Sembradores de Cristo July 3, 2009
Buenas tardes! I have a lot of awesome things to share with you. First, I would like to praise the Lord for His provision, protection, and blessing this past week with our New York team. They are now safely home and Lord willing getting some much needed rest. Thanks again NY team for all your help and great teamwork this past week! They came prepared to minister and to serve. They were a great blessing and encouragement to each and every one of us here in Zacatecas and impacted many lives for the kingdom. The Lord is fulfilling the great commission through our ministry here. We are making disciples according to Matthew 28:19 and preaching the gospel to every creature according to Mark 16:15. God is allowing us to both make disciples in Monte los Garcia and Guadalupe Victoria and evangelize new areas. Each and everyday the NY team was here we experienced the Lord´s move in different and dynamic ways. The Monday before the team got here we went to El Cargadero to ask for permission to do a VBS. The authority figure denied us the permission and very rudely let us know that they were Catholic and did not allow the freedom of other religions. I reminded him nicely that according to federal law there we were guaranteed freedom of speech. He was angered by that and basically said that he knew there was nothing he could do to stop us. The Lord had prepared us for this and so we felt compelled to go up the mountain to a small village called El Parral to ask for the same permission. Praise the Lord! It was granted us.
El Cargadero-Diana and I found a loophole to get to the kids of El Cargadero with the love of Christ. We realized that all public schools are under federal jurisdiction. We went with the group in faith to El Cargadero asking the teaches for permission to do their drama based on Lifehouse´s song Everything. We assured them that we would not preach but just share the drama and some candy. Praise the Lord! The teachers agreed. The Lord used Pastor Kevin Cole from the team to give a short EDUCATIONAL message about the drama which was well received. A young girl came up to my wife after the drama and asked her. Are you all Christians? Praise the Lord! She told us where her house was and we visited her house finding out that they were the only Christians in the village and had been persecuted by Miguel, the cathecist, for their beliefs. In fact, he is a distant family member of theirs. Hallelujah! There are Christians in Miguel´s family. He has pestered and persecuted them greatly just as he has us. However, the local priest does not like him and has tried to keep him away from El Cargadero-praise the Lord! In fact they have a church there in El Cargadero which was eager for us to do a service. On Saturday we came back and di did a service for them. We also did some evangelism seeing a few receptions to Christ and also some rejections. We went back on Monday to do a piñata and teach some volleyball. We were all impressed at how well-behaved the kids are in El Cargadero. It was a true joy working with each and everyone of them.
El Parral-Going to the village El Parral was a hit. The people there are hungry for God. In fact, some had received Christ but have not received any spiritual food. We had children, young people, and adults there. The New York team came prepared to do games and VBS´s which ALL the people got involved in, even the men. While we were there, a lady asked us to go to her house and pray for her son Arnulfo. Turns out he was from Denver, CO and had received gunshot wounds in his left leg from gang warfare. We prayed for him, shared the gospel, and he received Christ. Everyday we went a team to him to read the gospel of John while the rest of us were doing the VBS´s. Besides sending a team to read the Bible to Arnulfo we also had a team that ministered to an older man that lives in front of the tree gathering area where we did our VBS´s. This man is in his 80´s, never married, living in a one room house. We felt in our hearts to clean his house. It rained and poured which did not allow us to do the VBS´s one day. On another day, the Lord allowed the team to finish the VBS´s and then it poured. On Saturday there was a political party using the tree gathering area so we decided to go out with the evangecube and evangelize. Two of our teams shared the gospel outside of two bars. It was amazing. We were sharing the gospel to these guys while they drank beer. It was an incredible experience. In my team I had sister Cayleigh Cole who was their team leader. While we shared the gospel one particular man kept interrumpting with questions. As he asked his questions I realized that the Jehovah´s Witnesses had hounded him before. I asked him to hold his questions till the end so that he and I could discuss them with the Bible. He respected that and the men sat down their beers, took off their hats, closed their eyes and received Christ. The other evangelism teams had similar experiences. After the prayer Juan and I got out the Word and discussed such things as salvation, eternity, and end times. Praise the Lord we were able to straighten him out and he is no longer confused about such things. The people in Parral are eager for more and were asking us when we would return. We will be reorganizing our schedule to be able to make a weekly visit there the rest of the summer.
Monte los Garcia-The hard rains we experienced did not allow much extensive ministry in Monte. On Thursday night we moved our gathering into Luis´s corn grinding store-we were packed in like sardines! On Sunday morning we were able to meet a guy who had been in a gang in the USA and had been deported back to Mexico. He told us he had been living out of a car for awhile. Please pray for Raul´s salvation. Next week we will be doing a Baseball/VBS camp in Monte and the last day do a special hike to a cave which Luis will be leading. Luis continues to shown signs of spiritual growth. Last night he came to the svc with his own Bible for the first time.
Guadalupe Victoria-The team came prepared to do a volleyball camp with the youth of Guadalupe. It turned out that it rained almost every time we wanted to use the court. That didn’t stop the NY team nor the locals from at least scrimmaging. Our people were faithful as usual to our normally held services. Each Bible study group-kids, youth, and adults seem to grow each week at times losing some while gaining others. However, we are seeing who are the true and faithful. There are three certain kids that always bring their Bibles. The drama was a real hit in Guad. The court was packed. The men were particularly in a good mood that night because they had won their baseball games that day. They came down with their beer and at first were a little rowdy disturbing our Bible study groups. The most rowdy one got serious during Pastor Kevin´s message and received Christ. He got so excited that during the piñata he organized everything. The seeds we have sown in Guadalupe these 3 ½ yrs are reaping and reaping. This Tuesday we invited some of the youth to accompany us for a hike day. During that hike we managed to take the wrong road, get stuck twice in the mud and make it up a mtn road that was either on the verge of being completely washed out or full of rocks. All of the NY team and Guad youth pitched in helping get La Ballena through all of that. It was all worth it when we made it to the top and saw God´s glory. Pastor Kevin and I gave messages to the team during which I encouraged my Guad youth that God has a calling on their lives and a special place in our ministry, to utilize their talents for Christ.
Villa Hermosa-We weren´t going to go to Villa Hsa with the team but God had other plans. One day Brother Jesse got lost in the rain with La Paloma and ended up in Villa Hsa. They prayed over the village and felt like God wanted them to go back. I explained to the team what the situation was with Miguel and they strongly felt the Holy Spirit´s leading in going there. What happened there will never be forgotten by any of us. On our way Miguel saw us driving by. The roads were very slick, basically mush and La Ballena slided right into a water-filled ditch. We were stuck. The Lord sent a guy on a Burro who said he would go get a tractor to pull us out. Guess who came around the corner, Miguel with his speakers blasting. He drove by without offering any help to us, of course. Praise the Lord! God used the mud/ditch for us to know that he was coming. If we would have been there before his arrival, he would have taken advantage of the situation to blast his speakers over our little amp during the drama. We ended up doing the drama in the street instead of the volleyball court since he was still there. I had Pastor Kevin stationed and ready to go with the video camera. Once Miguel saw the video camera he ducked around the corner with his truck and cowardly parked out of sight with his Christian bashing music blaring. While there I noticed a miracle. Nobody was listening to him! The people reacted well to the drama/ministry and there were smiles on their faces as Brother Kevin made them balloons. Half of our team went to the volleyball court while the rest visited with the adults/children. Miguel finally came down and Jesse started taking pictures while another filmed. Miguel said, ¨No mas fotos.¨ Jesse said, ¨Mas fotos?¨ and took more. He went and parked down by the volleyball court with his music and nobody even gave him a glance! His pestering that day was recorded on video and can help to be used legally to press charges against him. More than anything, the people once again saw that we love them and more importantly that Christ loves them. Our prayer for Miguel is that he would receive Christ, but that if he refuses salvation that the Lord would shut his mouth.
Jerez-The Lord led us to go down to the city of Jerez to do the drama. We did it at the main plaza area and about 200 people total stopped by to watch it. Diana and I even did the heart skit as an opener and we did the group´s drama twice since more and more people kept coming. We shared the gospel and at least 5 people responded to the message. The Lord even provided a local pastor and believers to be there and be able to help point them to a local church.
