Christmas and New Years greetings from Mexico! Just wanted to post a link for the email update that we sent out recently for those of you who aren’t subscribed to our mailing list. Click on this link to read the update… http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/713180/56ea6f189b/285212669/75a8c58521/

Thanks for taking the time to catch up on what God is up to in Northern Mexico!

May God’s peace and joy be upon you and yours!
Greg

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Hola from Mexico!

We made this video a couple weeks ago for our home church’s (Zion church in Didsbury) global impact weekend and would like to share it with you!  There are a couple specific references to Zion’s participation in our ministries but even if you aren’t from Didsbury you will get an idea of what is going on here.  The only area I realized that I didn’t get in was the SMILES ministry.  God has been doing a lot through Shelli’s Bible Study with a group of the mothers from the day-care fire.  Please keep praying for these families!

To go to video click on this link!  Ministry Update!

Thank you for taking the time to see this video!

In Christ,

Greg

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Hello everyone,

Just wanting to share something that’s on my heart.  The title of this post has to do with the journey God has had me on over the last while.  It has been so good to have my eyes opened to so many things that I can’t believe I hadn’t seen until now.  I’m understanding the “wish I would have known these things a long time ago” comments that people over 40 (I’m 40) make.

In about March I started reading “The Lord’s dealings with George Mueller”, a four book series that diaries this man of faith’s life.  I’m finishing the last book and have been so challenged on so many levels by his example (unceasing prayer, unwaivering faith), his doctrine and his persistent longing to see God glorified as he headed up caring for over 10,000 orphans in England in the 1800′s.  You can read the books for free if you download Kindle from Amazon and download the books onto your computer or smartphone.

Reading George Mueller’s writings and teachings on what God teaches about stewardship in the Bible has opened my eyes to our lack of faith in a all-providing Father in the modern church.  Mueller’s air-tight (biblically speaking) teachings on not being in debt, not storing up treasure on earth (ie. trying to have enough money saved to be able to live on the interest) and going to God in prayer instead of to people in times of need are so counter-culture even in the church today.  Over his lifetime His Father in heaven provided today’s equivalent of over $200,000,000.00 to support orphans, fund world missions and distribute millions of Bibles and Gospel tracts without him ever asking a single person for money.  With that in mind, I love reading what he says over and over again in his journals.  Listen to what he writes to those who would think that he had some kind of extraordinary faith or blessing…

“Our reply is: We do not pretend to miracles. We have no desire even, that the work, in which we are engaged, should be considered an extraordinary one, or even a remarkable one. We are truly sorry that many persons, inconsiderately, look upon it almost as a miraculous one. The principles on which we are acting are as old as the Holy Scriptures. But they are forgotten by many; and they are not held in living faith by others; and by some they are not known at all; nay, they are denied even to be Scriptural by not a few, and are considered as wild and fanatical.”

Mueller longed to be biblical in every thought, word and action.  He read the Bible from cover to cover around 200 times in his lifetime.

God has increased my longing to truly obey what the Bible says over the last years.  Being a true disciple, ready to sell everything and give it to the poor or care for the needy orphan and widow or go to a hostile unreached people group sounds crazy if you treasure what the world and (sadly) a huge part of the church treasures (early retirement, toys, travel, comfort, security, health).  I have to keep asking myself, ”How bad do you want to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, Greg?”  It will cost me everything.  But I get Jesus!!!  What more could I want?  This world has literally nothing for me.  My treasure, my eternal satisfaction is Christ alone!  So, as I delight myself in the Lord (Psa 37:4) He will give me everything my heart desires (delights in),… Him!  If you have had the privilege of living in this kind of delight, thank the Lord for the grace He gave you to make it possible.  It has only been over the last 2 or 3 years that God has opened my eyes to see Him as all I want, desire, long for, treasure and love.  I can’t remember not loving Jesus, but this is different, an all-consuming longing for Him alone.  Not sure how else to describe it and it feels like I am just starting to see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what it will mean as I pursue God.  I just love being in Christ!!!

Please pray for Shelli and I as we, by God’s grace, try to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  We would love to hear of how you are doing in this journey!

In Christ,

Greg Neufeld

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We want to briefly update you on the highlights of Chihuahua and Cuba in this post with a more complete report later (After writing this, I recommend scratching the word “briefly” from the preceding sentence. Sorry!).

Chihuahua!

(You’ll notice the report on Cuba is much more detailed. This has nothing to do with the comparative importance of the mission. It has everything to do with me getting carried away with reliving our time in Cuba)

July 1-8.

