“You did not choose me, but I chose you" -A Long-term Commitment to Mission

Year Out Program Coming to an End  A Long-term Opportunity Just Ahead!! The past few months here in Mexico have truly been a whirlwind of emotions, experiences, and a realization that may forever change my life in ministry.  With that said, I would love for you to continue reading this letter as I am very pleased to announce that I have decided to stay here in Mexico City as part of Staff with the Avance program for the next three years.  Through much prayer, time spent with the Lord, and countless numbers of conversation with my ministry and mission, the Lord has given me peace about what He has written before me in full-time ministry.

The summer program has been a great opportunity to serve the young adults that have come down to learn what it means to serve cross-culturally.  I’ve used the last two months to apply everything that I have learned in my MA program this past year to equip these summer participants with the tools to identify with the local people and effectively minister to a culture different from their own. This role as a Facilitator to the participants wears many caps where I am coaching these participants through their experiences, whether its visioning goals, fighting back against culture shock or cross-cultural confusion, and walking hand in hand to help defeat sin together.  Also amongst these “caps” of a facilitator I have been visiting families, churches, youth, etc. to build relationships and create a bridge between the local people and those who have come to serve.  This is a small glimpse of what our directors do for us as Year Out participants during the year and I had finally came to the realization that the Lord has been carefully and divinely preparing me for this opportunity over past five years. Christ says in the scriptures that, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that will last- and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you”(John 15:16).   Reflecting on my year here in Mexico, I’ve seen how divine the Lord’s work is and how he has specifically called me to this ministry, not to just come and experience it, but to come and become part of it.  HE has chosen me to come here, to a world very different from my own, so that I can share the gifts He has given me with my team and the local people here.  Just writing these words becomes a very surreal experience for myself and I am thankful to share this moment with you all.  I am humbled by the Lord’s invitation to continue serving in this place that I genuinely call home. As it is a full-time commitment, I need to make a longer visit home to raise the remainder of the resources and monthly support needed to be ministering at this capacity.  I praise God because with the partners in ministry that I have walking with me today, 35% of my funds are raised.  I pray that you too, would accept the Lord’s invitation to walk with me through my journey with full time ministry as well.  I have about three weeks left of my Year Out program where I will return for 4-6 months raising the support needed to come back as a full time missionary.  My first intentions are meeting up with supporters like you to discuss our partnership and what that may look like coming into a longer scope of ministry. I will soon be in contact with all of you individually, to prepare time for us to sit down in the month of August to catch up and explore the opportunities that the Lord has before this ministry. The support goal for full-time ministry almost doubles where I now need to maintain $3,140 in monthly gifts.  Although the number may seem a bit overwhelming for us, yet it so small in comparison to the Lord and He has this ministry in His hands where He will indeed provide.  I am praying for more supporters to join the ministry in prayer and financial support at $500, $200, and $100 a month. If you feel led to give an additional financial gift or join me in monthly support, please visit the following link to give:     http://www.uwm.org/give/ To give by check, please make your check payable to United World Mission and be sure to include a separate note indicating that you are giving to the missionary, Erik Cole.  You then can send the check to the following address: United World Mission PO Box 602002 Charlotte, NC 28260-2002 Lastly, you also can give by phone by calling the following number: 704-357-3355 I praise God for the beautiful team of ministry partners that He has called together to support this ministry.  I praise Him for you kindness, prayer, support, and the encouragement that you have all showed me through this year of growth.  Although this experience hasn’t always been full of sunshine and roses, God has shown me His goodness through learning obedience, perseverance, and understanding that He has called us and has come so that we may have life, and have it to the full(John 10:10). Thank you for your time and prayerful commitment to this ministry. Many Blessings, Erik Cole

June Ministry Update 2014

Saludos from Mexico!! Hello Ministry Partners and greetings from me and my new Avance Summer team! I am very pleased to be writing to you all after the storm of training, orientation, and all other transitions have been made here in Mexico City.  It feels great to have such a big team in full swing here and it is great to see the new participants' confidence/language/etc. growing in this culture that is so new to them! Thank you for praying for the preparation process, which took almost the entire month of May to get completely ready for the participants.  We had many church visits, meetings with pastors, and great meals with the families who are now hosting these participants.  After all that hard work is done it was great to see the new participants transition into the culture and start their own journeys, like I had done way back in September. The summer ahead of our team as leadership will be challenging as we will be serving as facilitators through this cross-culturally learning process as well as coaches/mentors for the new Avancistas to help process the experience that they have been dropped into.  Please pray that all of us can be great ambassadors for Christ in this season for all of the local Mexican churches and ministries!

