I started out today by going to Betzy’s hair salon (Betzy is a very special lady from our church).  My purpose of going to the salon was not to have a haircut, but to meet a mom and her three kids.  Two weeks ago this same lady was in a park with her husband, the chief of investigative police, and their three kids, they went to ride bicycles.  As this dad was taking his kid’s bikes out of the van, two cars drove up and three men jumped out shooting him at point blank range, in front of his kids.  Today in the salon this seemed like an ordinary family, other ladies chatted about their upcoming parties, their kids going back to school and would have never known that this family was sitting in silent pain.  The mom’s red rimmed eyes told the story of her broken heart. 

I went to the salon with the purpose to meet this lady and invite her to our upcoming Ladies retreat called “Serenity”.  This retreat is being purposed for Women who have passed through a painful situation.  We have invited the mom’s from the daycare fire, a few moms who have lost their kids to Cancer, and now this young mom who lost her husband with this tragic situation. This visit started my day.

I ended today by going to a fourth birthday party, but this wasn’t a normal party; there was no cake, no piñata, no laughter.  At this party people sat silently looking at the picture of the small birthday girl. The picture sat on top of her grave. 

We were there to celebrate the life and remember the death of tiny Camila.  We have been blessed to meet this family though the therapy that I am dong as Camila’s older sister Emilia survived the daycare fire but with severe burns. The parents, Carlos and Cindy, are young, just 20 years old, but have lived through more than most twice their age.  At this same birthday service I talked to three other moms who were there for Camila but arrived early to tidy up the little graves of their own children who died in the daycare.  I was able to invite them to the retreat, as well as one other mom whose daughter lost her leg due to her injuries in the fire.

We ended our time at the birthday party releasing white heart balloons up into the sky.  We all watched as they floated slowly out of sight.  It was at that moment, that I said thank you Lord for my husband,  thank you for my three healthy kids, and thank you for bringing me here in the middle of this pain, strengthen me and give me wisdom and compassion.

*****Please pray with us as we plan for the retreat, pray for the women who will be coming that they will find child care etc., Pray for the Canadians coming to help and for the conference speaker and psychologist who will participate.

*****As a part of our therapy we will be scrapbooking (each woman will make an album of their deceased or injured family member) If you have any scrapbooking supplies that you would like to donate please get them to the Zion church office in Didsbury before September 6th.

Thank you, and many blessings,

Shelli Neufeld

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Today is a special day all around as we also celebrate our son’s (Caleb’s) birthday.  He was born in Mexico on Canada day 8 years ago!  We thank the Lord for His goodness in blessing us with such a wonderful family!  Here is a photo of Caleb and his friends in his Lego Star Wars party!

I just read in this morning’s paper here that we broke a record yesterday in Hermosillo – 48C.  It’s been hot as we run around preparing for the two youth teams that arrive tomorrow and Saturday from Osler, Sask. and Three Hills, Alberta.  That brings us to our first prayer request.  Please pray for the next 10 days as we as a church in partnership with our Canadian brothers and sisters reach out to hundreds of children, youth and adults through Kid’s Clubs, orphanage ministry, poverty ministry and other ministries.  Please pray for Victor, one of our university age youth that was baptized in April, as he directs the Kid’s Clubs with the help of many more.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill him with power, patience, wisdom and peace as he gives direction to the clubs.  This year we are having two clubs to be able to handle the numbers of children that we believe God will send to us.  There are two clubs with a limit of 100 children per club.  Please pray that the seed of the Word of God would fall on good soil and that from this outreach there would be many that would grow up to produce much fruit for God’s kingdom. Please pray for us as Mexicans and Canadians as we minister to one another as well.  Many times the biggest impact that results from reaching out to the lost, poor and needy is what God does in our own hearts.  Father, let Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Please pray today for Cesar and Marcela (a couple many of you have heard of or met) as they are looking for work right now.  God is providing opportunities and this afternoon I am taking Cesar to start training with a telemarketing firm.  Please pray for God’s direction.  Remember when you get those annoying calls from people trying to sell you things that many times you are talking with a person who makes a tenth (or less) of what a minimum wage worker makes in Canada or the U.S. and is trying to support a family on that.  Showing mercy to the poor in Canada can mean being respectful to the person calling from India or Mexico trying to make a living.

Please pray for us during the next 10 days as we operate at an accelerated pace attending to the many logistics of hosting 30 people.  The extreme heat adds a dimension of exhaustion to the mix.  Please pray for the health of the teams and for us as a family as we give 100% while waiting on the Lord to make this time a success.  Please pray for the Elliott family (our co-workers) as they also take on much of the load of these teams.  We look forward to God doing amazing things in our lives!!!

