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Wednesday, July 16, 2014
“You did not choose me, but I chose you" -A Long-term Commitment to Mission
June Ministry Update 2014
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May Ministry Update 2014
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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 10th 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
Monday, March 3, 2014
Delighting in the Lord and Listening to His Voice
Hello Ministry Partners and Warm Greetings from Mexico City!
Next week will be the two month mark upon my return to Mexico. The last 7 weeks back in our neighboring country has been incredible as the Lord’s presence has been very clear in our ministry. I praise God for his provision in the advances of the ministry where I have come into very special relationships with the youth of my church and been assigned pretty heavy projects in my other ministry.
As the second term with Avance started, we had decided to re-route my ministry involvement with the campus ministry, Compa, with assigning me to build up the young leaders in my church. The past weekend I helped organize an outing with the young adults group where we all went out together to get tacos and grab a coke. It was a great ministering opportunity as all members of the group were able to get to know each other a bit better outside of the Sundays that we have together in the church. I am hoping to do that every other weekend because the other Sundays out of the month, I go back with some of the young adults from the group and have dinner at their house to get to know their families as well. I am very thankful for these ministry opportunities because it is just what the Lord has shown me as I made the commitment to Avance last year at this time. This has turned out to be a much better fit as I am able to meet with some young men weekly and also unify the group all together.
Amongst these meetings during the week, I also mentor a young man David who is 19 years old. David is very curious about knowing the Lord however has a handful of doubts, so although He is not a follower of Christ at this moment, I am stepping him through an inductive Bible study of the book of Mark. However, the Lord has his hand on this relationship because ever time we meet, I see the desire in his eyes to know the Lord personally and we are slowly taking down great walls together, preparing his heart for whats to come. Please be praying for David as we continue to walk together in discipleship.
Another praise is the work being done with Milamex. In late January, I had the opportunity to head out to Tuxpan, Veracruz, to shoot a documentary on a camp that Latin America Mission had started there 20 years ago. We were able to get some beautiful footage and powerful testimony that describes how our Father has been so good to this camp and the people that come to visit and find God in this place. Although it was a lot of work, it was a very fruitful experience as I was able to get a glimpse of how the Lord is moving in a completely different part of this country. Aside from the documentary, I’ve produced a video for Milamex itself, sharing its values and visions and how this ministry works throughout the city. It was premiered at an event of 400 people, where afterwards other pastors and other leaders came forward asking if I could provide the same services for their own churches and ministries. I am humbled to see how the Lord is using the skills that I have been equipped with to make a bigger impact on the Kingdom and the ministries in Mexico City. I have found that skills like these are not very common in the area and its an affirmation of where He has me at the moment!
My work with the William Carey International University has been difficult this semester as I am taking a few more credits than last. Although it is challenging, the Lord has been opening my eyes up to the significance to being cross-culturally trained to serve and develop ministries internationally. The primary focus of this semester is the Old Testament and I am discovering what missions looks like from the perspective of the book of Genesis along with developing Christian leadership by studying the book of Micah in Spanish. Reading and writing my papers in Spanish has been an experience to slowly appreciate haha however, I am super thankful for how God has given me the gift to process this language quickly and efficiently. Once I came back, I was shocked by how much faster I was speaking and writing in the language -Praise the Lord once again because I am comfortable with saying that I am pretty much fluent in the language now!
One last thing to report is the spiritual attack that I went through last month. Thank you for your prayers as they were very much appreciated and helped me keep close to the Holy Spirit. On February 7th, the Lord had delivered news that I wasn’t expecting and has changed the course of my life for the next year. With that call, came spiritual warfare as I would be continuing to work directly in our Mighty God’s Kingdom. Although I would love to start my life working with the Latino people in the inner cities of the United States, God had told me that this is where I need to be for the time being before that happens. With that I have committed to another year down here in Mexico City to better know the Latino identity and continue learning how to effectively think and communicate myself in the Spanish language as I know that this is what the Lord is leading me to do back in the states long-term.