Your prayers were felt this week Brothers and Sisters. Many new souls came into the kingdom this week! I hope that you are admonished, edified, and blessed by this report and are encouraged to continue on serving the Lord in your ministries with humility and passion. Love in Christ, Ben Elliott & the Sembradores de Cristo Summer 09 team
Our need to be here full team is great-I hope that you can see that. Please pray about supporting us monthly so we can get here and disciple our people full-time. Even $25/mth would help make up the difference.
Tax exempt giving
Checks in the name of Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
Address in the name of Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
% Sembradores de Cristo or Ben Elliott
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio, TX 78840
Saturday, September 26, 2009
July 16. 2009
Sembradores de Cristo July 16, 2009
Buenas tardes hermanos. Thanks to all that have been lifting us up in prayer. Your prayers have been felt. John 6:66-67, ¨From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. You do not want to leave too, do you?¨ Between the last two weeks we have lost approximately half our congregation do to the pressure put on them by Miguel the catechist. I told our few faithful this story adding verses 68-69, ¨Simon Peter answered him, ¨Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.¨ I reminded him that Jesus had suffered the same persecution (criticism, threats, opposition) that they are suffering now. We also reminded them that we are there to teach them the truth, nothing less and if we EVER teach anything other than the true gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:3-5) than to have nothing to do with us. The few that have remained are strong (non-wavering) in their faith.
Monte los Garcia-The rains calmed down the last couple weeks, allowing us to do the baseball camp here. We started with a few and started seeing more come as the week progressed. Pastor Jared of the Illinois team did a great job teaching the camp seeing as he had to use a field that was basically full of gravel from recent construction. The kids had a great time with the group and the group came more than prepared to do the VBS portion of the camp. Even the ¨cool¨ youth boys started getting into the songs and lessons by the end of the week. During the camp week I wasn´t aware that our man of peace, Luis Ramirez, was very ill. He had been experiencing very severe kidney pain. He had missed our last services and now I knew why. A pastor friend of mine also named Luis accompanied us and he and I prayed for Luis believing for healing. We took up an offering for him to go to a good doctor in Jerez and that weekend when he went to the doctor´s office they gave him the final medicine needed. This Tuesday Luis and another sister had invited our family to their children´s elementary graduation, a special honor. Luis was walking around in high spirits-praise the Lord! I also found out from him that the day after the camp when he was still lying in bed that Miguel the catechist had came by screaming at him and his family with the loudspeaker. The Illinois team, I, and a few locals including Luis´s daughter Faviola had went on an amazing, long hike to a cave. Luis said, Ïf only I hadn´t been bedridden I would have got up and ran him off.¨ Remember that Luis is the town sheriff, praise the Lord! The other faithful sister, Yolanda, who had invited us to the graduation told us that on that day Miguel yelled at the children telling them, ¨Don´t sell out because of a baseball glove.¨ She said that the children told him to go home and that they hadn´t ¨sold out¨ because of a baseball glove but had gone to the camp because we had taught the Word of God.
Guadalupe Victoria-Miguel has really stirred up the devout, paganistic Catholics against us. Now as we walk the streets or set up for services we get dirty looks everywhere we go. We have five strong youth, adult age that continue to be faithful. My adult group has been studying the book of Genesis and wow you should see the looks on their faces when we discuss things as the age of the first humans, Noah´s ark, the creation story. We´ve been making numerous comparisons to Christ´s life and the New Testament and it´s been more than amazing seeing the scales being lifted off their eyes. There are two brothers and a girl cousin in specific that we have been spiritually nurturing for three years now. It broke our hearts like it would any pastor to see them not be able to come and still want to come. The father told me very sternly that they wouldn´t be coming back. We won´t give up praying for him and his wife´s salvation and the boys return to the church. The burnt Bibles were found between the volleyball court and their home making us believe that Miguel may have instigated that with the father. Having the Illinois team with us the day that Miguel came was a great blessing. We now have a cd of Miguel with pictures and videos reported at the state seat of religious activity of Zacatecas. They have already heard of his doings and have already forbidden him from continuing.
The Lord used the Illinois team in a mighty way. Each and everyone of the team members came willing to serve in any way possible. A few times I even sent them out to invite to the services/camps without translators and they did a wonderful job. Pastor Jared is the pastor of a young, growing congregation in Southern Illinois called The Journey. We thank the Lord for their hard work in coming down here. Three of my four summer helpers are gone now for the summer. Jeremy, Joanna, and Brenda have now returned home. Jesse went to the border to bring down a group from my home church in Oklahoma-New Covenant Fellowship. NCF will be doing a soccer camp in Guadalupe Victoria and also being teaching sewing classes. On the team are Nemi and Shalom´s grandparents, Nancy and Wayne Elliott. This will be their first visit to our Zacatecas area since we started in Nov 2005. The NCF team is also coming prepared to prayer walk the Guadalupe/Monte/Parral streets for Christ. We pray that the religious/paganistic/demonic walls will come down just like they did in Jericho .
We were able to get away for a day here in Valparaiso , Zacatecas to go to their famous hot water spring fed pools-only $1.60/person! This is a town of 15,000 that only has four churches, mainly empty where we have met a pastor with great vision for growth. Daniel had been studying to be a priest before he met the Lord. Meeting Daniel reminds me that we are not alone even though we are few. The Lord reminded the Prophet Elijah of that very thing. The Prophet Elijah had seen the vast majority of the Israelites succumb to Baal/paganism. ¨Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.¨ (1 Kings 19:18)
Your prayers were felt this week Brothers and Sisters. I hope that you are admonished, edified, and blessed by this report and are encouraged to continue on serving the Lord in your ministries with humility and passion. Love in Christ, Ben Elliott & the Sembradores de Cristo Summer 09 team
Our need to be here full team is great-I hope that you can see that. Please pray about supporting us monthly so we can get here and disciple our people full-time. Even $25/mth would help make up the difference.
Tax exempt giving
Checks in the name of Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
Address in the name of Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
% Sembradores de Cristo or Ben Elliott
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio, TX 78840
Buenas tardes hermanos. Thanks to all that have been lifting us up in prayer. Your prayers have been felt. John 6:66-67, ¨From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. You do not want to leave too, do you?¨ Between the last two weeks we have lost approximately half our congregation do to the pressure put on them by Miguel the catechist. I told our few faithful this story adding verses 68-69, ¨Simon Peter answered him, ¨Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.¨ I reminded him that Jesus had suffered the same persecution (criticism, threats, opposition) that they are suffering now. We also reminded them that we are there to teach them the truth, nothing less and if we EVER teach anything other than the true gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:3-5) than to have nothing to do with us. The few that have remained are strong (non-wavering) in their faith.
Monte los Garcia-The rains calmed down the last couple weeks, allowing us to do the baseball camp here. We started with a few and started seeing more come as the week progressed. Pastor Jared of the Illinois team did a great job teaching the camp seeing as he had to use a field that was basically full of gravel from recent construction. The kids had a great time with the group and the group came more than prepared to do the VBS portion of the camp. Even the ¨cool¨ youth boys started getting into the songs and lessons by the end of the week. During the camp week I wasn´t aware that our man of peace, Luis Ramirez, was very ill. He had been experiencing very severe kidney pain. He had missed our last services and now I knew why. A pastor friend of mine also named Luis accompanied us and he and I prayed for Luis believing for healing. We took up an offering for him to go to a good doctor in Jerez and that weekend when he went to the doctor´s office they gave him the final medicine needed. This Tuesday Luis and another sister had invited our family to their children´s elementary graduation, a special honor. Luis was walking around in high spirits-praise the Lord! I also found out from him that the day after the camp when he was still lying in bed that Miguel the catechist had came by screaming at him and his family with the loudspeaker. The Illinois team, I, and a few locals including Luis´s daughter Faviola had went on an amazing, long hike to a cave. Luis said, Ïf only I hadn´t been bedridden I would have got up and ran him off.¨ Remember that Luis is the town sheriff, praise the Lord! The other faithful sister, Yolanda, who had invited us to the graduation told us that on that day Miguel yelled at the children telling them, ¨Don´t sell out because of a baseball glove.¨ She said that the children told him to go home and that they hadn´t ¨sold out¨ because of a baseball glove but had gone to the camp because we had taught the Word of God.
