Impacto

IMPACTO: Pastor Luis

SarahP — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:33:15 GMT

Pastor Luis returned to the doctor yesterday and was referred to a specialist who saw him today. Two tests are scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. He is still experiencing pain but the meds have made it more tolerable. I spoke with him this evening and while he is not looking forward to the tests he is hopeful that the results will provide some answers. Please keep Pastor Luis lifted in your prayers.

IMPACTO: Update on Pastor Luis

SarahP — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:35:42 GMT

Pastor Luis has had a lot of tests run thus far and most have come back with good results. The problem is a blockage in his intestine. He is being put on an antibiotic for a week and then next week after finishing the antibiotic, he will have a colonoscopy to determine the next step. He and Dinora say thank you very much for your prayers and ask that you continue to remember them until this is over. The doctor said he can probably go home tomorrow.

IMPACTO: Prayer Request

SarahP — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:43:39 GMT

Please keep Luis lifted in your prayers -- he was admitted to the hospital today (in Guatemala City). The doctor has ordered a lot of tests to be run over the next 24-48 hours. Also, please keep Dinora lifted in prayer for safety as she goes to and from the hospital and for God’s peace and assurance to be with her. I will do my best to keep you posted.

IMPACTO: Ministry Changes

SarahP — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:27:15 GMT

IMPACTO TAKES THE CHALLENGE

We have exciting news to share…Impacto is making some changes for 2012! After reading When Helping Hurts (by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert) and spending several hours of discussion in an Atlanta meeting, our team has been convicted to make some changes that we believe will make Impacto’s ministry better. Another important influence that caused us to re-think things was hearing the speakers at the August Pastors Congress. God has placed it in our hearts to begin with these new concepts in January and implement them as we can throughout the coming year. Remember, it is a process and it will take time to fully move in the direction we feel God’s leading.

In the past, Impacto has given away shoes, provided free medicines and visits with doctors, and constructed houses once a family purchased their own piece of land. We believe that we may have done a disservice by giving away everything. As you know, when a person takes ownership in something, it becomes more valuable to them. If things are always handed over freely, people become dependent. They do not develop self-esteem, pride in accomplishing something, or the realization that they are not helpless. Yes, the people of Guatemala are poor; some extremely poor. However, that poorness in no way negates their need for self-esteem or their need for a sense of pride in accomplish-ments. We need to help them find hope instead of feeling hopeless simply because they are poor.

The new direction we feel God leading us towards is one that will help build these characteristics in the ones we serve. Instead of giving a fish, we will be teaching how to fish so that people become more enabled to do what they once thought they could not do. We want to help move the mindset from “I/we can’t” to “I/We can” and then celebrate with “Look what I/We did!” (Romans 12:2 -- Renew your minds in Jesus Christ)

One way to achieve this will be to start charging a minimal amount for shoes, doctor visits, medicines, houses, etc. We are looking at each village and working with the pastors and leaders to determine what to charge.

For example, in the poorer villages, perhaps 50 cents per pair of shoes will be charged. In another village where the people are better off, perhaps 75 cents or 1 dollar per pair will be charged. If someone wants to purchase 10 pairs of shoes and then chooses to sell them for double the amount they paid, that is fine. It will help them to have an income to purchase food and supplies for their families. This will help accomplish our goal of families becoming self-supporting through microenterprises.

For a house to be built, the family will have to work alongside teams in the building, and they will have to pay something for their house. It may be as little as $1.50 to $3 per month until they can pay off their “mortgage.” Some will be able to pay more but we do not want to make it a big burden on any family. The money collected for any project will go back into providing funds for other ministry efforts or possibly even helping other families get started with something like raising chickens.

A “loan” would be made to purchase 20-25 chickens and the family would reimburse at a small rate of around $1-$2 per month until their loan is paid off. Once their chickens begin laying eggs, the family will be able to have eggs for meals. As the layers produce more eggs, the family can begin to sell eggs for income. Eventually, chicks can be raised to sell, and they will have enough chickens to eat plus some to sell (again, a microenterprise for a family).

