Wednesday, January 31, 2007
[2:33 PM]
Colossians 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the LORD, so walk ye in Him:
Good Morning Everybody,
Let's start out with a "T" town update. Please pray for Noe, our missionary down there. He is getting pretty discouraged. We went yesterday to look for some property where we can build a church and tried to encourage him. You know that when you try to do something for God - the Devil will throw any obstacle he can in front of you, and for Noe it's no different. He's still pressing forward, but please really remember him in prayer this week.
Last week we told you we were going to try to crash a Bible study and we did. We talked to the teachers after the study was over. They told us that they've been teaching a "works" salvation among many other incorrect things dealing with the trinity, eternal security and baptism. We used this as an opportunity to re-teach last Wednesday and the response seemed very encouraging. However, one person, who has been hosting the studies has apparently (according to what we were told last night) invited them to come back and show a movie this week. We are going to have to deal with this so please, please pray for God's direction and wisdom. Please pray for Margarita, the hostess, that God will reveal the Truth to her in no uncertain terms. She has been saved and baptized, and it's very discouraging that she could fall for this pack of lies that the devil has sent her way.
In good news, those of you who have been praying for Oralia and Cuko can be assured that God is working mightily in their lives. Cuko is also drug-free now and has started coming to church this past week. They come to our house at least once a week to visit and share their struggles. One of the worst things for them is that even though they don't buy drugs, people are trying to give them to them freely now. The area they live in is full of drugs, alcohol, gangs and violence. This has been very trying for them. But God is so awesome, He has given them a home, not far from us, but a respectable distance from their old neighborhood. The plan is for them to move into their new home tomorrow. Praise the Lord for His goodness. This does not mean that you can stop praying for them though. Their new house needs windows and some other repairs, and we spent some time at the hospital last night with Oralia due to stomach pains.
We will be making our desert run this next week, visiting a lot of different ranchos throughout the Northern desert area of our state. We will be dropping off material, cassettes, having impromptu church services and just trying to encourage the people. Normally, however, we're the ones that end up being the most encouraged by these precious saints. Most often, there's one person or family in the entire rancho who are faithful Christians. Take a moment and imagine how you would feel if you were the sole Christian in your town. They have a very difficult life. Please remember us and them, that God would prepare all of our hearts as we plan this trip.
The Benedicts
Co-Laborers in Christ,
Mexico Division
< * >
. . . . .
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
[10:56 AM]
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children;
Good Morning Everybody,
We had a new record attendance of eighty-seven people last Wednesday night. We had to scrounge around to find enough chairs to give everyone a place to sit down. This included thirty-four first time visitors which was pretty exciting. We made sure that the plan of salvation was clearly presented and we are trusting God to make the seed grow.
Of course, whenever the church is growing, Satan gets mad and makes his presence known. There is, apparently, a cult that is trying to start "Bible studies" with some of our people. We heard hints for about a month now that someone was going around offering the people money for visiting. It seems that they've gotten into the home of one of our "not-so-faithful" people and have gotten a toe-hold from which they're trying to get others involved also. If we can, tonight we're going to go crash the Bible study. If not, it's something we will be addressing at church tomorrow. Please pray fervently for us that God will get a hold of these few and open their eyes to the truth about these deceivers.
In other good news, Oralia has been drug free for nine days now! She's really coming along it seems, but of course, Satan is trying to destroy her marriage now. He'll do anything to distract them from the love of God. Don't quit praying for them, please.
For about six months, we've been praying for a man named Margarito. He's the father of Carolina and he needs to be saved. Yesterday we stopped in at their house and he was reading his Bible. That opened the door for us and we were able to talk to him for about an hour during which time we were able to present the Gospel. His biggest obstacle is that he wants to earn his salvation by good works. He knows a lot about the Bible, which made it easier. He's been disillusioned by organized religion and is very wary of any kind of church. Please pray that God will open his eyes and his heart to the Truth, and that he will accept Jesus soon.