I will continue to serve with Latin America Mission but in September I will be switching from serving with Avance to being a Independent Missionary working with a ministry that serves both the Mexican people and also international travelers that visit this amazing city. Aside from living and working in the hostel, I will also be continuing with all of my current ministries that I am active with now. My contract will be extended to August of 2015 where I will be serving in an international hostel, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me to touch lives of people from around the world.
With that, my prayer is that the Lord can prepare me well for the year ahead and that I can trust in His provision. Along with this commitment, I will be needing to prayerfully seek out additional monthly partners to support this ministry and God’s movement in Mexico City. I pray that you will considering walking with me in this ministry after August into my second year of ministry and I look forward in getting in contact with each one of you soon to share the vision of this second year in Mexico.
Before I can start preparing for the following year, there are certain needs of the ministry that is needed as soon as possible. The ministry has dipped below its reserve in support where I no longer have the minimum needed in my account to stay afloat. Although I have monthly supporter giving each month, there is a minimum of $3000 to keep in my account until the last two months of my contract. As a ministry, we are $2500 short of our balance goal at the moment. Also, I am praying for this semesters tuition to be covered which is a total of $750.
It is difficult to support raise and serve in the same moment, so another prayer request is that you would join me in prayer for these resources. I encourage you to consider reviewing your months budget to see if there is any extra space to give to this ministry. Please contact me if the Lord is leading you to give an extra gift this month.
To give right now, you can visit the following link:
http://www.uwm.org/content/Donate
http://www.uwm.org/content/Donate
Thank you all for your prayers, letters, encouragement, and participation with this ministry. Although it may be nerve-wracking at times to anticipate what the Lord has in store for us, I am very thankful to continue living here in Mexico City and making an impact amongst the youth of this country. Please know that I am always available to make time to meet with you guys on Skype to pray together, discuss ministry, and to catch up, so please feel free to get in touch if desired! Thank you again for everything that you are doing for this ministry and God Bless!
-Erik
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Finding Complete Fullness in the Father
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one
blessing after another.
John 1:16
Getting a glimpse of His complete fullness is a moment so
joyous yet so overwhelming. Upon my
return to Mexico City, I have found God has met me here with many answered
prayers and a sense of awe falls over me as I walk deeper into this season of
growth and cross-cultural ministry, which has been one more blessing of those
described in the scripture above. My prayer for this semester was that I could jump right back
into the culture with little lag as possible. I was afraid that three weeks away from my new home would
result in lack of words at times or maybe a reprieve of small waves of culture
shock. However, He is good in the
fact that the transition back has resulted in the most joyous and exciting time
spent here in Mexico thus far! As
part of this prayer, I also had asked the Lord to encourage me to be
intentional with my ministry placements and relationships. I think an obstacle that was keeping me
from this desire in the Fall was that of maneuvering the language well enough
to make those intentional connections.
At times it was difficult, however He has renewed my perspective on
communicating and identifying with the people of this country.
As we started this week, we had two new members join our
Avance Team this week and with that comes orientation. We as returning Avancistas had been
asked to facilitate small things here and there but to also participate in
recognizing what God has called us to do here. Today we had a moment to worship and enjoy the presence of
the Lord. In that time, it dawned
on me that not everyone is called to Mexico City and that His writing for our
lives is so unique that He has called me to be one of five people to participate
in this particular program during this particular year. His planning is so divine in such a way
that He had provided particularly hard experiences the first time around here
in D.F., only to have me realize how well it has prepared ministry experiences
for the time to come.
I have learned what ministry looks for me the coming five
months and His goodness is felt through and through as it starts to begin. With my move back, I have been placed
with a new family and a new church.
I have been asked to work specifically with this new church in efforts
to build up the faith of the young believers of my age. The emotion I feel inside while writing
this blogpost cant be described in just a few paragraphs because this
opportunity is exactly what the Lord had shown me many many months ago when I
committed to serve with Latin America Mission and the Avance Program. While working with my new church,
I will come into discipleship with many of the young men and also use tools I
have been equipped with to better equip the youth of this church as well. Turns out that I will be spearheading
small groups to teach an inductive study approach of the Bible to these young
adults. This is a large and
extensive opportunity ahead of me that will take much time, intentionality,
vulnerability, and faith as this kind of role is rather inexistent amongst this
age group of our church. Please
pray that this part of my ministry work can flourish as 70% of Mexico’s
population is under the age of 27 and it is this age group that has the
potential of truly reviving the truth of the Gospel in Mexico.
