We are busy, busy, busy growing His Kingdom! We are so blessed to finally be here for our year term and are excited about the days to come. Here's a basic rundown of our week.
First, ENGAGE MINISTRIES. This program was created by Steve & Amy Shoop, missionaries from the US. It was started about 4 years ago & is designed for college students to experience life in another culture & get their feet wet in missions. Right now there are 10 girls, 1 guy, 1 student leader, and 7 full-time missionaries (including us). Two of our current students are from Mexico and the others are all from the States. These students come & take classes while working in a variety of different ministries. Our role is multi-faceted. We have chosen a few ministries to be a part of, & are also getting ready to launch a few new things as well. We are also working closely with the students (Angie with the girls & Matt with the guy), helping them in their personal development as they serve & seek to grow closer to God. We have had a busy past few weeks, especially since Steve & Amy are in the US for the next 3 months.
Here are some of the ministries Engage is involved with:
CUCEA - This is a local university. Angela, one of the full-time missionaries in charge of this area, leads our students & the Mexican students in campus fellowship. This ministry continues to grow. Right now, the students at CUCEA are led through a couple Bible studies a week, special prayer meetings, & relationship with fellow students. Our Engage students help to lead the Bible studies & prayer times, but mostly spend time in building relationships with the Mexican students.
YOUTH CENTER - This started just a couple weeks before we arrived. Andy & Chelsea, another full-time missionary couple, have a passion for youth & recognized the need for a place for the youth. Every Tuesday & Friday night, youth are welcome to join us for games, worship, & a short sermon. On average, there are about 50 kids/youth who come into the youth center throughout the week, & it is truly changing lives. The hope is to plant a church with these same families & get a strong church presence in the area.
UTEG/COLLI - These are two separate locations where our Engage students & staff help teach people English. UTEG is a nearby university & El Colli is a nearby town. El Colli is an especially poor area & English is vital to their success. Many kids attend as well as their families to learn as much English as they can.
BOYS' HOME - There is a nearby Boys' Home for boys who have rough family situations. These boys are not orphans, but live in risky family situations. The ministry is run by local Mexicans. We visit them once a week to help support the ministry by playing with the kids & spending time with them.
EL COLLI KIDS MINISTRY - Every Saturday we run two kids ministries in El Colli. They are about 2 blocks apart from each other, but each location reaches anywhere from 30-70 kids each weekend. We have a short program with a Bible story, memory verse, games, and songs. The kids also enjoy playing & making crafts with our Engage students. This is one of the most awesome experiences each week. It is such a joy to give these poor families hope in Jesus.
Along with these ministries, the Engage students take Spanish & college courses, are involved in 4-5 churches in this area, & also participate in local activities. Engage has a strong presence in the area & these students are changing lives! We have been involved in many of these ministries & are getting ready to start a couple more. We hope to get a kids program started for the kids who come to the youth center. The service time right now is only for the older kids. Our vision is to also create a children's program for the many children that already come to the youth center. And we will also be starting training sessions for our Engage students. These times will help provide them with more resources in their ministry areas, allowing them to be more effective.
We are truly enjoying our time here. It has been hard not being near family & friends, but we know that God has called us & we know that He is present where we cannot be. Thank you for your prayers and support in all of this! We couldn't do this without you!
-- Matt & Angie --
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2 years ago
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