Coyul December 2012 Family Cruade

  This last week Agape Missions put on a Family Life Crusade in El Coyul Huamelula, Oaxaca, Mexico. This was held in front of the Town Palacio where we also have our church services. This town has a notoriety for the seamier side of life. They are tired of the hopelessness of their lives. God laid it on Pastor Damian's heart to reach out to these people. He knew many of them from his own past life. These same people offered to help prepare the two "fatted calves" to feed all who attended. Mexican Bar-B-Que beef. Yummy They served over 500 meals over the two days. The presidente of the town, Ramirez Aramando Robles, introduced Damian and welcomed his team for the evening. There was a time of Worship, the children all joined in and sang and danced to a song that Damian's son Gonzales taught them. Then Gonzales sang three Christian Rap songs that he wrote and the teenagers loved the music. Two of our team members shared on the value of the family and Pastor Damian closed with a message of hope for their lives and an invitation to allow God to come live in their hearts and give them real peace in their lives. In the two nights 35 people came forward in front of their neighbors to dedicate their lives to Christ. That alone was a major step for them. Each one was given a Bible. The team will be there for these people as they meet twice a week to lead them in their new walk for God. Our mission started here three months ago. Damian asked me to thank all who prayed for this event and for the continued support for this work. He wishes all of you Blessings as we celebrate the Birth of God's son and that you have a blessed New Year.

Baptismal at San Jeronimo, Oaxaca

My Internet is down and I have to go into town and work from the library. So today I will just send out a video that Pastor Damian's son made which is great. I know it is in Spanish but watching will let you know what went on.

Coastal Missions Growing

It is way past time to get an update out to my friends. So much has happened both for me and the mission.

First, I am doing well. Not having to use the cane and have been using my granddaughter’s treadmill. Slowly for sure but I am progressing. Have contacted my travel agent as I hope to make a short trip down ‘Mexico way’ as soon as we can find a sale price on a flight! There are a lot of new taxes for these flights. My doctor has given an OK for a short trip. Yeah. Will be doing some Video Filming for a Big Party I want to have with you invited. Yes you! Will keep you all posted on this! Would love to have a volunteer cameraman to help with the camera work to join me.

Meanwhile----

Lachiguiri- Garett and his family have been in the states meeting with their family and supporters. They raise their own funds just like we do. They will be returning soon after the first of the month. They hope to upgrade my house in Lachiguiri so they can move closer to the pastors for our Bible Conferences and also to work with these pastors there. More on this later! I plan to visit Lachiguiri when I go down. Don’t have an update on Pastor Israel but do continue to pray for him. We haven’t been able to send down money yet to start his dialysis because my bank no longer has the information on his acount.

Coastal ministry from Huatulco- Pastor Damian’s family went on vacation so they had no way to send photos. Damien’s son Chalo is the computer person. But during this time, Damian and four of his assistant pastors have started two new missions. Wow they are doing well. We were able to send down some money to purchase some chairs for these new missions. Hoping for some complete Bibles and not just New Testaments for those who don’t have Bibles.

We now have six full time assistants pastoring these missions. Pastor Damian hopes to start classes for eight more young people who desire to become pastors and fill the needs for pastoring these missions. Plus Damian hopes to start more missions especially in areas where there are no evangelical churches mainly because it is so hard with the bad roads that are almost impossible to get to. One of Damian’s assistants studied under Garett when he was director in Baja California and he told me he is an excellent teacher. It is great having Victor on board working with us.

Pastor Damian did write that he is really very happy that the kingdom of God continues to expand even more in the remote mountain area. They have two and three services going at the same time. Our mountain missions in San Jeronimo and in Santiago Xanica and one on the Coast. The roads there are exceptionally bad because of heavy rains from the last hurricane on the East Coast of Mexico in the Gulf. It isn’t very far across the Isthmus so we do get rains all the way to the West Coast.

--Which brings up the Seawall at our San Agustin beach mission. They haven’t been able to get the materials we have already purchased to the site so do be praying that the rains stop soon. They hope to get this completed very soon and already have permission from the town Presidente. A team with our pastors and some of the local members hope to get this finished up this coming week.

