“Deléitate en Jehovah, y él te concederá los anhelos de tu corazón.” Salmo 37.4

Estimados amigos, estamos muy agradecidos de tener un grupo de amigos, de hermanos que leen nuestras cartas y oran por nosotros, en el ministerio una de las más grandes bendiciones es tener gente que te respalde con sus oraciones y nos sentimos respaldados de tener un grupo de amigos a quien contarles nuestras alegrías y nuestras peticiones. Gracias por dejarse usar por nuestro Padre!

En este boletín tenemos muchas noticias buenas para contar, alabado sea el Señor! Para empezar hemos recibido una ofrenda grande de parte del Club 700 para alimentación, lo que nos ha permitido darle desayuno y almuerzo a los chicos de Nuevos Horizontes y ahora a partir de este semestre les daremos desayuno y almuerzo a las chicas del Instituto, es una bendición grandísima poder mostrar a la gente en la Carpio el amor de Dios a través de un plato de comida. Los chicos de NH estaban súper felices de tener la oportunidad de hacer dos comidas en un mismo día.

Otra buena noticia que tenemos para contar es que Ciro, quien hace unos años fue director de programas en NH ha vuelto para ayudar en el programa de los sábados, él tiene mucho conocimiento y experiencia que nos está ayudando mucho en el desarrollo de las actividades y en planes que tenemos para poder trabajar no sólo con los participantes sino también con los líderes que tenemos, empoderándolos para que hagan mejor su trabajo pero más que eso para que puedan conocer a Dios desde una perspectiva más amplia. Ahora trabajaremos en dos grupos distintos, por un periodo de cerca de cuatro meses, se continuará con el programa de los chicos pero simultáneamente trabajaremos en un programa de discipulado y de las bases de lo que el liderazgo cristiano realmente es. Por favor oren para que sea un tiempo en que tanto los chicos como los líderes puedan conocer mejor a Dios. Alvin estará trabajando en la parte del discipulado de los líderes junto con otros miembros del equipo, oremos que Dios les de las herramientas para mostrar un concepto verdadero de quien es Dios y de cómo deben ser sus hijos.

Otra noticia que quiero contarles es que se hicieron algunos cambios en los ministerios del Refugio Vida, antes la directora estaba a cargo del programa de manualidades, la consejería, los trámites administrativos y el instituto así que era mucho trabajo para una sola persona. Así que hace unas semanas se me pidió ser la nueva directora del Instituto. Quiero abrir mi corazón y contarles que me siento muy feliz, muy agradecida con Dios por la oportunidad y agradecida de haber sido tomada en cuenta para el puesto, tengo muchos sueños con respecto al Instituto Vida y muchos planes. Inicié la carta con el versículo de Salmos 37.4 porque cuando tenía cerca de 3 años decía quiero ser maestra, misionera y psicóloga y el Señor se ha encargado de conceder los deseos de mi corazón y me ha dado aún más de lo que he pedido. Ahora junto a Andrea, la otra misionera que trabaja en el Instituto estamos comenzando a planear muchas cosas, montar una misión, visión, valores, objetivos y comenzar a caminar de una manera ordenada y con propósito para dejar un buen legado a las próximas generaciones de profesores.

Cuando Alvin y yo comenzamos a planear casarnos y pensar en nuestro futuro, decidimos que antes de salir como misioneros fuera de nuestro país queríamos hacer algo aquí, dejar un legado en nuestra tierra y poder ayudar a nuestra gente y el Señor está abriendo las puertas para poder cumplir con ese objetivo. Cuan fiel es nuestro Dios que una vez más cumple los anhelos de nuestro corazón!

Nos llena de gozo saber que hay chicas y chicos pudiendo salir adelante en sus estudios y marcando la diferencia. Les pido que oren por ellos para que puedan generar un cambio en la Carpio y puedan cumplir sus sueños de tener un mejor futuro con mejores oportunidades.

Quisiera pedirles que oren por algunas peticiones:

·         Que Dios me de mucha sabiduría para dirigir el Instituto y me permita rodearme de gente con visión y con pasión para que más chicos y chicas de la Carpio tengan acceso a nuevas oportunidades.

·         Que el proyecto que se iniciará con los líderes de NH los empodere para ser mejores cristianos y como consecuencia mejores líderes.

·         Que Dios  de a los chicos y chicas al Instituto deseos de superarse y de marcar una diferencia en la comunidad.

·         Que Dios provea para un fondo de becas para los y las estudiantes que terminan el noveno año y quieren continuar con el bachillerato.

