As you travel through the city you begin to sense extremes, poor and rich, slums and gated communities, large private hospitals and sick people around, huge factories and a lot of people selling their stuff on the streets, children begging, and homeless elderly.

The local church in San Pedro has decided to get hand on in trying to make a difference to show the love of God to the people in the city. It has been done through evangelism, Christian music concerts, sports, and providing high-level education to children who live in the slums. We believe that education will improve the opportunities of breaking the chains of poverty and misery.

Our approach in every way of serving is always to reach the family, not only feed, but also generate change in the lives of people, starting from within to follow the conditions of living.

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Next year the local church in San Pedro Sula urges you to join them in the effort to reach as many communities as possible. The idea is to begin with four communities relatively close to the church; together they comprise about 50,000 people. We want to examine how God builds your team to build the calendar of activities, may it be youth, or a building team, women willing to teach baking and cooking, or a mixed team to reach in schools and colleges.

Also we will continue serving our satellite churches in places like Puerto Cortes, Baracoa, Los Cruces, Lima, Progreso, Camalote and any other where God opens doors. The San Pedro Sula church provides all the necessary logistics to facilitate your experience, from housing, transportation, and translation, cooking and working along with your team.

In 2010 we received different teams, one of them had more than 40 teenagers who served in one community and an orphanage. They had the support and companion of local teenagers who translated but also built relationships to follow via Feacebook, emails and phone calls. We really hope to continue to build these generational and multi cultural bridges that will only benefit those who become a part of it.

But perhaps we should talk more about the church and its leaders, the outreach and evangelism, the care for the poor as well as the discipleship of youth.

We should talk about the opportunities to serve and bring people to the faith in Christ. Danli is a town of less than 100,000 people, most of the workforce is employed at the coffee and tobacco companies, but that leaves about 50% of others unemployed, seeking for informal jobs or finding ways to feed their children.

Our response has been to address the main needs to build a better community composed of God-fearing families, who worship and have a follower-ship mind set on Jesus as their Lord.

With the support of different partners and the decisive leadership of the local church we started a Tortilla Factory that provides jobs, and a Nutrition / Day Care Center for children at risk. Also the church has been able to distribute clothes, shoes, and other basic needs to those around them.

With the help of mission teams the church has done evangelism, service to the community, outreach to schools, plays in parks, distributed goods, and built some spaces needed at the church.

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We are recruiting teams to come next year to build some small homes that will offer shelter to children who are living with their grandmothers in houses made of mud or cardboard. The whole idea is to improve the quality of living, while improving the chances of living of the head of the household, whom in most cases due to age can only work cleaning houses, or washing clothes by hand.

At the same time, we will continue to identify children for the Nutrition / Day Care Center. Your team will find more kids in extreme conditions of living and together we can change that through Children Sponsorships and other programs.

Youth Groups are welcome, as well as families and mixed groups. In Danli you will find Christian families that will open their homes to you and your church members, the fellowship and friendships that will develop will enhance your missionary experience. You will have the assurance that the Danli church will continue a year-long process on the areas you work.

What is different in Nicaragua? How come being a poor country, with a communist government and socialist doctrine people can come to the Lord’s feet and make commitments like the ones we have experienced?

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in Latin America, followed only by Haiti. It has suffered natural disasters and war after war, brothers against brothers, under the guidance of corrupt politicians.

The church plant in Managua started four years ago, and the results have been very encouraging. At the moment pastor Angel Amador is very encouraged by the amount of college students and young professionals attending church.

The church is located within walking distance from four of the largest college campuses in Managua. This advantage will be used with the projects and mission trips that follow.

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The Managua church has already established one project related to malnourished children to recover them from the grasps of death or a life of limited opportunities.

In September 2010 we will be starting a Computer Center that will be available for the college students who may need them. Together with support tutoring in areas of Math and English. The local church will serve the students involving the actual members. Any mission team can get involved with the students that will attend the center, including being part of the conversation classes in English, or inviting some of these students in the service projects that are so needed around the neighborhood.

Developing relationships and creating events so that students can get involved are part of the strategy to reach and evangelize students.

Also, we will be serving the communities around the church. One of them is a slum with cardboard houses, no water or sewer, just an open drain. Most kids don’t attend school and have health problems related to the conditions of life they are exposed to.

At the same time, the city of La Ceiba is a shopping center for about 40 other smaller cities. Is a nerve center for business, education politics and culture. And as advanced as it sounds there is drug trafficking, abandoned children, slums and youth who have stepped away from home and families.

