Hey everybody,
Like everyone else I am amazed that summer is over and school time is here. Friends, as I look back over the summer I am struck by all the Lord did.
Most recently we were able to provide three fourths of the elementary school's students with all their needed school supplies and backpacks. This event was so special that it made local news and newspapers. The entire city head about the work God is doing in this Colonia!
After the school supply distribution one of the community members said informed the residents of the Colonia that the church La Vina needed help moving dirt and leveling the floor. That night over 30 people showed up and worked for close to four hours moving the dirt, the majority of them are not Christians. The next night the same thing happened and as Felix pushed wheelbarrows full of dirt person after person told him that they were thankful for what the church had done for them and that they wanted to be part of our church. These are not Christians asking to partner with us but rather neighbors of the church. People that are experiencing the love and provision that comes with knowing our Father. We now have a list of over ten people that God has laid on our hearts that we are going to invite to a Bible study and disciple into leaders for the church. These are people that we see are ready to open their hearts to God and have eager hearts to
serve. Please pray for this small group. Pray for their protection. In addition to the Bible study we will be starting a weekly children's bilingual Bible class that will be along with a food kitchen. We still have lots of things to work out but now that the school supply distribution is done we are focusing our energy on the adult and children's Bible studies.
I also want to give God glory for his provision and protection throughout the summer. There were times that disaster was laid out in front of us but God protected us. The Lord provided a great 4th grade teaching position that will provide for our needs. The best is He has blessed many relationships so that throughout the Colonia we are recognized by all. People also come to our house and ask for help and prayer.
I cannot even begin to express to you the blessing that all your prayers have been to us this summer. Now I ask with complete confidence that you pray daily through the fall over the following prayer requests:
Guidance and wisdom as we plan for upcoming events.
That the Fathers words would be spoken to each person that comes seeking prayer.
For Cloth diapers and plastic underwear for families who cannot afford diapers.
Pray for provision for our family. I do have a job but will not get paid until the 25th of Sept. We need $350 in order to keep food on the table and gas in the car (So I can get to work) until that first paycheck comes.
Felix put together a short four minute slideshow of some of the events we did this summer. Its link is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i6-vntl9Kc
please check it out and let me know your thoughts.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Update
For about a week now I have been thinking of what all I want to write to you all, but I have forgotten what the last news was that I sent. If I over lap a little you will have to forgive me.
In the beginning of July we had a group come that helped run a vacation bible school. It was a huge success and has left the mothers and children involved excited for our upcoming events. We have made a short video of some pictures from our events that we have done and will be sending it to you soon. In the video there are several pictures of the children praying. Children's prayers are so powerful. The time we spent (invested) in prayer with these children was my favorite.
After the VBS we got ready to head down to Mexico city to help with several other vacation bible schools. The night before we were to leave the transmission in the van went out. A week later we went down to Mexico city and there did a vacation bible school in a neighborhood where there is no Christian church within a 30 minute car ride. It was really powerful. It was a special experience for Felix and I too becasue we long for a church to be planted close to his family. This church is still a half hour away from them though. But we are moving closer. It blows my mind that Mexico city is the largest city in the world but yet has so few christian churches. People live on top of each other it is so populated but there are few christ preaching churches. It breaks my heart. yet I know that God is building my family's muscles up so that we will be prepared to return.
The day before we were to return the car blew a fuse and blew about 10 of them. We took the car to five different mechanics none of which could find the short that was causing the problem. Almost a week later, a mechanic inserted a new cable that rerouted the electricity so it could not blow the fuse. We loaded the car and started to drive home. An hour down the road our car stopped right in front of a mechanic shop. The mechanic there showed us that the car did in fact have a short. The short was in fact in the gas pump itself and by connecting the cable directly to the gas pump and not going by the fuse our car had become a bomb that would have exploded (or at least caught on fire) once the gas got below half a tank. The mechanic's remark was that someone wanted us dead and someone was keeping us alive. We know who both of those are. Praise God that he is victorious and kept my family safe.
With the car problems I missed the first week of interviews in Edinburg, Texas. Many of the positions have been filled please continue for God's provision for my family.
This week we begin preparations for our english class/bible study and movie group. Please pray for God's direction and for us to make the right connections with people in the colonia.
