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EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN HOME for CHILDREN / Honduras
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
** NEWSLETTER FOR APRIL 2007 **
My name is Jason Stevens, and I am the husband of Arlen Padilla.
We were married on Saturday March 31 in Choluteca, Honduras. As I write this letter, we are in Kissimmee, Florida. We hope to be able to visit some of the churches that support Arlen down South. Please allow me to share some things about myself so that you will know who I am.
I attended a Baptist church with my mother most of my adolescent years. However, I was not saved until the age of twenty-five. My pastor at the time, Donald Waite, was the man that led me to Christ. A week later my pastor baptized me. About six months after I was saved, I enrolled at the Bible Baptist Institute, which is a ministry of Christ IndependentBaptist Church in Philadelphia. It was in the first semester that I believe the Lord called me to preach. After four years, I graduated from the Bible Institute with a diploma in Pastoral Studies.
Presently, I am a member of Christ Independent Baptist Church in Philadelphia, which is the church the Lord placed me in shortly after I was saved in 1999. The pastor of Christ Independent Baptist Church is Victor Rivera. It has been in this church that I have spiritually grown, and been trained for the gospel ministry. Areas of service that I have been involved in include: soulwinning, visitation, preaching in a rescue mission, director of a Men’s Fellowship, and teaching History for two years at our church’s Christian Academy.
In the beginning of 2005 my church had a missions conference. It was at this time that I believe the Lord called me to be a missionary to a Spanish speaking country. Not long after that I met my future wife, Arlen Padilla, at my church in2005. She came to visit two members of my church that she attended Bible College with.
Today, I know that the Lord has called both me and my wife to be missionaries to the city of La Esperanza in Honduras. We are now beginning deputation to raise the support we will need. We hope and pray that you will continue to support us both as a married couple, as you have graciously supported Arlen all along. Lord willing, we would like to begin working with Pastor Mike Lane and his wife Debbie of the New Hope Baptist Church in La Esperanza, Honduras.
There are so many opportunities to serve, and there is such a need to reach the people of La Esperanza with the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Eventually, we want to start more Independent Baptist churches in La Esperanza, Honduras.
If you have any questions about our ministry goals, the childrens’ home in La Esperanza, or if you would like to schedule us for a meeting, please email us at j_stevens@verizon.net We want to thank you all for your prayers and support.
Because Christ is risen,
Jason & Arlen Stevens
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2007 NEWSLETTER
The Lord has blessed us so much here in La Esperanza, Intibuca. This month we had 21 professions of faith and 24 newborn Christians getting baptized here in New Hope Baptist Church!! Praise God! We are very happy also because 17 members of our church surrendered their life to be useful in the ministry, from the cleaning of the church, teaching Sunday school classes, leading the singing and some of them had shown a lot of interest in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please understand that in this culture that is a big step and a great great blessing for us.
I will like to say thank you so much to all those good brothers and sisters who have been praying so much for Emanuel Christian Home. The children have arrived earlier than we planned. FIFTY children have arrived, with big hopes, many dreams and with a lot of interest in learning the word of God.
I would like to give an "special thanks" to Liberty Baptist Church from Tennessee, and to their Adult Sunday school class who gave a special offering of $1000 which will enable us to have the house that is hosting the girls almost ready for them. Also to every church that supports us faithfully, thank you so very much!
I would like to inform you that the majority of the children were enrolled in public school, but 15 of them needed to keep going to the private High school called “Bilingual Royal.” The public school did not have room for them, but in the private school, tuition s still the same $20 monthly. I will also inform you that Emanuel Christian Home ministry still is being supported just with the monthly support that I am receiving from all of you, for that I rejoiced in the Lord greatly,……… "your care of me hath flourished again: wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity" Philippians 4:10.
Still there is so much to do here. We do not have a kitchen yet. We are using a very small room as a kitchen. For that reason, we need to keep cooking outside.
Now if you ask me how do I feel? I will say tired, but very very happy and that this is a very rewarding ministry. Let tell you what this ministry means:
It means teaching them to observe all things. Matthew 28:20
It means training future missionaries and future Pastors and Pastor's wives.
It means giving to every one of those children, a whole new meaning to their life.
I am privileged to be chosen by God, and by all of you to serve in a beautiful ministry like this.
This past week we had a tremendous blessing with us, Pastor Michael Graham and His wife Barbara Graham. They are interested in helping us in the ministry. Pastor Michael and His wife surrendered their life to missions and are going on deputation right now. Their ministry is to help those national missionaries in presenting their needs to good Churches in America who are willing to help, in the fulfillment of those needs. I am so grateful always with my Lord for sending angels in my way, as you see we do have a great God. He is always taking very good care of His children.