Preparing a warm "Bienvenidos" to our Summer Participants. New friends to the ministry that I am excited to mentor these two months!! Summer Leaders taking a "siesta" from the week long training in Kikoten.

As my last email had mentioned, the past season really allowed  me to trust in Christ and learn that He truly is in complete control not only of my ministry but of my life as well.  Just as the new participants of Avance have seen God be so faithful in their needs while preparing to get here, I too have experienced how God proved himself to me the past couple months.  This has given me the confidence to consider this ministry of mine as a full-time career and is a very exciting opportunity.  I ask that you please keep this in your prayers as I walk through the tail end of the year out here in Mexico City! Since we are walking into a season that requires myself and the other YearOutters a lot of energy, wisdom, and patience, I ask for you to pray with me for the following: -That we feel energized & filled by the Spirit while guiding us while pouring into others. -That the students who have just arrived can be passionate for this country & city. -That the Lord's will can be shown to me more clearly as I wrap up my first year. -Wisdom and guidance from the Lord as we are mentoring these young adults. -That a few individuals that are here now may be called to experience  the year out. I often send my own prayer requests and I am so incredibly blessed by that.  I want to be able to bless you the same, so please, if you have any prayer request please send them to me via email at erikhamiltoncole@gmail.com I praise God for you all who are reading this email and rejoice in the ministry partners that the Lord has led to this ministry.  Thank you for you prayers and constant support while I am serving on ground here in Mexico City. Many Blessings, Erik Cole!

May Ministry Update 2014

Hello Ministry Partners! Thank you all so much for your prayer during my time back in the United States for my support trip!   It has been a very blessed time where I had the opportunity to meet with partners like you, numerous small groups, and new brothers and sisters in Christ to share the vision of our ministry.  I am very excited to give you all a more in depth idea of how the Lord was working in the past few weeks in a blog to come in the next couple of days!

As stated in the last email sent out, I had the goal of $3,200 to raise and I am very pleased to share with you all that our faithful God has provided 80% of what was needed!! I am confident that the remaining $700 of the needed support will come in before the end of May as many connections have been made.  I also ask that you all prayerfully consider helping with this remainder with a special gift this month!  To give directly online, you can visit the following link: http://www.uwm.org/give/ I definitely have learned a significant amount from the Lord in this season back in the United States and I am more confident than ever before that He is in complete control of this ministry!  I am very excited to share this with you all as I publish my next blog so please stay posted for that to come soon!  I will be stepping on a plane heading straight to Mexico City in just about 12 hours! So please pray with me for a safe flight and smooth transition back into the Mexican culture. Once again, I praise the Lord for an awesome team of loving partners that want to advance God’s Kingdom and I am thankful that I get to share this experience with you all.  As an encouragement this week, I will end on this note and pray that this scripture can speak volumes to you as it did to me these past few weeks:   Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:10     Celebrating in our Father’s Eternal Love,   Erik

April Ministry Report 2014

Hello Partners in Ministry!

Thank you for your prayers in this season of jumping back into the support raising saddle!  As mentioned in the last email sent out to you all, there was a risk of having to return to the States to bring the support levels of my ministry back up.  With very short notice, the Lord indeed has called me back for a few weeks to seek out more partners to join us in ministry.
 
I have just arrived in Green Bay and will be here until the 10^th of May.  Please join me in prayer as I seek out the needed $3,200 that my ministry needs to get back on ground in Mexico.  Again, I ask that you all to prayerfully consider giving an additional gift this month to help me with these needs.
 
If you feel led to make a gift, please visit my giving link on the United World Mission website:  http://www.uwm.org/content/Donate
 
While here in the States, I will be making visits to churches, small groups, and sharing the vision of my ministry with other potential partners.  Please join me in prayer as we walk forward together in this season that the Lord has presented to cast a vision of how His presence is alive and moving through the Federal District of Mexico.

Also, this is a great opportunity to get in touch with those of you in Wisconsin and I would love to sit down with you to share how ministry is growing in Mexico City.  So please contact me before I leave if you wish to meet up!
 
Thank you again for your partnership and prayer that keeps this ministry walking alongside the Lord amongst so many Mexican people.
 
Much Blessings,
Erik