The Lord has been so faithful with this ministry and I thank
the individuals that are part of this movement through prayer, encouragement,
and finances. In retrospect, I see
the glory in all of the ups and downs experienced last semester in order to
effectively grow into deeper relationships this time around. I can take these experiences into the
next chapter as my life soon becomes very busy. I ask for prayer that I can
trust that He is my sustainer, that
during my studies with William Carey International University, my ministry
placements, and raising support, and also that He will be there to comfort me
and answer my cry of prayer.
Friends, family, ministry partners, and everyone in between,
I pray that you can experience the same joy that is found in my heart that
comes directly from the Lord and his provision in your homes as you start
2014! If you are curious in
joining me in ministry, please contact me via email at erikhamiltoncole@gamil.com
!
Also, there are ministry needs to be met (around $2,500) and I am prayerfully seeking new supporters who are able to give, whether it is through monthly support or one-time gifts. Please pray about this opportunity and if you are able to give financially to this ministry, please visit the following link to donate: http://www.uwm.org/content/donate
Also, there are ministry needs to be met (around $2,500) and I am prayerfully seeking new supporters who are able to give, whether it is through monthly support or one-time gifts. Please pray about this opportunity and if you are able to give financially to this ministry, please visit the following link to donate: http://www.uwm.org/content/donate
Once again I am sending gratitude from Mexico City for all
of the support that you have shown this ministry. I praise God for this opportunity to serve at the capacity
that I am and that you too can praise Him for the blessings in your lives as
well.
-Erik!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Learning a New Way of Life
Happy November Greetings Ministry Partners, Family, and Friends!
-My family is like every other family and has it’s dysfunctions. At times it become difficult to love them and I am seeking prayer that I can be content with my current circumstances.
As I write this blog post, I cannot believe how fast the
time has gone by during these past two months. We are now about nine weeks into this yearlong journey and
it is incredible to see how God has been using this time so significantly. From ministry to relationship building,
stomach infections and team retreats, not forgetting to mention very awkward social interactions to other awkward encounters, I am experiencing much more than
what I had originally anticipated when signing onboard with Avance.
I am happy to report back to you all back at home who are
praying for and supporting this ministry that the Lord has been good and has
been giving opportunities to share life with the people here in Mexico. Latin America Mission’s (Now United
World Mission) vision is to go, live, and serve with the people of this culture
and that is just what is being put into practice. With that said, so much is being learned than just another
language, rather another way of life.
There are many of us who have aspirations to help this world and the
people living it, however the work needed to be done to get to that point is
demanding, exhausting, and rewarding.
I remember talking to a friend this past summer about how
hard it was to work at camp and be a representative of Christ’s people, to seek
out the support team that the Lord had been preparing, and to maintain my
insanity all at the same time.
Once I was done unpacking all of my doubts and worries during this
conversation, their response was, “Erik, you think that this season of life is
tough? Don’t you see that the Lord
is preparing you for something bigger?
This could be only preparation for what is to come; I think this year
ahead of you could be one of the hardest experiences you will ever face and you
need to expect that.” --Whoever
this person was (sorry, I can’t remember exactly who), they were 100% correct.
My first two months here has definitely had it’s ups and far
share of downs. Culture shock came
in pretty fast for me and I’d say already by week three I was starting to feel
it. I remember thinking to myself,
“I’ve done this before, I’ve been abroad way longer, why am I feeling this
way?,” and after some reflection I realized that I never really had fallen into
a honeymoon stage with where I was living or with what I was experiencing. For a while I felt very uncomfortable
in the neighborhood that I live in and I had also turned 15 again, along with a
list of things I can and cannot do while living here. After living on my own for four years it has been hard to
respect the fact that I need to submit to the rules of my family and directors. This restriction of freedom definitely
aided this entry of shock but little by little, through some good old cultural
adaptation, I have been adjusting to the new lifestyle here. It was around two weeks ago or so where
I started to bounce back to being my (semi-)normal self! I had been lacking joy for quite some
time and to have that feeling come back into my life felt great.
