Oh Victory in Jesus!

Revelation 15:3-4 "a song of God's servant Moses and the Lamb: 

Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. 
Just and true are your ways,
King of Nations.
Who will fear you, Lord, 
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."

I can't wait for the day when we are witness to this absolute and complete victory! What an incredible day it will be. Today, we can be part of this victory as the heavens rejoice when one sinner repents, when one lamb is brought into the arms of Jesus. 

Today, our team sets out on a journey to another Nation. To a place where, one by one, lives are being transformed for the Glory of God. Thank you Jesus for giving us just a glimpse of the rejoicing that happens in the Heavens right here on earth. We praise you God for what you will do and TRUST in your faithfulness.

Trust For Protection

Trust: our theme for the year... beyond that what does trust really mean? There are all kinds of things that people put their trust in. Trust in money, Trust in your house, Trust in your future, Trust in yourself, and Trust in other people. The problem is... All of these types of things or people may fail. Then what? We have to reach up with empty hands and trust the only one who never fails, Jesus! He is our constant protector, our refuge, and the Holy one we must place our trust. 

Only a little more than a week remains until our team departs for our mission trip to the village and we ask for your fervent prayers. We know that we are fighting a Spiritual battle and when the devil knows good things are about to happen (in the name of Jesus) he doesn't like it. Please pray for our protection above all. I came across this in my devotion this morning and thought I would share.

The Psalmist declares `Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you` (Psalm 5:11). By trusting ourselves to God’s protection, we are kept safe from the enemy and given reason to rejoice and be glad. Of course this doesn`t mean that bad things won`t happen. Believers still get flooded, wounded, or even killed. But the truth is that when we`re under the spiritual protection of the Lord there`s a place of inner safety, which is unassailable by the enemy.

Praise God! 

Our 2014 Team is Getting Ready to Serve!

So much has happened in the village since our last team served in March of 2013.

Last year, our team helped the members of the church in San Francisco, Yucatan, to haul about 18 tons of rock from the church property to form the floor of the church. It was an amazing experience as each person picked up each rock and placed it on what would be the foundation of the church! If you remember, the theme of our trip last year was, "Built on the Foundation of Christ" Wow, what a huge Spiritual representation each of those rocks was!   After our team left, the work of the church carried on. The cement was laid, and walls were formed, windows placed, and the very first church services in the church were held.

Manuel and Nancy Pamplona are now living on the grounds of the church and this year our team will be helping to complete their Pastoral house. We also plan to have a Family Camp and a Baby Shower for the first new babies born to families of the church.

Our team this year looks a little bit different than most years. We are small in numbers and we are from a variety of different churches and places. We are confident that God hand picked each of us for such a time as this! We trust in God and his perfect plan for each of us this year. We are trusting that through our weakness, God will be strong and accomplish Mighty things!

Will you join us in prayer as we finish up our preparations and make plans to head into the Mission field?

Thank You!

It is almost time for our Mission trip!

One week From today, our team will depart for our mission trip to Mexico!

We are ready to begin a journey into a land that God has prepared for us. A place that is being built high upon the mighty rock of Jesus Christ. It is so encouraging to know that God is already there preparing hearts and changing lives and He calls us to join Him! We are ready to experience and take part in what God is already doing. 

On Monday, we had our packing night and I always stand in pure amazement at how all the supplies fit into the space that we have. God works miracles even in the details of packing! Each team member will have one team bag that is filled to the brim of everything we need for our ministry. Please join us in prayer that all of the supplies are cleared through Customs in Mexico. Thank You

We have an early team departing on Monday, March 4 and the remaining team will leave on Wednesday, March 6. We will post updates and prayer requests (provided we have Internet in Mexico) We would love for you to be a part of the trip by following our blog and praying for us!

We want to thank our Friends, Family, and the Community of Sunshine Community Church for your prayers and generous support. You are such a vital part of the team and we couldn't do it without you!  

