It’s been over two years since we moved to the Santa Bárbara neighbourhood and if you have been reading our updates you know it has been an up-and-down journey. That is still the case, but we can see progress, opportunities, and certainly God’s goodness.
So here is a little bit of what’s happening:
Sunday Service
It has been difficult at times to keep going with our Sunday evening service. With only 2 or 3 people from the community attending, we rely on friends and acquaintances coming from other churches to “boost” our numbers. But recently an older lady and another older gentleman have been attending more regularly and that has been encouraging.
Mary has been coming for several months now and the other day she told us that she is learning to trust in God more, especially in the midst of cancer treatments and family conflict. Teo lives around the corner from us and just in the last month has started attending regularly. Twenty years ago his wife divorced him because he was attending a Christian church, so he has paid the price for his faith.
Bible Study
Since last October/November I have been doing a Bible study with a young man from the community. He was volunteering at Esperanza Para Ti and that is how we met him. He was not a Christian, but interested in learning more about the Bible. After an overview of Scripture, we are now studying the book of Mark and with the aim of understanding who Jesus really is and what it means to follow him.
English Classes
I currently teach just one English class to two young kids who live up the street from the outreach centre. They enjoy the classes and haven’t missed a class yet, which is rare!
Piano Classes
Recently a young lady from a nearby Christian church volunteered her time to give piano classes at our outreach centre. Last Monday was the first class and there are three students. The idea, as with the English classes, is to serve the community, build trust, and meet people.
Sports Night
On Thursdays we play soccer at the local sports court and give a short message at halftime, along with a snack. Sometimes we have ten or more kids, other times no one shows up. I think part of the struggle to attract more kids is that they already have a lot of other options – options that offer training, coaching, and that don’t have a bible message. But we keep plugging away and praying that Spirit would bless the gospel-seeds planted in the young boys and girls that do attend.
Saturday Bible Club
On the first Saturday of the month we run a two hour “Sunday school” at the same sports court where we have our sports night and kids’ clubs. We only started at the beginning of this year, and so far there are 5-10 kids who attend, but we feel like there is potential for more growth since we have gotten to know a lot more moms and dads through the kids’ clubs.
Kids’ Club
We aim to run a kids’ club (more or less a Vacation Bible School) at least twice a year. These have been lots of fun – for us, the volunteers, and the kids. We play games, do a craft, sing songs, and present the gospel through a Bible story. It has been a great way to build trust in the community and get to know more kids and their parents. Additionally, it is a great way for other Christians to join in our work and help us out.
Mercy Ministry
We have tried to be careful in the way that we help others and address the needs of the community. We want to be wise in how we help and to ensure that we are addressing the root of the problem, not just slapping on a band-aid. I’m sure we don’t and won’t always get it right, but with time we are better understanding who is in need and how best we can help.
We have also started taking an offering at the Sunday service which is then used exclusively for the needs of the community. We’ve been able to pour a concrete walkway for Ernesto, who attends our Sunday service, as well as buy food parcels and help Mary (mentioned above) with her cancer treatments. We are praying that over time this too will build trust in the community and connect us with more people.
Pan de Vida
We continue to attend church in the mornings at Pan de Vida Children’s’ Home. Annemarie helps out with Sunday school and I preach on occasion. I also teach an English class on Mondays and Fridays at the on-site school. We also have contact with some youth that have aged-out of Pan de Vida and are living nearby. We are encouraged that although to this point this contact has not resulted in tangible fruit like Sunday service attendance or commitment to a Bible study, there are several who have approached us in times of need, giving us the opportunity to show them love and encourage them with God’s Word.
Over the last few years we have learned that to reach a community resistant to gospel-induced change will require a consistent and faithful presence. We have already experienced that such a presence is not easy and requires surrender to God’s will and plan. But we remain hopeful, even as there are moments where we don’t feel hopeful. We remain hopeful because we see little bits of growth, but more than that, because the Spirit of God goes before us and this mission is His mission.
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