October 2020 Newsletter
Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters,
This has been a very busy month. A gentleman loaned a small house to the Loreto Church for services and activities. We had to practically remodel it, and the owner helped to pay for materials and wages. Such a blessing! It has been a better location with less traffic, more parking places, and much less noise.
For over two years we have been looking for property in order to build a permanent facility. Each property we looked at just didn’t work out for one reason or another. We knew it must have been God’s will for us to wait, and we continued to pray that God would show us
the property He wanted for the church at the right time. Throughout this period, the church members were faithful in their giving and raising money toward the project. We have raised approximately $10,000.
Not long-ago Hugo Martinez, a man from Estancia who now lives in Atlanta, GA, told us he would donate blocks to build a wall around the property for the church. All land owners in Estancia must build a wall (We call them corrals.) around their property to protect belongings and buildings. We knew that Hugo couldn’t hold the blocks for us indefinitely, and we didn’t want to miss out on this generous gift. The day before I left Estancia to come back to the states, we received news of property for sale in a good location. I made the 40-minute drive to look at the property. Across the street, land is 4 times the price ($50,000 per lot) this property is being offered. Something important to note is that typically when we tell why we are purchasing land, the Catholic owner suddenly has a reason they can’t sell. However, when Ricardo told the lady who owns the land why we were purchasing, she was pleased! In fact, she has given us the opportunity to set the price for our monthly payments. Everything is falling into place. The owner has three lots available: a small 3,079 sq. ft. lot for $9,500, a medium 6,458 sq. ft. lot for $23,000, and a large 9,472 sq. ft. lot for $30,000. The church will be deciding between the small and medium properties.
Prayers are needed for the church to make the right decision, step out in faith, and trust the Lord to provide.
ABDIEL AND SHANNON REPORT…
Uncertain Times...
My prayer and thanksgiving: Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Life's circumstances can cause us to become eager to obtain what we desire: peace in the storm, health in sickness, tranquility in anguish, safety in danger and courage in the midst of fear. For me, feeling sick and not knowing the cause of my illness caused me to feel anguish and fear, and I was eager to find the answer to my need. I decided to present my petition to God. I asked Him to please show me the reason for my illness and He has answered me! I am thankful! The medical recommendation is surgery. Lord willing, the plan is to have surgery around the middle of November.
In these uncertain times, what worries you? These last few weeks, with the U.S. elections nearing, I have been listening to the news every day. And like many others, it has caused me to worry about who will be the next president and what the future holds. In my eyes, I know who the best option is, but only God knows our hearts.
May we present our requests and petitions in prayer with thanksgiving. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Thank you for continued prayers for me and my family!
DR. FREDDY AND CAROL BETHSHEAN CLINIC UPDATE…
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to persist and now seems to be beginning the second wave of infections in many states in the U.S., I want encourage everyone to continue to look to Jesus as our source of Hope and Strength. He continues to carry us through these unprecedented times if we will allow Him. I am reminded of Isaiah 41:10 - Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (NLT) In these difficult times may we cling to God’s promises.
Since getting back to Tennessee, I have been working on fine tuning the job descriptions and budget for the clinic. Going through my notes from my time working in September, I have been working on a list of equipment and supplies that are still needed for the clinic. While in Estancia de Animas, I met another nurse who is interested in working in the clinic. I have added him to my list of potential staff. God is providing people to staff the clinic. Which is an answered prayer! Please keep praying for the future clinic staff. We are still searching for an indigenous physician and dentist, preferably who are Christians. Our objective with the clinic is to provide compassionate and quality patient care but our purpose is medical evangelism – sharing the grace and salvation that is possible through Jesus Christ.
Carol and I are working on our support-raising with the plan to head to Mexico around the end of December or first of January depending on when we reach our support goal. I have been working part-time with clinical research and reviewing nurse practitioner charts. The clinical research position is winding down so our income is ending. This is a new season of life for us. Our transition to support-based income does seem odd, but my son Josh reminded me that it really is not a change in who is providing our income. God is still providing for us! Previously, God has provided from one or two sources and now He will be using multiple sources. Josh learned through his training prior to going to New Zealand, that raising support is an opportunity for others to get involved in the ministry. This is a great perspective!
Sometimes when we begin a project, looking at the complexity and size can be overwhelming. I experienced some of this in September before I started going through boxes and stocking the exam rooms. I had to step back and remind myself that I must only take one step at a time in the direction of completing the project. We have some obstacles ahead before the clinic will open. We will need more funding to finish a few things inside the building, landscape the property, hire staff, etc. God is directing us as we are moving forward. Please pray for His direction, His provision of funding, and His Name to be Glorified. Whether God is leading you to help financially with the funding that is still needed and/or praying for this project’s completion, I thank God for your faithfulness.
In His Service,
Freddy
MANUEL - MINISTER OF SAUCEDA CHRISTIAN CHURCH…
Schools are still not in operation in Sauceda, and the church can’t meet as a whole body. Out of necessity, we have had to think of other ways to engage people and encourage them to continue to be steadfast in the way of the Lord. We had two activities for our youth in October.
Because the youth group was so uplifted in September by the 2-day camp meeting, we decided to make it a monthly activity. There were 8 young people who attended the camp meeting, and the theme was prayer. The youth went home filled with joy and committed to leading a life of prayer because they understood its importance.
The second youth activity was to share the gospel of Christ with our village. Sauceda is a very strong Catholic village, and they do not easily accept the gospel from “protestants”. The young people wanted to have something to hand out, so we collected 2-pound bags of rice from church members and typed Bible verses to put with each bag. I attached a speaker to the top of my truck, and we went from street to street reading Bible verses over the loud speaker. It is customary for people to sit
outside their houses and on the sidewalk to visit with one another. As we got closer to the downtown area, they could hear the message and began to look surprised. Some looked uncomfortable. Others got up and ran into their house, stopping up their ears
with their fingers, and closing their doors. A few listened intently. Some thought we were selling vegetables and came to see what we had. We gave them a 2-pound bag of rice with the Bible verse. Some were hesitant to take the bag because they realized we were “protestant” and their neighbors were watching them take something from the protestants. Others did accept the rice with the Bible verses of salvation. We continued going from street to street in the village until we came to the main plaza in the middle of town. There were about 10-15 men playing cards there, so we stopped in front of them so they could hear the message of Christ. We noted that some of them became uncomfortable, but they didn’t say anything. Instead, they gave us hard looks as if to say, “Move along…move along”.
I feel sure the message stayed in the minds of some of those men. We continued through all of the streets until everyone heard the message that day. The Christian Church in Sauceda continues to be an active church, but above all we look for ways to carry the gospel message of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for us.
We continue to work for the honor and glory of God!
PRAYER REQUESTS…
National doctor for the Bethshean Clinic to work alongside Dr. Freddy
Financial support for Dr. Freddy and Carol
Physical healing for Abdiel and Shannon
Ministers: Ruben, Ricardo, Manuel, Abdiel, and Juan Cordova
Remember the churches during the pandemic since they cannot meet together: Maravillas, Loreto, Villa Gonzalez, Sauceda, and Aguascalientes
With a grateful heart to all of you,
~ Cris
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