What's going on in:
San Diego
&
Aguascalientes
There is a lot going on and I want to keep you all informed with the highlights of each month. Thank you to all who pray for and support these ministries. We are able to bless so many people and we couldn't do it without you. To God be all the glory. Gracias amigos!
July has been a busy month. A couple of missions trips and lots of ministry at home. I'm very blessed and grateful for all that is going on.
I started off the month in Rogers, Arkansas. A group of us, led by my friend Gary Leyva, went on a disaster relief missions trip with the organization Samaritan's Purse. It was an awesome experience and I was really impressed with how well Samaritan's Purse operated. In late May, a tornado passed through and knocked over many massive trees. The trees fell on many homes and cars and we helped cut them up and remove them. We also helped with roof/interior damage. Many roofs were damaged and water got in, causing mold. It was sad to see these homes get damaged, but it was a blessing to show God's love to the home owners and help them restore things the best we could.
I celebrated the 4th of July in Arkansas. Samaritan's Purse had an American themed dinner for us after a long day of work and then we got to set off fireworks! It was great because over there they are legal. We bought a huge variety pack and had a fun time celebrating this great country. God bless America!
I got back to San Diego on July 6th so I could be there to teach my Jr High class at church. Things are going very well and I've been teaching the kids many different topics from a biblical perspective. We talked about health & fitness one Sunday and I explained that being healthy is not only physical. God created us with a body, a mind, and a spirit and we have to take care of all of them. Everything has to work together, in balance, in order to live a healthy lifestyle.
Also our church, Horizon Christian Fellowship, had an event for families to hang out after service. The main reason for the event was baptisms. I did a Sunday lesson on what baptism represents and we read the gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism. I wanted to make sure they really understood what it meant so they wouldn't just be going through the motions. Four of the Jr High kids made the decision to be baptized. Praise God for their faith!
I planned an activity for some of the Jr High kids. Since they are on summer break from school, I thought it would be good to get together outside of church. We set up a volunteer day at the Frosted Faces Foundation, in Ramona. Frosted Faces is an animal shelter for older dogs. There were about 50 dogs on site and we got to help out. We took them for a walk, prepared their food for the following day and everybody's favorite part: we got to give the dogs some treats. It was a fun day and it was good to give the kids some experience volunteering.
Back down to Mexico! I haven't been to Aguascalientes in over 2 months so I decided it was time for a visit. I flew in on July 29th and will be staying for about 2 weeks.
And I made it to Aguascalientes just in time to celebrate Elvira's 22nd birthday. Her birthday is July 29th and we went out that night with some friends. Elvira wanted to see a movie and go to dinner. It's been awesome to see her grow up and transition into a beautiful woman. I'm proud of her and know that God has big plans for her future. She has a tough road ahead of her as she goes through medical school, but she is very intelligent and I know that she will be a great doctor someday. Happy birthday Elvira!
