marcos: Finally, on our way to Syria...

We survived Ike : ) As much as this times have been challenging, they have been also an amazing opportunity for Houston to demonstrate love and service. I am encouraged to see how neighbors are helping neighbors… and in many cases talking with them for first time. There are blessings in the storm, and also opportunities.

We are leaving this next Thursday, Sep 25th to Damascus. I will be back on Oct 12th. The final group has 13 members and we have had good opportunities to know each other, I catch one of them in a video you can watch on-line.

As you may know, our work in Damascus is related with Iraqi kids, whose families have gone to Syria due the war. They are refugees and are exposed to very hard experiences, especially kids who are weaker and often used and abused. If you want to read more about it, check the last part of this e-mail where there is some research and some useful links.

I’ll try to post updates of the trip every week, but I'm not really sure of the availability of Internet access.

Please, pray for us. Pray for protection, pray for love and pray for purpose...

Eph 2:10 says "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." We are indeed for Him and His purposes – not for our comfort and ourselves but for Him -, in Christ exactly shaped for the deeds God has intended for us. My prayers are for the release of this mindset in my soul, for the release of the gifts of God given to us by the Holy Spirit, and for the release of the deeds we are called to complete. There is no time but for these… finishing them should be our food as it was for Christ.

Pray for our spiritual readiness:

May we all in the team remain in Christ, abide in Him since in Him we were all created for a time for this one. (Acts 17:28)
May we all in the team be free to trust in God’s work in us and through us in this trip. (Gal 2:20)
May we all in the team can release the gifts we received from God, as He releases the deeds He prepared for us to do. (Eph 2:10)

Pray for our needs:

For our leaders, Mark, Anika, and Silva; and the leaders in Syria.
For logistics and immigration issues.
For Divine guidance in planning and preparation of daily activities in Damascus.
For cross-cultural preparation and understanding.
For protection.
For better understanding of gifts and skills of the members of the team. Harmony and love between us, and through us.

Pray for Syria:

For salvation of the lost.
For fulfillment of God’s purpose for the nation.
For encouragement, protection, growing and guidance of the Spirit for the Church in Syria, and her missionaries.
For workers called to serve in Syria.

My main task will be related with teaching. Pray for clarity and relevance, for a message that is not prepared in our human experience, but revealed by God. A message able to heal, as a man full of faith believed 2000 years ago and said to the One who owns the message… “just say the word, and my servant will be healed…”(Mt 8:8)

Blessings,

marcos

Reading Material: