We want to apologize for us being so late updating you. We thank the Lord for
you faithful partners that have truly extended God’s Grace toward us through
your faithful monthly support. We greet you once again from down south in Central Mexico, from the beautiful
city of Zacatecas, Zacatecas, 420 miles SSW from Laredo, Texas. It really is
within driving distance for those of you who would like to come visit us and the
ministry that you so faithfully support financially and prayerfully. You truly
are a blessing and we pray for Father to extend His Grace to you and your family
and bless you a hundred times over.
September 16-18, the senior pastors from the other La Viña Churches in Mexico gathered at La Posada, the Ministry Building in Fresnillo, for 3 days of intimate fellowship and sharing of the pastors’ visions that each church is currently involved in so that we can pray for each other more specifically during the year. It truly was a time of renewal and refreshing for all of us.
Wow, 2004 was a year of knowing and trusting that Jesus is in the boat with us as we weathered the storm. Little did I know that pastoring in Lobatos for 5 years was necessary to prepare us, Debbie and I for the long-suffering required in planting, La Viña Zacatecas Church. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is comforting to know that it is not a freight train headed straight at us. Glory to God!
University student ministry has taken a while to get going, but the last two months we have begun to see our internet ministry begin to take off. It is comforting to know that those that are taking advantage of the internet ministry are actually students that are trying to make ends meet. Just last week on Saturday as we were preparing to leave to go to the CTM feeding, one of the students asked if he could have a torta. (sandwich) He told Priscila, our church secretary that he was very hungry and had not eaten in two days. When Priscila asked me if the student could have a torta, I told her, “absolutely, yes!” I remember the words that Jesus spoke, “I was hungry and you fed me.” What an honor to serve the Living God.
Currently we have once a week feeding centers to the poor in five locations, Enrique Estrada, Vetagrande, CTM, Lomas de Bracho and the “Basurero” (the City Dump). We also do children’s Bible classes in E.E., CTM & Lomas de Bracho. We have special funding for the Basurero feeding and we have Fred Collom to thank for that. Funds that were designated for the dump ministry in Mazatlán have been allocated to the dump ministry in Zacatecas. Dump ministry is not for everybody. I remember the first time we took our grandson, Tommy with us to the dump feeding one year ago and he remarked, “Grampy it stinks out here.” Well, he went with us last week and he did not complain one bit. I think that the Lord is giving Tommy the Grace that he needs to see people through the eyes of Jesus. It has taken awhile to manifest, but the people that we minister to at the dump have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the love that we have extended to them. Josefina shared with us that her grandson was telling her that he was hungry and that he thought we were not coming. She tells us that she prayed to God at that moment and when she was done praying she said she looked and saw the van coming down the hill and she paused and told God, “thank you.”
In the midst of ministry, our daughter Melissa (Tim) gave birth to Moriah Selah Meyer, our 5th grandchild on December 3rd. Then to put icing on the cake, we traveled from Zacatecas to Beeville arriving on Christmas Eve day at 8:00 am so that we could spend Christmas with both our son and daughter. The Lord blessed us with a White Christmas in South Texas as a snow blizzard moved in at 7:00 pm Christmas Eve. We woke up to 8-10 inches of the most beautiful fluffy snow to witness our 22-year-old son, Matthew and our grandchildren making a snowman, a warm memory to remember. God is good!
Have you ever wondered if you are making a difference in people’s lives? Have you ever slowed down from your busyness and taken the time to listen to someone and reach out to them? April 9th, we had a surprise visit. Alejandra, who use to be our neighbor, brought her mother, Felicitas to talk with us. We were on our way out the door again to go to the CTM feeding. We had met Alejandra in June 2003 when we started our home group in our house. A Bible student that was visiting the ministry asked if it was OK, if he invited all our neighbors to the home group meeting and Alejandra was the only one to respond. Alejandra requested prayer for her husband and in her haste to leave, her daughter’s sweater was left behind and efforts to return it were in vain. Then a few weeks later, Debbie could hear Alejandra doing laundry on the other side of the concrete fence, so Debbie placed the sweater on top of the fence only to see it disappear shortly. All this time Debbie had wondered if Alejandra thought we were in some sort of cult. One year and ten months later, on Sunday, April 10th, Alejandra, her sister, Juana and Felicitas visited La Viña Zacatecas for the first time and after the message all three prayed to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Glory to God, He is awesome and faithful, He adds daily to the church such as should be saved. Acts 2:47
Debbie is now the contact person for Missions Teams to the Fresnillo/Zacatecas area. Rolla VCF was her first team to host this year. Matt Forrest of Rolla VCF had brought a team of 7 in 2004 and this year doubled his team to 14. It was awesome to see the faith of these teens grow as they stepped out and saw God do the miraculous in healings and salvations. There was so much ministry done in such a short time. The Rolla VCF team ministered two days in Fresnillo, two days in Zacatecas and one day with Pastor Daniel Salas in Valparaiso at the DIF ministering to 150 senior citizens by serving them a hamburger meal as well as giving them a food despensa. We left the mobile kitchen parked by the DIF since it was late and the city traffic police offered to keep watch over it. We got four days of free advertising, since the mobile kitchen has Comunidad Cristiana La Viña and the Fresnillo church phone number imprinted on both sides.
We invite you to bring a Missions Team. Contact Debbie by email and reserve your week of ministry. You will be blessed!
Below is a link to a list of non-monetary items needed for the ministry.
Juan and Debbie
email: j_garza27@hotmail.com
or
lavinazacatecas@prodigy.net.mx
Visit our website: http://www.oocities.org/garza_mexico_missions/
Current snail mail address:
Apartado Postal 3-74
Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98064
Mexico
THANKS YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT.