Continuing our Mission to MexicoA thank you…So many of you have contributed to the success of the mission trip to Mexico this summer. Your involvement in the youth fundraisers, your generosity in donating towards a gift to the church in Mexico and most importantly, your prayers and words of encouragement have carried us all on a journey we will never forget. You have also made it possible for our Wooddale family to stretch further than you realize…across the border and across language boundaries into a little part of the world called Huachichil, Mexico. We were blessed to meet these brothers and sisters in Christ and extend an overwhelming thank you from them, to you!
A blessing…Not only do these Mexican friends of ours send their gratitude, they send their blessings, to us! While in the midst of poverty and accommodations much less than what many of us are used to, these friends continually offered us their prayers that God would bless our community, guide us and give unto us in abundance. These prayers I have no doubt continue in our absence. They are prayers of blessing from around the world directed towards our own Wooddale community.
An invitation…It goes without saying that there is an open door, a kind smile and a friendly “Hola” awaiting you if you ever find yourself in Huachichil, Mexico. However, we may not all get the chance to be a part of such a journey and so we invite you to partner with this community and their mission from a distance. Pastor Marco and his team have huge dreams of serving the young people in Mexico by building a retreat center for youth Bible camps on the church property in Huachichil. Your resources of time, supplies, and finances are always welcome, but even more so, we invite you to keep this community and its mission in your prayers. We invite you to pray for the community of Huachichil, for Pastor Marco and his team of passionate individuals and for the continued progress of the youth retreat center.
A promise…As we were piling into our vehicles the last day in Huachichil, Pastor Marco stopped us and made a simple request followed by a promise. He asked that we would take time every Friday at 3:00 pm to remember him and this mission in Huachichil in prayer. He continued with the promise that he would be holding us in prayer during this time as well. For distance and language are no obstacle to the power of our heavenly Father who has called us all in different ways to serve one another in the name of Jesus Christ. This is a promise for you, for me, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ both near and far away. God’s blessing to you as you live in the promise every day.
A visit…Pastor Marco will be at our worship service at Wooddale on
Sunday, October 5.
Confirmation RefresherWhen Luther reflected on what was important for Christians to know about their faith, he created a simple but profound “Catechism” that examined The Lord’s Pray, The Apostles’ Creed, The Ten Commandments, and The Sacraments. If you understand these important tenants of faith, Luther felt, you would have a good foundation for continued growth in the faith.
Too often only our Confirmation students take time to explore these important statements of faith. Beginning T
uesday, September 16, at
10:00 a.m., I am offering a class for adults that will explore weekly these important topics. So whether you simply want to take a refresher course from your Confirmation days, or have never gone through Confirmation, YOU ARE WELCOME.
