Our New Arrival: Beniah Benjamin

Beniah Benjamin Wolyn

 Born in Los Angeles, California  

March 21, 2014  @ 3:55 pm

 

Weight: 6 lbs. 5 oz.  /  Height: 17 ¾ inches

Beniah is a biblical name (we changed the spelling slightly) meaning “The Lord Builds”.  

 

Beniah signifies a character of loyalty, obedience, courage, and great strength.  

 

The biblical figure was a one of King David’s top soldiers, a brave warrior and great leader.  He was in charge of the bodyguard and then later stayed loyal to David’s desire to have his son Solomon anointed king.  He was then appointed at the top army commander. 

 Rebecca and Justice like to call their brother “Bennie Bear”. 

 

2 Samuel 23:20-23 “Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter….performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.  And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah…he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.” (Also see: 1 Kings 7:5-8; 1:28-50).

 

Benjamin, also a biblical name means “Son of the right hand”.  We like this name because it is multi-lingual (recognized in many languages and cultures) and for the strong, virtuous and faithful brother and son Benjamin in the Bible was (the beloved 12^th son of Jacob, and brother of Joseph).  Beniah Benjamin is our ‘baby’ (B.B., in Spanish).

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for praying for us and for rejoicing with us in this exciting new addition to our family!

Love,

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah

Hamburger Helper

Jesus is calling people to Himself.  Every time we pray we are amazed at how He answers.  His desire is to be with us and that we learn to be fulfilled and find rest in Him.  Real rest only comes through Him….something so many people we bump into weekly are looking for desperately, but in the wrong places.

Updates…

Hamburger Helper 

Many of our pre-teens and teens come home to empty homes.  Some don’t see their parents until the following morning because of work schedules.  After a very rich time of Bible study and prayer one of our youth, who normally doesn't feel comfortable eating alone and often skips meals if his parents aren’t home announced that he was going to take God out on a date to eat a hamburger.  God was so powerfully “with him” that he gained a confidence and strength and was able to rest in the company of His maker and Lord.  We had read about the Holy Spirit being our Helper and also how Jesus wanted to come in and eat with us.  What a great application of what we were learning!

Jesus Calls Families To Himself

Andrea grew up in the church in her home country, but drifted away as a teen and then immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult.  She was recently invited to our church by her neighbor and immediately felt God calling her back to Himself. 

Her husband is not a Christian, but she has been praying for him.  He recently came to church, but promised to do so only if she promised that they leave immediately after the service was over.  Andrea tried to gather the family together and leave, but he no longer wanted to leave…he ended up staying another hour enjoying the fellowship. 

Also surprising to Andrea was how her husband reviewed all the key points of the message with her later that day.  He then said to her, “One day I just know I am going to be a preacher of the Word.”  Obviously this surprised Andrea because he has not yet confessed to follow Jesus, but he is feeling the tug of what is about to happen. 

Later he asked Andrea, “What are you going to donate to the church?”  Looked at him perplexed, she said, “What do you mean?”  He explained how we had talked about an upcoming yard sale we will have at the church that had been announced and offered to donate all of his old construction tools. 

We also stand in awe as we watch God restore Andrea’s daughter after some really bad choices have changed the course of her life.  She is now rapidly making new friends and learning about God’s love for her through our re-vamped youth group. 

Andrea has asked for prayer that she would whole-heartedly follow Jesus and that He would draw her family to Himself.  Soon, we believe, the whole family will be serving Jesus together in the church and living the Christian life in their home and throughout the week.

Weddings

Jose nervously reads the vows he wrote Maricela.

Taking communion after exchanging vows.

Fabiola, Maricela and baby Josue.

Throwing the bouquet.

Wonder if there is another wedding coming????

Friends and family gather to celebrate!

Praying for Jose after he shared his testimony and confession of faith in Jesus...right before his baptism.

The baptism of Maricela.

We celebrated our first wedding at our church with Jose and Maricela. It was a very special and beautiful day.  As you can see they were also both baptized!  What an exciting day.  If you would like to see a 2-minute video of the wedding (compiled of time-lapsed shots) click here: “Jose and Maricela Wedding”

The following weekend one of the leader’s we trained-up was also married.  She will be joining her husband’s church so that they can minister together there.  They will not be too far from us – so we will be able to join our churches together from time to time.  Chad gave the opening word and prayer at their wedding – another joyous occasion.  