A new project, Happy Tummies, will begin in February after school has been in session for a few weeks. We will visit the public schools to talk with teachers to find which children are having trouble with their studies. Some children go to school hungry and cannot concentrate and learn because they are so hungry. They come from families that are extremely poor. This summer, at least 7 little children died in the San Juan area due to hunger. We will start with 15-20 children in the Happy Tummies project. They will come to a location in San Juan after school where they will get a nutritious lunch, hear a Bible story, play a game or two and then spend an hour or two with a tutor. We hope to find locals to pay to be tutors, providing another small income for some in the community. Records will be kept on each child to check their progress in weight gain, nourishment, and improvements on their report cards. Requirements for the children selected will be that they must attend school. Their report cards will have to be brought to us with a note from the teacher giving an update on the child’s progress.

If we find an especially needy family with children below school age, we hope to be able to allow them to participate in the program. These children will be fed a nutritious meal and we’ll tell them a Bible story, play a game or have some sort of activity, sing, and be taught some basics that children in the U.S. and Canada learn in pre-school. [Team Leaders: Start thinking of ways your teams can participate and help with this project when you come to minister.]

Parents of children in the Happy Tummies project will be required to take turns cooking meals, feeding chickens and gathering eggs, planting and tending a garden, and cleaning the area where Happy Tummies will be held. The eggs, chickens and garden harvest will be used for the meals. We hope to have vitamins to provide for each child on a daily basis. We’d also like to provide adult vitamins for the parents. Because we always want to present the Good News, we will hold at least a monthly or twice-monthly meeting that the parents will be required to attend. These meetings will be a time for a short update on their children and then we plan to have a time of worship and either preaching or Bible study.

Training is something else we pray teams will agree to help with. This past summer, we had several weeks in which different teams taught pastors and leaders how to prepare and lead their own VBS. It was a tremendous success! After the second time a team led training, the pastors came to us and said they wanted to try to do their own VBS this year! Impacto staff met with the pastors and leaders several times to help them out. What a joy it is to see the results of the hard work done by the teams and Impacto staff! For the first time, the lake area churches came up with their own theme, Bible verses and stories to go with the theme, provided the snacks, and some even came up with a couple of crafts. They were taught to “use what you have available” to God’s glory and that’s just what they did! God blessed their efforts in many, many ways. We anticipate even greater success as they continue to learn and lead in their churches. If your team could teach and provide resources on how to set up Sunday School, Bible studies, ladies programs, men’s programs, children’s programs, set up committees, coordinate volunteers, etc., it would be a blessing for every church that received such training and resources.

Stewardship is a discipline we are trying to teach. The churches have always said they can’t pay/support a pastor. This summer’s Pastors Congress had a session on Stewardship. Pastors were challenged to go back to their congregations and begin teaching and preaching on stewardship. The widow’s mite is a prime example: She gave willingly and sacrificially what she had, regardless of how small the gift. Changes are being seen in the lives of people who have been taught about and are now tithing. One young man made a commitment that he would begin to tithe even though he thought his family could not afford to tithe. God has blessed him with a raise in his salary. Christians miss one of God’s greatest blessings when they do not tithe.

An area of change not project-related is that teams will depart for the lake, Zacapa or Coban on the day of their arrival. Of course, if the arrival time is too late, they will wait until the next day. The last night of the ministry week, teams will stay in Antigua and depart from there for the airport the next day.

We hope this gives you an idea of the direction Impacto is heading; that you will be excited and join us in these efforts to equip and empower the people and while sharing the love and light of Christ. We want to uplift people and encourage them to think of how they can do things they previously thought they could not accomplish. Please pray with us as we strive to begin implementing new ministry ideas and projects.