Guadalupe Victoria-Miguel has really stirred up the devout, paganistic Catholics against us. Now as we walk the streets or set up for services we get dirty looks everywhere we go. We have five strong youth, adult age that continue to be faithful. My adult group has been studying the book of Genesis and wow you should see the looks on their faces when we discuss things as the age of the first humans, Noah´s ark, the creation story. We´ve been making numerous comparisons to Christ´s life and the New Testament and it´s been more than amazing seeing the scales being lifted off their eyes. There are two brothers and a girl cousin in specific that we have been spiritually nurturing for three years now. It broke our hearts like it would any pastor to see them not be able to come and still want to come. The father told me very sternly that they wouldn´t be coming back. We won´t give up praying for him and his wife´s salvation and the boys return to the church. The burnt Bibles were found between the volleyball court and their home making us believe that Miguel may have instigated that with the father. Having the Illinois team with us the day that Miguel came was a great blessing. We now have a cd of Miguel with pictures and videos reported at the state seat of religious activity of Zacatecas. They have already heard of his doings and have already forbidden him from continuing.
The Lord used the Illinois team in a mighty way. Each and everyone of the team members came willing to serve in any way possible. A few times I even sent them out to invite to the services/camps without translators and they did a wonderful job. Pastor Jared is the pastor of a young, growing congregation in Southern Illinois called The Journey. We thank the Lord for their hard work in coming down here. Three of my four summer helpers are gone now for the summer. Jeremy, Joanna, and Brenda have now returned home. Jesse went to the border to bring down a group from my home church in Oklahoma-New Covenant Fellowship. NCF will be doing a soccer camp in Guadalupe Victoria and also being teaching sewing classes. On the team are Nemi and Shalom´s grandparents, Nancy and Wayne Elliott. This will be their first visit to our Zacatecas area since we started in Nov 2005. The NCF team is also coming prepared to prayer walk the Guadalupe/Monte/Parral streets for Christ. We pray that the religious/paganistic/demonic walls will come down just like they did in Jericho .
We were able to get away for a day here in Valparaiso , Zacatecas to go to their famous hot water spring fed pools-only $1.60/person! This is a town of 15,000 that only has four churches, mainly empty where we have met a pastor with great vision for growth. Daniel had been studying to be a priest before he met the Lord. Meeting Daniel reminds me that we are not alone even though we are few. The Lord reminded the Prophet Elijah of that very thing. The Prophet Elijah had seen the vast majority of the Israelites succumb to Baal/paganism. ¨Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.¨ (1 Kings 19:18)
Your prayers were felt this week Brothers and Sisters. I hope that you are admonished, edified, and blessed by this report and are encouraged to continue on serving the Lord in your ministries with humility and passion. Love in Christ, Ben Elliott & the Sembradores de Cristo Summer 09 team
Our need to be here full team is great-I hope that you can see that. Please pray about supporting us monthly so we can get here and disciple our people full-time. Even $25/mth would help make up the difference.
Tax exempt giving
Checks in the name of Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
Address in the name of Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
% Sembradores de Cristo or Ben Elliott
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio, TX 78840
July 24, 2009
Sembradores de Cristo July 24, 2009
Greetings to you all in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ from Jerez , Zacatecas, MX. This last week we experienced a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our villages and people. Paul writes to young Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8 “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”
God brought us a team from my home church in Oklahoma . This team did just this-suffered with us in the gospel. Even though some people in the villages have became ashamed to associate with our ministry family/team because of Miguel’s threats, the power of God is still touching their lives and is dispelling the powers of darkness that have dominated this region for centuries. God is opening our peoples eyes, allowing them to see that He is REAL-He is no object, no diosito, He does not share His glory with anyone (no saints, no virgens, no men), He is not a God of hate, He is a God of love, peace, and joy. He is a fun God, not a boring God. Hallelujah! Cristo vive!
Parral de las Huertas
I have not seen a move of God like I have been seeing in Parral de las Huertas ever before in any of the villages we have been working now during our 3 ½ yrs of ministry here. We went out to simply invite folks to a service and my group of 4 only made it to one house. There was a man there named Salvador that was telling us how he interprets dreams and sees things that others don’t. He is a tour guide to local caves and told us that he has taken sick people with him who came back recovered, he has taken unfriendly friends with him that came back best friends. Through all this, myself Sister Paula Hall, Ken Hall, and my Mom noticed that he was not giving glory to God for these things. I gave him a word warning him not to commit the same sin as Satan, Sister Paula also ministered unto him. He prayed to receive Christ, realizing that the interpretation of dreams and visions was a gift from the Lord. This young man will need a lot of discipling. He also told me that he didn’t need a Bible because he wouldn’t read it anyways, that the trees speak to him. We refocused him on God again and off the trees and mother nature and shared the scripture from Romans 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” We explained to him that God delighted in speaking to him as he was in the trees but that He requires all of us to hear His voice from His Word. Here in Parral the Lord allowed us to have a great response. People came to Christ as His word was preached. There is a sweet, humble spirit there that I have never seen before in any place I have ever ministered. There is also a hunger for God that I have never seen. The people here participated in the songs, prayer, discussions, and invited us into their homes. The Lord used my Oklahoma group in a powerful way as they prayed over the needs of our people. Here the people asked for specific prayers. We normally run into folks who ask for general prayers-health for everyone, peace in the family, food to eat, etc. These people cried out to God with us for sicknesses and specific lost members of their family. My wife and I will continue working here the rest of the summer-going on Monday evenings.
Guadalupe Victoria
In Guadalupe Victoria we did a soccer camp and crocheting class. Mama Nancy was kind of nervous about doing the class knowing that many of these women are already pros. Hallelujah, they had a wonderful time of fellowship with the women. We were blessed this week that some family members of two of our disciples that are believers were there to visit this week from California . Miguel Munoz, a precious brother in Christ, from Oklahoma that is originally from Guadalajara , Jalisco area was with us to help Jesse with the soccer camp. The kids had a great time and the Lord used my wife with the children in an amazing way during the Bible time as always. One of the evenings that we were in Monte de los Garcia Miguel the catechist came through with his speakers, blaring against the Christians (separated believers) as usual. He went to one of the houses where he is received and that person told him that his Uncle Victor was in town from California . Praise the Lord, Miguel turned off his speakers and high-tailed out of Guadalupe. According to Brother Victor there are now at least 6 believers amongst Miguel’s family. Miguel hates them for it but recognizes they are his family. We will not cease to pray for his salvation! I kept trying to invite two of our boys over to the soccer camp but when I would wave that we run around the corner. It felt like a sword was piercing me right through (I really love those boys)-apparently Miguel has told them that he will send them the curse of the Archangel if they even wave back. Our team members experienced similar rejection as they went out to invite folks. People would run away, lock their doors, simply not come to the doors, etc. It was kind of comical that as Brother Ken Hall was going to invite one older man that he started running and realized that he couldn’t get away from them because of a bad leg apparently and so just gave up and sat under a tree with a sad expression looking away from them. More and more men are warming up to me even amidst the opposition. They have been inviting me to their baseball games on Sundays for a while now. I just haven’t been able to go due to our busy church schedule. It worked out that this Sunday I will be able to go to a game at 3:00 -a time between our two Sunday services.
Monte de los Garcia
Brother Luis Ramirez is feeling much better now. Thanks again to all of you for your prayers. We’re really starting to have a steady group of faithful believers who come to the services. A few are beginning to faithfully bring their “Biblias” including Luis. His wife is still not coming around but will be there soon. On Tuesday the rains came strong and Luis quickly invited us to his old store building-the one we began having our services last year as some may remember. We packed into that place like sardines and wow the Lord visited that little place. Every song, every testimony, every prayer had been orchestrated by our Heavenly Father since before our time had begun. Even Luis’s wife stuck around, not participating but was present. Brother Miguel shared his story, how he had went to seminary to prepare to be a priest, got “asked” to leave, and later found Christ in the United States .