Family/Baby Update

This Friday! We are scheduled to go into the hospital for a C-section at 11:00 am on March 21^st.  Please continue to lift us all up in prayer. (See below for some specific bullet points.)

Can You Help?

We have a few needs/wants that we wanted to share with you regarding our ministry so that you can be praying with us or giving towards meeting these helpful tools.

We Need Couches:  Our tutoring ministry and youth ministry use the room pictured below (this is also where we have team meetings, prayer meetings, counseling sessions and hold other ministries). We have 15-25 adults in this room for 2 hours every Sunday afternoon.  Currently we have 2.5 couches (none of which are comfortable) and folding chairs.  Lately some parents have asked permission to wait in their car, which is counter-productive for us because we want to bless them with a comfortable space and use that 2 hour block to be able to build relationships and share about Jesus.  

 

Television:  In our children’s classroom we have a very small TV screen, which is used for some lesson videos, worship videos, watching DVDs and playing the XBox.  With 10-20 kids it is hard for everyone to see the screen, so we would love to mount a large screen TV on the wall (like where the bulletin board is currently). 

Yard Sale: We will be having a yard sale to raise funds and awareness for our church on Saturday, April 5^th.  If you live in the LA area and want to donate something for us to sell please let us know.  

Mural Art: We would love to decorate our toddler’s classroom (and maybe other parts of the church building) with some fun mural art.  If you are talented in that area (and are able to come to Los Angeles) please let us know! We’d love to add some color and fun to the space.    

Fabiola and Maricela leading a group of children in the toddler’s room (where we would like to paint a mural).

Please Pray with Us…

Birth of our son:

o   Safe, healthy delivery

o   A healthy baby!

o   Rebecca (8) and Justice (6) would do well through the transition and many changes. 

o   Rest for all.

o   Quick recovery for Fabiola.

Growth opportunities for the church:

o   Fabiola is handing everything off for the next month, giving a lot of people the opportunity to put into practice what they have been learning.

o   Chad is handing off most things for a week and then will continue to train-up and give others the opportunity to discover their gifts and minister using those gifts. 

Easter

o   At our church a big focus of the next month will be in preparing our service and outreach for the Easter week.

o   Pray that we may effectively reach youth, children and families as they are on vacation and more aware of spiritual things during the Easter season.

§  MANY SALVATIONS!

o   Pray that we may effectively engage, equip and empower our church while we do outreach and ministry in the park, community and during special/regular services. 

§  MORE LEADER’S TRAINED-UP and MORE CHRISTIANS ENGAGED and MATURED in their LOVE & FAITH.

“So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper.” Hebrews 13:6a (Amplified Bible)

Thank you for standing with us in the comfort, encouragement and confidence of the Lord our Helper. He is truly the one who does all great things…and yet He chooses to use you and me to accomplish them.  Glory to God!

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and baby boy

Yard Sale - What's That All About?

When you think about a yard sale do you think of:

A) A way to grow personally (in being responsible, in leadership and team work)?

B) A way to reach out, know and be known more by your neighbors?

C) A way to raise funds for a worthy, growing ministry?

D) All of the above?

Well, our church recently held a yard sale and it was definitely “D) All of the above.”  One couple, Juan and Maria, who recently gave their lives to Jesus, really took charge and lead the endeavor.  They organized a team, set the date and time, put out signs, invited friends and neighbors and worked hard.  Later they shared with our small group what the yard sale meant to them: 

‘We have never done anything that was not for ourselves. If we sell things, it is to make money for us.  If we help out it is for our own benefit.  We were exhausted (after 14 hours from set-up to tear-down), our muscles ached, but there was this amazing satisfaction in having given so much of ourselves to something bigger – to God and His people.  We really could have used some of the money to help pay for some extra medical bills, but guess what?! (They both were smiling ear-to-ear.) Though I have been working as manager at my job for five months I was never given a raise. But when I went to work the day after the yard sale my boss called me in and said he was going to give me a big bonus for taking on the extra responsibility of being manager. It felt like God was showing us that He will take care of us…that we should keep serving Him without expecting anything in return.’

