Out reach to CurzRojo (Red Cross)

Our latest out reach through our ASAP ministry was to the CruzRojo(Red Cross) in San Miguel. Our ASAP ministry started months ago and stands for Antioch Spirit and People. ASAP was formed to help people in crisis in the early days of their problem.  We want to be able to supply them with non-medical emergency help, basic needs and a little hands on help in getting them back on their feet.  In addition we will also be there for them spiritually and emotionally during this difficult time.
Interestingly, our first outreach was to the Red Cross EMTs. In speaking with Dr. Maxwell, who works closely with the Red Cross, he mentioned that the living conditions at the Red Cross headquarters needed some help. So our little group paid them a visit and noticed they  indeed needed help. So we reported their needs to our Church(Antioch Community Outreach) who again responded and they notified their friends who responded and in a little less than a week we were able to take them 12 new mattresses, new sheets, pillows and pillowcases, donated computers, towels, shower curtains, a large table so they could eat together when on duty, some toiletries and a microwave! Amazing how the hearts of people opened when they knew the need.
Now our new friends at the CruzRojo (Red Cross) will tell us of the needs and crises in the community as they see them in their line of work. So we can be responders in a time of crisis.
Below are some photos that were taken. The staff and volunteers were so thankful that they gave us a signed shirt and invited the TV camera crew to capture this event. You may also visit our facebook page to see more photos of the day.

Here is a thank you from one of the girl volunteers, Layla Seaman...

Hi guys ... i didn´t have the chance to thank you..

you make our day, week, month and year with all your gifts..
it´s nice to know that they are people like you!!
you have no idea of how happy you make me and the rest of the volunteers...
we had the best night ... we slept like babies
honestly THANK YOU!! from the bottom of my heart..
BTW ... i love how our bathroom its pink!!! THANKS !!!!

Los Labradores

This past Friday a group from Antioch Community Out Reach went to Los Labradores, an assisted living and memory care center. They go there every Friday and visit with the people there. They read to them, talk with them and play games with them. This is a special time for everyone and both patients and Antioch look forward to this time. Here are a few pictures of their day together.

Homer, Scott, Don and Mike

Kelley, Christine, Adina, Natalie and Nadine

Christine, Mike, Nadine and Adina

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1Corinthians 13:13

Antioch Outreach -Three Kings Day - San Luis de la Paz

Our Three Kings Day event to the Chichimecca Village was a huge success. God was honored and lifted up! We had alot of children and their families show up. All the 1000 boxes were given out. We started this event months ago and asked God to bless this day with enough money to fund the gifts, volunteers to help, and families to receive the gospel message. God showed up! We started the program off with the seating of the children, and grouped them by ages. We then put a program together with puppets and characters. Pastor Samuel gave a message on forgiveness. After the program, we handed out the shoe boxes to the kids. I've never seen such huge smiles before. They couldn't wait to get to the area where they could open the boxes and see what was inside. The above slideshow shows our day with these precious people.We plan to do this next year, and are excited to see how God will provide once again! God's Blessings to all of you who gave to this event and support our ministry throughout the year, where we go, you go!

SOME -- So Other's May Eat

Every Wednesday there is a program that feeds the homeless and needy people of San Miguel, it is called SOME - So others may eat. Here is the link :http://www.soothersmayeatmexico.org/ Check it out. Last Wednesday Scott and I and some others were able to help feed and give the gospel message to these folks. We had a great time meeting them and serving them. Here are a few photo's of the day. We plan to go back and serve these precious people.

Scott giving the Gospel message.

Waiting in line for a new sweater.

Serving them their food.

Santa paid a visit and served them.

Getting ready to serve the soup.

Scott and I visiting with Santa.

Three Kings Day...Blessing's in a Box

While Christian Americans enjoy a big celebration on Christmas Day, Christians in Mexico have their celebration on Three Kings Day or El Dia de los Reyes. This holiday is celebrated twelve days after Christmas on January 6th. It commemorates the day the Three Wise Men (Melchoir, Gaspar, and Baltazar) arrived in Bethlehem to bring gifts to baby Jesus. Mexico, as it inherited its culture from Spain, quickly adopted Three Kings Day January 6 and since then every child waits for the arrival of the three travelers. The tradition has its rules: the children should write a letter with their requests (they are not going to continue delivering incense and myrrh) and specify the good work they have done throughout the year along with the problems they are going to correct in the coming year. The letter will be tied to a balloon with string and will be allowed to fly, or they will burn the letter (because the king can also read smoke; they are very wise!) or simply put the letter inside a shoe that should be placed at the base of the nativity, or now also the Christmas tree. The night of January 5th all the children go to sleep early and on the 6th, the toys appear next to the shoe. This Janurary 6th Our Church, Thomas Martinez Church and some other people in the community, have committed to a God sized task. We want to bless 1000 children with a shoebox of gifts,a party and a time where they can hear the message of the gospel in word, drama and song, in one of the Chichimeca Indian villages. So far God is blessing this event. We need to raise over 5,000 dollars for this to happen. We know God will show up and come through as He already has. The beginning of this process was to buy 1000 shoeboxes and assemble them. We pulled together a group of people and had a night where we put the boxes together. All of the boxes came flat and we had to assemble them. We had a great night doing this for these precious children. Here are some photo's of the evening.

