Building Update

Here are the latest pictures from the new church building. The walls are done and we are now working on the roof structure.

View from outside front doors

Working on the roof structure

Outside walls

Important Note

We are having some issues with the Donate button at the top left of the blog. It is currently unavailable and we are working to resolve the issue. The good news is that you can still send offerings through Destiny Church:

Seedtime and Harvest Ministries, Inc.

c/o Destiny Church

8635 Callaghan Rd.

San Antonio, TX 78230-4429

We will let you know as soon as the PayPal option becomes available again. Thanks to everyone who works with Seedtime and Harvest and helps keep the ministry in Mexico growing!

Construction Update

This week the floor of the new church was put in. With this, the foundation and base are complete, and this week the workers are going to start putting up the walls.

Evening service, still held outdoors.

Views of the floor from the street in front of the construction site.

Sunday School classes being held during the evening service.

Stephen's Visit to USA

Stephen will be making his annual visit to the States from October 15th through the second week of November. Please be in prayer as he prepares for his trip. If you would like to have him visit your congregation, you can contact him through sanpedroshm@gmail.com.

More Construction Pictures

Here are some more pictures of the construction that has been happening this week.
Mixing cement... Putting supports in place....

The supports are held in place by boards, wire, and blocks until the cement sets.

This week our goal is to start building the walls. We want to finish before winter starts and more rain comes. Last Sunday we had a wet afternoon service but our outside "church" was still full.

Construction Progress!

This week we have started to see measurable progress in the construction process. The main team of workers have made the basic supports for the building and are setting them in place. There is a ditch dug around the foundation and each pillar is held in place while cement is mixed and poured around it.

Please continue to be in prayer for this project. On Monday we found out that someone had been stealing material from the property and since then volunteers from the church have been camping out at night to guard the construction site. This coming week we plan to finish placing the supports and continue with the basic underpinnings of the building.

Soccer Weekend

It was a great weekend for El Calor soccer! On Saturday the 3rd division team won 3-0 here in San Pedro, and the San Pedro 4th division team won 3-2, both playing against a team from Cuidad Juarez. Today our 4th division team based in Torreon won 3-0 and our Torreon-based 3rd division team won 1-0.

It's still early in the season and there is room for improvement in all the teams, but we are looking forward to another great season. With our newest 3rd division team, under the direction of a former El Calor player, there is even more opportunity to reach out to players and their families with the Gospel.

Please be in prayer for the El Calor organization, for the players and their coaches, and for Stephen and Marcela and the group of people who help run the teams. There are drivers, cooks, pastors, security people, team and technical assistants, in addition to the coaching staff and administration, and they are all necessary for the teams to function well. Please also pray for new sponsors for the teams - sponsorship is essential for the teams' survival, and this year has been a difficult year for fundraising. With your prayer partnership, you will help ensure the continuing impact of El Calor.

Construction News

Slowly but surely the construction of the new church building is going forward. Last week truckloads of earth were dumped on the building site, and this week the earth was leveled and work has begun on some of the pieces of the new building.

Construction

Or rather, destruction....this weekend we finally started to tear down the old church building in preparation for the construction of the new building. Early Saturday morning a group of men (and some women) from the congregation gathered to salvage bits and pieces from the old building (doors, windows, fans, air conditioning units, etc.) and then break down the roof.

The roof came down easily - some might say too easily - and as we watched it come down, we all thought about how much time we had spent underneath it, how much (probably undeserved) trust we had put in its stability...

Since the building is now unusable, we pitched a tent and will be holding outdoor services likely for the duration of the construction, some 2-3 months.

Sunday evening service.

Soccer and Construction

Well, it's past time for an update....here's what's been happening in San Pedro.

