Dear WMF friends,
Another Christmas has come and gone and it's finally starting to warm up here in the mountains of Central Mexico. This year at our Christmas outreach we gave away 50 quilts to women who came to the service and another 20-30 beyond that to children and young people. There have been numbers of groups of women in the AFLC who have helped us in this outreach over the years and we are so grateful to each one of them. We are also very grateful to all of the WMF's for their continued generous support of our ministry and for your faithful prayers for all of us here in Mexico.
One of those who has seen this ministry up close is retired missionary Lois Raser. Lois worked for years with children in feeding centers where kids were given a meal for their stomachs and a Bible story for their hearts. We have greatly appreciated her encouragement since we've been in Jerez. Lois attends the English Bible study and also comes to our Spanish services. After the outreach service this last Christmas she decided that she wanted to write to you herself. Her letter follows.
In Christ,
Todd and Barb Schierkolk
Another Christmas has come and gone and it's finally starting to warm up here in the mountains of Central Mexico. This year at our Christmas outreach we gave away 50 quilts to women who came to the service and another 20-30 beyond that to children and young people. There have been numbers of groups of women in the AFLC who have helped us in this outreach over the years and we are so grateful to each one of them. We are also very grateful to all of the WMF's for their continued generous support of our ministry and for your faithful prayers for all of us here in Mexico.
One of those who has seen this ministry up close is retired missionary Lois Raser. Lois worked for years with children in feeding centers where kids were given a meal for their stomachs and a Bible story for their hearts. We have greatly appreciated her encouragement since we've been in Jerez. Lois attends the English Bible study and also comes to our Spanish services. After the outreach service this last Christmas she decided that she wanted to write to you herself. Her letter follows.
In Christ,
Todd and Barb Schierkolk
Letter to the Free Lutheran Quilters
December, 2008
Dear Friends:
It has been my privilege, as fellow missionary with Todd and Barbara Schierkolk, here in Jerez (Mexico), to observe the phenomenon of dozens - hundreds - of beautiful hand-made comforters, quilts, afghans and baby blankets, all made by hand, for the poor of Mexico. It is a joy to know that in the modern, automatic society of today, hundreds of caring women from several hundred church bodies, are actively, happily and efficiently sewing for families poorer than their own. For a country beeing overridden by terrorism and poverty, Free Lutheran quilters are fulfilling the words of our Saviour, . . . "the poor always ye have with you." Struggling mothers eagerly await the gift of a hand-made blanket in this mile-high rural city, poorly equipped to face a cold winter. For them, we send their heart-felt thanks to the women in the United States who cared.
Lois Raser, veteran missionary
Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,
Most of you who receive this update are still battling snow and cold temperatures – one thing I have never missed during all these 24 years in Brazil . Here we are having a bright sunny day and our hopes are high for a wonderful week of Youth Camp! I have wanted to write for ages, but there really has not been a free minute. Our house has been full of company ever since Christmas. Lots of wonderful things happen day by day and I would love to tell you all about them, but that is an impossibility right now. I just want to leave a few prayer requests for those of you who are dedicated to pray for us and for our ministry.
1) Youth Camp. We are expecting 150 youth (ages 13-30) on Friday night through Wednesday morning. Pray for this wonderful spiritual opportunity. Pray for conversions, for consecration, for unity, for protection, for blessing. We once again have a great staff of dedicated, prayerful people who are willing to invest in the lives of young people for eternity.
2) Our short-term assistant Alisha Benton who is doing her Missionary internship here. She is adapting well and doing great with her limited Portuguese and enthusiastic attitude. Pray that these five intense days of immersion in the camp setting will be a blessing and not too overwhelming.
3) Pray for Agnaldo, a recovering alcoholic who has been living with us for three weeks now and is in victory.
4) Pray for Gabriel, Yara’s nephew, who will have to have a surgery in the next couple of weeks to relieve the pressure of the liquid that has accumulated in his brain. He is having trouble with his vision and headaches. We are praying for a miracle! (We were encouraged to hear of God’s grace of healing for Ingrid Giles and pray that God’s mercy would be poured out upon Gabriel in the same way.)
5) Pray for John and Ruby Abel as they fly to Brazil in Monday to join us for a few months.
6) Pray for our son Matthew who has been sick for cough and cold over a month with a bad. Wish I could be close to help the healing process with chicken soup and Mom’s TLC.
7) Pray for Edival who has started his pastoral internship with us.
Guess that’s plenty for you to think about for now. I promise to get a letter out after the camp is over.
Our love to you, Becky for the Abels