Our church has responded to the local needs, starting with Salud Total, a clinic that sees more than 10,000 patients a year; Nutrition Center that serves with meals, health, and education to more than 60 children from neighboring communities, Total Homes which has built 39 homes for homeless families, and a Sport Center in the church grounds to serve and reach the youth. This church also started a second location in downtown La Ceiba to serve families who live too far off from the hill location. Just by starting this new location we have doubled attendance.

Over the last years, La Ceiba planted churches in four locations, Olanchito, Tocoa, Jutiapa and Roatan in the Bay Islands.

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What to do in a church that does so much? Do more!!! Next year the La Ceiba church invites you to come and serve with the local efforts to reach youth; building houses in the impoverished neighborhoods, serve in the clinic and minister in the new church plants.

They are planning to increase the amount of children being served at the center, while adding computer and English classes. Anyone in an area like La Ceiba has better chances to get a decent pay job by knowing English and computer. We can revolutionize a life just by contributing this way.

A combined team from your church can get involved in all the activities, from playing, teaching, cooking and cleaning at the Kids Center, to work at the clinic in different tasks, if you have medical knowledge you can work with one of our full time physicians, and if the field and adventure is your preference we can organize outreach activities in town or in the newer churches.

Let your light shine before men, and they will see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven.

Much of that is true, but also the levels of agnostics, or atheist is high, and people have found ways to entertain themselves and to have their lives busy with work, education and family that the idea of an active God, a loving God in their life is just remote and rejected by all means.

Is just hard to see a blessed country like Costa Rica rejecting God.

Our church in Guapiles is trying to show a different God, one that non-judgmental, that is loving, caring, involved, transforming with people who are alive, living enjoyable lives, in community, love and faith.

Oscar Argueta and his family moved to Guapiles about 11 years ago, his job moved them here, and as soon as they could they started a home group that transformed into a home church and now have a solid church with leaders, home groups and ministries. God has raised men around Oscar to support the efforts.

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The Guapiles church is recruiting partners from churches in the United States to come and serve together in different outreaches in the community. There are many needs and opportunities, and everything that has been done in the past has produced its fruits.

Part of the work that can be done and is always appreciated is to work as a team certain hours of the week in the local elementary schools, painting, repairing, improving, so that the students have a better environment to learn. This activity gives us opportunities to talk to the students, teacher, and parents. 25% of the time of the teams can be invested in this area.

The next area is creating parties, movies, and sport activities in the church and invite the youth in the area. The Guapiles church has a very solid youth group that welcomes the other youth who participates in the activities. We have a partnership with a Children Refuge that is legally established in Guapiles, we provide food, paint, repairs, and play with the children.

Other activities include evangelism door to door, or by invitation. Costa Ricans are very welcoming to foreigners so we take advantage of the opportunity.

Pastor Sergio Handal and a team of 30 people moved from Tegucigalpa, Honduras to Monterrey to start this church. The challenges, being these cultural, financial, or legal have been overwhelming but the results are very encouraging.

The church has embraced a vision to plant churches all over the country of Mexico. If we compare, all Central America countries together have 43 million people and Mexico alone has 111 million people. The challenge requires faith and partnerships.

GCLA is seeking partnerships between U.S. Churches that want to send short term missionaries to serve in Monterrey, to reach, evangelize, disciple, provide leadership training and creating opportunities to leverage the need with the work being done.

The vision the church has embraced read “To make a disciple out every non-believer”

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Here are ways that the local leadership sees the mission teams working alongside the local volunteers:

• Language Classes, either grammar or conversational workshops. Students are eager to receive 6-8 hours per week of training to improve their pronunciation.
• Community service in Hospitals, orphanage and the City Dump where people live in the worst conditions to imagine.
• Evangelism and Sports at colleges.
• Specialized Conferences, according to availability among the mission team members.
• Leadership Training and ministry equipping.

A great advantage to coming to Monterrey is the easy travel; churches from States like New Mexico and Texas can drive from their hometown to Monterrey. For others a short flight will take them there.

La Libertad is one of those places, small town, very few opportunities for employment, education is scarce, and health care a luxury not everyone can afford.

Pastor Ivo Claros seems very decided to change all that, he has struggled himself with the health and education of his children. With a compassionate heart he explains us that he believes things can be changed.

