Hello Ministry
Partners!
I would like to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and hope that your days were filled with family, friends, and time to give thanks for what the Lord has provided in your lives! I am very thankful for what God is doing in my life and with the ministry that He is building up. This has been a season of more than just changing of colors, an abundance of pumpkin flavored, scented, and colored things, but rather a challenging journey that has led me to see Christ pour many blessings down of the ministry. Challenging yes, but the Lord has equipped me for this season and that is something that I am learning slowly. Specifically understanding the art of Steadfastness may be one of the most agonizing states that I found for my short patience to endure as returning to Mexico is in the forefront of everything.
For an update on the ministry, I praise God for what He is doing! Naturally the Lord is arranging things that I had no idea that would happen -including a longer stay in the States to raise the funds needed to be stationed full-time in Mexico City. October was a month of much prayer, processing, Skype calls, and seeking counsel to understand what to make out of what God has been showing me. Through much tribulation (or at least that’s what it felt like!) I feel confident that God has invited me to stay in Green Bay until May of 2015 -That is approximately 6 months longer than anticipated but it is for the longevity of the ministry and I am finally coming around to have peace with this decision.
It is said in the first chapter of James that, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” and my friends, this is the art of steadfastness that I am talking about. It was a hard decision to make but the Lord has blessed it and it is something that I am so excited to share with you all.
During this season of processing and understanding what steadfastness means, I had a very personal time with the Lord where I pleaded to Him saying, “Lord, if you are keeping me here in Green Bay, I need you. I need you in all areas of my life and I place this in your hands, Father. God you know my needs, you know I need a place to call my own so that I can get support raising kicked in to high gear. You know God that I need a church to call my anchor place, Lord. Bendito Padre, please provide me with a ministry that I can pour into because I miss that joy that you provide through those experiences. Father, I give you this, all of this, I’ll stay put in Green Bay but Lord please give me your desire to stay here for such an extended time and show me what you have written for this season.”
Let me tell
you, the floodgates opened. What happens next felt exactly what the third
chapter of Malachi describes where we bring all we have to God and truly give
it to Him, where the Lord almighty says “test me… and see if I will not throw
open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not
be room enough to store it.” Within 48 hours of this conversation with
the God, Christ provided abundantly in ways that I couldn't have even imagined.
//
The place I was
praying for immediately opened up moments after I finished my quite time with
God. That place to seek communion and an anchor church to send me out was
provided. The Lord lead me to a Hispanic Church that is a MIRROR IMAGE of
my first church in Mexico City. -This was the first time that I truly felt “at
home” ever since my return to the states in August! If that wasn’t
enough, the church had been praying for a missionary to give their “diezmo” /
first 10% of tithing each month. After talking to the Pastor, he invited
me to do ministry with the church for the next six months and when I am ready
to head out they will be there to back me and send me out. PRAISE GOD for He is
good and works in ways that we could never fathom happening.
I didn't know
what “doing ministry together” was going to look like, but with a few short
weeks, the church has invited me to serve as their Youth Pastor for the small
group of teenagers that attend the church. This was definitely something
that I wasn’t anticipating but I am very excited for the opportunity! Tomorrow
night is our third time together and I am bringing them through a series of
Faith Application where we are learning to pray together and for one another,
learning ways that we can serve in the church, and also what outreach in our
Green Bay community looks like!
//
The Lord
continues to be answering my prayers for a desire to be here in this interim of
raising support by providing me with a beautiful home to stay in! My dear
friends from all the way back to 5th grade got married this past year and had
invited me to stay with them during my six months back in Green Bay while
raising support!! -How cool is that?! I am just getting settled in and it
has already been such a blessing as I now have my own place to escape,
recharge, and do my work (No more sleeping from couch to couch or floor to
floor!!).
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Being part of
Green Bay First, my new church here in Green Bay has been such a welcoming
experience for me as it feels like I am part of the family already! I
have a close friend who leads worship there and the Pastor seems to be readily
available to meet up, have a chat or two, and he has been a great encouragement
in this season. About two weeks after attending regularly, the Lord’s
timing worked itself out where I now am part of a “Connect Class” in steps towards
becoming a member and its just incredible to the Lord answer the prayer of
finding an Anchor Church and a place where I can call home!
//
This was a rather long update, however much needed because the past 30 days have been filled with a decent amount of ups and downs, but most importantly the clear image of the Lord’s hand at work. Just as I opened up this update, I am learning what steadfastness and this is what I give thanks for today. We will come across seasons that are hard, challenging, and exhausting, but if we continue to trust in the Lord’s promises, we will slowly start to develop a much stronger sense of perseverance. Lastly, I give thanks for supporters like you, who have faithfully walked with me through the last year and a half in ministry! Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and every miscellaneous need that has been met by your generosity!!
Happy Thanksgiving & God bless,
Erik Cole :)
