True Worship

The Levi Pan de Vida youth group continued their message series on “True Worship." Lessons were focused on how worship is not to be a spectator sport, but rather an act of our love to God.  To demonstrate this idea of presenting ourselves to God in worship, the youth participated in an activity called “Human Constellations."  The teams of youth had to form different figures with their bodies which would be visible to God who is looking down on them.  The kids had so much fun with it.

The leaders then discussed that worship should not be not a forced action, but a natural response that flows from within.  When we recognize the beauty and magnitude of God and His grace, love and power, we should desire worship to him because of what He has done for us and how He lives in our spirit. 

The youth then watched videos and had experiences which created  natural responses.  For  example ~ pain is Owww, terror a scream or eeek, romance is ahhhh, humor is a laugh, etc.  Their responses were not planned or forced, but came naturally which is how our worship to God should be.

The meeting ended with a time of praise music- where they could put their understanding of group worship in practice!  We continue to pray that God will guide these youth to a fuller life of true worship to Him!     

Levi 
 levi1 
 Levi3 
 Levi2

Levi Youth Group


This past weekend The Levi Youth Group started a new series focused on Worship. The lesson was focused on how society and commercials can draw us into activities and desiring materialistic things to make us feel happy, good about ourselves.  Having these "idols" God then gets minimized in our daily lives when he is the only one that can bring us true joy, peace and satisfaction.
 
To illustrate this, each leader set up a room with items they have worshipped in the past.  Elena was prostrate before her books and papers as the youth entered.  She then shared her testimony on how she fell into worshipping academic excellence while she was in college. Paco had an alter to tools and work.  As a young man he learned he needed to work hard to make a living and it was priority in his life.  Kike surrounded himself with all his soccer memorabilia.  He emerged himself in reviews, stats, and played every spare moment he had.
 
The youth then watched a video clip on society and when we consider it, people are worshipping cars, money, music idols etc. Now while all these things do not seem evil, the point was that it is easy to lose our focus on things other than God.  Many of the youth as they walked from each class were already discussing amongst themselves some of their possible idols.  As they heard their leaders, who they knew love and worship God, testify how they had been consumed with other things, they knew it is easily possible for us all.  During this series we all pray awareness will be made and if there are any idols in our lives, we will throw them out and return to the true worship of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Levi Adoracion 1 Apr10 004 Levi Adoracion 1 Apr10 006 Levi Adoracion 1 Apr10 008 Levi Adoracion 1 Apr10 002 Levi Adoracion 1 Apr10 011

DVBS


At Pan de Vida, the children are out of school  2 weeks for "Spring Break."  The 1st week is Holy Week leading up to Good Friday and Easter.  The second week, we were blessed to have a team from Middletown Christian Church of Louisville, KY come and lead a Daily Vacation Bible School.  They worked directly with Elena and Paco, who lead the Levi Youth group to pull it all together. 

We had one night where we all gathered in the auditorium and each child of Pan de Vida was given a photo and prayer letter from a child of the team's home church.  One of the activities of the DVBS was for our children to write their prayer pal back.  After the night of us all getting acquainted, we celebrated Easter and prepared for the week of ministry ahead.

The team went to the 3 neighboring communities to invite children and parents to the event and we had close to 150 visitors.  So with the kids of Pan de Vida and visitors, we had almost 200 children in attendance throughout the week.  The older children of The Levi Youth Group volunteered to work with the kids in the different areas of ministry.  The team and Youth Group leaders did a wonderful job.
The theme for the DVBS was "Thy Kingdom Come" with the messages focusing on The Lord's Prayer. So each day as the children gathered, a point of the prayer was taught and memorizing it was practiced.  The purpose is to not just know the prayer, but to know what it means and apply it to our life.  So when we pray..."forgive us, as we forgive those who trespass against us," then we need to search ourselves to do that.
There were 10 different groups that then dispersed into craft, outside activity promoting teamwork, small group lessons and learning actions and song.  After each group rotated to the stations, everyone regrouped in the auditorium for daily closing and focus on The Lord's Prayer. Then the last day everyone was able to preform the actions to songs that they had learned throughout the week.  Everyone was blessed through this week of ministry. 