We were also able to meet new families from the neighborhood.  One family came out to church the next day and is interested in getting more involved.  They have no church background, but after speaking with somebody from our church recognize that raising their family in the church would be healthy for all of them.  They know they have a lot to learn, but are eager to understand who God is and how He can be a part of their life.  Please pray for this family and many others that we reached out to during this yard sale and our other community events last month.  Pray that people may see that Jesus is the answer to the better life that they seek. 

We are excited that by the end of this month we will be holding our baby boy (and missing some sleep?) – in just a few more weeks!  Please keep all of us in your prayers.  Pray for a healthy baby, healthy delivery and smooth transition into living as a family of five in the city.

Lastly, if you use Facebook, you may enjoy the periodic pictures and videos that we post of our growing church on our church’s Facebook page (Fuente para las Naciones).

May God get all the glory and more people come to Jesus! Thank you for your prayers!

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and baby

Sharing the Riches

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” - Benjamin Disrael

 

 

Over the years God has blessed us with great biblical fellowship, teaching and leadership as we’ve grown-up spiritually.  He has also allowed us to learn skills in education, the arts and family life.  All of these things we gladly give away as we help others discover for themselves the riches God has deposited in them.   We never came to minister in the inner city to give handouts, but to really shine light on and let God restore the hidden and broken gems.  Daily we polish these gems to bring out their natural, God-given beauty. 

 

Updates…

 

Sharing the Blessing – Report from our Marriage Conference

We really had a double purpose in putting on this year’s marriage conference:

1.      to bless, train and teach couples so that they might grow in their marriage and in turn bless other couples in their day-to-day life and be better equipped to train-up their children….and

2.      to impart vision and serve as a catalyst – training and releasing others to do this kind of conference so that it can have a further Kingdom impact in new communities.

 

By the numbers:

·         11 hours of teaching/activities over 2 days

·         22 adults in attendance

·         25 children/babies having a good time

·         11 volunteers serving the children

·         4 churches represented

·         3 first time visitors that learned about the Good News of Jesus’ love as well as marriage!

·         2 languages: our event was presented in Spanish and English allowing more couples to engage deeper.

This event truly has served as a catalyst for other couples and ministries helping them reach out to other couples they know.  We have 2 groups that have taken the materials we used and are replicating it with their community right now.  We have 2 other churches eager to do the same in the coming months.  We have been blessed in our marriage and ministry – why not pass this on – it’s what Jesus wants from us.

 

A sample of what one lady shared in her evaluation at the end of the conference:

“This conference changed my life.  It changed my thoughts towards marriage.  Thank you for helping me to see how marvelous it can be to love my husband.”

17 x 2 = MORE!  Tutoring Increase

We will be doubling the number of students we help from 17 to 34 this month in our tutoring program.  Pray for this transition as it requires more space than we have in our building to work comfortably…but we would rather help more children and families than be ‘comfortable’. 

Pray for quick and deep relationships to be formed as we meet about 10 new families in these next two weeks.  Our desire is to see them saved and activated as part of our church as well as part of our tutoring ministry. 

Pray that we would not lack in tutors or supplies as we make this leap of faith to help more children. 

A recent tutor training

 

It’s Raining….A Surprise Baby Shower

 We were blessed, encouraged and surprised by a group of ladies that came together from our tutoring ministry and our church to put a baby shower together for Fabiola.  They mentioned it to me (Chad) and told me to keep it a secret, but even I was surprised at all they did to bless us and celebrate with us.  There was lots of food, fun games and many guests we would have never suspected.  It really felt like a special time for the church to be a church - living life together.  It was special that we did not have to organize or plan anything – something we hope can happen more often in the coming months and years in other areas of ministry.  One family even took the step to shower us with prayers and spoke blessings over our baby and family.   

Training and Releasing Teachers

We have been constantly working on recruiting workers for our nursery and children’s classes on Sunday morning.  Fabiola has done the bulk of this work for the last couple of years and is getting ready to hand the majority of it off to 8 other teachers.  This does require a lot of training, meetings and organization, but soon Fabiola will be able to focus on the baby and know that other women, men and youth have been given the opportunity to grow through serving the children. 

