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Happy fall everyone!
Isaiah 40:31 tells us "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." We've put our hope in the Lord in so many ways this year, and He has strengthened us in ways we've never imagined.
We finished off our busy team season with a visit from Envision and Alliance workers who did a routine strategic review of our site. They came not only to encourage and edify our staff, but also to witness what God is doing here. We are grateful for all that they had to offer us, and we praise God for how He has blessed and ordained this ministry. He is so good!
Our staff will be going on a spiritual retreat next month, and we have invited a special guest pastor from the US to join us. Please be praying for deep spiritual renewal and rest, and quality time together as a team.
Tony will be joining other Envision workers around the world for the Envision International Gathering in October and then he will be going on his annual fall tour to visit all of you! Okay, he may not be able to visit all of you, but he will be stopping at many of our partner churches. We'll be sharing his itinerary next month, so be on the lookout for that!
Laura will also be going on tour in the fall, and will be visiting two of our partner churches, plus many new ones. We'll share her itinerary soon as well!
Ministries
La Fuente
Our teens have entered the final trimester of the year, and we've been steadfastly praying for them to stay focused on their studies. So many of them are facing really enormous challenges in their homes, and we pray that God would strengthen them through these hard times.
As a staff, we've invested lots of time in building more trust and connection with our teens. Last week during youth group, we shared a debrief time in which we asked our teens what they think they're doing well, how they've gotten better, and how they've changed overall. It was a time of deep fellowship, and we prayed individually for each and every one of them.
La Fuente FC
Our guys' soccer season has come to an end, after they were defeated in their league's quarter-finals. Our buys showed tremendous growth this year, and will continue practicing in order to stay in shape for their next season.
Mario and Tony have now introduced the boys to the idea of service as a team. Last Wednesday during their normal practice time, the boys handed out sack lunches to many of the men and women who sell products and services in the street near our site. They conversed with some of the guys and commended them for being an example of honest work to our boys. We hope our guys can do more service projects as a team in the future!
Mavericks
Our Mavericks are gearing up for the next season and their future children's programs ("La Fuente Jr") in Apopa. Last month during their event in Apopa, they partnered with Living Hope Fellowship Church and it was a huge success! It brings so much joy to our hearts to see the team serving the children of this community and giving back. They went back and worked with the kids this last weekend, and are looking forward to strengthening their program and this partnership. We pray that they would seek God in everything and that they'd reflect His love everywhere they go.
Please be praying for protection and provision for the team, as they have faced some problems at their practice field, and are currently looking for another place to practice.
Interns
After serving for three months, our intern Jacob will be leaving at the end of September. He has put hours and hours into programming an online database for our La Fuente data, and we are so so grateful for his work! He has also helped with groups and cooking and has spent time getting to know the La Fuente teens. We're sad to see the last of our summer interns go, but we pray that God would direct Jacob's path and draw him deeper in his faith.
Prayer requests
Pray for our ninth graders as the time is coming to choose candidates for our La Fuente scholarship. Pray that they would stay focused on their studies and that they would behave well at all times. Also pray for our leadership team as they discern who will be awarded the scholarship this year.
Pray that our teens would put their hope in Jesus, especially when they're faced with challenges that seem too big to overcome. Pray that our teens would open up and look to us for help and advice, when all seems lost.
Pray for future interns, residents and groups. Our two residents will be transitioning out in the next few months, and we need laborers to keep doing the work that they've done for the past year and a half. Pray that the Lord would call out individuals by name, and that they'd be obedient in following the Spirit's promptings.
Pray for Laura, who is currently doing training in Colorado before she embarks on her tour, and dives into a busy season of fundraising. Pray that she would be encouraged and equipped by the Lord and her fellow missionaries, and that the Lord would provide exactly what she needs.
Thank you for praying along with us, and for serving the Lord earnestly and with dedication. He is good!