Please pray for Shelli and her team of workers ministering to the kids burned by the day-care fire.  The SMILE program continues to impact the lives of the families that are participating.  Shelli has had many open doors to minister to the parents that are still suffering from the tragedy.  Please continue to uphold Shelli as she seeks direction in how this ministry should develop.  Praise the Lord for His guidance so far!

I will sign off now so that this actually gets to you on Canada Day.  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.  We depend on you.

Joyfully serving Jesus and the ones He came to seek and to save,

Greg, Shelli, Talson, Annelise and Caleb Neufeld

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There is a lot going on in the world as I write!  The World Cup of Soccer started a few days ago.  The first game of the tournament was between Mexico and South Africa and since soccer is such a big deal here they even showed the game for the first two hours of the school day throughout our city.  We are all waiting for BP to stop the leak in the Gulf Of Mexico.  Here in Mexico one of the main stories is a new law in Arizona that criminalizes living in the border state without the proper documentation that takes effect in July that is already causing a mass exodus of Mexicans that are moving to other states or back to Mexico.  There is a lot of frustration and anger.  In the meanwhile, Mexico is celebrating 200 years since their independence and 100 years since the revolution in 2010 which means many fiestas in September and November.

Last Sunday 2 people were baptized in Arbol de Vida!  Freya a young mother who has come to the Lord recently and Miguel a young man that grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and that was deported after serving time and then getting sick with his kidneys shutting down at him.  He lives in a shelter/auxiliaryhospital next to the state general hospital and has dialysis twice a week to survive until kidneys become available for transplant.  Please pray for Miguel as we wait with him for the Lord to provide for his health.  Our God is mighty to save!We are enjoying having Shelli’s mom (Wendy) and sister (Shannon) here for a few weeks for some medical procedures which have gone very well. 

We are preparing for two teams this summer that will be here simultaneously in July.  We are doing our summer children’s outreach a little different this year holding two children’s clubs for different age groups.  We simply can’t handle the numbers of children that attended and so we hope that by dividing the group we can accommodate all the children that God is sending our way.  We have many new children attending church that are being reached through the soup kitchen that Lane and Sheri, Cesar and Marcela, Miguel and others serve in in conjunction with a neighboring Methodist church.  See more about that ministry at the Elliott family ministry blog. www.laneelliott.blogspot.com 

I am going to get this posted as I actually wrote this a few days ago and got caught off to something else before posting it.  This week is busy with a shower for one of our youth (Karina Romo) that is getting married later this year so we’re preparing for 80 people. Lane Elliot, Miguel and I are off to Santan

 Ana (2 hrs. north) tomorrow for a meeting with a pastor to plan a mission trip this suumer to a needy area a couple hours south of here with our youth. 

Thank you for your involvment in God’s kingdom coming in Mexico through prayer and giving in many ways.  We need it!

Joyfully serving Jesus Christ,

Greg & Shelli Neufeld

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Mexico Fact: Mother’s Day in Mexico is always the 10th of May no matter what day it falls on.  I thank the Lord for my (Greg’s) mom and for how He has used her to shape and bless my life and the lives of countless others so richly.  Happy Mother’s Day Mom!  But God also went overboard in His blessing and also gave me a wonderful mother-in-law and a simply incredible mother for my children.  All the money, power and fame in this world couldn’t make me richer than I already am in the life that God has designed for and given me.

God is working mightly around here.  We are having a flood of new people attending Arbol de Vida.  It is standing room only on Sundays as we wait on the Lord for the processing of the purchase of the property next door to be able to move ahead with expanding to accomodate the growth.  There is much need as many of the new believers are dealing with addictions, poverty, gang related stuff, health issues (a couple young guys on dialysis waiting for kidney transplants).  Every week we get to know new people related to the day-care fire that are searching for answers as they go through heart-breaking circumstances.  Please pray for us as a church as we let Jesus flow through us in His love, grace and compassion to the many needy that He is bringing into our lives.  We desperately need heavenly wisdom (see James 3:17) every day as we minister to the needy.  Let Your Kingdom come on earth, in Hermosillo, Jesus!

Thank you for your prayers!  Dios te bendiga.

Joyfully serving the King of kings and the ones He came to save,

The Neufelds

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It has been quite eventful around here lately!  The Zion Church (our home church in Didsbury, AB.) youth team arrived last Wednesday and got right into our first church camp in Árbol de Vida!  We held the camp right in our church with many staying over from Thursday to Saturday.  We had an adventure travelling through the Exodus.  Thursday night, some missionary friends of ours lead us all through an authentic Passover meal with all its amazing symbolism for we who know the Messiah.  Then on Friday and Saturday we learned may other lessons on slavery, deliverance and faith.

