By Joe Widick
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Greetings to all of you in the name of Jesus our Lord. Words are not enough to express how grateful we are with the heavenly Father. He has been so good during this year 2010 that is almost to finish. Great experiences not all of them were good but all of them taught us lots of good lessons. Wonderful year! We will remember many things of this year forever!!
Now let me tell you what have been happening lately at the church.
Our VBS
We had our VBS during this month. It was a wonderful time with the kids of the congregations, and was a wonderful opportunity to share with other children from the neighborhood, as well. We had an attendance of about 20 kids every day. They had time for singing, listening Bible stories about Jesus’ Birth. They were working on some manual works. The days of our VBS were since 13th to 17th. We thank all of our teachers and the people who made this activity possible.
Nothing can be more rewarding than see our children learn about our Savior and how merciful He has been to all of us. They were so happy during this time and were very grateful with our God for sending His only belong son to the earth for our salvation.
Last Ladies Meeting of 2010
Gisela has been working hard during this year with the ladies ministry. They meet twice every month and every Tuesday morning some them are meeting together to pray and read the Scripture.
This time they decided to make their last meeting of this year to say good bye to this year which was a very good year for the ladies of the Church since, they have been able to increase the attendance to this classes. And this was the first year for some of our sister of the Church being leaders of this ministry. They did a great job planning all year of activities and the classes, the topics, seminars and many other things.
The ladies were sharing a meal at Estela’s house, one of our sisters who share her house to meet with the ladies. They had a wonderful time, singing, talking about the Bible and many, many other things. Making plans for next year and encouraging each other to keep on in this very special ministry.
National Youth Meeting
We are ready for the National Youth Meeting! We have been working really hard all this year long to get ready this special event, and now we are ready. We are just getting really some last things, details, and all the logistic of the activity.
Sadly, we will not have the attendance we were expecting, this due to the rains at the country. It suppose to be the dry season here in Colombia, but the climatic change have affected this area and now it is raining everywhere at the country. It has caused that many roads destroyed being closed. It has made that people were not willing to travel freely from one part to another. So, many of the guys that were making plans to come decided not to travel since it could be risky for all of them. But even though we still have a very good number of people that are coming. Let’s see what happened. We know that this activity will be such a great blessing to all the attendance. Please, continue praying for this event.
Our Elders
After a time of praying and searching, the church finally agrees with the appointing of Elders in our congregation. We have been working since the very begging of this mission under this vision, that we could have our own elders for this congregation. And finally this dream is almost to become true. At the beginning we had three candidates to become elders but after a careful seeking we decided to appoint two of these candidates.
These are, brother Alfonso Guevara and brother Ahilton Hoyos. We really believe these brothers will do a good job as elders. The congregation has recognized them as very faithful members, mature and wise men. The congregation supports their leadership, commitment and love to the church. They have been with us since the very begging of this mission and they have been witnesses of the process of this work and the challenges we have had to face. They have always been willing to support the missioners in every matter.
Please be praying for them and their families as they continue in the process to become elders. The date we have to do the appointing ceremony is on March 06th. We are expecting that some of you could come and be with us sharing this very important step for our congregation.
Our Family
We are so glad for our family since we have been doing very well. Every day we are growing in all aspects of our lives.
Raquel (our oldest daughter) just finished her pre-school this year. Next year she will go to the Elementary School for her first grade. She did a great job this year at school and we are so proud of her.
She was selected by the teachers, among her class mates to read a paper in front of the attendance to the grade ceremony. And she did a great job. She sang at the choir at the school you can see her at the head of the line in one of the pictures.
Now she is ready to start a new stage of her education next year in a new school. But now she will go with her little sister Sara, since Sara is going to start her education next year, also.
We would like to wish you a very, very Merry Christmas and that the next year that is coming, comes with lots of blessing for all of you. We send a big hug to all of you and pray for you daily. Thank you for let us being part of your lives and that you are part of ours, too. We love you so much. Take care.
In Him,
Marvin Tercero and Family
By Joe Widick
November 4,
I was in Cerro Grande Urbanization with Brother Cesar Velasquez having home meeting with Roque’s family and suddenly I received a phone call from El Salvador telling me that my cousin Juana Toledo was in the hospital. I traveled next day to El Salvador to see her and came back in November 8.
