What's going on in:
San Diego
&
Aguascalientes
There is a lot going on and I want to keep you all informed with the highlights of each month. Thank you to all who pray for and support these ministries. We are able to bless so many people and we couldn't do it without you. To God be all the glory. Gracias amigos!
November was a month full of celebrating...both good and painful moments. I got to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and really appreciate how grateful I am to have such a blessed life! But I was also reminded that life is not forever. We are just passing through for a short time. We need to make the most of it and honor God in the process.
I attended 3 different celebrations of life in one week. It's always a sad and difficult process to go through and I continue to pray for peace and healing for all of the families. These events always make us stop and slow down for a moment to think about our mortality. I'm so glad I made the decision to make Jesus my Savior. I don't know where I would be without Him and to have to deal with all of the difficulties and uncertainties life can bring. I have so many questions as to why things happen, the way they do, but knowing that God is in control gives me a peace that nothing else in this world can. It was nice to take a moment to remember these friends and family members that have passed. And it was beautiful to hear all of the stories that people shared about the legacies these men left behind. They were loved and they will be missed! May God bless and comfort their families!
Horizon did another Thanksgiving turkey & pie giveaway. There was a great turnout of volunteers and Pastor Phillip prayed for us and organized how we were gonna set everything up. It all went smoothly and we were able to give away around 650 turkeys and pies to the communities around our church! We wanted to bless them and share God's love with them. It was also really cool to see many of the kids from the youth ministry serving along side of their parents. And a special shout out to Genith for blessing us with her coffee/snack table...I went back many times throughout the event.
We had a Thanksgiving party for the youth on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We prepared a fancy meal of turkey dogs & turkey bacon for them...only the best for these kids! We ate together, played games and everyone shared what they are thankful for in their lives. It was a fun time of fellowship together.
We were blessed with a bunch of free tickets to Sea World! Alex (one of the youth) and his mom, Samantha, had the tickets and planned the day for us. We took the kids during their Thanksgiving break and we had a good turnout. There were 16 of us total and we got to hang out and go on all the rides. It was a fun day!
And it wasn't all just parties and hanging out for the Youth Ministry. I was still teaching them good Bible lessons. We are going through the book of Mark and one of the lessons was on the rich young ruler who didn't want to sell his possessions and follow Jesus. Jesus responded: "how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..." (Mark 10:24-25). To illustrate this I tried to fit into a pair of my 3 year old niece's pants. It was impossible! But "with God all things are possible" (Mark 10 27). With God it's as easy as a little kid trying to fit into a pair of size 64 pants. Entering into heaven by our own strength is impossible but with God's love & forgiveness we can easily go in. The Bible says we just have to repent and believe.
Also we have a new volunteer in the Youth Ministry. Her name is Jalay and she will be helping out every 4th Sunday of the month. She loves God and has a heart to serve so we are glad to have her on the team. She will be a blessing for the kids! Please keep her and the ministry in your prayers!
And finally, my parents and I celebrated Thanksgiving up in Los Angeles with my brother and his family. We went to his mother-in-law's house and got to spend some quality time together just hanging out and stuffing our faces. There is much so to be thankful for and I am so grateful to God for His many blessings! I hope everybody else had a great Thanksgiving with family & loved ones!
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:18