Friday night was special as we had a fireside service with a call to put faith in Jesus for salvation.  A young man, Memo, attended and put his faith in Christ along with some others.  Memo said this was the first Easter week he could remember not spending it drunk or in jail.  At the end of the service one of the other new believers, Alejandra, had an absense siezure and we couldn’t wake her.  We loaded her up in our van and took her home to this little house in a needy area.  Her mom said that she didn’t normally get this bad.  Memo was along and helped pray for this young lady.  Colin (pastor with the Zion team) and I said to each other that we were praying that Memo would see a sign to confirm his new faith.  And he did!  Alejandra woke as we prayed and she wanted to get back to the camp at the church. 

Sunday was an amazing day too as Memo, Alejandra, Jorge (another gentleman that recently put his faith in Christ after a life of prison and addiction), Bryan (a great young guy in our youth group and friend of  Talson) and Victor (another great university student that put his faith in Christ last year) were baptised.  What better way to celebrate Jesus´resurrection than with the symbol of death and resurrection with Christ in baptism.  What a wonderful day!  For more on these stories you can read Lane Elliott’s blog at http://www.laneelliott.blogspot.com/

God is doing amazing things and it is exciting to be part of it.  Please pray for us in the coming days as we need much wisdom and direction from the Lord for many things.  Thank you for praying.  God is listening and responding.

Joyfully serving the King of kings and the ones He came to save in Mexico,

Greg Neufeld

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Just wanted to update you on some of what is happening around here lately.

Langley EFC!  We had a packed week of ministry with the Langley Evangelical Free Church youth group two weeks ago which included ministry in Árbol de Vida but a lot of reaching beyond the walls of our church in partnership with various other Kingdom ministries including working through a local church with children and building a house for an elderly single man in a dusty little village close to the coast named San Juanico, working at an orphanage in Guaymas, south of Hermosillo and in the soup kitchen that we partner in with a Free Methodist church close to Árbol de Vida.  It was a busy 7 days and we want to thank Lane and Sheri and Reg and Linda for taking on the vast majority of the load of hosting and leading this team.  It was great having the pastoral team from Langley here (Darren and Mike and their families) as well as Marvin Job, who had been here before and who we have been able to visit in Langley on home assignment.  An energetic and passionate group that blessed a lot of people and were blessed by lot of people!  To God be the glory!

Zion EMC!  Next week I’ll be in Phoenix, AZ. picking up 14 youth and leaders from our home church in Didsbury, AB. for more than a week of  learning, serving and loving in the name of Christ here in Mexico.  Please pray for us as we prepare for the many opportunities to ”do the word” (James 1:22) among the needy, both physically and spiritually.  It is always a blessing to partner with our home church; a congregation that has been an incredible support over my life (Greg’s) and ours as a family especially during the last 10 years of ministry in Mexico. 

SMILe!  Shelli has been able to coordinate therapy and other connections with the children and their families that were victims of the daycare fire.  God has gone before opening many doors and providing for relationships and ministry that we couldn’t have dreamed of.  Shelli had coffee with 8 moms of children with burns this morning and came home telling of the need that these moms and their kids have and how many are searching for answers and for hope.  Thank you for your prayers as this ministry continues to take shape.  Shelli is so thankful for the many church ladies and youth that are helping with the therapies which have been happening every Saturday.

Bible Safari!  Shelli held a training event in Arbol de Vida two weeks ago which saw around 50 Sunday School teachers from more than 6 different churches come  and learn about how to creatively teach children! 

Ken, Bev and Michael From!  A couple weeks ago we enjoyed a visit from our good friends from Didsbury (and Chinle, AZ) as they were able to take advantage of being in Arizona to come a few hours futher south to visit us!  We spend time together in the middle of regular life and ministry, even getting to head to San Carlos for one night (out of the city to do some amazing star-gazing!!! – See Ken’s site here http://all-startelescope.com/)  A highlight for me (Greg) and for the rest of the family as well.  It was just great to share with our friends the ministry (in living colour) that they have been part of over the years in so many ways!  It was special for our youth at the church the Saturday night as we set up the telescopes and could see Saturn’s rings and other celestial wonders.  Thanks Ken, Bev and Michael!

