DECEMBER 2008 MISSIONS ACTIVITIES REPORT
BY
MIKE GARY
JANUARY 2, 2008
PRAISE NOTES
We are very thankful for our Word of Life Church and for the participation of our people in committed service for our Christ. The offering of service was never more apparent than the occasions of our Christmas dramas presented by adults, youth, and children in both the Spanish and English services. We are accustomed to our Spanish service doing an exceptional job with the dramas presented by all ages, but this year, we were presently surprised by the best drama ever presented in our English service. The altar was crowded with people. Our people in both services provided delicious Christmas meals to record attendance crowds. I have to mention that our dance team called the Tambourine Ministry did a magnificent job of leading our Christmas services and praises. There were shouts and hand claps from all parts of the building. In all, although I say it every Christmas, it was the best Christmas ever.
Our attendance during the Holidays was down somewhat due to many people being away visiting relatives, but the services around the theme of Isa. 9:6 were outstanding. The Sunday morning attendance averaged 335, the Sunday evening averaged 194, the Wednesday evening attendance average was 165. Our English attendance averaged 85.
ACTIVITIES
As always December begins with fervent activity and glowing expectations. Evelyn and I as always were exceptionally blessed this year in every way possible, but I believe that this year was for me a time to meditate and reflect on God’s unselfish act of taking on my humanity and forever becoming a Divine Human Creature, the Only Begotten Son. How inexpressibly wonderful! What a blessed child I am to have Him with me forever! The first week of Christmas Month Evelyn and I passed out the December crafts which spoke to the children’s hearts of the Christ who came to save them.
During the second week of December we traveled to Artesia, New Mexico to see our son Timothy graduate from the U.S. Border Patrol Academy. The weather was extremely cold once we got there, but that did not allay our joy on seeing him complete a goal he has had for many years of his life. He finished his training with a high ranking in spite of the fact that he was the oldest man in his class at 38. I suppose his years in the army helped him cope with the rigors of the discipline required of these men.
After returning on Friday the 12th, the next day I officiated a wedding of four different couples at the Nueva Jerusalen Church in Piedras Negras. I have never seen so many bridal dresses at one time in my life. We had a great service as these couples exchanged their vows. We were invited to the reception, but I had to preach the next day and help set up the tables and chairs for the evening Christmas meal so Evelyn and I returned home.
As I mentioned we had our Christmas meal on the 14th in the evening. It was absolutely heavenly, the singing, the dancing of the little girls to the beautiful Christmas music, the message, the delicious tamales, the recognition of the leaders and workers in our church, and best of all the willingness of everyone to work and do more than their part.
On the 15th of the month we had our Pastors Christmas Meal in which we give out offerings to each church for their Christmas Feast and a special offering of $50.00 for each pastor. All the pastors were present except one. The service was beautiful with several testifying to God’s blessing upon their ministries, among them, Bro. Javier Moreno, who pastors the Congregational Methodist Church in Torreon, Coahuila. He gave a real challenge to our pastors telling of how God blessed him and put him in this ministry. We had another delicious cena(supper) and came home. You can see why I gained five unwanted pounds during the holidays.
On the 16th Don Ricks, a member of our English Congregation, invited Jeff and I to hunt on his ranch north of Del Rio, Tx. I got up at about 4:30 a.m., picked up Jeff and Don, drove to Del Rio and had breakfast in the I HOP restaurant Then we drove about 20 more minutes to the ranch arriving at about 8 a.m. Jeff got in the back of the truck where we commenced our hunting tour. We rode the roads of the ranch of 700 acres looking for deer to pop their heads over the brush that covers those rocky hills like trees in our forests back home. Immediately on entering the second gate of the ranch and looking up a high hill, we saw a buck and four does. As we rode we saw a number of deer but none close enough to get a shot. At about 10:30 in the morning I was riding in the back so Jeff could warm up a little when a big buck got up to my left and began to run through the brush. I jumped out of the truck with the hope that I would get a shot and when he stopped to look at me after coming out of a ravine thick with bushes and cactus, I took my first shot. The bullet grazed his back but did not stop him. I was standing on a hill looking at him run down a path about 75 yards away. Miraculously he stopped again to look back at me, and this time I brought my sight down on his front shoulder. He was an eleven point buck, the best deer I ever killed. Jeff and I had to drag him about a half mile to the truck. My arm ached for a week but was it worth it! That afternoon, Jeff killed another eleven pointer near a pond so he and I both had something to brag about. My, the Lord is good!
Our Christmas was special with all of our kids and grandchildren enjoying a time of devotion in which everyone participated, each expounding his verse of Scripture. We opened our gifts and then ate Christmas dinner together. In all it was a wonderful day, and we thank our Lord and his people who remembered us for making it all possible.
EVALUATING LAST MONTH’S GOALS
I am sorry to say that I forgot to include December’s goals in my report on the month of November. I will, however, try to rectify my error in this report. My goals in December were largely oriented toward special celebrations for our pastors in Mexico, our leaders in the Palabra de Vida Church, and the planning of meals for both our Spanish and English services. I accompanied my wife in her goal to get craft materials to all of our churches, met with Brother Juan and Bro. Manuel, preached and taught, enjoyed the season, went hunting, and spent time with my family. I will do a better job of presenting my individual goals next month for they are as follows:
GOALS FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY
Goals are guidelines which give direction to our activities and should always be divided and subdivided as they lead us to accomplish one great overall purpose. My first goal for this month is to organize a better teaching program for those in our church who desire to serve the Lord. Both in the U.S. and Mexico this teaching program is extremely needed. I have let it lapse since we finished book four of the leadership series, and I plan during the month of January to redouble my efforts to provide this service to the few or many who will benefit from it.
My second goal is to work on our recently purchased property so that we will qualify for a tax exempt status. The taxes on our property will be staggering if this is not done. I hope that we will be able to build ball fields, a walking tract, an obstacle course, etc. so that we can use the property for our church and school. Later, we hope to see an infrastructure provided so we can begin building.
My third goal concerns the construction of our churches in Mexico. I am interested in completing this year with the Lord’s help the church in Acuña, in Monclova, and at least, to begin construction on the church in Torreon. In Monclova I still need to finish the parsonage which we will do God permitting in this new year.
Goal number four is to continue to prepare for our coming Annual Conference so that any last minute details will not catch us by surprise and the conference will be an inspiration for us all.
During this month, I hope to work out the details for the changes that will have to be made concerning the support of various phases of our work. We pray that our mission support will increase and that all will be well with our program.
PRAYER REQUESTS
1. Prayer should be made for our pastors and their struggles, for our coming Annual Conference, and for unity among God’s people.
2. We thank you for all that you have done for us and wish to be remembered as we continue to build the kingdom of Christ in this area.
3. I request prayer for our Bible School Ministry and the potential workers that we have.
4. I pray that God will give us good health so that we may accomplish more for Him than ever before this year.
5. Please pray for the Department of Missions Ministries that needs the financial support of our churches. |
Missionary Updates 
