DIVERSE TEAM HITS ACUÑA

On March 1st, a team of 121'ers hit the road again for Acuña. There are no words to describe the excitement that we all had in our hearts as we drove toward the poverty stricken town, knowing that God is going to move and change the lives of those that we communicate with over the weekend.

We know that God is the one who will move and work in the hearts and the lives of these people, we (the mission group) are just vessels that HE uses! I think of the love that my Heavenly Father has for me, and I know that He loves these people that we will mingle with in Mexico. They are the Apple of His Eye, they are the ones with the loving, open and warm hearts that He wants to commune with. He has paid the same price for them that He has paid for you and me. He spilled out His blood and sacrificed His body for them, so that they can know Him in a close personal way. Christ wants them to come to Him and experience His richness, grace and mercy! He wants their hearts to beat with His love throughout eternity!

This last trip to Acuña was filled with many emotions. We met many children, men, women and dogs!!! I was struck with the little ones this year; they were so open and willing to speak with us. Some of them didn't understand us, but we all tried so very hard to speak to them in our broken Spanish. It was truly the scene of Jesus sitting in the middle of the crowd with all the little ones coming to Him. We went to the “Plaza” where the children played after we prayer-walked in the areas we were assigned. Jacob Seay took out his guitar, just to fiddle around on it, but before we knew it… we were all sitting in the Plaza listening to him sing about his Father in Heaven. The children gathered around and we sat around Jacob to listen. Though they could not understand the words, the children saw the love that Jacob poured out to his Father in song and praise! Truly the little children came up to Christ that day in the form of Jacob and the mission team, and they were welcomed with love and warmth. Jessie McNeil played with them; she ran, helped them on the monkey bars, and spun with them on the round ride that they loved! I saw a teenager become a child and love on them with Christ's love and passion. Jessie was their “Star!” The little girls would run to me and ask, “¿Adondé está Jessica?” Translation: “Where is Jessica?” God used Jessie to impact three little ones that weekend – they came to know Christ in a personal way… God used our Jessie to bring the children to a saving knowledge of Christ. Our teens were amazing… every single one of them, Justin Schappell, Jorge Gaona, Jessica McNeil, the Rives teens, Ashley! They served and sacrificed their time to invest in the lives of the people of Acuña. Pat Heidelman was very passionate; she ran across a family who had a 16-year-old girl in their home. The girls' parents disappeared, the officials had been notified, and no one knew where they were. They had one a scared little teenager on their hands. The family & friends of this girl had gathered around her to support her and to wait with her, but they so desperately wanted prayer. Pat came running and gathered a couple of us to go back to the house to pray with this girl and her family and friends. We gathered in a circle and prayed in Spanish and in English. God used Pat that day! We also had Greg Dill on the trip – he cracks me up! He was so up and willing to speak his Spanish and he was very funny in the process. God used him in an incredible way, going door to door. Becky Epps was also on the team. Wow, what a woman of God. The group of women that she brought with her were just as passionate and amazing as she is. Cindy Miller shared her heart and God's word with us. Renee Berlainder was greatly filled with the love of Christ and shared it with anyone she came in contact with. We had worship music provided by our sweet young couple Ashley and Joe Harmonson, and also by our own Jason Alford; they blessed us and blessed the people of Acuña. Melissa Wanger has such a precious heart. She was diligent to go from door to door to give the gospels of John to families. She also gathered all of the children together to sit during the Jesus movie. She is the picture of Christ to me and she beams and radiates His love. There were many others; Bob Bell faithfully went from door to door handing out the gospels of John. the Rives family ministered to us and to the folks of Acuña, and Jason Hammer shared his humor and love with all of us and with the people we encountered. What were the results of the trip that we have seen so far? This “little” sacrifice that we all gave over the weekend?

• 60 more hearts and souls now belong to Christ!
• Our group of 30 people now are a tight knit group who love each other immensely
• Blessings beyond measure for us and those who heard about Christ
• There is a Bible in every home in the area that we concentrated on for this trip
• God has swept through an area that otherwise may not have heard of the Father and His Love for them
• Hearts are on fire to go back and to go to other areas to share the love of Christ

Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow!

::Debbie Simon

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