Water and Sewer!  Over the past 5 years we have asked for prayer for the provision of water and sewer hook-ups from the city.  Well, God does answer prayer (sometimes it takes patience…) And, yes, He has answered our prayers!!! A couple weeks ago we finally finished all the paperwork and contracts and everything needed to be able say goodbye to the Sonoran Water Torture (the lack of water, that is) that we have been living with.  Praise the Lord for answered prayer!

The land next door.  Please pray that we can finish the purchase of the land next door to the church soon so we can proceed with planning and expansion.  We still need to raise about $70,000.00CAD to pay off the remaining amount owed. 

Thank you for your prayer!  God is working here in Mexico and in your own life!  Let His will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

In Christ,

Greg

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In Christ,

Greg Neufeld

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Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!  His mercy and faithfulness endure forever!

We have much to share from the last few weeks.  God has been at work showing Himself in many ways.  Saturday, Feb. 13, Shelli led her team of volunteers in the first information and therapy session in a nice facility that the government is letting us use for the therapies that will be going on Satudays.  It was a great time with 6 families (we are expecting around 20 families to be involved as the therapy develops) that are going through the recovery of their kids affected by the day care fire.  Thank you for your continued prayer and support for this exciting ministry!

What God is doing spilled over from the SMILe project into our first ever marriage retreat that was this last weekend as 2 of the couples that are in the SMILe ministry participated in the retreat along with 6 couples from Arbol de Vida!  I have wanted to write about one of the moments since it happened last Saturday.  Shelli and I were sitting visiting with one of the couples with a burnt child and all of the sudden I had an overwhelming feeling as I realized that a little over 8 months ago in the same room (in the retreat centre “House of Hope”) in the first session of our youth retreat we learned of the then 26 dead children (49 kids died in total) killed in the day care fire in Hermosillo. In that retreat last June, our hearts were broken and we cried out to God for comfort for our mourning city and for a way to share His hope and love with the devastated families.  Here we were, last Saturday, sitting in that same room where we first heard of the tragedy, counselling a couple that we didn’t even know a month ago but for whom we have been praying for for months!!!  We shared in their tears through the marriage retreat and saw God touch their hearts.  Writing it out here just doesn’t do this amazing miracle justice.

Our speakers (pastors from Mexico City and good friends) Antonio and Becky Muñoz were lead by the Lord to do an amazing ministry with the couples from our church and the others that participated.  We expect to see much fruit from the work that God did in the hearts of all who attended.  We had a young couple from San Carlos (the coastal town where we hosted the retreat) that the local church sent to us.  He had just come to Christ a couple days before the retreat and she gave her life to Christ during the retreat as they dealt with some deep pain and an unbelievable past that they’ll need God’s help to get through as they start out in their young marriage.  God has been faithful and merciful and we just are overwhelmed by His perfect plan that ended surpassing our wildest expectations.

There is much on the go right now in life and minstry here.  We are sad to see Jack and Lucy Vogt head home to the Yukon tomorrow after serving our local church and us since November.  Our EFCCM Area director, Steve Neufeld, is here right now with the Hermosillo Ministry Team and the local church as we look to God for direction for future ministry.  We are getting ready for some exciting ministry with a ministry team from Langley, B.C. coming next week.  Shelli is training the volunteers for the SMILe project and working with Cynthia Romo to get Safari Biblico moving ahead. 

I need to sign off here.  We appreciate so much your prayer during these exciting times!  There is so much need and so many opportunities to bring the Kingdom of God to this broken world.  Thank you!

Joyfully serving Christ in Mexico,

Greg Neufeld

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Just wanting to update you all on what is going on here!  This year in Arbol de Vida we are focusing on the family (marriages, parenting, etc) and so we are getting ready for a marriage retreat (Feb 19-21) that will be a first in our church along with other discipleship and teaching throughout the year.  We are looking forward to this important weekend for the couples and have had a great response from the family of God abroad to help sponsor all the couples that wouldn’t have been able to go due to finances.  Thank you!!!  Please pray for our marriages in Arbol de Vida and that all will attend this retreat.  Just like everywhere else these days there is a great spiritual battle being fought to hold on to our marriages. 

Shelli is busy these days with homeschooling, working out the vision and involving people in Safari Biblico (the Sunday School and VBS curriculum ministry) and reconnecting with the hospitals and doctors in the SMILe ministry (Child Life Therapy with burnt, disabled and sick children).   Please pray for my dear wife, that the Lord would give her direction, wisdom, patience, called co-laborers (by the Lord of the harvest), time and energy to see what He wants done done.  And to not do what He doesn’t want done.  Confused yet?  Basically, that His perfect will would be done.