 

Family Update

Fabiola is not sure how much bigger her belly can grow, but the doctors continue to encourage us that everything is going really well.  Thank you for your continued prayers! 

 

 

Please Pray with Us…

Marriage and Baptism

This Saturday (February 22) a couple from our church will be getting married.  This will be the first wedding at our church!  Everyone is getting involved and the house where our church meets will be transformed into a very special space.  Some of the men stayed after service on Sunday to do yard work on their own initiative as a gift to the couple (hoping things will look extra nice on their special day).

Another lady took some time off work to power wash the front walkway and porch. 

This day is special for the couple and our church because after the ceremony and reception the couple will also be baptized.  Please pray over this couple and our church as we celebrate their commitment to one another and their commitment to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

Music Workshop

Once again we are offering a special opportunity for our church and community – free music classes!  Please pray that we might grow musically and worshipfully as a church and that we may reach many new youth and adults through music. 

 

Thank you for sharing with us your time, love, prayers, finances and encouraging words. 

Together, with your help and support, we continue to share the riches of our King with more people so that they may open up the door to salvation and walk into their potential in Him. 

 

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and baby boy

Pleading the Cause of the Voiceless

Our hearts are heavy this month. We need your help. We cannot do this alone. There are so many people - not ten, not one hundred, not a thousand, but tens and hundreds of thousands of people in our neighborhoods that know their life is not right, but have yet to be told the truth and have no idea on how to get things right. We know Jesus is the answer – we must share this amazing news! 

Just this week in the children’s class that Fabiola teaches at church a boy that just started coming explained how he believed in many different gods because that is what his teacher at school had taught him.  He was not yet aware of the one, true God.  Fabiola was burdened at this information that a precious child had been hidden in the darkness for ten years before he was able to hear the truth about Jesus. This child has now been empowered and commissioned to share the love and hope of Jesus with his classmates.

“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)

We need prayer more than ever. We have faith. We have vision. God gives us strength. But we need prayer. Pray for us – our family and our relationship with the Lord – but also for those that we are training up as co-laborers in this needy, yet strategic place of the world called South Central Los Angeles.  Would you take a few minutes and lift us all up right now? Imagine the power being released from heaven as many of us pray together for the salvation of the many lost and broken lives wandering in the city.  As we unify together we believe hundreds of thousands of people will be saved!  Thank you!!

Above: Our church at our Christmas banquet.  Many mighty warriors are being loved and trained-up for Christ.

Together we will see the power of God crush out the darkness,

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and baby boy

Always Faithful

Updates…

We’ve been in this neighborhood a little while now (3 ½ years) and it is a blessing that in that time our church has become recognized as an established ministry – a safe place to go and a place where Jesus is preached and proclaimed.  People move in and out all the time – sometime moving just down the street and sometimes moving out of the neighborhood.  But through all of this movement people know that they can come back to connect with God and His church.  In the last couple months we have been able to rekindle some of these relationships as they come back to the church.  Though the children have grown up a bit more it is exciting to be able to pour into these families once again and see how God has been faithful even when they have strayed away.  Our ever faithful God is the inspiration that keeps us looking for new ways to minister the love, hope and justice of Jesus in the city.    

 

Thank You For The Gifts!
To everyone that sent us items from our Christmas list – thank you!  Many (most) of our needs/wants were met to help us start off this year making an even bigger impact in Los Angeles and beyond. 

 

Like Us On Facebook

If you are a Facebook fan check out (and “like”) our church’s page (search: Fuente para las Naciones).  We are just getting it going, but it already has a few fun videos and photos posted of our last year.

 

Youth Leadership Transition
Please be praying for our youth.  One of the leader’s (Nancy) is getting married in a couple months and will be joining her husband’s church where he is the choir director.  While we are super excited for Nancy, it is bittersweet to have her leave – especially for the youth.  At this time we have not identified who might be able to help take some of that leadership with the youth. Please pray for wisdom and direction and for the youth to be encouraged even in this transition.  We know God is faithful and will show us what we need to do.