We just got off the phone with Brother Paul, who's in Oklahoma right now. He and his wife have been working with us for the past six months or so. He fell last week and broke his ankle pretty badly. Yesterday he had surgery, and they put in a plate with eight screws. He's not sure when he'll be coming back yet because of this. Please pray for his speedy recovery and speedy return to the work here. They're a HUGE asset.
We are currently planning, re-planning, and revising (it's a continuous process) our next planned trip to the states in February. This is going to be a little bit longer of a trip as we will be checking in with some of our churches. It's always hard to leave, but this is God's work and He is more than able to take care of it while we're away. Please pray for us to have wisdom as we try to plan our schedule according to His will.
Thanks again to all of you faithful prayer warriors and supporters. We know that God will bless you.
The Benedicts
Co-Laborers in Christ,
Mexico Division
< * >
. . . . .
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
[9:50 AM]
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at His coming. Good Morning Everyone, Let's start out by saying "thank you" for praying for the little baby named Laura (brain surgery) last week. She left our house Saturday afternoon to return to her own home, and is doing wonderfully. She's was talking and playing and just being a normal little girl. On top of that, she, her mom, grandma with other relatives and neighbors were all in church this last weekend. Speaking of church this last week, we had our new portion of the building packed full Wednesday and Saturday both! Wednesday night we had nine first time visitors come, not including Brother Alejandro and the group he brought from the children's home. Brother Alejandro spoke and brought a great message. Seven people raised their hand for salvation including (are you ready for this?) Maria Antonia's mother. This is the lady who had forbidden her daughter to come back to church last month because she got baptized. If you'll remember, we asked you to pray for Maria Antonia in an update last month. Praise the Lord! The whole family now has made a profession of faith. God is good. In other exciting news, we want to thank New Harmony Baptist Church for the new lap-top they sent us. It's already being prepared for use in our services. This is going to save us a lot of time and money as we won't have to be making so many copies of the lessons any more. We'd like to ask you to pray for a woman named Chole. She's been saved for a little while, got baptized last October, and is trying to grow in Christ. But of course, Satan is fighting that. Her husband, Ruben, has a drug problem and went on a binge last week which resulted in her and her two boys getting thrown out of the house. She's very discouraged. Please pray for that whole family: Chole, Ruben, Oscar, Juanito, and the grandfather as well. We want to update you with some encouraging news. We asked you to pray for a lady named Oralia who has been using drugs. She and her husband both were saved back in the early 90's but have been in a back-slidden state for a few years. We had the opportunity to go to their house and visit with her and her husband Sunday afternoon. She was ready to give up on God again, it seemed. She gave us tons of excuses why she hadn't been in church, to which we listened. We explained to her her that God wasn't interested in excuses, that she was making a decision that she wanted to make. We told her that it seemed like she was just trying to run from God again. That seemed to finally break through. Then yesterday, she and her husband came over to our house for dinner and she told us that since Sunday she hasn't used any drugs. Continue to pray for her and her husband Cuco. They both need to break away completely from the drugs and get involved in church. Please continue to pray for us and the ministry here. Amazing things happen when God's people talk to Him, and it's been incredible to be on this end seeing the fruit from your earnest prayers. Thanks! The Benedicts Co-Laborers in Christ, Mexico Division
< * >
. . . . .
