3 Week of Mission, families reconciled, healings in the park and more salvations!

In this last week of mission we have seen an excess of 14 people coming to the Lord, mainly at their homes. A woman and her mother gave their lives to Christ at a visit we had at their home. When we entered we were not really welcome but we were determined to show them the love of God. The situation was this: her husband had left her and their five year-old son. As we ministered the gospel to them we felt both women opening up, until finally they were delighted to confess Christ as Lord and Saviour. We then proceeded to pray for their needs and the reconciliation of that broken home. I felt in my Spirit to say this: “God bringing your husband back this week and has humbled his heart.” Two days later at a cell group at an army barracks I was introduced to a man called Jaime. I could barely believe my eyes. There he was… the man who left his home, now explaining with trembling and frankness: “I want my life changed.” So I replied to him: “with God it is possible!” and he was born again that night. On Sunday he came to the celebration, having a new light in him, also bringing his wife and son. The family had been reconciled and we witnessed the beautiful sight of the Jaime and his wife hugging for a long time, weeping and rejoicing before the Lord.

On Saturday morning I took some youth out to evangelise in the park. 5 students came to Christ despite professing to be atheists and humanists. God healed one young lady from a severe kidney pain that was so severe she could barely sit up straight. In Jesus name the pain was gone! The lady who was the most reluctant to receive the Lord initially wept for joy as she gave her life to Christ.

I thank God for His extravagant love that He is pouring out on us. Thank you Jesus, our Soul Winner!

Last week we began revisiting all the homes where people had given their lives to Christ in our first visits. The purpose of this second visit was to affirm their faith and open the way for the pastors and teachers who will help turn believers into disciples of Christ.

Please join us in prayer for the following:

-       Favour this week to enter into all the households we visited in the first two weeks.

-       More workers to reap and gather the harvest.

-       Financial support for us and the new workers.

May God bless you and let you experience also the joy we have as we encounter His glory in the people we minister to. I pray this in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Sam and Mario

Two Weeks of Mission!

44 people have given their lives to Christ, mostly at their own homes! Thank you Jesus for your mercy and grace enabling us to give glory to Your name. Thank you Jesus for empowering us to do your work effectively, which is our offering to You!

Many homes were visited and not even once we were rejected. All the people we ministered to believed and received Christ as Lord and Saviour. They also truly encouraged us to come back to visit them again. With the help of the local church we have been able to do so. We're now in a good position to open up new home groups out of new believers. We've seen wonderful miracles, families restored and people delivered from numerous addictions.

Our heart is to continue to train up evangelists to reach out at the homes, and pastors and teachers to follow up and consolidate the new believers' faith in Christ.

Without your prayers and support we would not have been able to come so far. We are now in need of more prayer and financial support for the work to continue. Samantha and I ask you to join us financially in this move of God. Please emails us at mario@gospelaction.org if you are considering supporting us and would like more details.

Every blessing,

Mario and Sam

7 people came to the Lord in two different homes!

Today we went to two different homes. I traveled with my friend Pepe and met with two friends (Amada and her daughter Teresa). We later went to visit a home where the mother in that household had given her life to Christ on Monday. There we ministered to her daughter and she also confessed Jesus Christ as Lord for the first time in her life. We also prayed that God would supply all their needs according to his Riches in Glory in Christ Jesus!! The mother in that household told us that her husband had left her and moved out. We prayed on Monday for their reconciliation. Today she said that yesterday her husband had come to her and told her: "please pray for me, I want to change!" Another instant answer to prayer! We all interpreted that God had started the work in this man's life and that He's going to finish the work with him in Christ!

Next, we visited an internet cafe. We entered and ministered to the whole family living & working there together with a friend behind the counter (please see the picture). They all came to the Lord, 6 in total. We gave them some words of encouragement and direction from the Lord. In the picture there are also three of our co-workers. Can you guess who they are?

12/5/9 blog

Hola everyone! Since last Tuesday May 5th we’ve seen wonderful things done in the name of Jesus Christ. So far, in three days of reaching out at the homes of people who didn’t know Jesus, 26 have come to the Lord. Of those 26 people, all have wholeheartedly asked those of us who live in the same areas as the new believers to come back. For instance, yesterday, we revisited a house we had last Monday when two people dramatically gave their lives to Christ. At this home (see the picture) six of them (the two on the far left and the one taking the picture are co-workers) gave their lives to Christ. We’ll return next week to minister to the family and, God willing, continue leading family members to a relationship with God! (Matthew 13:33, the Parable of the Leaven). 