Nuevamente les queremos agradecer por estar con nosotros, por sus oraciones, sus ofrendas, su preocupación por nosotros y por leer nuestras cartas. Ustedes están en nuestras oraciones.

Les amamos en Cristo,

Alvin y Chio

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Deart friends, we are very thankful to have a group of supporters, of brothers that read our letters and pray for us.  In ministry one of the largest blessings is having people to back you up with their prayers. We feel supported by having such a great group of friends to tell about our joys and prayers. Thanks for letting the Father use us!

In this bulletin we have a lot of good news to share, praise the Lord!  To start off, we have received a large gift on behalf of the 700 Club for food.  This has allowed us to give breakfast and lunch to the boys at New Horizons and now, starting this semester, we will give breakfast and lunch to the girls at the Institute.  This is a huge blessing to show the people of Carpio the love of God through a plate of food. The boys of NH were extremely happy to have the opportunity to make two meals on the same day. 

Another piece of good news that we have is that Ciro, who a few years ago was the program director of NH, has returned to help with the Saturday program.  He has a lot of knowledge and experience that is greatly helping us to develop activities and plans.  Now we are able to work not only with the participants but also with the leaders that we have, empowering them so that they can do their job better but, more than this, so that they can get to know God on a deeper level.  We will work in two different groups for a period of about four months, the boys program will continue but we will work simultaneously on a discipleship program about the foundations of what Christian leadership really is. Please pray that this would be a time in which many of the boys, as leaders, can get to know God better.  Alvin will be working with the discipleship program for the leaders along with other members of the team. We pray that God will give them the tools to show a true concept of who God is and how his children should be.

There have also been some changes in the Life Refuge ministries.  Before, the director was in charge of the craft program, counseling, the administrative processes and the Institute, so that was a lot of work for just one person. This is why, a few weeks ago, they asked me to be the new director of the Institute. I want to open my heart and tell you that I feel very happy, very thankful to God for the opportunity and grateful to have been considered for the position- I have a lot of dreams and plans with respect to the Life Institute.  I began the letter with Psalms 37:4 because when I was about three years old I said that I wanted to be a teacher, missionary, and psychologist and the Lord has given me the desires of my heart and has given me even more than what I have asked for. Now, together with Andrea, the other missionary that works in the Institute, we are beginning to plan many things, setting up a mission, vision, values, objectives and beginning to do things in an orderly manner and with purpose to leave a good legacy to the next generations of teachers.

When Alvin and I began to plan our marriage and think of our future, we decided that before leaving as missionaries to outside of our country, we wanted to do something here, to leave a legacy on our land and to be able to help our people and the Lord is opening the doors to accomplish this objective.  How loyal is our God that once again he fulfills the desires of our heart!

It fills us with joy to know that there are girls and boys that are able to move forward in their studies and make a difference.  I ask you all to pray for them so that they may generate change in Carpio and that they may accomplish their dreams of having a better future with better opportunities.

I would like to ask you to pray for some requests:

·         That God would give me a lot of wisdom to direct the Institute and will let me surround myself with people with a vision and passion so that more boys and girls of Carpio have access to new opportunities

·         That the project that will begin with the leaders at NH will empower them to become better Christians and as a result, better leaders.

·         That God help the boys and girls to the Institute with desires of bettering themselves and making a difference in the community.

·         That God would provide for a scholarship fund for the students that finish 9th grade and want to continue with high school.

·         .

We want to thank you again for being with us, for your prayers, offerings, and concern for us and for reading our letters.  You are all in our prayers.

With love in Christ,

Alvin and Chio

The story of Ceci

Ceci is a 16 year old girl who arrived here from Nicaragua about a year ago.  She was abandoned by her mother and placed in a children’s home, from which she escaped.  She ended up living in the street, where she suffered abuse and where she began using drugs and alcohol.

Ceci arrived here illegally, brought by her father, who she didn’t know.  She began to study in the Institute and surprised us with her intelligence and math skills.  She began to attend the bible study on Wednesdays and a beautiful relationship began between us.  At one point she said that she called us mom and dad because she had never had real parents and now we were like her parents.

At home, some of her relatives tried to abuse her and drugs and alcohol were always on hand, which is why she came to live at the Refuge. During a few weeks in December and January, she came to live with us.  It was a new experience for the three of us and an opportunity to show God’s love to her through her new adoptive family.

In February, Ceci went to live in RENACER, a sister ministry of ours, that belongs to CFCI and that works with girls addicted to drugs and alcohol.  She’s really happy there and we’re sure that God will continue the work that He began with her. Ceci has meant a lot to us, we truly love her like a daughter.  We ask that you pray for her with us that God would fulfill His purpose in the life of this very special girl.