Due to the heated spiritual battle we experienced this week, at least 3 of our members got sick. They all had to sit out a day of ministry but the Lord lifted their spirits and they pressed on. We also had some extreme weather changes from super sunny weather to cold temperatures brought on by the rain. Shalom and I caught the tail end of it and we are taking it easy. Thanks again for covering our health in prayer. My Dad was especially blessed because our base house and men’s house had ripe figs this week-it was one of his desire to eat figs in Mexico like he used to eat growing up in Arizona . Praise the Lord for His many blessings!
Urgent need
I will be sharing about a special need in a separate e-mail. Please take the time to look at this need and pray about responding. We really believe God has opened an important door for our continued ministry in the area.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support this week, Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt giving
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio , TX 78840
Greetings to you all in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ from Jerez , Zacatecas, MX. This last week we experienced a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our villages and people. Paul writes to young Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8 “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”
God brought us a team from my home church in Oklahoma . This team did just this-suffered with us in the gospel. Even though some people in the villages have became ashamed to associate with our ministry family/team because of Miguel’s threats, the power of God is still touching their lives and is dispelling the powers of darkness that have dominated this region for centuries. God is opening our peoples eyes, allowing them to see that He is REAL-He is no object, no diosito, He does not share His glory with anyone (no saints, no virgens, no men), He is not a God of hate, He is a God of love, peace, and joy. He is a fun God, not a boring God. Hallelujah! Cristo vive!
Parral de las Huertas
I have not seen a move of God like I have been seeing in Parral de las Huertas ever before in any of the villages we have been working now during our 3 ½ yrs of ministry here. We went out to simply invite folks to a service and my group of 4 only made it to one house. There was a man there named Salvador that was telling us how he interprets dreams and sees things that others don’t. He is a tour guide to local caves and told us that he has taken sick people with him who came back recovered, he has taken unfriendly friends with him that came back best friends. Through all this, myself Sister Paula Hall, Ken Hall, and my Mom noticed that he was not giving glory to God for these things. I gave him a word warning him not to commit the same sin as Satan, Sister Paula also ministered unto him. He prayed to receive Christ, realizing that the interpretation of dreams and visions was a gift from the Lord. This young man will need a lot of discipling. He also told me that he didn’t need a Bible because he wouldn’t read it anyways, that the trees speak to him. We refocused him on God again and off the trees and mother nature and shared the scripture from Romans 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” We explained to him that God delighted in speaking to him as he was in the trees but that He requires all of us to hear His voice from His Word. Here in Parral the Lord allowed us to have a great response. People came to Christ as His word was preached. There is a sweet, humble spirit there that I have never seen before in any place I have ever ministered. There is also a hunger for God that I have never seen. The people here participated in the songs, prayer, discussions, and invited us into their homes. The Lord used my Oklahoma group in a powerful way as they prayed over the needs of our people. Here the people asked for specific prayers. We normally run into folks who ask for general prayers-health for everyone, peace in the family, food to eat, etc. These people cried out to God with us for sicknesses and specific lost members of their family. My wife and I will continue working here the rest of the summer-going on Monday evenings.
Guadalupe Victoria
In Guadalupe Victoria we did a soccer camp and crocheting class. Mama Nancy was kind of nervous about doing the class knowing that many of these women are already pros. Hallelujah, they had a wonderful time of fellowship with the women. We were blessed this week that some family members of two of our disciples that are believers were there to visit this week from California . Miguel Munoz, a precious brother in Christ, from Oklahoma that is originally from Guadalajara , Jalisco area was with us to help Jesse with the soccer camp. The kids had a great time and the Lord used my wife with the children in an amazing way during the Bible time as always. One of the evenings that we were in Monte de los Garcia Miguel the catechist came through with his speakers, blaring against the Christians (separated believers) as usual. He went to one of the houses where he is received and that person told him that his Uncle Victor was in town from California . Praise the Lord, Miguel turned off his speakers and high-tailed out of Guadalupe. According to Brother Victor there are now at least 6 believers amongst Miguel’s family. Miguel hates them for it but recognizes they are his family. We will not cease to pray for his salvation! I kept trying to invite two of our boys over to the soccer camp but when I would wave that we run around the corner. It felt like a sword was piercing me right through (I really love those boys)-apparently Miguel has told them that he will send them the curse of the Archangel if they even wave back. Our team members experienced similar rejection as they went out to invite folks. People would run away, lock their doors, simply not come to the doors, etc. It was kind of comical that as Brother Ken Hall was going to invite one older man that he started running and realized that he couldn’t get away from them because of a bad leg apparently and so just gave up and sat under a tree with a sad expression looking away from them. More and more men are warming up to me even amidst the opposition. They have been inviting me to their baseball games on Sundays for a while now. I just haven’t been able to go due to our busy church schedule. It worked out that this Sunday I will be able to go to a game at 3:00 -a time between our two Sunday services.
Monte de los Garcia
Brother Luis Ramirez is feeling much better now. Thanks again to all of you for your prayers. We’re really starting to have a steady group of faithful believers who come to the services. A few are beginning to faithfully bring their “Biblias” including Luis. His wife is still not coming around but will be there soon. On Tuesday the rains came strong and Luis quickly invited us to his old store building-the one we began having our services last year as some may remember. We packed into that place like sardines and wow the Lord visited that little place. Every song, every testimony, every prayer had been orchestrated by our Heavenly Father since before our time had begun. Even Luis’s wife stuck around, not participating but was present. Brother Miguel shared his story, how he had went to seminary to prepare to be a priest, got “asked” to leave, and later found Christ in the United States .
Due to the heated spiritual battle we experienced this week, at least 3 of our members got sick. They all had to sit out a day of ministry but the Lord lifted their spirits and they pressed on. We also had some extreme weather changes from super sunny weather to cold temperatures brought on by the rain. Shalom and I caught the tail end of it and we are taking it easy. Thanks again for covering our health in prayer. My Dad was especially blessed because our base house and men’s house had ripe figs this week-it was one of his desire to eat figs in Mexico like he used to eat growing up in Arizona . Praise the Lord for His many blessings!
Urgent need
I will be sharing about a special need in a separate e-mail. Please take the time to look at this need and pray about responding. We really believe God has opened an important door for our continued ministry in the area.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support this week, Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt giving
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio , TX 78840
August 7, 2009
Sembradores de Cristo August 7, 2009
“Ke-Kwak” from Colotlan, Jalisco. That means “hola” in the Huichol language and I’m sure I spelled it wrong. This newsletter will be our last to be sent out my brothers and sisters from our Zacatecas area this summer 2009. We will be trekking it back to the border on Wednesday.