Thanks God she is doing very well and thanks to your prayers, she at home now recovering her health.
Baptism
Veronica Roque took the decision to be baptized to receive forgiveness of God. She is one of the ladies form Cerro Grande Urbanization.
Guanacaste Church of Christ’s Anniversary,
November 28,
We were celebrating our 32th anniversary that the Church was established in B° Guanacaste. This day we had an especial lung together given thanks to God for all these years that he has blessed us as a Church.
My Work,
I preach once in a month by the morning and two by the afternoons.
Brother Cesar and I visit and evangelize during the week and we have two reunions in the week as a church: Wednesdays: Bibles study and Fridays: prayers.
Saturday s: we are evangelizing La Colonia Modesto Rodas, we have some Bible studies there and we pray to have fruits of this work.
Youth Group,
We had an especial night with different youth groups from Tegucigalpa at Baxter Institute in November 26, 27 we started at 8:00 pm and we finished at 5:00am it was a very especial time and were so happy because we meet new people and learned more about God’s word! Sorry that I do not have pictures of this activity, next report I will send them because there is girls who took pictures I will ask her this favor.
November was a busy month but very blessed by God like every day! Please pray for the New Year and our plans as a Church that God bless everything what we do to glorify his name.
Thank you very much for you love and care about us.
In Jesus,
Ricardo, Ericka and Andres Guerra
By Joe Widick
When one keeps their eyes open, one is exposed to a variety of things that reminds one of what really matters. On Friday, during our annual trip to Honduras, we had traveled for miles, by bus, outside the city of Tegucigalpa and I once again found myself getting tired of seeing the impoverished living conditions of so many. I grow weary thinking that surely they could take more pride and do a little bit better. Reality always returns and I say to myself, I don’t live here, I don’t know what it is like to grow up not knowing who
my father was, and I don’t wonder where my next meal will come from. I have never experienced physical and sexual abuse. I don’t know what it is like to be beaten down from the time you are old enough to walk.
On this Friday, our destination was a children’s home, “Casa de Esperanza.” It is always the children that touch me the most. I played a little pick-up game of soccer—didn’t last long because the kids ran circles around me. One little girl with pony tails came to my rescue and wanted me to push her on the swings. She showed me how she could ride a bicycle. It was a good time. I wonder what brought her to this place so many miles from anything. Was it hunger, or poverty, or abuse or… Our time there ended and we boarded the bus to go back to our nice hotel and enjoyed a delicious meal. The trip back like the trip there, was filled with visions of poverty, hurt, and anxiety.
As we traveled through the mountainous region, clouds began to form and the rain fell. It was not heavy, just enough to get the streets wet, not enough to cleanse the city. As we got into the city of Tegucigalpa, someone on the bus said “Look!!” There to our right amidst all the poverty and the ugliness, was the most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen. It came plunging out of the clouds that were at the tops of the mountains and reached downward. It seemed to be so close, that you could reach out and touch it. There, for a brief moment, was a sign of God’s promise. God had been so disappointed with the wickedness of the world, that he destroyed it by flood. You know the story well! As the story ends, he sets a rainbow in the sky making a promise to the people that he would not destroy the earth by flood again. The rainbow I saw that day was a vivid reminder that God is going to keep his promises. One day all the little sweet and innocent children who have experienced so much pain and suffering in life, will be blessed to be with God forever and ever. I don’t know about you, but I want to be a part of that promise.
By Joe Widick
November report
Good morning brothers and sisters.
How are you?
The blessing of the powerful God be with you always.
The year 2010 almost ends and for me just has been a year to learn more, the church in Ramon Amaya in Tegucigalpa is in his phase of normal development. In November we had little less the assistance, about 45 adults and 80 children.
The previous months I was visiting the parents of the children of the church but now I want to dedicate big time to the leading brothers, search the time adapted to study with them, almost always in the nights I visit his houses, with these personal studies I wait for some of them start preaching some day.
The group of the children is going well, the children’s teachers do a good work, the teachers are young girls from this church. Here there is strong Christian person, they help a lot.
I try to teach to read and write two neighbors, kelvin of 26 and Angel of 32 years, they learn slowly.