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
[9:11 AM]
Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with you, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Merry Christmas Everybody, Let's jump right in and talk about "T" town today. The people have struggled so much in this area trying to get a work started and the local priest has worked hard to make it difficult. It has been as big as four families recently, but because of the pressure, the last couple of weeks the attendance has been very low. A man named Noe (Noah) from Zacatecas, felt the call to be a missionary so he's been living in "T" town for the past two weeks or so. He's been able to start two Bible studies with brand-new families as well as doing home Bible studies for one of the ladies who has been forbidden to come back to the church by her family. Not only her, but her husband and her children have been participating in the studies as well. Monday we had the opportunity to go down and show the "Jesus" movie there in "T" town. The local Christian leader and his wife, along with Noe had prepared a special treat called banuelos and a special hot drink called canela, because it's pretty chilly there in the evening. We were hoping and praying for people to show up, and boy did they! We had over eighty people come, watch the movie, eat and drink with us and stay for a gospel presentation. Thanks to the group that came down from Kentucky, they gave away over one-hundred thirty Christmas presents. Each present had a tract and a portion from the Vatican II statement that reads that they are supposed to accept the separated ones and not persecute them. Hopefully this will calm their fears as well as slow the priest down. Please continue to pray for this area of "T" town. This past week we had seven first time visitors come to the mission. Sunday there were five from a rancho about forty-five minutes away. All Christians, they asked if there was any way possible that we could start bringing them to church or help them start a new work in their rancho. Please pray with us that God will open doors and show us how we can help them. We had an encouraging moment this week also that we'd like to share with you. Lucia has been saved for about six months and she started coming to the mission about two months ago. She said, "I really enjoy the Bible studies here at the mission. I've been going to church and have had a Bible for a long time, but since I've started coming to the mission, I have been reading my Bible every day. Just a little bit every day, but some. Thanks!" What a blessing. She brings somebody new just about every service. Oh, that all Christians everywhere would have this desire. We want to say a very Merry Christmas to all and make sure that you're not like the inn keepers in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago. Have a place for Jesus! The Benedicts Co-Laborers in Christ, Mexico Division
< * >
. . . . .
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
[8:58 AM]
Proverbs 16:20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. Hello Everybody, Praise the Lord, we made it safely to and from the border one more time. There we met a group from Kentucky who brought down thirty-six pews and lots of Christmas gifts for the kids in the different works here. There were a few issues at the border and it took a lot longer than expected to get them here, but everything made it. Thanks to all of you for praying for us. The group from Kentucky was able to spend a day in "T" town, the area with so much opposition right now. There they were able to meet with the believers as well as talk with a few of the locals outside of the church. Israel, the local Christian leader, was very encouraged by their visit. We want to thank them for all of their extraordinary effort in getting here and participating in this endeavor. We want to take this opportunity to pass on a few more prayer requests to you. Maria Antonia, one of the girls in our mission, has been told she cannot come to church any more because of her decision to follow Christ. She has a little sister, Luz, who also can't come anymore. Then, there's another lady in our mission, Elisa, who has been unable to attend because of persecution in her home. While this is sad, we know that persecution brings strength and spiritual growth. All the same, it's not fun when you're the one in the middle of it. Please pray fervently for these people. On a brighter note, the spirit amongst the church people is just incredible. We're getting ready for Christmas, and that includes our mission here. The mission has decided to adopt three families for Christmas. This means gathering food and presents for these people. It's an outreach plan, none of these people are currently attending, but they need help. It is so cool to see the people stepping up to reach out to their community. We have news of three huge blessings to pass on. First, someone is giving money to purchase much needed Bibles for the ministry here. Next, a special offering was taken to help purchase food for the hungry in our area. Please pray that we'll have wisdom in the distribution and that needs will be met. Also, in the blessing column, a church in Georgia has purchased a lap-top computer for us. We are so thankful for the generosity of God's people and the willingness to give to His work. For all of the regular monthly supporters, as well as those who send as the Spirit leads, we are so very grateful. And last, but certainly not least, the support from all of you prayer warriors as well. We can't do it on our own, and God has chosen each and every one of you to be a part of the team. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, for your faithfulness! The Benedicts Co-Laborers in Christ, Mexico Division
< * >
. . . . .
Friday, December 01, 2006
[6:15 PM]
I Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Hello Everyone,
We made it back from the United States safe and sound. It was a good trip. We did have a few problems at the border, nothing too serious. Thanks for your prayers.
