The Joy of helping and teaching my friends who live in a Poor Barrio of the City(1-15-2013)
Jesus was at a celebration where a woman came and anointed his feet with an expensive perfume. Some of the people present complained that the money should have been used for the poor and not wasted washing the feet of Jesus. His reply was, “You will have the poor with you always, but you will not always have me.â€
Over the years, I think this phrase has many times been used as an excuse to not help the poor and suffering at all. Unfortunately those who don’t help the poor and needy don’t ever really get to know the true nature of God as I find it’s hard to find him in one of our large expensive sports stadiums or in the din of  a culture preoccupied with itself.
Here the silence of these poor outlying areas is wonderful and it gives one ample time to reflect just what is the nature of God like. Why does He have such a soft spot in his heart for those without voice and power in this world of ours?
Why are there so many verses in the Bible talking about the poor and our responsibility of taking care of them? I believe we learn of the very heart of God when we do help those who have need.
My discipleship class for the nearly 50 who turned up tonight talked about knowing God through service to others. I shared with people who have so little but yet they want to be a blessing and serve others in the community who are less fortunate than they are. Sharing a pot of beans and rice with a neighbor who is sick or out of work for some time. The needs are so great here. Their hearts are so large.
Our emphasis this year has been on reproducing our Christian faith into the life of someone who is not yet a Christian so that 1 + 1 = 2. That is a pretty high rate of growth for the church. God is calling us 
to reproduce ourselves into the life of someone who as yet does not know the goodness and forgiveness of Almighty God.
In addition to our other work, we are doing two seminars a week through the end of February whee we are teaching them to reach out to others with the good news. In addition we are challenging them to memorize Scripture so that they have God’s word to share with others when asked. Many also need to quote scripture during times of great temptation and attack seeing some have come from very difficult past lives before knowing the new life we have in Christ. The truth indeed sets us free.
Continue to pray that the message reaches those God wants to reach.
Joyfully Submitted:
Mateo
True Riches are given to the poor at Christmas.Â
“No acumulen ustedes tesoros en la tierra, donde la polilla y el óxido corroen,y donde los ladrones minan y hurtan.  Por el contrario, acumulen tesoros en el cielo, donde ni la polilla ni el óxido corroen, y donde los ladrones no minan ni hurtan.  Pues donde esté tu tesoro, allà estará también tu corazón.†Mateo 6:19-21
This past month we have been distributing baskets of Christmas joy to those in need in Tegucigalpa. Just as the Scripture has commanded us, you and I have made a difference in the lives of nearly 200 people through our campaign that we entitled “Click for St. Nickâ€.
We have a number of stories associated with this distribution of baskets of food and kitchen supplies for those we visited. We visited 50 families and this represents 198 people that we have been able to bless this Christmas time.
One lady shared with us that she had been praying for food for the table seeing that her husband had hurt his back and couldn’t work and they had 6 mouths to feed. The very morning that we arrived her husband had asked her how God was going to provide seeing that they lived way up on the mountain and no one knew their need. When we arrived at the gate, she burst into tears when she saw our basket of food that we were going to present to the family. “God certainly answers prayer†she exclaimed in a loud voice to everyone in the room.
Another group living under a bridge in a makeshift house were overjoyed to receive the basket of food and after talking to them about the 
Kingdom of God, they both received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives. They were weeping for joy at having something to eat for Christmas Eve.
Another group working at a dumpster scrounging recyclables and whatever else they could sell from the putrefying garage that they were going through were amazed that we would stop by to visit and to shake their hands and to pray with them on Christmas Eve. After sharing the Gospel, 5 of the 6 people present gave their hearts to Jesus Christ.
The Scripture says,
“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17
The Bible also shares that those who are not generous with the poor will harvest what they sow!
Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13
On behalf of those who received a Christmas basket due to your generous gift please receive our thanks for your generosity. For as the Bible states,  you are not storing up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but rather you are storing up for yourself treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. Our heart is going to be where our treasure is. Your treasure is in the right spot. Congratulations!!! Matthew 6:19-21
Joyfully in Service to the Master Craftsman from Nazareth,
Mateo