Prayer is the most important part of our mission trip and we would like to invite you to join us on the team through your prayers! Seriously, you can have just as much of an impact as those of us on the field through your prayers. We will have Day by Day prayer calendars available on Sunday at Sunshine and I will also attach a link (or attempt to) attach a link to this blog as well as our Facebook page. On Tuesday, March 12, we are having a day of 24 hour prayer. We stand in anticipation waiting for what God will do through the prayers of the Warriors! 

Thanks you again,

Sunshine's 2013 Mexico Outreach Team

Mexico Missions Team 2013

Celebrating 10 years of serving in the Yucatan! 

Now is your Opportunity! It is an exciting year for our Mission work in the Yucatan as we celebrate 10 years of serving in the village! This year's team will also be witness to a historic event as we take part in building the very first Christian church in the village!

Our theme this year is "Built on the Rock of Jesus" Restoring Hope and Renewing Lives! Applications are now available at Sunshine's Global Mission Cabinet for the 2013 Mission team and must be turned in no later than September 26 

My To Do List... or God's?

4:00 am... Me Awake staring at my To Do list

The good news is that it is shrinking! The pad of paper is full of black scratches of tasks completed. Yet, I leave tomorrow with the Early Team for Mexico and there are still a few things that aren't scratched off including my personal suitcase! As I contemplate the list, I wonder if each and every thing that made the list made it because I wanted it there or because God Commissioned it to the list? As I was reading my Bible this morning I read this:

Isaiah 42: 5-7

This is what God the Lord says---

He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

I the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a LIGHT for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness

I am the Lord; that is my NAME!

Amazing! God isn't interested in a To Do List, He is interested in me and every member of this Mexico Outreach Team 2012 because God is going to open the eyes of the blind, free the captives from Prison, and release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness!

He will take hold of our hands and will make us to be a covenant for the people and a LIGHT for the Gentiles!

My To Do list or God's?

Tonight is Packing Night!

It's 4.00 am and by this I know that the mission trip is near. While on the trip, God typically wakes me up at about this hour so that we can talk about the day and what He has in store. In the quiet of the day, I listen and God knows this. He want to be sure that I don't miss his voice and his plans for the day! so today he woke me with insight on today, Packing Night.

Packing night... What does it really mean

Tonight most of our team will get together to pack all of the Team supplies. Each of us carries one personal bag and one bag filled with items to be used during the mission trip. As I woke this morning, I began to understand that packing is about so much more than cramming as many supplies as possible into a suitcase while still keeping it under 50 pounds! Packing night is about lives that will be touched and transformed for Eternity!

Packing night is:

Listening... to the voice of God. Each team member who is packing tonight faithfully answered God's call to go into the world to carry His Light into the darkness.

Giving... to people in God's world. Each item that was donated or purchased for this trip has a story behind it. School Supplies... Soaps and Shampoos... Jesus Calling Devotion Books... Each item was given or purchased by a person or a family who wants to be a part of God's story!

Creating... for God's glory. Beautiful embroidered tapestries, t-shirts, sticks, spa kits. Each created using the gifts that God granted and each item will be used to reach hundreds for God's glory!

Living... for Eternity. As I think of packing, I think of each pencil, each crayon, each heart box, each Bible Story, Each gospel of John, each t-shirt not simply as an object placed in a bag but as a life. Think of the magnitude of that! Each item will be given by a man, a woman or a teenager that is deeply in love with Jesus and has a passion for His people! Each and every item will be touched and loved by a woman, a man, a child, a pastor, all loved by God! Each item has the potential of being the vessel through which God's story begins in the life of that woman, man, or child.

Yes, I now understand that packing night is less about packing and more about the Light of Eternity!

Thank you God and 4:00 a.m.