If you have questions or want more information, please feel free to contact us at spoythress@newlifelaplata.org.

Serving Christ with you,

The Impacto Staff

IMPACTO: December 2011 Newsletter

SarahP — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:10:31 GMT

Warm Holiday Greetings to All!

2011 has been a year with constantly overlapping highs and lows. Here are a few highlightss.

May was a joyous time of celebration as Ana (our youngest daughter) graduated from IWU and I was honored to be the baccalaureate speaker for her graduation. Then, in October, Ana accepted a proposal of marriage from Jeremy Armiger. They are planning a June 2012 wedding -- busy times ahead!

In August we said goodbye to one of our own, Antonio Mendez. Throughout his illness, he showed that gentle spirit, warm smile, and deep faith that made up the man everyone both liked and loved. He is greatly missed, yet we rejoice that he has crossed over to where he no longer suffers. Many of you may not have known that Antonio had a beautiful bass singing voice. We can imagine him sing praises and smiling as he worships in heaven. Thanks to everyone who prayed and contributed to help pay his medical and funeral expenses.

On October 31^st, we got to say hello to David Antonio Mendez! Another boy for Tony & Andrea, weighing in at 7 lbs 2 oz, and we all rejoiced over his birth. Antonio knew this little one would carry his name. Dinora and I, and Lucy Mendez, are overjoyed that we now have two little grandsons to bring such joy into our lives. Big brother Luis Daniel is happy to have a brother…most of the time!

The summer months were harder than usual due to the illnesses of several team members who came to serve in Guatemala and Antonio’s steady decline in health. I spent many nights in the hospital with family and pastors of team members as one faced surgery and one had a major battle with malaria that he contracted in Africa two weeks prior to arriving in Guatemala. Tony and Andrea spent many nights in the hospital or at Antonio’s bedside. Dinora carried a heavy load in leading the teams during my, Tony and Andrea’s absence. Ana, Fredy, Sarah and the interpreters also took on extra responsibilities. Had it not been for the prayers of all of you, it would have been even more difficult. We felt your prayers lifting us up and the Father’s arms holding us through these difficult days.

Teams this year were simply wonderful! God ruled supreme and provided the grace, patience and flexibility needed. God blessed us with several teams coming to serve and minister in Guatemala and with allowing me to visit, preach and share in 13 different churches and conferences in the States during 2011.

The three weeks of VBS in November were wonderful. God blessed us with great teams who served with much joy and gusto. During the three weeks, around 3,000 children and 180 ladies were ministered to by the teams and Impacto staff. We give all the praise and glory to God for the many souls won for the Kingdom.

VBS in Guatemala City had a new slant for teens this year. A team of eight men came from Canada to minister directly with the teens. Five of the men formed a band and the three other men helped in many ways from preaching to playing to hanging out with the teens. Over 70 teens came to Christ during the week. They begged the men to return next year. The children’s portion was a huge success and many children gave their hearts to Christ.

VBS in the lake area also was different. After several months of training, the churches came up with their own themes, daily Bible verses and stories, songs and even some of the crafts to go along with the theme! Each church also provided the snacks for the children. This was the very first time these churches developed a VBS to meet the needs in their churches. The previous years’ VBS’s had not been poor quality; they just wanted to put into practice what they learned from teams and local staff that taught them in the summer and fall. It is so wonderful to see the churches taking ownership of their own programs! We pray for more teams to come alongside us to help train the pastors and leaders how to develop and start up other programs.

In August, the first Pastors Congress was held with over 130 participants. Five men (pastors, a professor, a missionary and a church administrator) came from the States to lead sessions on stewardship, sermon preparation, church administration, leadership, and spiritual discipline. Impacto provided each participant with handouts from the leaders, a new study Bible, spiral notebook, pen, calculator and canvas conference bag, daily transportation, snacks, meals and lodging. Evening worship services were open to the public. Praise God for this opportunity to provide training. Many of the participants have never had any formal training. The surveys taken at the end of the Congress gave testimony to how blessed the participants felt to have been able to attend and receive such good training and resources. We are planning another Congress in April 2012.

