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april 2003 newsletter
Over 200 participants from Georgia
210 participants came to Matamoros, Mexico from Georgia for one week of ministry.
This was our biggest project of the year!!! The Lord gave us all the translators
we needed for all 32 ministry teams. Thank you for your prayers.
During the four days of ministry the youth group from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
built 16 small houses, shared the gospel with many people, fed many kids and mothers
at the feeding ministry, visited a local orphanage, played volleyball, basketball and
soccer with a local High School, put on a youth concert inside Matamoros
convention center, and much more.
Over 100 people gave their hearts to Jesus during this project. Please pray for the two
pastors and the two churches that now have the great responsibly of following up all these
decisions.
Hail in Matamoros, Mexico
Little did the AIM staff know what we would find once we got back to our camp (The Gateway).
On Tuesday morning, as the AIM staff and over 200 youth and leaders drove west on
the road that leads into the center of Matamoros, the radio program was interrupted for
a weather report / bulletin. A storm was headed toward the Gateway area from the city of
Reynosa, which is located about 1 hour east of the Gateway. The weather report said that
there was a tornado warning. As we got to our ministry VBS site we found the large tent
that was standing the day before on the ground. The rain and heavy wind from the previous
night was too much for the large tent. Praise God it happened around 7 am before we got
there and had VBS with all the kids.
Some time after lunch one of our staff who had been by the Gateway office earlier that day
told me from a distance - "Cesar, I have bad news for you. Your Honda has been damaged by
hail." All the staff vehicles that were parked back at our camp were also damaged. In
total, more than 10 staff and volunteer vehicles were affected by this hail storm. Some
of them with severe cracks on the windshield. Our Honda has over 100 dents. The windshield
was fine. The insurance has already given us a check to cover the damage. Please pray for
some of the staff who do not have hail insurance coverage. Also pray for one of our
maintenance men (Jacobo) who had severe damage to the roof of his home.
Reynosa storm damage
Later that same day I got word that our AIM camp in Reynosa had been badly affected by the
storm. Strong winds took most of the roof off the kitchen and part of the girls' dorm.
Bill Britton, who was inside the kitchen brushing his teeth at the kitchen sink, said that
all of a sudden he felt small pieces of hail hit him. When he looked up, the roof was
gone. Bill was in Reynosa to lead a group of 35 adults that were due to arrive the next
day. The trip was not cancelled. By the end of this trip, the group was able to build
the two small houses that they had planned on building and do some repair on the roof.
Texas Men
15 men (and several wives) from The Woodland, Texas are coming to Mexico for 3
days of ministry on April 30. Please pray for this group as they share the gospel with
the people in Matamoros, Mexico.
Thank You for All Your Prayers and Support!!!
Cesar, Jennifer, Katie and Hannah
1049 E. Matz Ave.
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956) 425-6440
cesargonzalez@adventures.org
jennifergonzalez@adventures.org
www.adventures.org
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