I have so much to tell, but soon I will be getting married and we will be traveling to the United States and we would love to share what is on our heart with all of you.
We Love you in Christ,
Arlen Padilla
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JANUARY 2007 Newsletter
2 Corinthians 7:16
“I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things”
I have so much to tell you in this letter.
During the month of December we had eight children accept Jesus in San Lorenzo, and fifteen in Ojo de Agua. The community of Ojo de Agua gave permission for our pastor, Brother Mike Lane, to build a Baptist Church in their town. Please keep the town of San Lorenzo in your prayers as we face constant opposition from the Catholic Church there. At our church, we had three large families accept Jesus. They were all baptized and one family has since dedicated their lives to service.
January is the beginning of the year, and so it is also the beginning of many things. As I mentioned in the last letter, we are getting ready to begin a new school year This year we will be housing twenty-eight boys and thirty-six girls. This ministry is growing beyond imagination, and I beg you to keep us in your prayers, as now we will be having separate ministries for the boys and the girls. The house that we rented last year will be hosting the boys and we planned on renting the house across the street for the girls. The owner promised us that the house would be ready by the time school started on February 14th. However, I was out of the country for a little while and when I returned, I found that there had been no work done to the house. Apparently the man had run out of money and the house still lacks electricity, a ceiling, the bathrooms are not done, the kitchen does not have a floor, and there are no windows or doors on any of the inside rooms. To complete the house will take $3,000 which he is asking me to pay.
Normally, I would not write to you about the needs of this ministry, but the Lord has laid upon my heart the need to ask you for prayer support during this time. Some of you may be wondering how I am going to support sixty-six children, when I struggled to support fourteen, but this is a ministry of faith. We have also taken steps to reduce some expenses. First of all, we are going to have the children in public, not private schools. We were spending too much money on tuition and books, for an education that was the same as that which they would receive in the public school. Secondly, we had a meeting in November with all of the parents, and pastors of the churches to discuss the issue of money. We told them that there were sixty-six letters from children begging to be a part of this ministry. We asked for ideas and suggestions, and they unanimously offered to help fund the personal items of the children, as well as their uniforms and books. Even with this blessing, we still need $420 rent for both house, $1,900 for food, $600 for the four employees that care for and teach the children, and $200 for electricity, phone, and water per month. The total expenses of this ministry will come to $3,120 per month.
The Lord has provided one church in America to supply the rent for the houses, so the amount needed has been reduced to $2,700 a month. Please understand I do not have the heart to reject children that want to be taught the Christian way. When I see the fruits of this ministry, it encourages me to keep on trusting the Lord, not to worry, because I know that He will provide. But, as I said in the beginning of this letter, I desperately need your constant prayers.
This last week, we visited the houses of the children that are going to be coming to offer the gift of salvation and reassurance to them and their families. In one family, a mother of a girl that is coming, and her younger brother prayed to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour. So I ask that you would keep the families of these children in your prayers as well.
I want to say “thank you” to all the churches that faithfully continue to support this ministry. Only heaven knows how grateful myself and the children are for your help and prayers.
In the end of March, I will be getting married to a wonderful man, named Jason Stevens. He has surrendered his life to be a missionary to Honduras, and together we will continue in the ministry that has been started. Lord willing, we will be visiting your church sometime this year.
May God bless His Word, His work and His people.
Joy fills my heart every time that one these children come to me and say "Thank you sister Arlen, you are an answer of my prayers." Tears come to my eyes when I listen to their testimonies and to see them growing spiritually with all their enthusiasms in serving God. I say in my heart it is not in vain.
One day I may not be here, but they will be. God has allowed me to share a little bit of my burden with them, and I know that they are keeping it at their heart. Every day is hard work here in Honduras, but I am doing everything with joy and
gratefulness because I know that I am giving an account to my Lord and to all the churches that are supporting me. Thank you again, for believing
that God can use a simple person like me to do His Work.
Please if you have any question about Emanuel Christian Home for children do not hesitate to ask, I will gladly respond all yours question, you can send me an e mail to:
apca80@yahoo.com
Thank you again for your support and for your prayers.
May the Lord bless you and bless also your church. May the Lord protect you and keep healthy always. With love and gratefulness,
Your missionary to Honduras,
Arlen Noelia Padilla
"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you,
that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father
which is in heaven."
Matthew 18:10
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