tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55093181123841276672024-03-06T00:27:50.060-08:00Hispanic Ministry in VancouverUpdates on God's work with Spanish speakers in this little corner of the world...Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-22950418808302095592018-06-18T11:48:00.000-07:002018-06-18T16:23:25.747-07:00This Blog May be Dusty, but the Ministry Sure Isn't!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I lament that we were not able to keep up with the blog for those of you who are not local and would like to keep updated. There is never a dull moment when working in ministry! Please let us take a minute of your time to share some very exciting stories from the past couple of years.<br />
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Our last blog post was February of 2015 - what I bitter-sweetly remember as the calm before the storm. Those who have kept up with our family may remember that 2015 was the year that our oldest daughter's health plummeted dramatically and required a month-long stay in the hospital, followed by another month of out-patient care at a clinic where she spent eight hours a day. We encourage you to visit the Caring Bridge posts if you didn't follow them at that time. This post titled "<a href="https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rebekahalvarez/journal/index/0/0/asc" target="_blank">It's Not What You Think it Is</a>" and also <a href="http://eatingdisorder.org/blog/2013/08/what-is-arfid/" target="_blank">this link that describes her diagnosis</a> might be particularly helpful to sum it up. Understandably, this blog was abandoned. We praise the Lord that over three years of good health have passed, and we have settled back into a normal crazy life typical of a family with teen girls, a boy, "full time" ministry, and regular jobs.<br />
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Now to story time! (Aka testimonies of God's amazing hand.)<br />
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<b>Story #1: God Uses a Cell Phone and Scrambles the GPS</b><br />
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We were on a 13-mile family bike ride with dear friends at Diamond Lake, close to Crater Lake, Oregon. I hadn't had cell signal the entire camping trip but took my phone along just for taking pictures. Somewhere along that bike ride my phone rang - odd!-it was the church secretary. A Spanish-speaking family had just come in to the office asking for someone to please explain to them the truth. They had a lot of questions and wanted to know exactly what was true. Their high school son had done a research paper on Martin Luther and brought some interesting conversations home. This precious family had been raised in the catholic church but Sundays were becoming miserable for them as they found themselves arguing, uncomfortable, and dissatisfied on their way to or from mass. A stranger knocked on their door the week before, offering them a pamphlet by Watch Tower Publications, including a local phone number and address. So on a Thursday afternoon in August, the family climbed into their car and set out to find the location listed on the back of that pamphlet. Twice they tried but failed to find this place, finally ending up in a church parking lot hosting a sign that read "Servicios en Español." The father of the family checks the church website, in the off-chance of finding doctrinal information in his native language. Note that a mere 6 days prior, we sent the Spanish translated statement of faith over to the office to be posted online, just in case someone might look for it someday. With some language barrier, our beloved church secretary gladly gives the family a Spanish Bible and Jose's phone number, then promptly calls us to let us know of the visit. As soon as we returned home the following day, Jose met with the family, and both the husband and wife accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Now nearly two years later, the López family have become dear friends, especially their daughter with our daughters, and their son goofing around with our Daniel as if they were brothers. Mr. Lopez has become our passionate leader of youth ministries, his heart burning with a desire to share the gospel and to disciple. We shake our heads in wonder as we see how God used a research paper, pushed a cell signal through a remote campground, messed up a GPS, and shared His Truth through a document on a website. God bless the López family! Please remember them in your prayers.<br />
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<b>Story #2: God Rebuilds, Remodels and Raises UP!</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small group of us at a beach trip last year.</td></tr>
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Women's ministry within the Spanish congregation has been a constant burden on my heart. The history of this ministry includes various strategies such as weekly Bible study, monthly social gatherings, and efforts to build a leadership team through discipleship. Ups and downs, and the final blow of losing 3 of the 4 leadership team members left the ministry in a barely functional mode. Earlier this year we called a meeting in our home with all of the women invited, and we prayed with them over the need for a formal leadership team in the women's ministry. Votes were cast, the nominees had a chance to either accept or decline, and a final leadership team of five precious women began a new, revitalized chapter of the Spanish women's ministry. What a beautiful moment when those five women were surrounded by the rest of us as we laid hands on them to pray and to give hugs and words of encouragement. Since then, these women have done a phenomenal job to invest in the lives of the Spanish-speaking ladies of Evergreen Bible.<br />
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<b>Story #3: A Dream Come True</b><br />
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Before our family moved to the U.S. from Honduras, José would ask me, "Do you think there's any chance that I could work in ministry in the United States?" It seemed uncertain at the time, and a full time pastor in this country is often required to have higher degrees in theological education beyond "just" a love for God's word and His people, and maybe a Bible college degree. I'll never forget our first Sunday visit at <a href="http://www.evergreenbible.com/" target="_blank">Evergreen Bible Church</a>. It was a hot summer Sunday, our little girls in pretty pink dresses, and we were heading to our car after the service in a quaint, old church building with lemonade being served at a table on the front lawn. The pastor came running after us, not wanting us to leave without meeting us personally. That was the first of several conversations to try to find a place for José to fill his heart's need to serve in ministry. Two years later, our proposal was approved to begin a ministry within EBC that would exist to seek and serve Spanish speakers in the community. José held two, sometimes three, secular jobs to support our family, while the Spanish ministry held his heart and dreams. We joined an organization called <a href="http://nicechurchplanters.org/" target="_blank">N.I.C.E.</a>, a beautiful family of missionary pastors and church planters - such a source of encouragement! Meanwhile, God grew the ministry, brought many to salvation, and many others to join the weekly worship service, Bible study groups, park outings, visits, and much more. Fast forward four years, and another exciting chapter began when José was invited to join EBC part time, allowing him to leave his evening job. (You're welcome to read that <a href="https://alvarezinvancouver.blogspot.com/2012/02/" target="_blank">blog post</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gseHeeqT8t0" target="_blank">this video</a> just for fun!) Fast forward another six years - José works at a local public school, the girls become teens, the baby boy grows into a grown-up little boy (still our baby!), I go back to work (two sets of braces, anyone?!), and the <a href="http://www.evergreenbible.com/spanish-church/" target="_blank">Spanish ministry at EBC</a> grows by leaps and bounds (see Story #1 and Story #2!). A few weeks ago, José was officially invited to join the full-time pastoral team at Evergreen Bible. Today is his last day at a secular job, and next week will be his first day as a full-time pastor since we left Honduras in 2006. What seemed like a far-off dream will become a reality. Praise the Lord with us!<br />
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For the time being we plan to continue as members with NICE. We find the connections helpful and the encouragement a blessing. Regarding financial gifts, in the past we have used them for things such as flowers for hospital visits, groceries for families in need, gas to get us to home/hospital visits, cards and gifts for birthdays or other occasions, hosting dinners in our home, meeting for discipleship over coffee or a meal, prizes for Sunday School, just to name a few! Should you still feel lead to give to the ministry through NICE, you are welcome to do so and we will still use those gifts for ministry needs, but Jose's full time status at Evergreen will now be able to provide for our family's needs.<br />
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Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement, and support! Please pray for us as we navigate this new chapter for our family. We hope to keep this blog a bit more active than it has been if we are able. As always, please send us your prayer requests, comments, messages, or questions and if you are in town - there is ALWAYS coffee on at our house, just waiting for a visitor like you to stop by.<br />
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God bless,<br />
Jose, Ruth, Rebekah (15), Isabella (13) and Daniel (9)<br />
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<br />Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-79740496692403635922015-02-14T09:51:00.001-08:002015-02-14T10:34:54.104-08:00A Year in ReviewTime and energy have prevented us from keeping this blog current, so here we are, hearts full, with an annual update!<br />
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To pick up where we left off...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yrREL4zXiXxchPzvxEv6jXGQedQtsLh-GJuIUD2leusBmYULI-QF5Jgc-4dTBgGtwPhTVPGazdBHmLoJXlCsshsnG4FenzFmCrgSrjm6p4kRYkEgrINy_Ot9eiBAw2LimKSbf7trqqA/s1600/10151613_672924999430378_1197581863_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yrREL4zXiXxchPzvxEv6jXGQedQtsLh-GJuIUD2leusBmYULI-QF5Jgc-4dTBgGtwPhTVPGazdBHmLoJXlCsshsnG4FenzFmCrgSrjm6p4kRYkEgrINy_Ot9eiBAw2LimKSbf7trqqA/s1600/10151613_672924999430378_1197581863_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>Spring of 2014 we were honored and privileged to witness three young women's baptism, including our own precious daughter, who was 9 at the time. What a joy for pastor-dad to get to baptize his children.<br />
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Mothers Day was celebrated by each of the Sunday School classes, with an added special touch of a serenade by some of the men.<br />
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Father's Day was celebrated, per annual tradition, in a cold and wet park with plenty of grilled meat and sports activities. Here in the Pacific Northwest, mid-June doesn't often come with summer weather, so we just may re-think this annual tradition! Nevertheless, the men had a great time with their families.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of our fantastic fathers and kids playing at the park for Father's Day</td></tr>
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Last August our church family went on the second-annual Spanish Family Camp up by <a href="http://www.rvonthego.com/washington/paradise-rv-campground/" target="_blank">Rife Lake</a> and Mossyrock. We were especially blessed to reserve a site with Christian rangers who allowed us a big plot of camping space and didn't mind when our estimate of 75 campers turned into almost 100 campers. On Saturday night, several youth rededicated their lives to Christ, and one of them accepted Christ as Savior!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of the youngest campers</td></tr>
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With Christmas comes our biggest <a href="http://www.evergreenbible.com/missions/spanish-ministries/" target="_blank">outreach event</a> of the year, and this year - our SEVENTH year to do this - was no exception! Once again it presented such a great opportunity for our church family to serve the Spanish speaking community and to share the gospel. We estimate that around 250 guests arrived to enjoy the piñatas (this year we had 2 piñatas for kids and 2 for adults! It was a big hit! - pun intended), hot "<a href="http://www.patismexicantable.com/2014/01/red-pozole-with-traditional-garnishes/" target="_blank">posole</a>" soup, games, gospel message, and a fabulous skit from our youth. Our own kids have such fun when they see their classmates from school (our kids go to a Spanish Immersion school), and we also love to see familiar faces from year to year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQKgjhWgzyHrY38Qf0HNfSVLVTB98xYgGJidXPcALdA41djzdMB1HC5USWrB3pxjfmEuz4hQJ2Zf4AMW0PHDV384DEkeJlOTotnJVjG2uCNA20g27wL9-4ymTXAiQC4T17P13g3hBHA8/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQKgjhWgzyHrY38Qf0HNfSVLVTB98xYgGJidXPcALdA41djzdMB1HC5USWrB3pxjfmEuz4hQJ2Zf4AMW0PHDV384DEkeJlOTotnJVjG2uCNA20g27wL9-4ymTXAiQC4T17P13g3hBHA8/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-5.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every kid loves face paint!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctiXQR3geIkXg8GF1gZQH1E2v9OIAxOlKZHIiPO6YJD4cyU6WHWaqs0DAIAbxicD3jMCCZ4kjBf_BHZrvqoKoXQt4KrsqQolE54M7gpswpQe_D0F_TGZ4JNzBG5DJNHZ4Ld2SBCST6qY/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctiXQR3geIkXg8GF1gZQH1E2v9OIAxOlKZHIiPO6YJD4cyU6WHWaqs0DAIAbxicD3jMCCZ4kjBf_BHZrvqoKoXQt4KrsqQolE54M7gpswpQe_D0F_TGZ4JNzBG5DJNHZ4Ld2SBCST6qY/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-33.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posole is a favorite soup for most everyone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5PK51QQKfzq4lZRiJ8u6O40_W_MYb7BSxFnZA2jqaSvmWyOi8K0uhBwOL9b6sRlmxCS87zwbeeKxv-pBLEMeHrx8smiP7IDHnturOXt5l9_6fbw76gUUv1w5lUL7W3u3lhnmBXnZMBY/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5PK51QQKfzq4lZRiJ8u6O40_W_MYb7BSxFnZA2jqaSvmWyOi8K0uhBwOL9b6sRlmxCS87zwbeeKxv-pBLEMeHrx8smiP7IDHnturOXt5l9_6fbw76gUUv1w5lUL7W3u3lhnmBXnZMBY/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-43.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got cake?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZraQUDtWTUHfU72NW0m9nnrNkdNQ6aqABwavpki39eRXC-OHDi9aMcNycUQU7KQwwAELsEP0Rbems88fHUAB77BycP-L-dIBRkPr1seiGKXw0LNZf_UubmBRxMxUqzY-tpqBQJ0MHuw/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZraQUDtWTUHfU72NW0m9nnrNkdNQ6aqABwavpki39eRXC-OHDi9aMcNycUQU7KQwwAELsEP0Rbems88fHUAB77BycP-L-dIBRkPr1seiGKXw0LNZf_UubmBRxMxUqzY-tpqBQJ0MHuw/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-107.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet little girls hearing that Jesus loves them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97ufiwoyoKYFx0M3-6eCkRFzEQcz2iNBmLWQItYrDSNIJRmc1x5d6lGyoKpQj8bt8v_lbL5p8MxbzFDdKMb56mu9I9_7AO7076uTSjOjN7QObgwdUC_NqXoDrxC8G3pDVcyyPCBHC6WM/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97ufiwoyoKYFx0M3-6eCkRFzEQcz2iNBmLWQItYrDSNIJRmc1x5d6lGyoKpQj8bt8v_lbL5p8MxbzFDdKMb56mu9I9_7AO7076uTSjOjN7QObgwdUC_NqXoDrxC8G3pDVcyyPCBHC6WM/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-110.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great job, youth!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Z2mX89tsFE5hBA4-lnklH8x3d1TjUnVKn-7_TjSwFbogv-UbvMr39NC2EBYAluufiUDyaWxast3p2UyfcJNuaB94qbty4iWSCUNf3P1TMF7_wfuBx9P4t5UeFD_M6A3SQdInMjQVycw/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Z2mX89tsFE5hBA4-lnklH8x3d1TjUnVKn-7_TjSwFbogv-UbvMr39NC2EBYAluufiUDyaWxast3p2UyfcJNuaB94qbty4iWSCUNf3P1TMF7_wfuBx9P4t5UeFD_M6A3SQdInMjQVycw/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-128.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preach it, Jose!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpmE6cOd5PjSjgGV3FgSvI9lHuIfeooHUR8z__lgUZqSGkASQjWeHpqpqIxNfWmnBkAMaBAyAygvMeevkEgQtSbN5OlUtci99yR43eaEoQKKyZF7odaEkDDa-qINs0DEbtNWO1KYGIbQ/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpmE6cOd5PjSjgGV3FgSvI9lHuIfeooHUR8z__lgUZqSGkASQjWeHpqpqIxNfWmnBkAMaBAyAygvMeevkEgQtSbN5OlUtci99yR43eaEoQKKyZF7odaEkDDa-qINs0DEbtNWO1KYGIbQ/s1600/EBC+Spanish+Christmas+Event-150.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That big smile says that Jorge had more fun with the piñata than the kids!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you have a minute, check out the youth's skit. They did a really great job and we're so proud of their hard work! The message is powerful. For you, we've included the version with the English vocals that the kids presented in the weekend church services at <a href="http://www.evergreenbible.com/" target="_blank">Evergreen Bible</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/nOEOQmlj9WM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nOEOQmlj9WM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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The women's ministry has been steadily growing, and the need for an established, formal ministry team could no longer be ignored. So last November, Ruth began meeting monthly with a group of six women to pray, study the Bible, memorize verses, and address the needs of the women in the church. What a joy and encouragement as these women take on their rolls with faithfulness and happy hearts! Here are some pictures from the ladies' Christmas party:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga73Wmf00J28HPz38aapyHa0aBrFuvDVWnNNg2cYk-eHa3W5r2P-Zq967DIwyyzLrSl1wsm9KTj9idwtabQxYvpOnk84e1hV9_F0-oDlYOoIermIPiOEI9mp2e75huXm_JaL_wOpM-IR4/s1600/10857964_808681652521378_9221877751182714720_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga73Wmf00J28HPz38aapyHa0aBrFuvDVWnNNg2cYk-eHa3W5r2P-Zq967DIwyyzLrSl1wsm9KTj9idwtabQxYvpOnk84e1hV9_F0-oDlYOoIermIPiOEI9mp2e75huXm_JaL_wOpM-IR4/s1600/10857964_808681652521378_9221877751182714720_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISOXLEpMdG0S_RR3_Vlepem5lKS6VwvDaHbOG1Bzj6MyFmY5V7-zwhyphenhyphenCLzWkgvfE8PJFUvKlanKjrsIIM7W_uJB22hWxYv5Nkd0-lBziTjROGmXSztZ8sWUlGS-qe8jb7ye1c-rUCta4/s1600/10860596_808679892521554_914871182_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISOXLEpMdG0S_RR3_Vlepem5lKS6VwvDaHbOG1Bzj6MyFmY5V7-zwhyphenhyphenCLzWkgvfE8PJFUvKlanKjrsIIM7W_uJB22hWxYv5Nkd0-lBziTjROGmXSztZ8sWUlGS-qe8jb7ye1c-rUCta4/s1600/10860596_808679892521554_914871182_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5q6Dq75-v6J2tVyXTlA274Oxh_mLr3JYhi5PXVaG5rqVO7T45j3eVBv_zMNr362_8oXUF_s753CIPwVDgObGTAnOhAdlamTqNE6HplFPwEhyphenhyphen8wHBryukxPRfcXwuJ3i0yoohOB8Vhdy0/s1600/10863640_808680415854835_1673368719_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5q6Dq75-v6J2tVyXTlA274Oxh_mLr3JYhi5PXVaG5rqVO7T45j3eVBv_zMNr362_8oXUF_s753CIPwVDgObGTAnOhAdlamTqNE6HplFPwEhyphenhyphen8wHBryukxPRfcXwuJ3i0yoohOB8Vhdy0/s1600/10863640_808680415854835_1673368719_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jose continues to invest his time and energies into the leadership team as they meet regularly and as they shepherd the church family. He preaches every Friday night for the Friday night services (something that was added last year), and Sundays for worship service. Jose also visits church families and connects with them through phone calls during the week. Personal connections and time together is vital in the Latino culture, and is a crucial element to keeping unity with a sense of family! Jose works almost full time in the Vancouver School District as well - half-way through his third year at a local elementary school as a paraeducator.<br />
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Just two weeks ago, we both held a Sunday School teacher training seminar where a great group of our Sunday teachers came to be refreshed and given extra helps and ideas for blessing the children and youth every week.<br />
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Ruth continues to oversee the women's ministry and Sunday School ministry, as well as taking care of production of events, secretarial-type tasks for church, volunteering in our kids' schools as member of a PTO board and PTSA member, and other typical stay-at-home mom stuff. This is a busy time of life, but God is always in control and our constant provider of peace!<br />
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How to pray for us:<br />
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<ul>
<li>for Jose as he works with the leadership team and juggles responsibilities</li>
<li>for strong male leadership to solidify and grow</li>
<li>for the worship ministry to solidify and grow</li>
<li>for the new women's ministry team - that the leaders will grow in the Lord and begin to minister to other ladies as well</li>
<li>for our youth leaders (Carlos, Denisse, and Lupita) and the growing youth group</li>
<li>for our family as we deal with struggles and challenges, and our oldest daughter's health (last year was particularly difficult and we trust and have faith that the Lord will bring healing to restore her)</li>
<li>for the marriages in our church family and as we hope to hold a marriage workshop soon</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WdBFdSwhsIImkC6imuVbF3ki2kMSTDn7NJmMNmM3k9BtZDx9jnrLQ5NWw-MYjl5lE7l54MdI8bT-KMJTsf7s-RaDYIOuxezw2ChkYvhy7BTwOuBsrLp7iWOTRyKHWyamZjc9wK3G8aE/s1600/Alvarez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WdBFdSwhsIImkC6imuVbF3ki2kMSTDn7NJmMNmM3k9BtZDx9jnrLQ5NWw-MYjl5lE7l54MdI8bT-KMJTsf7s-RaDYIOuxezw2ChkYvhy7BTwOuBsrLp7iWOTRyKHWyamZjc9wK3G8aE/s1600/Alvarez.jpg" height="305" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvarez Family<br />
Jose, Ruth, Rebekah (12), Isabella (10), and Daniel (5)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We say it every time, and we always mean it - how can WE pray for YOU? Please send us a message and let us know! May God bless you, each one, as you go about your daily doings - may HE be your focus and source of joy.<br />
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With love,<br />
Jose, Ruth, Rebekah, Isabella, and DanielAlvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-4105396871010257192014-03-13T14:32:00.000-07:002014-03-13T14:32:20.738-07:00Full of Praises!Thank you so very much for praying for the outreach event last Christmas! We invite you to praise the Lord with us as well over 200 Spanish speakers heard the gospel, enjoyed a hot meal, participated in the festivities, and went home with Bibles and tracts. Although this event requires much planning and effort, we both agreed afterwards that it felt much "easier" this time with such wonderful collaboration from Spanish speaking church members forming teams, and with invaluable help from our brothers and sisters at Evergreen Bible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Kq-xt2nMwTvqp8-c4M6ABvfi_VtqmwV0nyaHgqWb85qnbiaRdPTWeAD5zPmcNqbcGBUW8ZImvIX0WXEXrLDPN_qkfaTtcEmjcLoFPlhU5T6i3OGqN_KmJ4Hwl82RdPgvC3tZis8YrI/s1600/942176_10202652491334680_336671050_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Kq-xt2nMwTvqp8-c4M6ABvfi_VtqmwV0nyaHgqWb85qnbiaRdPTWeAD5zPmcNqbcGBUW8ZImvIX0WXEXrLDPN_qkfaTtcEmjcLoFPlhU5T6i3OGqN_KmJ4Hwl82RdPgvC3tZis8YrI/s1600/942176_10202652491334680_336671050_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team members</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUzQ9M3OJX8WLL24fgWEWjty9840jvkCmXivJFOiE6uQItQWV_lqndziCL8fM8yVrV7X1GZ1oNOtVreDNtmojEIIbsxzaqwImAFFUx-W5qsjvxkLdmtDOvEy1CMffDYBT7FxGqXMnH5A/s1600/996751_10202652507775091_1545161746_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUzQ9M3OJX8WLL24fgWEWjty9840jvkCmXivJFOiE6uQItQWV_lqndziCL8fM8yVrV7X1GZ1oNOtVreDNtmojEIIbsxzaqwImAFFUx-W5qsjvxkLdmtDOvEy1CMffDYBT7FxGqXMnH5A/s1600/996751_10202652507775091_1545161746_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blessing us with a beautiful voice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPskaZAaaEoAX90lDUh9B56V9Wkg-yVqP9_ZZ1lNY6yMXVRA-1LdbhjS6tVlf4lOV5okIH15HocvXK1c6VH1_8raSSyqEdtZFRQzbPsxQIjpi9JCu91M3WdovL5Uy3tyJJEGO3RNb8MA/s1600/1504082_10202652498494859_951172090_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPskaZAaaEoAX90lDUh9B56V9Wkg-yVqP9_ZZ1lNY6yMXVRA-1LdbhjS6tVlf4lOV5okIH15HocvXK1c6VH1_8raSSyqEdtZFRQzbPsxQIjpi9JCu91M3WdovL5Uy3tyJJEGO3RNb8MA/s1600/1504082_10202652498494859_951172090_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baskets of groceries to raffle out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sJdxO_-oFYoRyAWtoMh08k9_yMuxRhY8pzX9AxErmv5TmtDnze8VVLyX_0EdSKDKL0xobadJ1VB5VUs7wqpohqWQpFOBxfWJzuexbUyLqPzHPziD6H9Y9dsgEfaKBTbDG4YkRHZqbf8/s1600/1520671_10202652499414882_1078755385_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sJdxO_-oFYoRyAWtoMh08k9_yMuxRhY8pzX9AxErmv5TmtDnze8VVLyX_0EdSKDKL0xobadJ1VB5VUs7wqpohqWQpFOBxfWJzuexbUyLqPzHPziD6H9Y9dsgEfaKBTbDG4YkRHZqbf8/s1600/1520671_10202652499414882_1078755385_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giving a warm welcome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXwLQn0Vj6Gv7k3YQ3UoPP12NHQXxtms7BsLTPFOwUvI8BsWpfeE2KAW2lJ45EwbvfKeyUiiWWPtxO2PjnfBLJQ4iKw2UjvMG9anQ_NBmH4yV_B52w71_feWEGpOvxgcQN3C94NTCQDA/s1600/1557552_10202652510895169_540437483_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXwLQn0Vj6Gv7k3YQ3UoPP12NHQXxtms7BsLTPFOwUvI8BsWpfeE2KAW2lJ45EwbvfKeyUiiWWPtxO2PjnfBLJQ4iKw2UjvMG9anQ_NBmH4yV_B52w71_feWEGpOvxgcQN3C94NTCQDA/s1600/1557552_10202652510895169_540437483_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listening to the gospel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-WfrNhSe5cNzfmwLphWREGoV_ymeEn2fXrX1rGi-nGMPgIZpFEz7DKue8jI_wqTKxANRUPFb-8qsxGPr4cVbzrPOOIWFa6wMKk5Dc_1ux8RCsq7jtU3ag6YFPcL_LZXOlkpqdJwnPAQ/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-WfrNhSe5cNzfmwLphWREGoV_ymeEn2fXrX1rGi-nGMPgIZpFEz7DKue8jI_wqTKxANRUPFb-8qsxGPr4cVbzrPOOIWFa6wMKk5Dc_1ux8RCsq7jtU3ag6YFPcL_LZXOlkpqdJwnPAQ/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on a craft</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjDGh7bLXTOE2U6J1y05ZtvnY-JwVGYz9LOSB-WjCLftzxnxA1XRMPMIg-NG8WcezZMizJ-GREX8ChwtsSWrH30x-D-LTaAdB1dnoMG9z21_6XWUDyOEX7-KcXQJXhHiVO3_BZ3B6a9k/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjDGh7bLXTOE2U6J1y05ZtvnY-JwVGYz9LOSB-WjCLftzxnxA1XRMPMIg-NG8WcezZMizJ-GREX8ChwtsSWrH30x-D-LTaAdB1dnoMG9z21_6XWUDyOEX7-KcXQJXhHiVO3_BZ3B6a9k/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a hot meal of "posole"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XX87ieBXBnMXwesd_NKci1zB_Nhry2ZHblUdOz0g0UIJG2uSzz33ACrw-k15zDN8YehvmRZLqA7dXIq92oNF6u-9bcLSGR0PUic2DzstJfxBSn1qNk0SmXHzPTAu0RnaG6Fx-94qq98/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XX87ieBXBnMXwesd_NKci1zB_Nhry2ZHblUdOz0g0UIJG2uSzz33ACrw-k15zDN8YehvmRZLqA7dXIq92oNF6u-9bcLSGR0PUic2DzstJfxBSn1qNk0SmXHzPTAu0RnaG6Fx-94qq98/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listening to the story</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJiJsL60k__SQrQtJXypACC2fNCQ4zb0t_FPBNoIvmuuHrbFdkLU2yiOJ-Wrd_oSTOCjNVqb__6Yxap59MEwvdqPB5F1jzkh3uJnEz79de1bAIJIt7pi_ZUWziti4bQbj2UalSEoBA-E/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJiJsL60k__SQrQtJXypACC2fNCQ4zb0t_FPBNoIvmuuHrbFdkLU2yiOJ-Wrd_oSTOCjNVqb__6Yxap59MEwvdqPB5F1jzkh3uJnEz79de1bAIJIt7pi_ZUWziti4bQbj2UalSEoBA-E/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing the message of salvation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We pray that the Word that was shared will continue to take root in the lives of the Spanish speaking community around our church and in our neighborhoods.<br />
<br />
For New Year's Eve, we enjoyed a late-night potluck where each family brought a dish typical to their native country. What a joy and blessing to see such diversity of cultures and backgrounds! A special worship and share service carried us through midnight as we praised the Lord for the year that had passed, and committed to Him the new year to begin.<br />
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We plunged into the new year with efforts to strengthen leadership and to improve current ministries within the Spanish ministry of Evergreen. Jose meets with a wonderful team of leaders every other week on Wednesdays. The women meet monthly for a time of fellowship. Praise the Lord, this last meeting included many commitments from the women to join in the work of the ministry that we all might be active in serving the Lord and the body!<br />
<br />
This year the church was presented with an "each one reach one" goal, that this year an approximate 100 people might hear the gospel and accept Christ as Savior. Would you pray with us, that the Holy Spirit would move in our hearts and open our eyes to opportunities to share the gospel, that we would be faithful to our commitment?<br />
<br />
Prayer Points:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Men's leadership team, for wisdom to lead</li>
<li>Evangelism 2014, that each of us would reach one for Christ</li>
<li>We need two more Sunday School teachers!</li>
<li>For the women who made new commitments to serve in the church</li>
<li>For the challenge and difficulty of balancing family needs and ministry needs</li>
<li>Finances, as more monthly expenses are added by obligation (e.g. health insurance costs)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Thank you for coming alongside us in prayer! We are truly blessed that God would allow us to continue in this ministry in this sixth year since we began. May He be glorified and His kingdom increased!<br />
<br />
We would love to hear from you, dear friends! Comments and messages are welcome, that we might know how to pray for you. If you are in the area, please come by! The coffee's hot and ready to serve!<br />
<br />
God bless,<br />
the Alvarez familyAlvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-5559842351679229322013-12-09T19:31:00.002-08:002013-12-09T19:31:59.494-08:00It's Coming!!This coming Saturday will be our sixth annual Christmas outreach to the Hispanic community of the area. Every year at this time we are in a sort of a panic, wondering if we've passed out enough invitations, if we've planned enough, if everything will come together. And every year on the day of the outreach, after hours of preparation, we open the doors...and wait...expectantly...watching...<i>will they come</i>?<br />
<br />
The piñatas will be in place, the hot food cooked and ready to serve, the gospel message prepared and waiting, the youth in costume and ready to present their skit with an ever so important message to a captive audience....<i>will they hear</i>?<br />
<br />
They will be told the reason for this party, the reason for Christmas, we will serve them a meal with a smile and with love, we will send them home with a reason to hope...<i>will they believe</i>?<br />
<br />
When the last guest has gone, we will sweep up the paper remains of the piñatas, pick up forgotten crafts, line up the chairs in perfect rows as they were before, trusting that the message of salvation will enter a willing heart...if but one heart, it will be worth it....<i>will you pray</i>?Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-12686091097335588172013-10-13T11:43:00.001-07:002013-10-13T11:43:32.292-07:00What an amazing summer of 2013! We hope you enjoyed yours as well, and are now settling in to a fantastic season of fall as we are here in the Pacific Northwest.<h3>
June</h3>
<div>
Father's Day brought with it our first summer park outing for the year. We had an amazing family time as we celebrated the fathers in the church. The afternoon included a potluck (with freshly grilled food! These brothers know how to barbecue!), soccer, volleyball, a devotional, worship, and lots of laughter.</div>
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The women enjoyed another successful monthly brunch with fellowship, prayer, and celebration.</div>
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<h3>
July</h3>
<div>
The youth went to the beach for the day and had a wonderful time. We are so thankful for the young couple and another sister in Christ that work with the youth so faithfully.</div>
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We said "goodbye and God bless" to our sweet helper, who has been with us for the past several years in Spanish ministry at Evergreen. She left for the Philippines to a midwifery school...please pray for her! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
August</h3>
<div>
The youth group held their first car wash that helped them make a day trip to a water park. We're so proud of all their hard work! August also held our very first, very own FAMILY CAMP! Much work was involved to make it happen, and it was well worth it. What a blessing that trip was! For most, it was their first experience in camping. The fellowship was incomparable and we are thankful. The majority of the families were able to participate, even if only for one night. We went to Mossyrock Park, Washington and praise the Lord that for the most part, the rain held off! Everyone came away already making plans for next year's family camp.</div>
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<h3>
September</h3>
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We began the monthly fellowship dinners at church where we celebrate birthdays and enjoy family time together. The women continued to meet for a monthly brunch. Praise the Lord that this month, Ruth was able to present a list of needs within the church and to pray with the women that they might seek to be involved in the many aspects of ministry. Jose has ongoing, weekly meetings with the same small group of leaders as he disciples them and encourages them to lead as God directs them. Thank you for praying for these men!</div>
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<h3>
Family News</h3>
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In July, we both were blessed beyond measure to be able to spend a week in Orlando, Florida! As you already know, working in ministry brings some strain and challenges to the marriage and family - but praise God for such a refreshing week to reconnect as a couple and to strengthen our relationship that we might continue to serve the Lord as He would allow us. We are deeply grateful for the dear friend that watched our kids (and pets, and house, and garden) along with her own kids for the whole week, and for a special financial gift that allowed us to be able to go as well. The summer also included visits from family and friends from far away.</div>
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In August, Jose went back home to visit friends and family. Airline miles paid for the flight with nothing out of pocket - what a blessing! As in previous trips, Jose organized a personal service project to make his trip even more meaningful and full of purpose. This time he took with him school supplies and backpacks, and once in country he purchased soccer balls, piñatas and candy, and worked together with his beloved home church "Samaria" to pull off a one-day evangelistic event for all the children and youth of the community. They shared the gospel with the children, then held games with prizes, offered a meal, and in the evening had a bonfire and other activities with the youth of the area. Over 100 children and 70 youth attended this event. Amen! Praise God and let's pray for the church as they follow up with all those kids!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjnekqdAjpHTGrKpLEzDrcty_qHb9N9HYtXEvV_fGREs5QQ6m5-_NenXYjHo4xRIka5X2EOLGFJBaA9FNq2bp0mN5XT2dKlfWv0iHBISMfMJb_VDVgzvcawJK8s5vn7FDcZNsW9lBiRQ/s1600/IMG_3817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjnekqdAjpHTGrKpLEzDrcty_qHb9N9HYtXEvV_fGREs5QQ6m5-_NenXYjHo4xRIka5X2EOLGFJBaA9FNq2bp0mN5XT2dKlfWv0iHBISMfMJb_VDVgzvcawJK8s5vn7FDcZNsW9lBiRQ/s320/IMG_3817.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preaching in the church where he was pastor for 10 years</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading games</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"My God is So Big!"</td></tr>
