Spring is an exciting time here at Agua Viva Ministries (AVM). We are finishing four weeks of “SPRING BREAK”.
Missions Partnership Experience (short-term mission trips) is diving deep into the colonies and villages near Ensenada, BC Mexico. Listed are our some of our “SPRING BREAK” activities:
*10 American Church teams are coming to serve
*10 separate 4 day VBS (Children’s programs)
*3 women’s Bible study programs
*4 soccer programs
*Assisting in a “Power Week”
(a construction week at the new seminary site)
*Building a chain link fence
*Painting a mural
*Roofing
*Landscaping
*Sewing curtains
*Erosion control
*Painting
*Cleaning up garbage
*Making benches
*Installing cabinets
*BBQ and outreach in agricultural community
Simultaneous with the MPE program, this “SPRING BREAK”
Agua Viva Ministries is also diving into the follow events:
*Hosting and programming a youth camp for 250 Mexican teenagers at Rancho Agua Viva
*Hosting 300 college students from Westmont College serving Medical/Dental Clinics, construction and Children’s programs
*Weekend Mexican camping groups
*We are expecting 800 guests at Rancho Agua Viva in the next 4 weeks! (that’s a lot of tacos!)
We will be submerged until Mid-April. We hope to come up for air then!! Just in time to prepare for the summer! Don't expect a lot of mail!MPE Programming team
An exciting aspect our jobs in the programming of Missions Partnership Experience (MPE) is getting to know the community and the pastors in and around Ensenada who have a pulse on the needs of their colonies and villages. Their vision, enthusiasm and faith is humbling, as our passion many times doesn’t go any further than our own 4 walls (let alone past our own noses!).
These pastors assess needs much deeper than poverty and social beautification. They walk the Christian talk at great personal expense while also working full-time jobs to financially support their families. We count it a privilege to help coordinate American groups to partner with such visionaries to reach Mexico for Christ.
Let us introduce you to just a few of our heroes:
Pastor Daniel and BlancaIglesia Puerta de Cielo
They are building a drug and alcohol rehab center. They have a vision to build 7 Christian centers in Mexico.
Pastor Marcos and Leticia (Letty)Iglesia El Gran Rey. Their Church is surrounded by drugs, poverty and neglected children. They dream of building a day-care center for street kids. They have already claimed the property across from the Church.
Pastor Mariallena de AlbaIglesia Betel
She is clearing the land near her Church to build a recovery house for women exiting prison. She has been ministering to the women in the local prison for the last 12 years.
Pastor Lalo and FelizIglesia Nuevo Cancion
2 years ago his Church burned down. It is already rebuilt (thanks to American groups). He now is focusing on building a second story on the Church which will be used for a free tutoring center for the community.
Glavor Highlights for 2007
Highlights for Jeff in 2007:
*Mexico is our home!
*Finally beginning to understand the language more.
*Seeing Tim begin to settle in to life in Mexico.
*Seeing the care and support of family and friends in US.
Highlights for Ineke in 2007:
*The opportunity to meet and work alongside creative, fun and passionate people here in Mexico who don’t put God in a box.
*Learning my new job. The transition has been easier than I thought!
*Electricity!!!! WooHoo!! We now have solar energy to the staff housing 24/7!!!
*Getting to spend time with family and friends in Reno at Christmas.
*Reuniting with my brother and sisters in Holland at my father's funeral.
Highlights for Tim in 2007:
· I went to Disneyland for my 16th B-day
· Summer/Christmas break with friends
· Patches (my new dog)
· Starbucks in Ensenada!
· Playing drums at Church on Thursday nights
Hannah update: Well, after a greatly successful and immensely fun first semester at Multnomah, I headed back to Reno for my Christmas break. I spent the majority of my time working at our local ski resort as snow board instructor and in my down time got to spend a relaxing break with my family and friends. School started up for me on the 16th of Jan so I embarked on the perilous journey from Reno to Portland. The semester started off a bit rocky, with minimal injuries and resilient (or rather stubborn) persistence. But I have no reason to complain. I'm loving my classes, this semester especially, I have a great group of friends and I'm getting opportunities to play music outside of my curricular music ministry. Again, I'll ask for prayer in procrastination. My motivation levels seem to be on a rollercoaster and can change at any given moment. I want to learn, don't get me wrong, but I'm getting lazy about the follow through for various reasons, which isn't good.
Please pray for direction in what my next step in life should be. I hate this transition age, everything seems to teeter upon the tiniest decisions. I don't know what to do for the summer; story of my life. I could stay here, get settled in and jump into a local ministry. I could live in Reno, get a job and nuzzle into the community I already know and love. I could do some kind of missions work, whether as an intern w/ my parents in Mexico or perhaps overseas (suggestions? connections? I'm up for anything at this point). Or maybe I could move to Colorado and work at my first bible school for a few months. So yeah. Prayer for direction would be fantastic.
Glavor Prayer Requests:
- Endurance and health during these very busy days.
- Continued unity with the staff.
- Finances (Our donor giving is down 22%)
- Continued assimilation
- Balance: family, work, spiritual, emotional and health
- Hannah and Tim would finish the school year strong
- Summer plans for the kids
snail mail: Agua Viva Ministries PO Box 1488 Lemon Grove, CA 91946
AVM is a tax-exempt 501(c) (3) #33-0107806 missions organization
donations to Agua Viva Ministries account# 313124/Glavor
