharing her testimony with our church

Blessings from L.A.

In September and October we had special visits from three members of the Church of God of Reseda, CA: Jorge and Leticia Mejia and Isabel Melgar blessed us with their presence and participation in our church activities during their vacation days to their hometown of Ojos de Agua. We are so grateful for them and their church in California for their partnership with us!

San Martin to Ojos de Agua, Ojos de Agua to San Martin

Pastor Camilo, Pastor Salvador, and Missionary George from Costa Rica

Kids with the pinata just before hanging it.

In the month of December we had the opportunity to visit Pastor Salvador Perez's Church in San Martin. We shared time of Holy Communion, prayer, preaching, time with the children and lunch. The next weekend members of San Martin Church traveled to Ojos de Agua for a visit where we had service together and lunch. The church visiting blessed the children with pinatas and gifts.  It was a wonderful time of fellowship and we are grateful for their partnership.

MINISTRY

Visiting Praise team from Jersalem Church of Coyolito
played at both all night church services.

Two Vigils (All night church services)

Two all-night church services were held on September 25 and November 13 with the purpose of sharing the gospel to the community.  All of Ojos de Agua was invited and an estimated 300 people attended each service!

Two young men, Carlos and Wil accepting Christ as their Savior

Phillip Project –

Home Evangelistic Bible studies have expanded. Pastor Heber is giving leadership training once a week to 10 brothers and sisters who are leading the Bible studies.

As a result of these ministries (The all night services and home Bible studies), many people have started attending church services and since then many have accepted Christ as the personal Savior. 

Soccer Tournament and Movie-

On Friday December 3, Ojos de Agua Youth Ministry held a soccer tournament for youth in Ojos de Agua and the surrounding communities. Eight teams arrived and played their hearts out and had a good time. In the evening the community was invited later to watch the movie, Facing the Giants.

Final game Ojos de Agua vs. El Zapotal

Cindy handing out the first prize awards a soccer ball and tee-shirts

NEXT PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION

Many are asking, what’s next in the construction? Here is a breakdown of what’s needed:

• septic tank and bathrooms: approx. $3,500 (This week volunteer work began in digging the hole for the septic tank!)
• windows (with defense bars) and doors: approx. $5,500
  
  

  
  

  PLEASE PRAY...

  
  

  -For our ministry working as a team with Pastor Heber and his family in 2011

  -For provision for our church building construction Project

  -For wisdom as we work to strengthen the spiritual maturity of the congregation.

  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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    Here are some of the latest light poles Cindy has painted in the community: