Missions

Below is a story from Deb Knoles who has been on several of the trips through West Side to Mexico City to visit an orphanage in Mexico called Ninos de Mexico. It’s a story that chronicles how God canuse a short-term trip to bring long-term impactinto our lives.

“I first met Elvis in 2006 when I was part of a team from West Side that went to work at NDM for a week. The mission’s main focus is operating four different homes that offer a refuge for children who have been either abandoned or removed from abusive situations. I noticed Elvis partly because he was one half of identical twin brothers, but mostly because he wore a green shirt that declared: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty (Zach. 4:6). That verse had been cropping up in my own Bible studies as I considered God’s power to work in spite of my limitations. Elvis didn’t say much…his gregarious twin enjoyed speaking for both of them. But the t-shirt intrigued me. Did he believe those words he wore?

My husband, Warren, and I had decided that while I was at NDM, I’d choose a boy and a girl to sponsor. I promptly fell in love with all the kids and wondered how I could pick JUST two! But the staff assured me that every dime I sent to help ONE child would help ALL of the children. I was still trying to decide on a boy by the last day of our trip. As we waited for the van to come take us to the airport, Elvis began talking to my friend and me about the lesson he would be teaching the 5^th graders the next day at church. The Bible passage was “Honor your father and mother in the Lord.” By then I knew that he’d run away from home at ten years of age because of severe abuse. How, I wondered, could this teenager teach about honoring fathers when his own would likely have killed him? He must have read my face because he said, “I will tell them to follow the Bible, to practice hard so that they can have good families.” He grinned. “NOT like mine.” Then sobering, he added, “I will practice hard, too. I want to be a missionary someday.” I looked at his face and saw the answer to my question…the t-shirt might have been one that he got randomly from a donation, but he believed in God’s power to transform, to easily do what is impossible for man. We began sponsoring him.

Three years later, I was back with another group visiting the home where Elvis lives. He’d already thanked me repeatedly for sponsoring him and kept adding, “Please thank Warren for me!” We’d exchanged letters and pictures over the years and had a bit more to talk about. As we were about ready to leave, he asked me the question…would I be his family at graduation? It felt like a knife went through my heart. For $25 a month and a few letters, I was being invited to be part of what would be a hugely significant day in his young life. I knew that nothing I had done for Elvis was deserving of the honor he was giving me. Somehow, God had managed to pour out His own love for Elvis through two flawed people who lived a world away from Mexico. “Not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit.” I looked back into those eyes through the tears in mine and promised, “If God allows me to, I will come!”

In June of this year, I returned to NDM with a group from West Side. I’d tried to schedule our trip to be there during graduation, but when that wasn’t possible, I made plans to come back in July with a group of sponsors to attend the graduation. Our mission week was great! He surprised me by giving me a picture of the two of us from my last trip which he’d enlarged, hand-matted and framed for me. Like my own son, he sure knows how to bring out the “good tears”! I was so grateful that I could tell him that I would be returning in July for his graduation party and that Warren would be able to come with me. He was very excited about getting to meet Warren.

Introducing Elvis and Warren ranks as one of my favorite moments of any trip to Mexico. Without them ever exchanging a spoken word, God’s mighty, limitless Spirit had formed a bond between them. The next two days, we enjoyed helping set up the graduation celebration that took place on Tuesday evening. The 13 graduates were very impressive as they thanked their sponsors, the teachers, staff and their brothers and sisters of the large Ninos family. It was difficult to imagine that these articulate, confident young men and women had taken such a hard road to the success they were now enjoying…more evidence of God’s mighty Spirit transforming lives! Speeches, the presentation of diplomas and then there was lots of food, wonderful music from a mariachi band and even some tasteful but extremely joyful dancing. Fiesta!

I’ve seen ads that say “you can change a child’s life for __ dollars a month”. Certainly, it is good to provide needed resources to a child. But sponsoring has changed OUR lives. We have a new appreciation for the power of God’s Spirit. The words on that t-shirt were not just words; they are God’s eternal truth. What a privilege to see them lived out in the life of one very amazing young man!”

Dear All,

I would like toaskyou to pray for our daughter Cherry Nemneithem. She is almost 12 months old. She has beensick since Saturday night (July 10, 2011). Her fever was above 102 deg F. We gave her medicineprescribed by the Pediatrician and it reduced her fever for for a few hours.

The temperature rose again on Sunday. We took her to the clinic at 2:30 pm and her temperature was 101.2 deg F. The three in-charged medical doctors checked Cherry and gave a prescription.

Cherry was fine last night. But her fever rose againat midnight. Her fever was almost 103 deg. F at 1:45 am. We gave her the medicine and reduced her fever with a wet towel. She is able to sleep now.

Please pray for baby Cherry Nem.

Thank you

Palal & Kikim