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." This Psalm has been so true to me so many times in my life and throughout the years of our ministry. Yesterday, we had an unforgettable experience. My wife, Brother Jesse, and myself all had the desire to one day visit the area where the Huichol Native Americans live (La Sierra Madre Occidental). The Lord gave us that experience yesterday when we least expected it. I had promised Diana a trip to Colotlan, Jalisco, a town 2 hrs south of our area. We had heard of some tours to certain waterfalls in the area. It turns out that there are no waterfalls this year due to the lack of rain. The travel agent told us of another place called Bolanos within moderate driving distance with normal Mexican tourism (Catholic cathedrals dating back to the 16th century, great food, and beautiful scenery). When we arrived at the town we saw hundreds of the Huichol people. The Huichol people as a tribe number in the 20,000’s. They are migrating to cities in our area such as Zacatecas city, Jerez , and Colotlan to sell their jewelry, artisans, etc. They are even some who live in our base village, Palmas Altas. It turns out that a local tour guide took us to their village way up in the high mountains-pine trees everywhere. The experience was amazing seeing how and where they live-in individual houses traditionally built of stone or adobe with grass-thatched roofs. There is no electricity, running water. To cook, everyone shares a central fire/kitchen. At the same time, it was also a heartbreaking experience. The great majority of the men are alcoholics. The government has tried to help them out with education, infrastructure. The same men we saw in Bolanos had been waiting for their pay from the government for going back to Junior High School. As soon as they received the check they spent it on booze. Most of the women are ashamed of their culture and will neither smile nor talk to you. Some are not allowed to teach you any words in their language and most will not allow you to take a picture of them. We have heard of a missionary near our area that is working with the Huicholes who has won a few converts for Christ. His convert’s houses were burned for having converted and are now living with him at another location. In their religious beliefs they perform various rituals one including the sacrifice of bulls to their gods. They, as do many cultures, have a flood story which consists of a certain dog saving them from the flood in a particular cave. To learn about the Huichol people go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huichol. Jesus said, “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” We must pray for these people that the Holy Spirit will open up their hearts to the gospel and that people from their own tribe will be converted and in turn win their own people for Christ. We see these people on a regular basis as I mentioned earlier. Our hearts are broken for them even more now that we’ve seen their origins. The need for the gospel in our area of south Zacatecas is great just as it is in northern Jalisco-whole cities without one single Christian church (Mexican and Huichol). It seems overwhelming at times; therefore, we must continue seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our ministry. God has called us not only to evangelize but to disciple, which is exactly what we have attempted to do this summer in the villages. We must obediently seek to fulfill the great commission in our area friends no matter what the cost may be. There are too many lost people dying without hope. We must point them to their one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. Last week we were greatly blessed by the visit from a group from Kentucky who held a conference for Baptist pastors and missionaries/families. It was great to receive spiritually after constantly giving. They have adopted Southern Zacatecas , committing to evangelize the area. It was a blessing to be able to help translate for them and at the same time connect to them and other pastors in the area. They have been holding this conference for a few years now and will continue holding it. They not only gave us great pastoral training but left us with useful material. We thank the Lord for their work and commitment to flooding Zacatecas with the gospel.
Parral de las Huertas
We are continually blessed by the Lord’s work in Parral de las Huertas. Many of the people have opened their hearts to learn more of God’s Word. The people here continue to be simple minded and humble hearted. We now have electricity for our services because a lady who lives next door to the “Huizachito” tree is allowing us to plug in. This past week we played a Jesus film called “La Esperanza” there that the Kentucky group gave us and there were a few decisions for Christ. We are starting to see a group of a few faithful women and one certain man. Not many children have continued but every week different men have been showing up. I presented Pastor Luis from Jerez to the people and they have received him well. We look forward to seeing God’s continued work in this place. Continue surrounding this place in your prayers, that the Lord will not allow the cathecist from entering and snatching up the seeds that have been sown.
Guadalupe Victoria
This past Sunday we had 0 attendance at the volleyball court. There was a rodeo which made me think that that had been the reason for the absence of our people. It was the reason for some but there were others among our faithful group that were out of town that day. It was definitely a hard experience for us because it had never happened before. It made us appreciate those missionaries who experience that on a regular basis. On Wednesday, however, we showed the movie and everyone was back plus a few more who were just passing by. In this particular village, we continue running into family members living in California who visit. We preach the gospel to them as well believing seeds will be sown in the U.S. The Lord is beginning to open my daughter’s heart and eyes to spiritual realities. On Wednesday they were having one of their pilgrimages with the idols-in particular this time because of the lack of rain-and Shalom ran down to Diana saying, “Tengo miedo de la virgen.” I’m scared of the virgen. Praise the Lord! At the age of 4 the Lord is filling her with spiritual discernment. We explained to her afterwards, of course, that she shouldn’t be afraid of the virgen (idol) or any of the other idols because greater is He is who that is in her than who that is in this world.
Monte de los Garcia
I gave a teaching on water Baptism to the three faithful adults in my adult Bible study. They as well as two young adults from Guadalupe Victoria said they were not ready for that, that they needed to learn more. After that, two of the three haven’t came back. They told their husbands about it and were told not to go back-that it was okay for them to go and listen but that Brother Benjamin had gone too far. I had simply explained the basics of the doctrine of Baptism as it pertains to scripture, being an obedient step and identification with Christ and had left them with the scriptures for further study. I gave the invitation to be baptized without any pressure. As a result, however, these two women are not allowed to come back. We must pray brothers and sisters. We must pray for these women and their husbands. Their names are Yolanda and Rosa Maria. We are now down to 5 faithful. There are 3 girls, 1 boy, and Brother Luis. The kids didn’t stay for “La Esperanza” very long on Tuesday and Brother Jesse and I begin to wonder if we should turn it off since Brother Luis wasn’t coming over. He had told me that he had to practice the saxophone with his jamboree band and then he would come over. He still hasn’t made the decision to put Christ first in his life over other things. Just when Jesse and I were about to turn it off, there comes Luis with his two band buddies. Hallelujah! They showed up at right about the crucifixion part. Last week the same thing had happened. Luis showed up late but brought the two men that had been working with him right over to the service. The Lord is using him without him realizing it.
Urgent need/monthly support
I have heard back from one individual concerning our great need for more monthly support not only for Pastor Luis but for our intention in going full-time. We are still way short of where we need to be. I have not heard back from any individual, church, etc concerning visiting their church, home with the purpose of support raising. Please e-mail me if there is such an opportunity. Feel free to share my e-mail address with any brothers/sisters in Christ and/or forward them our newsletters. As far as Pastor Luis goes, he has been explained that at this point we cannot promise him the funds he would need to go to the villages. He has made the decision in faith to go anyways even without the security of the funds being there. He and his wife Delfa have been precious to us not only in their loving service for the king but as spiritual, loving parents to our family. Please e-mail me if you wish to make a donation towards the need to support them through either December ($2,000) or June ($4,000).
Thanks again for all your prayers and support, Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt giving
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio, TX 78840
“Ke-Kwak” from Colotlan, Jalisco. That means “hola” in the Huichol language and I’m sure I spelled it wrong. This newsletter will be our last to be sent out my brothers and sisters from our Zacatecas area this summer 2009. We will be trekking it back to the border on Wednesday.
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." This Psalm has been so true to me so many times in my life and throughout the years of our ministry. Yesterday, we had an unforgettable experience. My wife, Brother Jesse, and myself all had the desire to one day visit the area where the Huichol Native Americans live (La Sierra Madre Occidental). The Lord gave us that experience yesterday when we least expected it. I had promised Diana a trip to Colotlan, Jalisco, a town 2 hrs south of our area. We had heard of some tours to certain waterfalls in the area. It turns out that there are no waterfalls this year due to the lack of rain. The travel agent told us of another place called Bolanos within moderate driving distance with normal Mexican tourism (Catholic cathedrals dating back to the 16th century, great food, and beautiful scenery). When we arrived at the town we saw hundreds of the Huichol people. The Huichol people as a tribe number in the 20,000’s. They are migrating to cities in our area such as Zacatecas city, Jerez , and Colotlan to sell their jewelry, artisans, etc. They are even some who live in our base village, Palmas Altas. It turns out that a local tour guide took us to their village way up in the high mountains-pine trees everywhere. The experience was amazing seeing how and where they live-in individual houses traditionally built of stone or adobe with grass-thatched roofs. There is no electricity, running water. To cook, everyone shares a central fire/kitchen. At the same time, it was also a heartbreaking experience. The great majority of the men are alcoholics. The government has tried to help them out with education, infrastructure. The same men we saw in Bolanos had been waiting for their pay from the government for going back to Junior High School. As soon as they received the check they spent it on booze. Most of the women are ashamed of their culture and will neither smile nor talk to you. Some are not allowed to teach you any words in their language and most will not allow you to take a picture of them. We have heard of a missionary near our area that is working with the Huicholes who has won a few converts for Christ. His convert’s houses were burned for having converted and are now living with him at another location. In their religious beliefs they perform various rituals one including the sacrifice of bulls to their gods. They, as do many cultures, have a flood story which consists of a certain dog saving them from the flood in a particular cave. To learn about the Huichol people go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huichol. Jesus said, “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” We must pray for these people that the Holy Spirit will open up their hearts to the gospel and that people from their own tribe will be converted and in turn win their own people for Christ. We see these people on a regular basis as I mentioned earlier. Our hearts are broken for them even more now that we’ve seen their origins. The need for the gospel in our area of south Zacatecas is great just as it is in northern Jalisco-whole cities without one single Christian church (Mexican and Huichol). It seems overwhelming at times; therefore, we must continue seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our ministry. God has called us not only to evangelize but to disciple, which is exactly what we have attempted to do this summer in the villages. We must obediently seek to fulfill the great commission in our area friends no matter what the cost may be. There are too many lost people dying without hope. We must point them to their one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. Last week we were greatly blessed by the visit from a group from Kentucky who held a conference for Baptist pastors and missionaries/families. It was great to receive spiritually after constantly giving. They have adopted Southern Zacatecas , committing to evangelize the area. It was a blessing to be able to help translate for them and at the same time connect to them and other pastors in the area. They have been holding this conference for a few years now and will continue holding it. They not only gave us great pastoral training but left us with useful material. We thank the Lord for their work and commitment to flooding Zacatecas with the gospel.
