Go "It's Time!"

“It is our time to go out and be seen as a church that serves the community and not look to just get for ourselves,” challenged Merced - one or our emerging leaders - at our church service just days before the huge WOW Jam outreach we held at South Park. “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” Matthew 11:12.

We are moving forward – forcefully laying hold of the promised land God has called us to as we draw more and more to join us. We have had a fabulous time serving with our church this month. People are stepping up during church services, outreaches, and summer camps to serve – and we’re only partially through the summer. Thank you so much for reading, rejoicing and praying for us as we continue to commit ourselves to reaching and raising-up those that are lost in darkness in this hurting place called South Central Los Angeles.

Updates
See what happened - in part at least - by the numbers.....

Chad sharing at WOW Jam

WOW JAM 2011

Pictured above

Top L: Fabiola praying over a family from the stage.

Top R: Looking out at the afternoon crowd.

Middle: The face painting tent and bicycle repair area.

Bottom right: The plant give away tent and the manicure area.

Pictured above We were so proud to have so many people from our church come out and serve.

Top L: Several ladies and their children helped pack and hand out 3,000 meals – others handed out flowers or snow cones and worked as altar workers.

Top R: Our children, Rebecca and Justice, love hanging out with their friends from church – they are doing so well here as missionary children! It was super special to be able to baptize so many people – 48 is a lot!!! I was actually sore for the next couple days from dipping so many people.

Guadalupe is holding up her baptismal certificate (Middle L) after being baptized (Bottom R). Her brother David (Bottom middle) and Carlos (Bottom left) and many others were baptized at the park.

Summer Camp [1st – 3rd Grade Camp]

Pictured above

Top L: Campers, counselors and parents getting ready to leave for the 1st – 3rd grade camp. Top R: Campers received swimming lessons and then were able to enjoy lots of free time in the pool (Middle L).

Middle R: The campfire circle was a highlight with fun songs, worship, skits (Bottom L)and a Bible teaching time.

Bottom L: The girl’s cabin won a prize for having the cleanest cabin and table after the meal. They were constantly being affirmed as God’s children and they all soaked it up.

Pictured above Camp is so much FUN! It is amazing how changed these children come back – they memorized verses, sang worship songs and were given many chances to share about their lives and apply the Bible lessons they heard.

Top L: The boys head off on a train ride around the camp.

Top middle and L: One of the crafts was creating fun faces out of a nylon and saw dust with chia (like chia-pets) hair.

Middle R: The cafeteria was transformed into a jungle with a huge tree. Campers were immersed in a world where the theme “Rooted” was constantly being taught – based on Jesus’ parable of the seed falling on different soils.

Middle L: Students in small groups following a teaching time being encouraged to be the “good soil” and allow a crop to grow 100-fold in their lives. Other pictures: So much fun, quality time to build relationships with other campers and counselors and most importantly with GOD!

Pictured above: Our girls cabin walking to an afternoon activity together. Life is so different at camp. Kid’s get to be kids and walk peacefully down the paths with adults that care for them from place to place. We have been doing a lot of home visits this week to help the children and their families readjust to life in the city and continue growing in their faith.

Pictured below

Top L: Campers and counselors from our second group – the 4th – 6th graders getting ready to leave for camp.

Top R: The boy’s cabin group.

Middle L: Some bulls-eyes at archery.

Middle center: David made us so proud by being selected for the highest honor at camp – “The Oaks of Righteousness Award” given to campers that demonstrate a real active faith and godly attitude throughout the whole week of camp. It was wonderful bringing the news home to his mother. David shared that camp was the best experience of his entire life and when asked what he liked best he just kept saying, “EVERYTHING.” I remember meeting David a year ago at an outreach at the park in front of our house and knowing ‘we need to take this kid to camp.’ I’m so glad God provided a way (also, he is one of the boys I baptized at WOW Jam). He did not want to return home to the craziness and hurt. But we did talk about how he can continue to be an “Oak of Righteousness” anywhere and he really grasps that concept of being strong in the Lord to give God the glory even though his life is very difficult and painful.

Middle R: Jenny bobs for apples.

Next row: Michael bravely climbs to the top of a telephone pole to take the leap of faith.

Bottom L: The night swim was hugely successful and helped everyone sleep very soundly.

Bottom R: It was wonderful watching ‘our’ children dance and sing to the Lord. Our high school student, Alexis – pictured in the black T-shirt, is up at camp all summer as part of the Leadership In Training (LIT) program and it was amazing to watch him really blossoming in his faith and see him do such a good job leading the younger children.

Summer Camp [4th – 6th Grade Camp]

Dancing, Singing, Playing Instruments for the LORD!
We had a one day praise dance and singing workshop that really got some of our youth excited about engaging in worship in a fun and meaningful way.

We have also started a ministry providing music lessons for those in our church and community that are interested in learning more about the guitar, piano, bass or drums. The purpose of these classes is to raise up future worship leaders and also future teachers for a music outreach we hope to launch within the next year.

