October 2019
“Give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth forever”. Psalm 136:2
Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We hope this finds you well, enjoying our Almighty God’s blessings, as we always greet you in the Name of our Lord, thanking you for your invaluable help and prayers.
By God’s grace, we are all well. Our children, Ruth and Jonathan, are still studying at Pensacola Christian College. They are doing well at school and we will all be together for Christmas and New Year. We are so happy! It will be wonderful for them to be here at our church as they will help us with the Christmas program. God is also to be thanked for our daughter Melissa, who is finishing her secondary education this year, and is also doing very well. Although she does not yet know what she will study in the future, we are sure God will guide her to make the right choice. It is a great pleasure for us, as Christian parents, to see them grow in our Lord’s work.
Janeth is physically stable now. Although her kidney stone treatment (lithotripsy) did not work because of her extreme thinness and the fact that the kidney stone was too hard, we are trusting in our Lord for her needs as He is in control. We thank our Lord for His continuous help and care for our entire family.
Last month, on August 10th, Jonathan had the pleasure of visiting and ministering once again with our brethren of the El Sembrador Church in Iquique, for their congregational meeting. Despite the problems and difficulties they have without a permanent pastor, they continue working. Jonathan accompanied some members to visit some homes and participated in their Sunday School and worship service. Each department in their church gave an annual report, and they are already planning next year’s ministry.
In our own ministry in Arica, we rejoice for the work we are doing with the children of our church once a month. For example, we had a cooking workshop this time, where they learned how to make a chocolate cake and dealt with a topic called “Controlling Our Thoughts.” It was a great time of learning.
On Sunday, August 18, we celebrated the Day of the Christian Child. This was organized by our women’s group. Each child got a beautiful handmade wristband, thanks to our women’s group, and many of them gave talks on varied topics. The speakers included Sisters Digna Lopez, Griselda Gonzalez, Roxana Pozo, Malely Navarro, and Janeth Jara. They are all studying a book called “Women in the Bible,” which has been a great blessing for all of them and for their families. Every Friday, they all go to visit Sister Elena Reyes, as she is bedridden because of her age. She is over ninety years old, but she welcomes them with much affection.
We thank our Lord for our Brother Gonzalo Pantoja’s trip to Germany. He went to learn more
German and also to see about the opportunity to study in a university there. We would like you to pray for this 18-year-old young man, who is a clear testimony of a loyal Christian, that our Lord may guide him in his decisions for the future.
Another good ministry, for which we are thankful to the Lord, is through Brother Alejandro Barría, and his wife, Malely Navarro. They are both doctors and have given talks to adults about the danger of drugs and alcohol abuse. They have been giving these talks for three consecutive Sundays, and have had a great impact on all who attend, especially because they always finish up each talk with a spiritual application on what God and His Word says about these harmful vices.
Finally, we would like to ask you to pray for Jonathan’s brother-in-law, David Frock, who lost his sister on September 12, and also to pray for the recovery of Jonathan’s own sister, Ruth, who broke her wrist. And then, please also pray for the Northern Zone Women’s Convention, to be held on November 8-9 in Arica.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, thank you very much for your prayers. May our Lord always be with you and bless you all abundantly.
Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Rev. Jonathan for Janeth, Ruth Meylí, Jonathan Edward, and Melissa Jara
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10