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Now school has started with Jose going back to work at a local elementary school, Rebekah in 5th, Isabella in 4th, Daniel in preschool for a couple hours a week, and a return to all the other regular activities that the school year brings in life, family, and ministry.</div>
<h3>
Prayer Points:</h3>
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<ul>
<li>that in God's perfect timing, Jose would be able to devote full time to ministry while continuing to partner with our beloved church of EBC</li>
<li>unity and strength in family and marriage</li>
<li>leadership in ministry - that more would step up and come alongside in order to share the many responsibilities that come with helping a church to function in a healthy way for God's glory</li>
<li>that God would open our eyes to see the needs around us and how He would have us join Him in His work in the Spanish-speaking community of this area</li>
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We thank God for you! Thank you for remembering us in your prayers and for stopping by the blog! May God bless you as you serve Him right where you are.</div>
Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-38190988418382819942013-05-21T22:08:00.000-07:002013-05-22T07:31:46.759-07:00Spring Review!Howdy!<br />
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Thank you for stopping by to read the latest news on the Spanish Ministry at Evergreen Bible Church!<br />
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We've been crazy busy, as usual, but also constantly amazed by God's richest blessings poured on our heads. It's at times overwhelming how much He blesses us. Just last week we received a box of food from one of our own dear members, sacrificing something she could have kept for herself and her own family - and we were able to use that food for a potluck the next day. We were also given a 1988 Dodge Dakota and José has used it already so many times to bless others. In March we were blessed with a week's stay at a lake house in the gorgeous (and freezing!) Lake Chelan. God even sent the gas money by way of some missionary friends (talk about <i>humbling</i>!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Sm1M79kmaGr4TGV4gNQdCHyK04X-5ubGZPvtDAjvMSJo4tT54ZJszxKaJ85FqxoObAnQmgQoEurtHD5Z3mxx7R8zknGmlQdk7vQXng8ZXTLb2cWupPLH_0fSJ4smaD7RO-xSQWzxUuQ/s1600/733971_10151383689431728_1775489973_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Sm1M79kmaGr4TGV4gNQdCHyK04X-5ubGZPvtDAjvMSJo4tT54ZJszxKaJ85FqxoObAnQmgQoEurtHD5Z3mxx7R8zknGmlQdk7vQXng8ZXTLb2cWupPLH_0fSJ4smaD7RO-xSQWzxUuQ/s320/733971_10151383689431728_1775489973_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectacular sunset at Lake Chelan</td></tr>
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Here are some highlights from the past few months:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">February: </span></b>José finished the discipleship meetings at Evergreen, praise the Lord one young man went to every single meeting with José. Please pray for this young man and his near future in leadership at church! Ruth continued meeting with the women every other week for fellowship and encouragement. A special baptism service was held with three members confessing their faith in Christ and commitment to follow Him.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jose baptized a man who came to Christ the first year we began this ministry</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">March: </span></b>The women's ministry had their first monthly women's brunch with a great attendance. José continues to lead small group Bible studies every Monday and Friday nights (every week of the year). José began to meet with a small group of men for leadership training and discipleship. The church hosted a baby shower with Ruth giving the devotional. We also held a Sunday School teacher training workshop and appreciation event. Praise the Lord for the response in attendance and for all the helpers to the Sunday School classes! At the end of March was our monthly family potluck.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">April: </span></b>We made frequent visits to the hospital for different members of the congregation who were injured or having major surgery. José and Ruth joined a small group to enjoy an amazing Chris Tomlin concert. What a fun outing that was with some of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Ruth was able to attend a Living Proof Live conference given by Beth Moore - words can't even express how incredible that weekend was. How refreshing and uplifting to worship the Lord and learn more about Him! This month also we began to invite families over to our home for dinner once a week. We are working hard to cultivate unity and closeness, and especially with the Latin culture, personal relationships are of great importance. We constantly look for ways to help this grow. It takes a lot of time and effort, but God is faithful! The month ended with a family potluck held at church.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">May: </span></b>The monthly women's brunch was hosted in our home - praise the Lord for the blessing of having dear women here for prayer and encouragement. We made our own game of "Taboo" and it was a big hit. Another baby is on the way for the Spanish congregation, so with that came another baby shower! Ruth continues to teach the school age children in Sunday School, and José continues to lead very positive discipleship and leader training meetings with a small group of men. Mother's Day was celebrated with each Sunday School class participating in the service, each mother given a small arrangement of flowers, a very touching slide show presentation, and a special refreshment served after services. Next week will bring the monthly family potluck to wrap up the month.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-nGfhIVlt39tTBHkpJNFVFm81ntRStPBvMdU_4nRv8P5jT3fSwuWUp_52GY2F78MiZe5MhK6kDKc3RLq_kPZO0p3zD33gmqK0Vepsd8yBQFCwzEBdrXRxoEeonVBB6czGhr8GdmGMDw/s1600/IMG_3357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-nGfhIVlt39tTBHkpJNFVFm81ntRStPBvMdU_4nRv8P5jT3fSwuWUp_52GY2F78MiZe5MhK6kDKc3RLq_kPZO0p3zD33gmqK0Vepsd8yBQFCwzEBdrXRxoEeonVBB6czGhr8GdmGMDw/s320/IMG_3357.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the youth singing a special Mother's Day song</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbOsROMWn1NSYckVGyJ-zFDKe-KEbJcqG8idvdavt6dY5eV-7XyFiw0vlvmZIWVCn2UFn2XdMuEpBJYrvNwcxhLMA_VMT4cH3m1-ZBT1_fs4DP9SgOkejnUKVaS3fQq6uKJL-uMsnVqo/s1600/IMG_3359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbOsROMWn1NSYckVGyJ-zFDKe-KEbJcqG8idvdavt6dY5eV-7XyFiw0vlvmZIWVCn2UFn2XdMuEpBJYrvNwcxhLMA_VMT4cH3m1-ZBT1_fs4DP9SgOkejnUKVaS3fQq6uKJL-uMsnVqo/s320/IMG_3359.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The school-aged Sunday School class reads a Mother's Day prayer.</td></tr>
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We are excited for the summer since it will bring weather that allows for more fellowship and outdoor activities. We plan on monthly (or more!) park outings as we have every year. This August will hold our first family camping trip! Prayers appreciated as it will entail much planning in all the details. We also look forward to the break from school, especially since José has had full-time teacher hours this past year (but with a part-time salary!). This is what a typical day for José looks like:<br />
7:40 a.m. leave for school<br />
4:00 p.m. come home to see the kids, make ministry-related phone calls<br />
4:30 p.m. load the lawn mower to go and mow an elderly lady's yard<br />
6:00 p.m. grab a quick dinner, make more needed phone calls<br />
6:50 p.m. head to Bible study or to a meeting<br />
11:00 p.m. home to rest!<br />
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We are so thankful to the Lord that José's night job ended over a year ago as he has been able to give the ministry more time. As you can see, his schedule is still pretty busy and doesn't allow for much time to study the Word or prepare as he would like. God so faithfully answered our prayer in allowing José to come on staff at Evergreen part-time as of last year! We are truly grateful for that support and blessing.<br />
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Would you join us in prayer for something big, one more time (<i>that is, until the next big thing!</i>)? Please pray with us that God would bless this ministry to the capacity that José might finally rest in the joy of dedicating full (employed) time to pastoral ministry. We are so excited for what God has in store for this growing group of believers - I wish you could hear the dedicated group of men that meets with José as they work so hard to figure out how God is leading the church, and what needs to be done to get there! We love our precious, multi-cultural family and it is such a joy to point them to Christ. We are so blessed to get to be part of God's work - how humbling that He would allow us!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g_5GtNahUZ5ErawdlntAU4lgrA0Yah8UvcGZR7Kgyhe2BhyqqVZF5JpcXwV1_h9M-UW6cvOoKjxalCpGmsSVaNtjl53AF9AiC03SCkiCOjBbfTX5nYfRYxnirEVw7hLeuLu5wpx-WX0/s1600/IMG_3328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g_5GtNahUZ5ErawdlntAU4lgrA0Yah8UvcGZR7Kgyhe2BhyqqVZF5JpcXwV1_h9M-UW6cvOoKjxalCpGmsSVaNtjl53AF9AiC03SCkiCOjBbfTX5nYfRYxnirEVw7hLeuLu5wpx-WX0/s320/IMG_3328.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kids on the last night of Awana club for the year</td></tr>
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Thank you so very much, dear friends, for lifting us up in prayer - we need it! And may God multiply your offerings back to you many times over - we know that the Lord is the one who provides and blesses, and we thank you for being used by Him to bless us so deeply.<br />
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And as always, if you're in the area - come see us! There is always (seriously, <i>always</i>) coffee in the pot and extra tortillas in the basket waiting for someone like you!Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-83727001681948008812013-02-10T12:18:00.001-08:002013-02-10T12:20:16.266-08:00However tardy this update may be, our excitement continues over what God did at the Christmas outreach event, and what He continues to do in Spanish Ministry at Evergreen Bible Church!<br />
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The Christmas outreach went much better than expected - and I always wonder, why are we surprised when God goes above and beyond?! It was such a blessing to watch as each team carried out their jobs to near perfection, and everything went off without a hitch! We were even blessed by EBC's resident <a href="http://www.kenpowellphotography.com/" target="_blank">photographer</a> who came and donated his time and talents. The kitchen team served an amazing <i><a href="http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/deliciousmaindishes/r/Posole.htm" target="_blank">posole</a></i> soup with all the fixings, the craft team was well prepared and each child got to make a Christmas foam ornament, there were two pinatas full of candy, a drama presented by the youth, worship time, lots of fun games with prizes, goody bags that included Gospel tracts, and a New Testament Bible went home with each family. This year we were also able to add a raffle for two baskets full of groceries - that provided for a lot of fun and excitement - and what a joy to see two families take the blessing-baskets home! In all, we estimate that there were close 200 people, 130 of those being children. Say it with me - <i>AMEN</i>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The joy of the pinata</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn8oFuozjIIdX9IH3BKnrNyFGhDQgfOi1_69sil4VDWhCSiTxY8Plgh_UYCdjfTWbFVjLWlXDDbaEcmb3sarp6MR3hOKDCroJyScXoQvHMmaDOvsN7TKY9jvfc2G9QBXV20Nh5n69ciw/s1600/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn8oFuozjIIdX9IH3BKnrNyFGhDQgfOi1_69sil4VDWhCSiTxY8Plgh_UYCdjfTWbFVjLWlXDDbaEcmb3sarp6MR3hOKDCroJyScXoQvHMmaDOvsN7TKY9jvfc2G9QBXV20Nh5n69ciw/s320/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4663.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everybody wants candy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOtARNOVDoUOCTfatpFZISyczIrwkF4z63L_ma1hmfhVuuKqA1W59fC0DhDiePs8l62tI-ZBT89St5VK-KzIcWhX-S2Yuf5MP2RDQUoSLZIPhEXgjTmExuavcwYm-YRsDAx-sFM5HQok/s1600/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOtARNOVDoUOCTfatpFZISyczIrwkF4z63L_ma1hmfhVuuKqA1W59fC0DhDiePs8l62tI-ZBT89St5VK-KzIcWhX-S2Yuf5MP2RDQUoSLZIPhEXgjTmExuavcwYm-YRsDAx-sFM5HQok/s320/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4355.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worship</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIeTm7YjtcgWDohiAzWKDHhIL37DFljX5c-wckn2XigFNLXWgODNJlQPSgEhNMXjqPghPBoq22DvPNTsT9lBrXwBcltrK2MSbHw2pST0nzL7XELZUAODYZCy60iDGLt8ZemmZzRRzAf4/s1600/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIeTm7YjtcgWDohiAzWKDHhIL37DFljX5c-wckn2XigFNLXWgODNJlQPSgEhNMXjqPghPBoq22DvPNTsT9lBrXwBcltrK2MSbHw2pST0nzL7XELZUAODYZCy60iDGLt8ZemmZzRRzAf4/s320/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4778.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bibles going home</td></tr>
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(Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gm5An37OCA&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">HERE</a> to watch a video presentation of the Christmas outreach event. Jose worked really hard on it and I know you'll love it!)<br /><br /><i>Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21</i><br />
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Since the Christmas event, we have been blessed with new visitors every Sunday. We pray that God would equip us with what is needed to minister and bless these families according to their needs.<br />
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Jose continues to lead two in-home Bible studies every week, and Ruth continues meeting with the women every other week. We praise the Lord for two consistent, wonderful Sunday School teachers for the preschool class. Ruth is now teaching every other week in the children's church class, alternating with one other teacher. Please pray for these kids, as some are not familiar with the Bible and may not hear much of it at home!<br />
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Jose is now attending an 8-week leadership class, encouraging several men from the Spanish congregation to attend with him for leadership development. Participation has not been what we had hoped and we ask you to pray! If you were to ask us what is our greatest need in Spanish ministry, we would say "leadership!" without hesitation. Please pray that God would raise up men in the congregation, that God would send Jose the pastoral support that he so desperately needs. Pray that male leaders would come alongside Jose to support him and hold up his hands (see <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2017&version=NIV" target="_blank">Exodus 17</a>). The role of worship leader also remains available - prayers appreciated there too! Meanwhile we are so blessed with several talented musicians who are giving their hearts and service to the Lord every week. What a joy to see them serve.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnO-Hb3EcnRpwTgTYUzJCb00xz_3ltmqceb_zyf0U_spmjkECL1EBgnkpKjqV9JDzNWUyoRTCdJIOefHrADVxyxlsG40rkBa9CdX5tivei9fPz7a774yxQS22H_71ZgSW-GoCGgBdbsoY/s1600/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnO-Hb3EcnRpwTgTYUzJCb00xz_3ltmqceb_zyf0U_spmjkECL1EBgnkpKjqV9JDzNWUyoRTCdJIOefHrADVxyxlsG40rkBa9CdX5tivei9fPz7a774yxQS22H_71ZgSW-GoCGgBdbsoY/s320/Spanish+Christmas+Party-4327.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please pray for this talented teen - he loves to serve the Lord in leading worship and playing many instruments!</td></tr>
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We know that <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps%2034:4-7&version=NIV" target="_blank">God listens when we cry out to Him</a>, and we are so encouraged by your prayers and support. Our hearts are continually humbled by God's richest blessings poured on us through all of you, and we are grateful.<br />
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We would love to hear from you and know how we can pray for you! As always, feel free to comment here, send us an email, or drop us a line by any other means of communication. And if you are up in the Pacific Northwest, let us know! We'd be thrilled to have you visit a Spanish service, share a meal in our home, and even to take you on a waterfall/river/mountain/coastal tour!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF6NJ2cMm_ab3VV8X8Bnea15OHXMwltfNvypJtfwQAsalV9uItspT0wJkCFjC8aNpGA19ucnlBtZlnpFvJlBGSgkCvmprgB3vWoK-zT3UXPH76OthlTuII3URgRJ2nn5HbxePflA9fUI/s1600/_DSC0481a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF6NJ2cMm_ab3VV8X8Bnea15OHXMwltfNvypJtfwQAsalV9uItspT0wJkCFjC8aNpGA19ucnlBtZlnpFvJlBGSgkCvmprgB3vWoK-zT3UXPH76OthlTuII3URgRJ2nn5HbxePflA9fUI/s320/_DSC0481a.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have to include a picture of our kids, just because they're so beautiful!</td></tr>
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God bless you as you serve Him right where you are!<br />
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<br />Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-37958066096278266762012-12-10T22:23:00.005-08:002012-12-11T09:01:03.889-08:00Knees Ready?? Let's Pray!This coming Saturday the 15th is our FIFTH (wow, really??) annual Christmas outreach event for the Hispanic community in Vancouver. <i>Please pray!</i> As before, <i>please pray</i> the people will COME. We are more than thrilled that this year the flyers have been distributed to the Spanish speaking families of two different schools - what a great way to serve families at schools that we are connected to. This time each year, we are always concerned that we haven't made enough efforts in promoting the event - which brings us to our knees in even more<i> prayer,</i> that God would spread the word in a way only He can. <i>Pray</i> that all the details would come together, and that there would be enough hands to help. Along with the usual activities (piñata, hot meal, crafts, games, gospel skit, goody bags) this year we are adding a raffle to give away a basket of groceries, and sending home a New Testament with each family. May God go before, beside, and behind us!<br />
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So that's the urgent piece of news to communicate to you before jumping in to this update - here's the rest:<br />
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Towards the end of September, José began a new job for the Vancouver School District - <i>thank you for praying</i>! His position as a para-educator has allowed him to work with small groups of children in all grades who are struggling and need extra help and attention. He also takes on the responsibilities of translating school documents, and interpreting for parent-teacher conferences where the parents speak only Spanish. Praise the Lord for such a great job with so many opportunities (and health insurance!). Since this job requires full-time hours, <i>please pray</i> for José as he dedicates his heart and soul to ministry at night and on the weekends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXdXK_FtIhUHzBoKzHtYdiU8Utd2fXo62ETZHy4F1mws4eou-85zRADtWYNo1o4hYK_8oAP6g5VFefukLAnbpjkbS8UqF-iOsF_5g_Xrj2zk2fd_h9XB99LmThzDIS1B5x1rTnAC68NY/s1600/621420_10152197901215085_218333230_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXdXK_FtIhUHzBoKzHtYdiU8Utd2fXo62ETZHy4F1mws4eou-85zRADtWYNo1o4hYK_8oAP6g5VFefukLAnbpjkbS8UqF-iOsF_5g_Xrj2zk2fd_h9XB99LmThzDIS1B5x1rTnAC68NY/s320/621420_10152197901215085_218333230_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September: the girls turned 10 and 8 - aren't our three angels adorable???</td></tr>
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In October, the women's group began meeting again for coffee and fellowship. End-of-the-month potlucks also provide much-needed fellowship as we strive to unite and connect these precious brothers and sisters in Christ, encouraging one another to follow the Lord in their daily lives. José leads in-home Bible studies every Monday and Friday nights, allowing him to guide and direct others toward the Bible in a more personal environment. We are beyond ecstatic to share with you also that a classmate of our daughter <i>prayed</i> to receive <a href="http://www.intouch.org/you/all-things-are-new/content?topic=how_do_i_accept_jesus_as_my_savior_all_things" target="_blank">Christ as her Savior</a> at school during that month!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXl_ddZpJCSySwJznG1AtfdAHAIAFSW2FHTfHCji4HKBRUfY3Cod3ithSAJRB1JSuv66WLhT8E6jshGcwggQP5WUwvXKCksDw7yPj-PMjoX3poQvJhFwZcl9u3X_vJ1oq1Hlp_NY91GE/s1600/IMG_2951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXl_ddZpJCSySwJznG1AtfdAHAIAFSW2FHTfHCji4HKBRUfY3Cod3ithSAJRB1JSuv66WLhT8E6jshGcwggQP5WUwvXKCksDw7yPj-PMjoX3poQvJhFwZcl9u3X_vJ1oq1Hlp_NY91GE/s320/IMG_2951.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We treated the senior women to breakfast, asking them to form a Sunday prayer team</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnSYFy8JEuzKJBeBjGX3p1HD_Vf946FDvQccduZnOYI2UkBkRUGHW7agFFfVf6kehqH4pCq6qnFscVE7V3b7DImpO-ZfaN83XKKichQfp4EO3cy6xWSa6okwxHo_udtYLovNKk951iHg/s1600/474378_4928559853043_455079477_o+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnSYFy8JEuzKJBeBjGX3p1HD_Vf946FDvQccduZnOYI2UkBkRUGHW7agFFfVf6kehqH4pCq6qnFscVE7V3b7DImpO-ZfaN83XKKichQfp4EO3cy6xWSa6okwxHo_udtYLovNKk951iHg/s200/474378_4928559853043_455079477_o+(2).jpg" width="133" /></a>Beginning in October and ending just this week, Ruth was part of a 3-woman team leading a weekly class called Respectfully Yours - a study just for wives from the <a href="http://loveandrespect.com/" target="_blank">Love and Respect</a> marriage curriculum. What a life-changing study! For further reinforcement (do you suppose God wants to strengthen our marriage??), José and Ruth both attended a <a href="http://www.familylife.com/events/featured-events/weekend-to-remember?gclid=CNymjL3JkbQCFSXZQgod1CwAzQ" target="_blank">Weekend to Remember</a> conference in November - a highly recommended conference for any couple! What a blessing to attend and to be reminded of many important principles as we seek to become more like Christ in our home (p.s. - it's really hard! <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=phil%204:13&version=NLT" target="_blank">But not impossible</a>!).<br />
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Also in November one of the ladies in Spanish ministry slipped and broke her foot, requiring surgery. The bad news - she had to be in the hospital for almost two days. The good news - she went home with not only a new pin in her foot, but also a new life in her heart! She <i>prayed</i> to <a href="http://www.intouch.org/you/all-things-are-new/content?topic=how_do_i_accept_jesus_as_my_savior_all_things" target="_blank">receive Christ</a> that morning!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXklwx1KzUzebCm0105F1kwOTQpDhCmodPXGwfq_MhsvrG_-m55l-4KHZ6Wx6M94M9FLmoApG6Gvw4j9usuImbFP-mdWtC8iz32vhHQ1Zj_dRp8nV2vqHHoC1o-URQqtgDtRTQz4dZBNs/s1600/IMG_2250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXklwx1KzUzebCm0105F1kwOTQpDhCmodPXGwfq_MhsvrG_-m55l-4KHZ6Wx6M94M9FLmoApG6Gvw4j9usuImbFP-mdWtC8iz32vhHQ1Zj_dRp8nV2vqHHoC1o-URQqtgDtRTQz4dZBNs/s320/IMG_2250.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New-believing mom and her sweet family</td></tr>
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November brought a new addition to our home (I bet that caught your attention!)- a niece of José's has come from Honduras to live with us for a while as she works to save money to finish college. The kids adore her and she is so much fun to have around!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjcd4M9mSDr61Pf0EbHHIDagyeQ1GJjravCvwCFG-2EFurYe2SMt4jTa61gLjQlhA-OKZ4-tMWBf43kI7L-axDfcxUqvcG-t2sDtn2W38E4kY4rta7_ePGUuTX1-MUECfOhNv37LKTTs/s1600/77039_10151352353422463_219998758_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjcd4M9mSDr61Pf0EbHHIDagyeQ1GJjravCvwCFG-2EFurYe2SMt4jTa61gLjQlhA-OKZ4-tMWBf43kI7L-axDfcxUqvcG-t2sDtn2W38E4kY4rta7_ePGUuTX1-MUECfOhNv37LKTTs/s320/77039_10151352353422463_219998758_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome, cousin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKX0JcoUGpweXT5u4B8TCFXGUwjunfQ0QcOcgJ1kb2y6-8ABagyAsMFd0m1RxgFrmajJMbi4i3Hyq0-9GPCyHXqP-F_cHYJbYCvr5NjsoJSNrx6kIThrDKKTiU7rGQrUHT-My6nQE2tI/s1600/IMG_2997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKX0JcoUGpweXT5u4B8TCFXGUwjunfQ0QcOcgJ1kb2y6-8ABagyAsMFd0m1RxgFrmajJMbi4i3Hyq0-9GPCyHXqP-F_cHYJbYCvr5NjsoJSNrx6kIThrDKKTiU7rGQrUHT-My6nQE2tI/s320/IMG_2997.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worship team with one of the new worship leaders</td></tr>
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As we are already a few months in to our fifth year with the Spanish Ministry at Evergreen Bible Church, we ask that you<i> pray urgently</i> for leadership development. Our gifted worship leader, who was also an elder, has chosen to step down and leave the church in order to focus on a difficult home situation. <i>Please pray</i> for him and his family. And <i>pray</i> for our ministry, that God would fill the much-needed role of worship leader, and an additional elder to support the constant work of shepherding. We ask that you also <i>pray for us</i> as leaders in working through all the aspects that have come with these events.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMKWV5dKTr0KzJTrXOL-QqV60LGb6u4Sn3BF0mqisJdtKoS_h4poOUm_EV1qYeuSHtjClmk6lsVqucHebH8qDU8Y1JmJ1RoAwje219TNiMCTkfnv08JUKqTZysQkr3memOTmT5oWktKU/s1600/IMG_3010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMKWV5dKTr0KzJTrXOL-QqV60LGb6u4Sn3BF0mqisJdtKoS_h4poOUm_EV1qYeuSHtjClmk6lsVqucHebH8qDU8Y1JmJ1RoAwje219TNiMCTkfnv08JUKqTZysQkr3memOTmT5oWktKU/s320/IMG_3010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee hour after Sunday service</td></tr>
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<i>To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. --Jude 1:24-25</i><br />
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We hope to update you as soon as possible after this Saturday's big event, that you might rejoice with us over what God has done in our community! And until then, Merry Christmas to you, our dear friends and family!<br />
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<i>For a child has been born—for us!</i></div>
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<i>the gift of a son—for us!</i></div>
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<i>He’ll take over</i></div>
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<i>the running of the world.</i></div>
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<i>His names will be: Amazing Counselor,</i></div>
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<i>Strong God,</i></div>
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<i>Eternal Father,</i></div>
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<i>Prince of Wholeness.--Is.9:6 (Message)</i></div>
Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-56637448840507518242012-09-19T21:58:00.001-07:002012-09-19T22:51:39.257-07:00And...here comes fall!Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers through the summer and into this new season of fall! We are so full of God's richest blessings and are just bursting with thankfulness. Here's a quick summary with photos:<br />
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We celebrated Father's Day in June with a special tribute and prayer of dedication for all the fathers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the preschool class on Father's Day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifi_LSm1A7kiNmYLGgtBrwni4G9xoxt85o0R5kngXAT4X2PENMjGk6USEFBIs9CVXIChK23o-_ixmGWhWkYyen3k_mrjSLiGY6rR06jnM4_sK2Qa_N3ct0zxJTOW76KC4UT7Au0QF32Pg/s1600/IMG_2344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifi_LSm1A7kiNmYLGgtBrwni4G9xoxt85o0R5kngXAT4X2PENMjGk6USEFBIs9CVXIChK23o-_ixmGWhWkYyen3k_mrjSLiGY6rR06jnM4_sK2Qa_N3ct0zxJTOW76KC4UT7Au0QF32Pg/s320/IMG_2344.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The school age class giving a special dedication to fathers</td></tr>
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We had the privilege of hosting a musical group on tour from Rio Grande Bible Institute. They blessed our church with an amazing concert, and then as a family we enjoyed some time with them as we hosted them in our home.<br />
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The women had an absolute blast meeting for coffee every other week at a nearby restaurant. Here are most of them during the last coffee get together before the summer hit.<br />
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The littlest ones are now consistent members in the nursery, and even they are learning about God's love for them on Sundays! Many thanks to our faithful nursery teacher who gives of her time every week.<br />
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With less rain, more sun, and warmer temperatures we returned to our park potlucks! Always a favorite time for the congregation, we love to spend the day in fellowship and sports.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll just have to imagine the amazing smells coming from that grill in the background! Latinos know how to cook the best food ever!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're not sure who loved the park potlucks more - the adults or the children!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Now Samuelito, if you want to be a good pastor, it all starts with knowing how to play soccer..."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQN6av9UyTMM3zDRWRIHxx2ZA7znvVt1yneGW88l2l-ZzOxwv976XDEE2g2r2sm9VBXBkEAlswljGkT1ZDfQIJ5iGRgSP2DOJcOh5H36sGlfL4HWRga5y4GdSe57P7J01SrBBQbQcdaaI/s1600/IMG_2446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQN6av9UyTMM3zDRWRIHxx2ZA7znvVt1yneGW88l2l-ZzOxwv976XDEE2g2r2sm9VBXBkEAlswljGkT1ZDfQIJ5iGRgSP2DOJcOh5H36sGlfL4HWRga5y4GdSe57P7J01SrBBQbQcdaaI/s320/IMG_2446.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The men have some "serious fun" when they play soccer!</td></tr>
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The summer also allows us to have special one-on-one time with other families. We really cherish that time as we grow our friendships, and encourage one other towards Christ.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqeG_IM0jJEeoNGe7dtkxJY314OMAPK4SMrKwXhftTIbesYQklhm55AZ8fNiJDyY2ttPRlQDZRRfhjomn-clTJ54cPppzIw_jm1jf3fTzhozj1C3dEWswdq73ukbO4h5E7HTO8TkDyE4/s1600/IMG_2516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqeG_IM0jJEeoNGe7dtkxJY314OMAPK4SMrKwXhftTIbesYQklhm55AZ8fNiJDyY2ttPRlQDZRRfhjomn-clTJ54cPppzIw_jm1jf3fTzhozj1C3dEWswdq73ukbO4h5E7HTO8TkDyE4/s320/IMG_2516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karla is a dear woman with a beautiful servant's heart!</td></tr>
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In August we welcomed our newest member, Isabella! She is the daughter of the first couple that got married in our congregation over three years ago.<br />
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Also in August we enjoyed a family day-camp at Lewisville Park just a few minutes north. Activities included games for children, competitive family games, worship and a Bible devotional, soccer (of course!), volleyball, splashing in the ice-cold river, and the most delicious food you could ever imagine. And finally at the end of summer, a small group got together to climb to the top of Multnomah Falls:<br />
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As you can see from this pictorial review of summer, God has continued blessing the Spanish ministry at Evergreen Bible - raising up leaders, deepening the discipleship, and growing a true family bond. Small groups decided to continue to meet through the summer, so Jose has taught every Monday and Friday nights in different homes, and the men get together every Sunday evening to play soccer. Sunday School remains constant at an average of 10-15 preschoolers and 15+ school age children. We give God glory for bringing forward two gifted teachers who have committed to the preschool class for the rest of the year.<br />
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Looking at the new school year ahead, we anticipate further growth - not necessarily in numbers, but a "downward growth" to build a solid foundation and encourage strong roots in the leadership. In the next month, we will put on a Sunday School teacher's training workshop, encourage the families' involvement in the AWANA club at Evergreen, rebuild the youth ministry, and return to the monthly church potluck dinners, just to name a few.<br />
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In personal news: I cannot express adequately in words our humble gratitude to the Lord for providing for us financially over the summer. Despite the 50% income, our needs were provided for over and above the minimum! On top of that, we were even able to enjoy some family vacation time, again by God's provision through gracious friends and other family members. Three weeks ago Jose began working at night again, this time with a man from the Spanish congregation. Thankfully the work schedule is flexible, allowing Jose to join the family for dinner, and able to keep up with Bible study teaching. We are currently waiting to hear if Jose will be officially offered a position in the Vancouver School District...so far it looks very promising! Please add this to your prayers! Having a school schedule would be ideal in order to keep up with ministry needs and maintain a sufficient income.<br />
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Will you pray for the Spanish ministry and for us?<br />
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<ul>
<li>Please pray for leadership development - that Jose would receive the pastoral support that he needs</li>
<li>Pray for the Sunday School teachers and other leaders - for stamina, more helpers, and as they teach the children God's Word, for the rebuilding of the youth ministry</li>
<li>Please pray for a difficult situation that we have been battling</li>
<li>And we ask prayer for our family and our marriage as we continue to struggle to put into practice what our hearts and our heads tell us from the study of the Word</li>
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If you are ever in the area, please come visit! We'd love to have you join us in a unique and exciting Spanish worship service, or come to our home for a meal and coffee - always coffee! And if you are reading from far away, we would love to stay in touch with you. Feel free to contact us for any questions, prayer requests, recipes, good jokes....<br />
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God bless your fall season!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With love, the Alvarez family</td></tr>
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<br />Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-33840035915183962322012-06-08T23:09:00.000-07:002012-06-08T23:09:45.877-07:00Growth!The only advantage to infrequent ministry blog updates is that there is much more to tell you all about! Please excuse the silence - there's really nothing to blame but that we have let it slide.<br />
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Last February our church of <a href="http://www.evergreenbible.com/" target="_blank">EBC</a> held another bilingual worship service, where the music and the teaching were in both Spanish and English. This was once again such a blast, as we loved being all together, and completely soaked in a glimpse of what part of heaven may be like - worshipping with a large family of believers from all different tongues and cultures. I hope all of you get to experience that at least once here on earth! Click <a href="http://www.evergreenbible.com/?p=4688" target="_blank">HERE</a> for the audio of the teaching, this time our pastor taught us from Revelation, while Ruth translated.<br />
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The most exciting news that we could possibly have to share with you is that since we wrote you last, several more - a quick count brings five individuals to mind - have accepted Christ as Savior. Will you take a second to praise the Lord with us for that? When this ministry began three and a half years ago, we hoped and prayed that it would bring an evangelistic movement to the Spanish speakers of this area, and what an honor to be a witness to it! Ten people were baptized early March of this year in a special baptism service that was held.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jose and Juan with a precious lady from Chile.</td></tr>
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We now have official elders! Three wonderful leaders were officially chosen and prayed for as they were commissioned to a leadership team. Please pray for them and their families!</div>
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All the men of the church were invited for the first men's breakfast at the home of one of the elders. They enjoyed a great time of fellowship and meeting some new men who might be interested in joining the group. This is the group that attended the breakfast:<br />
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Recently we had to say "hasta la vista" to a dear friend and his family - they were crucial in the foundation of this ministry and will be greatly missed! Now that seminary has been completed, the Lancaster family will be continuing a ministry in another area of Portland. God bless them!<br />
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The first almost-six months of this year has seen us growing strong in our regular weekly and monthly activities. Jose now leads two of the three Life Groups that meet weekly, and most often joins the worship practice on Saturday nights. Ruth is on rotation to teach the preschool Sunday School class, and also coordinates teacher schedules and curriculum. As a family, we have been warmly blessed by having many other couples and families into our home for meals and fellowship. Just last night there were a total of 17 here for dinner - and that was just us plus one other family! A new baby was born, Mother's Day was celebrated with flowers and poems, monthly potluck dinners were held, and much, much coffee was consumed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the children reciting a poem for Mother's Day</td></tr>
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With a heavy heart we share with you that the private high school where Jose has taught these past five years now has to close due to economic struggles. All staff, including Jose, now must seek other employment. When you spend time in prayer today, would you please include this in your prayers? The teaching job provided about 50% of our monthly income and was also a wonderful opportunity for Jose to minister in the lives of the teenagers that came through his class. We know that God will provide for us - we don't know how! - but we trust that He will bring a new job to Jose that will work well as he dedicates time to ministry as well. (And we sure hope He does it before next month's bills come due!)<br />
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<em>Great peace <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16064A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup>have those who love your law,<br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-119-165">and nothing can make them stumble. Ps.119:165</span></span></em></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-119-165"><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16064B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup></span></span> Now here's something that just makes you shake your head in wonder...the very day we received the official word of the high school closing, the title for the children's bedtime devotional was "Trust God." It sure gave me a smile! And the next morning as I listened to a teaching, the points "just happened" to be that in a crisis you can either 1)panic 2)be paralyzed or 3)pray! So we have been praying!<br />
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We look forward to sharing with you again, and please drop us a line to let us know how we can pray for you!<br />
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Points for Prayer:<br />
<ul>
<li>growth and discipleship for those who just received Christ and those who were recently baptized</li>
<li>stamina and wisdom for Jose as he leads</li>
<li>protection from attacks from the enemy, as he surely cannot be happy about this growth! In fact, the very Sunday that two received Christ, the enemy found a way in to attack - we pray that Christ will continue to rule in the hearts of each of His children!</li>
<li>growth and unity as a family</li>
<li>new employment for Jose</li>
<li>upcoming summer outreach events</li>
</ul>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-54349532111278934182012-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:002012-02-08T08:28:29.523-08:00DRIVERS, START YOUR ENGINES!!<em>Acts 20:24. My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.</em><br />
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The giddy tension of the participants. The roar of the crowd. The excitement in the air so strong you can almost touch it…. Here at the starting line of 2012, we invite you to join us for a lap or two while we share with you some of God’s tremendous new blessings in our lives and ministry. <br />
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Since the Christmas outreach, a new family has joined us in Spanish ministry. Last Sunday we reached the highest number of attenders yet at 92! Praise God, the Sunday School rooms are bursting with children (13 in preschool alone!) and more ladies have stepped up to help in teaching. The youth group is also becoming stronger, and this month they will hold their first big activity at church. The women just finished a weekly study of “Becoming a Woman of Excellence” and will continue to meet weekly for fellowship, prayer, and learning more of God’s Word. The three Life Groups continue to meet faithfully every week as well. What a joy to work alongside these people as we encourage each other to live like Christ!<br />
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For the past three and a half years Jose has been serving as pastor to Spanish ministry as a volunteer, working two, often three additional jobs to help make ends meet. This year, however, brings a big change to our family - probably the biggest change since moving to the US from Honduras. <strong>Our home church of Evergreen Bible Church voted to bring Jose on as a part-time paid pastor!</strong> Jose will keep his daytime job teaching Spanish at Vancouver Christian High School but has quit his night job, meaning he now has evenings available to dedicate much-needed time to ministry and family. “Relief” does not even come close to describing how we feel at this blessed change. We praise God for this blessing, and are praying that He would help us as we work on organizing our time – figuring out how to be a more “normal” family. The children have been extra excited to see their daddy at breakfast and dinner – a novelty they have not been able to enjoy for five years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD_ji7zdG5CNB_5LBellxCVftgUPzxKhF12yAYOt-m30VVAjNXMWzmNIRHLvBkyov0wiy34gceD23RxByc5xsz-FlmPZpiV0IqpEC3kqdOdIiQ_xgd0CFPTLwTCoAwkriSrOVOr9ppgk/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD_ji7zdG5CNB_5LBellxCVftgUPzxKhF12yAYOt-m30VVAjNXMWzmNIRHLvBkyov0wiy34gceD23RxByc5xsz-FlmPZpiV0IqpEC3kqdOdIiQ_xgd0CFPTLwTCoAwkriSrOVOr9ppgk/s320/IMG_1766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise from our breakfast table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So what does this change mean for us financially? The transfer from night job to “part-time” at church enabled us to make a straight step across in our budget without extra strain – a great blessing we are so thankful for. <strong>We are only $800 from reaching our monthly budget needs.</strong> Serving the Lord here on the mission field of Vancouver has evolved from launching a ministry where Spanish speakers would have a place to learn and worship to becoming a church-planting operation as we have seen many come to the Lord and as the group has grown in strength and number. We are humbled that God would allow us to be involved in His work to spread the gospel and help grow believers here in this vibrant but needy community.<br />
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<strong>Is God asking you to be involved in this work too?</strong> In order to reach our monthly budget—which includes both ministry and family expenses—, we only need 20 people to commit to giving just $40 a month. Or ten people to give just $80 per month…you get the idea! As you consider where to send this year’s offerings and gifts, would you please prayerfully ask God if He is leading you to support this church-planting ministry here in Vancouver? On the right side of this page is a link to <a href="http://www.nicechurchplanters.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180002508&sec_id=180001283" target="_blank">N.I.C.E.,</a> the mission we are members of, and you may follow the steps there to send in support (or click <a href="http://www.nicechurchplanters.org/site/donate.asp?sec_id=180001283#" target="_blank">HERE</a> - select "Missionary Support" and then type in "Jose Alvarez" on the next page); or funds may be mailed to 909 Main St. Suite #5, PO Box 2225, Sumner, WA 98390.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcr5CojbWjH7TKiJIyxq45mfLrSUEGgoX-wHj7CThYdRj81CZdWDVP26PcxLPCztOsYVXuNUvXrEhvlZ08Rqg-Zw8Xo3901uI73ddq3vNaAf7po9Z1MUS1QzmOyZJbYpdYAKZz1CGm0k/s1600/IMG_1742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcr5CojbWjH7TKiJIyxq45mfLrSUEGgoX-wHj7CThYdRj81CZdWDVP26PcxLPCztOsYVXuNUvXrEhvlZ08Rqg-Zw8Xo3901uI73ddq3vNaAf7po9Z1MUS1QzmOyZJbYpdYAKZz1CGm0k/s320/IMG_1742.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A day trip up to Mt Hood to enjoy the snow</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL1dppGD41pOljJkyf32ltiFgLabMxvHI260jwdVd2S1GbqWp6xoQ807iOQ9GP14S75QtFLl_0EBgyQBrfjgS_HrjGnfxGcNYXyOjup3jJaB44CVigDQ33QO77W96Xl_2h-cxwvERcr8/s1600/IMG_1741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL1dppGD41pOljJkyf32ltiFgLabMxvHI260jwdVd2S1GbqWp6xoQ807iOQ9GP14S75QtFLl_0EBgyQBrfjgS_HrjGnfxGcNYXyOjup3jJaB44CVigDQ33QO77W96Xl_2h-cxwvERcr8/s320/IMG_1741.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiomVRNm2I30vTvvW86jsznoWirAmw2GBlMssEr0faBMHOKcvekl90VmJsLBC2DMHqjzi8_KWPVVyxDIRjeYFDndnDIz-9h6QtRDBqWq1Lx-5cI7A2azv6iGu2HotSwKZtk07rel0HHs/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiomVRNm2I30vTvvW86jsznoWirAmw2GBlMssEr0faBMHOKcvekl90VmJsLBC2DMHqjzi8_KWPVVyxDIRjeYFDndnDIz-9h6QtRDBqWq1Lx-5cI7A2azv6iGu2HotSwKZtk07rel0HHs/s320/IMG_1739.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We didn't stay long as the pretty snow kind of turned into a blizzard!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Thank you in advance for considering supporting this ministry, and many, many thanks to those who already do. You are the sponsors, the capable pit crew, our fellow racecar drivers, AND the cheering crowd, all wrapped up in one. We could not serve in this capacity without you!<br />
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How to pray for us:<br />
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<ul><li>Learning how to manage this new schedule in a way that best blesses ministry and family</li>
<li>Wisdom as we lift up those who are struggling, and encouraging growth for those who are already walking with the Lord</li>
<li>Provision of the funds that are still lacking</li>
</ul>We would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment here, email, or even send old-fashioned letters! God bless you as you serve Him where you are. And the next time you smell engine exhaust in the air, may it serve as a reminder to pray for us.Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-19922312392647955702011-12-23T08:53:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:53:56.928-08:00Felíz Navidad 2011!Thank you so much to all who were praying for the annual outreach event that was held a couple of weeks ago! We could feel your prayers and the presence of God among us that day!<br />
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Preparations for the event began a few days before as the kitchen crew met in a home to chop, slice and stir. Another volunteer put together 200 gift bags for children that included a tract and the Gospel of John (provided by a generous offering from one of our own members!), among other goodies. The youth got together many times to practice the black-light mime (see video below), and everyone was involved in some way or another. To keep the budget low, we asked for donations from the church attenders. Their response was so generous that at one point we had to tell them - thank you, but we don't need any more! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRh8wLGIh40QyNnmd8RfaqYnGGfP9kr9fjQzu6Y4lsN_gd5ClGHCnm1nnrkxM-gmLlq1qntHhD-_Y2gQYUraKC-EzyPn00Z9isgaVyvMhZksjCSD0gr7ZKSYw9SUG2Xo0aCBoms4AGo8/s1600/fiesta+navidena+iglesia+evergreen+735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRh8wLGIh40QyNnmd8RfaqYnGGfP9kr9fjQzu6Y4lsN_gd5ClGHCnm1nnrkxM-gmLlq1qntHhD-_Y2gQYUraKC-EzyPn00Z9isgaVyvMhZksjCSD0gr7ZKSYw9SUG2Xo0aCBoms4AGo8/s320/fiesta+navidena+iglesia+evergreen+735.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assembling the craft</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The day of the event we gathered early at the church to start setting up and assembling the craft. We were blessed by several volunteers from EBC (our mother church) and many of our own members - all ready to serve wherever needed. Noon came, the doors were opened, and Spanish speakers from the community started coming! We started off with directing the kids to game stations where they could win prizes, followed by Christmas songs lead by our worship leader and band. Next the youth performed their mime, the Christmas story was narrated to the children, and Jose got up to share the gospel message. The second half of the event included the craft, a delicious lunch, and two brilliant piñatas with all the bat-swinging, candy-flying madness that a piñata brings! We gave away 102 gift bags to children, and counted around 80 adults. Please pray for each of those homes, as we trust that seeds were planted and we ask God to water those seeds that they might grow! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy9tP9z86yf6v2q-H0KEAqyVkrA3PAIGcJrJU0iFFhcSVPEoF4_ZExcjRdK9fYBpwE_owvQX01PdZMHzya3hWMIbA44_ZrohvajX_qz4Rn7LWHGlaGajNck22dZDKmeXB7PRgaar2rhQ/s1600/IMG_2712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy9tP9z86yf6v2q-H0KEAqyVkrA3PAIGcJrJU0iFFhcSVPEoF4_ZExcjRdK9fYBpwE_owvQX01PdZMHzya3hWMIbA44_ZrohvajX_qz4Rn7LWHGlaGajNck22dZDKmeXB7PRgaar2rhQ/s320/IMG_2712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making the craft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYVcBI1DT7CD8zX4iL2dK7vi085xIG4ecNcTvEoTcSQDo3_5d_hwCoT-rhO8fTlAG-h5LAVxzLNtAwIc-Wlpsg9UNFJvni5i27jMG45J6F0b96x0pBSL-NKHNZEARfl0O-XvN-_zpu38/s1600/IMG_2769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYVcBI1DT7CD8zX4iL2dK7vi085xIG4ecNcTvEoTcSQDo3_5d_hwCoT-rhO8fTlAG-h5LAVxzLNtAwIc-Wlpsg9UNFJvni5i27jMG45J6F0b96x0pBSL-NKHNZEARfl0O-XvN-_zpu38/s320/IMG_2769.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piñata Excitement!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sVSK4Vh6BT-NoD7ZXHiYgjKF-c_xl_8iTCehlC_SUGP1fxHLWKxQBtPTnndk61gzrxl9Ej0DPN8vcoQ3AXvFnZKZZuc7eVvLv1_0k6g80Zl_iQNEQweOWLuhVi-l1E9spufHztnHJxI/s1600/IMG_2842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sVSK4Vh6BT-NoD7ZXHiYgjKF-c_xl_8iTCehlC_SUGP1fxHLWKxQBtPTnndk61gzrxl9Ej0DPN8vcoQ3AXvFnZKZZuc7eVvLv1_0k6g80Zl_iQNEQweOWLuhVi-l1E9spufHztnHJxI/s320/IMG_2842.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candy madness!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSq7OAn-EONqR3qOtzom4UG0lQ5ApWi9OXoyDCllQR11m-5u81gm-KzjkRZk5H74eGhdlhF6tj0HTTcMtXj3aCTD7jWL_1Uu2rA6HcqEs0HDBcXKVD3syIHR7jNjulwUebVr4jr7Wglo/s1600/fiesta+navidena+iglesia+evergreen+815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSq7OAn-EONqR3qOtzom4UG0lQ5ApWi9OXoyDCllQR11m-5u81gm-KzjkRZk5H74eGhdlhF6tj0HTTcMtXj3aCTD7jWL_1Uu2rA6HcqEs0HDBcXKVD3syIHR7jNjulwUebVr4jr7Wglo/s320/fiesta+navidena+iglesia+evergreen+815.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the kitchen crew</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAfhyphenhyphenA-wiBWE7RgaaoCF_EnCcBYYVQDuT4fNVlhhbxF6kLZWoBiT-0r3G2qdAoaH-0vNHay_isuYxfL-pntnLy0CGchHmpBJ2z__rzelyd3_-TzZd4KNQCqq-WWQlqHq9THuAQvGzgtQ/s1600/fiesta+navidena+iglesia+evergreen+794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAfhyphenhyphenA-wiBWE7RgaaoCF_EnCcBYYVQDuT4fNVlhhbxF6kLZWoBiT-0r3G2qdAoaH-0vNHay_isuYxfL-pntnLy0CGchHmpBJ2z__rzelyd3_-TzZd4KNQCqq-WWQlqHq9THuAQvGzgtQ/s320/fiesta+navidena+iglesia+evergreen+794.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samuelito asks, "Where's the party?!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since the event we have had a few visiting families to the Sunday church services. We pray that they find a welcoming, family environment where they might come to know Christ as their Saviour and a place to call their church home.<br />
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While this outreach event did take up much of our time and efforts, other ministry activities have continued strong! Three different Life Groups have been meeting consistently in homes, and those groups have seen growth and strength in relationships with Christ. Recently a husband and wife accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour in one of those groups and are now a part of our church family. The women have been meeting for Bible study for a couple of months now, with about 12 women coming each week. Sunday School classes have been growing strong. And as always, as the culture thrives on personal relationships and fellowship together, there have been many home gatherings where relationships are strengthened and the family feeling grows strong within the group. We still have an average of around 80 people on Sundays.<br />