First Bilingual Service. English Services to Begin.
As a result of the phone calls and visits we made following up on the many people that came out to the WOW Jam we had Stephan show up to our Sunday morning worship service. Stephan is an African American man who recommitted his life to Jesus and who we baptized at WOW Jam. Fortunately we were prepared with bilingual worship since the youth have been asking to sing more of the songs in English. I (Chad) then quickly adapted my message so that I could preach in English and Fabiola translated everything in Spanish. The overall response was positive and at the end Stephan testified to how God had been moving on him and challenging him this week and even woke him up telling him to go to 50th & San Pedro (the corner where we meet for church services).

Please pray with us that Stephan will return this Sunday. We plan to have an English Bible study on Sunday mornings for him and others that have shown an interest.

The Sunday after WOW Jam we had a fantastic Sunday worship service and a meal together that was organized very well by the ladies of the church...a continuation of their service the day prior at WOW Jam.

Please Pray With Us

·Two More Weeks of Summer Camps

Jr. High Camp July 17 -22
Counselors: Sheila, Garnett & Norma
Youth: Flor, Sol Angel, Liliana, Rocio
High School Camp July 24 -29
Youth: Alexis


·First English Service (see above)
10 am on Sundays
Starting Sunday July 17th


·Unity in the Park
Sunday, July 31

There is a burning in my heart to see a greater movement of the Church unified in our community. I have spoken to various churches and pastors without much fruit – until now….another Hispanic church (mostly Guatemalan) located about 3 blocks from us has invited us to work together with them to put on an outdoor church service for the community. Please pray that this would foster greater unity and much fruit in new lives coming to the Lord.


·Sport’s Camp
Monday – Friday, August 1- 5

This was probably our most fruitful event last year so we’re super excited to put it on again!!! It provides quality sport’s instruction with a very relevant and quality Bible teaching – including songs and dance, memory verses and more. It runs every day for a week from 8:00 – 12:15pm.


·Donations of Instruments

We have been working on grant application through music stores here locally and are constantly looking for guitars (electric or acoustic), basses, keyboards, drums, along with all the sound equipment needed for performance to enable us to reach more youth and adults with our music classes.


We are serving the community in Christ’s love with your help.
Thank you,
Chad & Fabiola

Hundreds of Homes

What were you doing two years ago?  This month marks the two year anniversary of our arrival to South Central Los Angeles.  In some ways the drugs, violence, and constant screams from the sirens whizzing by us has become almost normal, but the darkness, oppression and lost people here continue to burn deep into our hearts.  We are even more stirred up and committed to seeing the lost saved, healthy leaders trained up and to plant churches that reproduce than ever before. 

God called us out of our security and comfort to help people from many different backgrounds living in a poverty stricken environment.  We came to help people – the forgotten, the unseen, the unloved. 

Nobody else is looking after the men and women passed out in the park – yet we have been able to bring a constant message of hope and healing to them by preaching the Gospel and feeding their spiritual hunger along with their physical hunger.  And who is there to love their children that are left to fend for themselves while their parents are drugged out?  We offer Bible clubs where these children come and learn about Jesus and feel His love through us as we talk, play and listen to them. 

Our experience has confirmed the statistic stating that Los Angeles is the most unevangelized Hispanic city in the world.  The majority of the people we contact have NO accurate, biblical concept of who Jesus is or how to receive salvation.   We have been able to show people how to talk with God, how to love themselves as Christ does, how to understand the Bible and how to kick addictions through bringing them to Jesus. 

We reach out to families and minister to the whole family.  We are committed to seeing entire families come to Jesus together and then grow in Christ according to their specific needs.  We help them have healthy marriages, raise their children in a godly way and maneuver through the many challenges that come with being poor and living in the city.  Since nearly all our families are first generational immigrants there are even more unique problems that we take to God together with them. 

We have visited hundreds of people in their homes as well as many in the hospital.  We have been to countless birthday parties.  We have been by their side at medical clinics for hours on end.  Living here allows us so many opportunities.    

We have people that will not come to church because they have been caught up in the crossfire of gang warfare on their way home and are scared.  We visit them at their home, but we are looking at ways to help everyone feel safe enough to come to our corporate meetings.  The community of believers that is ever growing is so important – every new believer plays a vital role!  Continue to pray with us as we give our all each and every day to see the church we are planting, Fuente para las Naciones, established and many, many people come to know Jesus!

As you pray, would you also consider joining us by giving financially to support this ministry here in Los Angeles?  For our family to continue ministering to these precious families and individuals unhindered we need to partner together so that we can be 100% funded and continue giving our time and gifts to those that need to hear the Gospel.  You can return the slip included with this letter indicating the gift is to be directed to “Wolyn” or give online at worldimpactla.org/wolyn and look for the “$ Support Chad & Fabiola” link.  Thank you for your consideration - we know that together we will see lots of lives impacted for Jesus!

Love,

Chad & Fabiola

Blind & Shortchanged

Nelli has been faithfully coming to church since we visited her in her home at the end of April –many times she comes twice a week. At a recent church service she shared these words with us, “I’m thankful for this church; it is helping me get to know God and get closer to Him.” She had never been to a church before coming to our church plant Fuente para las Naciones, but has a real hunger for God.