Please pray for me (Greg) as I work with the church leadership in preaching, counselling, youth minsitry, worship ministry and administrating in the local church.  Please pray for wisdom in some difficult and complicated situations we are trying to help our brothers and sisters through.  I need wisdom to lead the missionary team here too.  Please pray also for Lane Elliott and I as we start an adult youth leadership discipleship study focusing on preparing servants for being great in God’s kingdom (where servants who never stop serving are the great ones). 

Please pray for the Soup Kitchen that we are partnering in with a Free Methodist Church just a few hundred metres from Arbol de Vida with help from both churches (and Lane and Sheri putting their passionately compassionate hearts into it).  Every Saturday there are 50-100 kids attending that may or may not otherwise have had a meal that day.  Lane has more info on this ministry (with videos even!) on his blog.  www.laneelliott.blogspot.com.  Take a look!

We are enjoying the servant hearts of a group of Canadian couples right now.   Paul and Esther Weeks are here for a month.  They are living in the dorms at the church and serving in many areas that are right in their giftedness!  For example, Esther is teaching sewing to a group of ladies that could make it into a business to support their familes, Paul is building storage for the soup kitchen supplies and other wood-working projects.  Jack and Lucy Vogt are here till the end of February and are serving in teaching English, cooking classes, Bible studies and much more.  Again just letting the gifts God has gave them be useful to Him!  And then we are so happy to have Reg and Linda Toth back till May or June with the blessing they are to the ministry here in many ways which among them include construction, teaching English and compassion ministry.  God’s family is amazing!

Well, I need to wrap this up.  God is great and I love seeing it more everyday in His Word and His creation.  I’ve enjoyed the privilege of seeing some the universe closer-up since we got back with a telescope that a dear friend sent along with us to Mexico.  It seems that God continually wants me to see His greatness lately whether in His word or in the work of His “fingers (Psa. 8:3)” when I see galaxies milliones of light years away.  To think that He is WITH ME is all I need to keep serving Him joyfully.

In Christ,

Greg Neufeld for Shelli and the niños

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Monday the 4th we left for Caborca, Sonora, a city about 4 hours northwest of Hermosillo with 8 of our youth and our family (our kids were part of the team and did a great job!) on a missions trip to the workers in the asparagus harvest.  Workers from all over Mexico (mainly remote regions in the south)come to Caborca in the different harvest seasons (mainly asparagus and grapes).  They usually live in camps where families live in small dorm-type rooms.  The workers make about $60 (Canadian) per week.  This was the 3rd time over the last 2 years that we have joined with a group from Phoenix to reach out to the unreached in their indigeonous languages.

Workers watching film

The workers come from remote areas of Mexico where they speak one of the 60+ still spoken languages represented throughout the country.  Gospel Recording has recorded the Gospel of John in all of the known languages of Mexico and so when we visit a camp we divide up into different teams, diagnosing languages and sharing the Gospel with them in their native tongue.  Most know enough Spanish to communicate and to understand but the goal is that they would hear the Gospel in their native tongue.  We did children’s ministry in the camps sharing with 200-300 children over the 5 days.  Every night we showed a new film that shows the life and ministry of Jesus through the eyes of Mary Magdelene (http://www.magdalenamovie.com/en/index.html).  We would give an invitation to receive Christ after the film (Greg one night and the other nights, the pastor (Alfonso) of the local church we were staying at and helping).  It was amazing to see the hunger to listen and respond to the message.  We gave Bibles to all who made commitments to Christ as well as the Gospel of John in their language.  I’m not sure of the numbers of languages represented each night, but one night the production team (the group that would make the CDs) said they had given out the CDs in at least 6 languages.

Shelli in children's ministry

Our team from Arbol de Vida!

We’re sorry we didn’t get a chance to get out an update before this mission but we would appreciate your prayers for the many who put their faith in Christ.  The main thing is that they would get connected to a healthy church, a very difficult thing in the conditions and locations they live in.  Pray for the local pastor, Alfonso, and his church as they seek out and minister to these new believers.  Our youth are putting together a video for the reporting time we will be doing this coming Sunday in our church.  I’ll try to upload it here so you can get a better idea of what God did through the week!

We have much to do to start out the year in ministry.  Many challenging situations, many exciting projects, many short-term teams coming, many needy people.  A lot of stuff that is impossible for us in our power but totally possible for God.  Please pray for us as we depend on God to do the impossible and to be able to trust Him and rest in Him.  To Jesus Christ be the glory and honour and power forever!!!

Joyfully serving the Author of salvation,

Greg, Shelli, Talson, Annelise and Caleb

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