Wendy

Wow! I just can't believe that there are only 2 1/2 weeks until our team leaves for the Yucatan and the village of San Francisco. We have a smaller team this year with 14 people flying to serve on the mission trip. There are many other local people that will help us when we arrive and we can't wait to see them! It feels like we are in the midst of family when we are there! A big family reunion. We know that it is only through God that we have been able to form these friendships with our local partners and the people of the village. He has given us a common bond through Him! We are finishing up with gathering supplies, writing curriculum, learning the lifehouse skit and so much more but soon it will be time to Shine Bright the light of Jesus! We just pray that we would be able to lay down our own agenda and listen carefully for the voice of God and His will for this trip! Please be in prayer for our team, Manuel and Nancy and their children in the village, the local church members and our local partners as we prepare to serve in Mexico. Our prayer is that people will know that Jesus is the only light that will help them learn the truth and the way!

When Happiness Fades, JOY Remains!

Why is it that happiness is so fleeting?
Through the course of one day my feelings of happiness or the lack there of can literally change 10 times! Reflecting on that thought, I realized that being happy is an emotion that is completely based upon whether my life is going well(or not) at any given moment.

Happiness is an emotion that is based upon something positive happening in my life.

In other words...

When everything is going well in my life... I am happy
When my life isn't going so well... I am unhappy

The great news is that when the happiness fades away, JOY remains! Joy is something that is bigger than you and bigger than me and it isn't based on whether I have matching socks or a clean kitchen! With Christ in my life, I have an unspeakable JOY through the Holy Spirit. JOY is something that will last forever!

The JOY of the Lord is my strength! Nehemiah 8:10c

Wendy's Summer Immersion Trip 2010

I am excited to share that from July 22 through August 2, I (Wendy) will be traveling to the village of San Francisco, Mexico to completely immerse myself in the daily life and kingdom advancement with the Mayan people who are so near and dear to my heart! As you know, Sunshine Church sponsors Manuel and Nancy, a local Mayan couple, who are working diligently to share the Love of Christ in the village of San Francisco! They have invited myself and Mercedes (who will help me translate) to be guests in their home within the village. My prayer is that in doing so I will gain a better understanding of their culture, religious barriers, struggles, and daily life. I believe that this will also enable me to better equip short term mission teams as we continue to build a village of people who love and serve Jesus Christ. God is truly orchestrating His plan and I stand in amazement as I watch it unfold!

If you would like more specific information on my itinerary and/or prayer requests, please see the link above to our Mexico facebook page!

Being a light in the Yucatan!

Wendy

Mission Team Update

Praise God! Our team is experiencing blessings that only God can provide. God continues each day to reveal his plans for the villages of San Francisco and Xocempich. Everyone from the team is doing great and we are working so well together. God is using each of us to serve him in ways that are so unique for each one of us!

Highlights:

Today, our cooking team made 630 sandwiches in 1 hours and 10 minutes! We have our dinner in San Francisco tonight for the families and so we could use prayers that all will go well when we pass out the meals and that God would provide enough food for everyone who comes.

Larry and the Vet team have fixed 11 dogs and cats and have provided countless other services for families with animals. He even has a family in Xocempich who asked him to move to the village!

We went home visiting today in the villages of San Francisco and Xcopteil. God´s presence was definetely present in each home we served. Please pray against the fear that so many families have as to what others will think about them if they become Christian

The Bible club is going wonderfully and each person is making such a wonderful impact on the lives of the children!

The work team is very busy with many projects including making tables and benches for Nancy and Manuels family in which they hold worship services in. There are plans being made to contract a bulldozer to level off the land which so many men have worked to level but there is much work to be done.

God is amazing and we continue to see His blessings each day!

The Outreach Team

It's Mission Trip Week!

Team Packing is done... Training Complete... Let the mission Trip Begin!

The Sunshine Outreach Team would like to thank everyone who has supported us as we prepare to minister to the people of the Yucatan! We know that God is going to do amazing things for His glory because He has already provided in ways that we can't even begin to imagine! The outpouring of financial and prayer support is beyond our belief! THANK YOU!!!

