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How We Serve Jesus
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In the past three years, we used our own resources, plus a $50,000 grant from the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and manpower from the First Baptist Church of Alta Loma, Texas, the First Baptist Church of Longville, Louisiana, the Covenant Baptist Church of Warrenton, Virginia and the Mt. Sinai Baptist Church of Charleston, West Virginia to minister to persons in Latin America.
With these offerings and Christ’s leadership, we conducted missions work in cooperation with more than 40 churches in Mexico and Peru. Here is some of what we were able to accomplish for our Lord:
Training Pastors - We have helped devoted servants of Christ minister to more than a quarter of a million people. You can learn more about this here.
Planting Churches - We have established 10 new churches in the past two years. You can learn more about this here.
Changing Lives - Through evangelism, by healing, with gifts, by helping and with financial support. You can learn more about this here.
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What's Happening in FBC Weslaco Missions Right Now
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Ongoing Worship Services in Mexico – We conduct worship services every Wednesday at 2:00 PM in Nuevo Progresso, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Attendence averages about 50 persons. You can see some pictures of these services here.
Christmas in Mexico – Some of our Winter Texans organized a special Christmas for the children of Nuevo Pregresso, Mexico. You can see an awesome demonstration of how these people serve our Lord through this church here.
Christmas Gifts – Our Women on Mission and other ladies from our church made more than 800 Christmas stockings which were distributed to various places in Mexico. You can learn more about this program here.
Mission Trips to Peru – During Thanksgiving 2007, we gave thanks to our Lord by sending a missions team to Peru. Among other things, they met with congressional representatives in Lima, led 144 persons to Christ, witnessed hundreds of decisions by people to rededicate their lives to Jesus, restored sight to 800 people, conducted a pastor training school, and helped with disaster relief efforts in the earthquake ravaged cities of Pisco and Chincha. You can see some pictures of this trip here.
In the fall of 2006, we sent our Missions Pastor to the jungle on the back side of the Andes Mountains near Tarapoto, Peru. He led 80 persons to Christ, and another 300+ persons rededicated their lives to our Lord. You can see some pictures of this trip here.
We also sent a team over spring break to Piura, Paita, and Tambo Grande Peru (all three north of Lima on the Pacific coast) ministering to the people in those towns. Among other things, we conducted a pastor leadership seminar attended by 65 pastors, a marriage conference attended by 40 couples, and eye clinics where more than 300 people received restored eyesight. 45 people made first time professions of faith in our worship services; hundreds more rededicated their lives to Christ. We handed out thousands of bibles, tracts and other Christian reading materials. You can see some pictures of this trip here.
Easter Services in Mexico – Our children shared the story of Jesus’ resurrection with children in Higuerillas, Tamaulipas (south of Matamoros, Mexico on Easter Sunday. You can see some pictures of the trip here.
Disaster Relief – We sent two trailers of relief supplies to Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico and Eagle Pass, Texas after a tornado struck those towns. Among other things, we furnished food, water, cots, furniture, clothes, shoes and cash. Missionary Phillip Brandon of First Baptist Church of Alta Loma Texas provided invaluable assistance in these efforts. We also help recovery in Pisco, Peru with food, clothing, money and other assistance after the city was struck by a massive earthquake. You can see some pictures of our disaster relief efforts here.
International AWANA – We are working with churches in Mexico to establish OANSA (the Spanish version of AWANA) throughout Northern Mexico this summer.
Missionaries to Guatemela – Our Caleb and Christy Swaringen spent the summer ministering to orphaned and abandoned children at the New Life Children’s Home in Villa Nueva, a suburb of Guatemala City. You can read more about the children's home here, their ministry blog here, and you can see some pictures of their trip here.
Church Building in Mexico – We are building new permanent home for our Mission Misericordia Divina #1 in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. You can see some pictures of our Reynosa ministry here .
Vacation Bible School in Mexico – On July 2-8, we conducted our third consecutive Vacation Bible School for children in La Pesca, Tamaulipas, Mexico. You can see some pictures of the school here.
Other Mission Trips to Mexico – On July 24-26, we sent a missions team to Galeana, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. You can see some pictures of this trip here.
Ongoing Ministries – We are continuing to support orphans in Peru and Mexico. You can see pictures of this ministry here. We have conducted numerous eye clinics and are planning more in the near future. You can see pictures of this ministry here. We conducted several pastor training seminars and are planning another this fall and one more next spring. You can see pictures of this ministry here.
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Looking Ahead
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Our Lord Jesus has been providing new opportunities for us in Missions. Among other things, we are in permanent contact with ministers and churches in Mexico and throughout South America, and our state convention has invited us to be part of several Latin American missions trips.
HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR 2008
Every Week: Edinburgh Children's Hospital Visitations – Tuesdays // Nuevo Progresso Church Services – Wednesdays
January – March: At least two mission trips designed especially for our Winter Texans. Most likely places Galeana, La Pesca, Ciudad Vitoria, or Guanajuato, Mexico. Also:
February 20-23 – Missions Trip to Galeana, Mexico (in the Mountains 120 miles south of Monterrey).
