Agape Mission Coastal Ministry: The finished Children's Palapa

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The finished Children's Palapa

The San Agustin beach Children's Palapa is now ready to be used for our children's feeding and activity center which will be initiated this coming Wednesday. It is exciting to be able to just love on the kids and show them Jesus love.

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Beginnigs of our Beach Ministry

In 2002 I moved our mission headquarters from Oaxaca City to Huatulco. It was closer to Lachiguiri.

That year we planned a youth rally on the beach, for the teens living in Lachiguiri. Mike Hendricks brought a group of indigenous natives from Canada to minister.

We camped on the beach using the large patio palapa of the "Tres Hermanos" restaurant owned by Hilda and Temo for this event. We set up tents to sleep in under their palapa. They graciously allowed us to do our own cooking. There wasn't an active church at this time in this beach community. Most of the 300 families here earn their living by fishing and catering to tourist.

Hilda and her family watched and listened each day to the teachings for the youth. Hilda and I spent a lot of time talking and before the camp was over she accepted Jesus as her Savior.

Later, she kept asking me if we could start a church there in San Agustin. I met with her occasionally and gave her and others Bibles. They so desired a place of worship so started listening to a false teacher who started coming to the beach. I knew I had to do something right away.

I talked with Armando Gutierrez, a minister friend and after conferring with his pastor, we commissioned him as the pastor for this new mission. He and I would go out every Wednesday night as that was the only free time the people could leave their tourist trade to attend.
Over the next couple years the mission began to grow. Then when he and his wife decided to move back to Mexico City we interviewed a couple of prospective pastors and God chose Damian Cruz as pastor of the mission.

Our coastal ministry now includes three mission churches and the Pochutla Prison ministry.