I’m not sure where to begin. We have so much to be thankful for that I think I’ll start with thanks this time. First of all we want to thank all of you who pray for us, write us, and who support us regularly. We also want to thank all of you who gave extra last month for Christmas. We sure appreciated it and we put to good use investing in our youth conference that we did this month.
SPECIAL THANKS to: Jan Schlessleman who found a way to send us Christmas cookies, Leen Smith who got Lulu her pancakes and peanut butter and syrup I think. Joe Bartosiak, who got us several things we needed for the ministry, Talita and my folks for the presents they sent, Greg Hall for bringing all that stuff and for doing an awesome job teaching at the conference. Thanks to Brian for the great job he did too. Sorry we didn’t catch any peacock bass guys, but we valiant in the attempt, right? Thanks both you guys for the chance for me to actually feel cold in the Amazon while we were trying to catch bass and thanks for the catfish you did catch! Thanks also to Janet Leigh who found a way to get us my favorite Guatemalan coffee, and Alan Bonness for the chapters on-line of George MacDonald. So what else has been going on???
THE FAMILY:
Talita made her move to the USA and is really enjoying herself. She is staying with my folks and going to school with cousins and has Aunts and uncles as teachers and family all around her. She had completed 2 years of high school last year, so she qualified to graduate this May. She took her ACT test and is getting ready for college.
Israel just started in the British school here and jumped to 9th grade because they start school year in January. He really likes his new school and I am his PE teacher so I can keep an eye on him a little. (Ha!) He had an awesome experience during the youth conference. The only way I can describe it is that it was an ACTS 2:17 experience. It was amazing because usually Israel sits in the back or off to the side and participates very little in the worship here. He is like my opposite in that regard. He does not like to express himself or make any kind of display. He is good but he usually has to be almost forced to participate. Anyway after one teaching session, he came forward for prayer. God’s Spirit came on him and he fell down. He saw a vision of the gates of hell being opened and a great darkness released over the earth. He saw many fires all over the earth very small ones and bigger ones. The darkness spread and many of the small fires went out, while the other ones flickered than flamed higher. God spoke to his heart about hypocrisy in his life and that his flame was very small. He felt God speak to him that now was the time to stoke up the flame. It was amazing the change in him. He started challenging the other kids, praying and I find him in the morning reading his Bible. I just pray God bless him and keep him in this. The cool thing is that many other kids were impacted the same way during the conference, but to have my son more on fire for God than he has ever been, that is too cool!
Lucinda also started in the British school. She really loves it too. She continues to love serving in the nursery and is our greeter for youth group. She is also our little schedule keeper and reminds us of when we need to go, or if there is something we “promised”. She is quite the Lulu reminds us of her Grandma Cynda Lu.
Dulce had a birthday this month. She continues to lead the youth worship team, cell group and teaches baptism classes every month. She also got to translate during the conference and really has gotten good at it.
YOUTH GROUP
We continue to struggle a little to grow the group because many of the ‘older’ kids would rather be in the young adults group. Some study the night we have youth group and other schedule conflicts have been a challenge but we are working through those things. The YOUTH CONFERENCE with Greg Hall and Brian Fields was a huge help not only to us but to the youth groups of 7 different churches. We built stronger relationships between the youth groups and leaders and are beginning to work together to see how we can impact the city. On the last day of the conference we had an evangelistic Sunday celebration service 120 people gave their lives to the Lord and more than 90 of them came to the follow up luncheon on the following Monday. We also firmed up our core youth and got several of them on fire for God. We launched a new young adult’s ministry for Saturday nights and we formed our first multi-church short-term missions impact team. The team will be preparing this month for a trip into the interior in March.
THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL OF YOU WHO HAD A PART IN SENDING GREG AND BRIAN HERE! IT WAS HUGE!
CELL GROUPS
We were ministering to around 50 people in 4 cell groups each week. This past month we have been trying to focus on getting folks that visit cell group into a relationship with Christ and into the church. The result is numbers in attendance have dropped a little but the ones we have are becoming more committed. We are making some changes and looking at starting some new cell groups with some new leaders Pastor Francisco gave us to help. Currently I am ministering to between 20-25 men in cell groups each week and Dulce is working with 7-10 women. (Attendance varies)
THE ACADEMY
When we opened in November we had over 50 students with 25-30 in our Bible studies. We had several prayer breakfasts with over 60 in attendance on 2 occasions. There were 23 who made commitments to Christ and 12 of them were added to our church. Because of my other duties I had to delegate the leadership of the academy, unfortunately one of our leaders had some moral failings that brought a level of confusion and distrust (lying and gossip). The coach who is unemployed right now was unfaithful with the money he collected from the athletes. We also were unable t o get Brazilian sponsors up ‘til now. We are working through these things right now and really need your prayers. For now I had to take the church’s name off of the academy. The coach who got all the students and did all the training had the right to keep the money he collected after the rent and upkeep. When he failed I gave him the choice to let me handle the money or put his name on the contract for the building and assume the responsibility. He chose to assume responsibility and really has not delivered. In spite of this I am still meeting with 7-10 athletes every week in Bible study. AND… an encouraging note is that we have a seminary student just arrived who trained Jiu Jitsu for years, is mature and on fire for God and has the time to work with this. There are two other young men from the church interested as well. They have cooked up a possible solution. We are going to meet today and pray and decide what we will do. I also just got my purple belt and won a championship so I can actually have an academy in my name of needed.
PRAYER NEEDS:
- For our family, health, provision, protection, passion, purity, devotion and effectiveness for God (Israel, Lucinda, Dulce, Jon, Talita)
- For cell groups to grow and multiply
- For cell members to do the encounter weekends and school of leadership
- For Darlan, Fabio and there wives as they begin to work with us, our cells and the youth
- God’s wisdom and direction regarding cell ministry, youth ministry and the academy
- For Juliandrey and his walk with God (our head jiu jitsu coach)
- For us to be able to get a van or microbus for ministry
- For Filho, Shelly, Maria, Luis, Nego, Felipe, Mary, Val, Junio, Darlan 2, Joao, Lilly, Pablo, Tiago, Ademar, Marko, Bill, Rodrigo, Vladimiro, Jose, Ajilson, Harrison, Guto, Franque, Suene, Michael, Duda, Carlos, Adriano, Fabricio, Vovo, Nette, Rosa, Ribeiro, Jonata, Paulo, and everyone else from our cell groups and youth ministry.
- For Pastors Francisco, Mauro, Mica, Barros, Valdicir, Mario and their families.
IN CLOSING
Thanks so much all of you!!!! Please keep us in prayer and stay in touch!
Check out the pics below! God bless!
WE LOVE YOU!
Jon, Dulce, Izzy, Lulu n Talita too…
THE EASTLICK’S
Support: For giving credit checks can be made out to Crossroads Community Church with a memo or attached note: “for the Eastlicks”. Checks can be mailed to
C.C.C.
1668 N. Crossroads Lane
Freeport, IL 61032
( Gifts are deposited in our account and accounted for with giving credit at the end of the tax year. )
New Pics...
DULCE'S CELL GROUP
BLESSED HER
ON HER BIRTHDAY
JIU JITSU GRADUATION '07
PRAYER/ Some of the Athletes(JD got his purple belt)
THE CONFERENCE