The entire Impacto staff feels God leading us to begin a new project, Happy Tummies. This project will begin in February when school starts. We will visit the public schools to talk with teachers and find which children are having trouble with their studies. Some children go to school hungry and cannot concentrate and learn because they are so hungry. They come from families that are extremely poor. This summer, at least 7 children died in the San Juan area due to hunger. We will start with 15-20 children in the Happy Tummies project. After school, they will come to a location in San Juan where they will get a nutritious lunch, hear a Bible story, play a game or two and then spend an hour or two with a tutor (we hope to pay locals to be tutors). Records will be kept on each child to check their progress both in weight gain, nourishment, and improvements on their report cards. Requirements for the children selected will be that they must attend school. Their report cards will have to be brought to us with a note from the teacher giving an update on the child’s progress. You will get more information about Happy Tummies in a letter informing you about some changes in Impacto’s ministry efforts.

We need your prayers and your financial support as we are preparing for our ministry efforts during the upcoming year. We ask that you consider partnering with us to do what we can to meet more of the people’s needs. The United Nations recently announced that Guatemala is the country with the second highest percentage of malnutrition.

Indeed, we were blessed by God’s mercy and grace through the good and the difficult times of 2011. As we head into 2012, please continue to pray for Impacto’s ministry. All contributions are tax-deductible and Impacto does not take a percentage “off the top.” Each penny goes to our ministry efforts. Make checks payable to IMPACTO and mail to

IMPACTO
Luis Martinez Spanish Ministries

9690 Shepherds Creek Place
La Plata, MD 20646

If you wish to designate a particular project, indicate that project on the memo line of your check. Thank you, in advance, for your contributions and support.

The entire Impacto staff wishes each of you a very joyous Christmas and a New Year filled with God’s richest blessings.

Feliz Navidad!

In the love of Christ,

Pastor Luis

IMPACTO: Birth Announcement!

SarahP — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:05:48 GMT

He’s Here!!!!!

David Antonio Mendez

Born Oct. 31, 2011 around 9:05 a.m. (Guatemala Time)

7 lbs 12 oz

Andrea and David Antonio are both doing great!

So are Tony, big brother Luis Daniel and all the grandparents!

Praising God!

IMPACTO: Guatemala Flooding Update

SarahP — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:37:01 GMT

Update on flooding in Guatemala: In past 6-7 days, close to 30 inches of rain have fallen across Guatemala. The areas hardest hit are the eastern and Departments (Departments are like States) and this includes the lake area, Coban and Zacapa. The roads are pretty bad and there are many mudslides. Some folks in San Juan (Lake Atitlan) had to be removed because the water beside Shalom Church has gotten so high. They are being housed in the gymnasium in San Juan. No docks are available in the San Juan, San Pedro area because the lake has risen so high. Some rivers in Zacapa are high and out of their banks but San Jorge and El Morro are safe thus far. Weather report is that rain should be ending late this week and a cold front is coming in behind the stalled storm fronts. This means the homeless will suffer from the low temperatures. Please keep this situation lifted in your prayers. Thank you.

IMPACTO: Photos of Flooding in Guatemala

SarahP — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:20:23 GMT

Below are 5 photographs from Guatemala to give you some idea of flooding situation....

