Picture yourself as a mother of 5 young children. Christmas is approaching and you know that you can't give them the Christmas you dream of. Your home is made of pieces of tin and scraps of wood. The dirt floors are so cold this time of year. As a single parent you go out each day to make enough money to provide a simple meal. As you sit watching your children play in the dirt yard you can't help but wish you could do more. Their shoes have holes, the legs are too short on their pants, and the sleeves too short on their thin coats. Your daughter carries around a gourd that she has named and pretends it is her baby doll. They seem happy, but only because they have never known it any other way.
Here at Full Gospel Revival Center we make it our mission to drive the 24 hour trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico each December - with a trailer full of blankets, toys, clothes, and food. Here you will find families just like the one briefly mentioned above.
Doug and Jan Welborn are missionaries here. They have set up a Community Center right in the middle of the poorest section of this small town. Inside they have a playground, a Dr.'s office, a computer room, a place to cut the children's hair and give them bathes. There are daily Bible Studies. The children can also play ping pong, basketball, foos ball, air hockey & soccer. They have a workshop that is up and running. They minister to over 600 people weekly. They bless these people daily with food, diapers and clothes. Besides the Community Center they also have a Refuge where they take in people who have no place at all to go, no place to call home. They give them shelter, food, and also teach them about the love and mercy that our God and Saviour so freely gives.
It is so important that Doug and Jan have people who support them to carry out the ministry that God has given them.
As we have taken these trips each year our heart goes out to these people. You cry for the parents who are doing their best and still only have these simple homes. You take these children in your arms and spend your time playing with them only to know that soon you will have to leave them and head back to your nice big home, with a warm bed. If only you could do more....
We have had the privilege of putting together giant bags for some of these families, full of food items, toys, blankets, hat's & gloves. These bags are full of things that we would consider to be basics for living in the colder winter months. But these parents are often brought to tears as we hand them these bags, so grateful and wondering...why. Why would anyone do this for me? These children have huge smiles upon their faces as they have been seen down on their hands and knees trying to look and see what treasures are inside.
What better way is there at Christmas time than to go and give, to give to those who so desperately are in need? What greater joy comes than from seeing the excitement and thankfulness on their faces?
This Christmas season if you would like to be a part of touching the lives of these people, we are collecting: blankets, toys, hats & gloves, tooth brushes & tooth paste, deodorant, soaps & shampoo's. They are also in need of food essentials: rice, beans, salt, sugar, cooking oil & powdered milk. (please have all items dropped off by Sunday December 12th) One other way you might be able to help is to send in a small offering to offset traveling expenses. We appreciate your prayers and generosity during this busy time of our lives.
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