Give a Home Update

Martina came each day asking for morillos.  She would just show up all over the place asking for morillos.   She begged me to come and see her home and help her.  She said that she lived right down the street, so I agreed to go.  I was shocked when I arrived.

Martina’s house was worse than I could have imagined.  She, Loy, and Eric lived in a small cinder-block square that had some plastic over the top in place of a roof.  Food was rotting on the table because there was no refrigerator.  There was no running water to wash the dishes, so they were filthy and covered in some type of oily liquid.  There was one old stove connected to an old gas tank.  They had one large bed that was covered with bedbug feces.

I was deeply moved and realized the opportunity that Jesus had sent us.   We were able to immediately begin helping Martina and her family.  As we reached out to them, in love, we saw God change their hearts and lives.  God worked a miracle in this beautiful family.  They have begun to come with us to the ranchos to give back to others a bit of what they received.  We created the following video to help show this beautiful family.

Martina’s family is not the only family in dire need.  There are so many families her in General Cepeda and in the outlying ranchos like Martina’s family.  These families, like Martina and Loy, work hard, but are still so poor.  Fathers wonder daily about how they will provide  for their family’s needs with so little and struggle to entrust their families to our Lord.

Jesus once said, “Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” (John 16:24)  These people are asking in the name of Jesus.  We invite you to help answer their prayer and help to change the lives of so many who live in utter poverty her in General Cepeda.  We want to offer you the opportunity to lay up a treasure in Heaven and enter into this complete joy Jesus spoke of.

Please prayerfully consider donating to help rebuild a home, build a chapel, buy food for needy families, purchase school supplies, or purchase a Bible.  Perhaps your prayer group, youth group, class, or church parish could sponsor one or more of the needs listed below.  Perhaps you can even organize a trip down here in which you can help build a chapel, lay a cement floor, or distribute the food that you raised money for.

We would love to help you experience the life-changing call that we encounter everyday.  We are all called to be missionaries no matter what our state in life is.  

What can you do to live out your own missionary call?

Another Update: (from Jonathan Kiehl, team leader of the General Cepeda team) 

“Man last night was awesome.  We went to San Antonio de Jaral.  I have begun encouraging people from our groups (Raul’s Monday night group and our Wednesday Morning Catechism Group as well as Wednesday Night Bible Study) to accompany us to the ejidos to give their testimonies and work along side us in the vineyard. 

I told them they need to share their own testimonies with others here.  One woman said she didn’t have a testimony.  The Holy Spirit gave me this verse to tell her.

I said that if you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ you have a testimony.  Some women cried.  They said they wanted to come to the ejidos on Thursday with us. 

Last night we brought four people to San Antonio and check this out…Martina (from the Give a Home project) gathered a bag of clothes and about 7 purses to give out to the “poor” in the ejidos.  We didn’t even ask her she just gave.  Then as we were leaving General Cepeda to go, Goya and Martina asked if we could stop at this little store at the edge of town.  They then went in and bought lollypops for the kids of the ejido. 

I was blown away.  They did it all on their own.  We didn’t even bring any money to help out.  They just gave from their little bit.  God is beyond good.  I am seeing Him transform hearts and lives here in General Cepeda.”