Looking back at this year… He’s been so faithful!

At the end of every year, I like to pause and look back and see how far I’ve come, what’s been accomplished, how God has worked in my life, looking for His blessings, and seeing how He has orchestrated all that has happened in the past year. In reflecting on this last year I see how He has protected me and kept me safe, He has provided for me (good friends and my missionary visa), He has guided me as I started formal children’s ministry here, He’s always with me and has been so faithful to me (whether I’m sick or healthy) and how He is using me to reach people here in Aguascalientes, Mexico for Him. It’s exciting to see how far He has brought me this year and I’m looking forward to walking with Him and following Him in 2008! I pray that we may all be willing to serve Him where we are.  

Bible Study Friends

Andrea and I celebrated Thanksgiving this year with our Bible Study friends. We cooked a turkey, all the sides and some pies for a traditional Thanksgiving feast. We had some great fellowship and had a wonderful time giving thanks for what God has done in our lives this past year.

Discipling Sara

I look back to the beginning of last year when I would see Sara and we would have good quality spiritual conversations. Then I didn’t see her as much until June. Since June I have been seeing Sara on a weekly basis and have started studying John with her and now am going through some discipleship materials with her. It’s so exciting to see her spiritual growth! She doesn’t always understand whatever concept we are studying but she is slowly understanding more and more about God’s grace and mercy. She’s told me before…I never knew so much about God! I never learned this in mass! And whenever I have a problem, I just go and talk to my Father God and read the Bible. I pray that Sara would continue to grow in God’s word and deepen her understanding of the gospel.

Club Adventura!

Last Saturday we celebrated Christmas with a party at Club Aventura (Kids Club). The kids had a blast! We’ve had a varied attendance at our club ranging from 40 kids to 80 kids on any given Saturday we have the club and at the Christmas party we had around 110 kids! It was a full house as we sang, learned a Bible verse, played games, and had a Bible story, craft, snacks and gift time. It was exciting to see some of the mothers of the kids come and give us a hand! We were really blessed to not only have them with us for the club but to have them help serve the snack and pass out candy bags and gifts to each child. (Thank you Northridge Friends Church for making the gifts possible!) Unfortunately we ran short of about 11 gifts, so I had to go get some more and make special deliveries to some of the kid’s houses. It was really neat to get to meet some more of the parents and get feedback on the club and how they appreciate the club being in Pocitos and how they children really enjoy attending.

In delivering one present, the mom, Maria Elena, told us her son Luis loves going to the club (he always gets there early and helps us set up chairs and tables) and loves talking to Aris (a friend from Bible study who loves to help us out with club). Maria Elena told us that in his catechism class they forbade the kids to go to Club Aventura telling them that if they go, they won’t be able to have a first communion. Then she said that Luis told her he didn’t care and loved going to Club Aventura and would continue to go anyways, and he has!

It’s been really exciting to do children’s ministry here and finally start hearing the positive feedback from the work we put into it. It’s been a joy to hear that the kids are singing the songs in their homes, that they count the days to the next club, and that they have memorized once again the memory verse from the last club. It just warms my heart to see God at work in the lives of His children in Pocitos and how the kids really love the club. I pray that even through persecution that these kids would continue to come and hear the good news and grow in their faith!  

Praises:

• For the children who faithfully attend Club Aventura even when they are discouraged to not go!

• For good health!

• For you, my faithful prayer and support partners who make my ministry here possible!

Prayer requests:

• For the kids and community of Pocitos as we minister to them through Club Aventura.

• For the Giron family as they prepare to join the team in January.

• For the devil’s strongholds to be broken down so that people can see and accept the truth about God’s grace.

Thank you for your support and prayers!      

Candi Foster