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Redemption Church
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Redemption Church
Last weekend, we were able to partner with Kristan Torres, a friend and licensed mental health therapist from Hope Christian Counseling in Boca Raton, to host a public event in our community called GOD & ANXIETY.
This was an event designed to encourage and inform people on the topic of anxiety from a Biblical standpoint. The evening focused on how GOD is able to help us, to speak to us, and to address our anxiety in practical ways. Ben Courson, director of Hope Generation, was also a guest speaker and shared some of his experiences with anxiety and how God has helped him in times of struggle.
You can listen to the audio or view the video of the presentation below. Please also feel free to share with anyone you think would be encouraged by the message!
Redemption Church has been privileged to partner with Will and Kristan Torres as they are following God’s call to plant PROCLAIM CHURCH in Boynton Beach. We are blessed to have the opportunity to pour into them, coach and disciple them, and celebrate the work God has called them to. We are excited for how God is working in their lives, and we’d love to have you watch this short video to hear more from Will about God’s vision for this new church.
We are really excited to introduce you to Pastor Luis and Kim Vargas, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Bachiniva, Mexico. You may already be familiar with the House of Blessing Orphanage because we have been actively supporting Jason and Jackie since they started the orphanage in Bachiniva in 2012. What you may NOT know is the reason Jason was familiar with the tiny mountain town of Bachiniva in the first place!
Jason Sanchez (missionary and orphanage director) is originally from Washington State. Jason served on staff as youth and worship pastor under his dad, Pastor Ron, for many years. Pastor Ron’s sister is Kim Vargas! Jason’s Aunt Kim and Uncle Luis were the first ones to venture down to Bachiniva and follow God’s call to minister to the people there. It was this connection to Bachiniva that allowed Jason and Jackie to become familiar with the area of Bachiniva and see the need for a Christian orphanage there!
Pastor Luis and Kim moved from New Mexico to Bachiniva with their 5 children in 2004 to start a church for the people there. The church began as Pastor Luis began to teach through the book of John to a group of adults and their children outside in the patio of Luis’ sister, Armida’s, house. After a few services outside, the church moved inside a comercio (a small grocery store) that was in Armida’s house. They met there for about two years. During that time the Lord stirred on many people’s hearts to come alongside the work. Since 2006 they have been worshiping in a beautiful church that was built with the help of many churches.
When Jason and Jackie began to build the orphanage in Bachiniva, Pastor Luis and Kim immediately offered their support and have been actively involved in that ministry as well. Redemption Church has taken several mission trips to visit and serve at the House of Blessing Orphanage, and each visit has also allowed us to connect with the Vargas family and the beautiful church fellowship there. Pastor Daniel has even taught (with the help of a translator!) at their weekly services!
Please join us in praying for Luis and Kim and their family as they continue serving Jesus and the people of Bachinva. It is not an easy place to live or pastor. They are in constant need of encouragement and support. Redemption Church is supporting the Vargas family both in prayer and financial support, and we would love to have you lifting up the needs of their family and community along with us. God is doing great things in Bachiniva!
Redemption Church has had an ongoing relationship with the House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico since it was founded in 2012. We have been privileged to take several missions trips to visit and serve the children and staff there as well as having orphanage director, Jason Sanchez, come to visit and share with our church community here in Florida. Last Summer, we sent our first Intern to serve for a 9 month internship at the House of Blessing, and we are very excited to let you know that another member of our church--Bryan Schrager--will be leaving for a 2 month mission trip to the orphanage in September!
Please take the time to read his letter below to learn more about his upcoming trip and how God is leading him. We are very encouraged to see Jesus at work in this ministry, and we would love to have you join us in praying for Bryan and the House of Blessing Orphanage.
Dear family and friends,
Sometimes in our lives, in order to grow we have to take steps of faith. I am very thankful to say that God has been working faithfully in my life throughout the last year by having me take many of these steps! I am writing to share with you a little bit about what God has been doing in my life and where He is leading me next.
Last year, I was able to take on the position of Volunteer Coordinator for my home church, Redemption Church Delray Beach. This means I have been responsible for scheduling all the volunteers who serve at our church services on Sundays as well as various other events throughout the week. I have grown a lot as God has used me in this way to serve my church family.
