When we think in the cross as a damnation, as the way criminals were executed during the Roman Empire and about what it represented for the prestige of a family that one of its members may die in such a way, we ask:Why Jesus? Why is he suspended between heaven and earth surrounded by two criminals of the worse kind. the old question arisen by Pontius Pilate come to our minds as well:
"Why? What crime has he committed?"(Matt. 27:23)
We find the answer in the way the Risen Lord spoke to the Emmaus road wakers: "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?" Luke: 24:26 (King james)
The Standard Spanish version of the Bible ( Reina Valera version) says in the same passage:
"Wasn't it neccessary that the Christ suffered these things and then, to enter into his glory?"
In his interview with Nicodemus jesus made this statement:
"and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted too"
(John 3:14)
Jesus' attonement is clearly pictured in prophetic bible passages like psalm 22,
Isaiah 1:6, 53: 1-6, Zech. 13:6, and many more.
It was neccesary that the seed of the woman bruise the serpent on its head and be made sin for us to the extend that the Father seemed to forsake him while he was hanging on the " Old rugged cross" and all it was to save us. Not in vain the gospel of John makes this statement:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever that believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life"
OUR HISPANIC MINISTRY ACTIVITIES NEWS:
Every first Sunday of the month we have a special communion service followed by having some fellowship sharing a lunch together.
Celebrating communion at the chapel on Sunday morning
The breaking of the bread on Sunday morning at the chapel of First presbyterian church in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
THE STORY OF CESAR:
Let me share with you a story about things that currently happens in the life of immigrant people. These are realities that are in the background of people coming from far away lands. Their stories could help you to understand how important is what we do. Here we go:
Horacio is a faithful member of our congregation in Fort Dodge. he just came one Sunday morning seeking to meet with me because he was really interested in being part of the congregation. He never has failed a Sunday service since that time on unless something happen to him like when he was in bed with a bad flu.Horacio Shares with his relatives and friends about god's love, some of them make scorn out of him but he doesn't mind that because he have the gift of powerful words when he speaks to them. Everybody knows him in town because is the only one riding to work out of town on a bycicle during the winter.He is always inviting people to come to the church and one day as he was going to work at the yonkers where he is a welder, he found Cesar sleeping under a bridge covered with newspapers. He found that he was from Guatemala and that rescently he had crossed the border and came into Fort Dodge. Horacio invited him to live in his appartment and found him something to work on. after that, he brought Cesar to church where he has been really faithful. The story in Cesar's background is really sad.
He was a soldier of Guatemala army fighting against guerrilla and drug organizations in the jungle. He became a veteran of war and after being honorably discharged he went back home because there had been a long time without seeing his parents brothers and sister who lived together at the "Caserío" (Caserio is a place where homes of brothers and sister are around parents home) Sadly, when cesar came to the place he could not recognize it because a hurricane came and the river stream grew up and literally swept the whole village. All his relatives dissappeared including both parents only two brothers escaped. Suddenly, he realized that he was alone and left behind. But still he had his wife and three kids in other town, so he went to see them, knowing that his life was in danger because he had fought against guerrilla and Drug organizations , he decided to come to the mexican border expecting to cross it and have at least some safety in USA. He crossed it but after being here he Knew that his wife left the children alone at home and runned away with another man and is living somewhere is USA. his brothers found and spoke to her but she wouldn't go back. Now, Cesar's brother are urging him to take revenge of her and the man but he told them. I can not do that because now I am a Christian, I heard the pastor preach about the importance of forgiveness in order to be forgiven and I am not going to do that. They are mad at him now, but Cesar's life is changing here in the Hispanic Church. Please take a look of him witnessing about the Church and his new found faith on this video.
This is Cesar witnessing about how the Hispanic Congregation has helped him in these moments of griefs and sorrows in his life.
Horacio is kind of shy whe he has to speak in public. that's pretty dificult for him. But to speak face to face with a friend about jesus and salvation or to give some good advice is not a problem for him. On this video he is witnessing about the meaning of the Hispanic church in his life.
His story is quite interesting, he is coming from Chiapas, where the Presbyterian Church has large indigenous congregations all over the territory. Some of this congregations may have 600 or more native members. In addition the presbyterian church has organized a coffe farmers cooperative in order to avoid the abuses against them. (You can find information about that cooperative at www.fronteradecristo.org
Horacio was one of this small coffe growers, he had his coffe and cocoa farm where he used to make profit out of it to support his long 16 children family. One day some airplanes started flying over the village and sprayed a milky chemical all over the coffee fields and the whole harvest was burned, they made it over and over. The planes belong to a large company interested in buying these land in a bargain deal. The indian farmer tried to resist the pressures and some of them dared to shoot at the airplanes. They could not longer use the land to plant more coffee because it takes three to five years to develop a profitable coffe plant and in addition the land was severely damaged nor even weed were growing there.
This was a time of trial for the family, there was not food on the table, no money, no hopes because the crops were destroyed by the chemicals and after that a worm plague attacked the remains of the crops and Horacio took the decision to cross the border toward USA to be able to support his 16 children and wife. he came into Fort Dodge and he has been able to support his family working in anything he can find. he will clean your basement, your yard, he will cut in pieces your junky car or pick up soda cans he doesn't mind working hard no matter what it is or the weather conditions. hes a good man and a good Christian.
THE STORY OF NINFA MATUTE:
Ninfa was born and raised in Honduras in Central America. when she was pretty young she had a daughter.She loved her a lot and took care of that baby until she was 15. It was a pretty nice looking girl. tall and slender and a pretty dark long hair worn graciously as Honduran women use to do. Ninfa was proud of her teen daughter.But one day, the man who was her husband then got mad and stabbed to death the gal, something that she as a mother and wife never expected.She was really brokenhearted and scared, and knowing that her life was in danger, she decided to cross the border leaving behind her farm, all her household and business.
She came to USA and inmediately found a lawyer to adjust her migratory status, she had to work hard to save three thousand dollars for a document of pardon from migration office and after that, she applied for a work permission which she got. After ten years working she was able to purchase her own home in Fort Dodge and she is about to finish the process of legal permanent residency for her and her family.
She did not know Christ, but one day, I found her at HYvee store and spoke to her about the gospel and about the church. After that, a friend invited her to come to one of our service.She came and since that time on she has been one of the most outstanding church attenders in the hispanic congregation in Fort Dodge. She is the kind of strong woman to whom everybody in the family respect and pay attention, She can bring to church the whole family including her sons' wives, they will come just because she ordered so.Every sunday she will be sitting on the same place and her family close to her. Wendy her daughter helps every Sunday reading the gospel lesson and Michael, her youngest son helps controlling the multimedia system during the worship, both childs are fully bilingual.She has been an example for her family because she is a hardworking woman who wakes up at 4:oo a.m. everyday to go to work and returns home by 6:00 p.m. She has been able to support her family by herself without any help.She is able to take her jeep and drive hours and hours to places like Chicago and South Carolina to see her daughters.
Watch this video where she is witnessing about being healed in one of our services. and about what Jesus is for her.
Here Ninfa is shown sharing her journey of faith experiences with the congregation on Sunday morning at the chapel in First presbyterian Church in Fort Dodge.
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