Road near Chimaltenango

Flooded countryside

Road damage from rains

Water almost to bridge

Sink hole and road washout from rains

IMPACTO: Prayers Requested for Guatemala

SarahP — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:58:04 GMT

Storm fronts have hit Guatemala first from the Pacific and then from the Atlantic.The one from the Atlantic has stalled. It has been raining in Guatemala since last Wednesday (Oct. 12). Roads and bridges are out, many mudslides, houses destroyed, farmland flooded and crops destroyed, plus over 25 lives have been lost. The Guatemalan Government has asked everyone to stay off roads unless absolutely necessary. It will probably take a week to open many of the main roads and some people have been flown out via helicopters. Please keep the people of Guatemala lifted in your prayers. If you would like to send contributions towards relief efforts, Pastor Luis wants to take in food and supplies to some of the hardest hit areas. Checks may be sent to

IMPACTO

Luis Martinez Spanish Ministries

9690 Shepherds Creek Place

La Plata MD 20646

Make checks payable to Impacto and write Relief Efforts on the memo line.

VBS in Guatemala City, the lake area and Zacapa have not been canceled. Forecasters are saying the rains should end by this Friday. Please pray with us not only for the people but also that the rains would end. Thank you.

IMPACTO: Prayer request for Andrea

SarahP — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 16:51:54 GMT

Prayers are requested for Andrea Martinez Mendez. She is 7 months pregnant and has been ordered on complete bedrest due to developing shingles. She is in a lot of pain and the doctors say if they cannot get things under control within the next week she will have to be hospitalized because it could harm the baby. Andrea's grandmother is helping her, Tony and Luis Daniel (Pastor Luis & Dinora are in the States). Please keep them all lifted in prayer. Thank you.

IMPACTO: NOVEMBER VBS

SarahP — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:44:22 GMT

Greetings from Guatemala!

Hope all is well with each of you. We are now working hard on getting everything together for November VBS! Tony and Andrea Mendez, Impacto Project Coordinators, will answer your questions about VBS crafts, number of children and theme for the lake and Zacapa churches, Happy Feet, construction projects, etc. You may contact them via email at tonny_922@hotmail.com and faceofshoelace@yahoo.com.

VBS Weeks are:   Guatemala City: October 29-November 5
                                Lake Churches: November 5-12
                                Zacapa Churches: November 12-19

If you plan to come and help serve in this wonderful outreach, please send me (spoythress@newlifelaplata.org) the following information by September 15:

1. how many will be on your team

2. first and last names of team members

3. all flight information ….

-- Airline

-- Flight numbers (for both arrival and departure)

-- Arrival date and time

-- Departure date and time

4. If your team will want lunch and/or dinner on day of arrival

            5.     for Guatemala City VBS: number of males and females
            6.     for Lake and Zacapa area VBS: number of males, females, couples and rooming list (2 per room)
            7.     for Lake and Zacapa area VBS: if you plan to do construction, how many houses ($1,400 lake;
                    $1,500 Zacapa) or if your team wants to work at the Promised Land (lake area)
                     building a cabin ($3,500)

Expense breakdowns cannot be completed until all of that information is received from everyone.

If at all possible, we ask that payment be brought in cash (US dollars) to Guatemala. However if you need to pay by check, payment must arrive in Impacto’s office no later than October 16 or you must bring your payment to Guatemala (US dollars only; NO checks). Please do not exchange your expense payment into Guatemalan currency.

Earlier this year, the scripture and theme for VBS in Guatemala City was sent out (if you need it again, you can find it at the end of this email). Some more information that you will need is how many children are expected so you can have enough craft material:

3-5 years of age -- 175 children

6-9 years of age -- 375 children

10-12 years of age -- 350 children

13 years of age and up – no crafts needed! This year there will be a different VBS session for youth in Guatemala City and there will be special music provided by a band coming from Canada. We are praying that this new venue will reach many, many more of the teens!

Thank you and we look forward to seeing many of you in November! Please do not hesitate to ask questions!

Blessings in Christ,

Sarah

IMPACTO

VBS 2011 “The Cowboy Ranch”

General Theme: “Roundin’ up questions, assuring answers”

Preschool Ages: 3-5 years old

Day 1 Theme: Who am I? I am Special because God made me

Bible Story: “God made Adam and Eve”

Genesis 2:7,8,15-24 [NIV]

⁷ Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

⁸ Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam^[f] no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Key Phrase and/or Bible verse: Psalm 139:13, 14 “I was made in a wonderful way”

Psalm 139:13-14 [NIV]

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Day 2 Theme: Is God interested in me? God will always love me and take care of me.

