NEWS – december 19
¡Saludos desde México!
James Allen (Beulah Family Church, South London UK) recently joined Steve Oliver and Ray Lowe on a trip to visit churches in Mexico. Here is his report…
Having recently joined the Regions Beyond family, the churches in Mexico came together in November for their annual Connexion event.
It was a first visit to this country for Steve who, along with Ray, brought a number of emerging leaders from Australia, the Netherlands, USA and UK to serve our Mexican brothers and sisters.
Over the course of the few days, by the shore of Lake Chapala, God’s refreshing love was demonstrably poured out on the delegates from the four churches overseen by John Evans and his wife Flor; reminding us of our identity in Christ, our strength in unity and of the mission to see every tribe and tongue lift high the name of Jesus.
The youthful worship bands led the congregation into glorious times in the presence of God, while powerful ministry times that resulted in significant healing testimonies followed off the back of stirring preaching from Steve, Ray and John. A sign of the healthy future for the church was to see three students, who had been discipled in the weeks leading up to the conference, being baptised in the resort’s outdoor pool.
As the event drew to a close, there was a strong sense that God had been laying foundations and building strong relationships, not just among the Mexican church, but also with the wider Regions Beyond family.
John Evans explains:
God met powerfully with us and gave us faith for the future. The sense of unity and togetherness was amazing. If you didn’t know otherwise, you would have thought it was only one church attending the conference!
As we listened to Steve’s story, I believe God baptized our churches into the Regions Beyond family and vision. It was also wonderful to see God’s hand clearly on many young couples. They seemed to visibly grow in faith and stature during the conference. It was great not just to hear about being part of an international family but to actually experience it as we got to know the team from around the world.
JW Taminga (Utrecht, Netherlands) testifies:
To be here in Mexico with representatives from many different nations and different churches coming together to bless and encourage, to serve and to be blessed has been a real highlight.
The reminder of the importance of building relationships over a meal together or having fun has also been underlined over the course of our time here.
Areli Del Rio (Guadalajara, Mexico) adds:
Over this weekend God has helped me to understand more of how good he is and how he wants to bless his church here in Guadalajara. The Holy Spirit breathed fresh life into us, helping us to let go of baggage from the past and move on together.
It was also amazing to worship God united in one heart with new friends from around the world who now feel like family.