After rediscovering this sensation of happiness, I was much more motivated to seek out others in my ministries and church. This has led to really great relationships that allow me to practice the gift of speaking another language that the Lord has blessed me with. After having conversations that last for hours with my new Mexican friends, many bible studies on the UNAM campus, and living with a Mexican family, I realized that I am doing it –sharing life in a whole different language. These “Is this real life?” moments are fun to have because I see my self slowly becoming that fluent Spanish-speaking gringo that I never thought I’d be able to become!! It is much easier to communicate to others in my everyday life and through that God is building up some really great relationships here.
After rediscovering this sensation of happiness, I was much more motivated to seek out others in my ministries and church. This has led to really great relationships that allow me to practice the gift of speaking another language that the Lord has blessed me with. After having conversations that last for hours with my new Mexican friends, many bible studies on the UNAM campus, and living with a Mexican family, I realized that I am doing it –sharing life in a whole different language. These “Is this real life?” moments are fun to have because I see my self slowly becoming that fluent Spanish-speaking gringo that I never thought I’d be able to become!! It is much easier to communicate to others in my everyday life and through that God is building up some really great relationships here.
For a ministry report, things are actually wrapping up
already for this semester’s placements.
I am involved with Compa (a
campus ministry that reaches out to the 300,000
student population) and we had our last study this week because UNAM
finishes their semester next week already. Milamex has been a pleasure to work with
and just last week I finished up a few videos for the ministry, which it feels
great to still be utilizing my RTF skills. From working with Milamex, I had accidentally bumped into a
great guy that had been praying for people to come on board with this
documentary that he and some others are producing. This documentary will be exploring the homeless youth that
live on the streets and how the Gospel is changing lives day by day. A very long story made short is that I
have signed onto the project and it is actually a much bigger deal than what I
thought it out to be. Thanks to
the Lord, they have a pretty nice budget, professional crew and a solid treatment
(all pre-production pretty much finished). Looks like towards the start of December production will be
on its way and all of this is a refreshing affirmation that this is where God
wants me.
Avance has been a great journey thus far and I am also very
pleased with the decision I made to continue my education in International Development along side
with this experience. Everything
that I am learning in my classes applies directly to what I am experiencing while
serving cross-culturally. This is
also pushing me to grow in awareness of my worldview and how I can minister
more effectively in all sorts of situations. However, “all sorts of situations” that strike up while
serving cross-culturally are not always easy. My prayer is that the Lord can continue to break my heart to
understand these people and better serve them.
-My family is like every other family and has it’s dysfunctions. At times it become difficult to love them and I am seeking prayer that I can be content with my current circumstances.
-Praise/prayer request is that my Spanish is picking up
pretty well and progressing! However its coming to the point where I need to
stop thinking then translating my words rather than just speaking in Spanish
and staying there. (Hopefully that makes sense.)
-Financial support.
Before leaving the states it seemed to be that I was fully supported,
but since then there has been change in support that some financial support that was pledged can no longer be given due to personal circumstances of supporters (which is totally
normal when building ministry).
And with that, I still need to raise $600 to pay for my flight in
December and two months of support.
This totals around $3,000 and I am praying that the resources can be
found before the end of January.
-As mentioned in the blog, joy has been rediscovered and has
brought a refreshing mindset on field.
My prayer request is that this feeling of joy can be maintained as this
semester starts to wrap up!
Thank you all for the prayers, support, and
encouraging letters sent this way.
I praise the Lord for supporters like yourself who have joined me in
this experience. Also, if you
would like to catch up and hear some of the experiences while I am back on
furlough next month, please send me an email so we an arrange plans. If you have any specific prayer
requests, questions, or anything in between, please send me an email at: erikhamiltoncole@gmail.com
Once again, thank you for walking along side of me in this
journey and God Bless.
-Erik
*If you are interested in joining this ministry and would
like to give financially, please visit my giving site at: http://www.lam.org/missionaries/erik-cole
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