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Thursday, July 24, 2014

Acuña, Mexico - Team Ministry Update 07/24/14

Casa Sweet Casa!

Woo hoo!  Our very first Mexico Team Ministry Outreach under our new ministry, Evident Ministries, Inc. is in the books!  And boy oh boy did we ever have an another amazing and wild adventure for Jesus!   

2,576 miles and 88+ salvation decisions later...it's good to be home!  Add that to an unknown number of seeds planted for a future harvest.  Halleluja and glory to God!  People need Jesus.  Praise God for allowing us share the Good News that folks might have an opportunity to hear the TRUTH and give their lives to Him!

We also know each of us on the staff host team (Team Canote) along with our two ministry teams (Team Dallas, TX & Team Fayette, MO) experienced something incredible together.  We left that place forever changed leaving a piece of our hearts there on the dusty roads of Acuña, Mexico.


This ministry allows us to provide the training resources, tools, and opportunity for people of all ages to share not only their faith but also, and more importantly, the HOPE which is in Jesus!  For many, an opportunity like this "puts legs on their faith" like no other experience can do.  Some of those on our ministry teams who personally led individuals to Jesus, did so for the very first time.


Our week was as hot as any we have ever had in Mexico.  Life is hard, but God is good!  As always, He kept His promise to meet all of our needs and never left our side!  We saw the usual fiery darts tossed our way, all of which were easily overcome.  If God is with us, who can possibly come against us?

Evident Ministries has unofficially partnered with Pastor David Huerta and the Aviva Kairos Church (Iglesia Cristiana Aviva-Kairos) to reach the people of Acuña with the message of Christ.  Pastor David, along with his wife and family, has recently launched a new ministry church plant in the Francisco Imadero Colonia of Acuña.  This was the ministry site for Team Fayette.  The Team Dallas site was a new neighborhood ministry center for Pastor David's church located in the nearby Santa Teresa Colonia of Acuña.

God is using Pastor David, his family, and now his new church plant to reach families by ministering to the children and youth of Acuña through VBS programs, church camps, youth ministry, a school supply ministry, etc.  This makes his ministry a perfect fit for us!  God is good!

As usual, we have hit the ground running and are already making plans for our next Acuña Team Ministry Outreach in December/January.  Maybe you would like to join us?

We are so very thankful for those who "hold the rope at home" on our behalf as we venture out into the darkness.  Know that your are treasured and very much appreciated!  We thank and praise God for our faithful ministry support team!

Mr. Chewy Canote, our Video Production Director created another fantastic summary of our trip, now available to view on YouTube:  

Click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxRAHSAXEeU


Team Fayette, MO
Team Dallas, TX

















Pastors David Huerta & Chris Canote

















Bath time for Carter Carey!
Caballero Señor Trini giving rides


















Sports Ministry




Prayer Partners Natalie & Andrew

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Acuña, Mexico - Team Ministry Update 07/16/14

¡Hola y Dios le bendiga!  Hi ya and God Bless You!


We hope this update finds you getting your socks blessed off on the mission field where God has placed you!

We believe, as Christ followers, we have a choice.  We can choose to be a missionary or a mission field.  We pray you are leaning into God's power within and choosing to be a missionary today!

Life is hard but God is good...all day long.  Boy oh boy is it ever hot here...but God is good!  He is blessing our efforts and His ministry in and through us this week.

Our ministry teams have the honor this week of joining in the harvest of a new church plant for one and a new neighborhood ministry center for the other.  

The Fayette Team is working in the Aviva Kairos Church in the Francisco Imadero area of Acuña.  The Dallas Chinese Team is working in the Santa Teresa area of Acuña. It's exciting to be part of a new ministry launch!

Please keep our host team staff (the Canote family), our ministry teams, and the neighborhoods where we are working in your prayers this week as we press on.






  

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Canote E-Notes 07/08/14

Mexico Bound!
The time has arrived to load up that Casa Canote Express and head south!  'South bound and down, loaded up and truckin!'

We've gotten ourselves loaded up, prayed up, and fired up to make ruckus in Jesus name!

Our theme at Evident Ministries this year is #TellingTHEStory so that's what we're doing.  We are telling THE Story, not only of our faith in Jesus but also, and more importantly, the HOPE which is in Him.

"...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have..." ~ 1 Peter 3:15

Stop Light Prayers
Could we be your "Stop Light Prayer" for a couple of weeks? We need and are relying on the prayers and intercession of others while we're on this 2,500 mile round-trip wild adventure for Jesus.  Would you please remember to pray for us when you're stuck at a stop light?  We're counting on it!