Our team will be leaving for Mexico this Thursday February 18 and we will return on February 28. We will try to update this blog with team news and prayer needs while on the trip but Internet cafes seem to be hit or miss.

Sharing God's Love by Loving His People!

Wendy and the Outreach Team

A Pumpkin and a Pile of Coals

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to truly be "Love in Action" for a couple of families in the village of San Francisco, Mexico.  Aaron and I and Rick and Barb Ruiter were in Mexico on a rest and relax trip. On our second week, the same cold front that was affecting much of the USA also moved into Mexico. Infact, emergency shelters were even set up in the big cities. We knew that the people of our village would also be very cold and so we decided to make the 2 hour drive to offer blankets and clothing to a couple of the extremely poor families in the village. We were shocked as we pulled up to the house of one of the poorest families in the village. We realized that the Mayan hut that this family lives in is literaly about to fall over. It has only a few solid logs left holding up the entire structure. We were welcomed into their home as if we were family! Flor, the precious mom was cooking what looked to be one small sized pumpkin that I am sure was to their only food for dinner. Dad was sleeping with Wendy, one of their children in a hammock in the back of the hut. He later said they sleep most of the day just to keep warm. You see, under each hammock in the hut, they had built a small pile of coals to keep them warm.  We were shocked to see Wendy, one of their daughters, sleeping in a hole filled hammock only inches away from a smoldering pile of hot coals.
It was no accident that God sent us to the village that day! God knew that we needed to be "Love in Action" at that specific time. Our reward was seeing the smiles on the faces of these precious children and the relief on the face of mom when we offered them blankets and the groceries that we had purchased just for them. The children exlaimed, "Pan, pan"! (bread, bread) They were so excited to have a simple loaf of bread that their faces were bursting forth with smiles! We knew that for tonight, they would go to bed with a full belly! "Love in Action"

A Promise of Restoration! Jeremiah 33

Prayer is the Key to Restoration!

This is what Jeremiah heard from the Lord: Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know!"

The Lord tells us in vs. 9: "Then this city will bring me renown, joy praise, and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it!"

Prayer: It is such a comfort to know that God already has plans made for the village of San Francisco! The key to knowing His plans is as simple as prayer! When we pray, God will reveal his wondourous plans of these great and unsearchable things! We can't do it on our own!

Restoration: It brings me such joy to know that God will bring health and healing to this village that we love so deeply! He will give them unspeakable joy, abundant peace, and security!

Put On LOVE!

Have you ever thought of what it would mean to actually put on LOVE? 

Colossians 3:13-14 "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues PUT on LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (NIV)

Jesus requires simply two things of us: Love God, and love others--including those whose ways we don't understand, who may be from a different culture, and even those who have a different religion. When we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, only then can we find the grace, mercy and wisdom to love the rest of the world. If we wake up every morning and "PUT" on the LOVE of Christ, we will be growing ever closer to the image of love itself in Jesus Christ! The more we love, the more we can be Jesus to a world so full of pain and desperation.

Deadline For Applications is rapidly approaching!

Hey everyone! September 27 is the deadline for you to get your applications in. Our team is filling up pretty quickly so if you were waiting to turn in your application, please do so ASAP! You can drop applications off at the Global missions cabinet in the box marked "Outreach Applications". There are also applications available at the same spot or you can email Wendy to get one via email.

Our first training date is Tuesday October 6 at 7:00 in the Rennaisance room at Sunshine

Have a great day!

Wendy

Village Outreach Team 2010!

I am simply amazed that We are beginning to plan a new year of Missions to our little village of San Francisco, Mexico! As so many of our prior team members have said, "I left my heart in San Francisco!" There are so many people that we have grown to love just like family and I can't wait to see them once again!

Thanks to all who came out for our Informational night on Tuesday! It was awesome to see some new faces as well as some familiar faces!

Don't forget that applications are due September 27 and our first meeting is October 6!

Simply Love!
Wendy