Bible Story: “God took care of Joseph”

Genesis 45:1-8 [NIV]

¹ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁶ For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

Key phrase and/or Bible verse: “God will take care of you” 1st Peter 5:7

I Peter 5:7 [NIV]

⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Day 3 Theme: What is God´s plan for me? God´s plan for me is that I will love him

Bible Story: “Zacchaeus learns about God´s plan”

Luke 19:1-10 [NIV]

¹ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Key phrase and/or Bible Verse: “God has plans for you” Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11 [NIV]

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Day 4 Theme: How can you be like Jesus? I can be like Jesus when I pray and help others.

Bible Story: “Jesus feeds the people”

Mark 6:30-46 [NIV]

³⁰ The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵ By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. ³⁶ Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

³⁷ But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

³⁸ “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

³⁹ Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³ and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

⁴⁵ Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

John 6:1-13 [NIV]

¹ Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Key phrase and/or Bible verse: “Love one another they way I love you” John 13:34

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Day 5 Theme: What do I do now? I can be happy because God has a plan for me

Bible Story: “Paul writes a letter”

Philippians 1:1-2 [NIV]

¹ Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons^[a]:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:4-9 [NIV]

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Key phrase and/or Bible verse: “God has plans for you” Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11 [NIV]

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

School Age Kids: 6-13 years old

Day 1 Theme: Who am I?

Bible Story: God creates people.

Genesis 2:4-23 [NIV]

⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

⁵ Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth^[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, ⁶ but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

¹⁰ A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. ¹⁴ The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

²³ The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

Bible Verse: Psalm 139:14 [NIV]

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Day 2 Theme: Is God interested in me?

Bible Story: Joseph remembers about the Lord’s provision.

Genesis 45:1-14 [NIV]

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. ⁹ Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. ¹⁰ You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’

¹² “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. ¹³ Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”

¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping.

Bible Verse: 1st Peter 5:7 [NIV]

⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Day 3 Theme: What is God´s plan for me?

Bible Story: “Jesus visits Zacchaeus”

Luke 19:1-10 [NIV]

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Bible verse: Jeremiah 29:11 [NIV]

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Day 4 Theme: How can I be like Jesus?

Bible Story: Jesus, our example”

Luke 4:14-16 [NIV]

¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵ He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,

Luke 5:16 [NIV]

¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Mark 6:30-46 [NIV]

³⁷ But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages^[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

³⁸ “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

⁴⁵ Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

Bible verse: Philippians 2:5 [NIV]

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus

Day 5 Theme: What do I do now?

Bible Story: Go! Do it now!

Philippians 4:4-9 [NIV]

Bible verse: James 1:5 NIV

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

IMPACTO: God has called Antonio home

SarahP — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:20:02 GMT

God called our brother, Antonio Mendez, home this morning (Aug. 5, 2011). Please be in prayer for the family. If anyone wishes to make a contribution towards funeral arrangments, you may send to IMPACTO. Anything donated above funeral costs will go towards building a cabin in honor of Antonio. We will see him again one day but he will be sorely missed here on earth.

IMPACTO: Antonio Mendez (Aug. 5)

SarahP — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:32:46 GMT

Antonio Mendez is on a respirator and his heart is functioning at about 30%. During the night, his kidneys, pancreas, and liver became paralyzed and are not functioning. The doctor told Tony that it is very rare than anyone survives once the organs reach this state. We are all saddened and simply trusting God to either bring about a miracle to call Antonio home. Please pray for the family extra prayers for God to provide comfort, grace and strength. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