Parral de las Huertas
We are continually blessed by the Lord’s work in Parral de las Huertas. Many of the people have opened their hearts to learn more of God’s Word. The people here continue to be simple minded and humble hearted. We now have electricity for our services because a lady who lives next door to the “Huizachito” tree is allowing us to plug in. This past week we played a Jesus film called “La Esperanza” there that the Kentucky group gave us and there were a few decisions for Christ. We are starting to see a group of a few faithful women and one certain man. Not many children have continued but every week different men have been showing up. I presented Pastor Luis from Jerez to the people and they have received him well. We look forward to seeing God’s continued work in this place. Continue surrounding this place in your prayers, that the Lord will not allow the cathecist from entering and snatching up the seeds that have been sown.
Guadalupe Victoria
This past Sunday we had 0 attendance at the volleyball court. There was a rodeo which made me think that that had been the reason for the absence of our people. It was the reason for some but there were others among our faithful group that were out of town that day. It was definitely a hard experience for us because it had never happened before. It made us appreciate those missionaries who experience that on a regular basis. On Wednesday, however, we showed the movie and everyone was back plus a few more who were just passing by. In this particular village, we continue running into family members living in California who visit. We preach the gospel to them as well believing seeds will be sown in the U.S. The Lord is beginning to open my daughter’s heart and eyes to spiritual realities. On Wednesday they were having one of their pilgrimages with the idols-in particular this time because of the lack of rain-and Shalom ran down to Diana saying, “Tengo miedo de la virgen.” I’m scared of the virgen. Praise the Lord! At the age of 4 the Lord is filling her with spiritual discernment. We explained to her afterwards, of course, that she shouldn’t be afraid of the virgen (idol) or any of the other idols because greater is He is who that is in her than who that is in this world.
Monte de los Garcia
I gave a teaching on water Baptism to the three faithful adults in my adult Bible study. They as well as two young adults from Guadalupe Victoria said they were not ready for that, that they needed to learn more. After that, two of the three haven’t came back. They told their husbands about it and were told not to go back-that it was okay for them to go and listen but that Brother Benjamin had gone too far. I had simply explained the basics of the doctrine of Baptism as it pertains to scripture, being an obedient step and identification with Christ and had left them with the scriptures for further study. I gave the invitation to be baptized without any pressure. As a result, however, these two women are not allowed to come back. We must pray brothers and sisters. We must pray for these women and their husbands. Their names are Yolanda and Rosa Maria. We are now down to 5 faithful. There are 3 girls, 1 boy, and Brother Luis. The kids didn’t stay for “La Esperanza” very long on Tuesday and Brother Jesse and I begin to wonder if we should turn it off since Brother Luis wasn’t coming over. He had told me that he had to practice the saxophone with his jamboree band and then he would come over. He still hasn’t made the decision to put Christ first in his life over other things. Just when Jesse and I were about to turn it off, there comes Luis with his two band buddies. Hallelujah! They showed up at right about the crucifixion part. Last week the same thing had happened. Luis showed up late but brought the two men that had been working with him right over to the service. The Lord is using him without him realizing it.
Urgent need/monthly support
I have heard back from one individual concerning our great need for more monthly support not only for Pastor Luis but for our intention in going full-time. We are still way short of where we need to be. I have not heard back from any individual, church, etc concerning visiting their church, home with the purpose of support raising. Please e-mail me if there is such an opportunity. Feel free to share my e-mail address with any brothers/sisters in Christ and/or forward them our newsletters. As far as Pastor Luis goes, he has been explained that at this point we cannot promise him the funds he would need to go to the villages. He has made the decision in faith to go anyways even without the security of the funds being there. He and his wife Delfa have been precious to us not only in their loving service for the king but as spiritual, loving parents to our family. Please e-mail me if you wish to make a donation towards the need to support them through either December ($2,000) or June ($4,000).
Thanks again for all your prayers and support, Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt giving
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio, TX 78840
Special thanks & summer 09 closure
Sembradores de Cristo August 14, 2009,
Praise the Lord! We made it back safely to the border thanks to the help of the Alabama team and Brother Jesse. I got hit hard by a bad spell of vomit, extreme headache, amongst other things the night before travel almost not allowing me to travel with the team back to the border on Wednesday. God helped me survive the trip back with the team/family thus avoiding having to bus back to the border by myself later. Last night I sent out an e-mail with this summer ministry’s pictures. Please take time to look through and be blessed by Sembradores Summer Zacatecas 09 ministry, group ministry, locals/disciples, summer missionaries and beautiful Zacatecas/northern Jalisco scenery pictures. Pictures 13 & 71 will show summer missionary staff/volunteers Jesse Chaffen, Jeremy Payne, Joanna Magana, and Brenda Limones. Picture 19 will show a picture of the catechist so that you can pray for him and picture 120 will show Pastor Luis Aleman and his wife Delfa with your servants. During our last few days in Zacatecas we were able to make a smooth transition for Pastor Luis and Delfa Aleman in Parral de las Huertas, Monte de los Garcia, and Guadalupe Victoria. You can join us in prayer for their weekly ministry schedule:
Sunday 6:00 P.M-Parral de las Huertas
Tuesday 6:00 P.M-Monte de los Garcia
Wednesday 6:00 P.M-Guadalupe Victoria
The Elliott family would like to first give thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His many blessings this summer. None of this summer’s ministry would have been possible without His blessing, provision, direction, and guidance. We would also to give a special thanks to all of those who contributed to this summer’s ministry be it by prayer, financial, or by personal sacrifice/ministry. I will do my best to remember all participants. If I leave you out know that you are appreciated.
Special thanks
Restroom/shower materials-Monthly supporters, New Covenant Fellowship, Linda Lumpkin, & Chuck Fountain & church
Summer finances-Monthly supporters, New Covenant Church , New Covenant Fellowship, Cayleigh Cole NY team, The Journey Church, Stewart family
15 passenger van “La Ballena” + related costs-Chris & Jessica Goninan, Cayleigh Cole NY team, and The Journey Church
Power generator-WIDE Ministries It had been loaned to us for summer ministry but has been now donated to the ministry and is in Zacatecas.
Digital camera-Chuck Beasley
Musical instruments/sound equipment-Scott Pontzer, Leigh Sigler
Volleyball equipment-Cayleigh Cole NY team & The Journey Church
Baseball equipment-Kenneth White
Bibles-Caleb & Lydia Bissett
Summer lodging/hospitality/restroom construction-Garcia & Carrillo families Zac
Summer volunteer/staff missionaries-Jesse Chaffen, Jeremy Payne, Joanna Magana, and Brenda Limones + their individual churches/supporters
Summer missionary teams-Cayleigh Cole NY team, The Journey Church, New Covenant Fellowship, and Kenneth White
Muchas gracias! Remember that I am available to visit your church/home on weekends to share our vision/work in Zacatecas since this year we will concentrate on fund raising to go full-time. We will also need to be working on a team for Christmas break and summer 2010 mission teams. Please e-mail me A.S.A.P if interested to start working on that now. Dios les bendiga, Benjamin Elliott & Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St .