Also the team spent time earlier this week to harvest a large crop of corn they planted on some of our mission property in San Agustin to help cover some of the expenses for the mission.

We did get one photo of one of the young men in the San Jeronimo mission who now has a guitar and is learning to play so he can work for the LORD.

There is also a baptismal scheduled for early in September and over 20 have said they want to be baptized. Usually a meal is served for all attending. The plan is this will be held at the San Agustin beach.

I want to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support and the extra offerings to help cover for the Sea Wall.  Think it all has been covered but we will know more on Monday.

Hurricane Carlotte

Damian’s “Nehemiah Project”

Earlier this month of June hurricane “Carlotta” paid a visit to the coast of Oaxaca and left some critical damage to the San Agustín Church Palapa Church.  The full force of this Pacific storm washed away some of the foundation of the shelter and restroom building, and has left some unstable ground for us to address now.  Damian talked with me just today and we decided this is their most urgent need: to construct a retaining wall of cement and boulders to re-secure the boundary of the palapa as soon as possible, before any more erosion occurs. The Church members are working on a plan, but as a limited income group, they could use our help to hire a bulldozer and get the cement work done.  All gifts designated for Damian’s “Nehemiah Project” will go for this urgent need. 

It is a beautiful day outside here in the mountains of Colorado. I have been visiting my daughter and her husband, as I decide whether when my house sells in Arizona to make my Stateside home here. My health is up and down right now. This is why my daughter wants me closer to family where they can check on me daily.

My heart is still in Mexico and our mission outreaches there. But it is exciting to see the local Mexican pastors and leaders move forward in winning souls for Christ. I have been getting reports of the outreach with the recent children's fiestas they have had in our coastal areas. One Children’s fiesta was in San Agustin on the beach. They said this was the best since we started them several years ago. Then they have had two more in the mountain areas. Some of the Funds promised to cover these have not as yet been sent down. Please pray that somehow this will be resolved. I know it was sent but somehow hasn't arrived. Damian had to sell our Volkswagen Bug to cover this cost. They also cancelled the fiesta in Copalita for now.

One of our highest values in the vision of Agape Mission Projects is to highlight and invest in the ministries of Indigenous Christian workers, like Israel, Pastor Nely and Pastor Damian. I would like to introduce you to a friend of Agape for many years, Noe Torres. Agape’s president, Mike Hendricks came to know Noe in 2004 working with evangelism in Sinaloa. Noe is Mixteco, raised in the way of his people in northwest Oaxaca, and went to work at 10 years of age with his 8 brothers in the tomato fields of Culiacán. He is now a graduate from the Bethany Bible Institute in Tamazulapan, and has been growing in ministry vision and involvement. We are so blessed to see his example of determination and work, and we would like to help Noe establish his own ministry support. He has mostly supported himself with odd jobs, taking months away from ministry. He has shared his story of transformation in Christ in the Philippines twice with Mike. Noe is visiting friends in Canada until August and needs to apply to renew his visa as either a Religious Worker or Short Term Migrant Laborer. It's our hope to help him establish enough personal support to continue in ministry. If you would like to help Noe, we at Agape strongly affirm his integrity and history of faithful service in evangelism and Bible teaching.

Thanks to all of you who believe in this ministry of Agape Missions and who have continued to give even with my now spending more time here in the states.

~Sheri Burk

Workshops and Conferences

So  much to do today before I head down to the valley. This weekend I will be  attending a workshop so I can be certified to teach Precept upon Precept Bible studies. They have Spanish material I can then obtain so I can train leaders in  our Mexico ministry. I have been using this method for my personal Bible  Study  for many years.

   But  also today Pastor Damian, along with 7 vehicles loaded, are heading up the  mountain (over three hour drive) to San  Jeronimo for a filled day of conferences. 
   Rosa his wife will oversee the women’s conferences and Pastor Damian will have a men’s conference also. I sent Agape mission money  down to help with the expenses of gasoline for the vehicles and to help on the  food they will serve.