On Tuesdays and Thursday in meeting with the church we are studying the bible book by book, this congregation is fortifying every day more.
Please pray for:
1. For the safety in this neighborhood, in this month it has improved, there is safety but many persons have died between them two policemen.
2. For my neighbor friend David, he is 5 years old, he is disabled and does not have papers of identity, his father and the governments of Honduras have left it, his mother is a young woman without education. I expect to find help for him promptly because it is very thin.
Thank you for your prayers and for your economic support for my mission here in Honduras.
God blesses you.
Samuel
By Joe Widick
Report of October
Dear brothers and sisters.
The peace of God be with you always. My desire is that you are prospered in everything what you do.
The church in Ramon Amaya Amador is going well, thanks to God, the sisters are very active in the work with the children, in the visitation to the brotherhood and the sick’s. The brothers and the teenagers every day are better in the direction of the worship on Sunday.
The worship every time is better, the songs sound well and the church learns new songs often
At this moment I have a student that I teach to read and write to him, he is 29 years old, he never enter to the school. Like him there is several persons in this neighborhood but they do not want to learn, I have visited them in his houses but it has been no possible.
Please I ask for your prayers for two teenagers girl with pregnancy, one of 13 years and other one of 17, the 13-year-old girl lost the baby last week, is something sad because they do not listen to advice of anybody, I have visited them to work at their restoration and Council. They do not want to return to the church.
Thank God this country of Honduras is going towards the peace, the police already there do not throb the people who is against the government. Now the army visits many places with medicine and food. The people of Honduras are afraid to the police and to the army because they suppress anyone that objects to the government and his politics.
Thank you brothers for your economic help for the mission in Honduras.
Blessings
Samuel
By Joe Widick
Dears sisters and brothers
greeting from Honduras.
This last weekend we had a good service of adoration in the congregation of RAA, 122 children and about 60 adults. Some brothers and brothers that it was absent have returned. It is agreeable to work with these people of this place, they are very friendly. They motivate me without saying word.
I have finished the course of introduction of the Bible, the examination was difficult to know how they are of knowledge, the sister Elizabeth Moran obtained 100 per cent, answered the examination perfectly, but they all know better the bible now, when they speak I listen to them that they have a Biblical improved language. I have taught them that every Christian one must know the bible, the books with his divisions and several verses.
The motivation anyone that is always works in the church, the work with the teenagers and with children is the reason for which the church is going well in these moments. For example the work of the teachers with the children, the work of the sisters who cook for the children, this helps to the integration and growth.
In September I was present at the juvenile meeting in Baxter Institute. 16 or 18 teenagers of the congregation of Ramon Amaya were with me. Our group took part in all the activities, being the best in soccer sport, it was also an activity of integration and of spiritual growth.
One Saturday I travelled to Catacamas in north east of Tegucigalpa to give a lessons in the Biblical School. It was a good invitation, this school has rural pupils and students who are leaders of several churches of this zone.
Thank you brothers and sisters for your prayers. Please continue praying for the mission in RAA.
Samuel diaz
By Joe Widick
Dears brothers and sisters in the faith.
The God’s peace be with you all.
This august was a lot good. I am doing well thanks God, the church in growing little more, more children are coming.
This month in Tegucigalpa there is violence between the government and the opposition there is many hurt in the streets, the majority of they are teachers and students. Also the winter has struck this city and many have lost the houses. Thank God in our community Ramon Amaya Amador everything is doing well, here the rain has been small. as you know this country lives in a great moral and material disorder and The persons do weak houses in already vulnerable zones.
This month we have improved a bit more the lunch of the children on Sunday, we have learned to use better the money, also it is one more tool to promote the brotherhood between the sisters who cook.
I wait in a few months the brothers and sisters of here in Ramon Amaya learn enough bible, every Tuesday we assembled ourselves to learn singings and to have devocional, every Thursday we have study of the Bible, prompt I will be doing contest with them, I wait for all learn the books of the bible and 7 verses more known about the bible, these brothers belong a bit different from brothers of other communities of Honduras. Eventually we have worship in houses.
Every Sunday in the evening I have been visiting a special mission, it is a program with indigent persons, homeless, between the paupers there are children, young people and adults, all with problems with drugs. This mission is directed by a sister of the USA, I visit this mission because it is possible they needs help, the meeting is Sunday at 4 a.m. pm, after the worship they also they get a plate with food, almost always I help to serve the food. I feel good this month.