We have also moved into a house and are no longer living in a classroom. That is very exciting and a huge blessing. I will be posting pictures of it later.
I think of you all often and thank God for the prayer support you have given us. I know so many of you prayed for our protection and God truly did save us from a terrible accident. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS. I love to read your responses to my letter and hear news of your families.
Blessings,
Soriano's
In the beginning of July we had a group come that helped run a vacation bible school. It was a huge success and has left the mothers and children involved excited for our upcoming events. We have made a short video of some pictures from our events that we have done and will be sending it to you soon. In the video there are several pictures of the children praying. Children's prayers are so powerful. The time we spent (invested) in prayer with these children was my favorite.
After the VBS we got ready to head down to Mexico city to help with several other vacation bible schools. The night before we were to leave the transmission in the van went out. A week later we went down to Mexico city and there did a vacation bible school in a neighborhood where there is no Christian church within a 30 minute car ride. It was really powerful. It was a special experience for Felix and I too becasue we long for a church to be planted close to his family. This church is still a half hour away from them though. But we are moving closer. It blows my mind that Mexico city is the largest city in the world but yet has so few christian churches. People live on top of each other it is so populated but there are few christ preaching churches. It breaks my heart. yet I know that God is building my family's muscles up so that we will be prepared to return.
The day before we were to return the car blew a fuse and blew about 10 of them. We took the car to five different mechanics none of which could find the short that was causing the problem. Almost a week later, a mechanic inserted a new cable that rerouted the electricity so it could not blow the fuse. We loaded the car and started to drive home. An hour down the road our car stopped right in front of a mechanic shop. The mechanic there showed us that the car did in fact have a short. The short was in fact in the gas pump itself and by connecting the cable directly to the gas pump and not going by the fuse our car had become a bomb that would have exploded (or at least caught on fire) once the gas got below half a tank. The mechanic's remark was that someone wanted us dead and someone was keeping us alive. We know who both of those are. Praise God that he is victorious and kept my family safe.
With the car problems I missed the first week of interviews in Edinburg, Texas. Many of the positions have been filled please continue for God's provision for my family.
This week we begin preparations for our english class/bible study and movie group. Please pray for God's direction and for us to make the right connections with people in the colonia.
We have also moved into a house and are no longer living in a classroom. That is very exciting and a huge blessing. I will be posting pictures of it later.
I think of you all often and thank God for the prayer support you have given us. I know so many of you prayed for our protection and God truly did save us from a terrible accident. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS. I love to read your responses to my letter and hear news of your families.
Blessings,
Soriano's
Soriano family update
Thank you all so much for the letters that you sent back to me. It is so awesome to know that you are there praying for our family. We have really felt the Lord move these last few weeks.
As many of you are aware Felix applied to Rio Grande Bible Institute for August admission. This is something we believe that he needs to do but we have been praying all along for God’s timing. We were work really hard to get all of his papers in but an issue came up with Felix’s medical exam. He failed two of the basic tests which then required more test and pushed everything back. There was also a problem with the papers we had about his high school. All of that made us miss the deadlines with the embassy. I was surprised by the way the seminary responded. The admissions director and his assistant both seemed to really take to us and told me that they were going to hold everything for January. They seemed to be as excited as Felix and I about him attending the school.
At first we were a little disappointed but now have peace that everything is happening in God’s timing. I am really excited though that this means we will be able to dive more into the mission here. Besides Felix can do class with the seminary by correspondence so he will still be moving ahead in his education.
On the 5th we start working with another group and will be busy since it is also the schools registration. We hope to make a lot of new contacts that day and make connections with people’s needs and resources that we have. We are beginning two weekly activities a church service and a family night. I hope to start a bible study the beginning of August for women I have three ladies already that have initiated conversations with me asking if something like that will happen soon. It is amazing to me how aware this neighborhood is of their need for a relationship or a deeper relationship with God.
Please continue to pray for a job for me (Salome), relationship time for Felix and me, and wisdom and guidance while making plans for the church.
I love hearing back from you and thank you so much for investing your prayers in us and partnering in our ministry.