Nelli has three children under the age of five and an alcoholic, drug abusing husband who is currently in prison. She shared how she feels so shortchanged by the life she has lived so far…missing out on what is really good. “There is so much more to life that I have never known. I want my kids to have this life that you are living.” Just to be clear she is talking about a deep peace, love, joy and hope that come through knowing Jesus. Nelli and her family have been living in black and white – actually just black, while God longs that we all live in full color. Nelli, like so many people in this neighborhood, have been locked into a dark box of lies, blinded spiritually by the things their ancestors and culture have taught them and oppressed both spiritually and physically. Sound extreme – it is! The darkness here is something even the blind can sense. She recognizes that she has not been living life to the fullest. Her heart yearns to know her Maker and live according to His plans. We proclaim that Jesus is the only One who can rescue us from this darkness and bring us into everlasting life. Please keep Nelli and her family in your prayers as she continues to press in to the things of God more and more.

“Open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in your law.”
Psalms 119:18

At the men’s retreat, Salvador, who also just recently started coming to church, began crying out that God would take the blinders off of his eyes and allow him to see God’s glory. His wife has been connected to the church for nearly a year now and finally her husband has left his drinking behind and is coming out with the family. He shared how his middle son, a first grader, would plead with him to stop drinking, but that he just couldn’t. Know he hasn’t had a drink in four weeks and is pressing in to times of prayer and study like somebody that really wants God and to walk in the Spirit.
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and can’t understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:14) We thank God for answering our prayers and allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate and direct Salvador’s way.
Some highlights of the men’s retreat were:
·Early morning prayer times with the guys
·A praise & worship time in our cabin during free time
·Great conversations – about so many things
·An early morning hike and time to reflect on God’s goodness and grandeur
·A time where one of the guys began to share his burdens and the other guys were able to listen and counsel him with little help by me.
This Sunday (June 19th – Father’s Day) the men who went on the retreat will be sharing with the church what they learned. They are all fired up. After a week of application and testing as we’re all back in our daily routines our prayer is that they can share from their heart and inspire and encourage others based on what God is doing in their lives.


Please Pray With Us

WOW Jam - Saturday, June 25
Our church is sponsoring/hosting this huge outreach crusade again this year. We’ve been getting the word out to the community for the last couple weeks. Last year we attracted 4,000 people. We hope for even more (praying for 7,000) people this year so more can hear the Good News. We have been working hard to train everyone in our church in the basics of evangelism, follow-up and praying with people so that during the event and at the altar call we can have our whole church activated and helping bring new people into the Kingdom of God.

Sunday Service – Sunday, June 26
This post WOW Jam service has the potential to really help add more people to our congregation. If even 1% of the crowd came out that would be 40 new people based on last year’s numbers. We pray that we would be ready and that the ministry would be done by those that are being equipped for the ministry and not just our family.

Summer Camps
Please pray for our counselors and campers this summer:

1st – 3rd Grade Camp
June 28 – July 1
Counselors: Norma, Nate, Graciela, Faustina
Children: Stephanie, Valerie, Leslie, Michelle, Araceli, Brandon, Alan and Luis

4th – 6th Grade Camp
July 3-8
Counselors: Misty and Nate
Children: Jennifer, Martin, David, Michael

Jr. High Camp
July 17 -22
Counselor: Sheila
Youth: Flor, Sol Angel, Liliana,

High School Camp
July 24 -29
Youth: Alexis

Thank you for your partnership. Your prayers and financial support to this ministry is literally allowing people to come out of spiritual darkness and bondage and see the light for the first time.

Rejoicing together with you and the angels,

Chad & Fabiola

Living for God Here & Now

“I want to learn how to live for God here and now,” said Sandra, practically begging, “I don’t want to wait until I’m old and have to go through all these problems.” When she said, ‘all these problems,’ she was referring to the endless struggles and pain she sees in her family and community as they continue to live in dysfunction without fully committing to God.  As Frank Crane is quoted as saying, “What you want to be eventually you must be every day.”  

Sandra has been faithfully coming out to church and youth group every week.  She has been meeting once a week with one of our youth leaders and is starting to study the Bible on her own. She is definitely a future Leaders In Training (LIT) candidate.

The LIT program, run through World Impact, is a three-year leadership development program where inner-city high school students are mentored and disciple by missionaries during the school year. LIT’s then spend their summers at THE OAKS camp working, leading campers and learning more.  We are excited about sending the first LIT from our church to camp this month – a young man named Alan.  When he returns I (Chad) will have the opportunity to mentor him during the course of the year. 

The LIT program is a proven spiritual-growth catalyst for youth that are given so few opportunities to develop and mature spiritually, intellectually and in their character throughout their daily life.  Please pray for Alan as he puts his faith in practice and embarks on this new journey. 

Along with praying for Sandra and Alan and their families please also lift up the men of Fuente para las Naciones as we prepare to go on a men’s retreat called “No Man Left Behind” on June 10^th -12^th.

 

Thank you,

Chad & Fabiola