We need to take a few moments and thank some people. First of all, Tannehill Valley Baptist Church of Alabama. They gathered a bunch of food items, as well as many Christmas gifts for us to bring back. Also, thanks to Voncille Haney of Florida, who gathered up blankets to send down here. We also would like to thank St. Augustine Road Baptist Church of Florida for their unbelievable spirit of fellowship, as well as the love offering that they received for us.
We had a great time in the states and, thanks to Brother Paul and Brother Jim, church services went on as normal here at the mission. We praise the Lord that there are men who will step in when the need arises. Also thanks to Drew Collins, Brother Jim's son, who taught the kids classes while we were gone.
We came back to bad news from one of our missions. The local priest has really stepped up the persecution of the believers there. He excommunicated the believers from the church, and when that didn't stop them from coming, he threatened to excommunicate their family members. The family pressure is unimaginable, and many of them have stopped coming. One lady in particular wants to come, but her husband has forbid her. Please really bathe this area in prayer. We have a group coming down this weekend that will be working exclusively in that area, and we have a Mexican man, Noe (Noah), who will be moving down there for a couple of months in the very near future as a missionary. We're not going to write the name of this place because in the past people pulling up internet searches of that particular town have come across information of the believers and have tried to cause them problems. We'll just call it "T" town.
Please keep Steve and Jim in your prayers this weekend as they will again be traveling to the border. The group that's coming down to work in "T" town is also bringing Christmas gifts, pews, chairs, tables, etc., with them. Please pray that God will make the path clear to bring everything across without any opposition or delay, and that the trip will be uneventful.
The Benedicts
Co-Laborers in Christ,
Mexico Division
< * >
. . . . .
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
[12:07 PM]
Psalm 30:1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
Hello Everybody,
Sorry we didn't get an update out last week, but we were a little busy. We want to thank Southside Baptist Church from Mississippi, for coming down and helping us pass out Gospels and Bible study invitations right here in Jerez. We knocked on 3,690 doors in four days and have over two-hundred fifty people to follow up with. We've already seen fruit for our labor with some new visitors at church this weekend from that area of town. Looking at it on the map, we hit around thirty percent of the homes here in Jerez. God is good!
We told you we were getting ready to have a "harvest fiesta" in one of the mission works that we participate in. It was a huge success with many new visitors. We took the trampoline, a blow up bounce around, and some games and had a great time. What was really interesting was we decided to cut the play-time a little shorter than what we had originally planned for them and start our "church" service. As soon as the song service started, the local priest was on the loud speaker calling people for a special mass. But the people were inside and couldn't hear him with all the music going on. The special mass was called to get people away from the "separated ones". God's timing was impeccable as always. Last Thursday, at the normal Bible study, there were three new people that came to participate. Praise the Lord!
For all of you who were praying for our church space, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! We moved in to the new building a week ago Saturday. We have chairs set up to accommodate over sixty people in the "sanctuary" and two extra rooms now for the kid's classes. It is so good to have the extra space. Now the fun part comes of filling this one to capacity on a weekly basis. God is able!
One of our ladies in church did her part to start filling up the new Church addition. Baby Esteban (Steve) Misael Olvera was born November2. He was released the following day be needed to return to be put under lights for a couple of days due to a high biliruben count. Nothing serious, and now Mom and baby re doing excellent. God blesses!
Of course with all of the excitement, Jacob had to get into the act too. He was skateboarding Sunday evening, attempting to perfect a new trick when he crashed. We got to spend the night at the hospital and he came home Monday with a leg broken in three places. He says, "At least I broke it doing something really cool, and not just from tripping in the street!" He's been in pretty good spirits after they did the reduction. He has a full leg cast and is enjoying the added attention. Please pray that everything heals up fine. God heals!
We will be heading to the states for the Thanksgiving holiday. Please remember to pray for our traveling safety. We will be returning with a trailer load of stuff, please pray for our protection in crossing the border.
The Benedicts
Co-Laborers in Christ,
Mexico Division
< * >
. . . . .
|