Blessings,
Soriano Family
As many of you are aware Felix applied to Rio Grande Bible Institute for August admission. This is something we believe that he needs to do but we have been praying all along for God’s timing. We were work really hard to get all of his papers in but an issue came up with Felix’s medical exam. He failed two of the basic tests which then required more test and pushed everything back. There was also a problem with the papers we had about his high school. All of that made us miss the deadlines with the embassy. I was surprised by the way the seminary responded. The admissions director and his assistant both seemed to really take to us and told me that they were going to hold everything for January. They seemed to be as excited as Felix and I about him attending the school.
At first we were a little disappointed but now have peace that everything is happening in God’s timing. I am really excited though that this means we will be able to dive more into the mission here. Besides Felix can do class with the seminary by correspondence so he will still be moving ahead in his education.
On the 5th we start working with another group and will be busy since it is also the schools registration. We hope to make a lot of new contacts that day and make connections with people’s needs and resources that we have. We are beginning two weekly activities a church service and a family night. I hope to start a bible study the beginning of August for women I have three ladies already that have initiated conversations with me asking if something like that will happen soon. It is amazing to me how aware this neighborhood is of their need for a relationship or a deeper relationship with God.
Please continue to pray for a job for me (Salome), relationship time for Felix and me, and wisdom and guidance while making plans for the church.
I love hearing back from you and thank you so much for investing your prayers in us and partnering in our ministry.
Blessings,
Soriano Family
Friday, June 19, 2009
Officially completed our first week in Reynosa!!!
Thank you each for the prayers that you have offered up for us. We all arrived safe and are very happy to be together. It has been a real blessing to me to see the girls play with Felix again.
We have officially completed our first week here in Reynosa. A group from Iowa was here with us. With them we did several work, outreach and food projects. There is tons of work to be done here and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Please pray that we would have guidance in where and how to use our time.
On Saturday we held our first church service complete with songs and activities for the kids. Over eighty kids attended the service. We had not done very much promotion about the event but we had over fifty adults in the service. One man came to the front after the service and asked for prayer that God would save him from the struggles in his life. The next night we again had a service in which our attendance doubled! The best part was after the service four people came up for prayer.
Monday we fed about 350 students lunch at the school. The relationship that has been established here with the school has truly been a blessing and has provided us with a direct connection to many families.
In addition to the large outreaches we have done we have also gone through the neighborhood and distributed rice to families. Through theses outreaches we have really seen how desperate and hurt the people are. It is something we already knew but going house to house really refreshes that knowledge.
The other night I was commenting to a neighbor that I have gotten to know about the cockroaches we have in the house. She gave me some good tips on how to minimize their presence. I was taken back more by how self centered I can be than I was by her great advice. We don’t have a lot of cockroaches but every house and family here does. I still want the cockroaches here to die but it has helped me remember what my neighbors’ houses are like.
Please pray for:
The right words to say when talking with our neighbors.
That Salome would find a job.
Guidance in where and how to use our time.
Health for our family
Cooler temperatures J
Thank you so much for your time and prayers.
Salome, Felix, Adirah and Astrid
We have officially completed our first week here in Reynosa. A group from Iowa was here with us. With them we did several work, outreach and food projects. There is tons of work to be done here and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Please pray that we would have guidance in where and how to use our time.
On Saturday we held our first church service complete with songs and activities for the kids. Over eighty kids attended the service. We had not done very much promotion about the event but we had over fifty adults in the service. One man came to the front after the service and asked for prayer that God would save him from the struggles in his life. The next night we again had a service in which our attendance doubled! The best part was after the service four people came up for prayer.
Monday we fed about 350 students lunch at the school. The relationship that has been established here with the school has truly been a blessing and has provided us with a direct connection to many families.
In addition to the large outreaches we have done we have also gone through the neighborhood and distributed rice to families. Through theses outreaches we have really seen how desperate and hurt the people are. It is something we already knew but going house to house really refreshes that knowledge.
The other night I was commenting to a neighbor that I have gotten to know about the cockroaches we have in the house. She gave me some good tips on how to minimize their presence. I was taken back more by how self centered I can be than I was by her great advice. We don’t have a lot of cockroaches but every house and family here does. I still want the cockroaches here to die but it has helped me remember what my neighbors’ houses are like.
Please pray for:
The right words to say when talking with our neighbors.
That Salome would find a job.
Guidance in where and how to use our time.
Health for our family
Cooler temperatures J
Thank you so much for your time and prayers.
Salome, Felix, Adirah and Astrid
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