God bless you and thank for your prayers and support economic that hepl my here.
samuel
By Joe Widick
Dear brothers and dear sisters
How are you?
the God’s peace be with you always. The church in Ramon Amaya Amador send greetings to you.
Thanks to God in July the church has been working at different areas.
The assistance is about 60 children adult 50, sometimes more sometimes less.
The meetings in house and the visits between brothers have improved the communication between the members.
We have tried to do meetings with the teenagers here but it has not been possible, they are busy with activities of his school. But they come on Sunday to the worship.
We have lunch for the children on Sunday, the brother Rikky Boby de Goergia is helping with money to buy food, also it is an activity of integration for the sisters who cook.
This July we had the dental brigade of the church in kentuky, they brought many gifts for the children of this neighborhood. They were employed at construction of a house and at repairs of the building of the church.
The brother Marvin Rivera has returned to the congregation, now there is no major danger for him here, he was threatened last year. I believe his return it is going to improve the work in all the areas in the congregation.
My desire is to form strong leaders to direct the local church and later to go to help elsewhere in Honduras.
My last two students of ABC have moved back, they do not have time now, probably after a few months let’s return to the classes, they even do not learn to read and write well. They are of 27 and 30 years.
I ask yours prayers for this mission. Thanks for yours economic contribution that makes possible my work here.
Blessings
By Joe Widick
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
One more time, I am glad that I can send you may report of work here with Guanacaste Church of Christ and I pray that this report finds you all doing well for the mercy of God.
ACTIVITIES
July 02-03
Seminar for leaders
This day we had a seminar for preachers called ¨How to grow a High Impact Church¨ from walk thru the Bible, it is a very good skill and we learned a lot about it. The expositor was Chip Ingram.
This seminar we saw it through video and the attendance was about 18 preaches from Tegucigalpa.
July 6,
Family time
This day Ericka, Andres and Ericka’s Mother went to Valley of Angels to have good time and thanks God we did. Andres was so happy to be free to play foot ball, he really enjoyed a lot and so we did. God blessed our lives that day.
Baptisms
July 11,
A young man called José Sosa of about 26 years old took the decision to gives his life to Jesus through the baptism this day, church was so happy to see this new conversion and also in heaven was happiness for José. He had few months to be assisting to church and today was the day for the glory of God. Brother Cesar preached him the gospel.
Evangelism
Every Saturday we have a program of evangelism, we invite Brothers and Sister to join us to this work and we have about two month to be visiting the same place called ¨Modesto Rodas¨ people there is receptive and we already started with Biblical Courses we hope to have fruit of this work.
Baxter’s students come every Saturdays to be part of this work. Onay Gonzalez from Cuba (single) and Donaldo Enamorado from Honduras (married). Thanks God we have a special group of work.
Church meeting
Wednesdays
We have Biblical Study and I have been teaching this month about THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT and we had an attendance of about 12 Brothers and Sisters some Wednesdays are more.
Fridays
We have prayers and songs and a little meditation of the Word of God, I give a meditation one time in a month.
Sundays
I preach one time every month on Sundays morning and we have a main topic for every month for example this month we preached about: THE MEMBERSHIP OF POWER and I talked about the importance to be part of the Body of Christ. The attendance has been about 80 adults and about 60 children
Church’s plans
Reconstruction
As a church we want to reconstruct our building with more capacity and this is going to take about 7 years to be done but first we are getting money of different ways: every family we have made a commitment to give an amount of money every month, fill money boxes, the ones that youth group made them, through sales of food and also through donations from churches or people who wants to be part of this project. We ask for your prayers that we can see our dream come true.
Establish the Church of Christ in Talanga City
This month we have been talking about this possibility and thanks God we have received his answer and we are going to start in August first God. There is a Brother from United States that wants to support a preacher to go Talanga (this city has a little more than 25,000 population, in my next report I will be detailing a little more) the name of the preacher is Jairo Quiroz from Nicaragua, he will start in August and the idea is that Brother Cesar will be helping him one week and the next week I will be helping him.