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On a personal note, we as a family have been so filled to overflowing with blessings from this beloved family of believers. They have been nothing but loving and generous to us as they invite us to their homes and allow us into their lives. At a recent Life Group Christmas party, our children were given a generous Christmas gift on behalf of the whole group - it brought tears to my eyes as it touched my heart beyond expression. Our prayer is that God might use us to bless them in return, and that as a family we might encourage them as we seek the Lord together.<br />
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We hope that your Christmas stays centered around the celebration of the birth of Christ, and that each of you are able to soak in precious family time!<br />
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Felíz Navidad and Happy New Year from our family to yours!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJr-K0RCU0NJjaxSgZJuuws_EuCPF69MGsALb_2UMR_5VOxpuuuZDXNkgYCr8XGgH7jLrfpYkRxZkuRu6vKeLeUPHekjnSSnmg_J-0_E7OvhyJEzjYb1DK_aKL2Cnf4HPyy1N_VEEHp0/s1600/20111110_4082EDIT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJr-K0RCU0NJjaxSgZJuuws_EuCPF69MGsALb_2UMR_5VOxpuuuZDXNkgYCr8XGgH7jLrfpYkRxZkuRu6vKeLeUPHekjnSSnmg_J-0_E7OvhyJEzjYb1DK_aKL2Cnf4HPyy1N_VEEHp0/s320/20111110_4082EDIT.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas from the Alvarez Family!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-27233975997553779322011-12-10T21:39:00.000-08:002011-12-10T21:39:47.634-08:00Thank you for your prayers!! Here's a sneak peek at today's AMAZING event! More to follow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzUJUYUKCL9kFDP-BF6KubNRCtDUC7FsRhd-Q_JnwESTBvBxfssXEPtUNPd6h60Mus0Btu1G8jKBWK95qwLWw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Performed by our youth - they did such a great job!Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-72417847800413735852011-12-03T11:50:00.000-08:002011-12-03T11:50:45.663-08:00Please Pray!A week from today is our fourth annual children's Christmas party - an outreach event where we give a free meal, children's games and crafts, piñatas, and the gospel. We ask specifically this week for your prayers in the following areas:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>a clear presentation of the gospel and souls won for Christ</li>
<li>unity and strength for all of our Spanish ministry members as some serve food, others sing, others perform in a special black-light drama, and much more!</li>
<li>that this week many invitations would be handed out and more publicity given for the event</li>
<li>final preparations in food, crafts, goodie bags, etc.</li>
<li>and finally, please pray that the people will COME!</li>
</ul>The event will be held at Evergreen Bible Church this next Saturday, December 10 at noon. Thank you so much for holding us up in prayer!<br />
<br />
A more detailed ministry update coming soon! We can't wait to share with you what the Lord will do at next week's outreach.<br />
<br />
--And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:14b-15a, 17<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLe9pOh22MorLmCM4KNgxqj1pvn7OUy2tu6mehC_N1o83PA7AHlIRRy6C-V-9zYfyQD0csSQ4s60DYIF-KnBfnXiCdilavTGH8eFgD2fE98T31uQemw9mf_9TYgWlDa55Aikq11Zr7KA/s1600/Christmas+party+invite+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLe9pOh22MorLmCM4KNgxqj1pvn7OUy2tu6mehC_N1o83PA7AHlIRRy6C-V-9zYfyQD0csSQ4s60DYIF-KnBfnXiCdilavTGH8eFgD2fE98T31uQemw9mf_9TYgWlDa55Aikq11Zr7KA/s320/Christmas+party+invite+2011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-68669055309725298862011-08-30T14:11:00.000-07:002011-08-30T17:16:06.470-07:00Summing up Summer!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for the Spanish ministry at Evergreen Bible Church. We have felt your prayers and have sure needed them too! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXHAL240ich56NLoLhd0YjWLaUPeWrbJWQgvAYMTmFrWr2ZW9zORNdRU3n7UP4YYO1WDD-fmvLBGM2zoPTe7aHa20Jr-chRs6KFOrrTeTt8rBBMj2LJ08eo_CVzSpoA5AKPtOKgSJqcM/s1600/IMG_0728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXHAL240ich56NLoLhd0YjWLaUPeWrbJWQgvAYMTmFrWr2ZW9zORNdRU3n7UP4YYO1WDD-fmvLBGM2zoPTe7aHa20Jr-chRs6KFOrrTeTt8rBBMj2LJ08eo_CVzSpoA5AKPtOKgSJqcM/s200/IMG_0728.JPG" width="200" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Playing volleyball</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYl2ZCjso3Y5JdUn0Zng5S8XXMc8oOOJ2Kdz_Vy3kNOCtoBOnW47hfvdBoJiTD6l5XiyRbuUqMViZwXlWUygGfCj5K9-nroJFEtYAOFzb5K552YX6qw0lIB77R5yLXVB5rr9z6KtYA-bA/s1600/IMG_0678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYl2ZCjso3Y5JdUn0Zng5S8XXMc8oOOJ2Kdz_Vy3kNOCtoBOnW47hfvdBoJiTD6l5XiyRbuUqMViZwXlWUygGfCj5K9-nroJFEtYAOFzb5K552YX6qw0lIB77R5yLXVB5rr9z6KtYA-bA/s200/IMG_0678.JPG" width="200" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Grilling burgers in the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Summer was so much fun, with multiple park outings and plenty of family gatherings. We love being part of a culture that thrives on personal relationships and time spent together! I think everybody could use a little more of that, don't you think? The potlucks and park days gave many opportunities to get to know one another better and to encourage and lift each other up.</div></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YGxAiex6Q3hCzIrC7twTvEflqjIsET8s5Hp67QyqSm9Vr_8obWoYexdT9FpclG9qZ8PQ3fsiVL10Dn7dpL6q75ibUH7ctzcUIAl56lr2DtQHtcbwK_LbVx0XqXNC2CMg7jozvi8tXd0/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YGxAiex6Q3hCzIrC7twTvEflqjIsET8s5Hp67QyqSm9Vr_8obWoYexdT9FpclG9qZ8PQ3fsiVL10Dn7dpL6q75ibUH7ctzcUIAl56lr2DtQHtcbwK_LbVx0XqXNC2CMg7jozvi8tXd0/s200/IMG_0712.JPG" width="200" /></a></div></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Kadalin having fun on the swings</div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As mentioned last time, the Spanish ministry outgrew the upstairs youth room. We've been having an average of 70 or more in attendance each week, and those last weeks upstairs were literally standing room only! With this came the growing pains of having to move our worship time from the nice and comfortable 11 a.m. in the cozy upstairs room to the challenging hour of 1:30 p.m. in the main sanctuary. We've been meeting at this new time and place for three weeks now, and praise the Lord, so far it's going great! Though sadly we had to say goodbye to some who moved away during the summer, we have yet to lose a family due to the schedule change. Spanish Sunday School has also been going strong with more than 20 children each week. So far we have been able to rotate teachers, but we realize this is only a temporary solution. We would like to be able to have two classes in order to separate the children by age group, and we are praying about how we can achieve that in the near future.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJ7hNhtjLqVTXv2qgQG-MAm5ieDdthyphenhyphen7aiH8jnJVg0Scp3weeRAOv35SDPN508Ia2_Qf0acZ4O5tvTquY9QdH8chIPIz46o0w4Mttfc4ZvINglN2A7EjViy7HOCPwBWaBKdCRZkVMJCI/s1600/IMG_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJ7hNhtjLqVTXv2qgQG-MAm5ieDdthyphenhyphen7aiH8jnJVg0Scp3weeRAOv35SDPN508Ia2_Qf0acZ4O5tvTquY9QdH8chIPIz46o0w4Mttfc4ZvINglN2A7EjViy7HOCPwBWaBKdCRZkVMJCI/s320/IMG_1017.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">At the end of July, right before our move to a new time, we had the amazing opportunity to share with Evergreen Bible in the first-ever EBC bilingual service. All of the Spanish ministry members mixed with the EBC attenders to enjoy one combined service. Spanish and English worship songs were belted out with tongue-twisting gusto, led by our pastor and by Spanish ministry's worship leader. It was beautiful. Here is a short video clip that slightly captures how fun it was:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx8HzprgXg-9Neyk2sHeBbfpyX0Mvql3MXPqRARN0APUBJJnIkkCaOtuMwbqlY-_PtuHeKefEVrYuYErlR5Sw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jose was given the opportunity to preach, and I (Ruth) translated. It was quite a stretch for us, believe it or not, as we hadn't experienced a situation like that since before we were married! Jose, a very gifted teacher, shared about the faith of Rahab as mentioned in Hebrews 11, and we trust that others were blessed despite a few glitches in translation and lack of rehearsal. If you'd like to hear it, you can find it <a href="http://www.evergreenbible.com/?p=3665">here on Evergreen Bible's page. </a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> <br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-R6ZeQuPDgVVPwAx_n82gYMiMUm09kh2yx0doqjuchdAniaDDoGqvNzQdpha4_28_18gv8PF88TnUAUF3OAFsKHp1GRN2O1QNfb0twoS4GS-SQs084daCn_dycW03go7oO0us_S3API/s1600/IMG_4489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-R6ZeQuPDgVVPwAx_n82gYMiMUm09kh2yx0doqjuchdAniaDDoGqvNzQdpha4_28_18gv8PF88TnUAUF3OAFsKHp1GRN2O1QNfb0twoS4GS-SQs084daCn_dycW03go7oO0us_S3API/s200/IMG_4489.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Little Derek having a blast at Family Camp</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In August a few of the Spanish service members attended Evergreen's annual Family Camp. We had hoped for a stronger response, but it was simply too difficult for everyone to get time off work and to find enough funds to go along. The time we did share with those who went to the camp was a true blessing and completely worth it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwi6iSlO7wDV6NMdhG5Wz2C18pY-zBsvUzmOIiOdmdWPeJd10SHx8Ri_xDSUkrLZ2lH_i2a4lVktvud-PHa8nVuoRoIzmqAg_-OD60xHjg4UOrTBDBMzplwJmw3rPY7brVCkneCRkLjQ/s1600/IMG_4483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwi6iSlO7wDV6NMdhG5Wz2C18pY-zBsvUzmOIiOdmdWPeJd10SHx8Ri_xDSUkrLZ2lH_i2a4lVktvud-PHa8nVuoRoIzmqAg_-OD60xHjg4UOrTBDBMzplwJmw3rPY7brVCkneCRkLjQ/s200/IMG_4483.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now we're saddling up and getting ready to ride the oncoming wave of fall and the return to school schedules. I (Ruth) won't be working for a while, as far as we know, so I plan to dedicate more time and efforts to the Spanish ministry in whatever way I am able. Jose will start teaching Spanish at the private Chrisitan high school for a fifth year, and will continue the night job as always. He looks forward to ministering to the many new faces at church in Spanish ministry and will continue preaching, discipling, and everything else that a pastor is so good at doing!</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>How to pray for us:</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">* pray that the needs will be met of all the new and dear ones who have joined us this year in Spanish ministry...each of them needs individual time, attention, and encouragement in their walk with the Lord</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">* pray for Jose, that God might see fit, after five years, to give some relief from a strenuous work schedule, and to allow him to dedicate the time so desperately needed to Spanish ministry</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">* pray as we all adjust to the new worship service time and location</div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">* please pray for our family, that God would be the center of our marriage and our home.</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-14500087014909723982011-05-25T21:33:00.000-07:002011-06-03T22:08:05.001-07:00June 2011 UpdatePardon the delay in an update! It's been a busy few months and we are eager to tell you all that's been going on here in the Pacific Northwest with our ministry and family....<br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614004434638875202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G1O1Gqv5RVXj-6gaD2Y9LJpB2fFX1uJCOZa9ysOvrVvF5Bw6TB2FNy1Md9G6X-lUTv9wTsaAIvGq44AsnTRWN_nOHR32QfRkdA4oM_CKQmqWOCIpl0-60UV0KCyNDVV3vGd45R8gHr4/s320/IMG_0226.JPG" />Not long after we sent out our last update in February, Jose received the inevitable news that his mother had passed on to be with her Savior. Jose was able to fly out the very same day that he received the news, and was there in time for the last funeral service and the burial. He spent two more days with his family, including a very meaningful conversation with some of his brothers and his father. Praise the Lord for that opportunity! God also provided every penny of the $2000 or so that was needed to spend on airfare and funeral expenses...we are so humbled and grateful! Thanks so much to those dear brothers and sisters that God used to bless us in that way.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614026763937676722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6U74GbQNUFxG2mruKfUjnlizsb_pcBJktKeMU_OZ4Le1cXjZDPwxy8a5trc13MjXcwZMgRJu-SgGfgKQjBD-ptizlM137TQXo5jNChowkYcI0h5eWcYTQDoSU1rwCiUNUsYUtQWmyWW8/s320/grandkids+%25282%2529.bmp" />Jose with his mother last August, before her health took a turn for the worse...<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 210px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 177px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614004945205123058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxNmCCJvc6iS7sJlDmLswUh3v5QaxYlYcp6RSxb07C7ApuwW-iu-WUaL1q7QRQ9TO23XtSqXsN21xOyW72gIoJN_CSj2HDpHRRkSiotJsSKdU5LjqB4w-FabKjMrO011nU28mN83ZWTs/s320/Honduras+Trip+029.jpg" />When it rains it pours...<br /><br /><div>It just so happened that the same week of this great loss to the family was also moving week for us. The apartment was half-packed, and the new house was in the middle of a few important <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-move projects that were to be completed that week. Our time was up - we had to move that very weekend. All it took was a feeble S.O.S. email to our pastors and suddenly our family was descended upon by many loving hands. Boxes were packed, a moving truck was rented, the new house was painted, cleaned, even some yard work done, and meals provided...all in Jose's absence. My throat still gets choked up and tears still come to my eyes each time I think of it. Indeed, when it rains...it pours...but with showers of blessing! Thank you so much to all those who poured blessings on us that week - wow. </div><br /><div>Since the move we have been so thankful for every moment in our new home. On those rare sunny days, the children tumble outside, soaking up the pleasures of running barefoot in the grass (albeit soggy) and collecting <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">roly</span>-poly bugs in the dirt. What a joy it is to have the use of a garage, a yard, curbside trash service...the list goes on and on. Not to mention extending the blessing of our home to our beloved family of Spanish speakers. Several times we have experienced the joy of hosting dinners, times of meaningful fellowship, and even a couple late-night conversations with some who are struggling.<br />Some of the women now attending the group...</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614028112515956850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTAqU82hA2OUMeE6YLH4nuPpxPJ76QkS9keHZvb_HrFkpKCI7WofNpHBT36fxwb6Qw0UjSE4WKWn7JPKxqqZOOe0rKsxCJFADhwJFmAwyGwiU9Jq8z8TgWdD-Qk9AeRrOJABX0LGNIV8/s320/church.bmp" />Thanks to God's gracious hand at work, the ministry with Spanish speakers has been growing by leaps and bounds. We now have over 40 adults in regular attendance on Sundays, more than 20 children attending <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">EBC</span> Sunday School classes in English, and a consistent group for Friday Bible study. And what a joy, what a blessing - many who have come bring willing hands and a servant's heart. Jose is no longer leading worship on his own with our sweet helper Jenna - they have been joined by a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">bonafide</span> worship team, complete with a band, singers, and a committed worship leader! Our new worship leader, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Abi</span>, is a graduate of a Bible seminary in Guatemala, and we are excited about his participation and assistance in the ministry. Jose and Trevor, the leader of the Spanish Ministry leadership team, have begun a men's discipleship group, which will be meeting once or twice a month to pray together. Please pray for this group, that God would raise up godly leaders in these men, who will in turn bring up more disciples for Christ. We are so enjoying getting to know these precious people that God has brought to this group, and we pray daily for wisdom in pointing them to be more like Christ.<br />Easter breakfast potluck...<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614029212349600514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQY8uJ4EAF7l7v7Bdi3F5g7v4bviESl77j4VcYhr6REWFZLV2ImP5WfvQCKnp2keNpO0yDqTQAUyPBknSd7n9SYTVjo1wBAgNSZp7S_IkAliZRKvV-D_L9tnroneQQBWP9Smy-NGA8jfs/s320/IMG_0544.JPG" /></div>Our gorgeous babies in their Easter Sunday best...<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614031076322303218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uFfChLPgZ18jdgTfNzDjPpVZng_8wMgg10nuRpD0RRBfJGReSCXivPUPEraF5ZGKIH1oQ_vx7DusvvRDKOq4qHNKCQp48ZV3X2k2FypQcSiSSdg_bupuLdo6yNtr_sJbt7ry2PrxzDM/s320/IMG_0538.JPG" />Our new Guatemalan worship leader and his family...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614029220641314658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrmh1DD7JKrqHamsSlhasI8fLT8eQhDlFivl8ZYA8ALV08cNZFjR-6Rzspc8uoHff9NbzwrgVtkLzJGHpcfZQrL9D_zaLazu9SRsw8pp2aSYONY2sG83vnXp-nrVASZjOxXB3zAq2Nso/s320/chinchilla.JPG" />Monthly fellowship dinners have been moved to the church due to the size of the group. The last two dinners, almost every member has come - enjoying an evening of food and fun. Friendships are being formed between families as we sit and talk with each other, and as we play silly games that make us laugh so hard our sides hurt. When a new baby was born, many provided meals for the little family. When one new member was hospitalized and subjected to sudden surgery, others in the group rallied around her to take care of her needs. What a beautiful thing to witness and be part of! We praise the Lord for the care and the unity so far in this group...please pray for continued unity and growth. <br /><div><br /><p>Now summer is coming (slowly but surely!) and as we anticipate (please, Lord?!) some sunny days, we will be picking back up the Sunday outings to the park. Our purpose is to cultivate and encourage the family of believers, and draw in other Spanish speakers that may be at the park that day. We are facing some big changes as we grow - beginning June 19<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, we will be teaching our own Sunday School in Spanish for school-age children! Please pray as we prepare teachers, choose curriculum, and lead these little kiddos to be more like Christ. We are also looking at the probability of moving our Sunday worship meeting time to 1 p.m., as we will soon be outgrowing the upstairs youth room that we have been using and will need to move to the sanctuary. This adjustment may be challenging, and we ask your prayers as we talk and plan!