Also this week Samantha ministered to the women of the church about things that can steal their joy, I heard by various people that it was a very emotional time and four people also came to Christ! She described to people how living in the past or the future (or both!), living only for other people's happiness, being led by circumstances (e.g. Hab 3:17), feeling condemned (Col 2:14; Rom 10:4 & 1 Cor 10:31), doing dead works (e.g. Gal 3:1-5; Rom 14:23) and not spending enough time with God (e.g. Acts 17:25; Rev 3:17-18) can all steal your joy, but joy gives strength (Neh 8:10), enabling you to fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12) and draw from the wells of salvation (Is 12:2-3).

On Saturday I ministered to the youth, it was a very powerful time. There were only expecting up to 20 youth but 55 came. These were made up of people from teens to mid twenties. Also several people from two different congregations visited including the pastor of another church who wants to collaborate in all the Saturday outreaches and youth meetings. We're very excited about this!

On Sunday I preached at Vida Abundante. We had a good turnout, especially considering the governor has advised all public meetings cease until the potential threat of swine flu has been neutralised. I preached from Hebrews 12:1-2. It's part I of a two session teaching entitled "it's urgent!". The preaching will soon be on audio for Spanish people.

Yesterday we ministered in two homes and it was great! 6 people came to Christ and we will return to that house to minister to them next week.

The harvest of souls here in Chiapas is huge. We are not special but have made ourselves available for God to use us. Two things I ask you to pray for. 

- Workers

- Resources for everyone to do the work they're doing already

God bless you!

First day of mission! Primer dia de mision!

After a great week of fellowship with our friends Joshua and Kelly Steeper from Canada, it was time to get down to business! Yesterday we conducted our first day mission in one of the areas where there is already a house group set up. We worked with two friends from Vida Abundante, the church here in Tuxtla. Their names are Javier (worship leader) and Oscar (house group leader). We also went out with a sister who lives in the area called Amada ('Beloved' in English). She was responsible for making appointments so that we could visit people at their homes. Four appointments were made. We could only visit two houses due to a lack of time but the people we couldn't see came to the house group later that night. At the first home we met a lady called Les and another called Rosie. They both gave their lives to Christ. It was a very emotional time. They both wept as we told them of the love of God and prayed for them. Amada knows them so she and another sister will be visiting them this week. They were both encouraged to come to the house group in their area and join us at the Sunday celebration. We later went to another place also in the same area of a young woman called Reina ('Queen' in English). She had admitted to Amada previously that she had seen the "santa muerte" (the key figure in a Mexican cult) so we felt that she would need deliverance in Jesus name. We shared the Gospel with her and she received the Lord with great joy. I then asked her to renounce this cult and get rid of any items connected with it, which she did. I asked her to look at this little golden statue while I asked the statue to say something or move, but nothing happened. Reina understood that our Lord is the real thing: the living God! Both Amada and the other brothers in the area will be visiting the new converts this week so that we do not only have believers of Christ but disciples of Christ!

I had been asked to share a word at the house group and although we were a little bit late, we all arrived at the same time. The hosts were a family who already know the Lord. There were about 16 people including children. I shared on the love of God as the key to family life. I then felt the Holy Spirit wanted us to pray for healing and that He also wanted me to teach people how to do so in faith. It was a very emotional time as people presented their requests before God. A man with a fractured shinbone got healed and started walking. One lady who was blind in one eye and suffered from sharp pain in the affected area recovered her sight. All these things were done in Jesus name. I encouraged everyone to lay hands on each other and taught them about ministering healing and deliverance in Jesus name. We saw God moving and there was great rejoicing! Afterwards we all ate and made fun of my Spanish accent from Spain. I love them though!!

Today I will be interpreting for Samantha, my beloved wife (her Spanish is very good but for now I may need to do so) as she ministers at the center on worship and movement. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we'll be meeting some friends to plan and improve what we are doing, and pray. Thursday, Friday and Saturday we will also be evangelising other areas of the city.