I was also very privileged to go to Bachiniva, Mexico with my Pastor on a week long missions trip last February. We went to visit and serve at the House of Blessing Orphanage which serves and provides for children in need in the small mountain town of Bachiniva. It was on this trip that the Lord put a desire in my heart to return there and serve for a more extended time.
I am planning on serving for a 2 month Internship through the months of September and October. I will be helping to care for the 17 children currently living in the orphanage as well as providing support for the staff and volunteers. The House of Blessing Orphanage is a very special place as it provides not only a safe home for these children, but also allows us to provide consistent schooling and supplies, health care, and most importantly a real and authentic opportunity to show them the love of Jesus! You can read more about the orphanage at www.thehouseofblessing.org
At this time, I am asking for people to join me in praying for this time as I leave to serve in Mexico. I am also hoping to raise $1500 to help with the costs of travel as well as my stay in Mexico. If you would like to be a part of what God is doing in my life and in this special ministry, you can go to www.redemptiondb.com/give If you choose to donate online, please e-mail sue@redemptiondb.com to let us know that the donation is going toward my Internship. Checks (with my name in the memo) can also be mailed to:
Redemption Church Delray Beach
P.O. Box 832039
335 East Linton Blvd.
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Thank you so much for all of the ways that you have invested in my life and been a part of my journey in following Jesus. I am excited to keep you up to date on how God works through the coming months. I will remain active on facebook throughout my trip and will be available by phone and e-mail as well. God bless you!
Sincerely,
Bryan Schrager
Jason Sanchez, Director of House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico, shares how God radically changed his view of closed doors in his life. Experiencing many years of being unable to have children of their own, Jason and his wife Jackie went through the grief and disappointment of God closing that door in their life. What happened as a result is the amazing and beautiful story of God working through these circumstances to open their hearts to seek the adoption of their daughter from Ethiopia and starting an orphanage in Mexico. “As I began to look at the things in my life, I realized that God closing doors is for a very specific purpose. And not only for a purpose, but it’s for something even better and greater that He wants to do.” It is only after going through it that you can see, it makes perfect sense what God was doing. “When you take a step back in your life and you look at things through that lens and through His word and through His promises, it will make you kind of excited for closed doors…Learn to embrace closed doors and watch the greater things that God will do in the midst of difficulties and hardships, knowing that God loves you.” Catch up with Jason at www.houseofblessing.org.
In 2010, God called Esteban and his wife Tifiny to plant a church in Madrid, Spain. It would be five years before they would embark on their mission. The years of preparation were difficult ones, but their vision did not waiver. In 2015, they left for Spain. The vision is that “in time, God will plant a church that will be like a hub, a place where other leaders and pastors get trained and equipped and launched out to plant churches in other places.” What does it look like to be on mission? For the most part, the normal activities of daily life are the same as for any family. Being on mission is a heart issue. “If the scope and the scale of God’s word is real, then eternity is hanging in the balance for everyone around us.” Having a heart to engage people with the gospel and building bridges to connect with your community is what being on mission is all about. How do you know the calling God has for you in your life? We are all called as believers to serve God with our lives. As you step out by faith to serve Him and focus on Him, to really love others, He will lead you in the way He wants you to go. Some practical steps to take in doing what God has called us to do: trust God to provide for your needs, come to Him in submission and surrender—out of faith. Ask Him: What do you have for me, God? Then stay focused on that through the encouragement and accountability of likeminded people who are serving God as well. Stay in God’s word. Let Him reveal Himself and your own heart to you. The role of the Holy Spirit is essential in being on mission. There is no other way to do it. It is God’s work, both in our hearts and in the world around us. We need His Spirit to feed our souls, to empower us. The benefit of living a surrendered life is in knowing you are where God wants you to be, doing what God wants you to do. There is nothing else like it. “When you step out in faith, God meets you there. He sustains you…Jesus in the prize. If we’re focused on Jesus, our source of joy is going to be sure. Let the gaze of your heart be set upon the Savior.” Stay connected with the Valenzuelas at vtribe4jesus.com. Let them know you’re praying for them. They’d love to hear that.
