CHURCH GROWTH

We are seeing more new people at the Bethel Church and have decided to do a children's program Thursday evenings. We held our first one yesterday, and we had 43 kids attend, while there were still more in the sanctuary who did not come up, around 10. In the church we had over 70 young people and adults receiving the powerful message of Pastor Manuel Aranda. Here are some pictures.

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST

Please be praying for Brother Jose Rodriguez, who suffered a stroke two days ago. He is in the hospital right now, and he will need to be in rehab because his ability to walk has been impaired. Brother Jose and his wife Alejandrina are in charge of our Soup Kitchen and have been a integral part of this ministry since its inception.

MESSAGE FROM PASTOR GARY

Isaiah 61:1 The O.T. Prophet wrote:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners…"

Later, Matthew quoted these verses in his gospel as fulfillment of prophecy about Jesus. Jesus did come to bind-up the hearts of hurting people all over the world. We’ve all seen the devastation caused by the massive earthquake in Haiti. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions injured or left homeless. The world is rushing to their aid and the generosity of both believers and nonbelievers is amazing.

Those of you who have gone to San Luis or have followed closely the stories of ministry there know what it is like in Third World countries. Poverty and lack of the essentials like medical care and education make it hard for people to have hope. They need food, clothing, shelter and medical care, but more than anything they need spirit anointed ministry that leads them to salvation in Jesus Christ. They need to hear the good news. When the news channels move on to other stories and the aid workers complete their mission, thousands of Haitians will still be deeply wounded in their hearts from the loss of so many lives and the devastation of their land. Only Jesus can heal that kind of hurt. Only He can mend broken hearts. He does that in Haiti, Africa, Asia and in San Luis. Our job is to pray, give and go. The challenge is greater than ever, but with God all things are possible. Thank you for your commitment to Caring Hearts and all the lives we touch.

Be Blessed in 2010

Pastor Gary Simpson.
Pastor Gary is pastor of Christian Life Church in Trafford Pennsylvania and a member of the Caring Hearts Board.

NEW BOY AT OASIS

JESUS AND LUPITA

After 7 years at Bethel, Jesus "Chuyito" Padilla has been moved to Oasis. He is excited to be with boys his own age and we know God will use Pedro and Fran to help Jesus grow morally and spiritually. Pray for him as he adjusts to his new surroundings, and for his sister and us at Bethel, who will miss him.

WELCOME TO AMERICA

Armando with his family at the Pittsburgh Airport.

Armando takes his first walk in the snowy landscape of Pennsylvania.

After over a year of paperwork and waiting, Armando Steele was finally able to go home to his new family in Confluence Pennsylvania. He had been left by his parents at Bethel when he was 5 years old and lived there till he was 12, when we was moved to the Oasis Boy Homes. Now at 17, he is starting a new life as an American Citizen. Please pray for him as he adjusts to his new life. If you are interested in contacting him to visit or show him your part of PA, let me know and I will help you get hooked up. I would love for someone to take him to a Hockey Game so he can be a Penguins fan like me!

Praying for Armando his last night at Oasis.

Farewell to Armando, we will miss you!

IUP TESTIMONIES

Here are some testimonies from our last group, Grace Methodist Church in Indiana PA:

Although this is my 6th trip to Bethel, I get something out of it every time. This time I got a renewed fire for God's awesomeness! He is an amazing Lord and show is so many ways. I pray that he uses me more for His kingdom, especially for my next trip to San Luis in the summer. - Becky

The different ministries involved with the community and Caring Hearts were amazing to witness. I have been on many mission trips and San Luis, Caring Hearts and the different ministries have touched my heart, and I have been able to see God's love and the work of His people here. Thank you for your dedication to the Lord and his people through service. - Haley

I think that this trip has truly showed me the love that I can give to the children and all of the compassion I am able to show! I truly saw the love of God come through them everyday. I also saw the light of God shine through a lot of the workers that aid in the daily chores and fun that is necessary to keep Bethel running. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am so happy I was able to share it with the kids and the adults. Thanks so much for all that you do! - Ashley

This trip has taught me to take more time for God and others in the midst of everyday life. The love we received from the children and people of Mexico touched our hearts. - Deana

This is my fourth trip to San Luis. I have been privileged to serve as the team cook. This allows me to stay on campus and listen to the voices of the children. As I stand at the sink I can see them play and hear them laugh. I love the songs they sing as they stand in line to go into breakfast and lunch. One of the highlights every year is inviting the boys and girls into the kitchen to make Rice Crispy Treats and Muddy Buddies. I am so thankful to God that he has called me to be a missionary to this wonderful ministry. - Sandy

This trip was amazing. Getting to spend time with the children was such a great experience. They were so much fun and it was hard not to fall in love with them. They are such jewels who are so open and full of life. I also enjoyed building the house, the soup kitchen, dump, rehab and jail. I had a lot of fun at the boys home. They were so friendly and played a great game of soccer. I wish we would have went more than once. I also was very encouraged by Adalberto. - Megan

Caring Hearts is an amazing place run by God led people. The kids are filled with love. The facilities are beautiful. The Lord is working in amazing ways here. - Brittany

This missions trip was different than any other that I have experienced. I got to see, hear, experience and feel love in ways I never have before. The ways in which the children embrace me, touched my heart. When they hug, they really hug. I saw hope in what some see as hopeless situation and saw God move and touch hearts. I have been challenged this week to acknowledge the Lord in all circumstances and be thankful, selfless and a humble servant. God showed me this week the power of hugs, kisses and smiles. Affection and love overpowers language and changes hearts and lives. I am blessed by this trip an will carry the lessons and experiences for the rest of my life. They will shape me and help mold me into the daughter of Christ I aspire to be. - Ellen