Del Rio , TX 78840
Praise the Lord! We made it back safely to the border thanks to the help of the Alabama team and Brother Jesse. I got hit hard by a bad spell of vomit, extreme headache, amongst other things the night before travel almost not allowing me to travel with the team back to the border on Wednesday. God helped me survive the trip back with the team/family thus avoiding having to bus back to the border by myself later. Last night I sent out an e-mail with this summer ministry’s pictures. Please take time to look through and be blessed by Sembradores Summer Zacatecas 09 ministry, group ministry, locals/disciples, summer missionaries and beautiful Zacatecas/northern Jalisco scenery pictures. Pictures 13 & 71 will show summer missionary staff/volunteers Jesse Chaffen, Jeremy Payne, Joanna Magana, and Brenda Limones. Picture 19 will show a picture of the catechist so that you can pray for him and picture 120 will show Pastor Luis Aleman and his wife Delfa with your servants. During our last few days in Zacatecas we were able to make a smooth transition for Pastor Luis and Delfa Aleman in Parral de las Huertas, Monte de los Garcia, and Guadalupe Victoria. You can join us in prayer for their weekly ministry schedule:
Sunday 6:00 P.M-Parral de las Huertas
Tuesday 6:00 P.M-Monte de los Garcia
Wednesday 6:00 P.M-Guadalupe Victoria
The Elliott family would like to first give thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His many blessings this summer. None of this summer’s ministry would have been possible without His blessing, provision, direction, and guidance. We would also to give a special thanks to all of those who contributed to this summer’s ministry be it by prayer, financial, or by personal sacrifice/ministry. I will do my best to remember all participants. If I leave you out know that you are appreciated.
Special thanks
Restroom/shower materials-Monthly supporters, New Covenant Fellowship, Linda Lumpkin, & Chuck Fountain & church
Summer finances-Monthly supporters, New Covenant Church , New Covenant Fellowship, Cayleigh Cole NY team, The Journey Church, Stewart family
15 passenger van “La Ballena” + related costs-Chris & Jessica Goninan, Cayleigh Cole NY team, and The Journey Church
Power generator-WIDE Ministries It had been loaned to us for summer ministry but has been now donated to the ministry and is in Zacatecas.
Digital camera-Chuck Beasley
Musical instruments/sound equipment-Scott Pontzer, Leigh Sigler
Volleyball equipment-Cayleigh Cole NY team & The Journey Church
Baseball equipment-Kenneth White
Bibles-Caleb & Lydia Bissett
Summer lodging/hospitality/restroom construction-Garcia & Carrillo families Zac
Summer volunteer/staff missionaries-Jesse Chaffen, Jeremy Payne, Joanna Magana, and Brenda Limones + their individual churches/supporters
Summer missionary teams-Cayleigh Cole NY team, The Journey Church, New Covenant Fellowship, and Kenneth White
Muchas gracias! Remember that I am available to visit your church/home on weekends to share our vision/work in Zacatecas since this year we will concentrate on fund raising to go full-time. We will also need to be working on a team for Christmas break and summer 2010 mission teams. Please e-mail me A.S.A.P if interested to start working on that now. Dios les bendiga, Benjamin Elliott & Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St .
Del Rio , TX 78840
September 12, 2009
Sembradores de Cristo September 12, 2009
“Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem , and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15) A great multitude was coming against Judah and King Jehosophat had set himself and the people of Judah to fasting and seeking the Lord. God responded to King Jehosophat and the people’s cries. He caused the Ammonites and the Moabites to destroy the inhabitants of Mount Seir and then caused the Ammonites and the Moabites to destroy one another. Over and over again God showed himself powerful to his people. The generations of Israelites learned the same lesson over and over, to trust God no matter how outnumbered they were in the battle, no matter how big the giant was. Even when the situation seemed impossible God would respond. The battle is the Lord’s my brothers! “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)
The week before we left Zacatecas in August the people had began to take out their idols to walk up the mountain roads crying out for rain. They have been doing these idol pilgrimage processions for centuries now. It had not rained for a week-remember that these folks are dependent on rain from heaven for the crops since there is no irrigation available (rivers or required technology). Pastor Luis told the people to stop crying out to the idols that have eyes but don’t see, ears but don’t hear, and mouths that don’t speak but to cry out to God in the name of Jesus for rain. The men, women, and children present in Parral de las Huertas cried out to God with a loud voice. BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM! The thunder sounded as lightning begin to penetrate the skies. It rained so hard that they had to go into a next door house for the rest of the service. That next week, one of the same woman who had refused to come to service before and was one of the leaders of the idol pilgrimage procession was there waiting for Luis and Delfa under the Huizachito tree. It begin to rain again and when Luis suggested for them to move the service to Sister Francisca’s house again this lady and others said, “No, we asked Him for this rain so here we must stay.” Therefore, they did the rest of the service in the open air with only the small Huizachito tree as cover. It didn’t only rain in Parral de las Huertas, but also in Guadalupe Victoria, Monte de los Garcia, and Palmas Altas where it was also greatly needed.
Parral de las Huertas
As already mentioned, Luis and Delfa are witnesses of God’s response to the people’s prayers and willingness to put away their idols and cry out to Him in His name. Many people only believed in Jesus because of the signs and miracles He performed. We are seeing this happen in Parral. We have preached the gospel to them, we have shown love to them, and we have taught them. Some came to Christ when we preached the gospel to them, the Holy Spirit prompting them to believe in Him and in Him alone. Others are receiving Christ now that they have seen the rain. We praise the Lord my brothers! He is doing the work. He is drawing all men unto Himself in Parral de las Huertas. Luis and Delfa continue to give uplifting reports of God’s work in Parral. We are still having Sunday night services at the Huizachito tree and going to Sister Francisca’s house when it rains. One particular man named Alejandro has a son that had a lip problem. Sister Paula and Ken Hall and team prayed for him when they came in July. The lip was not healed in that moment but all of the team felt that the Lord was giving Alejandro assurance that his scheduled operation would go smoothly. Praise the Lord! The operation went great. Since then, Alejandro has been more faithful than ever even bringing his girlfriend to service. He told Luis that he will be moving to Jerez (the nearby city where Luis lives) and that he didn’t want to lose contact with him, recognizing his need for discipleship. Luis is going to begin discipling Alejandro and another young man from Guadalupe in his home.
Guadalupe Victoria
Most of you who have been following our work this summer in Guadalupe Victoria were aware of the intense spiritual battles we endured there. By the way, Miguel the catechist has yet to bother Luis this whole month. Nor was Luis was ever there during any of Miguel’s rude interruptions this summer. Only a woman named Horalia and her daughter have remained faithful now. Therefore, Luis and Delfa have moved the services to Horalia’s home. Two particular women who we have attempted to disciple over the years gave Luis and Delfa a little trouble recently. Some may remember that we held a Bible study in a home summer 2008. It did not work out because the sister would not pay attention to the Word of God. Unfortunately, she is very distracted by many things one of them being the material. Sister Paula gave the women a word on the story of Mary and Martha in July during the sewing classes emphasizing the need to put the spiritual things first over the multitude of physical things that women have to daily attend to. Even during that word, this women and her mother struggled to pay any attention whatsoever. They basically accused Luis and Delfa of being able to snatch one of our vehicles away from us. We left them “La Paloma” for ministry use. We had explained this to the people but you know how the enemy works using anything such as a van to cause people not to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. Please pray for these two women, that they will repent of their materialistic spirit and begin to humble themselves before the Lord. As mentioned earlier, Luis will also be discipling a young man named Mario who gave his life to Christ this summer. He is studying high school in Jerez and will need a place to fellowship/be discipled.
