We need to give thanks to God for everything, even for thing that we give for granted but in the meantime are so important as air, sun, rain health, love and afection and so on.
Sometimes we think that blessings are only the many possessions that we may adquire, money and all sort of wealthies and luxuries. A real blessing is to be prepared to live under any adverse condition and still keep joy in your heart.
We read the words of the Apostle Paul in Phillipians 4:12
"I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. And then he adds in verse 13:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
I, personally, Give thanks for the privilege to serve so many people that I never knew before, totally strange people that come and go. Other, a few one may stay around me for a while. I give thanks for the opportunity to plant the seed of the true gospel in people sunk in the darkness of idolatry and religious ignorance. I give thanks for all the good things that happened in my life during the last four years. I have to give thanks for the good people of God that have supported and protected me and my family, for my partners in ministry, for all these actives women in our local Hispanic Ministry in Fort Dodge First Presbyterian Church. And very specially for all the churches in our presbytery and the M&M Committee who have financially supported this Ministry. To everybody who have helped us in any way. THANKS TO YOU ALL! from Our Hispanic Ministry and personally from me and my family.
HERE ARE SOME NEWS:
Pastor Claudio Valdez, a Hispanic pastor for Reformed Church in America has opened the First Hispanic Church in Belmond, Iowa. It is located on Main Street, in the downtown, we have worked together to start this congregation. Five Mexican families has already joined the congregation.
This is the Reformed Church in America Hispanic church in Belmond, Iowa.
November have kept me very busy helping Hispanic workers in trouble in Fort Dodge and Clarion.
Let me share with you some of the stories:
A Mexican man came to work in one of the chicken farms near Clarion, he was living in a collective housing facilities of that company where many Hispanic workers live together.
One night, one of his roommates was stabbed and he was accused. He was in prison for several months and I was called by Fort Dodge court to serve as interpreter in his case. We spent five hours in the process of interrogation to the deputies, officers and witnesses involved in the case, as wells as the victim of the case.
Five Guatemalan workers arrived in fort Dodge seeking for an opportunity to work, I took them to a certain packaging plant in town, and helped them to apply. They have been attending our Sunday services in Fort Dodge.
A young man, the son of one of our church member in Fort Dodge, left Honduras to come to work in Humboldt, he was lost when trying to cross illegally the border. The mother was kind nervous about that, she came to our Hispanic Ministry office in Fort Dodge asking for some help
I made some calls and found out that he had already crossed the border but the "Coyotes" were retaining him because the wanted three thousand more dollars, she did not have the money to ramson her son. She asked for a loan from me but I could not afford the money but I called a common friend of both of us and he was willing to lend the money with no interest charges and receive it back in partial payments. He finally arrived in home safely.
A Mexican woman in clarion was victim of domestic abuse by her husband, right in front of their three kids, He was taken to jail by the police and released after a period of time in Jail. She and the kids came to live at "Sexual assault and abuse outreach" refuge house in Fort Dodge, Iowa,
She is actually living in an appartment building next to our home right in front of First Presbyterian Church. We are taking care of her and the kids, a bed and dininning room table and chairs as wells as warm winter clothes, blankets and kitchen wares have been donated to her by our ministry.She is planning to attend regularly to our Sunday services.
Two mexican men arrived in Fort Dodge seeking for job opportunity, they had been working in a tobacco farm in North Carolina. They told me that they traveled during two days to arrive in Fort Dodge they were exposed to night cold weather by seven hours when asked to leave the bus station building because they were about to close it. I got a phone call from one of our Hispanic church members in Fort Dodge who knew about the case, they did not have money to rent an appartment and they were at Fort Dodge Dart bus station. I made some call and found a temporally place for them to stay, I went to the bus station and picked them up with their luggage and drove to the place. Now Iam trying to find something for them to work on. They have been in our Sunday service for the last two weeks.
Our congregation participated for the second time, with the whole congregation of Fort Dodge First Presxbyterian Church in the thanksgiving dinner. It was a wonderful experience.
Special tables were set apart on the stage of the CLC for the Hispanic Church.
Some native dishes were specially prepared and brought to the event by our church members.
MY PICTURES GALLERY FOR NOVEMBER 2008:
Harvest Home Dinner celebration at Fort Dodge First Presbyterian Church.
Worshipping at the chapel on Sunday morning .
Please, click on the next video. you will see the thanksgiving celebration at FT Dodge First Presbyterian Church where our small Hispanic congregation joined to a huge crowd of people in the Community Live Center (C.L.C.)
As you can see God is giving us growth. He is blessing us with fellowship and the joy of sharing sitting around the table and eating " ...with gladness and singleness of heart"
SUNDAY,DECEMBER 7th, 2008
WORSHIPPING AT THE CHAPEL ON THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT.
Singing " Silent Night" ("Noche de paz" )
The reading of the gospel and the preaching.
This sunday we had an attendance of 47:
29 adult men, 11 adult women, and seven children.
Having some fellowship after Service on Sunday, December 7th in the morning.
After the service, I drove to Webster City where a couple who attend our church had some problems. the man is in jail.The issue is Domestic Violence.
I went to the sheriff 's office trying to see him but I was not allowed because he needed to go before the judge first.
Then, my wife and I went to see his wife,she was in tears and told us what had happened the night before, we read son scriptures to her and had prayers, she was really comforted. After that, we came back to fort Dodge and went to see one of our church members who was at the hospital.
On monday 8th, I took some workers out to apply for jobs.After that, they came back with me to church where they got winter clothing that we had stored in a garage.
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