BEAMM News:
See Us At the PCA General Assembly!
The BEAMM Partnership is partnering with the Northern Mexico Partnership to host a Partnership dinner, Tuesday evening, June 16, 2009, before the start of the PCA's General Assembly in Orlando, FL. While the dinner is offered to all interested in these partnerships at no charge, please reserve your space by contacting BEAMM Partnership Chairman, Steve Milvain at (719) 574-0793 or steve at milvain dot com.
The BEAMM Partnership will also have a booth in the Exhibition Hall.
BEAMM Partnership Meeting Features Two Vision Trips!
Ordinarily, the BEAMM Partners come together one Friday and Saturday every six months to receive reports from field leaders and to discuss ways to advance the ministry of BEAMM. While the May, 2009, Partnership Meeting included all of that, it was bookended by two special vision trips, one to Nogales, Sonora, and the other to the western region, including El Centro, Mexicali, Tijuana, and San Diego! Catalina Foothills Church, Tucson, AZ, with the help of volunteers of the church and coordinated by Bruce Lau, Director of Missions and Assistant Director of Men’s Ministries, served as the hub for all of this weekend's activities.
The weekend began with a quick trip from Tucson to Nogales, Sonora, on Friday, May 15th, to visit the Mayo, Gozalez, and Uc families, and to hear the vision of the Nogales team for planting churches in that city. After a tour of the city, the group returned to Tucson for the BEAMM Partnership fellowship dinner. On Saturday, the BEAMM Partnership met at Catalina Foothills Church. In the late afternoon, a second group left Tucson, headed for El Centro, CA. When they arrived later that evening, they were treated to a carne asada (barbeque) by members of the Dios Soberano Mission. On Sunday morning, the group crossed into Mexicali and viewed the piece of land that, Lord willing, will someday be the home of the metal building that was donated late summer for the Mission. Later, the group worshiped with folks from Dios Soberano, then headed to Tijuana, where they were hosted by Gary and Carol Nantt. On Monday, after a tour of Tijuana, and a visit to the Roe family, they crossed the border into San Diego, had lunch with church planters Juan Arjona and Ramon Robles, then headed home.
All who participated in this weekend's activities expressed a broader knowledge of the ministry of BEAMM in these areas, as well as an excitement of getting to know the members of the BEAMM team better.
Here is the weekend in pictures:
Juarez Community Center Land Purchased!
April 24, 2009, was an historic day for the BEAMM ministry! After a five-year process, a two-acre piece of land has been purchased for a community center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The community center will be the home of Gracia y Paz Church and the San Pablo Seminary, while at the same time providing ample space for service to the community with facilities for concerts, sports activities, banquets, and classrooms. In addition, the center will offer a media center and library for area pastors and seminary students, as well as dormitories for short-term work teams.
Thanks to all who have prayed faithfully for and given sacrificially to this project. God has honored your prayers and used your gifts to abundantly bless those in this city. We pray that this community center will be a beacon of hope to a city that has been traumatized by violence and death over these recent years!
The following pictures show various perspectives of the land, as well as aerial views, and pictures of BEAMM Coordinator Gene Bowman signing the purchase documents and standing with the sellers and BEAMM Training Coordinator Aaron Zapata.
Monte de Sion Church, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
A Medical Mission Weekend trip with Mision Dios Soberano (a BEAMM church plant pastored by Gary Nantt) and Iglesia Monte de Sion (Independent church) was held on Feb 20-22, 2009. A MTW short term team was composed of 20 members from 6 different churches and 3 different denominations with wide cultural diversity as well. Unique to this trip was the 15 professional Mexican providers who also served in the clinic in capacities of MD's, dentists, lawyers, beauticians, plus over 20 Mexicans providing spiritual care and counseling. The event drew about 140 visitors who received one or several of the free services offered.
Team From Redeemer PC Moves La Vid Project Ahead
During the weekend of February 5-8, 2009, a team of twelve men from Redeemer Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, TX, descended upon Laredo, TX, to assist Iglesia La Vid with the construction of their new sanctuary. They hung drywall and installed insulation in the sanctuary. In the evenings, the team was invited to take part in two of La Vid's eight cell group Bible studies. Thanks Guys!
Utilizing the
help of work teams, BEAMM has been assisting Iglesia
La Vid (The Vine Church) in Laredo, TX, with construction
of a new meeting facility.
Although $10,000 has been raised, much more is needed. Will you help?
In April of 2005,
Carlos Cano took over as Pastor of Iglesia La Vid
(The Vine Church). The church had been planted thirteen
years earlier as part of a charismatic denomination,
but had adopted the Reformed Doctrines of Grace in
2004 and became a fledgling Mission Church of the
South Texas Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church
in America (PCA). La Vid expects to become a particular
church of the PCA in 2009.
Because the church
had outgrown its current space, and to better attract
new people from the community, the church began building
a new meeting facility in the Fall of 2005. They invested
all of their savings at that time in the construction
of the steel and cement block shell of the building.
Now the building sits as the congregation tries to
slowly raise the additional $100,000 necessary to
complete the building. While BEAMM has brought in
small work teams over the past two years to help with
the construction, these teams have not been able to
raise the cash necessary to complete essential components
of the building, such as electrical, plumbing, carpet,
and parking lot paving.
BEAMM sees La
Vid as vital to reaching the Eastern end of the border
with the Gospel. This building is essential to their
growth and effectiveness as a congregation.
Your
immediate gift of $50, $100, $1,000, or $10,000 will
allow this building to be completed as soon as possible so that La
Vid can become an even greater light to the people
of Laredo!
Please
Send Your Contribution To:
Building Fund
Iglesia La Vid
4801 Gallagher Ave
Laredo, TX 78041
A Tax-Deductible receipt will be issued for your donation
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