A couple of years ago, Ivo and his leaders started a Computer Center and English School to provide High School students with more chances of making a living in La Libertad, the results were outstanding, the students learned, they understood the Gospel, received Christ and soon they and their families were attending church. The program was such a success that Ivo decided to continue year after year.

Last year, after serving with health programs with some short term mission teams, Ivo and leaders were compelled to start a Nutrition Center, a place where children will receive two nutritious meals, after school program, school materials and health care if needed. Also Ivo decided that it was time to change the living conditions of these children and their families. In a huge effort, the local church designed a house that can be built in a week with 5 volunteers and $2,600 for the materials. So far 11 houses have been built.

Over the last three years the church has grown from 60 to 175 people and God has raised leaders among them.

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Ivo wants to challenge you to come to La Libertad and work shoulder to shoulder with the church to change the conditions of the people, starting with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and then giving hope to these people showing them that someone cares about them.

We plan to build more houses, and do some plays and concerts in downtown La Libertad while continuing with the Nutrition Center, Computer and English classes.

If your church decided to come, you will experience transforming faith, transforming not only personal and spiritual but also on the sad conditions that surround most of the people in La Libertad.

Come, God may be calling you…

Our church in San Salvador is a reflection of that spirit. Is a church of less than 300 people with large dreams? They hope to grow to three locations in 5 years in that city, grow in leadership and perhaps plant another church in the country and outside its borders somewhere in South America.

You visit them for a few hours and you become excited by the energy and passion of the leaders. The leadership team is made of young Salvadorans and some Americans who have joined. They prepare activity, evangelism and service filled schedules for the teams that decide to serve in that city.

The San Salvador church is serving through different outreach activities such as:

• College Ministry. God opened doors for the church to reach, disciple and worship in-campus. Jorge and Sarah work most of the time in campus with the students.
• Soccer Outreach. This is a successful ministry that has been in place for many years. Youth are attracted to the sport, but after a few games the pastors get involved in theirs lives, encouraging them to come back home, go back to school, get a job and transform their lives.
• El Guayabo Help and Development Community Center. This community is located in San Salvador Volcano. Is a place with no running water, children attend in a crowded classroom made of tin walls and dirt floor. The church is building better facilities for the children including a kitchen. The center will be used for classes but also serving a meal to all the children who attend school, health visits by volunteer physicians, training for adults, micro loans and other activities to provide nee opportunities to the families.

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Come and be a part of all or one of the listed outreaches, as your team is formed with can tailor a schedule that will provide a great experience to each team member where their gifts will be put to work.

Also, we are preparing to start a second location for our church in the populated area of Soyapango, where a lot of middle class and young professionals and young families live. The idea is to start a service that resembles the service in Northern San Salvador, with the same quality and message, a new pastoral team will take care of the lives of those who will attend. The church will be started with 50 members who come from that area.

What is the word to describe an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all know human or natural powers? : MIRACLE!!!

Choluteca has witnessed a miracle. 11 years ago a church with 50 faithful members, now a church of 550 and growing.  A church that has touched almost everyone in their vicinity, with encouragement, with challenge, with transformation, with resources, a church that leads the best Nutrition Clinic in Southern Honduras, and a real Day Care for children at risk, a church running several businesses such as tortilla factory and bakery, coffee roasting, block factory, souvenirs, more than 150 micro-loans, school, a Computer Center for youth, an orphanage, housing, and a program to provide support to more than 100 families infected and afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

God has provided, the workers, volunteers, leaders, partners, funds, to make it all happen says pastor Geovanny Granera. We were the least of all churches to be able to make what has been made in this location. We have seen the hand of God every step of the way.

We estimate that 350 people (children and adults) are benefited with the church’s ministry to the community in a direct way, but even more in an indirect way. In the future we hope to reach out to more people, to expand the church, not talking about the worship services only, but the holistic impact that a church should have in a city.

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You will be delighted to know that in this location there is plenty of work yet to do and that we need more hands to accomplish it. In 2011 we expect to serve 200 or more students at the Computer and English Center. These are students ages 12 to 16 that will be empowered with the knowledge. We will take the Gospel and the Bible along.

35 new homes are needed to be built next year; each team can accomplish the construction of one, besides building new facilities for the orphans.

In Limon we expect to open new businesses and train more people to handle more micro loans. This is a direct blow to end poverty the way is experienced in Choluteca. Come, be a part of it, yourself, your team and your church will never be the same after a trip to this miraculous land.