San Jeronimo is one of our newer missions where over 90% of the people are new  believers. They need good biblical teaching. This mission is about 7 months old  and running around 50 people each week.

They  are having services every Thursday on the patio of one of the believers. Pray  it won’t rain today. The rainy season has started and as of now they only have  tarps to keep them dry. We need to put up a laminated roof like we have in some  of our other missions to keep them dry. We need to do this right away as they  have already entered the rainy season. Since this is at the home of a family  they will also build this so it can be disassembled and set up in another  location as needed.

   Earlier  this month Damian’s son and his music team were invited to Mitla, Oaxaca where  there is a Christian radio station called the Zapoteca station. They were  celebrating their first year with this station. While there Chalo and his group  recorded a couple of songs they composed and were able to sell them. They even  were asked for their autographs.  They  then accepted invitations to sing in a couple of churches in Oaxaca City before  returning to the coast. They give God all the glory!!!

        Garett  Jackson contacted me to let us know that Pastor Israel is doing so much better and  starting to gain a little weight. His kidneys were working at only 40%. Continue to pray for his complete healing.

I just thank God because with all our growth for the Lord and with expenses for  the mission and our vehicles rising God has been supplying miraculously.   Sometimes the money comes in at the 12^th hour but HE is always  faithful to meet the need. Thanks to many of you who have listened when God  laid it on your heart to give.

    Do  continue to pray for my energy level. I feel I am doing soooo much better but God seems to want me to go slowly (not my nature LOL).

I  love you all. Blessings!!

Sheri

Moth Balls??

   My hands smell like moth balls. Went to the valley last week and the car didn't sound quite right. Discovered pack rats had gotten under the hood and chewed all my wiring. Plus punctured a hole in the axle. The rats supposedly don't like the smell of moth balls... I waited at the Deer Valley Airport while my car was "in surgery". Four hours. So hope the moth balls keep them far awayyy. 
   I guess this is the time for looking at our mission vehicles. The Ford 4X4 pick-up is 18 years old and has a long list of needed repairs. My Jeep Cherokee is in worse shape. Both of these vehicles each have well over 200,000 miles and have traversed heavily rutted rocky trails in the mountains. Even our little Volkswagen bug, affectionately known as "the Cuckaracha" had failed brakes. We paid only $300 dollars for the "Bug" so I felt we should take care of the repairs. BUT... the other two vehicles, I don't think we should put any more money into either of them. They are at the age when you just get one thing fixed and something else goes out. 
   Just spoke again with Pastor Damian. He took the pick-up to Goodyear where he can charge the work for a month. He said they had to have this vehicle. He just got the minimum work done on the truck. Our cost is $150.00. (oops was informed it was $350 dollars for all they had to do) Here are the photos of them working on the truck.  

Here is a email from Pastor Damian: Hello brothers, I send these photos of the mission Ford.

 what happened is that we broke down (and right now they are working on the "baleros". We have no resources 

to pay for this repair. You know that with the mission vehicles we have always been very careful but this time it just gave out on us.  Dear brothers if your heart is grateful to support this we would be very grateful  as this vehicle is very useful to us for missions around here in Huatulco. Attn: damian cruz, God bless you much.

   We have four teams going in different directions every day to two or more missions each day. It is time to start praying for replacements for these two old worn workhorses. Even I am in better shape than they are, and that is saying a lot.
   Daily I have been getting wonderful reports as to what is going on in the various missions. Chalo, Pastor Damian's son and a friend has been blessed in composing some new songs. They now have an invitation to sing at an event in Oaxaca City yet this month. Rosa, Damian's wife each month has a conference for the women of the coastal churches and they had a great turnout at Una Esperanza last Sunday with Pastor Solomon, from another church in Huatulco, who was the keynote speaker. Both Rosa and Pastor Damian are needing more complete Bibles for their Bible studies. Rosa told me that the next conference will be in one of the remote villages, San Jeronimo.
  As you can see we need wisdom as to our next step. Prayer is the KEY to what we need to do at this time. Please be in prayer with us!!