Monday morning the team visited our first rehab center. Pastor Candido has been faithfully active in ministering to these men and teaching them to play instruments and several of them performed for us. How incredible! That men who once were addicted to drugs are now singing God's praise!
We had a time of testimony and several of the men there shared their stories of how they had been at the bottom of the bottom and God had rescued them.
As they shared and as we sang together, it was rather amazing how our hearts and spirits connected in beautiful oneness. Truly we have brothers and sisters we never knew about! God works in mysterious ways, and often, we will never hear of all He has done.
As Stephanie Weber shared, in the song Santo, Santo, Santo or in English Holy, Holy, Holy we sing about being around the throne. Singing that with the Mexicans is a special blessing. It's a small taste of heaven, where every tribe and tongue and nation will gather around to praise our God.
At each rehab center we visited we left a bookshelf and a few books. As we are able to visit again in the future, we will add to the library a few books at a time.
Thursday we were able to visit the first rehab center again. We gathered in a large circle to sing hymns together, and again we had a time of testimony.
Then we played games together. Indeed, this if family!!!! The games were great fun, and if I may say here, I (Ellie) won the Ultimate Trashcan game.
What I would really like to impress on you, is that you have brothers and sisters in Christ in Mexico. We heard stories about destroyed marriages, destroyed families, living in abandoned houses, young teenagers on drugs, and lives ruined by addiction. Rehab center after rehab center, relapse after relapse, until God saves them and changes their lives. Through Christ we are overcomers. While the world says, "once an addict, always an addict" the Bible says, "the truth will set you free." Many of these men want to be pastors and help people who are in the same situation they were in. And most of the directors of the rehab centers were once addicts themselves.
Please remember your family in Mexico and in other parts of the world.
America is so small and contained as far as we see it, but God is so big and beyond all that we imagine. And He is working in Mexico, among the men who had no hope before Jesus. Pray for these men, pray for their growth, and pray for the lost.
Ellie
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