A team of 12 Arbol de Vida youth directed by Lane Elliott ministered in a young (6 years old) Evangelical Free church, (Dios De Pactos) in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua a 10 hour drive east from Hermosillo. I, Greg, spent 3 days with the team,
driving, getting to know the pastor and the congregation and preaching for
their anniversary celebration on the Sunday. I had to be back in Hermosillo
early to help finish the preparations for the Cuba trip. It was a blessing to
see our youth training the church people for the Kids Club / VBS that would
take place from Monday to Friday. Approximately 62 children attended this first
children´s outreach that the church had ever had. Only 8 of the children that
attended were actually from the church! Pastor Jose Luis Cruz and his
congregation were greatly encouraged and very thankful to the Lord for the
blessing of having our team serve the Lord alongside them. Thank you for your
prayers!

Cuba

Before getting into the Cuba trip I just want to give God the glory for helping us through the 3 intense months of preparations, choosing the team (still amazed at how God helped us through some faith-testing moments), fundraising (the whole church worked very hard) and all the arrangements in Cuba.

July 13 to August 2.

6 young adults (Victor, Miguel, Melissa, Cristina, Cynthia and Daniela), Shelli
and I set out in the morning needing God to intervene right from the first step
of getting our “mountain” of luggage (supplies for ministries with a 1000
children and youth and personal luggage) checked in at the airport. Right away
we saw God at work responding to the hundreds of you that were praying for us!
The trip to Cuba went well with the airlines giving us grace to take all that
we had along. A huge blessing was that all the supplies arrived in Cuba (one
suitcase a couple days late but just in time for ministry) with no extra costs
or problems!

The day after arriving on the extremely green island (remember we are desert dwellers) we traveled 800 kilometers east from Havana to a small town close to Puerto Padre where we were received warmly (literally and figuratively) by the pastor and his family and the congregation who would be hosting us over the next weeks. Our first impressions of this beautiful country as we traveled were: all the green, antique cars everywhere, horse-drawn carriages everywhere, all the green and
how clean the country-side was. Right away our team got involved in learning:
the Cuban Spanish accent, new words (the Cuban slang is different that the
Mexican slang and so there were new words to learn to prevent offending or
misunderstandings as we made new friends, taught and preached), new food and a
new eating schedule (In Mexico we´re used to eating an early breakfast, lunch
anywhere between 2-4pm and supper after 8pm. In Cuba it was an early breakfast,
12 noon lunch and 6pm supper), new ways of greeting and new customs. It was an
overwhelming joy to be able to dive into this new culture with the
indescribable gift of knowing Spanish already and being able to share life and
build relationships and friendships that will last a lifetime without the
barrier of language.

Mexico team with Cuban friends!

On the first day (Saturday) after arriving in the East some of our team trained leaders from the 4 churches that would be hosting the Kid´s clubs outreaches while I and 4 others from our team rode 30 minutes in a horse-drawn cart to a village where the church that was hosting us is planting a church with a handful of people.
The man that is planting the church taught from the Bible, I lead the singing
and our team shared with the children in the shade of a big tree. What a
blessing to sing praises to Jesus openly in that place!

That same day we were invited to share in the youth service in the evening (“youth” in Cuban churches are from 12 to 30 years of age including married couples). We taught some new praise songs and Shelli shared a challenge with the congregation. Though it was a “youth” service all ages attended.

Sunday, our team participated in the morning service in which we celebrated the baptisms of 8 people (at least 4 seniors). What a precious time! I was privileged to preach a message on boldness in living out our faith to my Cuban family in the Lord. A message that I may have needed more than them.

From Monday to Thursday of the first week we as a team split into 2 teams and each lead Kid´s Clubs in two churches every day. In the mornings from 9am to 11:30am we were in two small churches where we had 70 to 100 kids in each club. In the evenings from 8:30pm to 11pm we were in our host church and another church a half hour away where we shared with up to 300 kids in each setting. It was simply incredible how God was with us as every day we shared the Gospel creatively through dramas, Bible stories and age appropriate teaching, memorized key Scriptures, sang energetic praise songs, made fun crafts and built relationships. As my team (I had 3 team members with me as Shelli lead the club in our host church
with the other half of our team) and I, rode home in the dark in the back of a
transport truck each night we thanked the Lord for the amazing ways in which He
made things turn out. The adults that helped in each church were simply
incredible in how they worked at serving us and keeping order while moving the
hundreds of children through the different activities. It was so encouraging to
work as a team with the volunteers from each church.  The church in the photo below said goodbye with a beautiful prayer of blessing, flowers, letters and crafts from the children and a special gift – a juice box for all 4 of us – a huge sacrifice for the church.  There were lots of hugs and tears after the clubs in each church.

The church where Greg's team ministered in the mornings!

There are many stories of how God had everything under control during the Kid´s clubs. The last night in the church my team worked with was a lesson for me personally. There had been a rainstorm that afternoon and when we arrived at dusk we found the electricity has been out for 3 hours. The pastor said this was common during storms and that it usually took many hours to restore. Without electricity we
simply wouldn´t be able to have 300 kids in the dark. I, personally, was tired
and secretly thought, “looks like a night off.” I was quickly slapped in the
face (understatement) with conviction as my team began to set up their areas of
ministry in the dark hoping that the electricity would return before 8:30pm. I
repented of my shameful, disgusting, selfishness and proceeded to pray with
sincere faith that we would be able to share Christ´s love with these kids one
last time. We prayed as a group with the kids that had already shown up early
as it grew dark. We waited… Then as I stood talking in the dark with the
pastor’s wife in the street in front of the church the light started lighting
up down the street and in a flash there was light in the church! I looked at my
watch. 8:28pm! I smiled inside with a joy knowing that God wanted to steal the
show! It was a wonderful night with the kids and a teary goodbye with lots of
sharing of addresses for writing letters, group photos and hugs. At about 11pm
we got in a group for a final picture before getting on the truck to head home.
As the final photo was being snapped the electricity went out in the whole town
and didn´t return for 3 hours. I smiled and in my heart said to Jesus, “Could
You be a little more obvious next time Lord?” I confessed my sin of selfishness
to my team on the way home and thanked them for showing their passion for the
souls of the kids and their example of faith in setting up even when it looked
like it would be in vain. A lesson I’ll never forget.

300+ kids in the church where Greg's team ministered in the evenings

Church where Shelli's team work with a full house! (Also around 300 kids)

On Friday afternoon the whole church was invited to an afternoon of fellowship at a local river. We spent the afternoon with the church playing volleyball over a vine stretched across the murky river. Tons of fun! Then we walked back through the banana groves to the transport truck that took us back to the church. When we got back some of the young men invited me to play volleyball with them. I have cheered
for the Cuban volleyball team since I can remember and I love volleyball so it
was a dream come true to play with these guys who took their volleyball
seriously. I was a little rusty but had a ton of fun!

Saturday we prepared and repacked our things to be able to leave Sunday for the two youth camps that we would minister at the coming week. We also learned to make sugar cane juice,”guarapo!” Then in the afternoon some of the youth from one of the churches that we had worked with showed us around Puerto Padre. It was about an hour in a 8 seater horse-drawn carriage (think Little House on the Prairie) to this coastal city, a fun ride! In the evening we sang, shared a drama and
preached in the youth service.

Sunday we left for Gibara in a packed transport truck with food supplies and some of the leaders and youth that were also going to be in the youth camps. 2 or 3 hours later we arrived in the church where we would be holding the 2 camps over the next week.  The whole ride Shelli sat on the piled luggage, hanging on tightly to the screw in the trucks roof.  There were bunk beds for the 100 youth and leaders
attending each of the camps. The theme of the camps was “Reach for the Gold”,
an Olympics theme based on Hebrew 12:1,2.  Over the 3 days with each group of
campers we taught on key areas in our Christian walk. “Being part of the team”
(salvation/identity in Christ), “Obstacles in the race” (sin/holiness)and “Eyes
on the goal” (Fixing our eyes on Jesus/perseverance). In each camp we had a
purity talk with the guys and girls separately. Shelli and I have done these
now for years with our Mexican youth and the Canadian youth that come on teams
and they have always been life-changing moments. After talking very directly
and openly to this sensitive and taboo subject we received an emotional
response from many who had never been confronted so directly with their purity
in a culture that promotes illicit physical relationships starting in
elementary school. Girls having an abortion or two in junior high and high
school is heartbreakingly common. Please pray for the purity of the Cuban
youth. We are still receiving notes from people talking about the impact of
that one session.

Our team introducing ourselves at the youth camp!

Saturday we returned to Havana to spend Sunday and Monday there before returning to Mexico. We participated in the service in the Havana Vieja (Old Havana) church on Sunday morning and were able to spend time as a team walking the streets of Havana taking in the amazing architecture and history. On Monday morning we woke up early and walked to the Malecon (oceanfront) to watch the sunrise and to pray for the people of Cuba.

Shelli and I in front of the Capitolio in Havana!

As a team we were able to take time throughout the trip to study the Bible, share testimonies, pray for and encourage one another. Shelli and I enjoyed just being with these wonderful young men and women that we have had the blessing of discipling over the last 10 years. By God’s grace they will do great things for Him in the future too!

We flew to Mexico City early Tuesday morning feeling the heartache of saying goodbye to the brothers and sisters that we’d had for years (in Christ) but had just got to meet and start to get to know.

Thank you for praying!  Many times we thanked the Lord for the hundreds of people that held us before the throne of God in prayer interceding for our every need. There are no words to express the gratefulness and joy!

To Jesus Christ be the glory, honor, power and praise forever!

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“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psa 46:10

Our God is good! We are celebrating His goodness in the amazing week that we spent with the students and leaders from Olds Koinonia Christian School! Thank you for your prayers!

Little Champions Burn Camp! We are amazed at how God brought out many children that had suffered burns in the daycare fire and other fires to the 3 day camp which focused on how we can be champions in the Lord. They learned through praise songs, Bible verses and stories and fun games! Greg spent time with the parents during the camp facilitating interviews with Mike and Jan Sonnenberg (parents of Joel Sonnenberg, a young man that was burnt terribly at 2 years old that now challenges people all over the world to live everyday joyfully to the glory of God no matter what their problem) through Skype from North Carolina, Sandra, our friend, the mother of Alex, a young man that we’ve known since we moved to Hermosillo that suffers with a skin condition that leaves him looking scarred as if he were burnt all over his body and finally with Juan Franco a family counsellor, pastor and friend. It was an overwhelming blessing to share in the lives of these parents who have suffered so much lately, some of them having lost children in the fire almost 2 years ago.

Orphanage Ministry! A team of students and leaders spent the mornings blessing the “Casa De Gozo” (House of Joy) orphanage sharing their lives with the children through songs, games, stories and lots of hugs!

No Solo Poco Loco camp! This 3 day camp was something new for us. Shelli has had on her heart the discipleship of the children of Arbol de Vida that have put their faith in Christ and are growing in Him. We regularly do large evangelistic children’s clubs with the Gospel message being central but many times since the focus is evangelism our own church children don’t get a camp-type experience with deeper Bible teaching. We enjoyed having our friend Jim Cottrill come and share through the life of Peter with the children. They also learned ways to share the Gospel, did an outreach outing making sandwiches and then going to various areas in the city handing them out as they shared about God’s love. The Koinonia students and our Mexican youth were the counsellors and leaders of the various “tribes” of kids. The camp was held in our church building!

Construction ministry! 4 students and their leader Doug Duguid were focused on several projects that we needed done at the church. They worked extremely hard in the hot sun finishing in perfect timing a large shade structure for outdoor services as well as many other projects. Thanks guys!!!

Sports ministry! We were privileged to be able to spend the mornings in the school where Annelise and Caleb go to school. We made relationships with the junior high students in their physical education class and were able to share God’s love with them and invite them to a sports club in the afternoon at the church where they heard the testimonies of the OKCS students and got to know our youth.

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Last Monday was a school holiday for our kids and so we thought we’d take advantage and get out of town and spend time with the Elliott family and Steve and Myra Neufeld (our mission director) in a nearby place where people go and BBQ and just have fun as families.  It was a little windy at first but we had a great “carne asada” (beef tacos) while we visited and the kids played in the creek (not a common experience here). 

Then when it was close to when we had to leave I took this video which shows what a little wind does in the desert.  Good memories!

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Last Saturday, our church along with a couple other churches got together to put on an open house at the Casa De Gozo orphanage to learn more about this ministry that we’ve been helping with over the last year and just bless the children with games, songs, food and fun!  Here is a little video of our Arbol de Vida youth leading the kids in some praise songs!  Please pray for Pedro and Soila, the couple that takes care of the 20 children that live with them as they look for God’s direction for the future.  Thanks!

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Just thought I’d share a moment from our family day today. Caleb has been practicing all year with his school team and today he finally had his first real game. His coach invited him to play with the next group older than him and he did well! We were the only family cheering in English!

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Just was over at the church this morning and took some videos of the ministry (Bible lessons, games, etc) that goes on ever Saturday morning with Arbol de Vida youth and adults serving the 50 to 60 kids that come to be fed a healthy breakfast and a healthy helping of God’s word and His love!

Here is Marcela telling the story of Hannah pleading with God for a son (complete with emotions and all!)

The above video also shows the lot that we have bought for a further expansion and parking.  It will also serve as a playing court/field.

The video below has Miguel and Eduardo sharing with the boys that were playing soccer.

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¡Gloria a Dios!  Praise the Lord!

We are so happy to see our children taking steps in obedience to Christ as they grow in Him!  This last Sunday, Annelise was baptized along with 2 other youth, Mayra and Eduardo.  It was hard for us to hold the tears of joy back as we baptized our daughter watching the beautiful sign of joining Jesus in His death and resurrection.

Shelli and I and our church body in a wonderful moment!

Please remember Shelli and the ladies of Arbol de Vida as they are just leaving for their annual women’s retreat.  There are many new ladies going that haven’t yet put their faith in Christ so please pray that the Father will draw them this weekend to respond to His gospel.

Joyfully serving Jesus!

Greg

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