What A Year This Will Be!

“We become the voice of the voiceless, pleading their cause all the way to the throne of heaven. We demand to be heard. We insist that changes be made. Like Abraham we bargain with God over the fate of the city. Like Moses we argue with God over the fate of the people. Like Esther we plead with God over the fate of the nation.” –Richard Foster

While we fix our eyes on the individuals—men like Primo, Francisco and Miguel, women like Bere, Zaira and Soila, youth like Italia, Juan Carlos and Yesenia we pray and teach and serve them believing they will walk out their godly calling leading many others in turn. We are pouring our lives out for these individuals, but continue to be stirred with compassion for the many more that await the Good News.

A while back we took a group to a UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl. While we enjoyed the conversation, camaraderie and closeness of being with the 15-20 people sitting with us the experience would not be the same without the other 92,535 people filling the Rose Bowl. While we are excited about the few that have made the stand to turn from sin and walk with Christ, we feel the urgency to press in and see more people won for our Lord. This battle is won in prayer. We walk it out in faithful obedience, but we need your help to see these people through to experience all they were made for and for God to get the glory in their stories. We rejoice in the new year! It is a time to look back with thanksgiving and a time to look ahead with hope. We must do the work of our Father. He has been so good to us. We are compelled by His love. We must see change—lives are depending on it. God has been so merciful and gracious allowing us to know so many wonderful people. Yet we see the real battle that they are in—fighting drug and alcohol addictions, struggling with overcoming past wounds that are currently causing relational problems, and the outright poverty compounded by so many other complications leaving families without time to be a family as they struggle to eke out their survival day by day.

Looking back over our first sixth months here in South Central Los Angeles we realize we are still newbies in many regards, yet our roots have been set into the soil of our community. God has led us and not let us stumble. We are constantly in awe at how God chooses to use us and allows us to be His hands and feet, his mouthpiece and listening ear to so many. More Lord, for you glory!

Thank you for praying. Here are some answered prayers from the last few months:

·We’ve been able to enter more homes. We have been praying for the sick and down trodden and studying the Bible with individuals or groups in some of the houses in our neighborhood (and enjoying some great food too).

·We have a small team formed and will be having a strategic planning meeting this month looking ahead at the next few years and moving ever closer to an official launch for our church. (Please pray for this time.)

·Lots of new friends, most who are sincerely interested in knowing God in a real way.

Please pray with us for the precious people God has given us care of (some are listed above) as we continue to follow-up and disciple them, but also join us in prayer for the many great things that we believe God has in store for our neighborhood and our church in this coming year.

Remaining in the vine (for apart from Him we can do nothing),
Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca and Justice Wolyn