This makes the third year we have brought a team to San Luis, but as always, our experience was different and amazing. Several of us engaged in ministries in which we hadn't participated before, including the rehab center and the village ministry. How humbling to see the joy and hope of the Lord in the people we served. I think we learned more than those who we spoke with, and certainly all of us were blessed. God continues to use the servants of Caring Hearts in powerful ways, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to share in this ministry. Thanks for all you do for the people of San Luis. - Karen

I grew up in a poor and rough neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Now I am 20 and from the time I was a young child until I was 18, I hated my life, because I was poor and did not have the nicest things--it was a matter of what was cheap. It was not until about 18 months ago when I started to appreciate what I had in life and became proud of where I was from. Seeing the children, the people of the dump and the people of the neighborhood and how little everyone had, but how happy and thankful they truly were touched my heart. Seeing that gave me a reality check and made me more thankful for what I have and more proud of where I came from. I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve in Mexico and the people of Mexico, especially the children and the people at the dump were an immense encouragement to me. God brought me to Mexico for a reason and it was to show me that all I need is Him in my life and all is well! - Melissa

The children touched me so much this trip. The are beautiful in every way and show the love of God constantly. - Meghan


I have really felt God working on this trip in San Luis. I was nervous when I first arrived, but God showed me that language barriers were not huge problems. With hugs, kisses and smiles, these children experienced and witnessed so much love. Also, seeing this place made me realize that faith and Christianity is not just in PA, but everywhere. God can conquer all. People accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in jail, in rehab centers and among garbage in the dumps, and that is a blessing to see. That is what being a Christian is all about. Spreading the word and being crazy for Christ. Helping people see the way, the light in Jesus. That is what I experienced with Caring Hearts here in San Luis Mexico. - Stephanie

This trip was absolutely amazing. Not only did I get to give love and receive love from the children on a daily basis, but I was able to share my testimony with our folks whom I feel their lives were touched. Adalberto was beyond helpful and is a man on fire for God. He gave all of us so much inspiration for living for the Lord and he helped us touch many lives. - Stella

I am great with kids, it is my God given gift, yet when we met them on the first day, I was terrified to interact. I don't know Spanish, most of them don't know English. God quickly showed me that language doesn't matter at all. Through God and His love, I was blessed to form relationships with the children and share his love. When I doubted God the most, He show me amazing truth. - Benny

*The opportunity to be able to minister and give to the people at the dump site was a serious blessing to my soul.
*Also the commitment of Ken Blose and Adalberto to the ministry. They way they reach out to the people in Mexico and visitor that come on a missions trip is remarkable. They truly have the Spirit of God in them.
*I also fell in love with Ken's daughter Kendi. Her enthusiasm for the ministry and the love that has grown between her and the kids at the orphanage has been tremendous.
*I thank Caring Hearts for the chance to come and bless people's lives. - Tim

GRACE METHODIST REPORT

The Grace Methodist group of Indiana PA had a busy Friday. They made a lot of advances on the house and visited the women's rehab center and did village ministry. Here are some pictures for you.

GRACE METHODIST IUP CONSTRUCTION

The team from Grace Methodist and IUP of Indiana PA has been busy building a house for one of our shut ins. She is a blind lady who has been living with her brothers, and there is just not enough room for her and her family. In the pictures you will see the first three days of construction. The first day was dedicated to cleaning up the lot and putting in a recycled tire fence. What seemed like a curse, a ton of tires dumped on the lot as garbage, turned out to be a blessing as we used them to set up a perimeter for the house. The next two days the frame was built and the siding was put up. They hope to finish by Saturday afternoon with the shell, and between the boys of Oasis and another group, we should get the interior done.

FULL HOUSE

Here are some pictures of Thursday Nights Caring Hearts Church service. As you can see, we really had a full house. We had a group of 23 from IUP with us, but there were a lot of new folks too. Pastor Manuel and Pastor Jose Luis have been able to bring food to give out for every service. Pastor Jose Luis and his wife Alejandra have been inviting people from the neighborhood, and we are seeing very good results. This past Sunday we had 5 new adults in our Sunday School. Perhaps they are coming for the promise of physical food, but they are leaving with spiritual food as well. Pray as we continue on with this ministry.

KING'S DAY AT BETHEL

A group from Grace Methodist Church and IUP of Indiana PA arrived Tuesday night, and Wednesday morning they celebrated King's Day with the kids of Bethel. They will be constructing a small house for one of our blind shut ins as well as ministering to the children and people of San Luis. Here is a write up on King's Day in Mexico and some pictures of the big event here at Bethel.

January 6th is Three Kings Day in Mexico, known as the Día de Reyes. This is Epiphany on the church calendar, the 12th day after Christmas, when the Magi arrived bearing gifts for baby Jesus. In Mexico children receive gifts on this day, brought by the Three Kings, los Reyes Magos, Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar. Some children receive gifts from both Santa Claus and the Kings, but Santa is seen as an imported custom, and the traditional day for Mexican children to receive gifts is January 6.
Arrival of the 3 Kings:

In the days preceding Kings Day children write letters to the Magi requesting a toy or gift that they would like. On the night of January 5th, the figures of the Wise Men are placed in the nativity scene. Traditionally children would leave out their shoes with a bit of hay in them to feed the animals of the Magi (they are often shown with a camel). When the children would wake up in the morning their gifts appeared in place of the hay. Nowadays, like Santa Claus, the Kings tend to place their gifts under the Christmas tree.
Rosca de Reyes:

On Kings Day it is customary to eat Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread shaped like a wreath, with candied fruit on top, and a figurine of a baby Jesus baked inside. The person who finds the figurine is expected to host a party on Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2nd, when tamales are eaten.