In addition the the DVBS mornings, the team then worked on the Orphanage football field to apply sod.  A team from Port Maitland, Nova Scotia built the field 2 years ago, but with the terrain here in Mexico, the thorn bushes took over this past year.  Having a new irrigation system, we are equipped to maintain the field so a fresh start with grass will put the teams back in commission.  The kids are so excited to see it done that all the older boys pitched in to help. 

The next 2 months are the hottest months here in Querétaro, so it will be important to keep it watered properly.  On Thursday afternoon, God surprised us with a downpour of rain, which is unusual for this time of year.  The field soaked it all in and already we can see fresh springs of green sprouting up.  We know the team left very tired but while they were here, they were very fruitful in their ministry.
Matthew 6:9-13 
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
       IMG_0745 IMG_0751 IMG_0817 IMG_0822 IMG_0825 IMG_0873 IMG_0880 IMG_0903 IMG_0923 IMG_0959 IMG_0943 IMG_0927 IMG_0885 IMG_0849 IMG_0862 team

Ministry


This Saturday a local Christian Organization, Light in the Shadow, came to minister to the women and teenage girls of Pan de Vida.  They started the service with praise and worship to Jesus to open and lift our spirits to receive the message.  Then there was a physical exercise where they made groups by alternating the size of them by even then odd numbers.  This left one or several out each time.  The purpose was to give an example of how it feels to be left out.  The result of rejection leaves us empty and this then allows room for the enemy to move and lie to us.  The exercise also allowed discussion on  “cliques” and how they can be a very bad thing when striving for unity.
The Biblical message focused on self-esteem and how we allow what others think influence how we feel about ourselves.  We are created in God’s image and when we criticize ourselves, we are also insulting God. Also, we are His temple and we are to care for it and seek to be healthy.  We often fall for what society advertises as the healthy woman and most of it is always about external looks and less about who we are on the inside.  The message hit on how we respond to meeting these ideas by anorexia, bulimia, cutting and other worldly ways. Jesus himself was said to be a man without any outward looks that would attract us to him, having nothing in his physical appearance that we should desire him.  The desires would need to come from our heart, soul and spirit.  They then went to scripture to emphasize the promises of God and His plan for our lives.
It is always a blessing to have others come and minister with these real issues through Biblical Application.  The kids here already have enough to overcome because of the abandonment and abuse they have experienced.  I think the testimonies from others confirms to them that we all deal with self-esteem issues and in order to live an abundant and spirit filled life, we need for it to be Christ centered…not self centered.
1Samuel 16:7  The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
P1010116_01 P1010131_01 P1010135_01 P1010136_01 P1010146_01 P1010147_01 P1010159_01 P1010157_01

Weekend


A team from the Middletown Christian Church of Disciples of Christ arrived here from Louisville Kentucky Thursday night.  They will be having Daily Vacation Bible School for the children of Pan de Vida and surrounding communities this week in addition to applying sod to the football field.  One of the couples on the team have been living here in Querétaro for almost a year and felt led to bring a team from their home church in ministry.  We were blessed to attend their church here in the city, Rose of Sharon, for our Easter morning services.
 
The weekend began with us going to San Miguel de Allendale on Good Friday to see the reenactment of Jesus' trial/crucifixion.  Once the trial was over, a parade commenced and they marched around the city for 3 hours symbolizing the journey to Golgotha.  Then we all returned to downtown Querétaro to watch some of the silent procession that happens to mourn Jesus' death.  My battery in my camera had died as well but most of that parade was of different churches carrying man made crosses and having a chain around their ankle.  They each wore tall pointed hoods with only holes for the eyes to look through and robes.  Thankfully for those of us who are Christians, we know rejoicing comes as we celebrate on Sunday that Jesus' has Risen and come to be our Saviour.
 
After church service on Sunday, we had a reception with the team and then returned to Pan de Vida where a concert was held in praise and worship to our Risen Saviour.  It was a wonderful time of fellowship as other local churches were invited to come and minister through music.  Now everyone is gearing up for the upcoming "Thy Kingdom Come" DVBS.

IMG_0662 IMG_0664 IMG_0666 IMG_0685 IMG_0701 IMG_0707 IMG_0766 IMG_0767 IMG_0787 IMG_0792 IMG_0795 IMG_0801 IMG_0802 IMG_0810

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)