Special Week to Seek the Lord

We created devotionals for everyone to go through morning and night during the first week of January. As we broke our time of fasting we were encouraged to hear about how God spoke to different people.  Many were challenged with how they spend their time.  Others realized they weren’t obeying God in other areas, but that He tenderly wants to draw them to Himself into a fully obedient life.  "A sinning man stops praying, a praying man stops sinning" (Leonard Ravenhill) Talking with several people after our Sunday service there were 3 different people that shared that they want to get baptized – all after resisting for quite some time.  God is always faithful and people were experiencing and responding to that faithfulness in powerful ways. 

 

Family Update
Fabiola and the baby are doing well.  With each passing day we are all more and more excited to meet our little guy (due date is March 21). 
Please continue to pray for the health of both the baby and Fabiola and for a wonderful delivery.  Also lift up our transition from 2 children to 3 (and from 2 full-time church planters to probably 1.2 church planters). 

Please Pray with Us…

ü  Pastoral Visits February 2 & February 9

Phil & Judy Jaquith, who have been such a huge blessing, guidance, support and inspiration to us and provide oversight for our church planting efforts, will be visiting our church to speak to the congregation.  They are the founding pastors of Fabiola’s home church in Puebla, Mexico. 

 Justin & Angela Jaquith will be visiting the following weekend and we will be having a special evening service with them.  Currently Justin & Angela are preparing to plant a church in Guadalajara, Mexico.  We are blessed to have such a gifted teacher and dear friends minister to our church. 

ü  Marriage Conference  February 7-8

Pray that marriages would be blessed and saved from potential pitfalls and destruction.

Pray for those that are living together, but not yet married to make that decision this weekend.  We will have childcare and a luncheon. 

Pray also for those that do not yet know Jesus personally – that this would be the moment for them to come to salvation.

 

We are thankful for your faithfulness and love for our family and this ministry as together we serve and grow closer our Always Faithful God.

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and baby boy

An Uprising Against the Disorder

Recently in a mid-week Bible study we were studying sin and salvation, especially grace through faith and ended by writing out and sharing our own story of salvation. We would like to summarize two of these testimonies: 

(1)   I lived in darkness. I was depressed.  I had a lot of sin and rebellion in my life. I was hurting myself and those around me. Then, I was invited to church. During the service I was delivered and healed from the inside out.  Later, when I slipped-up and started drifting away from God you guys (she was talking about us) and my son (he became an active part of our church as well) came and prayed for me and spoke life into me.  That is what brought me back – you helped me connect once again with God. Now, when I walk down the street people say I look so different.  I feel lighter and want to share this with everyone. I have hope for my family. I know God and love Him; Jesus is my Lord and I know the Holy Spirit is in my life at all times.  

(2)   I was wandering without purpose. I lived just to live. I did not know anything about God or want to know anything about God.  But one day Fabiola invited me to her house and shared with me about Jesus. I began to come to church and gave my life to Jesus. My life now has direction and purpose. I have vision for my life and the lives of my children and many others. I am thankful for so many things – things that I recognize God has given me and done for me. I could not see all of this before, but now it is so clear to me. I am full of peace and life.  Jesus is my Lord and I am his daughter not because of what I have done, but because of what He did for me. 

It is so exciting to hear these testimonies and a great honor and privilege to be a part of these women coming out of the darkness into the light.  There are nine people between the two ladies in their immediate family – all being powerfully and eternally impacted by Jesus in their lives. Both of them serve faithfully and share their story with others. “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world” (Karl Barth).  Pray with us that their testimony will help draw other people to experience and know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and disrupt the corruption, deception and pain that so many are experiencing. 

Would you also pray with us for our baby BOY due in March!?! The doctors are saying that there are potential health concerns with the baby. We ask you to stand with us in prayer for a healthy mommy and healthy baby.

Lastly, we want to thank you so much for your prayers and financial gifts over the last several months.  Due to a great response at the end of the year with special gifts we are starting the year fully funded.  We rejoice in God’s provision through so many people that enables us to press into what God has for us in this new year.

This year we pray that you would experience a closeness to God greater than ever before,

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and baby boy