IMPACTO: Antonio Mendez

SarahP — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:12:50 GMT

Antonio Mendez was moved back into ICU earlier today. He is running a very high fever and the doctor told Lucia that she and the family need to be prepared for the worst. Antonio's condition has been updated to very critical. The infection could be in his lungs, his chest or throughout his body, the doctor is not sure. Antonio had been slowly progressing and things were going fairly well. Tony and Andrea came with teams to work this week but they are now in the process of preparing to return to Guatemala City by taxi and they are leaving Luis Daniel in San Juan with Dinora. Tony is really shaken up and Pastor Luis said that neither Tony nor Andrea are in any condition to drive the 4 hours back to the City. We ask once again that you pray for Antonio, the doctors, and the rest of the Mendez family. Please pray that God will give the grace and strength needed.

IMPACTO: Update July 29

SarahP — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:57:54 GMT

Praise the Lord, Antonio is doing better! Yesterday he had help to sit up in bed and that seemed to help him feel a bit better. He was able to eat lunch and the doctor is pleased with his progress. Tony told me this morning that his dad is not talking a lot and does not yet know about his heart stopping and his chest staying open all night. Tony said that they have to help Antonio eat because his hands are still shaking from weakness but that Antonio is trying to do things for himself. Some of the orders given by the doctor for Antonio for the next month are no visitors, new bed linens, new pj's, and lots of lysol for keeping his room and his bathroom as germ free as possible. The doctor warns that it Antonio be protected from germs as much as possible to try to keep away any type of infection or virus. Tony said that they will never be able to thank everyone enough for all the prayers that have been lifted. Tony believes his dad being alive is a miracle from God. Please continue to keep them all lifted in your prayers. We give thanks to God for all that He has done in Antonio's life and ask that He continue to keep His healing hand on Antonio as he recuperates.

I have not heard any more updates on Bradley other than he was doing better so we will give thanks and praise for that and ask that you continue to lift him and his family in prayer, too.

Our God is so awesome!

IMPACTO: Update on Antonio and Bradley July 27

SarahP — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:36:18 GMT

We believe in the power of prayer so please keep prayers lifted for Antonio and Brad.

Antonio woke up on his own today. He also is breathing on his own. The doctors allowed Tony to go in to see his dad. Antonio asked him to take him home because he was in so much pain. Tony asked him to just wait 24 more hours and it would get better and Antonio said okay. He is still in critical but stable condition, still in ICU, but each hour is a victory. Please continue to keep Antonio and the Mendez family lifted in prayer.

Brad also is showing signs of improvement. The malaria medicine is working and he seems to be making positive strides. He is talking some but still really disconnected and exhausted. The doctors say to expect a full recovery and believe they can kill the parasite so Brad doesn't have to deal with it forever; they believe it is curable. He is still not allowed visitors but hopefully tomorrow he will be even more aware. His organs look good and his MRI came back showing no damage to the brain. Please keep Brad, his family, and his church family lifted in your prayers.

This is all very encouraging news and we give all praise and glory to God!

IMPACTO: July 26 Updates

SarahP — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:02:09 GMT

We are also asking prayers for Bradley, a young man who served on two missions teams this summer in Guatemala and Liberia. In Liberia, he contracted an extremely aggressive type of malaria. Having survived an initial battle with the disease, instead of remaining dormant, it has returned. Bradley had convulsions for several back-to-back hours yesterday and was hospitalized. He is not in a coma but the malaria has affected his brain and he cannot communicate. Please be in prayer for him, the doctors who are treating him, his family, and his church family. Again, we know God is in control and we trust Him to provide all needs for His own.

TODAY'S EARLIER UPDATE ON ANTONIO MENDEZ: Antonio made it through the night. This morning the doctor closed Antonio's chest. Tony told us that two of the arteries were too filled with calcium deposits that had already crystalized to be opened. Also, if I understood correctly, the aorta has a high calcium build up. The doctor told Tony that Antonio will not be awake today, that he is very, very weak, but maybe he will be awake tomorrow. He is considered to be in critical but stable condition and is, of course, in ICU. Please continue to pray for God's will in Antonio's healing and if that is not God's will, for the grace and strength for the Mendez family to let Antonio go with the knowledge that they will see him again in heaven. Thank you for every prayer lifted and we ask that you please continue to pray. God is in control and we trust in Him.