</p><br /><p>Rebekah and Isabella on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Awana</span> graduation night...Rebekah finished all 3 books in Sparks and Isabella has one more to go!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614031078779881874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwA1Lf-nI5UbUSBMQqPupBK5Ax_76K1ufcdHo5c_rGum2gPVslZ_c5whyphenhyphenVAQvfNZdU05mkoJg8d5kjOX7Fo-cMymEEJt2xKd3bILt8z-2qFoRwayZj_4aH2ECMIblgsmqa86cCaU-ezE/s320/IMG_0573.JPG" /></p><br /><p>This month brings with it Jose's final trip to Salem to teach Bible classes, as well as the last soccer games that he will ref (at least for this season!). And of course the last weeks of school for this year (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">hallelujah</span>!). Please pray for our family as we struggle for lack of time together - pray that we will be able to recuperate from the past few months of added stress and look to Christ to figure out how to balance work, ministry, and family. We haven't figured it out yet, so if you have any ideas, please pass them on!</p><br /><p>Our financial situation remains unchanged - Jose still has his two main sources of employment (for which we are truly thankful, especially given this economy) and Ruth continues to work part time. One of Jose's places of employment has even been struggling to pay their employees - we pray that God will build them up and bring in more sources of income for that institution. You may refer to the charts in February's post to see where we are at as a family. Meanwhile, the offerings that are provided through N.I.C.E. enable us the freedom to give to the Spanish ministry in various ways - and what a joy that is! Recently Jose purchased an upgrade to his Logos software program in order to pull from even more resources for studying, teaching, and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">discipling</span>...<em>thank you so much to those who are giving</em>! Please pray for the remaining amount that would enable Jose to work part-time instead of over-time.<br />God bless each of you as you serve Him where you are! </p></div>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-50331057977905000962011-02-03T19:13:00.000-08:002011-02-03T20:08:53.911-08:00February Update!!With hearts full of praise and thankfulness….!<br /><br />December: We enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship as we celebrated Christmas with a special potluck dinner. On Saturday the 18th we held our third annual community outreach event – the Children’s Spanish Christmas Party. We are thrilled to share with you that we had around 90 children with their families attend – about 130 people in all! What a successful, exciting day that was – as we served them a meal, guided a craft, a piñata, and most importantly, shared the gospel with them. Each family went home with a gospel tract and a children’s Bible <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrEDkzPDGr_i_RHv3XqgZall997G14ijtS6yLGt1Ia25UJVw20ns_6-DTX8D7tWk79RTgsXM6iMXUwvn83_JPOA4HiwOfCGzYlHQQ-5SXcoApRMBDGBOQ2iA5Rp8rK6UaHuYsVN6nMzA/s1600/Rodriguez+Family.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 162px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 127px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569671111583625826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrEDkzPDGr_i_RHv3XqgZall997G14ijtS6yLGt1Ia25UJVw20ns_6-DTX8D7tWk79RTgsXM6iMXUwvn83_JPOA4HiwOfCGzYlHQQ-5SXcoApRMBDGBOQ2iA5Rp8rK6UaHuYsVN6nMzA/s320/Rodriguez+Family.JPG" /></a>story book. May God plant those seeds and make them grow! We were also so humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support from the EBC church body. Since the event, we have had one new family join us (pictured at right) and we have over ten new contact numbers and addresses. Praise the Lord! And thank you for praying for Ramon and family - God has provided for them in many ways! It is so exciting to see that family grow.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y4sLwTLKifTe0OskNbIYyL1y7dBYtogFSM-MywejajJIvelJXWJWo5iInrsAZ5Sm3tOBroA_lDsdYpAO5iKqkI2uyR4hlWpTYCo75M-Hb-GO4TGbnNcakLJCwZ9f7pMz07bHdrLZ_U0/s1600/IMG_0053.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 227px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569679829906068418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y4sLwTLKifTe0OskNbIYyL1y7dBYtogFSM-MywejajJIvelJXWJWo5iInrsAZ5Sm3tOBroA_lDsdYpAO5iKqkI2uyR4hlWpTYCo75M-Hb-GO4TGbnNcakLJCwZ9f7pMz07bHdrLZ_U0/s320/IMG_0053.JPG" /></a><br />January: Jose was blessed beyond measure to be able to return to Honduras (using airline miles) and attend his childhood church’s 75th anniversary (photo: receiving a special recognition on behalf of his mother). He also enjoyed the reunion with his family, and spent some valuable time with his mother, who is in the hospital (see photo on the lower left). Back in Vancouver, another monthly fellowship dinner was held where members were blessed in getting to know one another better. We now have around 20 weekly attenders in our Sunday service, with many of those attending the weekly Life Group that Jose teaches. Jose also began a weekly guitar class, to enrich those in the group and also to hopefully provide some future musicians for our Sunday morning services.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2rqTq5Y51VKpejL9IrYkcxgrS8orndGltQPUma07dThGQYaqf_7CHycdnp9o9emF4F2E7KlQvQUlfHRw6BQK6h7haRsIDYj7-yG_MdETmhJOQn6PEXYfAooznzQMDNely4kpVW0BbO4/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 244px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569679823103894162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2rqTq5Y51VKpejL9IrYkcxgrS8orndGltQPUma07dThGQYaqf_7CHycdnp9o9emF4F2E7KlQvQUlfHRw6BQK6h7haRsIDYj7-yG_MdETmhJOQn6PEXYfAooznzQMDNely4kpVW0BbO4/s320/IMG_0083.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Family News: After exactly one year of attempting to purchase a house, God has opened the door (pardon the pun!) and is allowing us the blessing of our own home! We signed the accepted offer on New Year’s Eve, and next week we’ll be signing the loan and title documents, receiving the new keys a day or two after! Praise the Lord! We can’t wait to host Spanish Life Group and summer barbeques in the backyard – what a blessing. It is our prayer that God direct us as we strive to become wise stewards of His gifts. (Email us if you'd like the new address!)<br /><br />Prayer: Shortly after we sent out our last update to you, Jose was warned that his night job <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGi7I2zpaf_F5QAvVXE_J4FuqSp_RQZ29kuZHMXw5lrwoax74NNwOP5Fo794OB0ksrGpX8tL81-DP8hIo2Zg-zlDLxNU0zjTo1Hma_iJ1v0jzSmcO6ADbUUyheQnIoglxneQJ1az75cA/s1600/Pie+Chart+2.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 148px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 165px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569671104917743266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGi7I2zpaf_F5QAvVXE_J4FuqSp_RQZ29kuZHMXw5lrwoax74NNwOP5Fo794OB0ksrGpX8tL81-DP8hIo2Zg-zlDLxNU0zjTo1Hma_iJ1v0jzSmcO6ADbUUyheQnIoglxneQJ1az75cA/s320/Pie+Chart+2.gif" /></a>may face some layoffs. So far we haven’t heard anything more, and we ask that you pray with us that God would provide according to His will. We have been so thankful and greatly blessed these past four years for these solid employments! We also want to share with you the strain that Jose’s current schedule is causing on his heart’s desire and the true need for time in the ministry. We’re including some charts to illustrate what that looks like as far as time and income. (The figures are rough approximations, and don’t include things like sleep, doctor’s appointments, etc. Job #1 is the Spanish teacher job at Vancouver Christian and Job #2 is the night janitorial job.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_UmEFFRWXpZ69HH9sAXtg0cPrkoTgC-zmEIhYTrN2TOgnjTJdlhBTl5r8PryxYb6ZWXkODLgoYGpAPjDIvYL92aQO0pNEaEUEbLJSpfjf3uApv1INYwR5tY5odDSYX1GJxvwo-bbkuE/s1600/Pie+Chart+1.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 136px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 114px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569671100923406162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_UmEFFRWXpZ69HH9sAXtg0cPrkoTgC-zmEIhYTrN2TOgnjTJdlhBTl5r8PryxYb6ZWXkODLgoYGpAPjDIvYL92aQO0pNEaEUEbLJSpfjf3uApv1INYwR5tY5odDSYX1GJxvwo-bbkuE/s320/Pie+Chart+1.gif" /></a><br />As we begin a new year and plan out Spanish Ministry at Evergreen Bible for 2011, we face the fact that many goals will have to remain unmet due to these circumstances. Visitation in this culture is vital, and we would love to be able to visit these dear ones in their homes. Also, a midweek church meeting such as a praise and worship service would be of great blessing and benefit, along with inviting families to our home for dinners and one-on-one time. Would you please pray with us that God would move hearts and provide so that we might dedicate the time truly needed in order to help this ministry flourish? And would you pray to seek the Lord’s guiding if He might even use you to make that happen? We are around $1,000/month short of what we would need in order to eliminate just one job and jump into ministry full-time. Thank you for your prayers! We are confident that we are where God wants us, and that He has already given us more tha<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7ha1Pd-WFjoVZUWltAlsN3B3ri5TPcdj-lGZXyNjgrNyUr6d2FM0f_O1gmmJtEBEoIj_KsTQgQQ6kOKgZ3fwdKC8QAhc2j9ZSe2eqY4dzSxyAYW5DDitsnHQkNMF8B6FbSawFhM5TEM/s1600/Pick+this+picture.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 226px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569671120491158930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7ha1Pd-WFjoVZUWltAlsN3B3ri5TPcdj-lGZXyNjgrNyUr6d2FM0f_O1gmmJtEBEoIj_KsTQgQQ6kOKgZ3fwdKC8QAhc2j9ZSe2eqY4dzSxyAYW5DDitsnHQkNMF8B6FbSawFhM5TEM/s320/Pick+this+picture.jpg" /></a>n what we need…we are truly grateful. Many thanks to those of you who are already praying for us and those who are faithfully giving towards our ministry here in Vancouver!<br /><br />May God bless you richly as you serve Him where you are, in your every day life!Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-55644423246578162882010-12-07T20:53:00.000-08:002010-12-07T21:12:52.919-08:00Oh Me of Little Faith!I just got word that indeed the poster was hung on the announcement board at the WIC offices and not only that, but they made photocopies to distribute to their clients!! This is GREAT news! These offices are a great place to come in contact with Spanish speakers in need - I am ecstatic! Praise the Lord!!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548174823948814082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOk77k6cwZ8ORfu_grHUUvVnQZwDRswkGbgUifeHYctXcVnyuxxhO8eyu5IkKd342256hpisRG3BuwoNF_LSeVzXwjEtThaOwJiMcknMGeII3Jg6fimjb0IzLA6PPX2stAclctSKEPek/s320/Christmas+Party+invitation+2010.JPG" /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-34678754962163326492010-12-07T18:34:00.001-08:002010-12-07T18:39:36.094-08:00Praise! and...Prayer!This morning I went to the local W.I.C. offices with a poster promoting the Spanish community Christmas party, thinking the odds of getting approval for the poster to actually be posted were quite slim! Much to my surprise the young lady at the desk was quite enthusiastic to hear of the event we're hosting and not only did she believe that her supervisor would post the advertising but that they would also be able to make many photocopies to distribute to their Spanish-speaking clients. This is an exciting possibility and that's why I'm asking for your prayers! Please pray that the supervisor would approve the posting and that copies would be distributed. God be glorified that a government office might be used to bring the lost to Himself!!Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-90023598147081372262010-12-07T17:32:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:34:27.986-08:00Ramons testimonyYour faithful prayers are helping in many unseen ways for people like Ramon, who was just baptized last month! Enjoy his testimony (especially if you speak Spanish!), and prayerfully consider how you might become more involved with this ministry! See our quarterly update below...<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fnogQ3--V5U?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425"></iframe>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-87799638394125233502010-12-06T22:03:00.000-08:002010-12-06T23:45:31.503-08:00December UpdateBeloved friends and family,<br /><br /><em><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"…And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…." Isaiah 9:6</span></span></em><br /><br />What a delight it was to work with Rebekah as she memorized this verse for Awana -- listening to many different versions of Handel’s Messiah on YouTube. We trust that this Christmas season you and your home will be celebrating our Savior, our Wonderful Counselor…our Prince of Peace!<br /><br />Last month we joined with the congregation of our brothers and sisters at Evergreen Bible for a very meaningful baptism service. The new believers that we mentioned in our October letter joyfully professed their faith through baptism, as did our precious eight-year-old daughter, Rebekah. Jose performed the service for these three and as you can imagine, our hearts overflowed with blessing!<br /><br />We have continued the monthly fellowship dinners, which has proved to be of great blessing as those relationships strengthen. Jose is leading the Friday night small group through Focus on the Family’s Spanish version of the Truth Project. In addition, the Ecuadorian couple on our leadership team has taken on a “First Steps” study with the new-believing couple. We are so thankful for this, as it is grows both couples in discipleship and in<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcpDBISsVYtmLd2m9yV2uAfEnDQ9XLJpckO9u9B2Q7-9lvrecPzFFhNPWB13KhBws-WciC42b1oZ1fX9vbss3S3mZCibuW2o4WyDtrBR6dYV3psBvFM9iC2FI4oU03ZhHILLFRI1Gh9A/s1600/DSC_0187edit.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 211px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 280px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547818145770266178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcpDBISsVYtmLd2m9yV2uAfEnDQ9XLJpckO9u9B2Q7-9lvrecPzFFhNPWB13KhBws-WciC42b1oZ1fX9vbss3S3mZCibuW2o4WyDtrBR6dYV3psBvFM9iC2FI4oU03ZhHILLFRI1Gh9A/s320/DSC_0187edit.JPG" /></a> the knowledge and understanding of the Word.<br /><br />This month will hold two important activities for our Spanish-speaking group. Saturday the 11th is our Christmas dinner, where each family will bring a special Christmas food unique to their country and culture. Saturday the 18th we will hold our third annual community Christmas party for Spanish speaking children <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizA8jykrtFH-C2IwNVKxhissIuFpK4KGx4-L3KGhbm4m3XtVcmPHf4cjsKGUa9pAjFN_3whm6K5jgN5wkdWiM2o0Yr3WH5JkB68wWD9pmC_Iuv8e2PYaufcr7tDkulWHMaapG6huQTbeY/s1600/DSC_0200n.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 170px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547818150274943634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizA8jykrtFH-C2IwNVKxhissIuFpK4KGx4-L3KGhbm4m3XtVcmPHf4cjsKGUa9pAjFN_3whm6K5jgN5wkdWiM2o0Yr3WH5JkB68wWD9pmC_Iuv8e2PYaufcr7tDkulWHMaapG6huQTbeY/s320/DSC_0200n.JPG" /></a>and their families. This year we are ramping up the promotion, increasing the scale of the program and hope to have a larger group from the community with whom to share the gospel. Please pray with us for this outreach event! May His Name be glorified and may He draw many to Himself.<br /><br />How to pray for us:<br />*Pray for the Christmas party, that the gospel message would be clear to those who don’t have Christ as Savior<br />*For Ramón and family, who have only enough funds for one more month<br />* Strength and energy for Jose as he keeps up with his work, ministry schedule, and bi-monthly volunteer trips to teach at the Bible school in Salem, and for financial provision. Our ongoing prayer is that God would graciously provide so that Jose could keep just one job (rather than two or three) and dedicate the rest of his time to ministry. <em>Would you prayerfully consider if God might use you in this area?<br /></em>*For our family, that Christ would remain the center of this holiday season in our home and our hearts<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Merry Christmas to each of you!<br /></span></strong>Jose, Ruth, Rebekah, Isabella, and Daniel Alvarez<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547818677837937858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5RUTp2s0qURaGlK81efsuT2CibN-K6IjzTwZFDbHOxt8HZNBsCRGtf4W34WeX-WPwAHEvIfjN15laSZ3AD_DOc-oyFXWCH5WuxGegavXHboakAi652_5eKyyTfh0jNMbfNxZQK_kv6Q/s320/Pick+this+picture.jpg" /><br /><div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>To send monetary support by mail (Checks made out to “NICE” with our name in the memo):<br />N.I.C.E., PO Box 64750, University Place, WA 98464-0750 </em></span></div></div><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dykSYDDtZU1IyRCQfTNoC7WMgLKiGIgY7Af9L8SBqcp7IKSaHhSoLk9-Jkon_HjhyBDMHDgSEnl4upyASk8pw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-40710968092375991382010-10-11T10:11:00.000-07:002010-10-11T10:18:46.039-07:00October UpdateA busy summer blew by us and with it some really amazing blessings that we are excited to share with you! <div><div><br /><strong>Summer park outreach</strong>: In our June update we told you about our plans to go to a local park in order to meet and bless other Spanish speakers. God let us have sun and warmth for each Sunday out of the month that we went, and for that we are thankful! The park outreach events were successful in that we were able to strike up conversations with Hispanics, including them in games of soccer and volleyball, sharing hotdogs with them, and inviting them to our Spanish service. Though we have ended this activity for the year due to our typical Washington weather of rain and cold, we will definitely pick this up again next summer, hopefully increasing the outings to several times a month.