Tammy, Scott, Kelley, Adina, Rebecca, David, Brandy and Larkin

We are so blessed!

Made it without falling!

Rebecca and Adina goofing around!

Mark, working hard on the boxes!

Our next task is to raise the money to fill the boxes, then go shopping and wrap the shoeboxes. Samatrian's purse was at this village last year and we thought that that this year they were coming again, but that is not the case. They have other sopts to visit this year. That is a wonderful organization that blesses children all over the world. We wanted these kids to have a special Christmas. If you find it in your heart to bless these children and want to give, please email us at: antiochsma@gmail.com and we can give you all the information. Thank you!

Los Labradores

Every Friday Scott and the Interns, Kelley Shoup and Adina Feriante make their way to Los Labradores an assisted living program. It is located about 15 minutes out of San Miguel. There are a lot of American residents in this program. They spend time with the residents and they read to them. Here are a few pictures from one of the visits.

Some residents inside the facility.

Some pictures on the grounds of los Labradores.

The residents love the visit and Scott and the others enjoy their time there. We are praying about other ways of getting involved and blessing this community.

VBS Mision de Chichimeca's

WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING...BUT WE CAN DO SOMETHING!

IMAGINE...

All of your life you would have to use the bathroom outdoors, in the woods, with bugs, trash, and cactus trees! No privacy from the outside world, no toilet paper, no sink to wash your hands.

Taking a shower out of a bucket of cold water, some days with soap, some days without. Scrubbing your dishes outside, by hand, with bugs and flies all around. Washing your clothes by hand, and hoping they dry before the rains come. Only receiving water every five days from the city, and having to store it up in containers and drums for everyday use. Living in small adobe homes, five or more families together, that leak water when it rains, where bugs and other small animals have the freedom to visit. No doors...only sheets or blankets to cover the entrance ways! There are people who live like this! We saw them this week during our visit to the Village of Chichimeca's.

It's heartbreaking!!

But what is more heartbreaking are the children that live in these conditions. They are dirty, they have nothing! They barely have enough to eat. Their clothes and shoes don't fit, or they are falling apart. They have nowhere to play, no park, no swimming pool...nothing!! Yet, each of them had joy in their hearts...they smiled and laughed! They made the best out of what they had. They were so thankful for everything! They gave us more this week than we could ever give them!

Our group was able to supply a family of five with a place to go to the bathroom and a place to shower. We also had a VBS for the kids. We are not done there...We plan to pray and ask God where he would like us to go from here to help these poor people. I know he will lead us!! The pictures tell the true story. Let God speak to your heart, and maybe you would like to help them in some way.

These are pictures of the community Church where

they worship weekly. The floors are dirt, but they have a roof

to keep them dry during the rainy season.

This is the outside of the house where the five families

live together. This is where there weren't any

bathroom facilities.

Scott is pictured here with the Grandma and her Grandchild.

The Grandmother was looking up to God, and praising Him for everything! She has NEVER had a restroom of her own.

This is a picture of the inside of the adobe homes. You

can see they use all kind of materials to protect their

environment.

Some doorways have sheets, and some don't.

This is a tinaco on top of the roof. Our group purchased

this for them so that when they get water delivered, they will

be able to store up to 750 gallons of water. These are very

common in Mexico.

Laying the pipe.

The foundation was poured, and Scott is getting ready

to run the lines for the toilet and shower.

This is Craig. He is a member of Antioch. He helped Scott during the week. He and his wife Sara give alot to this community.

This is Hector and Mary Lou. He is the Pastor of the

community.

This is a picture of a little girls shoes. This is a problem

for most of the kids. Their shoes are to big, to small or

falling apart.

These two little girls were so sweet. The oldest girl took

very good care of her little sister. They were not very

well taken care of by their family, and were left to roam

about by themselves.

This is Alandro. She was my special friend during VBS. One

day she started to run off from me, and I chased her up into

the woods. By the time I got there she was going to the

bathroom in the cactus bushes. It's there way of life, but we

want to teach them a better way!

He was the sweetest young man! Although we didn't speak

the same language, he had such good manners. Very nice

to everyone!

I know we can't do everything, but we can do something! I know it breaks God's heart to see people live

this way...I believe that He wants all of us to help when we see a need, to love others without conditions, and to go the extra mile to help someone! Jesus lived this way, and He is our prime example of what it means to love others and to live the Christian life. Please check back to see how God is working in the lives of these precious people.