IMPACTO: Late Update on Antonio Mendez

SarahP — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:27:45 GMT

Antonio's heart stopped during surgery and the doctor had to put a pump on to keep him alive. The pump will remain on all night and his chest will be left open for observation of how well the circulation is through his heart. That is the latest we know. Please keep Antonio and the family lifted in prayers.

TODAY's EARLIER UPDATE: Antonio has been in surgery since early this morning. The doctors have told Tony that they are doing all they can but no promises. Antonio is bleeding too much and more platelets have been requested. A large mass was found and a biopsy taken and sent for tests. Please be in prayer that the surgeons can get the bleeding under control and also that the mass does not prove to be cancerous. Will send another update when surgery is over. Also, just wanted to let everyone know that we have reached the $10,000 need to pay for the surgery. Thank you so very, very much for you outpouring of love for the Mendez family. Please continue to pray.

IMPACTO: Update on Antonio Mendez [7/21/11]

SarahP — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:27:23 GMT

I spoke with Tony this earlier today (July 21). He said his dad is in the hospital, hooked up to an IV, and being given nitroglycerin for pain. The doctors have cleared everything for Antonio to have surgery as soon as there is an opening in the surgery schedule. Antonio and Lucia (Tony's mom) are both in good spirits. Tony told them about all the prayers being lifted and donation promises and it was a big encouragement for them. They send their love and deep appreciation to everyone. Please pray that an opening in the surgery schedule comes about quickly, that Antonio will make it through surgery and recovery without any complications. We are trusting in God's will and asking for His grace and strength to face whatever lies in store.

IMPACTO: Update & Prayer Request

SarahP — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:13:15 GMT

Greetings from Guatemala,

This morning Tony's dad, Antonio, was rushed to the hospital and is now in ICU. He was non-coherent. We really don't have any more information at this time. When the doctors can get Antonio stabilized and report to his mom, then his mom will call him. Pastor Luis is going to release Tony from his responsibilities here with teams so that he can go to Guatemala City. We are just around $1,000 shy of the $10,000 needed for Antonio's surgery. We are praying that the doctors will go ahead and do the surgery now instead of putting it off any longer. Please keep the family lifted in your prayers.

We have 3 teams here this week and they are working on houses, a cabin at the Promised Land, children's activities and Happy Feet. We've had a lot of rain in the past week but today is one of those simply beautiful blue-sky and sunshine days.

Pastor Luis was in Oklahoma over the weekend at the first Spanish Wesleyan Family Camp with 3 Districts involved. Saturday night around 20 souls were won to Christ and Sunday around 60 people came forward during the invitation. Praise be to God for every soul that was won for eternity!

The pastors here in the lake area are still talking about the training sessions that teams have held this summer. They are telling us how grateful they are for the training and Bible studies because it has made the ones who attended realize how much they want to be able to do things for their own churches and not have to rely on someone else to do everything for them. This is a great stride in the right direction and the pastors are planning to work on having their own people lead VBS with themes pertinent to their own church's needs. Tony and Andrea are working with the churches on this. We encourage teams that will come to lead training sessions to please come! You just can't imagine the joy and wonderful results we've seen from the training that has been accomplished this summer.

The upcoming Pastors Congress is another training event that we are all excited about and very much looking forward to in August. Please keep this event in your prayers. We are hoping for around 135 pastors and church leaders to attend.

Don't forget about November VBS coming up! If you plan to bring a team, please let us know. Watch for a more detailed posting about that in the coming week.

Thank you to everyone who has lifted a prayer, sent a contribution, or come in person. We know that without all of these things, we could not do what God is leading us to do. All glory and praise to Him!