April 18

(Parable of the lost sheep)  
In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of the little ones perish. 
Matthew 18:14

This month we celebrate Kids' Day.  It's a good reminder of the Father's heart: that not one of them should be lost.  

Grace Christian Church's mission trip was April's kick off!  We traveled to different sites and churches throughout the week sharing at outreach events, visiting homes of kids from Twist, preaching and teaching and ministering.  

One of the most eye-opening parts of the trip was getting to go house-to-house.  Each kids' club prepared a list of addresses of families whose kids frequent Twist.  We prepared bags of grocery items and asked to come in.  From there, we prayed with them for whatever need the mom, dad or other family members mentioned.  

In one home, team member April shared her story of God calling her to be a doctor and how he provided for her the whole way through.  The little girl from that home, Leslie, also wants to be a doctor.  Her mom, Edith wrote to me later that week via Facebook thanking us for how much it meant to them.

Outreach at Kids' Club Twist in Ixtapaluca

Praying for individuals after a church service.   We saw many lives touched and several physical healings.

Choreographies with the team at Twist kids' club Chalco.

At Kids' Club Twist Ixtapaluca, our friend Alex and his wife Dulce were our special guests this month.  He ministered to the kids and she to moms at the women's breakfast.  

Also we're excited to have our first intern, Daniel, here for two months! Grace CC is his home church although he´s been a missionary in Tijuana for five years.  He came down with the team from Michigan and will be serving with us until June.

April 30 is officially Kid's Day, so we spent much of the month getting ready for outreaches: designing, printing and delivering flyers, planning lessons, buying materials, coordinating Twist Kids' Day parties, etc.  

Xaume and Daniel traveled to the nearby state Hidalgo to do a Kids' Day outreach.  Despite being a rural area, there were about 250 kids! Pray for those who attended to keep seeking after God and for the local church to be fortified.

Kids' Day celebration at Twist Chalco - 130 kids!

Kids' Day outreach at Conquering Frontiers Texcoco - one of our home church's church plants.

Jesús traveled to the state of Guerrero to do outreaches for Kid's Day while we were in the city.  Here, he and the local church are ministering in an open plaza.  

Kid´s Day lesson and festivities at Twist Ixtapaluca - 86 kids!

Here´s Daniel leading worship with kids at the Kid´s Day outreach in Ecatepec with local church Word of Faith in Action. 

That evening Xaume and Daniel held one last Kid´s Day outreach at another church called Prince of Peace.  

As they ministered, Xaume felt led to give hugs to the kids who came without their parents.  He explained how God can be their Father even if they don´t have a dad present here.  Many were touched and broken in God´s presence.  

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Ministry bit: 
Much of our time in (and out of) the office involves planning and scheduling.  The mission trip specifically required coordinating with pastors and teachers, setting up transportation, food and housing, budgeting, listing and buying supplies, writing and designing schedules / brochures, writing letters and gathering donations, designing, printing and delivering flyers, etc.

Family news: 
We´re excited that Mom and Dad will be coming down in July to be here around baby´s birth!

Thanks again for reading!  Please keep praying for us to have wisdom as we look to the rest of the year and our growing family.   We send our love! 

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Checks to: Hearts in Action

Memo: Mexico Mission

Send to: 7104 Africa Road
Galena, OH 43021