As you know, our soccer teams both made it to the playoffs and were advancing well. The professional team was eliminated two weeks ago, and it was a shock to all of us, having gone undefeated in the entire regular season. We are waiting to see how God will use this situation for his glory, and we trust him to be in control of the team as it rebuilds in anticipation for the upcoming season. Yesterday the promotional team played in their group's playoff final and it was a loooooooooong game - regular time ended tied 2-2, then 30 minutes of extra time ended scoreless, and so it came down to penalty shots, the same situation in which the professional team found itself two weeks previously. Unfortunately, the result was the same, and El Calor Promotional finished in second place, still a great achievement for a team that is barely a year old. Through the El Calor ministry this year, over 60 people, both players and family members, came to know the Lord, and we are glad that the teams continue to have such a widespread impact and reach in this country.

The other piece of news is that we finally have all the architectural and engineering plans in place for the new church building, and hopefully within the next two weeks we will begin demolition of the existing building in preparation for the construction. Please pray for this work as it progresses. I will be posting pictures as they become available so that you can see the work itself.

Clarification re. El Calor

I have had some questions about yesterday's post, specifically about how the El Calor organization works and why there is a debt. All professional soccer in Mexico, from 3rd division (similar to Junior B or Junior A in the US and Canada) up to 1st division (like MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL), is regulated and run by the Mexican Soccer Federation. The Federation oversees each division and organizes the groups of teams, their schedules, and sets participation fees. Every player and team staff member (coaches, assistants, doctors, etc.) has to be registered with the Federation.

Some people who aren't familiar with the organization might hear the word "professional" and think of the equivalent in the US and Canada, where even children's sports have high-quality fields, equipment, transportation, and even municipal support. However, here the teams are paid for by the owners, which sometimes are corporations, and sometimes, as in the case of El Calor, are individuals. Teams do benefit from some corporate sponsorship, but the majority of the expenses - from registration to uniforms to travel to game fees - is the responsibility of the owners. Given that El Calor is only a part of the ministry that takes place here in San Pedro, and given that it is a growing ministry, these expenses have increased steadily.

God is faithful and has provided funds where none seemed to be available - we have never had to cancel a trip or postpone a game for lack of money, but sometimes we have not been able to pay all the expenses associated with the soccer ministry. Thankfully, the Federation has been understanding and has extended payment deadlines, but we don't want to have an outstanding debt.

I hope this clarifies the situation and gives you all a better understanding of the scope of the ministry and the process the teams go through each season. El Calor provides opportunities for many young people who come from very poor economic circumstances. Many live away from home while they play here and are supported by Stephen, Marcela, and the church.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, please pray for the El Calor ministry - the teams as they play and travel, and everything that must fall into place in order for the ministry to function. If you feel led to give towards this need, you can give through PayPal or through the San Antonio address given below in yesterday's post.

Playoffs: Round 1

Last week was the start of playoffs for all of our El Calor teams. On Wednesday the professional team traveled to Chihuahua and won 8-1. On the return leg here in San Pedro on Saturday, they won 4-0 and are on to the next round. Tomorrow they will travel to the state of Sonora, about a 14h journey, for the first game of the second round.

The promotional team played on Saturday in San Luis Potosi and tied 2-2. Their return game will be here in San Pedro on Saturday.

The 4th division team played two games last week, losing the first 2-0 and winning the second 2-1. With a global score of 3-2 against them, unfortunately they are out of the playoffs.

Please be in prayer for the teams as they travel and play throughout April and May. Each week the trips get longer and more difficult. The promotional team experienced problems with the bus going both to and from San Luis, though they did arrive safely. We also have a financial need of 70,000 pesos (about $6000 USD) for expenses incurred during the season. This debt was going to prevent us from participating in the playoffs, but with God's help we were able to negotiate a temporary agreement with the soccer federation. Please pray that God will provide the funds to cover this debt. If you would like to send an offering to help, you can send it through PayPal (account on this page) or through the following address:

Seedtime and Harvest Ministries
8635 Callaghan Rd
San Antonio, TX 78230

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Youth Camp 2010 Services

A full church, some actions songs, and a conga line (well, a Christian conga line!). We enjoyed excellent speakers for the 3 nighttime camp services, and we ended each session with an extended praise and worship session.

Youth Camp 2010 Teams and Sports

One of the final competitions, the team pyramid.

Water balloons + 90F = a winning combination.

After-lunch volleyball.

Small-court soccer, boys and girls competitions.