I know that I need Him!

Happy New Year! We are excited for a new year and the fresh start that it symbolizes for so many lives as God continues to lead our family into building a mighty army and loving spiritual family that will help expand His Kingdom throughout the greater Los Angeles area and beyond.

As I walked into the living room where we were gathering for prayer I saw a lady sitting on the sofa that I had never met.  I introduced myself and found out that she was a neighbor of the family that was hosting.  She let me in how the host family had shared about our church and other ministries and let her know about God.  Then she just blurted out, “I want to find God…..I know that I need Him.”  She then shared story after story about her family and how they are wading through brokenness without any hope of escape.  We prayed.  Many of us.  Together.  And God is answering!  God says His mercies are new every morning.  So much starts with prayer.  God does the work, but wants to use you and me.  Isn’t that exciting?  We love seeing our church – people for the most part we have led to the Lord – minister to their neighbors, coworkers and classmates….sharing this new life. 

Just the other night we put on a special evening outreach service and one of our spiritual ‘grandchildren’ returned home. Tanya and her family were invited to our church about two years ago by another family in our church and she got really involved…but then things got tough at home.  Her brother went to jail, her sister got pregnant, and finally her mom decided to move them out of the neighborhood.  After being baptized, Tanya knows she wants to follow God, get involved again and really be a part of the spiritual family that our church has been for her.  We believe that this year will be a year for starting fresh and growing in Christ. 

We are also excited to share we now have double the meeting space. We have been meeting in our old home since we started the church. As the church grew, we got ‘pushed’ out and now even the first floor space we have been using has gotten to be too tight.  Thankfully we are now able to expand our classrooms, teen space, tutoring and English classes along with a prayer room – all upstairs.  This has given us more room to have our church service and have meals and outreaches downstairs.  It has also given the men in our church and community a reason to come together to work on various fix-up projects. 

As a church we are starting this year in prayer and fasting.  We know that God has great things in store.  We look back over 2014 in awe – what a mighty God we serve.  How is it that He has done so much!  We thank you for your prayers on behalf of our family as well as for each one in the spiritual family we minister to throughout the year.  Lastly, please keep our youth in prayer this month as they have their winter camp in a couple weeks where we expect God to do great things in their hearts and lives. 

To the new life we see daily in our own walk with God and in the lives of those we pursue for Christ,

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah