Hospital, Ministry Training Center, Church

When we started work in Aguascalientes over 20 years ago, the Lord made it clear to us that what we thought was going to be a church -- a gathering place for Christians -- was going to be more of a "Ministry Training Center", preparing servants for the church in the Spanish-speaking world.

And so it was.  Over the next 20 years, the church in Aguas sent 7 young people to Bible School, launched one couple into ministry who are now a pastor and his wife in Aguas itself; another couple who are ministering in music at a church in Monterrey and run a Bible bookstore there; another couple who are serving as missionaries in the muslim world, and three others -- our own daughter, son, and daughter-in-law -- who are now serving with us as Short Term Assistants under our own AFLC mission here in Mexico.  Not to mention our daughter's roomate from the Free Lutheran Bible School in Minneapolis, who came to know Jesus in our church in Aguas and who together with her husband, now serves as a missionary of the World Mission Prayer League in Mexico.

Here in Jerez, the Lord has again made clear to us that our purpose in this work is not just a Sunday-go-to-meeting church for people who are already Christians, but a hospital for people in need of spiritual and emotional healing as a result of sin -- whether their own or someone else's.  This is to be a place where people come to find healing, restoration, deliverance, and wholeness in Jesus.

Recently we have been reminded that there is a fine line between a hospital, where people come to find healing, and a hospice, where people go to be made as comfortable as possible while they die.  They aren't the same thing!

Pray that we would be faithful in bringing about a place of healing, deliverance, and strengthening; not just a comfort zone for people who never recover!  We need the outpouring of the Holy Spirit's power in our life and ministry to make the difference between these two.  Pray for us!

Advent Services in Jerez

These are pictures of our congregation in Jerez at one of our Sunday morning services during Advent this year.  The young man lighting the advent wreath in the front of the church is César, one of our young fathers.  Pray for him as he seeks to be a husband and father after God's design.

Thanksgiving

Dick and Barb Erickson from the Latin American Lutheran Mission in Laredo TX joined us and the Schierkolks for Thanksgiving dinner.  The Ericksons are old friends from when we lived in Ecuador and worked together under the World Mission Prayer League.  They have known our kids since they were new-born babies.

Their visit over Thanksgiving has become something of a family tradition for us.  They come over 500 miles to spend it with us each year.  What a gift our friendship has been over the years!

More Concrete Plans

The World Missions Committee has very kindly granted us two months' leave to go and help with my Dad in Phoenix.  We have reservations for January 17th., flying from Guadalajara to Mexico City and then to Phoenix.

We really appreciate our AFLC World Missions committee and all the help and encouragement they give us on the field.

Ingrid also had a wonderful meeting with the committee and was very encouraged when she returned to Mexico!

Daniel and Marcela went to Aguascalientes to spend the 24th with her mom.  The traditional Mexican family Christmas celebration is at midnight on Christmas eve.  We expect them home today sometime and will have our family Christmas celebration tomorrow the 26th, as we usually do.  This works out great for all our families.

God's peace be with you all this Christmas!

Dan Giles et al

Winds of Change

After a time of soul-searching and prayer, the Lord has led Debbie and me to the decision that we need to go to Phoenix for a time and help take care of my Dad.  We will leave sometime in January and return to the Jerez mission field about four months later.  This will be instead of the trip we had planned to Spain during that same time, which will now be postponed until a later date.

While we were trying to decide what to do, the Lord reminded us of the story of Ruth, from the Old Testament.  She wanted to serve the true God the best way she could, but had no real knowledge of how to do that.  She just made the best decision that she knew how to make -- to accompany and take care of her mother-in-law.  History tells us that she made the right decision and walked with her mother-in-law not only back to Bethlehem, but straight into God's blessing as well.  So it is with hearts full of love and peace that we will  journey to Phoenix to take care of my parents for a time.

Pray for my Dad!

Last Friday (23rd of November) I got a message from one of my brothers in Phoenix, that my father, Rev. Robert Giles (AFLC) was taken to the hospital in Sun City West because his legs weren't working.  The doctors have run tests and eliminated all the really scary things like stroke, heart attack, etc.  In fact they say that for a 90 year old man with Post-Polio Syndrome he is in good shape.

Pray that the Lord would keep my Dad in the hollow of His hand, give wisdom to the doctors, and provide healing for Dad.  Pray that he would give our family wisdom as we consider the best ways to help Mom and Dad.

Thanks!

Tabasco Flood Relief

Flooding caused by torrential rains has submerged 80% of the southern Mexican state of Tabasco and left over 1,000,000 people homeless.  The need is enormous!

Last week, I (Dan), my son Daniel, and César, a friend from church, drove our 3/4 ton Chevy van over 2,000 miles round trip from Jerez, Zacatecas, to deliver a load of relief supplies to a Refugee center in a Christian church in Tabasco.  The food, used clothing, blankets, medicines, and other supplies were donated by neighbors, church members, and other friends.  AFLC World Missions and Amery Free Lutheran church both helped with financial gifts that enabled us to buy more food and supplies and pay for gasoline and tolls to get there.  Thank you, everyone who helped!  (Attention, Partners in Mission -- what a van!)

(The date on the pictures is wrong!)

God on the move!

After 22+ years on the Mexico field, we are still at it, and God is on the move in our midst!

Our adult children, having been born in Ecuador and raised in Mexico, both went to the US for schooling at the university level and have returned to work with us.  The work here is growing and taking shape in Jerez, Zacatecas.  We had 49 people in church today!  (In a little mission congregation, this is VERY good news...)

Danny and Marcela, along with their daughters Ari and Andi have decided to stay in Jerez for two years in order to continue working in the Youth Ministry.  Pray for them!  They will need a little house of their own as soon as possible, and more financial support.  (As Short Term Assistants, they have mission board approval to work with full time us, but no guaranteed salary; so far, they are very under-supported, but their faith in God to supply is strong.  Donations sent for their support to AFLC World Missions, designated for Daniel and Marcela Giles, will be forwarded to them.

Ingrid (also a Short Term Assistant in need of regular support) is also hard at work translating the Ambassador Sunday School curriculum into Spanish.  She also teaches Sunday School and works in women's discipleship.  She is praying about the possibility of adopting a baby.  She has also inquired about becoming a regular full term missionary with the AFLC, and will be meeting with the Board the first week of December in Minneapolis.  Please pray that God would open all the right doors for her!