<br /></div><div><strong>More souls won for Christ</strong>: Recently three more of our service attenders accepted Christ as their Savior! Take a second and praise God with us for that! One of these new believers had just moved here, and as she and her husband had hardly any belongings, our beloved church generously responded by furnishing their home. </div><div><br /><strong>God’s provision for our ministry</strong>: We were conta<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7wXhvLO-EN0A0cbsPkKsWKAxFWcgMTIiRvxSSkTCMlqj-1rZCXt5NnLq_ziOZ_lvYmBBnbALvogfhvdf3t3XqVAui7XqON3Avl6Txw9vQ3fE3s5INvBg_8tOlSHiAsRN_rTA7-MOTf0/s1600/cousins+(2).bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 257px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526838428595555778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7wXhvLO-EN0A0cbsPkKsWKAxFWcgMTIiRvxSSkTCMlqj-1rZCXt5NnLq_ziOZ_lvYmBBnbALvogfhvdf3t3XqVAui7XqON3Avl6Txw9vQ3fE3s5INvBg_8tOlSHiAsRN_rTA7-MOTf0/s320/cousins+(2).bmp" /></a>cted by a brother in Christ who God has used to send us children’s Bible story books in Spanish – one of the new believers is reading these Bible stories to her young daughters and they are now learning these treasured stories together! </div><div><br /><strong>Additions to our leadership team</strong>: A beautiful young couple from Ecuador who has been attending the Spanish service since their wedding in March of last year has now joined our leadership team as we plan and pray together – what a blessing to have them!<br /></div><div><strong>Alvarez family activities</strong>: As mentioned, it was a crazy busy summer, but what a joy to get to visit family members from both sides. In July Ruth and kids flew out to Virginia to be with her sister and family for two weeks, rejoicing in the addition of a new nephew. After that came a fun-filled week with a visit from out-of-town friends. A week later we as a family of five finally made it back to our beloved country of Honduras for a two-week, never-a-dull-moment, fast-an<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9vifJDr8Ax7hF8WBhB_XZD7t40nV1mtIYoOjAZfcngPC9IG6DvRI9afEB6Egme4wCtbdpQMK47S7yngkEtDfaigvzLlsXoEd6w-793VJ1hUZs_rLRT4gOU261nSs8RtQ3mRjsYjHytk/s1600/grandkids+(2).bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 290px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526838437213173154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9vifJDr8Ax7hF8WBhB_XZD7t40nV1mtIYoOjAZfcngPC9IG6DvRI9afEB6Egme4wCtbdpQMK47S7yngkEtDfaigvzLlsXoEd6w-793VJ1hUZs_rLRT4gOU261nSs8RtQ3mRjsYjHytk/s320/grandkids+(2).bmp" /></a>d-furious visit with precious family and friends. September brought a big challenge for Ruth in speaking at Evergreen Bible’s women’s retreat – praise God for stretching us beyond our self-imposed limitations and for equipping us along the way! Now that October has arrived, we are one month back into the typical school-year routine. Jose continues to work two, sometimes three, jobs as Spanish teacher, sanitation engineer :), and soccer referee. He has really enjoyed his trips down to Salem to teach at the Spanish Bible school and is forming a great relationship with those students…even meeting a fellow Honduran!</div><div><br /><strong>How to pray for the Spanish Ministry and for us this fall</strong>:<br />*Planning and carrying out the annual Children’s Christmas Party outreach – we hope to reach many more this year and work much harder to go farther with this event.<br />*Discipling the new believers and wisdom in the weekly Bible studies and monthly fellowship dinners with the Spanish speakers<br />* Stamina and encouragement for Jose as he keeps up with his work and ministry schedule, and for financial provision. Our ongoing prayer is that God would graciously see fit for Jose to keep just one job and dedicate the rest of his time to ministry.<br />*For our family, that God would be glorified in our home - in our words, thoughts, and actions<br /></div><div>We praise God for all of you, our dear friends and brothers in Christ, for coming alongside and lifting us up in prayer! Thank you for visiting our blog, and feel free to join us on Facebook or contact us and let us know how you are and how we may pray for you.<br /></div><div>Trusting, obeying, and happy in Jesus,<br />Jose, Ruth, Rebekah, Isabella, and Daniel Alvarez<br /><br />To give online, see the link over there on the right!</div><div>Or to send monetary support by mail:<br />N.I.C.E., PO Box 64750, University Place, WA 98464-0750<br />Checks made out to “NICE” with our name in the memo </div></div>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-13121254046670957742010-10-10T20:13:00.000-07:002010-10-10T20:35:01.266-07:00Welcome to the Family!Please pray for Irma, her husband Ramon (not pictured) and their three daughters...may the daughters follow their parents' decision to become Christ-followers.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526622374528694866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_fH0W_NelqwtQqYSO9aANdWyuukw57uMDPOFhKiyFpxQWTmqeZlOawwg5ye4tCE-LqAEDCAPXWt2FOtlahmCUaG_Dyv4VYio-tO_ZA9eJ5E4JEjq5km_iOFYLSlfQvJuAX1G6Yc9lKE/s320/IMG_3184.JPG" />Also remember Teresa who recently prayed to receive Christ as her Savior.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526622378581840994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosHA8-jbW6ntGWhjcjdY_yKYhYk_MXVi7Xv-qtzg9OotFY6VLG1DZ9Fc737k1Mx1-87IhAHZJ_zlUhodwHhDCMbhF1DdxkAZsjsVnI2_NucbiiUdWlkY_SnvGPVNzqXpFiniu9-t99r8/s320/IMG_3183.JPG" />Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-53818009605341734342010-06-03T19:48:00.001-07:002010-06-04T20:58:57.033-07:00June Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBCuiQvoCd727OHGdtmyqsbD1l8Qrl6L962ARTLJzEOEBk4SSjXCQKF8mPJkaVAP76CHjygxqPNnQWLUG5N-Rr2KpoUCI1PtE5277oGVYJcoigId2q8b-yoxYN6jPi5Jt4NlP8iAAeqE/s1600/Rain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 267px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478764825862551602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBCuiQvoCd727OHGdtmyqsbD1l8Qrl6L962ARTLJzEOEBk4SSjXCQKF8mPJkaVAP76CHjygxqPNnQWLUG5N-Rr2KpoUCI1PtE5277oGVYJcoigId2q8b-yoxYN6jPi5Jt4NlP8iAAeqE/s320/Rain.jpg" /></a> Well, here in Washington the saying must be changed - "April showers bring May....showers!" And June showers too! It has been WET! One thing we've learned living here, however, is that the rain doesn't change your plans. Also, umbrellas are optional. Very handy things to know.<br /><br />Along with rain, April and May brought some exciting events that we'd like to tell you about. In April we held our first park outing with the Spanish ministry team members and most of the Spanish congregation. Our purpose was two-fold: to enjoy fellowship together as a group, and to meet other Spanish speakers at the park. The first purpose was achieved with great success and barely any effort! The second purpose needed some tweaking and fine-tuning in the planning. We were very thankful to enjoy sun that beautiful Sunday afternoon! One month later we held the second park outing, this time trying a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1utb3I3x-Kg5IqhgnxQ7C_f4AVFOFvjzoy-dOI1SgW2NaljNKKklH3CqQhtf_8Q3nCeZBgryNjtAjt8itLd7DIGdLfbeQKdBkgMTriDE6BQFfKT1ISFmFWRvTgZ34YOS65iAqcPKS76o/s1600/IMG_2736.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478763790668464786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1utb3I3x-Kg5IqhgnxQ7C_f4AVFOFvjzoy-dOI1SgW2NaljNKKklH3CqQhtf_8Q3nCeZBgryNjtAjt8itLd7DIGdLfbeQKdBkgMTriDE6BQFfKT1ISFmFWRvTgZ34YOS65iAqcPKS76o/s320/IMG_2736.JPG" /></a>different park, and were once again blessed by sun as God held back the rain for us. Some new Hispanic friends joined us and the fellowship we all had together made for a day rich with blessing. Later in the afternoon some other Spanish speakers from the community showed up at the park, and Jose with some other men were able to play a pick-up game of soccer with them. We plan to continue these Sunday, after-church park outings every month, hoping that as the summer progresses we'll be able to make more contacts and form more relationships with other Spanish speakers.<br /><br />The greatest news we have to share since our last update brings so much joy that I'm told even a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloybK4Q-UozWm_k0mFGtPdLC8mvGhgfBSUVjIWnYX6_mFa3_GxiyJTDbPYFuerekkZLY1oj0rCaG6ipq-sEHsiGyVRBYaUKJ9lhjMO3XUkzAy5_uiVvud1-TLOgynaLtxozEIyBjcSoM/s1600/IMG_2733.JPG"></a>ngels celebrated in heaven! Angela, a young mother of three who has been coming to Spanish service for a few months with Teresa (see blog entry below), prayed to receive Christ as her Savior. Please pray for her, that her relationship with the Lord will grow, and that she will be able to bring Christ into her home with her husband and her little children.<br /><br />In May Jose began a new and exciting ministry working together with N.I.C.E. He travels once a month to Salem, Oregon, to teach for the <a href="http://www.nicechurchplanters.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180002654&sec_id=180001283">Hispanic School of Ministry</a>. This school functions to prepare prospective pastors and church leaders for ministry. The Saturday classes are team-taught by Jose and four other Spanish speaking Bible school graduates.<br /><br />June will bring a sad goodbye as our friends and ministry team members, the Zavala family, will be leaving us and heading back to their previous home in San Diego. We expect they just might not be as sad as we are, as they trade in their boat paddles and boots for sunglasses and flip-flops!<br /><br />How to pray for the Spanish Ministry and for us as we move into the summer months:<br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><li>For June's Sunday park outing - that it would dry up long enough for us to go, that we would come in contact with more Spanish speakers</li><li>Wisdom as we restructure our ministry team and continue to seek ways to grow and improve the ministry</li><li>Stamina and encouragement for Jose as he keeps up with his work and ministry schedule, for financial provision so that his work load might be lightened </li><li>For Alejandra, one of our members, whose husband just left for Korea with the armed forces and will be gone for one year. They have two small children. </li><li>The Zavala family as they move and travel south </li><li>For our family that we would find quality time to spend together and that God would be glorified in our home</li></ul><p>Thanks to all of you, our dear friends and brothers in Christ, for coming alongside and lifting us up in prayer! We would love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment here or to contact us by email, phone, or even old-fashioned letter writing.</p>Alvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509318112384127667.post-33375547675502775632010-04-20T09:09:00.000-07:002010-04-30T19:40:20.122-07:00Prayer Letter April 2010<em>I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 1 Timothy 1:12<br /></em><br /><br /><br />Friends and Family,<br /><br />We’re excited to share with you this first official prayer letter coming from our family to yours! About one month ago we contacted you to let you know of our acceptance by the Northwest Independent Church Extension as Missionary Pastor (and family!). We’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about what this means.<br /><br /><strong>Who is N.I.C.E. and what do they do?</strong><br /><br />“In 1958, a group of faithful pastors, concerned that many communities in the Pacific Northwest that did not have independent, Bible teaching churches, determined to work together to plant churches and assist struggling churches in those communities. The result was the birth of Northwest Independent Church Extension (NICE).”<br /><br />Our purpose is to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ. We do this by:<br />1) Planting churches,<br />2) Assisting existing churches,<br />3) Providing placement services to pastors and churches,<br />4) Serving churches with ministries of evangelism, training, and counsel toward equipping each church to become a growing, reproducing body of believers, and<br />5) Encouraging each church served to become and to remain an independent fundamental church.”<br />Taken from their website at <a href="http://www.nicechurchplanters.org/">http://www.nicechurchplanters.org/</a><br /><br /><strong>What will we be doing, now that we are members of N.I.C.E.?<br /></strong><br />The same as before, only more of it, God willing! We mentioned in our last letter that we are currently in ministry at Evergreen Bible Church in Vancouver, Washington. Let us tell you briefly how that came about.<br /><br />Moving up from Honduras in June of 2006 was a big step for all of us, but particularly for José, who had spent the previous ten years serving as a pastor. As his heart’s desire was to continue to serve in ministry to some capacity, we began to search for a theologically solid, Spanish-speaking congregation where he could participate and serve. Driving around town, hours on the internet, and visiting a couple of small churches only proved to us that this area of the country has a great need for such a congregation! God led us to our new home church at Evergreen, and after attending for two years we felt a stronger calling to propose the start of a new ministry to Spanish speakers. This new ministry began in September of 2008. We are blessed with a great team and José is now like a fish put back in the water! Since the ministry began, we have seen four people come to Christ, one wedding, two baptized, and two small group Bible studies. Praise the Lord!<br /><br /><strong>Why this ministry launch packet and prayer letters to come? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMzshzEs6nQI8kgwgXfpQPD05-9pa4xKhzycVKCbn6xbtClAApcNpeBOTlhCuwOordIG1JcnPQyA0CWc9FYEojTwmNMIWWRJ9FvgwVXKMtvTrOpELNp-GGkjTN_GlLMjGU1jsmdtHBbU/s1600/2009-10-prayer.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 284px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462253671279236466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMzshzEs6nQI8kgwgXfpQPD05-9pa4xKhzycVKCbn6xbtClAApcNpeBOTlhCuwOordIG1JcnPQyA0CWc9FYEojTwmNMIWWRJ9FvgwVXKMtvTrOpELNp-GGkjTN_GlLMjGU1jsmdtHBbU/s320/2009-10-prayer.jpg" /></a><br /></strong><br />I don’t know about you, but I love getting mail and keeping in touch with people. The purpose of these letters go beyond that and deeper, however! Have you noticed that the more you strive to serve the Lord, the more battles you seem to face? And when you face those battles, have you experienced the power of prayer? We have! Simply put, we need your prayers! We would be thrilled, encouraged, and strengthened to know that we have friends and family who are committed to praying for us in this ministry. We will face challenges in finding and reaching out to those Spanish speakers who do not know Christ, or those who do know Christ but have fallen away, or those who do not yet know there is a place where they can worship and learn from the Word in their native language. We will face challenges in our family life as we balance work and family and ministry. <em>We ask you to commit to praying for us on a regular basis.<br /></em><br />As with every missionary and every ministry, funding is also a necessary part of life! Currently José is holding three jobs in order to provide for the family. He enjoys his work as a Spanish teacher at Vancouver Christian High School, has held his night janitorial job (where God has also given him opportunities to share the gospel in English!), and takes on a seasonal job of soccer referee on Saturdays. We have often thought, “wouldn’t it be great if God would make a way so that José could focus more on the ministry and maybe hold only one other job on the side?” (Not to mention his family would love to see him a bit more!) We do not know your current situation, but we do not want to limit what God can do through you, should He move you to support our ministry here. We’d like you to know that for your convenience, you may give online through the N.I.C.E. website mentioned above, or through a link here on our ministry blog on the right column. You will find a place to type in our name in order to designate us as the recipient of your gift when you select "MISSIONARY SUPPORT". If you would prefer to mail a check, let us know and we'd be happy to mail you the necessary information and envelope. <em>We ask you to seek the Lord’s leading in helping finance this ministry.<br /></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtGGEGLQZYyDIYwvsHvhi6lg6hRw80ojYjGUxBuJYX5pcfWUAhtyADDYTaIAKQXMsVdNDG-ppCnsImAS3BcrLhIs3pRh4Un-yk4GPBph0C0bry4UPBMr4fiHEN2FSvFJ1AH23O-br7_U/s1600/reading_glass_1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 178px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 173px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462254470163453346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtGGEGLQZYyDIYwvsHvhi6lg6hRw80ojYjGUxBuJYX5pcfWUAhtyADDYTaIAKQXMsVdNDG-ppCnsImAS3BcrLhIs3pRh4Un-yk4GPBph0C0bry4UPBMr4fiHEN2FSvFJ1AH23O-br7_U/s320/reading_glass_1.jpg" /></a>Thank you for reading…we promise the next letter won’t be quite as long! We would love to hear from you – what God is doing in your life, and how we can pray for you. Meanwhile, feel free to keep up with us through our blog.<br /><br /><em>May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13<br /></em><br />In His Service,<br /><br />José and Ruth Alvarez<br />Rebekah, Isabella, and DanielAlvarez Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232903220186389454noreply@blogger.com0