Monte de los Garcia
We continue to hold services at the volleyball court. Brother Luis Ramirez has been busy lately with political activities. Remember that he is the village sheriff. Pastor Luis will begin to disciple Luis in his home. We are really believing that his wife will give her life to Christ soon. The same children continue to be faithful as well as one couple, praise the Lord!
Urgent need/monthly support
I have not given up on my belief/faith in God’s calling of my family into full-time ministry in Zacatecas. I really felt that God was telling me He would open doors for me to go speak at churches this school year to raise full-time support. Until now, that has not happened. Please invite us to your church if you believe in what our ministry is doing. We are 100% committed to planting churches in these far-off, idolatrous, lost and forgotten areas of Zacatecas. We are still in much need of support right now for Luis and for our upcoming trips in December and March. We praise the Lord again for Luis and Delfa, what an answer to prayer! The Lord may call them somewhere else in the future. For now, they are committed to discipling these folks in the villages.
Website
We are finally going to have a website for our ministry. One of the sisters from New York that came this summer will be flying out here to help us make this website. Please pray for the Lord’s blessing on this endeavor. I will send out a newsletter once we have this website up and running.
Christmas & Summer mission teams
We will once again desperately need mission teams for our Christmas and summer missionary efforts. The mission teams not only help us spread the gospel in our Zacatecas area but also help finance our summer ministry/personal needs. Due to our past low monthly support we have never been at the point where we can financially do summer ministry without the teams. I again praise the Lord for the summer 2009 teams. What marvelous things they were able to accomplish for the kingdom! I invite you to see with your own eyes what God is doing in these villages this Christmas and summer. If you are considering this, the time is now to begin working on this. I am flexible with dates as subject to my full-time teaching job.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support, Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt giving
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio, TX 78840
“Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem , and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15) A great multitude was coming against Judah and King Jehosophat had set himself and the people of Judah to fasting and seeking the Lord. God responded to King Jehosophat and the people’s cries. He caused the Ammonites and the Moabites to destroy the inhabitants of Mount Seir and then caused the Ammonites and the Moabites to destroy one another. Over and over again God showed himself powerful to his people. The generations of Israelites learned the same lesson over and over, to trust God no matter how outnumbered they were in the battle, no matter how big the giant was. Even when the situation seemed impossible God would respond. The battle is the Lord’s my brothers! “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)
The week before we left Zacatecas in August the people had began to take out their idols to walk up the mountain roads crying out for rain. They have been doing these idol pilgrimage processions for centuries now. It had not rained for a week-remember that these folks are dependent on rain from heaven for the crops since there is no irrigation available (rivers or required technology). Pastor Luis told the people to stop crying out to the idols that have eyes but don’t see, ears but don’t hear, and mouths that don’t speak but to cry out to God in the name of Jesus for rain. The men, women, and children present in Parral de las Huertas cried out to God with a loud voice. BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM! The thunder sounded as lightning begin to penetrate the skies. It rained so hard that they had to go into a next door house for the rest of the service. That next week, one of the same woman who had refused to come to service before and was one of the leaders of the idol pilgrimage procession was there waiting for Luis and Delfa under the Huizachito tree. It begin to rain again and when Luis suggested for them to move the service to Sister Francisca’s house again this lady and others said, “No, we asked Him for this rain so here we must stay.” Therefore, they did the rest of the service in the open air with only the small Huizachito tree as cover. It didn’t only rain in Parral de las Huertas, but also in Guadalupe Victoria, Monte de los Garcia, and Palmas Altas where it was also greatly needed.
Parral de las Huertas
As already mentioned, Luis and Delfa are witnesses of God’s response to the people’s prayers and willingness to put away their idols and cry out to Him in His name. Many people only believed in Jesus because of the signs and miracles He performed. We are seeing this happen in Parral. We have preached the gospel to them, we have shown love to them, and we have taught them. Some came to Christ when we preached the gospel to them, the Holy Spirit prompting them to believe in Him and in Him alone. Others are receiving Christ now that they have seen the rain. We praise the Lord my brothers! He is doing the work. He is drawing all men unto Himself in Parral de las Huertas. Luis and Delfa continue to give uplifting reports of God’s work in Parral. We are still having Sunday night services at the Huizachito tree and going to Sister Francisca’s house when it rains. One particular man named Alejandro has a son that had a lip problem. Sister Paula and Ken Hall and team prayed for him when they came in July. The lip was not healed in that moment but all of the team felt that the Lord was giving Alejandro assurance that his scheduled operation would go smoothly. Praise the Lord! The operation went great. Since then, Alejandro has been more faithful than ever even bringing his girlfriend to service. He told Luis that he will be moving to Jerez (the nearby city where Luis lives) and that he didn’t want to lose contact with him, recognizing his need for discipleship. Luis is going to begin discipling Alejandro and another young man from Guadalupe in his home.
Guadalupe Victoria
Most of you who have been following our work this summer in Guadalupe Victoria were aware of the intense spiritual battles we endured there. By the way, Miguel the catechist has yet to bother Luis this whole month. Nor was Luis was ever there during any of Miguel’s rude interruptions this summer. Only a woman named Horalia and her daughter have remained faithful now. Therefore, Luis and Delfa have moved the services to Horalia’s home. Two particular women who we have attempted to disciple over the years gave Luis and Delfa a little trouble recently. Some may remember that we held a Bible study in a home summer 2008. It did not work out because the sister would not pay attention to the Word of God. Unfortunately, she is very distracted by many things one of them being the material. Sister Paula gave the women a word on the story of Mary and Martha in July during the sewing classes emphasizing the need to put the spiritual things first over the multitude of physical things that women have to daily attend to. Even during that word, this women and her mother struggled to pay any attention whatsoever. They basically accused Luis and Delfa of being able to snatch one of our vehicles away from us. We left them “La Paloma” for ministry use. We had explained this to the people but you know how the enemy works using anything such as a van to cause people not to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. Please pray for these two women, that they will repent of their materialistic spirit and begin to humble themselves before the Lord. As mentioned earlier, Luis will also be discipling a young man named Mario who gave his life to Christ this summer. He is studying high school in Jerez and will need a place to fellowship/be discipled.
Monte de los Garcia
We continue to hold services at the volleyball court. Brother Luis Ramirez has been busy lately with political activities. Remember that he is the village sheriff. Pastor Luis will begin to disciple Luis in his home. We are really believing that his wife will give her life to Christ soon. The same children continue to be faithful as well as one couple, praise the Lord!
Urgent need/monthly support
I have not given up on my belief/faith in God’s calling of my family into full-time ministry in Zacatecas. I really felt that God was telling me He would open doors for me to go speak at churches this school year to raise full-time support. Until now, that has not happened. Please invite us to your church if you believe in what our ministry is doing. We are 100% committed to planting churches in these far-off, idolatrous, lost and forgotten areas of Zacatecas. We are still in much need of support right now for Luis and for our upcoming trips in December and March. We praise the Lord again for Luis and Delfa, what an answer to prayer! The Lord may call them somewhere else in the future. For now, they are committed to discipling these folks in the villages.
Website
We are finally going to have a website for our ministry. One of the sisters from New York that came this summer will be flying out here to help us make this website. Please pray for the Lord’s blessing on this endeavor. I will send out a newsletter once we have this website up and running.
Christmas & Summer mission teams
We will once again desperately need mission teams for our Christmas and summer missionary efforts. The mission teams not only help us spread the gospel in our Zacatecas area but also help finance our summer ministry/personal needs. Due to our past low monthly support we have never been at the point where we can financially do summer ministry without the teams. I again praise the Lord for the summer 2009 teams. What marvelous things they were able to accomplish for the kingdom! I invite you to see with your own eyes what God is doing in these villages this Christmas and summer. If you are considering this, the time is now to begin working on this. I am flexible with dates as subject to my full-time teaching job.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support, Sembradores de Cristo family
Tax exempt giving
% Sembradores de Cristo
Esperanza Del Rio Community Church
603 E. 17th St. Del Rio, TX 78840
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