Prayer Requests:

  • Safety as we travel and on the mission field in Mexico.
  • Safety for our ministry teams as they also travel and serve alongside us in Mexico.
  • Logistics, logistics, logistics.  So many things need to come together.  In fact, this huge undertaking isn't really possible on our own strength.  We need God's intervention, Providence, through the power of His Holy Spirit within us.
  • Most importantly, that the hearts of those in Mexico who our teams will minister to will be eternally receptive to the Good News of the Hope in Jesus Christ!
Thank you and God Bless YOU!

p.s.  Watch for updates from the field.  We will also update our Canote Family and the Evident Ministries Facebook pages.

#TellingTHEStory

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Healthy Things Grow 07/03/14

There is no doubt that Church spiritual health is a key element to church growth.  Fact:  Living things grow if they are healthy.  Living things get and stay healthy when they are nourished.

Did you know you don’t have to MAKE healthy, living things grow? It’s just natural for living organisms to grow.  

We have learned at Casa Canote you are supposed to feed and water your children three times per day.  And from experience we can tell you that when you do, they grow!  When each one of our children was was born, after we checked the usual weight, length, gender, eye color, etc. Do they have ten fingers and ten toes?  THEN we wanted to know:  Are they healthy?

Healthy babies grow up to become healthy adults.  We don’t force them to grow.  We help them along with good nutrition and a safe and healthy environment.  BUT, growth is natural and automatic.  When a farmer puts out good feed, the cows come.

The same principle applies to the Church.  The Church is a living organism.  The Church IS alive.  It should grow... if it is healthy.  The Church is a Body, not a business.  It is an organism, not an organization.

Our bodies have systems:  circulatory, respiratory, digestive, skeletal, etc.  When the systems are all in balance, the body is healthy.  When your body is out of balance, it is not healthy; it is UN-healthy.  When the Body of Christ gets unbalanced, disease begins to grow.  Health and growth only happen when everything is in balance.

Are We Healthy...Are We Growing?
What Do "Healthy" Churches look like?

We can learn from the early church.  The Book of Acts shows us a clear picture of a "healthy" church.

Healthy churches:
  • Have a passion for God
    • "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" - Acts 2:42
  • Walk humbly WITH God
    • "Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles." - Acts 2:43
  • Are united in purpose
    • "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts," - Acts 2:46
  • Have the needs of people as a priority
    • "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." - Acts 2:45
And, not surprisingly, God honored the early church by adding to it's numbers daily, growing by the thousands in a very short period of time.

It would the do the Church of today some good to stop trying to reinvent the wheel.  "There is nothing new under the sun."  Jesus Christ started the church...just the way He wanted it.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Do you remember what God has done for you? 07/02/14

Christian, do you remember what God has done for you?

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live
in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20

We are human.  We are flawed.  We are not trustworthy.  We are weak...sinful...dysfunctional. We are human.  We ALL, each and every one, still have our flesh and sinful nature.  Fact.

BUT, do you remember what God has done for you?  Can you imagine, child of God, where you would be or IF you would be without His intervention in your life?

We can't count on each other...not really.  I can't really count on you and you can't count on me. We're human.

But, do you remember what God has done for you?  Where and who would you be without Him?

Oh hallelujah!  We serve a living God who is absolutely NOT flawed!  We serve a God who IS trustworthy, who is NOT weak and is NOT sinful!  

Oh hallelujah!  We serve a living God who loves us!  Hey, He loves us in spite of ourselves!  We serve a God who knows who we really are but who sees us perfected in Jesus name... washed white as snow!  He is God and He knows we are not perfect and doesn't care.

Oh hallelujah!  We serve a living God who has promised to meet all our needs and who keeps His promises!  He is God and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Praise God in heaven!  We serve a living God who came looking for us because He created us for Himself and His purposes.
And can I just ask you question?  Did you know that Jesus Christ is NOT going to get back up on that cross and die again?  Jesus said, from that very cross, "It is finished!".  He was thinking of you then.  In fact, child of God, He was thinking of you and me when He created the world!

Oh hallelujah!  We serve a living God who knew us before we were us.  He knows our thoughts, dreams, and weaknesses and has even numbered the hairs on our head!  Ladies, He knows your real hair color!  AND, we can trust Him with our secrets because He already knows them!

AND oh hallelujah!  Our Creator has plans for us.  He  has a BIG OLE PLAN and we are all part of it!

Do you remember when God whispered in your ear, 

"I love you... I cherish you"
"I know what you’ve done and it doesn't scare me away.  Nothing can snatch you away from me!"
"I died for you.  I have plans for you."
"Let me cleanse you and wash your shame away.  Let me heal you."

Christian, do you remember what God has done for you?