March 8 – Missions Trip to Camargo, Mexico (south of Rio Grande City, Texas).
March 14-28 – Two Missions Trips to Peru. One is a medical missions trip to Puno (on the Bolovian border in southeastern Peru) and the other is an evangelistic campaign.
Easter: Annual Easter services in Mexico.
April – August: Several missions groups from other churches will use our facilities as a "home base." Although they have their own plans and schedules, we always assist them any way we can. Also:
April 19-26 – Mission Trip to Tamazunchale Mexico (between Tampico and Mexico City) to train pastors – over 100 pastors already enrolled to date.
May 12-17 – Missions Trip to Mexico City to conduct an evangelism conference and preach at at least two local churches.
June: Trip to Venezuela to preach an evangelistic crusade, conduct eye clinics, pastor training, and conduct other "regular missions activities." Designed for youth – this is the perfect opportunity for them since they are on vacation from school.
July: Vacation Bible School at La Pesca Tamaulipas in conjunction with summer camps sponsored by our church.
July-October: Hurricane season. We hope that it will not be necessary, but experience has shown we will likely have to make one or more trips to provide emergency assistance.
November Trip to South America. The location has yet to be determined depending on the need and invitations. This journey will likely include numerous Winter Texans.
Christmas: We will hold at least three special christmas services at our missions in Reynosa, Nuevo Progresso and Higuerillas, Mexico. Among other things, we will make special distribution of gifts, Christmas stockings and tell the story of Christmas. Additional services may be scheduled depending on the input and involvement of our Winter Texans.
IN ADDITION:
We will continue to cross the border several times each week to carry out our ongoing missions activities.
One of the elected representatives in Peru has invited us to conduct a special missions effort in her congressional district. It also appears likely we will be granted a special audience with the President of Peru. We will take advantage of both opportunities at the appropriate time.
Depending on responses from others, we would like to add a vacation Bible school at least one more location, plant at least one new church, and carry out additional Christmas and Easter services at other villages.
We hope it will not be necessary, but experience has shown we will likely have to make one or more trips to provide emergency assistance – especially during the July–October hurricane season.
NOTE:
All of these activities are provided for planning purposes only. Circumstances change frequently as new opportunities change. All future missions activities are subject to approval by the FBC Weslaco Missions Committee and the FBC Weslaco church membership contingent upon financial resources and the availability of personnel and volunteers.
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How You Can Help
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As you can see, we have had amazing success in a relatively short time in the area of missions. We attribute this to four factors:
Linguistic – We are a wonderfully bilingual body of Christ whose members are familiar with many local dialects.
Cultural – Latin America is very different from the U.S. in the way people interact. As a result, the “American Way” usually does not work well. Many of our church members came from a Latin American culture; many more understand it well.
Contacts – One of the largest differences between the U.S. and Latin American lies in the way relationships must be established and mutual trust must be built before meaningful interaction can occur. Many of our church members have close friends, business associates and family members in Latin America.
Jesus – Most important, we have a love for Christ and are willing to serve Him as He commands. And as we go forward in His name, we have found that He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:18-20).
Would you like to be part of our missions explosion? Here is how you can help serve Jesus:
WHAT'S INVOLVED IN MISSIONS
Before going any further, you may want to see what happens to people serve Jesus in our missions work. If so, you click here.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING IN OR GIVING TO OUR MISSIONS MINISTRY, HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP
INDIVIDUALS
Material goods – We need clean clothing (especially children’s clothes), shoes, diapers, food, bottled water, canned goods and furniture. This is an especially good way for our Winter Texans to help – fill your campers with these supplies with the help of your local churches. Bring them by our church offices, or better yet, go with us as we deliver them to those who need them most.
Donations – We can do so much with very little. A few dollars can restore a person’s eyesight; $250 can train a pastor who ministers to hundreds of people; $1,500 can take our Missions Pastor to a place where he can lead hundreds to accept Christ and rededicate their lives to our Lord.
Manpower – We need people to help plant churches; teach in vacation Bible schools; build churches; make gifts; distribute gifts; love children; lead songs; and much, much more.
CHURCH GROUPS
We provide an extraordinary opportunity for church groups to serve our Lord. This is because, in a nutshell, we know where to go, who to talk to, how to open doors, what to say, and how to say it. As you can see, this enables us to attain extraordinary results with an enviable efficiency.
Would you like to take your missions team across the border on day trips? Would you like to venture into the heartland of Mexico – to, say, the mountains near Monterrey or villages on the Gulf Coast? Would you like to go with us to South America? Can you adopt a village; a pastor school; or an orphanage?
IN CONCLUSION
Do you believe you reached this place on this web page by accident – or do you believe our Lord has led you here on purpose? Pray and ask Jesus how He wants you to help. Then click here.
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