Dear praying friends,
We have a few prayer requests. Would take time to pray for our ministry?
1. I remember two kids, a brother and a sister, in the Kid's Club out in Frente Popular (our Tuesday club) about six years ago looking at each other with a decided nod that, yes, they were going to ask Jesus to come into their hearts. Omar has continued helping out every once-in-a-while at that Kid's Club and continues to attend the youth group with Danny Giles. Their mom has come to each of the Christmas outreach programs over the years and is a good friend of the lady I write about below in the third prayer request. Their dad had gone to a Kid's Club/Feeding center about 25 years ago that was run by our dear friend who attends our church, Lois Raser. His newborn granddaughter was the one you were all praying for recently, who was in danger of having her leg amputated. Well, this past Sunday marked the fourth in a row that the WHOLE family (6 of them) has worshiped with us at church! So we're pretty excited and want to share the encouragement of that news with you, our faithful fellow-workers in prayer.
2. What does a pat on the hand mean? Well, not so terribly much, UNLESS the one who patted your hand is the woman who previously hated you and from whom you are divorced and whom you haven't seen for over three years but now after having your car break down in front of a Spanish-speaking church in the United States which you then started to attend and where you repented of your sins and came to Christ and then after seeing the movie "Fireproof" in Spanish and feeling like God wanted you to go back to your town in Mexico (where there is very little work) and try to win the one who hates you back and to try to restore your family which consists of three little boys and a two-year-old girl who was born to your ex-wife in an illicit relationship while you were gone and you've been trying for almost two months now with very little success except for the fact that you just started doing the 40-day "Love Dare" and are now about two weeks into it. THEN the fact that your ex-wife patted you on the hand, after the two of you came separately to church and were chatting afterwards . . . THEN that pat on the hand is a very, very, very encouraging development! Yes, this is little Samuel's daddy and mommy. A huge thank you to all of you who have perservered in prayer for this couple. Please keep praying that God would help Sammy's dad to win the trust and love of his wife again. If he does I think I'm gonna write a letter to the folks who made "Fireproof" and tell them about it:)
3. Another couple of kids that you have prayed for are the Jehovah's Witnesses, Diana and Betsy. They attended the English class for kids that Barb taught for several years. Their parents and older brother also attended the English class for adults. Praying, racking my brain and my heart for a long time to figure out a way to bring up some discussion with them without causing a defensive argument about six months ago I finally decided to go over and have a few of the Sunday school lessons copied there each week, hoping that the "temptation" would be too great for them and that they would read them. Well, last week, Marta, the mom, finally asked if she could ask me a question . . . and we spent the next half hour discussing the Bible. That was a huge breakthrough! Not that she's anywhere near seeing the lie she and her precious family have bought into but at least we have a line of communication open and for that we praise the Lord.
4. Last fall someone who lived here in Jerez died and left money in their will for our church here in Jerez. After months of waiting and some confusion I think we got to the bottom of several of the issues that were holding up the disbursement of the gift. Unfortunately, the executor of the will is having trouble accepting some of the terms of the will, which in that person's defense, were somewhat confusing. But now the issues are clear, the executor has received everything they are likely going to receive and has the ability to pass on to the church here the gift that was left. Would you please pray with us for the executor and the people who are giving that person advice, that God will put it in their heart to do the right thing and give them the assurance and peace that they need in order to do it?
Thank you so much for your work in prayer with us, storming the gates of hell and tearing down strongholds on our knees.
In Christ,
Todd and Barb Schierkolk
