Juarez Outreach Report
Each fall we host a week long camp for families and youth from Christ Church in Plano, Texas. The group of 38 people included children, teenagers, parents and YWAM/ King's Kids staff. We had a busy week, holding fiestas with food, games and evangelistic puppet shows at two orphanages and working with the Vineyard church in Anapra.
A unique part of this outreach was working with the Mobility Project, a YWAM ministry from Colorado, which focuses on reaching the world's 29 million disabled people. They brought in three staff and 50 wheelchairs. Many families with a disabled member can't afford wheelchairs and have to either carry that person around or just leave him in bed all day, every day.
Through the efforts of Juarez pastors, many paraplegic and quadriplegic people as well as those with MS, cerebral palsy and even a young former gangster who was paralyzed by a gunshot came together at two churches and waited patiently to be fitted for a chair. We also took some wheelchairs to a church run home for the elderly. There were many heart wrenching sights, such as Antonio, a 37 year old man who had worked in the Juarez dump until an accident left him completely dependent on his elderly parents, who had him carried in on a stretcher. The outpouring of compassion from the Plano team toward him was a powerful witness.
This was a great lesson in servanthood and love for all involved. We were all reminded of what Jesus said about how when we do something for the least of these His brethren, we do it for Him. We learned about the needs of the handicapped and even simple things we'd never thought about, such as how people with only one working arm can use special chairs to move around and how those without use of their arms need another type of chair for people to move them.
Fitting the right size and type of chair, adjusting the leg rests and other settings gave ample time for prayer and personal witness to each handicapped person and their families. Seeing the joy in the faces of people who now gain a measure of independence through being able to move themselves around for the first time was very touching.
Senior Team Reaches Out
About 40 King's Kids El Paso teenagers worked together with 24 Young Life kids and adults to prepare and serve a great Thanksgiving feast for the homeless the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The 30 turkeys, huge vats of potatoes, vegetables and 300 slices of pie tasted great and were a blessing to the people who came into the Opportunity Center on a cold night.
The King's Kids and Young Life kids spent a lot of time in personal ministry and prayed with many of the homeless people. This was a good learning experience for the Christian kids as they overcame the natural hesitation to approach people whose lifestyles are very different from their own, and who are often bound by
alcohol, drugs and other life controlling problems. Kids need these kind of stretching experiences to grow in their walk with the Lord. Adults do, too, and we know it pleases Him to see people caring for the least and the lost.
And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:40
Spring Break Outreach 2001
It’s one of the highlights of the year for King’s Kids El Paso and many youth across the country! We’ll meet Sunday, March 28 and launch a week of cross cultural outreach, servanthood and mercy ministry. The cost is $225, which includes housing, meals, construction and program materials, a T shirt and transportation in Mexico.
Children, teenagers and whole families will have hands on experience serving the poor as we work on construction projects with the Vineyard church in Anapra. This desperately poor colonia has many homes made of cardboard boxes, with dirt floors and no running water. Each time we bring in a group we weatherproof several homes using heavy roofing paper and chicken wire, which cut out the drafts and blowing sand,
making the homes warmer and more comfortable
during the winter.
We’ll also work with local churches in evangelism through events which draw hundreds of local kids, and the outreach participants will have their own walk with the Lord refreshed each day through worship, teaching and ministry to the team.
We hope you’ll be there!
Junior Team News
Our Junior Team, made up of 8 – 12 year old kids, is making an impact on both sides of the border!
In November we did outreach at a senior citizens’ home. The team performed songs, dramas and puppet skits for the residents followed by a fellowship time where the kids gave the residents a gifts they had made for them. The people were delighted with the kids and have asked the team to return.
A poor colonia in Anapra, Mexico was the site of our December outreach. We worked with a small community church that ministers to the poor with a special emphasis on children. We’ve worked with this church for the past two years and were excited to see them starting their own King’s Kids style ministry with their children. We performed songs and puppet skits for them and they performed several worship songs.
After the program, the Junior Team proceeded to winterize four homes in the colonia, wrapping them with felt paper and wire to hold it on. It was a cold, windy day and the kids got a taste of winter life in a poor Mexican community.
Plans for this Year
The Mobility Project
As we described in the article on page 1, we worked with a ministry to the handicapped in Juarez this October. All of us avoid situations we don't understand or that may be uncomfortable for us , but stretching experiences are good for us! The men from the Mobility Project, one of whom is paraplegic, were a great example of Christian love to all of us, and we plan to work with them in the future.
Youth Conference and Rally
We’re planning to launch a completely new idea this January: a completely youth led youth conference. All the workshop speakers, main speaker, prayer teams, musicians and other leaders will be the older teenagers from the King’s Kids Senior Team and the key
youth from groups in the Albuquerque area. Our kids are excited about this idea and are preparing their workshop, which include:
Who You Are in Jesus- living your identity at school
Joy in Your Struggles
Walking in the Spirit
How Summer Missions Changed My Life
Choreography and Drama
Mission Events
Intercession
Extreme Encounter
Youth Worship Bands
Youth leaders in El Paso are also excited about the idea, which to our knowledge has never been done before. We’re planning to hold the same type of youth led event for El Paso groups in April.
Haiti Invitation
A long awaited invitation to return to Haiti to begin King's Kids there
has finally arrived! We're working on scheduling a training seminar and camp for Haitian kids sometime next spring. We'll go to Gonaives, which is known as the poorest and dirtiest city in Haiti, according to the pastor there. It's also the location where every revolution in Haitian history has begun. Interesting thought- why couldn't a revolution for the Kingdom of God start there, too? Please pray that
details and scheduling to work out
Goodbye, Charlie!
Charles Reed, our resident South African computer whiz, has served King’s Kids for two years as Junior Team co-director. He has been a staff worker for Senior Team and was the Family Life director for our five week outreach to the Philippines last summer. Charlie pioneered a multimedia project this fall. We’ll miss him as he goes to a YWAM base outside London for a leadership mentoring school