Update from the Fishers in Mexico

Transcription

1 Update from the Fishers in Mexico Greetings from Guadalajara, Mexico in the name of our risen Lord! We trust you had a wonderful time of reflection on our Savior's sacrifice and celebration of His victorious resurrection from the dead. Jesus lives! Spring is finally here and we give thanks to God for His abundant grace and a provision for the work of His Kingdom here in Mexico. After spending most of February in the U.S, I am grateful to be back with my family and back to work here in Guadalajara. A lot has been going here, so many stories: reunions, conversions, births, weddings, construction and ongoing missions and ministry. Here are just a few highlights! FRIENDS

2 "Shine" One night last week on the streets of the inner city, I came across a familiar face that I had not seen in about 6 or 7 years. It was my old friend, Sergio, who goes by the street name "Shine". I remembered him as a good-looking, intelligent, young man, who had a way with the ladies. Now in his early thirties, he was barely recognizable, old, emaciated and gaunt, from a life of drug abuse and disease. We talked for a few minutes and he soon confessed that he had enough and needed help. That very night we took him to rehab. A few days later, he professed faith in Christ alone as he broke his rosary beads and threw them into the fire. Pray for his recovery and his new walk with the Lord. Karla Just a few nights later, at our street soup kitchen, another old friend, Karla approached us and told us she was also ready to go to rehab! I was skeptical since she has been addicted to crack and meth and other drugs as long as we have known her and has always refused our offers of help, but this time we gladly obliged and took her to rehab that same night. By God's grace, she weathered the acute withdrawal symptoms and is now settled in her new home at the Mercadito. Please pray for her long-term recovery as well as her relationship with the Lord.

3 Juan Juanito is another young man I met when he was a wild teenager, but like so many others, one day he just disappeared. I wondered what happened to him and always assumed the best rather than the worst. In God's providence, Juan was in prison. He did seven years and was recently released on parole. He returned to the streets of the inner city where we found each other and picked up right where we left off seven years ago, with the Gospel. Prison life seems to have matured him and he is much more open than he was before. So far he has avoided falling back into hard drugs, and is keeping his nose clean, but please pray for him that he would also trust in Christ and find new life and hope in Him. Alejandra Our dear friend, Alejandra has been clean for almost a year now and just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Naomi, who was conceived during a brief relapse last spring. She came to camp last summer and has been in rehab ever since. She seems to be strong in her faith at the moment and is committed to staying clean, working and raising her daughter. My friend, Jorge from church gave her her old job back at one of his sushi restaurants where she is a model employee. Pray for Alejandra, that she would stay strong and keep on the straight and narrow.

4 Armando and Raquel Please pray for Armando and Raquel, a young Christian couple from el Mercadito who just got married on Easter Sunday! They are dear friends who love the Lord and have overcome many obstacles in their lives. Pray that God would bless their union and use them for His glory! MINISTRY El Mercadito We are pleased to be working with a local Christian rehab center, called "El Mercadito" which is slowly being rehabilitated itself! An old market which was abandoned for over 25 years, is now home to many recovering addicts of all ages and even families who live and worship together in this rustic setting. Over the last few years we have taken many friends from the streets of the inner city to live here. Some come and go, others have relapsed back to the streets, some are doing well and some have even made a full recovery and returned to productive lives and ministries. We have been recently working on improving the quality of the living conditions there, thanks to the generosity of a supporting church in Tennessee. Here are some of the projects we have been working on: (Check out for more!)

5 Doors One precious Mercadito family, Neftali and his wife, Mary and their 3 children, Fatima, Eric and Angel all live comfortably in a single room at El Mercadito. Neftali asked me if we could do them a favor. The door to their room was just a blanket hanging from a few nails and he told us that huge rats would come in every night and scurry around his sleeping children. He would get up and chase them away, but couldn't keep them out with out a proper door. The next day, we installed a brand new door for them. They were delighted and so grateful to be able to sleep better at night. Of course, now everybody at the Mercadito wants new doors on their rooms too! We hope to be able to do this and much more over the next months to improve the living conditions of our dear brothers in Christ living at el Mercadito. (Each door costs about $60 if you would like to make a donation toward one. See below.) Roof The next project on the list was to put up some roofing over the cooking and dining areas. This is a central gathering place at el Mercadito but was in the blazing sun during most of the day and would also be washed out every time it rains. I recruited a few helpers, bought the materials and in 2 days, the area was protected from sun and rain and can even be closed off now. This simple project has made a huge difference in this place and improved the quality of everyday life for our friends here as they get back on their feet and follow Christ.

6 Projects There are still plenty of projects to be done here at the Mercadito. The next step is to pour a concrete floor in the same kitchen/ dining area. Then build a brick fireplace grill/oven in the corner for cooking. Then all the electrical wiring needs to be replaced and made safe. Then there are at least a half dozen more rooms that need roofs and doors to create more usable living space. The bathrooms need to have plumbing with running water installed. Finally the largest room needs a roof to have a gathering place for worship and classes. If you would like to help with any of these projects, there is a special project account set up at MTW for donations, or come on down and we'll put you to work! Anyway, thanks for your prayers for this ministry. Donations can be sent to MTW at: Mission to the World P.O. Box 2589 Suwanee, GA Project Acct #: 91139MX Mercadito Rehab Facility

7 Violence Mexico is still a scary place to live sometimes. At least 16 police officers are dead following attacks here in Jalisco recently by armed gunmen believed to be members of the Jalisco Nueva Generación drug cartel. The first attack here occurred yesterday afternoon when a convoy of police traveling to Guadalajara was ambushed and 15 were killed. The second confrontation occurred minutes later outside the city where another police officer was killed. Cartel members also blocked highways with burning vehicles in several places. The attacks are believed to be in retaliation for the arrest of four suspects in an attack on a local official on March 30 in a neighborhood here in Zapopan. He was traveling in an armored vehicle and survived the assault, in which 50-caliber weapons and rocket-launchers were used. Such is the country we live in. Please pray for peace in Mexico! PRAYER PRAISE God for His faithful provision for all our needs as a missionary family in Mexico. His grace is always sufficient! PRAISE God for the ministry to which He has called us, especially among the homeless, addicted and lost of the inner city of Guadalajara. PRAISE God for our missionary colleagues, NACL teammates and other volunteers who make our work possible. (I especially thank God for my daughter, Daphne.) PRAISE God for churches and individuals who have partnered with us in this lifelong missionary endeavor and for your prayers and support. PRAY for preparations for our Summer Youth Camp in July. PRAY for the ministry of El Mercadito and other Christian rehab centers.

8 PRAY for the individuals mentioned in this update and for many more like them to whom we minister. THANK YOU for your prayers! Until Next Time! There is a lot more news we could share about the ministry of NACL, street soup kitchens, the carpentry workshop, our mission in La Providencia, biker ministry, not to mention family news! (Everyone is well and says hi!) But I'll save that for next time. Until then, please find us on Facebook and check out more pictures of what God is doing here in Guadalajara. Thank you so much for reading this. We appreciate your prayers and partnership with us in the work of our Lord's Kingdom here in Mexico. God bless you and His grace be with you! Sincerely, Paul S. Fisher Mission to the World NACL Guadalajara, Mexico