How Many Apples To Come?

I remember enjoying the story of Johnny Appleseed as a boy and now as I have been preparing the soil for our vegetable garden I have been reflecting on this question of seeds and productivity. I’m just one person; it’s just one apple. But how many apples do you think will come out of just one apple seed? Planting a single apple seed can result in thousands of pounds of fruit over time. This is the great harvest of fruit (lives brought to Christ) we eagerly await and part of what motivates us to faithfully minister in a place that is so hard. It is said that Johnny Appleseed planted trees in at least 5 states and some of those trees are still bearing fruit over 200 years later. His favorite book was the Bible. Walking barefoot over many miles his feet were hard, but his heart soft and his mind fixed on the mission.

Updates

Parent/Teacher Conferences

My teacher background kicked in as I received a notice about our daughter Rebecca having a parent/teacher conference at her school. I thought it would be a great idea for the teachers at our church to connect with parents and share all the positive things we’ve observed and learned about their children while simultaneously encouraging them in the tough job they have as parents and sharing about what the children/youth are learning in their classes each week. We spent two long afternoons with parents that proved to be a very much needed time or affirmation and encouragement. It was also a platform for the mothers to open up and share about their lives and struggles. Just about every mother cried and every one of them walked away taller and more hopeful. This is something we will definitely do again. We feel that it has deepened our relationships, deepened our trust and taken us to a deeper pursuit of God’s heart as a community of believers.

Winning the World Conference (Ganando al Mundo)

I took our neighbor to the World Impact church planting conference last weekend. It is exciting watching somebody from this community catch the vision to share his faith, empower and raise-up leaders and plant churches! I believe he is a future pastor in the making.

Invited to Lead Worship

Our church, Fuente para las Naciones, was invited to lead worship for a potluck dinner and church service with other ministers from the community and pastors who are a part of the local church association. It was exciting to have three vocalists from our church along with Abraham and I leading on guitar. Fabiola and Justice played drums. All of our songs were in Spanish and English – which is our first step towards becoming more bilingual.

Please Pray With Us

·Transition.

Continue to pray for our Children’s and Youth Ministries as our current interns transition out. We have some short term interns coming to help us this summer and then we don’t yet know how God will provide come fall.

·Suicide Attempt.

One of our third graders recently made an attempt to kill herself. Pray for this child and the family as they sort through layers of hurt and pain that still need to be lifted up to Jesus. Pray also that we would be filled with God’s wisdom as leaders in this community.

·Vacation Bible School

Monday – Thursday, April 18th - 21st We are trying some new things with the desire to focus on serving a need in our community we haven’t before tried to meet. The largest aerobics class in all of Los Angeles is located at South Park, the neighborhood park in front of our house. We plan on helping parents continue their workout during Spring Break by taking their children and teaching about the last week of Jesus’ life from 9:00-11:00 am each day. We hope that we can get to know many of the ladies that take aerobics and others from the community during the week and especially during our lunch together on the last day.

·“The Passion of the Christ”

We will be showing this movie on Friday, April 22nd and hope for a lot of invites from the V.B.S. and community as well as family and friends from the church to come out and be impacted by what Christ did for us.

·Easter Sunday

We have a special service full of music, a drama and baptisms planned. We will have share a meal together and again we hope for a lot of first time visitors and all of the church to come out. Pray also that people will respond to the call to give their lives to Jesus and even be baptized there on the spot.

·Reinforcement Troops?

Our friends, David and Kiara Shipley, are prayerfully making plans to move their family down here to help be a part of our church plant team – starting in August. David, will be staying with us for a week to talk through the details and seek God’s heart with us for this transition.

Words cannot express our gratitude and the sincere need we have to receive continued prayer over our lives and this ministry. Thank you for lifting us up to the Father.

Planting seeds that will turn to healthy orchards (churches!),

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca and Justice