Life on the Vine August 2009 Update
(SEE PHOTO ALBUM HERE FOR PICS) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaL17KS2Wng , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcUm2o8l1r0, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhNBTrY2Jyk Click on these links to WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT THIS OUTREACH PROJECT: After four months, VICTORIA, our Outreach Project (christian soccer league) ended in June its first tournament and team Marana-ta came out the winner in first place. Over 250 youth participated from 19 different churches. There were 65 "invited" youth (unreached) and of those 43 accepted Christ, are congregating and many are begining to be baptized. Also, one of our referees accpetd Christ and Alex had the honor of participating in his baptisim! PRAISE GOD! Several local businesses have gotten behind the league and the Mayor's office has granted us a 6 acre property in a great location in town for exclusive use by Vine and Branches Ministries and it's Outreach Project the VICTORIA soccer league! The property is being cleared and cleaned and plans are underway for the VICTORIA soccer park! As well the city wants to work with us on our other ministry property in El Ejido, as they are sending out (for free), work vehicles cleaning and clearing this property as well in order to use it for a home soccer field too. Demand was high to continue the league over the summer and so we enrolled the first 10 teams in a "lightning" round before starting our Second Tournament this September. There are already 18 teams signed up from 23 different churches for our second tournament and the kick off ...
will be September 13th. We have been working hard meeting with local businesses trying to raise our needed support for the league. Please pray for God to continue to open doors and all financial need to be met.
Invitations to preach and teach at churches & schools here and beyond continue to come our way. It is a joy for us to share the encouragement, promise and power of the Word of God with others! Locally we have a City-Wide Teachers Conference scheduled for November. Please pray for God to continue to develop through us each workshop, word and every detail needed to come in place! Our conferences have been at fullest capacity and we are considering holding our next one in a much larger place so please pray the price will be fair or "free":) !
Aleana turned 5 in July and enters her 3rd year of pre-school this fall (just behind our house:). She loves to draw us things, write her name and twirl. Elliott is loving being a toddler (2.5months) and has begun potty training. (!) Watching him run around the soccer field you'd never know he was born with a club foot! He only wears his shoe brace at night to sleep (until he turns 4) but we have been unable to travel to Dallas for his checkup and order his next pair of shoes. They sure are missing their grandparents and family but we just haven't been able to afford a visit to either Mexico City or NC with family this year. We planned lots of free, fun activities together here or on our weekly trips to Eagle Pass (Library, Firestation, Parks, river) but at times not being able to be outside very much (the heat: 110) made us all a little stir crazy. We certainly need rain! It has only rained 1-2 times the entire year! The closest we've gotten is playing outside with the waterhose and umbrellas using lots of imagination!
Our Scholarship Program, as of 6 months ago, continues to be on hold. Students were advised then and we have been working with them attempting to raise the needed support to keep them in school. Not all have been able to continue to enroll in classes. Several have now finished high school and desired to continue on in college. There is no funding available as our ministry budget has not been met now for 8 months. With monthly support averaging $1025.00 in total, we are unable to meet many of our own personal support needs and have had to cut support for scholarships as well as food supplies & materials for Outreach and Conferences.
While we are experiencing growth we have longed for in the ministry and have a great deal of support and interest from local authorities, schools and churches, our financial struggle is like never before. Knowing that economic times are difficult for most, along with being contacted about health or work issues for many, we understand the drop in support these past 8 months. We are praying about opportunites to travel and meet with interested churches about supporting Vine and Branches Ministries as it is crucial we raise the additional support needed. Please join us in praying for our ministry finances as we seek partners to sow into this ministry on a regular basis. We would appreciate any suggestions for contacts or churches you might reccomend and would be glad to send you an informational video about Vine and Branches. God has given us the vision for this ministry and we trust in His provision for it as well.
Trusting in and Clinging to the Vine! La Familia Aburto: Alejandro, Diana, Aleana and Elliott