The smiles and fellowship were a blessing. The Holy Spirit moved in powerful ways in many young people. The New Life team that led the worship times did a great job and all the youth were blessed to praise God together. The games and fellowship, like the bonfire and hide-and-seek in the dark where also a hit! There are no words to adequately express all that God did while we were there in the hearts of our young people. Please pray that the retreat will have lasting and transforming effects in each person that went.

In a leaders’ meeting at the end of August we asked our leaders about some of the cultural norms that influence the Mexican family. Here are a few of their answers:

• Women (wives) are responsible for the children
• Women in most families are responsible for Spiritual leadership
• Men are responsible for provision for family
• Men are free to have women other than their wives
• Infidelity and adultery are the woman’s fault
• Marriage is not important

We were encouraged to have our leaders respond to these cultural beliefs with God’s word and know that they understand that God in His sovereignty made the family and home a place to reflect God’s love and provision. We were reminded anew of the cultural pressures that push against a godly family’s desire to walk with God.

During the month, our preaching team focused on the family, marriage, and children, while the cell groups delved deeper into living as Christian families. Our leadership team also held a seminar on one Sunday evening for parents during which many expressed their gratefulness in learning more about how to discipline and relate with their youth and children.

Soccer was a major activity of the day but there were also many side activities. Several of the ladies pulled out table games, and the kids enjoyed exploring and climbing some of the smaller trees close to the picnic area.

Similar to July 4th in the United States, the Mexican Independence Day is a major family occasion. To have about half of the congregation participate was a good response and helped several new participants in the congregation to get to know our Jubilee people.

The Mt. Pleasant Christian Church of Greenwood, Indiana sent almost their entire children’s ministry staff including Chris Franklin, children’s minister. The Mt. Pleasant group came with the whole VBS program prepared, including props and costumes, while the Jubilee people volunteered as teachers and translators. The combination made for a wonderful week of songs, stories, crafts and games.

We were excited that 86 children participated in the VBS. Jubilee usually has about 35 kids at Sunday School, so we had more than 40 that participated at the invitation of Jubilee members.

The VBS ended on Saturday with a closing program and a fair. Each of the cell groups prepared a food item to sell and a game that the kids and others could play. The fair tickets raised close to $400 for the land purchase for the Jubilee Church!

The Mt. Pleasant people were a great blessing and kept a wonderful positive attitude throughout a very busy week.

Joy

Joy was looking for a team with which she could minister in Latin America and was counseled by the NMSI office to consider the Pachuca Project. She had her final interview with the IMPACTO Board of Advisors at the July board meeting in Cincinnati, and was enthusiastically endorsed to participate with the IMPACTO Latino team.

Joy will work with Dee Duggins in the English teaching program and with the Alvarados in the Youth Zone and the Café outreach. She is presently working on support raising and hopes to be in Pachuca in the late Fall of 2011.

Learn more about Joy on her missionary page.

This summer’s Sports Camp was a wonderful success. The Jubilee Church Plant here in Pachuca and Washington Avenue Christian Church from Texas put together an Sports outreach for kids in a low-income neighborhood on Pachuca’s southeast side.

Altogether the day camp had 86 kids, almost all of which were from the neighborhood and previously unknown to us. Each morning kicked off with a group warm-up before the elementary school-age kids split off into their groups for their sports and activities. This is the second year that we have held the Sports Camp in the “Providencia” neighborhood as an outreach to get to know new families so that we can introduce them to the church and ultimately to Jesus.

Several families expressed interest in the cell group that meets in the neighborhood and in knowing more about us. Please pray that we continue to connect with them, and that they would be open to learning more about who Christ is. And praise God for a super week filled with His blessing!

Top Row, Left to Right: Chuy, Luke, Carlos, Chino, Oscar, Ernesto, Juanita, Jorge, Dario, Joel, Sergio.
Bottom Row, Left to Right: Karla, Caren, Lindsay, Wendy, Aide, Holly, Connie, Dee, Maricela

Each week we review calendars as well as the weekly study to be taught in the cells. We end the evening with an extended prayer time and a fellowship dinner. Presently all the cell leaders are meeting together, but eventually they will meet in smaller groups or “zones.”

Each Monday evening is a blessing for our cell leaders and for the elders of the Jubilee church plant. What a great group of leaders to be working with!

Some of the Providencia cleaning team

The first of our cells to respond to that challenge was our cell in Providencia, a cell in a lower-income part of the city. Many of its members live literally day-to-day. The group came up with the idea that men and ladies would dedicate Saturdays to cleaning houses and washing cars and then donate the money to the land fund. This last Saturday they came to our home. Three men came and washed cars and gave Osito, our very large dog, a bath. Three of the ladies did several special cleaning projects around the house. They put $300 pesos (about $26 dollars) into an envelope and added it to the land fund. The Providencia cell plans to work each Saturday over the next months as opportunities arise. What a great example for our other cells!

Other cells are beginning to get organized with fund raising projects as well. The music team of the church is beginning to plan a concert at Jubilee and then will donate the ticket sales to the land purchase. Another cell is considering doing ladies’ haircuts, manicures and massages for a fee and then donate the money to the land.

The land purchase project at Jubilee has been and remains a major challenge for the church members and the IMPACTO Latino team. We are grateful to our supporting congregations who have joined us in this project, giving gifts toward the purchase. We pray that other congregations and individuals will join us.

If you would like to help with this project, please let us know. You can mail a check to our Home Office or donate directly on the web!

Please pray for Armando, Maru, Damaris, Leonor, Kevin, Anahí, Yosemir, Sarahí, Marifer, and Fidel. Ask that their new faith would be deeply rooted and would grow. And join us in praising God for their new life!