Persecution and Other Reasons to Rejoice

At one of our mid-week small groups one of the ladies that just recently started coming to church shared through sobs how her friends were systematically turning on her and rejecting her because she started coming to church.  She couldn’t understand why they would discard their friendship so bluntly and abruptly. Despite the pain she was sure that she found something better that she wanted to pursue further. A few of the ladies shared some Bible verses and prayed for her before she left to go home. The following week she interrupted the lesson for a moment and asked to share. Smiling ear to ear and rejoicing she let the group know that though she thought she was looking for something – a feeling of peace or friendship - she found that Jesus was just what she was missing and wanting.  She had accepted Him into her life and wanted everyone to know.  

 

Her son shared that he had also made a decision to follow Jesus while at a camp we had this month for families with special needs. His older brother is autistic. We were celebrating some birthdays for the month and I realized since this is a fairly new family to our church I didn’t know when he was going to have a birthday.  He told me and then as nonchalantly as possible added, but August 3^rd is my spiritual birthday because I gave my heart to Jesus last week.  

Jr. High Camp

 

We also had an amazing time at the Jr. High and High School summer camps.  There were five boys that went to the first camp. Two of them already had relationships with God and have been growing over the last year or two.  I, Chad, baptized them both within the last year.  But on the last night of camp I got to see something I haven’t seen in all the years of teaching and ministering to middle schoolers.  Without any direction, cue or suggestion by anyone (except the Holy Spirit) they got on their knees and were worshipping, then sobbing, then putting their arms around one another and then full-on hugging one another.  

Then one of the two that has a year or so walking with God began to exhort the others using Bible verses that we didn’t think he was listening to when we had taught them to him some time back.  All five boys came back committed to Christ and to one another.  Two of the three new salvations were the first to be saved in their family – meaning they are coming back to fertile mission fields (and also challenges). 

Sports Camp

The following week we had our sports camp scheduled.  The last two years we have had outside youth groups come and help provide the man power to make these camps possible.  Despite much prayer and planning nothing worked out, but that was an answer to prayer in itself.  It allowed us to cry out to God more and was powerfully rewarding as our baby church stepped up and “fed the 5,000”.  With our boys coming back from camp all pumped up and cleaned up we had some great ‘volunteers’ ready to go.  They did a great job singing the songs, assisting the coaches and leading the break-out discussion groups (coach’s huddles).  That solved part of the problem – the need for volunteers with the children.

Then our church really stepped up – providing snacks for the 50-60 kids for the whole week, providing lunches for all the staff and volunteers and on the last day putting together a special BBQ lunch for all the children and their parents. The whole camp gave us so much reason to  rejoice!        

The gospel was preached, sung, presented and lived out in so many fun, creative and exciting ways.  Several of the older children said they wanted to know more about Jesus and live for Him.  Pray for us as we visit with them and their parents at their homes in the next week that their hearts would remain soft and hungry for God.  We also had one of the families come out to church the following Sunday.  In speaking with the father of the three children he shared how worship had made him tear up and how the message from the Word had stirred up his heart.  Pray that this family would get connected to our church and commit their lives to Jesus.  

 Please Pray with Us…..

 

ü  Persecution

We know it can make us stronger and that “blessed are those that are persecuted…”, but we aren’t looking for it and ask for wisdom on guiding others through tough times.  Besides the lady we mentioned at the start of the letter several others have had minor, but significant, attacks against their faith.  

 

ü  Family Camp  Labor Day Weekend

This will be an amazing time of fellowship where families can relax at the camp and grow as a family and we as a church can grow as a church body.  

We have split our church into three teams.  We will have friendly competitions, but each team is also responsible for planning one of the teaching/worship sessions during the weekend.

We are also planning baptisms.

ü  Wolyn Family

Chad & Fabiola celebrate 8 years of marriage this month!

Kids returning to school: Rebecca is going into 2^nd grade.  This year our son Justice will be at the same school as Rebecca as he starts Kindergarten.  

Thank you for rejoicing with us and standing strong in prayer as we live our lives out loud for Jesus in this community where the need is so evident.  We pray you are strong in the Lord and encouraged!

Chad & Fabiola

12 Godly Men to Lead

We have been praying for 12 mighty, godly leaders to be raised-up and help with the church planting efforts here in South Central Los Angeles.  It is not time to stop praying yet, we are still in the process of raising-up and training these men, women and children.  But it is exciting to see the maturing and growth that is taking place. 

Back in June Chad led a group of twelve men to a weekend retreat (some of which are pictured below).  God continues to move powerfully in these men’s lives.  Let us share a few tidbits of their journey (names have been changed):

Mateo has begun dreaming about doing more for God, but until recently had not taken any decisive steps in that direction.  With some encouragement from us and the initiative he needed to take himself he is now in the middle of his first Bible school class at The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI).  The course is challenging him in all the right ways to become the leader God is calling him to become. 

Vincente left a life of drugs and alcohol and is watching God redeem years of lost time and heal the many wounds left in the life of his family from his past.  He has a clear mind, loves the Word of God and wants to raise his children to know and serve God.

Samuel came fighting for his marriage and things have not gotten easier, but he is stronger and the other men are coming around him to support him.  When we met him years ago he was not yet ready for this change, but now he is lifting His arms up to God for help and growing in faith.

Oscar use to avoid God and Christians and now is stepping up as a godly leader in his home and taking more responsibilities at the church.  He loves to share our Sunday messages with his co-workers and has great vision for his children to worship and serve God their whole lives.  While financially not easy he has taken time off work at times to be with his family and participate in church activities showing that he is putting God first in his life and learning to trust Him more.
George is a man that we have been able to open some doors of opportunity and speak vision and direction too.  We see that he is a Bible teacher and future church planter.  He has been a blessing as he has raised the level of spiritual maturity in the group by his example. 

So much has happened this last month with the women and the children during our special summer activities and through the different summer camps too!  There just is not enough space to share everything.  We rejoice that God is moving through the lives of so many people and making disciples as we partner together in prayer and continue to press on for these precious lives. 

Let’s keep pressing in through prayer – it makes all the difference!

Chad & Fabiola