Talanga is about 52 km2 and we are going to be staying there one week for month starting in August, will be a nice experience so I ask you to pray about it. Ericka and Andres will stay at home while I am there.
Y
Youth Group
Thanks God we are growing in number and also the friendship is getting better, now they have learned to have confidence each other it is beautiful see the youth group working together. We are very excited with many activities. We have one activity out of the building for month and they love it and also we are working selling food one Sunday for month to collect money for the building.
Now we have two groups: Youth group and Teenagers group
I am working with youth group and Elena Perez is working with teenagers group but I am supervising the two groups and is a happiness for me because thanks God we are doing for a good way. I ask for your prayers for them because they are in a difficult age.
Home meeting
We are working every Thursday in Cerro Grande Zona 8 we evangelize there to 5 families and in the house of Gregorio Ochoa we have the home meeting since 7pm-8:30 pm they are very happy and we pray that they are going to be our Brethren in Christ soon. Are a big family
It is very exciting for me to see how much you can work for the Lord here. It is possible too that I go to preach to La Torre, Valle it is about 4 hours by bus from Tegucigalpa, we are just thinking to do it to support the church there. This would be at least one Sunday for month.
Pray for:
The Church in Guanacaste
This month many Brethren including Ericka got sick of different illness (dengue, diabetes and others) but God has been faithful.
The Church’s building
The new Church in Talanga
For me and my family
For Honduras (Dengue Hemorrhagic and violence)
One more time we are very thankful with you for your love and support we ask God to bless you in a very special way to all of you.
God bless Maple Hill Church of Christ!
In Jesus, Ricardo Guerra
By Joe Widick
Dear Brethren,
It is always a joy to report you our work here in Guanacaste Church of Christ and also Talanga’s new work. I hope and pray that when you receive this report all of you are doing very well enjoying the rich blessing of God.
Work System
• We are evangelizing through Biblical courses and for the glory of God we are having very good results.
• Home meetings
• Visiting house to house and thanks God many people has opened their doors to receive the word of God.
• We are giving a seminary for leadership
• Regular meetings with elders and deacons to analyze the work with the purpose to improve more.
August 1
By the morning we had Sunday worship, were very special because God was there with us. We had an attendance of about 120 people and thanks God we have new visits every Sunday not all of them stay with us but there is a good group who stayed.
By the afternoon, we still are giving a seminary called ¨How to grow a High impact Church¨ through video, we are learning very good strategies to grow as a Church. We are giving this seminary every Saturday and Sunday to two different groups and we finish last month God’s willing.
August 4
I started a new Bible Study with the Church and the topic was ¨Practical life in Christ¨ thanks God we had a good attendance and it was very participative, I used power point presentations and it was better for all of us.
August 17-21
Talanga City
I traveled to Talanga to work along with Brother Jairo Quiroz for one week and we evangelized the place and made many contacts to study the Bible and we used the same system through Biblical courses and we pray and trust that very soon the Church of Christ will be planted there. You can see a video in the internet about Talanga. The video is titled: Iglesia de Cristo en Talanga in that way you can have a better idea about the new work there.
August 22
Youth Group after the Worship, we went to eat to pizza hut, we really had very good time together, I am happy because now they feel part of the group and support the activities that we are doing. As I told you we are in two groups now: teenagers group and youth group but we work together for the activities. Elena Perez (Brother Noé Perez’s daughter) is in leading teenagers and I am with youth group and we think that it is a very good job.
August 25
Irma Petrona Medina took the decision to be baptized that day after the Bible study, thanks God she is our Sister in Christ and we pray that more people come to Jesus. Pray for her spiritual grows. She is about 38 years old.
August 27-29
Brother Cesar Velasquez and I, went to Trujillo, Colon to have a meeting about the legal status of the Church of Christ in Honduras, it was a long trip but very blessed. Trujillo is about 12 hours from Tegucigalpa. We spend very nice time with other preachers.
We still are evangelizing the Modesto Rodas every Saturday and we always invite to the Brothers and Sisters to join us in this work and some of them had join us. We have many contacts here and we pray that God will call people from here to Church. Please pray for this work.
We pray for all of you every day and we also ask the same for you, pray for us!
Have a great day and God bless you all!
In Jesus,
Ricardo and family
