May 2021
Dear Mission Friends,
I want to share with you what God has been doing during the past months. To be honest with you, I never thought I would be writing these lines in May 2021 and still be talking about the pandemic and its effects on our country, in the ministry, in the community and in the church. The Lord has shown us and allowed us to explore new ways to continue the work that is His, remembering what the Apostle Paul said to the Philippians- "I am convinced of this: the one who began such a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Let me share with you some things God is doing here in Reynosa, Mexico.
In the school for the Deaf, classes are still online. They will return to face-to-face classes once all teachers are vaccinated, as required by government regulation. It has been a very difficult time for the deaf community and for their families because they are already exhausted from over a year of virtual classes. The teachers have continued to make a great effort to keep the students motivated, but it has continued to be exhausting for them as well. However, God has given them grace to continue teaching classes and also to involve the parents in their children's activities. Mexican Sign Language online classes for the hearing continue with about 170 students enrolled.
In the neighborhood where our offices are, we have had several events that have greatly impacted our lives. I want to share just a few of them. We have been discipling a married couple with addictions. One day, the wife got drunk and was kidnapped, and we did not know how or where she was for 6 days. Her husband was desperate. We reported the kidnapping to the authorities. By the grace of God she was released by her captors and was able to reunite with her husband and her 6-year-old son.
One evening, we saw a cloud of smoke near the garbage dump that is a few blocks from the ministry offices, and we thought it was normal. However, we quickly realized that the house of a family whose 3 children are part of the outreach ministry was burning. They suffered only material losses, but their father had been saving money to remodel the house and he had it hidden in the house. They lost everything, something very sad. Isaias 55 Ministries supported the family with basic needs such as food, underwear, and tarps for the roof. But God moved through another ministry dedicated to building houses and they built a roof on the construction of the house that the family had started but not yet finished. All of this has been a great opportunity to share God's faithfulness in their lives.
Another day, one of the young people who has been part of the outreach ministry, who is 17 years old, told us that he had crashed his car because he wanted to commit suicide due to problems with his girlfriend. He received a very strong blow to the chest and was in very serious condition, but thank God, he has improved. Since that date, I have been meeting with him once a week to eat together and share the gospel with him and another young man.
Through all of these events we have been able to remember that these sufferings and tribulations have a purpose: they are for the glory of God.
But not everything has been bad news- at the beginning of March of this year we started a 7-week study called Walking with Jesus. We invited people from the community and about 8-10 people responded and have been attending every Monday. We have been privileged to share the good news of the gospel with them. God is using these studies to show them His love, His grace, and His forgiveness. He is reconciling us all to Him, to God be the glory.
We are aware that this has been a difficult time also with many challenges and changes for you. So we want to thank you for the support you have given us with your prayers, with your time, and with your money. Through the last year we have been able to see that God has been faithful with the ministry and with his universal church. His kingdom continues to expand, Although some of us have lost friends, family, neighbors, and members of the church, God is on his throne. It is only by his grace that you and I are reading this letter together today. What God has allowed us to live and to share with you reminds us of what is written in the Gospel of John 20.30-31 “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
We are grateful for your prayers and for your support that allows this work to continue among the Deaf and our Reynosa Aquiles Serdán neighbors.
Blessings from all the Isaiah 55 missionaries and staff,
Mario Xoca
Mexico Director, Isaiah 55 Ministries and Senior Pastor, Iglesia Camino de Fe Reynosa
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